下载辰思小说免费APP
BookXXIX。OftheMannerofComposingLaws1。OftheSpiritofaLegislator。Isayit，andmethinksIhaveundertakenthisworkwithnootherviewthantoproveit，thespiritofalegislatoroughttobethatofmoderation；political，likemoralgood，lyingalwaysbetweentwoextremes。[1]Letusproduceanexample。
Thesetformsofjusticearenecessarytoliberty，butthenumberofthemmightbesogreatastobecontrarytotheendoftheverylawsthatestablishedthem；processeswouldhavenoend；propertywouldbeuncertain；thegoodsofoneofthepartieswouldbeadjudgedtotheotherwithoutexamining，ortheywouldbothberuinedbyexaminingtoomuch。
Thecitizenswouldlosetheirlibertyandsecurity，theaccuserswouldnolongerhaveanymeanstoconvict，northeaccusedtojustifythemselves。
2。ThesameSubjectcontinued。Cecilius，inAulusGellius，[2]speakingofthelawoftheTwelveTableswhichpermittedthecreditortocuttheinsolventdebtorintopieces，justifiesitevenbyitscruelty，whichhinderedpeoplefromborrowingbeyondtheirabilityofpaying。[3]Shallthenthecruellestlawsbethebest？Shallgoodnessconsistinexcess，andalltherelationsofthingsbedestroyed？
3。ThattheLawswhichseemtodeviatefromtheViewsoftheLegislatorarefrequentlyagreeabletothem。ThelawofSolonwhichdeclaredthosepersonsinfamouswhoespousednosideinaninsurrectionseemedveryextraordinary；butweoughttoconsiderthecircumstancesinwhichGreecewasatthattime。Itwasdividedintoverysmallstates；andtherewasreasontoapprehendlestinarepublictornbyintestinedivisionsthesoberestpartshouldkeepretired，inconsequenceofwhichthingsmightbecarriedtoextremity。
Intheseditionsraisedinthosepettystatesthebulkofthecitizenseithermadeorengagedinthequarrel。Inourlargemonarchiespartiesareformedbyafew，andthepeoplechoosetolivequietly，Inthelattercaseitisnaturaltocallbacktheseditioustothebulkofthecitizens，andnotthesetotheseditious；intheotheritisnecessarytoobligethesmallnumberofprudentpeopletoenteramongtheseditious；itisthusthefermentationofoneliquormaybestoppedbyasingledropofanother。
4。OftheLawscontrarytotheViewsoftheLegislator。Therearelawssolittleunderstoodbythelegislatorastobecontrarytotheveryendheproposed。ThosewhomadethisregulationamongtheFrench，thatwhenoneofthetwocompetitorsdiedthebeneficeshoulddevolvetothesurvivor，hadinview，withoutdoubt，theextinctionofquarrels；buttheveryreversefallsout；weseetheclergyatvarianceeveryday，andlikeEnglishmastiffsworryingoneanothertodeath。
5。ThesameSubjectcontinued。ThelawIamgoingtospeakofistobefoundinthisoathpreservedby？schines：[4]"IswearthatIwillneverdestroyatownoftheAmphictyones，andthatIwillnotdivertthecourseofitsrunningwaters；ifanynationshallpresumetodosuchathing，Iwilldeclarewaragainstthemandwilldestroytheirtowns。"
Thelastarticleofthislaw，whichseemstoconfirmthefirst，isreallycontrarytoit。AmphictyoniswillingthattheGreektownsshouldneverbedestroyed，andyethislawpavesthewayfortheirdestruction。
InordertoestablishaproperlawofnationsamongtheGreeks，theyoughttohavebeenaccustomedearlytothinkitabarbarousthingtodestroyaGreektown；consequentlytheyoughtnoteventoruinthedestroyers。Amphictyon’slawwasjust，butitwasnotprudent；thisappearsevenfromtheabusemadeofit。DidnotPhilipassumethepowerofdemolishingtowns，underthepretenceoftheirhavinginfringedthelawsoftheGreeks？Amphictyonmighthaveinflictedotherpunishments；
hemighthaveordained，forexample，thatacertainnumberofthemagistratesofthedestroyingtown，orofthechiefsoftheinfringingarmy，shouldbepunishedwithdeath；thatthedestroyingnationshouldceaseforawhiletoenjoytheprivilegesoftheGreeks；thattheyshouldpayafinetillthetownwasrebuilt。Thelawought，aboveallthings，toaimatthereparationofdamages。
6。TheLawswhichappearthesamehavenotalwaysthesameEffect。C？sarmadealawtoprohibitpeoplefromkeepingabovesixtysestercesintheirhouses。[5]ThislawwasconsideredatRomeasextremelyproperforreconcilingthedebtorstotheircreditors，because，byobligingtherichtolendtothepoor，theyenabledthelattertopaytheirdebts。A
lawofthesamenaturemadeinFranceatthetimeoftheSystemprovedextremelyfatal，becauseitwasenactedunderamostfrightfulsituation。Afterdeprivingpeopleofallpossiblemeansoflayingouttheirmoney，theystrippedthemevenofthelastresourceofkeepingitathome，whichwasthesameastakingitfromthembyopenviolence。
C？sar’slawwasintendedtomakethemoneycirculate；theFrenchminister’sdesignwastodrawallthemoneyintoonehand。Theformergaveeitherlandsormortgagesonprivatepeopleforthemoney；thelatterproposedinlieuofmoneynothingbuteffectswhichwereofnovalue，andcouldhavenonebytheirverynature，becausethelawcompelledpeopletoacceptofthem。
7。ThesameSubjectcontinued。NecessityofcomposingLawsinaproperManner。ThelawofostracismwasestablishedatAthens，atArgos，[6]andatSyracuse。AtSyracuseitwasproductiveofathousandmischiefs，becauseitwasimprudentlyenacted。Theprincipalcitizensbanishedoneanotherbyholdingtheleafofafig—treeintheirhands，sothatthosewhohadanykindofmeritwithdrewfrompublicaffairs。[7]AtAthens，wherethelegislatorwassensibleoftheproperextentandlimitsofhislaw，ostracismprovedanadmirableregulation。Theynevercondemnedmorethanonepersonatatime；andsuchanumberofsuffrageswererequisiteforpassingthissentencethatitwasextremelydifficultforthemtobanishapersonwhoseabsencewasnotnecessarytothestate。[8]
Thepowerofbanishingwasexercisedonlyeveryfifthyear：andindeed，astheostracismwasdesignedagainstnonebutgreatpersonageswhothreatenedthestatewithdanger，itoughtnottohavebeenthetransactionofeveryday。
8。ThatLawswhichappearthesamewerenotalwaysmadethroughthesameMotive。InFrancetheyhavereceivedmostoftheRomanlawsonsubstitutions，butthroughquiteadifferentmotivefromtheRomans。
Amongthelattertheinheritancewasaccompaniedwithcertainsacrifices[9]whichweretobeperformedbytheinheritorandwereregulatedbythepontificallaw；henceitwasthattheyreckoneditadishonourtodiewithoutheirs，thattheymadeslavestheirheirs，andthattheydevisedsubstitutions。Ofthiswehaveaverystrongproofinthevulgarsubstitution，whichwasthefirstinvented，andtookplaceonlywhentheheirappointeddidnotacceptoftheinheritance。Itsviewwasnottoperpetuatetheestateinafamilyofthesamename，buttofindsomebodythatwouldacceptofit。
9。ThattheGreekandRomanLawspunishedSuicide，butnotthroughthesameMotive。Aman，saysPlato，whohaskilledonenearlyrelatedtohim，thatis，himself，notbyanorderofthemagistrate，nottoavoidignominy，butthroughpusillanimityshallbepunished。[10]TheRomanlawpunishedthisactionwhenitwasnotcommittedthroughpusillanimity，throughwearinessoflife，throughimpatienceinpain，butfromacriminaldespair。TheRomanlawacquittedwheretheGreekcondemned，andcondemnedwheretheotheracquitted。
Plato’slawwasformedupontheLaced？monianinstitutions，wheretheordersofthemagistratewereabsolute，whereshamewasthegreatestofmiseries，andpusillanimitythegreatestofcrimes。TheRomanshadnolongerthoserefinedideas；theirswasonlyafiscallaw。
Duringthetimeoftherepublic，therewasnolawatRomeagainstsuicides；thisactionisalwaysconsideredbytheirhistoriansinafavourablelight，andwenevermeetwithanypunishmentinflicteduponthosewhocommittedit。
Underthefirstemperors，thegreatfamiliesofRomewerecontinuallydestroyedbycriminalprosecutions。Thecustomwasthenintroducedofpreventingjudgmentbyavoluntarydeath。Inthistheyfoundagreatadvantage：theyhadanhonourableinterment，andtheirwillswereexecuted，becausetherewasnolawagainstsuicides。[11]Butwhentheemperorsbecameasavariciousascruel，theydeprivedthosewhodestroyedthemselvesofthemeansofpreservingtheirestatesbyrenderingitcriminalforapersontomakeawaywithhimselfthroughacriminalremorse。
WhatIhavebeensayingofthemotiveoftheemperorsissotrue，thattheyconsentedthattheestatesofsuicidesshouldnotbeconfiscatedwhenthecrimeforwhichtheykilledthemselveswasnotpunishedwithconfiscation。[12]
10。ThatLawswhichseemcontraryproceedsometimesfromthesameSpirit。Inourtimewegivesummonstopeopleintheirownhouses；butthiswasnotpermittedamongtheRomans。[13]
Asummonswasaviolentaction，[14]andakindofwarrantforseizingthebody；[15]henceitwasnomoreallowedtosummonapersoninhisownhousethanitisnowallowedtoarrestapersoninhisownhousefordebt。
BoththeRomanandourlawsadmitofthisprinciplealike，thateverymanoughttohavehisownhouseforanasylum，whereheshouldsuffernoviolence。[16]
11。HowtocomparetwodifferentSystemsofLaws。InFrancethepunishmentforfalse
