the spirit of laws-第111部分

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because　they　were　neither　sui　h？redes；　nor　agnati。＇20＇

The　laws　of　the　ancient　Romans　concerning　successions；　being　formed　with　the　same　spirit　which　dictated　the　division　of　lands；　did　not　sufficiently　restrain　the　riches　of　women；　thus　a　door　was　left　open　to　luxury；　which　is　always　inseparable　from　this　sort　of　opulence。　Between　the　second　and　third　Punic　war；　they　began　to　perceive　the　evil　and　made　the　Voconian　law；＇21＇　but　as　they　were　induced　to　this　by　the　most　important　considerations；　as　but　few　monuments　have　reached　us　that　take　notice　of　this　law；　and　as　it　has　hitherto　been　spoken　of　in　a　most　confused　manner；　I　shall　endeavour　to　clear　it　up。

Cicero　has　preserved　a　fragment；　which　forbids　the　instituting　a　woman　an　heiress；　whether　she　was　married　or　unmarried。＇22＇

The　Epitome　of　Livy；　where　he　speaks　of　this　law；　says　no　more：＇23＇　it　appears　from　Cicero＇24＇　and　St。　Augustine＇25＇　that　the　daughter；　though　an　only　child；　was　comprehended　in　the　prohibition。

Cato；　the　elder；　contributed　all　in　his　power　to　get　this　law　passed。＇26＇　Aulus　Gellius　cites　a　fragment　of　a　speech；＇27＇　which　he　made　on　this　occasion。　By　preventing　the　succession　of　women；　his　intent　was　to　take　away　the　source　of　luxury；　as　by　undertaking　the　defence　of　the　Oppian　law；　he　intended　to　put　a　stop　to　luxury　itself。

In　the　Institutes　of　Justinian＇28＇　and　Theophilus；＇29＇　mention　is　made　of　a　chapter　of　the　Voconian　law　which　limits　the　power　of　bequeathing。　In　reading　these　authors；　everybody　would　imagine　that　this　chapter　was　made　to　prevent　the　inheritance　from　being　so　exhausted　by　legacies　as　to　render　it　unworthy　of　the　heir's　acceptance。　But　this　was　not　the　spirit　of　the　Voconian　law。　We　have　just　seen　that　they　had　in　view　the　hindering　women　from　inheriting　an　estate。　The　article　of　this　law；　which　set　bounds　to　the　power　of　bequeathing　entered　into　this　view：　for　if　people　had　been　possessed　of　the　liberty　to　bequeath　as　much　as　they　pleased；　the　women　might　have　received　as　legacies　what　they　could　not　receive　by　succession。

The　Voconian　law　was　made　to　hinder　the　women　from　growing　too　wealthy；　for　this　end　it　was　necessary　to　deprive　them　of　large　inheritances；　and　not　of　such　as　were　incapable　of　supporting　luxury。　The　law　fixed　a　certain　sum　to　be　given　to　the　women　whom　it　deprived　of　the　succession。　Cicero；＇30＇　from　whom　we　have　this　particular；　does　not　tell　us　what　was　the　sum；　but　by　Dio　we　are　informed　it　was　a　hundred　thousand　sesterces。＇31＇

The　Voconian　law　was　made　to　regulate　opulence；　not　to　lay　a　restraint　upon　poverty；　hence　Cicero＇32＇　informs　us　that　it　related　only　to　those　whose　names　were　registered　in　the　censors'　books。

This　furnished　a　pretence　for　eluding　the　law：　it　is　well　known　that　the　Romans　were　extremely　fond　of　set　forms；　and　we　have　already　taken　notice　that　it　was　the　spirit　of　the　republic　to　follow　the　letter　of　the　law。　There　were　fathers　who　would　not　give　in　their　names　to　be　enrolled　by　the　censors；　because　they　would　have　it　in　their　power　to　leave　the　succession　to　a　daughter：　and　the　pr？tors　determined　that　this　was　no　violation　of　the　Voconian　law　since　it　was　not　contrary　to　the　letter　of　it。

One　Anius　Asellus　had　appointed　his　daughter　his　sole　heir　and　executrix。　He　had　a　right　to　make　this　disposition；　says　Cicero；＇33＇　he　was　not　restrained　by　the　Voconian　law；　since　he　was　not　included　in　the　census。　Verres；　during　the　time　of　his　pr？torship；　had　deprived　Anius'　daughter　of　the　succession；　and　Cicero　maintains　that　Verres　had　been　bribed；　otherwise　he　would　not　have　annulled　a　disposition　which　all　the　other　pr？tors　had　confirmed。

What　kind　of　citizens　then　must　those　have　been；　who　were　not　registered　in　the　census　in　which　all　the　freemen　of　Rome　were　included？　According　to　the　institution　of　Servius　Tullius；　mentioned　by　Dionysius　of　Halicarnassus；＇34＇　every　citizen　not　enrolled　in　the　census　became　a　slave；　even　Cicero　himself　observes＇35＇　that　such　a　man　forfeited　his　liberty；　and　the　same　thing　is　affirmed　by　Zonaras。　There　must　have　been　therefore　a　difference　between　not　being　in　the　census　according　to　the　spirit　of　the　Voconian　law；　and　not　being　in　it　according　to　the　spirit　of　Servius　Tullius'　institutions。

They　whose　names　were　not　registered　in　the　first　five　classes；＇36＇　in　which　the　inhabitants　ranked　in　proportion　to　their　fortunes；　were　not　comprised　in　the　census　according　to　the　spirit　of　the　Voconian　law：　they　who　were　not　enrolled　in　one　of　these　six　classes；　or　who　were　not　ranked　by　the　censors　among　such　as　were　called　？rarii；　were　not　included　in　the　census　according　to　the　spirit　of　Servius'　institutions。　Such　was　the　force　of　nature；　that　to　elude　the　Voconian　law　fathers　submitted　to　the　disgrace　of　being　confounded　in　the　sixth　class　with　the　proletarii　and　capite　censi；　or　perhaps　to　have　their　names　entered　in　the　C？rites　tabul？。＇37＇

We　have　elsewhere　observed　that　the　Roman　laws　did　not　admit　of　fiduciary　bequests。　The　hopes　of　evading　the　Voconian　law　were　the　cause　of　their　being　introduced：　they　instituted　an　heir　qualified　by　the　law；　and　they　begged　he　would　resign　the　succession　to　a　person　whom　the　law　had　excluded；　this　new　method　of　disposition　was　productive　of　very　different　effects。　Some　resigned　the　inheritance；　and　the　conduct　of　Sextus　Peduccus　on　an　occasion　of　this　nature　was　very　remarkable。＇38＇　A　considerable　succession　was　left　him；　and　nobody　living　knew　that　he　was　desired　to　resign　it　to　another；　when　he　waited　upon　the　widow　of　the　testator　and　made　over　to　her　the　whole　fortune　belonging　to　her　late　husband。

Others　kept　possession　of　the　inheritance；　and　here　the　example　of　P。　Sextilius　Rufus　is　also　famous；　having　been　made　use　of　by　Cicero　in　his　disputations　against　the　Epicureans。＇39＇　〃In　my　younger　days；〃　says　he；　〃I　was　desired　by　Sextilius　to　accompany　him　to　his　friends；　in　order　to　know　whether　he　ought　to　restore　the　inheritance　of　Quintus　Fadius　Gallus　to　his　daughter　Fadia。　There　were　several　young　people　present；　with　others　of　more　maturity　and　judgment；　and　not　one　of　them　was　of　opinion　that　he　should　give　more　to　Fadia　than　the　lady　was　entitled　to　by　the　Voconian　law。　In　consequence　of　this；　Sextilius　kept　possession　of　a　fine　estate；　of　which　he　would　not　have　retained　a　single　sestertius　had　he　preferred　justice　to　utility。　It　is　possible；　added　he；　that　you　would　have　resigned　the　inheritance；　nay　it　is　possible　that　Epicurus　himself　would　have　resigned　it；　but　you　would　not　have　acted　according　to　your　own　principles。〃　Here　I　shall　pause　a　little　to　reflect。

It　is　a　misfortune　inherent　in　humanity　that　legislators　should　be　sometimes　obliged　to　enact　laws　repugnant　to　the　dictates　of　nature：　such　was　the　Voconian　law。　The　reason　is；　the　legislature　considers　the　society　rather　than　the　citizen；　and　the　citizen　rather　than　the　man。　The　law　sacrificed　both　the　citizen　and　the　man；　and　directed　its　views　to　the　prosperity　of　the　republic。　Suppose　a　person　made　a　fiduciary　bequest　in　favour　of　his　daughter；　the　law　paid　no　regard　to　the　sentiments　of　nature　in　the　father；　nor　to　the　filial　piety　of　the　daughter；　all　it　had　an　eye　to　was　the　person　to　whom　the　bequest　was　made　in　trust；　and　who　on　such　occasion　found　himself　in　a　terrible　dilemma。　If　he　restored　the　estate；　he　was　a　bad　citizen；　if　he　kept　it；　he　was　a　bad　man。　None　but　good…natured　people　thought　of　eluding　the　law；　and　they　could　pitch　upon　none　but　honest　men　to　help　them　to　elude　it；　for　a　trust　of　this　kind　requires　a　triumph　over　avarice　and　inordinate　pleasure；　which　none　but　honest　men　are　likely　to　obtain。　Perhaps　in　this　light　to　look　upon　them　as　bad　citizens　would　have　savoured　too　much　of　severity。　It　is　not　impossible　but　that　the　legislator　carried　his　point　in　a　great　measure；　since　his　law　was　of　such　a　nature　as　obliged　none　but　honest　men　to　elude　it。

At　the　time　when　the　Voconian　law　was　passed；　the　Romans　still　preserved　some　remains　of　their　ancient　purity　of　manners。　Their　conscience　was　sometimes　engaged　in　favour　of　the　law；　and　they　were　made　to　swear　they　would　observe　it：＇40＇　so　that　honesty　in　some　measure　was　set　in　opposition　against　itself。　But　latterly　their　morals　were　corrupted　to　such　a　degree　that　the　fiduciary　bequests　must　have　had　less　efficacy　to　elude　the　Voconian　law；　than　that　very　legislator　had　to　enforce　its　observance。

The　civil　wars　were　the　destruction　of　an　infinite　number　of　citizens。　Under　Augustus；　Rome　was　almost　deserted；　it　was　necessary　to　re…people　it。　They　made　the　Papian　laws；　which　omitted　nothing　that　could　encourage　the　citizens　to　marry　and　procreate　children。＇41＇　One　of　the　principal　means　was　to　increase；　in　favour　of　those　who　gave　in　to　the　views　of　the　law；　the　hopes　of　being　heirs；　and　to　diminish　the　expectations　of　those　who　refused；　and　as　the　Voconian　law　had　rendered　women　incapable　of　succeeding；　the　Papian　law；　in　certain　cases；　dispensed　with　this　prohibition。＇42＇

Women；＇43＇　especially　those　who　had　children；　were　rendered　capable　of　receiving　in　virtue　of　the　will　of　their　husbands；　they　even　might；　when　they　had　children；　receive　in　virtue　of　the　will　of　strangers。　All　this　was　in　direct　opposition　to　the　regulations　of　the　Voconian　law：　and　yet　it　is　remarkable　that　the　spirit　of　this　law　was　not　entirely　abandoned。　For　example；　the　Papian　law；　which　permitted　a　man　who　had　one　child＇44＇　to　receive　an　entire　inheritance　by　the　will　of　a　stranger；　granted　the　same　favour　to　the　wife　only　when　she　had　three　children。＇45＇

It　must　be　remarked　that　the　Papian　law　did　not　render　the　women　who　had　three　children　capable　of　succeeding　except　in　virtue　of　the　will　of　strangers；　and　that　with　respect　to　the　succession　of　relatives；　it　left　the　ancient　laws；　and　particularly　the　Voconian；　in　all　their　force。＇46＇　But　this　did　not　long　subsist。

Rome；　corrupted　by　the　riches　of　every　nation；　had　changed　her　manners；　the　putting　a　stop　to　the　luxury　of　women　was　no　longer　minded。　Aulus　Gellius；　who　lived　under　Adrian；＇47＇　tells　us；　that　in　his　time　the　Voconian　law　was　almost　abolished；　it　was　buried　under　the　opulence　of　the　city。　Thus　we　find　in　the　sentences　of　Paulus；＇48＇　who　lived　under　Niger；　and　in　the　fragments　of　Ulpian；＇49＇　wh