the spirit of laws-第113部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　in　their　laws　the　severities　of　a　conqueror；＇12＇　which　are　not　to　be　met　with　in　the　other　codes　of　the　laws　of　the　barbarians。

We　see　the　spirit　of　the　German　laws　in　the　pecuniary　punishments；　and　the　spirit　of　a　conqueror　in　those　of　an　afflictive　nature。

The　crimes　they　commit　in　their　own　country　are　subject　to　corporal　punishment；　and　the　spirit　of　the　German　laws　is　followed　only　in　the　punishment　of　crimes　committed　beyond　the　extent　of　their　own　territory。

They　are　plainly　told　that　their　crimes　shall　meet　with　no　mercy；　and　they　are　refused　even　the　asylum　of　churches。

The　bishops　had　an　immense　authority　at　the　court　of　the　Visigoth　Kings；　the　most　important　affairs　being　debated　in　councils。　All　the　maxims；　principles　and　views　of　the　present　inquisition　are　owing　to　the　code　of　the　Visigoths；　and　the　monks　have　only　copied　against　the　Jews　the　laws　formerly　enacted　by　bishops。

In　other　respects　the　laws　of　Gundebald　for　the　Burgundians　seem　pretty　judicious；　and　those　of　Rotharis；　and　of　the　other　Lombard　princes；　are　still　more　so。　But　the　laws　of　the　Visigoths；　those　for　instance　of　Recessuinthus；　Chaindasuinthus；　and　Egigas　are　puerile；　ridiculous　and　foolish；　they　attain　not　their　end；　they　are　stuffed　with　rhetoric　and　void　of　sense；　frivolous　in　the　substance　and　bombastic　in　the　style。

2。　That　the　Laws　of　the　Barbarians　were　all　personal。　It　is　a　distinguishing　character　of　these　laws　of　the　barbarians　that　they　were　not　confined　to　a　certain　district；　the　Frank　was　tried　by　the　law　of　the　Franks；　the　Aleman　by　that　of　the　Alemans；　the　Burgundian　by　that　of　the　Burgundians；　and　the　Roman　by　the　Roman　law；　nay；　so　far　were　the　conquerors　in　those　days　from　reducing　their　laws　to　a　uniform　system　or　body；　that　they　did　not　even　think　of　becoming　legislators　to　the　people　they　had　conquered。

The　original　of　this　I　find　in　the　manners　of　the　Germans。　These　people　were　parted　asunder　by　marshes；　lakes；　and　forests；　and　C？sar　observes＇13＇　they　were　fond　of　such　separations。　Their　dread　of　the　Romans　brought　about　their　reunion；　and　yet　each　individual　among　these　mixed　people　was　still　to　be　tried　by　the　established　customs　of　his　own　nation。　Each　tribe　apart　was　free　and　independent；　and　when　they　came　to　be　intermixed；　the　independence　still　continued；　the　country　was　common；　the　government　peculiar；　the　territory　the　same；　and　the　nations　different。　The　spirit　of　personal　laws　prevailed　therefore　among　those　people　before　ever　they　set　out　from　their　own　homes；　and　they　carried　it　with　them　into　the　conquered　provinces。

We　find　this　custom　established　in　the　formulas　of　Marculfus；＇14＇　in　the　codes　of　the　laws　of　the　barbarians；　but　chiefly　in　the　law　of　the　Ripuarians＇15＇　and　the　decrees　of　the　kings　of　the　first　race；＇16＇　whence　the　capitularies　on　that　subject　in　the　second　race　were　derived。＇17＇　The　children　followed　the　laws　of　their　father；＇18＇　the　wife　that　of　her　husband；＇19＇　the　widow　came　back　to　her　own　original　law；＇20＇　and　the　freedman　was　under　that　of　his　patron。＇21＇　Besides；　every　man　could　make　choice　of　what　laws　he　pleased；　but　the　constitution　of　Lotharius　I＇22＇　required　that　this　choice　should　be　made　public。

3。　Capital　Difference　between　the　Salic　Laws　and　those　of　the　Visigoths　and　Burgundians。　We　have　already　observed　that　the　laws　of　the　Burgundians　and　Visigoths　were　impartial；　but　it　was　otherwise　with　regard　to　the　Salic　law；　for　it　established　between　the　Franks　and　Romans　the　most　mortifying　distinctions。　When　a　Frank；　a　barbarian；　or　one　living　under　the　Salic　law　happened　to　be　killed；　a　composition　of　200　sols　was　to　be　paid　to　his　relatives；＇23＇　only　100　upon　the　killing　of　a　Roman　proprietor；＇24＇　and　no　more　than　forty…five　for　a　Roman　tributary。　The　composition　for　the　murder　of　one　of　the　king's　vassals；　if　a　Frank；　was　600　sols；＇25＇　if　a　Roman；　though　the　king's　guest；＇26＇　only　300。＇27＇　The　Salic　law　made　therefore　a　cruel　distinction　between　the　Frank　and　Roman　lord；　and　the　Frank　and　Roman　commoner。

Further；　if　a　number　of　people　were　got　together　to　assault　a　Frank　in　his　house；＇28＇　and　he　happened　to　be　killed；　the　Salic　law　ordained　a　composition　of　600　sols；　but　if　a　Roman　or　a　freedman　was　assaulted；　only　one…half　that　composition。＇29＇　By　the　same　law；＇30＇　if　a　Roman　put　a　Frank　in　irons；　he　was　liable　to　a　composition　of　30　sols；　but　if　a　Frank　had　thus　used　a　Roman；　he　paid　only　15。　A　Frank；　stripped　by　a　Roman；　was　entitled　to　the　composition　of　62　1/2　sols；　and　a　Roman　stripped　by　a　Frank　received　only　30。　Such　unequal　treatment　must　needs　have　been　very　grievous　to　a　Roman。

And　yet　a　celebrated　author＇31＇　forms　a　system　of　the　establishment　of　the　Franks　in　Gaul；　on　a　supposition　that　they　were　the　best　friends　of　the　Romans。　The　Franks　then；　the　best　friends　of　the　Romans；　they　who　did；　and　they　who　suffered　from　the　Romans　such　an　infinite　deal　of　mischief！＇32＇　The　Franks；　the　friends　of　the　Romans；　they　who；　after　subduing　them　by　their　arms；　oppressed　them　in　cold　blood　by　their　laws！　They　were　exactly　the　friends　of　the　Romans　as　the　Tartars　who　conquered　China　were　the　friends　of　the　Chinese。　If　some　Catholic　bishops　thought　fit　to　make　use　of　the　Franks　in　destroying　the　Arian　Kings；　does　it　follow　that　they　had　a　desire　of　living　under　those　barbarous　people？　And　can　we　hence　conclude　that　the　Franks　had　any　particular　regard　for　the　Romans？　I　should　draw　quite　different　consequences；　the　less　the　Franks　had　to　fear　from　the　Romans；　the　less　indulgence　they　showed　them。

The　Abbé　du　Bos　has　consulted　but　indifferent　authorities　for　his　history；　such　as　poets　and　orators；　works　of　parade　and　ostentation　are　improper　foundations　for　building　systems。

4。　In　what　manner　the　Roman　Law　came　to　be　lost　in　the　Country　subject　to　the　Franks；　and　preserved　in　that　subject　to　the　Goths　and　Burgundians。　What　has　been　above　said　will　throw　some　light　upon　other　things；　which　have　hitherto　been　involved　in　great　obscurity。

The　country　at　this　day　called　France　was　under　the　first　race　governed　by　the　Roman　law；　or　the　Theodosian　code；　and　by　the　different　laws　of　the　Barbarians；＇33＇　who　settled　in　those　parts。

In　the　country　subject　to　the　Franks；　the　Salic　law　was　established　for　the　Franks；　and　the　Theodosian　code＇34＇　for　the　Romans。　In　that　subject　to　the　Visigoths；　a　compilation　of　the　Theodosian　code；　made　by　order　of　Alaric；＇35＇　regulated　disputes　among　the　Romans；　and　the　national　customs；　which　Euric　caused　to　be　reduced　to　writing；＇36＇　determined　those　among　the　Visigoths。　But　how　comes　it；　some　will　say；　that　the　Salic　laws　gained　almost　a　general　authority　in　the　country　of　the　Franks；　and　the　Roman　law　gradually　declined；　whilst　in　the　jurisdiction　of　the　Visigoths　the　Roman　law　spread　itself；　and　obtained　at　last　a　general　sway？

My　answer　is　that　the　Roman　law　came　to　be　disused　among　the　Franks　because　of　the　great　advantages　accruing　from　being　a　Frank；　a　Barbarian；＇37＇　or　a　person　living　under　the　Salic　law；　every　one；　in　that　case；　readily　quitting　the　Roman　to　live　under　the　Salic　law。

The　clergy　alone　retained　it；＇38＇　as　a　change　would　be　of　no　advantage　to　them。　The　difference　of　conditions　and　ranks　consisted　only　in　the　largeness　of　the　composition；　as　I　shall　show　in　another　place。　Now　particular　laws＇39＇　allowed　the　clergy　as　favourable　compositions　as　those　of　the　Franks；　for　which　reason　they　retained　the　Roman　law。　This　law　brought　no　hardships　upon　them；　and　in　other　respects　it　was　most　proper　for　them；　as　it　was　the　work　of　Christian　emperors。

On　the　other　hand；　in　the　patrimony　of　the　Visigoths；　as　the　Visigoth　law＇40＇　gave　no　civil　advantages　to　the　Visigoths　over　the　Romans；　the　latter　had　no　reason　to　discontinue　living　under　their　own　law　in　order　to　embrace　another。　They　retained　therefore　their　own　laws　without　adopting　those　of　the　Visigoths。

This　is　still　further　confirmed　in　proportion　as　we　proceed　in　our　inquiry。　The　law　of　Gundebald　was　extremely　impartial；　not　favouring　the　Burgundians　more　than　the　Romans。　It　appears　by　the　preamble　to　that　law　that　it　was　made　for　the　Burgundians；　and　to　regulate　the　disputes　which　might　arise　between　them　and　the　Romans；　and　in　the　latter　case　the　judges　were　equally　divided　of　a　side。　This　was　necessary　for　particular　reasons；　drawn　from　the　political　regulations　of　those　times。＇41＇　The　Roman　law　was　continued　in　Burgundy；　in　order　to　regulate　the　disputes　of　Romans　among　themselves。　The　latter　had　no　inducement　to　quit　their　own　law；　as　in　the　country　of　the　Franks；　and　rather　as　the　Salic　law　was　not　established　in　Burgundy；　as　appears　by　the　famous　letter　which　Agobard　wrote　to　Louis　the　Pious。

Agobard＇42＇　desired　that　prince　to　establish　the　Salic　law　in　Burgundy；　consequently　it　had　not　been　established　there　at　that　time。　Thus　the　Roman　law　did；　and　still　does　subsist　in　so　many　provinces；　which　formerly　depended　on　this　kingdom。

The　Roman　and　Gothic　laws　continued　likewise　in　the　country　of　the　establishment　of　the　Goths；　where　the　Salic　law　was　never　received。　When　Pepin　and　Charles　Martel　expelled　the　Saracens；　the　towns　and　provinces　which　submitted　to　these　princes　petitioned　for　a　continuance　of　their　own　laws　and　obtained　it；＇43＇　this；　in　spite　of　the　usages　of　those　times；　when　all　laws　were　personal；　soon　made　the　Roman　law　to　be　considered　as　a　real　and　territorial　law　in　those　countries。

This　appears　by　the　edict　of　Charles　the　Bald；　given　at　Pistes　in　the　year　864；　which　distinguishes　the　countries　where　causes　were　decided　by　the　Roman　law　from　where　it　was　otherwise。＇44＇

The　edict　of　Pistes　shows　two　things；　one；　that　there　were　countries　where　causes　were　decided　by　the　Roman　law；　and　others　where　they　were　not；　and　the　other；　that　those　countries　where　the　Roman　law　obtained　were　precisely　the　same　where　it　is　still　followed　at　this　very　day；　as　appears　by　the　said　edict：＇45＇　thus　the　distinction　of　the　provinces　of　France　under　custom　and　those　under　written　law　was　already　established　at　the　time　of　the　edict　of　Pistes。

I　have　observed　that　in　the　beginning　of　the　monarchy　all　laws　were　personal；　and　thus　when　the　edict　of　Pistes　distinguishes　the　countries　of　the　Roman　law　from　those　which　were　otherwise；