the spirit of laws-第130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！


　part。＇45＇　This　is　making　a　jest　of　the　laws。　The　Falcidian　law　became　useless：　for　if　the　testator　had　a　mind　to　favour　his　heir；　the　latter　had　no　need　of　the　Falcidian　law；　and　if　he　did　not　intend　to　favour　him；　he　forbad　him　to　make　use　of　it。

Care　should　be　taken　that　the　laws　be　worded　in　such　a　manner　as　not　to　be　contrary　to　the　very　nature　of　things。　In　the　proscription　of　the　Prince　of　Orange；　Philip　II　promises　to　any　man　that　will　kill　the　prince　to　give　him；　or　his　heirs；　five…and…twenty　thousand　crowns；　together　with　the　title　of　nobility；　and　this　upon　the　word　of　a　king；　and　as　a　servant　of　God。　To　promise　nobility　for　such　an　action！　to　ordain　such　an　action　in　the　quality　of　a　servant　of　God！　This　is　equally　subversive　of　the　ideas　of　honour；　morality；　and　religion。

There　very　seldom　happens　to　be　a　necessity　of　prohibiting　a　thing　which　is　not　bad　under　pretence　of　some　imaginary　perfection。

There　ought　to　be　a　certain　simplicity　and　candour　in　the　laws；　made　to　punish　the　iniquity　of　men；　they　themselves　should　be　clad　with　the　robes　of　innocence。　We　find　in　the　law　of　the　Visigoths＇46＇　that　ridiculous　request；　by　which　the　Jews　were　obliged　to　eat　everything　dressed　with　pork；　provided　they　did　not　eat　the　pork　itself。　This　was　a　very　great　cruelty：　they　were　obliged　to　submit　to　a　law　contrary　to　their　own；　and　they　were　obliged　to　retain　nothing　more　of　their　own　than　what　might　serve　as　a　mark　to　distinguish　them。

17。　A　bad　Method　of　giving　Laws。　The　Roman　Emperors　manifested　their　will；　like　our　princes；　by　decrees　and　edicts；　but　they　permitted；　which　our　princes　do　not；　both　the　judges　and　private　people　to　interrogate　them　by　letters　in　their　several　differences；　and　their　answers　were　called　rescripts。　The　decretals　of　the　popes　are　rescripts；　strictly　speaking。　It　is　plain　that　this　is　a　bad　method　of　legislation。　Those　who　thus　apply　for　laws　are　improper　guides　to　the　legislator；　the　facts　are　always　wrongly　stated。　Julius　Capitolinus　says＇47＇　that　Trajan　often　refused　to　give　this　kind　of　rescripts；　lest　a　single　decision；　and　frequently　a　particular　favour；　should　be　extended　to　all　cases。　Macrinus　had　resolved　to　abolish　all　those　rescripts；＇48＇　he　could　not　bear　that　the　answers　of　Commodus；　Caracalla；　and　all　those　other　ignorant　princes；　should　be　considered　as　laws。　Justinian　thought　otherwise；　and　he　filled　his　compilation　with　them。

I　would　advise　those　who　read　the　Roman　laws　to　distinguish　carefully　between　this　sort　of　hypothesis；　and　the　Senatus　Consulta；　the　Plebiscita；　the　general　constitutions　of　the　emperors；　and　all　the　laws　founded　on　the　nature　of　things；　on　the　frailty　of　women；　the　weakness　of　minors；　and　the　public　utility。

18。　Of　the　Ideas　of　Uniformity。　There　are　certain　ideas　of　uniformity；　which　sometimes　strike　great　geniuses　（for　they　even　affected　Charlemagne）；　but　infallibly　make　an　impression　on　little　souls。　They　discover　therein　a　kind　of　perfection；　which　they　recognize　because　it　is　impossible　for　them　not　to　see　it；　the　same　authorized　weights；　the　same　measures　in　trade；　the　same　laws　in　the　state；　the　same　religion　in　all　its　parts。　But　is　this　always　right　and　without　exception？　Is　the　evil　of　changing　constantly　less　than　that　of　suffering？　And　does　not　a　greatness　of　genius　consist　rather　in　distinguishing　between　those　cases　in　which　uniformity　is　requisite；　and　those　in　which　there　is　a　necessity　for　differences？　In　China　the　Chinese　are　governed　by　the　Chinese　ceremonial　and　the　Tartars　by　theirs；　and　yet　there　is　no　nation　in　the　world　that　aims　so　much　at　tranquillity。　If　the　people　observe　the　laws；　what　signifies　it　whether　these　laws　are　the　same？

19。　Of　Legislators。　Aristotle　wanted　to　indulge　sometimes　his　jealousy　against　Plato；　and　sometimes　his　passion　for　Alexander。　Plato　was　incensed　against　the　tyranny　of　the　people　of　Athens。　Machiavel　was　full　of　his　idol；　the　Duke　of　Valentinois。　Sir　Thomas　More；　who　spoke　rather　of　what　he　had　read　than　of　what　he　thought；　wanted　to　govern　all　states　with　the　simplicity　of　a　Greek　city。＇49＇　Harrington　was　full　of　the　idea　of　his　favourite　republic　of　England；　while　a　crowd　of　writers　saw　nothing　but　confusion　where　monarchy　is　abolished。　The　laws　always　conform　to　the　passions　and　prejudices　of　the　legislator；　sometimes　the　latter　pass　through；　and　only　tincture　them；　sometimes　they　remain；　and　are　incorporated　with　them。

______

1。　Aristotle；　Politics；　iv。　11。

2。　Book　xx。　1。

3。　Cecilius　says　that　he　never　saw　nor　read　of　an　instance　in　which　this　punishment　had　been　inflicted；　but　it　is　likely　that　no　such　punishment　was　ever　established：　the　opinion　of　some　civilians；　that　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables　meant　only　the　division　of　the　money　arising　from　the　sale　of　the　debtor；　seems　very　probable。

4。　De　Falsa　legatione。

5。　Dio；　xli。

6。　Aristotle；　Politics；　v。　13。

7。　Plutarch；　Dionysius。

8。　See　xxvi。　17；　p。　223；　above。

9。　When　the　inheritance　was　too　much　encumbered　they　eluded　the　pontifical　law　by　certain　sales；　whence　come　the　words　sine　sacris　h？reditas。

10。　Laws　ix。

11。　Tacitus；　Annals；　vi。　29。

12。　Rescript　of　the　Emperor　Pius　in　Leg。　3；　§§　1；　2；　ff。　de　bonis　eorum　qui　ante　sententiam　mortem　sibi　consciverunt。

13。　Leg。　18；　ff。　de　in　fus　vocando。

14。　See　the　Law　of　the　Twelve　Tables。

15。　Rapit　in　jus。　　Horace；　Sat。；　i。　9。　Hence　they　could　not　summon　those　to　whom　a　particular　respect　was　due。

16。　See　Leg。　18；　ff。　de　in　jus　vocando。

17。　By　the　ancient　French　law；　witnesses　were　heard　on　both　sides；　hence　we　find　in　the　Institutions　of　St。　Louis；　i。　7；　that　there　was　only　a　pecuniary　punishment　against　false　witnesses。

18。　Leg。　1；　ff。　de　receptatoribus。

19。　Ibid。

20。　See　what　Favorinus　says　in　Aulus　Gellius；　xx。　1。

21。　Compare　what　Plutarch　says　in　the　Lycurgus　with　the　laws　of　the　Digest；　title　De　furtis；　and　the　Institutes；　iv；　tit。　1；　§§　1；　2；　3。

22。　Laws；　i。

23。　Syrian。；　in　Hermog。

24。　The　Cornelian　law　De　Sicariis；　Institutes；　iv；　tit。　3；　de　lege　Aquilia；　§　7。

25。　See　Leg。　4；　ff。　ad　leg。　Aquil。

26。　Ibid。；　see　the　decree　of　Tassillon　added　to　the　law　of　the　Bavarians；　de　popularib。　Legib。　art。　4。

27。　Ut　carmen　necessarium。　　Cicero；　De　Leg。　ii；　23。

28。　It　is　the　work　of　Irnerius。

29。　Testament。　Polit。

30。　Appendix　to　the　Theodosian　code　in　the　first　volume　of　Father　Sirmond's　works；　p。　737。

31。　Aulus　Gellius；　xx。　1。

32。　We　find　in　the　verbal　process　of　this　ordinance　the　motives　that　determined　him。

33。　In　his　ordinance　of　Montel…les…Tours；　in　the　year　1453。

34。　They　might　punish　the　attorney；　without　there　being　any　necessity　of　disturbing　the　public　order。

35。　The　ordinance　of　the　year　1667　has　made　some　regulations　upon　this　head。

36。　Book　ii；　tit。　37。

37。　In　Father　Sirmond's　appendix　to　the　Theodosian　code；　i。

38。　Leg。　1；　Cod。　de　repudiis。

39。　See　the　authentic　sed　hodie；　in　the　Cod。　de　repudiis。

40。　Leg。　1；　ff。　de　Postulando。

41。　Sentences；　iv。　9。

42。　Della　guerra　civile　di　Francia；　p。　96。

43。　It　was　made　on　November　18；　1702。

44。　Laws；　ix。

45。　It　is　the　authentic　sed　cum　testator。

46。　Book　xii；　tit。　2；　§　16。

47。　See　Julius　Capitolinus；　in　Macrinus；　13。

48。　Ibid。

49。　In　his　Utopia。




Book　XXX。　Theory　of　the　Feudal　Laws　among　the　Franks　in　the　Relation　They　Bear　to　the　Establishment　of　the　Monarchy

1。　Of　Feudal　Laws。　I　should　think　my　work　imperfect　were　I　to　pass　over　in　silence　an　event　which　never　again；　perhaps；　will　happen；　were　I　not　to　speak　of　those　laws　which　suddenly　appeared　over　all　Europe　without　being　connected　with　any　of　the　former　institutions；　of　those　laws　which　have　done　infinite　good　and　infinite　mischief；　which　have　suffered　rights　to　remain　when　the　demesne　has　been　ceded；　which　by　vesting　several　with　different　kinds　of　seignory　over　the　same　things　or　persons　have　diminished　the　weight　of　the　whole　seignory；　which　have　established　different　limits　in　empires　of　too　great　extent；　which　have　been　productive　of　rule　with　a　bias　to　anarchy；　and　of　anarchy　with　a　tendency　to　order　and　harmony。

This　would　require　a　particular　work　to　itself；　but　considering　the　nature　of　the　present　undertaking；　the　reader　will　here　meet　rather　with　a　general　survey　than　with　a　complete　treatise　of　those　laws。

The　feudal　laws　form　a　very　beautiful　prospect。　A　venerable　old　oak　raises　its　lofty　head　to　the　skies；　the　eye　sees　from　afar　its　spreading　leaves；　upon　drawing　nearer；　it　perceives　the　trunk　but　does　not　discern　the　root；　the　ground　must　be　dug　up　to　discover　it。＇1＇

2。　Of　the　Source　of　Feudal　Laws。　The　conquerors　of　the　Roman　empire　came　from　Germany。　Though　few　ancient　authors　have　described　their　manners；　yet　we　have　two　of　very　great　weight。　C？sar　making　war　against　the　Germans　describes　the　manners　of　that　nation；＇2＇　and　upon　these　he　regulated　some　of　his　enterprises。＇3＇　A　few　pages　of　C？sar　upon　this　subject　are　equal　to　whole　volumes。

Tacitus　has　written　an　entire　work　on　the　manners　of　the　Germans。　This　work　is　short；　but　it　comes　from　the　pen　of　Tacitus；　who　was　always　concise；　because　he　saw　everything　at　one　glance。

These　two　authors　agree　so　perfectly　with　the　codes　still　extant　of　the　laws　of　the　Barbarians；　that　reading　C？sar　and　Tacitus　we　imagine　we　are　perusing　these　codes；　and　perusing　these　codes　we　fancy　we　are　reading　C？sar　and　Tacitus。

But　if　in　this　research　into　the　feudal　laws　I　should　find　myself　entangled　and　lost　in　a　dark　labyrinth；　I　fancy　I　have　the　clue　in　my　hand；　and　that　I　shall　be　able　to　find　my　way　through。

3。　The　Origin　of　Vassalage。　C？sar　says＇4＇　that；　〃The　Germans　neglected　agriculture；　that　the　greatest　part　of　them　lived　upon　milk；　cheese　and　flesh；　that　no　one　had　lands　or　boundaries　of　his　own；　that　the　princes　and　magistrates　of　each　nation　allotted　what　portion　of　land　they　pleased　to　individuals；　and　obliged　them　the　year　following　to　remove　to　some　other　part。〃　Tacitus　says＇5＇　that；　〃Each　prince　had　a　multitude　of　men；　who　were　attached　to　his　service；　and　followed　him　wherever　he　went。〃　This　author　gives　them　a　name　in　his　language　in　accordance　with　their　state；　which　is　that　of　companions。＇6＇　They　had　a　strong　emulation　to　obtain　the　prince's　es