the spirit of laws-第14部分

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appiness。＇8＇

It　is　glorious　indeed　for　this　society　to　have　been　the　first　in　pointing　out　to　those　countries　the　idea　of　religion　joined　with　that　of　humanity。　By　repairing　the　devastations　of　the　Spaniards；　she　has　begun　to　heal　one　of　the　most　dangerous　wounds　that　the　human　species　ever　received。

An　exquisite　sensibility　to　whatever　she　distinguishes　by　the　name　of　honour；　joined　to　her　zeal　for　a　religion　which　is　far　more　humbling　in　respect　to　those　who　receive　than　to　those　who　preach　its　doctrines；　has　set　her　upon　vast　undertakings；　which　she　has　accomplished　with　success。　She　has　drawn　wild　people　from　their　woods；　secured　them　a　maintenance；　and　clothed　their　nakedness；　and　had　she　only　by　this　step　improved　the　industry　of　mankind；　it　would　have　been　sufficient　to　eternise　her　fame。

They　who　shall　attempt　hereafter　to　introduce　like　institutions　must　establish　the　community　of　goods　as　prescribed　in　Plato's　republic；　that　high　respect　he　required　for　the　gods；　that　separation　from　strangers；　for　the　preservation　of　morals；　and　an　extensive　commerce　carried　on　by　the　community；　and　not　by　private　citizens：　they　must　give　our　arts　without　our　luxury；　and　our　wants　without　our　desires。

They　must　proscribe　money；　the　effects　of　which　are　to　swell　people's　fortunes　beyond　the　bounds　prescribed　by　nature；　to　learn　to　preserve　for　no　purpose　what　has　been　idly　hoarded　up；　to　multiply　without　end　our　desires；　and　to　supply　the　sterility　of　nature；　from　whom　we　have　received　very　scanty　means　of　inflaming　our　passions；　and　of　corrupting　each　other。

〃The　Epidamnians；＇9＇　perceiving　their　morals　depraved　by　conversing　with　barbarians；　chose　a　magistrate　for　making　all　contracts　and　sales　in　the　name　and　behalf　of　the　city。〃　Commerce　then　does　not　corrupt　the　constitution；　and　the　constitution　does　not　deprive　society　of　the　advantages　of　commerce。

7。　In　what　Cases　these　singular　Institutions　may　be　of　Service。　Institutions　of　this　kind　may　be　proper　in　republics；　because　they　have　virtue　for　their　principle；　but　to　excite　men　to　honour　in　monarchies；　or　to　inspire　fear　in　despotic　governments；　less　trouble　is　necessary。

Besides；　they　can　take　place　but　in　a　small　state；＇10＇　in　which　there　is　a　possibility　of　general　education；　and　of　training　up　the　body　of　the　people　like　a　single　family。

The　laws　of　Minos；　of　Lycurgus；　and　of　Plato　suppose　a　particular　attention　and　care；　which　the　citizens　ought　to　have　over　one　another's　conduct。　But　an　attention　of　this　kind　cannot　be　expected　in　the　confusion　and　multitude　of　affairs　in　which　a　large　nation　is　entangled。

In　institutions　of　this　kind；　money；　as　we　have　above　observed；　must　be　banished。　But　in　great　societies；　the　multiplicity；　variety；　embarrassment；　and　importance　of　affairs；　as　well　as　the　facility　of　purchasing；　and　the　slowness　of　exchange；　require　a　common　measure。　In　order　to　support　or　extend　our　power；　we　must　be　possessed　of　the　means　to　which；　by　the　unanimous　consent　of　mankind；　this　power　is　annexed。

8。　Explanation　of　a　Paradox　of　the　Ancients　in　respect　to　Manners。　That　judicious　writer；　Polybius；　informs　us　that　music　was　necessary　to　soften　the　manners　of　the　Arcadians；　who　lived　in　a　cold；　gloomy　country；　that　the　inhabitants　of　Cynete；　who　slighted　music；　were　the　cruellest　of　all　the　Greeks；　and　that　no　other　town　was　so　immersed　in　luxury　and　debauchery。　Plato＇11＇　is　not　afraid　to　affirm　that　there　is　no　possibility　of　making　a　change　in　music　without　altering　the　frame　of　government。　Aristotle；　who　seems　to　have　written　his　Politics　only　in　order　to　contradict　Plato；　agrees　with　him；　notwithstanding；　in　regard　to　the　power　and　influence　of　music　over　the　manners　of　the　people。＇12＇　This　was　also　the　opinion　of　Theophrastus；　of　Plutarch＇13＇　and　of　all　the　ancients　　an　opinion　grounded　on　mature　reflection；　being　one　of　the　principles　of　their　polity。＇14＇　Thus　it　was　they　enacted　laws；　and　thus　they　required　that　cities　should　be　governed。

This　I　fancy　must　be　explained　in　the　following　manner。　It　is　observable　that　in　the　cities　of　Greece；　especially　those　whose　。principal　object　was　war；　all　lucrative　arts　and　professions　were　considered　unworthy　of　a　freeman。　〃Most　arts；〃　says　Xenophon；＇15＇　〃corrupt　and　enervate　the　bodies　of　those　that　exercise　them；　they　oblige　them　to　sit　in　the　shade；　or　near　the　fire。　They　can　find　no　leisure；　either　for　their　friends　or　for　the　republic。〃　It　was　only　by　the　corruption　of　some　democracies　that　artisans　became　freemen。　This　we　learn　from　Aristotle；＇16＇　who　maintains　that　a　well…regulated　republic　will　never　give　them　the　right　and　freedom　of　the　city。＇17＇

Agriculture　was　likewise　a　servile　profession；　and　generally　practised　by　the　inhabitants　of　conquered　countries；　such　as　the　Helotes　among　the　Laced？monians；　the　Periecians　among　the　Cretans；　the　Penestes　among　the　Thessalians；　and　other　conquered＇18＇　people　in　other　republics。

In　fine；　every　kind　of　low　commerce＇19＇　was　infamous　among　the　Greeks；　as　it　obliged　a　citizen　to　serve　and　wait　on　a　slave；　on　a　lodger；　or　a　stranger。　This　was　a　notion　that　clashed　with　the　spirit　of　Greek　liberty；　hence　Plato＇20＇　in　his　Laws　orders　a　citizen　to　be　punished　if　he　attempts　to　concern　himself　with　trade。

Thus　in　the　Greek　republics　the　magistrates　were　extremely　embarrassed。　They　would　not　have　the　citizens　apply　themselves　to　trade；　to　agriculture；　or　to　the　arts；　and　yet　they　would　not　have　them　idle。＇21＇　They　found；　therefore；　employment　for　them　in　gymnic　and　military　exercises；　and　none　else　were　allowed　by　their　institution。＇22＇　Hence　the　Greeks　must　be　considered　as　a　society　of　wrestlers　and　boxers。　Now；　these　exercises　having　a　natural　tendency　to　render　people　hardy　and　fierce；　there　was　a　necessity　for　tempering　them　with　others　that　might　soften　their　manners。＇23＇　For　this　purpose；　music；　which　influences　the　mind　by　means　of　the　corporeal　organs；　was　extremely　proper。　It　is　a　kind　of　medium　between　manly　exercises；　which　harden　the　body；　and　speculative　sciences；　which　are　apt　to　render　us　unsociable　and　sour。　It　cannot　be　said　that　music　inspired　virtue；　for　this　would　be　inconceivable：　but　it　prevented　the　effects　of　a　savage　institution；　and　enabled　the　soul　to　have　such　a　share　in　the　education　as　it　could　never　have　had　without　the　assistance　of　harmony。

Let　us　suppose　among　ourselves　a　society　of　men　so　passionately　fond　of　hunting　as　to　make　it　their　sole　employment；　they　would　doubtless　contract　thereby　a　kind　of　rusticity　and　fierceness。　But　if　they　happen　to　imbibe　a　taste　for　music；　we　should　quickly　perceive　a　sensible　difference　in　their　customs　and　manners。　In　short；　the　exercises　used　by　the　Greeks　could　raise　but　one　kind　of　passions；　viz。；　fierceness；　indignation；　and　cruelty。　But　music　excites　all　these；　and　is　likewise　able　to　inspire　the　soul　with　a　sense　of　pity；　lenity；　tenderness；　and　love。　Our　moral　writers；　who　declaim　so　vehemently　against　the　stage；　sufficiently　demonstrate　the　power　of　music　over　the　mind。

If　the　society　above　mentioned　were　to　have　no　other　music　than　that　of　drums；　and　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　would　it　not　be　more　difficult　to　accomplish　this　end　than　by　the　more　melting　tones　of　softer　harmony？　The　ancients　were　therefore　in　the　right　when；　under　particular　circumstances；　they　preferred　one　mode　to　another　in　regard　to　manners。

But　some　will　ask；　why　should　music　be　pitched　upon　as　preferable　to　any　other　entertainment？　It　is　because　of　all　sensible　pleasures　there　is　none　that　less　corrupts　the　soul。　We　blush　to　read　in　Plutarch＇24＇　that　the　Thebans；　in　order　to　soften　the　manners　of　their　youth；　authorised　by　law　a　passion　which　ought　to　be　proscribed　by　all　nations。

______

1。　See　d'Aubigny's　History。

2。　We　mention　here　what　actually　is；　and　not　what　ought　to　be；　honour　is　a　prejudice；　which　religion　sometimes　endeavours　to　remove；　and　at　other　times　to　regulate。

3。　Politics；　i。　13。

4。　Philopoemen　obliged　the　Laced？monians　to　change　their　manner　of　educating　their　children；　being　convinced　that　if　he　did　not　take　this　measure　they　would　always　be　noted　for　their　magnanimity。　　Plutarch；　Philopoemen。　See　Livy；　xxxviii。

5。　She　defended　her　laws　and　liberty　for　the　space　of　three　years。　See　the　98th；　99th；　and　100th　book　of　Livy；　in　Florus's　epitome。　She　made　a　braver　resistance　than　the　greatest　kings。

6。　Florus；　i。　16。

7。　In　fece　Romuli。　　Cicero；　Letters　to　Atticus；　ii。　1。

8。　The　Indians　of　Paraguay　do　not　depend　on　any　particular　lord；　they　pay　only　a　fifth　of　the　taxes；　and　are　allowed　the　use　of　firearms　to　defend　themselves。

9。　Plutarch　in　his　Questions　Concerning　the　Greek　Affairs；　xxix。

10。　Such　as　were　formerly　the　cities　of　Greece。

11。　Republic；　iv。

12。　Politics；　viii。　5。

13。　Pelopidas。

14。　Plato；　in　his　seventh　book　of　Laws；　says　that　the　pr？fectures　of　music　and　gymnic　exercises　are　the　most　important　employments　in　the　city；　and；　in　his　Republic；　iii；　Damon　will　tell　you；　says　he；　what　sounds　are　capable　of　corrupting　the　mind　with　base　sentiments；　or　of　inspiring　the　contrary　virtues。

15。　Memorabilia；　v。

16。　Politics；　iii。　4。

17。　Diophantes；　says　Aristotle；　Politics；　ii。　7；　made　a　law　formerly　at　Athens；　that　artisans　should　be　slaves　to　the　republic。

18。　Plato；　likewise；　and　Aristotle　require　slaves　to　till　the　land；　Laws；　viii。　Politics；　vii。　10。　True　it　is　that　agriculture　was　not　everywhere　exercised　by　slaves：　on　the　contrary；　Aristotle　observes　the　best　republics　were　those　in　which　the　citizens　themselves　tilled　the　land：　but　this　was　brought　about　by　the　corruption　of　the　ancient　governments；　which　had　become　democratic：　for　in　earlier　times　the　cities　of　Greece　were　subject　to　an　aristocratic　government。

19。　Cauponatio。

20。　Book　v。

21。　Aristotle；　Politics；　vii…viii。

22。　Ibid。；　viii。　3。

23。　Aristotle　observes　that　the　children　of　the　Laced？monians；　who　began　these　exercises　at　a　very　tender　age；　contracted　thence　too　great　a　ferocity　and　rudeness　of　behaviour。　　Ibid。；　viii。　4。

24。　Pelopidas。




Book　V。　That　the　Laws　Given　by　the　Legislator　Ought　to　Be　in　Relation　to　the　Principle　of　Government

1。　Idea　of　this　Book。　That　the　laws　of　education　should　relate　to　the　principle　o