the spirit of laws-第24部分

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e　peasant；　who　has　no　honour　to　lose；　undergoes　a　corporal　punishment。

11。　That　when　People　are　virtuous　few　Punishments　are　necessary。　The　people　of　Rome　had　some　share　of　probity。　Such　was　the　force　of　this　probity　that　the　legislator　had　frequently　no　further　occasion　than　to　point　out　the　right　road；　and　they　were　sure　to　follow　it；　one　would　imagine　that　instead　of　precepts　it　was　sufficient　to　give　them　counsels。

The　punishments　of　the　regal　laws；　and　those　of　the　Twelve　Tables；　were　almost　all　abolished　in　the　time　of　the　republic；　in　consequence　either　of　the　Valerian＇27＇　or　of　the　Porcian　law。＇28＇　It　was　never　observed　that　this　step　did　any　manner　of　prejudice　to　the　civil　administration。

This　Valerian　law；　which　restrained　the　magistrates　from　using　violent　methods　against　a　citizen　that　had　appealed　to　the　people；　inflicted　no　other　punishment　on　the　person　who　infringed　it　than　that　of　being　reputed　a　dishonest　man。＇29＇

12。　Of　the　Power　of　Punishments。　Experience　shows　that　in　countries　remarkable　for　the　lenity　of　their　laws　the　spirit　of　the　inhabitants　is　as　much　affected　by　slight　penalties　as　in　other　countries　by　severer　punishments。

If　an　inconvenience　or　abuse　arises　in　the　state；　a　violent　government　endeavours　suddenly　to　redress　it；　and　instead　of　putting　the　old　laws　in　execution；　it　establishes　some　cruel　punishment；　which　instantly　puts　a　stop　to　the　evil。　But　the　spring　of　government　hereby　loses　its　elasticity；　the　imagination　grows　accustomed　to　the　severe　as　well　as　the　milder　punishment；　and　as　the　fear　of　the　latter　diminishes；　they　are　soon　obliged　in　every　case　to　have　recourse　to　the　former。　Robberies　on　the　highway　became　common　in　some　countries；　in　order　to　remedy　this　evil；　they　invented　the　punishment　of　breaking　upon　the　wheel；　the　terror　of　which　put　a　stop　for　a　while　to　this　mischievous　practice。　But　soon　after　robberies　on　the　highways　became　as　common　as　ever。

Desertion　in　our　days　has　grown　to　a　very　great　height；　in　consequence　of　which　it　was　judged　proper　to　punish　those　delinquents　with　death；　and　yet　their　number　did　not　diminish。　The　reason　is　very　natural；　a　soldier；　accustomed　to　venture　his　life；　despises；　or　affects　to　despise；　the　danger　of　losing　it。　He　is　habituated　to　the　fear　of　shame；　it　would　have　been　therefore　much　better　to　have　continued　a　punishment＇30＇　which　branded　him　with　infamy　for　life；　the　penalty　was　pretended　to　be　increased；　while　it　really　diminished。

Mankind　must　not　be　governed　with　too　much　severity；　we　ought　to　make　a　prudent　use　of　the　means　which　nature　has　given　us　to　conduct　them。　If　we　inquire　into　the　cause　of　all　human　corruptions；　we　shall　find　that　they　proceed　from　the　impunity　of　criminals；　and　not　from　the　moderation　of　punishments。

Let　us　follow　nature；　who　has　given　shame　to　man　for　his　scourge；　and　let　the　heaviest　part　of　the　punishment　be　the　infamy　attending　it。

But　if　there　be　some　countries　where　shame　is　not　a　consequence　of　punishment；　this　must　be　owing　to　tyranny；　which　has　inflicted　the　same　penalties　on　villains　and　honest　men。

And　if　there　are　others　where　men　are　deterred　only　by　cruel　punishments；　we　may　be　sure　that　this　must；　in　a　great　measure；　arise　from　the　violence　of　the　government　which　has　used　such　penalties　for　slight　transgressions。

It　often　happens　that　a　legislator；　desirous　of　remedying　an　abuse；　thinks　of　nothing　else；　his　eyes　are　open　only　to　this　object；　and　shut　to　its　inconveniences。　When　the　abuse　is　redressed；　you　see　only　the　severity　of　the　legislator；　yet　there　remains　an　evil　in　the　state　that　has　sprung　from　this　severity；　the　minds　of　the　people　are　corrupted；　and　become　habituated　to　despotism。

Lysander＇31＇　having　obtained　a　victory　over　the　Athenians；　the　prisoners　were　ordered　to　be　tried；　in　consequence　of　an　accusation　brought　against　that　nation　of　having　thrown　all　the　captives　of　two　galleys　down　a　precipice；　and　of　having　resolved　in　full　assembly　to　cut　off　the　hands　of　those　whom　they　should　chance　to　make　prisoners。　The　Athenians　were　therefore　all　massacred；　except　Adymantes；　who　had　opposed　this　decree。　Lysander　reproached　Phylocles；　before　he　was　put　to　death；　with　having　depraved　the　people's　minds；　and　given　lessons　of　cruelty　to　all　Greece。

〃The　Argives；〃　says　Plutarch；＇32＇　〃having　put　fifteen　hundred　of　their　citizens　to　death；　the　Athenians　ordered　sacrifices　of　expiation；　that　it　might　please　the　gods　to　turn　the　hearts　of　the　Athenians　from　so　cruel　a　thought。〃

There　are　two　sorts　of　corruptions　　one　when　the　people　do　not　observe　the　laws；　the　other　when　they　are　corrupted　by　the　laws：　an　incurable　evil；　because　it　is　in　the　very　remedy　itself。

13。　Insufficiency　of　the　Laws　of　Japan。　Excessive　punishments　may　even　corrupt　a　despotic　government；　of　this　we　have　an　instance　in　Japan。

Here　almost　all　crimes　are　punished　with　death；＇33＇　because　disobedience　to　so　great　an　emperor　as　that　of　Japan　is　reckoned　an　enormous　crime。　The　question　is　not　so　much　to　correct　the　delinquent　as　to　vindicate　the　authority　of　the　prince。　These　notions　are　derived　from　servitude；　and　are　owing　especially　to　this；　that　as　the　emperor　is　universal　proprietor；　almost　all　crimes　are　directly　against　his　interests。

They　punish　with　death　lies　spoken　before　the　magistrate；＇34＇　a　proceeding　contrary　to　natural　defence。

Even　things　which　have　not　the　appearance　of　a　crime　are　severely　punished；　for　instance；　a　man　that　ventures　his　money　at　play　is　put　to　death。

True　it　is　that　the　character　of　this　people；　so　amazingly　obstinate；　capricious；　and　resolute　as　to　defy　all　dangers　and　calamities；　seems　to　absolve　their　legislators　from　the　imputation　of　cruelty；　notwithstanding　the　severity　of　their　laws。　But　are　men　who　have　a　natural　contempt　for　death；　and　who　rip　open　their　bellies　for　the　least　fancy　　are　such　men；　I　say；　mended　or　deterred；　or　rather　are　they　not　hardened；　by　the　continual　prospect　of　punishments？

The　relations　of　travellers　inform　us；　with　respect　to　the　education　of　the　Japanese；　that　children　must　be　treated　there　with　mildness；　because　they　become　hardened　to　punishment；　that　their　slaves　must　not　be　too　roughly　used；　because　they　immediately　stand　upon　their　defence。　Would　not　one　imagine　that　they　might　easily　have　judged　of　the　spirit　which　ought　to　reign　in　their　political　and　civil　government　from　that　which　should　prevail　in　their　domestic　concerns？

A　wise　legislator　would　have　endeavoured　to　reclaim　people　by　a　just　temperature　of　punishments　and　rewards；　by　maxims　of　philosophy；　morality；　and　religion；　adapted　to　those　characters；　by　a　proper　application　of　the　rules　of　honour；　and　by　the　enjoyment　of　ease　and　tranquillity　of　life。　And　should　he　have　entertained　any　apprehension　that　their　minds；　being　inured　to　the　cruelty　of　punishments；　would　no　longer　be　restrained　by　those　of　a　milder　nature；　he　would　have　conducted　himself＇35＇　in　another　manner；　and　gained　his　point　by　degrees；　in　particular　cases　that　admitted　of　any　indulgence；　he　would　have　mitigated　the　punishment；　till　he　should　have　been　able　to　extend　this　mitigation　to　all　cases。

But　these　are　springs　to　which　despotic　power　is　a　stranger；　it　may　abuse　itself；　and　that　is　all　it　can　do：　in　Japan　it　has　made　its　utmost　effort；　and　has　surpassed　even　itself　in　cruelty。

As　the　minds　of　the　people　grew　wild　and　intractable；　they　were　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　the　most　horrid　severity。

This　is　the　origin；　this　the　spirit；　of　the　laws　of　Japan。　They　had　more　fury；　however；　than　force。　They　succeeded　the　extirpation　of　Christianity；　but　such　unaccountable　efforts　are　a　proof　of　their　insufficiency。　They　wanted　to　establish　a　good　policy；　and　they　have　shown　greater　marks　of　their　weakness。

We　have　only　to　read　the　relation　of　the　interview　between　the　Emperor　and　the　Deyro　at　Meaco。＇36＇　The　number　of　those　who　were　suffocated　or　murdered　in　that　city　by　ruffians　is　incredible；　young　maids　and　boys　were　carried　off　by　force；　and　found　afterwards　exposed　in　public　places；　at　unseasonable　hours；　quite　naked；　and　sewn　in　linen　bags；　to　prevent　their　knowing　which　way　they　had　passed；　robberies　were　committed　in　all　parts；　the　bellies　of　horses　were　ripped　open；　to　bring　their　riders　to　the　ground；　and　coaches　were　overturned；　in　order　to　strip　the　ladies。　The　Dutch；　who　were　told　they　could　not　pass　the　night　on　the　scaffolds　without　exposing　themselves　to　the　danger　of　being　assassinated；　came　down；　&c。

I　shall　here　give　one　instance　more　from　the　same　nation。　The　Emperor　having　abandoned　himself　to　infamous　pleasures；　lived　unmarried；　and　was　consequently　in　danger　of　dying　without　issue。　The　Deyro　sent　him　two　beautiful　damsels；　one　he　married　out　of　respect；　but　would　not　meddle　with　her。　His　nurse　caused　the　finest　women　of　the　empire　to　be　sent　for；　but　all　to　no　purpose。　At　length；　an　armourer's　daughter　having　pleased　his　fancy；＇37＇　he　determined　to　espouse　her；　and　had　a　son。　The　ladies　belonging　to　the　court；　enraged　to　see　a　person　of　such　mean　extraction　preferred　to　themselves；　stifled　the　child。　The　crime　was　concealed　from　the　Emperor；　for　he　would　have　deluged　the　land　with　blood。　The　excessive　severity　of　the　laws　hinders；　therefore；　their　execution：　when　the　punishment　surpasses　all　measure；　they　are　frequently　obliged　to　prefer　impunity　to　it。

14。　Of　the　Spirit　of　the　Roman　Senate。　Under　the　consulate　of　Acilius　Glabrio　and　Piso；　the　Asilian　law＇38＇　was　made　to　prevent　the　intriguing　for　places。　Dio　says＇39＇　that　the　senate　engaged　the　consuls　to　propose　it；　by　reason　that　C。　Cornelius；　the　tribune；　had　resolved　to　cause　more　severe　punishments　to　be　established　against　this　crime；　to　which　the　people　seemed　greatly　inclined。　The　senate　rightly　judged　that　immoderate　punishments　would　strike；　indeed；　a　terror　into　people's　minds；　but　must　have　also　this　effect；　that　there　would　be　nobody　afterwards　to　accuse　or　condemn；　whereas；　by　proposing　moderate　penalties；　there　would　be　always　judges　and　accusers。

15。　Of　the　Roman　Laws　in　respect　to　Punishments。　I　am　strongly　confirmed　in　my　sentiments　upon　finding　the　Romans　on　my　side；　and　I　think　that　punishments　are　connected　with　the　nature　of　governments　when　I　behold　this