the spirit of laws-第30部分

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y　fall　into　a　spirit　of　extreme　equality；　and　when　each　citizen　would　fain　be　upon　a　level　with　those　whom　he　has　chosen　to　command　him。　Then　the　people；　incapable　of　bearing　the　very　power　they　have　delegated；　want　to　manage　everything　themselves；　to　debate　for　the　senate；　to　execute　for　the　magistrate；　and　to　decide　for　the　judges。

When　this　is　the　case；　virtue　can　no　longer　subsist　in　the　republic。　The　people　are　desirous　of　exercising　the　functions　of　the　magistrates；　who　cease　to　be　revered。　The　deliberations　of　the　senate　are　slighted；　all　respect　is　then　laid　aside　for　the　senators；　and　consequently　for　old　age。　If　there　is　no　more　respect　for　old　age；　there　will　be　none　presently　for　parents；　deference　to　husbands　will　be　likewise　thrown　off；　and　submission　to　masters。　This　licence　will　soon　become　general；　and　the　trouble　of　command　be　as　fatiguing　as　that　of　obedience。　Wives；　children；　slaves　will　shake　off　all　subjection。　No　longer　will　there　be　any　such　thing　as　manners；　order；　or　virtue。

We　find　in　Xenophon's　Banquet　a　very　lively　description　of　a　republic　in　which　the　people　abused　their　equality。　Each　guest　gives　in　his　turn　the　reason　why　he　is　satisfied。　〃Content　I　am；〃　says　Chamides；　〃because　of　my　poverty。　When　I　was　rich；　I　was　obliged　to　pay　my　court　to　informers；　knowing　I　was　more　liable　to　be　hurt　by　them　than　capable　of　doing　them　harm。　The　republic　constantly　demanded　some　new　tax　of　me；　and　I　could　not　decline　paying。　Since　I　have　grown　poor；　I　have　acquired　authority；　nobody　threatens　me；　I　rather　threaten　others。　I　can　go　or　stay　where　I　please。　The　rich　already　rise　from　their　seats　and　give　me　the　way。　I　am　a　king；　I　was　before　a　slave：　I　paid　taxes　to　the　republic；　now　it　maintains　me：　I　am　no　longer　afraid　of　losing：　but　I　hope　to　acquire。〃

The　people　fall　into　this　misfortune　when　those　in　whom　they　confide；　desirous　of　concealing　their　own　corruption；　endeavour　to　corrupt　them。　To　disguise　their　own　ambition；　they　speak　to　them　only　of　the　grandeur　of　the　state；　to　conceal　their　own　avarice；　they　incessantly　flatter　theirs。

The　corruption　will　increase　among　the　corruptors；　and　likewise　among　those　who　are　already　corrupted。　The　people　will　divide　the　public　money　among　themselves；　and；　having　added　the　administration　of　affairs　to　their　indolence；　will　be　for　blending　their　poverty　with　the　amusements　of　luxury。　But　with　their　indolence　and　luxury；　nothing　but　the　public　treasure　will　be　able　to　satisfy　their　demands。

We　must　not　be　surprised　to　see　their　suffrages　given　for　money。　It　is　impossible　to　make　great　largesses　to　the　people　without　great　extortion：　and　to　compass　this；　the　state　must　be　subverted。　The　greater　the　advantages　they　seem　to　derive　from　their　liberty；　the　nearer　they　approach　towards　the　critical　moment　of　losing　it。　Petty　tyrants　arise　who　have　all　the　vices　of　a　single　tyrant。　The　small　remains　of　liberty　soon　become　insupportable；　a　single　tyrant　starts　up；　and　the　people　are　stripped　of　everything；　even　of　the　profits　of　their　corruption。

Democracy　has；　therefore；　two　excesses　to　avoid　　the　spirit　of　inequality；　which　leads　to　aristocracy　or　monarchy；　and　the　spirit　of　extreme　equality；　which　leads　to　despotic　power；　as　the　latter　is　completed　by　conquest。

True　it　is　that　those　who　corrupted　the　Greek　republics　did　not　always　become　tyrants。　This　was　because　they　had　a　greater　passion　for　eloquence　than　for　the　military　art。　Besides　there　reigned　an　implacable　hatred　in　the　breasts　of　the　Greeks　against　those　who　subverted　a　republican　government；　and　for　this　reason　anarchy　degenerated　into　annihilation；　instead　of　being　changed　into　tyranny。

But　Syracuse　being　situated　in　the　midst　of　a　great　number　of　petty　states；　whose　government　had　been　changed　from　oligarchy　to　tyranny；＇1＇　and　being　governed　by　a　senate＇2＇　scarcely　ever　mentioned　in　history；　underwent　such　miseries　as　are　the　consequence　of　a　more　than　ordinary　corruption。　This　city；　ever　a　prey　to　licentiousness＇3＇　or　oppression；　equally　labouring　under　the　sudden　and　alternate　succession　of　liberty　and　servitude；　and　notwithstanding　her　external　strength；　constantly　determined　to　a　revolution　by　the　least　foreign　power　　this　city；　I　say；　had　in　her　bosom　an　immense　multitude　of　people；　whose　fate　it　was　to　have　always　this　cruel　alternative；　either　of　choosing　a　tyrant　to　govern　them；　or　of　acting　the　tyrant　themselves。

3。　Of　the　Spirit　of　extreme　Equality。　As　distant　as　heaven　is　from　earth；　so　is　the　true　spirit　of　equality　from　that　of　extreme　equality。　The　former　does　not　imply　that　everybody　should　command；　or　that　no　one　should　be　commanded；　but　that　we　obey　or　command　our　equals。　It　endeavours　not　to　shake　off　the　authority　of　a　master；　but　that　its　masters　should　be　none　but　its　equals。

In　the　state　of　nature；　indeed；　all　men　are　born　equal；　but　they　cannot　continue　in　this　equality。　Society　makes　them　lose　it；　and　they　recover　it　only　by　the　protection　of　the　laws。

Such　is　the　difference　between　a　well…regulated　democracy　and　one　that　is　not　so；　that　in　the　former　men　are　equal　only　as　citizens；　but　in　the　latter　they　are　equal　also　as　magistrates；　as　senators；　as　judges；　as　fathers；　as　husbands；　or　as　masters。

The　natural　place　of　virtue　is　near　to　liberty；　but　it　is　not　nearer　to　excessive　liberty　than　to　servitude。

4。　Particular　Cause　of　the　Corruption　of　the　People。　Great　success；　especially　when　chiefly　owing　to　the　people；　intoxicates　them　to　such　a　degree　that　it　is　impossible　to　contain　them　within　bounds。　Jealous　of　their　magistrates；　they　soon　became　jealous　likewise　of　the　magistracy；　enemies　to　those　who　govern；　they　soon　prove　enemies　also　to　the　constitution。　Thus　it　was　that　the　victory　over　the　Persians　in　the　straits　of　Salamis　corrupted　the　republic　of　Athens；＇4＇　and　thus　the　defeat　of　the　Athenians　ruined　the　republic　of　Syracuse。＇5＇

Marseilles　never　experienced　those　great　transitions　from　lowness　to　grandeur；　this　was　owing　to　the　prudent　conduct　of　that　republic；　which　always　preserved　her　principles。

5。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　Aristocracy。　Aristocracy　is　corrupted　if　the　power　of　the　nobles　becomes　arbitrary：　when　this　is　the　case；　there　can　no　longer　be　any　virtue　either　in　the　governors　or　the　governed。

If　the　reigning　families　observe　the　laws；　it　is　a　monarchy　with　several　monarchs；　and　in　its　own　nature　one　of　the　most　excellent；　for　almost　all　these　monarchs　are　tied　down　by　the　laws。　But　when　they　do　not　observe　them；　it　is　a　despotic　state　swayed　by　a　great　many　despotic　princes。

In　the　latter　case；　the　republic　consists　only　in　the　nobles。　The　body　governing　is　the　republic；　and　the　body　governed　is　the　despotic　state；　which　forms　two　of　the　most　heterogeneous　bodies　in　the　world。

The　extremity　of　corruption　is　when　the　power　of　the　nobles　becomes　hereditary；＇6＇　for　then　they　can　hardly　have　any　moderation。　If　they　are　only　a　few；　their　power　is　greater；　but　their　security　less：　if　they　are　a　larger　number；　their　power　is　less；　and　their　security　greater；　insomuch　that　power　goes　on　increasing；　and　security　diminishing；　up　to　the　very　despotic　prince　who　is　encircled　with　excess　of　power　and　danger。

The　great　number；　therefore；　of　nobles　in　an　hereditary　aristocracy　renders　the　government　less　violent：　but　as　there　is　less　virtue；　they　fall　into　a　spirit　of　supineness　and　negligence；　by　which　the　state　loses　all　its　strength　and　activity。＇7＇

An　aristocracy　may　maintain　the　full　vigour　of　its　constitution　if　the　laws　be　such　as　are　apt　to　render　the　nobles　more　sensible　of　the　perils　and　fatigues　than　of　the　pleasure　of　command：　and　if　the　government　be　in　such　a　situation　as　to　have　something　to　dread；　while　security　shelters　under　its　protection；　and　uncertainty　threatens　from　abroad。

As　a　certain　kind　of　confidence　forms　the　glory　and　stability　of　monarchies；　republics；　on　the　contrary；　must　have　something　to　apprehend。＇8＇　A　fear　of　the　Persians　supported　the　laws　of　Greece。　Carthage　and　Rome　were　alarmed；　and　strengthened　by　each　other。　Strange；　that　the　greater　security　those　states　enjoyed；　the　more；　like　stagnated　waters；　they　were　subject　to　corruption！

6。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　Monarchy。　As　democracies　are　subverted　when　the　people　despoil　the　senate；　the　magistrates；　the　judges　of　their　functions；　so　monarchies　are　corrupted　when　the　prince　insensibly　deprives　societies　or　cities　of　their　privileges。　In　the　former　case　the　multitude　usurp　the　power；　in　the　latter　it　is　usurped　by　a　single　person。

〃The　destruction　of　the　dynasties　of　Tsin　and　Soui；〃　says　a　Chinese　author；　〃was　owing　to　this：　the　princes；　instead　of　confining　themselves；　like　their　ancestors；　to　a　general　inspection；　the　only　one　worthy　of　a　sovereign；　wanted　to　govern　everything　immediately　by　themselves。〃＇9＇　The　Chinese　author　gives　us　in　this　instance　the　cause　of　the　corruption　of　almost　all　monarchies。

Monarchy　is　destroyed　when　a　prince　thinks　he　shows　a　greater　exertion　of　power　in　changing　than　in　conforming　to　the　order　of　things；　when　he　deprives　some　of　his　subjects　of　their　hereditary　employments　to　bestow　them　arbitrarily　upon　others；　and　when　he　is　fonder　of　being　guided　by　fancy　than　judgment。

Again；　it　is　destroyed　when　the　prince；　directing　everything　entirely　to　himself；　calls　the　state　to　his　capital；　the　capital　to　his　court；　and　the　court　to　his　own　person。

It　is　destroyed；　in　fine；　when　the　prince　mistakes　his　authority；　his　situation　and　the　love　of　his　people；　and　when　he　is　not　fully　persuaded　that　a　monarch　ought　to　think　himself　secure；　as　a　despotic　prince　ought　to　think　himself　in　danger。

7。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　principle　of　monarchy　is　corrupted　when　the　first　dignities　are　marks　of　the　first　servitude；　when　the　great　men　are　deprived　of　public　respect；　and　rendered　the　low　tools　of　arbitrary　power。

It　is　still　more　corrupted　when　honour　is　set　up　in　contradiction　to　honours；　and　when　men　are　capable　of　being　loaded　at　the　very　same　time　with　infamy＇10＇　and　with　dignities。

It　is　corrupted　when　the　prince　changes　his　justice　into　severity；　when　he　puts；　like　the　Roman　emperors；　a　Medusa's　head　on　his　breast；＇11＇　and　when　he　assumes　that　menacing　and　ter