the spirit of laws-第31部分

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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　terrible　air　which　Commodus　ordered　to　be　given　to　his　statues。＇12＇

Again；　it　is　corrupted　when　mean　and　abject　souls　grow　vain　of　the　pomp　attending　their　servitude；　and　imagine　that　the　motive　which　induces　them　to　be　entirely　devoted　to　their　prince　exempts　them　from　all　duty　to　their　country。

But　if　it　be　true　（and　indeed　the　experience　of　all　ages　has　shown　it）　that　in　proportion　as　the　power　of　the　monarch　becomes　boundless　and　immense；　his　security　diminishes；　is　the　corrupting　of　this　power；　and　the　altering　of　its　very　nature；　a　less　crime　than　that　of　high　treason　against　the　prince？

8。　Danger　of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　monarchical　Government。　The　danger　is　not　when　the　state　passes　from　one　moderate　to　another　moderate　government；　as　from　a　republic　to　a　monarchy；　or　from　a　monarchy　to　a　republic；　but　when　it　is　precipitated　from　a　moderate　to　a　despotic　government。

Most　of　the　European　nations　are　still　governed　by　the　principles　of　morality。　But　if　from　a　long　abuse　of　power　or　the　fury　of　conquest；　despotic　sway　should　prevail　to　a　certain　degree；　neither　morals　nor　climate　would　be　able　to　withstand　its　baleful　influence：　and　then　human　nature　would　be　exposed；　for　some　time　at　least；　even　in　this　beautiful　part　of　the　world；　to　the　insults　with　which　she　has　been　abused　in　the　other　three。

9。　How　ready　the　Nobility　are　to　defend　the　Throne。　The　English　nobility　buried　themselves　with　Charles　the　First　under　the　ruins　of　the　throne；　and　before　that　time；　when　Philip　the　Second　endeavoured　to　tempt　the　French　with　the　allurement　of　liberty；　the　crown　was　constantly　supported　by　a　nobility　who　think　it　an　honour　to　obey　a　king；　but　consider　it　as　the　lowest　disgrace　to　share　the　power　with　the　people。

The　house　of　Austria　has　ever　used　her　endeavours　to　oppress　the　Hungarian　nobility；　little　thinking　how　serviceable　that　very　nobility　would　be　one　day　to　her。　She　would　fain　have　drained　their　country　of　money；　of　which　they　had　no　plenty；　but　took　no　notice　of　the　men；　with　whom　it　abounded。　When　princes　combined　to　dismember　her　dominions；　the　several　parts　of　that　monarchy　fell　motionless；　as　it　were　one　upon　another。　No　life　was　then　to　be　seen　but　in　those　very　nobles；　who；　resenting　the　affronts　offered　to　the　sovereign；　and　forgetting　the　injuries　done　to　themselves；　took　up　arms　to　avenge　her　cause；　and　considered　it　the　highest　glory　bravely　to　die　and　to　forgive。

10。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　despotic　Government。　The　principle　of　despotic　government　is　subject　to　a　continual　corruption；　because　it　is　even　in　its　nature　corrupt。　Other　governments　are　destroyed　by　particular　accidents；　which　do　violence　to　the　principles　of　each　constitution；　this　is　ruined　by　its　own　intrinsic　imperfections；　when　some　accidental　causes　do　not　prevent　the　corrupting　of　its　principles。　It　maintains　itself　therefore　only　when　circumstances；　drawn　from　the　climate；　religion；　situation；　or　genius　of　the　people；　oblige　it　to　conform　to　order；　and　to　admit　of　some　rule。　By　these　things　its　nature　is　forced　without　being　changed；　its　ferocity　remains；　and　it　is　made　tame　and　tractable　only　for　a　time。

11。　Natural　Effects　of　the　Goodness　and　Corruption　of　the　Principles　of　Government。　When　once　the　principles　of　government　are　corrupted；　the　very　best　laws　become　bad；　and　turn　against　the　state：　but　when　the　principles　are　sound；　even　bad　laws　have　the　same　effect　as　good；　the　force　of　the　principle　draws　everything　to　it。

The　inhabitants　of　Crete　used　a　very　singular　method　to　keep　the　principal　magistrates　dependent　on　the　laws；　which　was　that　of　Insurrection。　Part　of　the　citizens　rose　up　in　arms；＇13＇　put　the　magistrates　to　flight；　and　obliged　them　to　return　to　a　private　life。　This　was　supposed　to　be　done　in　consequence　of　the　law。　One　would　have　imagined　that　an　institution　of　this　nature；　which　established　sedition　to　hinder　the　abuse　of　power；　would　have　subverted　any　republic　whatsoever；　and　yet　it　did　not　subvert　that　of　Crete。　The　reason　is　this。＇14＇

When　the　ancients　would　cite　a　people　that　had　the　strongest　affection　for　their　country；　they　were　sure　to　mention　the　inhabitants　of　Crete：　〃Our　Country；〃　said　Plato；＇15＇　〃a　name　so　dear　to　the　Cretans。〃　They　called　it　by　a　name　which　signifies　the　love　of　a　mother　for　her　children。＇16＇　Now　the　love　of　our　country　sets　everything　right。

The　laws　of　Poland　have　likewise　their　Insurrection：　but　the　inconveniences　thence　arising　plainly　show　that　the　people　of　Crete　alone　were　capable　of　using　such　a　remedy　with　success。

The　gymnic　exercises　established　among　the　Greeks　had　the　same　dependence　on　the　goodness　of　the　principle　of　government。　〃It　was　the　Laced？monians　and　Cretans；〃　said　Plato；＇17＇　〃that　opened　those　celebrated　academies　which　gave　them　so　eminent　a　rank　in　the　world。　Modesty　at　first　was　alarmed；　but　it　yielded　to　the　public　utility。〃　In　Plato's　time　these　institutions　were　admirable：＇18＇　as　they　bore　a　relation　to　a　very　important　object；　which　was　the　military　art。　But　when　virtue　fled　from　Greece；　the　military　art　was　destroyed　by　these　institutions；　people　appeared　then　on　the　arena；　not　for　improvement；　but　for　debauch。＇19＇　Plutarch　informs　us＇20＇　that　the　Romans　in　his　time　were　of　opinion　that　those　games　had　been　the　principal　cause　of　the　slavery　into　which　the　Greeks　had　fallen。　On　the　contrary；　it　was　the　slavery　of　the　Greeks　that　corrupted　those　exercises。　In　Plutarch's　time；＇21＇　their　fighting　naked　in　the　parks；　and　their　wrestling；　infected　the　young　people　with　a　spirit　of　cowardice；　inclined　them　to　infamous　passions；　and　made　them　mere　dancers。　But　under　Epaminondas　the　exercise　of　wrestling　made　the　Thebans　win　the　famous　battle　of　Leuctra。＇22＇

There　are　very　few　laws　which　are　not　good；　while　the　state　retains　its　principles：　here　I　may　apply　what　Epicurus　said　of　riches。　〃It　is　not　the　liquor；　but　the　vessel　that　is　corrupted。〃

12。　The　same　Subject　continued。　In　Rome　the　judges　were　chosen　at　first　from　the　order　of　senators。　This　privilege　the　Gracchi　transferred　to　the　knights；　Drusus　gave　it　to　the　senators　and　knights；　Sulla　to　the　senators　only：　Cotta　to　the　senators；　knights；　and　public　treasurers；　C？sar　excluded　the　latter；　Antony　made　decuries　of　senators；　knights；　and　centurions。

When　once　a　republic　is　corrupted；　there　is　no　possibility　of　remedying　any　of　the　growing　evils；　but　by　removing　the　corruption　and　restoring　its　lost　principles；　every　other　correction　is　either　useless　or　a　new　evil。　While　Rome　preserved　her　principles　entire；　the　judicial　power　might　without　any　abuse　be　lodged　in　the　hands　of　senators；　but　as　soon　as　this　city　became　corrupt；　to　whatsoever　body　that　power　was　transferred；　whether　to　the　senate；　to　the　knights；　to　the　treasurers；　to　two　of　those　bodies；　to　all　three　together；　or　to　any　other；　matters　still　went　wrong。　The　knights　had　no　more　virtue　than　the　senate；　the　treasurers　no　more　than　the　knights；　and　these　as　little　as　the　centurions。

After　the　people　of　Rome　had　obtained　the　privilege　of　sharing　the　magistracy　with　the　patricians；　it　was　natural　to　think　that　their　flatterers　would　immediately　become　arbiters　of　the　government。　But　no　such　thing　ever　happened。　　It　was　observable　that　the　very　people　who　had　rendered　the　plebeians　capable　of　public　offices　ever　fixed　their　choice　upon　the　patricians。　Because　they　were　virtuous；　they　were　magnanimous；　and　because　they　were　free；　they　had　a　contempt　of　power。

But　when　their　morals　were　corrupted；　the　more　power　they　were　possessed　of；　the　less　prudent　was　their　conduct；　till　at　length；　upon　becoming　their　own　tyrants　and　slaves；　they　lost　the　strength　of　liberty　to　fall　into　the　weakness　and　impotency　of　licentiousness。

13。　The　Effect　of　an　Oath　among　virtuous　People。　There　is　no　nation；　says　Livy；＇23＇　that　has　been　longer　uncorrupted　than　the　Romans；　no　nation　where　moderation　and　poverty　have　been　longer　respected。

Such　was　the　influence　of　an　oath　among　those　people　that　nothing　bound　them　more　strongly　to　the　laws。　They　often　did　more　for　the　observance　of　an　oath　than　they　would　ever　have　performed　for　the　thirst　of　glory　or　for　the　love　of　their　country。

When　Quintus　Cincinnatus；　the　consul；　wanted　to　raise　an　army　in　the　city　against　the　？qui　and　the　Volsci；　the　tribunes　opposed　him。　〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃let　all　those　who　have　taken　an　oath　to　the　consul　of　the　preceding　year　march　under　my　banner。〃＇24＇　In　vain　did　the　tribunes　cry　out　that　this　oath　was　no　longer　binding；　and　that　when　they　took　it　Quintus　was　but　a　private　person：　the　people　were　more　religious　than　those　who　pretended　to　direct　them；　they　would　not　listen　to　the　distinctions　or　equivocations　of　the　tribunes。

When　the　same　people　thought　of　retiring　to　the　Sacred　Mount；　they　felt　some　remorse　from　the　oath　they　had　taken　to　the　consuls；　that　they　would　follow　them　into　the　field。＇25＇　They　entered　then　into　a　design　of　killing　the　consuls；　but　dropped　it　when　they　were　given　to　understand　that　their　oath　would　still　be　binding。　Now　it　is　easy　to　judge　of　the　notion　they　entertained　of　the　violation　of　an　oath　from　the　crime　they　intended　to　commit。

After　the　battle　of　Cann？；　the　people　were　seized　with　such　a　panic　that　they　would　fain　have　retired　to　Sicily。　But　Scipio　having　prevailed　upon　them　to　swear　they　would　not　stir　from　Rome；　the　fear　of　violating　this　oath　surpassed　all　other　apprehensions。　Rome　was　a　ship　held　by　two　anchors；　religion　and　morality；　in　the　midst　of　a　furious　tempest。

14。　How　the　smallest　Change　of　the　Constitution　is　attended　with　the　Ruin　of　its　Principles。　Aristotle　mentions　the　city　of　Carthage　as　a　well…regulated　republic。　Polybius　tells　us＇26＇　that　there　was　this　inconvenience　at　Carthage　in　the　second　Punic　war；　that　the　senate　had　lost　almost　all　its　authority。　We　are　informed　by　Livy　that　when　Hannibal　returned　to　Carthage　he　found　that　the　magistrates　and　the　principal　citizens　had　abused　their　power；　and　converted　the　public　revenues　to　their　private　emolument。　The　virtue；　therefore；　of