the spirit of laws-第34部分

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rages。　The　provinces　of　the　United　Netherlands　cannot　follow　this　proportion；　they　must　be　directed　by　that　of　their　power。

In　Lycia＇5＇　the　judges　and　town　magistrates　were　elected　by　the　common　council；　and　according　to　the　proportion　already　mentioned。　In　the　republic　of　Holland　they　are　not　chosen　by　the　common　council；　but　each　town　names　its　magistrates。　Were　I　to　give　a　model　of　an　excellent　confederate　republic；　I　should　pitch　upon　that　of　Lycia。

4。　In　what　Manner　despotic　Governments　provide　for　their　Security。　As　republics　provide　for　their　security　by　uniting；　despotic　governments　do　it　by　separating；　and　by　keeping　themselves；　as　it　were；　single。　They　sacrifice　a　part　of　the　country；　and　by　ravaging　and　desolating　the　frontiers　they　render　the　heart　of　the　empire　inaccessible。

It　is　a　received　axiom　in　geometry　that　the　greater　the　extent　of　bodies；　the　more　their　circumference　is　relatively　small。　This　practice；　therefore；　of　laying　the　frontiers　waste　is　more　tolerable　in　large　than　in　middling　states。

A　despotic　government　does　all　the　mischief　to　itself　that　could　be　committed　by　a　cruel　enemy；　whose　arms　it　were　unable　to　resist。

It　preserves　itself　likewise　by　another　kind　of　separation；　which　is　by　putting　the　most　distant　provinces　into　the　hands　of　a　great　vassal。　The　Mogul；　the　king　of　Persia；　and　the　emperors　of　China　have　their　feudatories；　and　the　Turks　have　found　their　account　in　putting　the　Tartars；　the　Moldavians；　the　Wallachians；　and　formerly　the　Transylvanians；　between　themselves　and　their　enemies。

5。　In　what　Manner　a　Monarchical　Government　provides　for　its　Security。　A　monarchy　never　destroys　itself　like　a　despotic　government。　But　a　kingdom　of　a　moderate　extent　is　liable　to　sudden　invasions：　it　must　therefore　have　fortresses　to　defend　its　frontiers；　and　troops　to　garrison　those　fortresses。　The　least　spot　of　ground　is　disputed　with　military　skill　and　resolution。　Despotic　states　make　incursions　against　one　another；　it　is　monarchies　only　that　wage　war。

Fortresses　are　proper　for　monarchies；　despotic　governments　are　afraid　of　them。　They　dare　not　entrust　their　officers　with　such　a　command；　as　none　of　them　have　any　affection　for　the　prince　or　his　government。

6。　Of　the　defensive　Force　of　States　in　general。　To　preserve　a　state　in　its　due　force；　it　must　have　such　an　extent　as　to　admit　of　a　proportion　between　the　celerity　with　which　it　may　be　invaded；　and　that　with　which　it　may　defeat　the　invasion。　As　an　invader　may　appear　on　every　side；　it　is　requisite　that　the　state　should　be　able　to　make　on　every　side　its　defence；　consequently　it　should　be　of　a　moderate　extent；　proportioned　to　the　degree　of　velocity　that　nature　has　given　to　man；　to　enable　him　to　move　from　one　place　to　another。

France　and　Spain　are　exactly　of　a　proper　extent。　They　have　so　easy　a　communication　for　their　forces　as　to　be　able　to　convey　them　immediately　to　what　part　they　have　a　mind；　the　armies　unite　and　pass　with　rapidity　from　one　frontier　to　another；　without　any　apprehension　of　such　difficulties　as　require　time　to　remove。

It　is　extremely　happy　for　France　that　the　capital　stands　near　to　the　different　frontiers　in　proportion　to　their　weakness；　and　the　prince　has　a　better　view　of　each　part　of　his　country　according　as　it　is　more　exposed。

But　when　a　vast　empire；　like　Persia；　is　attacked；　it　is　several　months　before　the　troops　are　assembled　in　a　body；　and　then　they　are　not　able　to　make　such　forced　marches；　for　that　space　of　time；　as　they　could　for　fifteen　days。　Should　the　army　on　the　frontiers　be　defeated；　it　is　soon　dispersed；　because　there　is　no　neighbouring　place　of　retreat。　The　victor；　meeting　with　no　resistance；　advances　with　all　expedition；　sits　down　before　the　capital；　and　lays　siege　to　it；　when　there　is　scarcely　time　sufficient　to　summon　the　governors　of　the　provinces　to　its　relief。　Those　who　foresee　an　approaching　revolution　hasten　it　by　their　disobedience。　For　men　whose　fidelity　is　entirely　owing　to　the　danger　of　punishment　are　easily　corrupted　as　soon　as　it　becomes　distant；　their　aim　is　their　own　private　interest。　The　empire　is　subverted；　the　capital　taken；　and　the　conqueror　disputes　the　several　provinces　with　the　governors。

The　real　power　of　a　prince　does　not　consist　so　much　in　the　facility　he　meets　with　in　making　conquests　as　in　the　difficulty　an　enemy　finds　in　attacking　him；　and；　if　I　may　so　speak；　in　the　immutability　of　his　condition。　But　the　increase　of　territory　obliges　a　government　to　lay　itself　more　open　to　an　enemy。

As　monarchs　therefore　ought　to　be　endued　with　wisdom　in　order　to　increase　their　power；　they　ought　likewise　to　have　an　equal　share　of　prudence　to　confine　it　within　bounds。　Upon　removing　the　inconveniences　of　too　small　a　territory；　they　should　have　their　eye　constantly　on　the　inconveniences　which　attend　its　extent。

7。　A　Reflection。　The　enemies　of　a　great　prince；　whose　reign　was　protracted　to　an　unusual　length；　have　very　often　accused　him；　rather；　I　believe；　from　their　own　fears　than　upon　any　solid　foundation；　of　having　formed　and　carried　on　a　project　of　universal　monarchy。　Had　he　attained　his　aim；　nothing　would　have　been　more　fatal　to　his　subjects；　to　himself；　to　his　family；　and　to　all　Europe。　Heaven；　that　knows　our　true　interests；　favoured　him　more　by　preventing　the　success　of　his　arms　than　it　could　have　done　by　crowning　him　with　victories。　Instead　of　raising　him　to　be　the　only　sovereign　in　Europe；　it　made　him　happier　by　rendering　him　the　most　powerful。

The　subjects　of　this　prince；　who　in　travelling　abroad　are　never　affected　but　with　what　they　have　left　at　home；　who　on　quitting　their　own　habitations　look　upon　glory　as　their　chief　object；　and　in　distant　countries　as　an　obstacle　to　their　return；　who　disgust　you　even　by　their　good　qualities；　because　they　are　tainted　with　so　much　vanity；　who　are　capable　of　supporting　wounds；　perils；　and　fatigues；　but　not　of　foregoing　their　pleasures；　who　are　supremely　fond　of　gaiety；　and　comfort　themselves　for　the　loss　of　a　battle　by　a　song　upon　the　general：　those　subjects；　I　say；　would　never　have　the　solidity　requisite　for　an　enterprise　of　this　kind；　which　if　defeated　in　one　country　would　be　unsuccessful　everywhere　else；　and　if　once　unsuccessful；　would　be　so　for　ever。

8。　A　particular　Case　in　which　the　defensive　Force　of　a　State　is　inferior　to　the　offensive。　It　was　a　saying　of　the　Lord　of　Coucy　to　King　Charles　V　that　the　English　are　never　weaker；　nor　more　easily　overcome；　than　in　their　own　country。　The　same　was　observed　of　the　Romans；　the　same　of　the　Carthaginians；　and　the　same　will　happen　to　every　power　that　sends　armies　to　distant　countries；　in　order　to　reunite　by　discipline　and　military　force　those　who　are　divided　among　themselves　by　political　or　civil　interests。　The　state　finds　itself　weakened　by　the　disorder　that　still　continues；　and　more　so　by　the　remedy。

The　Lord　of　Coucy's　maxim　is　an　exception　to　the　general　rule；　which　disapproves　of　wars　against　distant　countries。　And　this　exception　confirms　likewise　the　rule　because　it　takes　place　only　with　regard　to　those　by　whom　such　wars　are　undertaken。

9。　Of　the　relative　Force　of　States。　All　grandeur；　force；　and　power　are　relative。　Care　therefore　must　be　taken　that　in　endeavouring　to　increase　the　real　grandeur；　the　relative　be　not　diminished。

During　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV　France　was　at　its　highest　pitch　of　relative　grandeur。　Germany　had　not　yet　produced　such　powerful　princes　as　have　since　appeared　in　that　country。　Italy　was　in　the　same　case。　England　and　Scotland　were　not　yet　formed　into　one　united　kingdom。　Aragon　was　not　joined　to　Castile：　the　distant　branches　of　the　Spanish　monarchy　were　weakened　by　it；　and　weakened　it　in　their　turn；　and　Muscovy　was　as　little　known　in　Europe　as　Crim　Tartary。

10。　Of　the　Weakness　of　neighbouring　States。　Whensoever　a　state　lies　contiguous　to　another　that　happens　to　be　in　its　decline；　the　former　ought　to　take　particular　care　not　to　precipitate　the　ruin　of　the　latter；　because　this　is　the　happiest　situation　imaginable；　nothing　being　so　convenient　as　for　one　prince　to　be　near　another；　who　receives　for　him　all　the　rebuffs　and　insults　of　fortune。　And　it　seldom　happens　that　by　subduing　such　a　state　the　real　power　of　the　conqueror　is　as　much　increased　as　the　relative　is　diminished。

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1。　It　is　composed　of　about　fifty　different　republics；　all　different　from　one　another。　　M。　Janisson；　State　of　the　United　Provinces。

2。　Civil　liberty；　goods；　wives；　children；　temples；　and　even　burying…places。

3。　Strabo；　xiv。

4。　Ibid。

5。　Ibid。




Book　X。　Of　Laws　in　the　Relation　They　Bear　to　Offensive　Force

1。　Of　offensive　Force。　Offensive　force　is　regulated　by　the　law　of　nations；　which　is　the　political　law　of　each　country　considered　in　its　relation　to　every　other。

2。　Of　War。　The　life　of　governments　is　like　that　of　man。　The　latter　has　a　right　to　kill　in　case　of　natural　defence：　the　former　have　a　right　to　wage　war　for　their　own　preservation。

In　the　case　of　natural　defence　I　have　a　right　to　kill；　because　my　life　is　in　respect　to　me　what　the　life　of　my　antagonist　is　to　him：　in　the　same　manner　a　state　wages　war　because　its　preservation　is　like　that　of　any　other　being。

With　individuals　the　right　of　natural　defence　does　not　imply　a　necessity　of　attacking。　Instead　of　attacking　they　need　only　have　recourse　to　proper　tribunals。　They　cannot　therefore　exercise　this　right　of　defence　but　in　sudden　cases；　when　immediate　death　would　be　the　consequence　of　waiting　for　the　assistance　of　the　law。　But　with　states　the　right　of　natural　defence　carries　along　with　it　sometimes　the　necessity　of　attacking；　as　for　instance；　when　one　nation　sees　that　a　continuance　of　peace　will　enable　another　to　destroy　her；　and　that　to　attack　that　nation　instantly　is　the　only　way　to　prevent　her　own　destruction。

Thence　it　follows　that　petty　states　have　oftener　a　right　to　declare　war　than　great　ones；　because　they　are　oftener　in　the　case　of　being　afraid　of　destruction。

The　right　of　war；　therefore；　is　derived　from　necessity　and　strict　justice。　If　those　who　direct　the　conscience　or　councils　of　princes　do　not　abide　by　this　maxim；　the　consequence　is　dreadful：　when　they　proceed　on　arbitrary　principles　of　glory；　convenience；　and　utility；　torrents　of　blood　must　overspread　the　earth。

But；　above　all；　le