the spirit of laws-第58部分

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institution　of　slavery。

Reason　requires　that　the　master's　power　should　not　extend　to　what　does　not　appertain　to　his　service：　slavery　should　be　calculated　for　utility；　and　not　for　pleasure。　The　laws　of　chastity　arise　from　those　of　nature；　and　ought　in　all　nations　to　be　respected。

If　a　law　which　preserves　the　chastity　of　slaves　be　good　in　those　states　where　an　arbitrary　power　bears　down　all　before　it；　how　much　more　will　it　be　so　in　monarchies；　and　how　much　more　still　in　republics？

The　law　of　the　Lombards＇15＇　has　a　regulation　which　ought　to　be　adopted　by　all　governments。　〃If　a　master　debauches　his　slave's　wife；　the　slave　and　his　wife　shall　be　restored　to　their　freedom。〃　An　admirable　expedient；　which；　without　severity；　lays　a　powerful　restraint　on　the　incontinence　of　masters！

The　Romans　seem　to　have　erred　on　this　head。　They　allowed　an　unlimited　scope　to　the　master's　lusts；　and；　in　some　measure；　denied　their　slaves　the　privilege　of　marrying。　It　is　true；　they　were　the　lowest　part　of　the　nation；　yet　there　should　have　been　some　care　taken　of　their　morals；　especially　as　in　prohibiting　their　marriage　they　corrupted　the　morals　of　the　citizens。

12。　Danger　from　the　Multitude　of　Slaves。　The　multitude　of　slaves　has　different　effects　in　different　governments。　It　is　no　grievance　in　a　despotic　state；　where　the　political　servitude　of　the　whole　body　takes　away　the　sense　of　civil　slavery。　Those　who　are　called　freedmen　in　reality　are　little　more　so　than　they　who　do　not　come　within　that　class；　and　as　the　latter；　in　quality　of　eunuchs；　freedmen；　or　slaves；　have　generally　the　management　of　all　affairs；　the　condition　of　a　freedman　and　that　of　a　slave　are　very　nearly　allied。　This　makes　it　therefore　almost　a　matter　of　indifference　whether　in　such　states　the　slaves　be　few　or　numerous。

But　in　moderate　governments　it　is　a　point　of　the　highest　importance　that　there　should　not　be　a　great　number　of　slaves。　The　political　liberty　of　those　states　adds　to　the　value　of　civil　liberty；　and　he　who　is　deprived　of　the　latter　is　also　bereft　of　the　former。　He　sees　the　happiness　of　a　society；　of　which　he　is　not　so　much　as　a　member；　he　sees　the　security　of　others　fenced　by　laws；　himself　without　any　protection。　He　perceives　that　his　master　has　a　soul；　capable　of　enlarging　itself：　while　his　own　labours　under　a　continual　depression。　Nothing　more　assimilates　a　man　to　a　beast　than　living　among　freedmen；　himself　a　slave。　Such　people　as　these　are　natural　enemies　of　society；　and　their　number　must　be　dangerous。

It　is　not　therefore　to　be　wondered　at　that　moderate　governments　have　been　so　frequently　disturbed　by　the　revolts　of　slaves；　and　that　this　so　seldom　happens　in　despotic　states。＇16＇

13。　Of　armed　Slaves。　The　danger　of　arming　slaves　is　not　so　great　in　monarchies　as　in　republics。　In　the　former；　a　warlike　people　and　a　body　of　nobility　are　a　sufficient　check　upon　these　armed　slaves；　whereas　the　pacific　members　of　a　republic　would　have　a　hard　task　to　quell　a　set　of　men　who；　having　offensive　weapons　in　their　hands；　would　find　themselves　a　match　for　the　citizens。

The　Goths；　who　conquered　Spain；　spread　themselves　over　the　country；　and　soon　became　very　weak。　They　made　three　important　regulations：　they　abolished　an　ancient　custom　which　prohibited　intermarriages　with　the　Romans；＇17＇　they　enacted　that　all　the　freedmen＇18＇　belonging　to　the　Fiscus　should　serve　in　war；　under　penalty　of　being　reduced　to　slavery；　and　they　ordained　that　each　Goth　should　arm　and　bring　into　the　field　the　tenth　part　of　his　slaves。＇19＇　This　was　but　a　small　proportion：　besides；　these　slaves　thus　carried　to　the　field　did　not　form　a　separate　body；　they　were　in　the　army；　and　might　be　said　to　continue　in　the　family。

14。　The　same　Subject　continued。　When　a　whole　nation　is　of　a　martial　temper；　the　slaves　in　arms　are　less　to　be　feared。

By　a　law　of　the　Alemans；　a　slave　who　had　committed　a　clandestine　theft＇20＇　was　liable　to　the　same　punishment　as　a　freedman　in　the　like　case；　but　if　he　was　found　guilty　of　an　open　robbery；＇21＇　he　was　only　bound　to　restore　the　things　so　taken。　Among　the　Alemans；　courage　and　intrepidity　extenuated　the　guilt　of　an　action。　They　employed　their　slaves　in　their　wars。　Most　republics　have　been　attentive　to　dispirit　their　slaves；　but　the　Alemans；　relying　on　themselves　and　being　always　armed；　were　so　far　from　fearing　theirs　that　they　were　rather　for　augmenting　their　courage；　they　were　the　instruments　either　of　their　depredations　or　of　their　glory。

15。　Precautions　to　be　used　in　Moderate　Governments。　Lenity　and　humane　treatment　may　prevent　the　dangers　to　be　apprehended　from　the　multitude　of　slaves　in　a　moderate　government。　Men　grow　reconciled　to　everything；　and　even　to　servitude；　if　not　aggravated　by　the　severity　of　the　master。　The　Athenians　treated　their　slaves　with　great　lenity；　and　this　secured　that　state　from　the　commotions　raised　by　the　slaves　among　the　austere　Laced？monians。

It　does　not　appear　that　the　primitive　Romans　met　with　any　trouble　from　their　slaves。　Those　civil　broils　which　have　been　compared　to　the　Punic　wars　were　the　consequence　of　their　having　divested　themselves　of　all　humanity　towards　their　slaves。＇22＇

A　frugal　and　laborious　people　generally　treat　their　slaves　more　kindly　than　those　who　are　above　labour。　The　primitive　Romans　used　to　live；　work；　and　eat　with　their　slaves；　in　short；　they　behaved　towards　them　with　justice　and　humanity。　The　greatest　punishment　they　made　them　suffer　was　to　make　them　pass　before　their　neighbours　with　a　forked　piece　of　wood　on　their　backs。　Their　manners　were　sufficient　to　secure　the　fidelity　of　their　slaves；　so　that　there　was　no　necessity　for　laws。

But　when　the　Romans　aggrandised　themselves；　when　their　slaves　were　no　longer　the　companions　of　their　labour；　but　the　instruments　of　their　luxury　and　pride；　as　they　then　wanted　morals；　they　had　need　of　laws。　It　was　even　necessary　for　these　laws　to　be　of　the　most　terrible　kind；　in　order　to　establish　the　safety　of　those　cruel　masters　who　lived　with　their　slaves　as　in　the　midst　of　enemies。

They　made　the　Sillanian　Senatus…Consultum；　and　other　laws；＇23＇　which　decreed　that　when　a　master　was　murdered　all　the　slaves　under　the　same　roof；　or　in　any　place　so　near　the　house　as　to　be　within　the　hearing　of　a　man's　voice；　should；　without　distinction；　be　condemned　to　die。　Those　who　in　this　case　sheltered　a　slave；　in　order　to　save　him；　were　punished　as　murderers；＇24＇　he　whom　his　master＇25＇　ordered　to　kill　him；　and　who　obeyed；　was　reputed　guilty；　even　he　who　did　not　hinder　him　from　killing　himself　was　liable　to　be　punished。＇26＇　If　a　master　was　murdered　on　a　journey；　they　put　to　death　those　who　were　with　him　and　those　who　fled。＇27＇　All　these　laws　operated　even　against　persons　whose　innocence　was　proved；　the　intent　of　them　was　to　inspire　their　slaves　with　a　prodigious　respect　for　their　master。　They　were　not　dependent　on　the　civil　government；　but　on　a　fault　or　imperfection　of　the　civil　government。　They　were　not　derived　from　the　equity　of　civil　laws；　since　they　were　contrary　to　the　principle　of　those　laws。　They　were　properly　founded　on　the　principles　of　war；　with　this　difference；　that　the　enemies　were　in　the　bosom　of　the　state。　The　Sillanian　Senatus…Consultum　was　derived　from　the　law　of　nations；　which　requires　that　a　society；　however　imperfect；　should　be　preserved。

It　is　a　misfortune　in　government　when　the　magistrates　thus　find　themselves　under　the　necessity　of　making　cruel　laws；　because　they　have　rendered　obedience　difficult；　they　are　obliged　to　increase　the　penalty　of　disobedience；　or　to　suspect　the　slave's　fidelity。　A　prudent　legislator　foresees　the　ill　consequences　of　rendering　the　legislature　terrible。　The　slaves　amongst　the　Romans　could　have　no　confidence　in　the　laws；　and　therefore　the　laws　could　have　none　in　them。

16。　Regulations　between　Masters　and　Slaves。　The　magistrates　ought　to　take　care　that　the　slave　has　his　food　and　raiment；　and　this　should　be　regulated　by　law。

The　laws　ought　to　provide　that　care　be　taken　of　them　in　sickness　and　old　age。　Claudius＇28＇　decreed　that　the　slaves　who　in　sickness　had　been　abandoned　by　their　masters　should；　in　case　they　recovered；　be　emancipated。　This　law　insured　their　liberty；　but　should　not　there　have　been　some　care　also　taken　to　preserve　their　lives？

When　the　law　permitted　a　master　to　take　away　the　life　of　his　slave；　he　was　invested　with　a　power　which　he　ought　to　exercise　as　judge；　and　not　as　master；　it　was　necessary；　therefore；　that　the　law　should　ordain　those　formalities　which　remove　the　suspicion　of　an　act　of　violence。

When　fathers；　at　Rome；　were　no　longer　permitted　to　put　their　children　to　death；　the　magistrates　ordained　the　punishment　which　the　father　would　have　inflicted。＇29＇　A　like　custom　between　the　master　and　his　slaves　would　be　highly　reasonable　in　a　country　where　masters　have　the　power　of　life　and　death。

The　law　of　Moses　was　extremely　severe。　If　a　man　struck　his　servant　so　that　he　died　under　his　hand；　he　was　to　be　punished；　but；　if　he　survived　a　day　or　two；　no　punishment　ensued；　because　he　was　his　money。＇30＇　Strange　that　a　civil　institution　should　thus　relax　the　law　of　nature！

By　a　law　of　the　Greeks；＇31＇　a　slave　too　severely　treated　by　his　master　might　insist　upon　being　sold　to　another。　In　later　times　there　was　a　law　of　the　same　nature　at　Rome。＇32＇　A　master　displeased　with　his　slave；　and　a　slave　with　his　master；　ought　to　be　separated。

When　a　citizen　uses　the　slave　of　another　ill；　the　latter　ought　to　have　the　liberty　of　complaining　before　the　judge。　The　laws　of　Plato；＇33＇　and　of　most　nations；　took　away　from　slaves　the　right　of　natural　defence。　It　was　necessary　then　that　they　should　give　them　a　civil　defence。

At　Sparta　slaves　could　have　no　justice　against　either　insults　or　injuries。　So　excessive　was　their　misery；　that　they　were　not　only　the　slaves　of　a　citizen；　but　also　of　the　public；　they　belonged　to　all；　as　well　as　to　one。　At　Rome；　when　they　considered　the　injury　done　to　a　slave；　they　had　regard　only　to　the　interest　of　the　master。＇34＇　In　the　breach　of　the　Aquilian　law　they　confounded　a　wound　given　to　a　beast　and　that　given　to　a　slave；　they　regarded　only　the　diminution　of　their　value。　At　Athens；＇35＇　he　who　had　abused　the　slave　of　another　was　punished　severely；　and　sometimes　even　with　death。　The　law　of　Athens　was　very　reasonable　in