the spirit of laws-第60部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Nature；　which　has　distinguished　men　by　their　reason　and　bodily　strength；　has　set　no　other　bounds　to　their　power　than　those　of　this　strength　and　reason。　It　has　given　charms　to　women；　and　ordained　that　their　ascendancy　over　man　shall　end　with　these　charms：　but　in　hot　countries；　these　are　found　only　at　the　beginning；　and　never　in　the　progress　of　life。

Thus　the　law　which　permits　only　one　wife　is　physically　conformable　to　the　climate　of　Europe；　and　not　to　that　of　Asia。　This　is　the　reason　why　Mahometanism　was　so　easily　established　in　Asia；　and　with　such　difficulty　extended　in　Europe；　why　Christianity　is　maintained　in　Europe；　and　has　been　destroyed　in　Asia；　and；　in　fine；　why　the　Mahometans　have　made　such　progress　in　China；　and　the　Christians　so　little。　Human　reasons；　however；　are　subordinate　to　that　Supreme　Cause　who　does　whatever　He　pleases；　and　renders　everything　subservient　to　His　will。

Some　particular　reasons　induced　Valentinian＇2＇　to　permit　polygamy　in　the　empire。　That　law；　so　improper　for　our　climates；　was　abrogated　by　Theodosius；　Arcadius；　and　Honorius。＇3＇

3。　That　a　Plurality　of　Wives　greatly　depends　on　the　Means　of　supporting　them。　Though　in　countries　where　polygamy　is　once　established　the　number　of　wives　is　principally　determined　by　the　opulence　of　the　husband；　yet　it　cannot　be　said　that　opulence　established　polygamy　in　those　states；　since　poverty　may　produce　the　same　effect；　as　I　shall　prove　when　I　come　to　speak　of　the　savages。

Polygamy；　in　powerful　nations；　is　less　a　luxury　in　itself　than　the　occasion　of　great　luxury。　In　hot　climates　they　have　few　wants；　and　it　costs　little　to　maintain　a　wife　and　children；＇4＇　they　may　therefore　have　a　great　number　of　wives。

4。　That　the　Law　of　Polygamy　is　an　affair　that　depends　on　Calculation。　According　to　the　calculations　made　in　several　parts　of　Europe；　there　are　here　born　more　boys　than　girls；＇5＇　on　the　contrary；　by　the　accounts　we　have　of　Asia；　there　are　there　born　more　girls　than　boys。＇6＇　The　law　which　in　Europe　allows　only　one　wife；　and　that　in　Asia　which　permits　many；　have　therefore　a　certain　relation　to　the　climate。

In　the　cold　climates　of　Asia　there　are　born；　as　in　Europe；　more　males　than　females；　and　hence；　say　the　Lamas；＇7＇　is　derived　the　reason　of　that　law　which　amongst　them　permits　a　woman　to　have　many　husbands。＇8＇

But　it　is　difficult　for　me　to　believe　that　there　are　many　countries　where　the　disproportion　can　be　great　enough　for　any　exigency　to　justify　the　introducing　either　the　law　in　favour　of　many　wives　or　that　of　many　husbands。　This　would　only　imply　that　a　majority　of　women；　or　even　a　majority　of　men；　is　more　conformable　to　nature　in　certain　countries　than　in　others。

I　confess　that　if　what　history　tells　us　be　true；　that　at　Bantam　there　are　ten　women　to　one　man；＇9＇　this　must　be　a　case　particularly　favourable　to　polygamy。

In　all　this　I　only　give　their　reasons；　but　do　not　justify　their　customs。

5。　The　Reason　of　a　Law　of　Malabar。　In　the　tribe　of　the　Naires；　on　the　coast　of　Malabar；　the　men　can　have　only　one　wife；　while　a　woman；　on　the　contrary；　may　have　many　husbands。＇10＇　The　origin　of　this　custom　is　not　I　believe　difficult　to　discover。　The　Naires　are　the　tribe　of　nobles；　who　are　the　soldiers　of　all　those　nations。　In　Europe　soldiers　are　forbidden　to　marry；　in　Malabar；　where　the　climate　requires　greater　indulgence；　they　are　satisfied　with　rendering　marriage　as　little　burdensome　to　them　as　possible：　they　give　one　wife　amongst　many　men；　which　consequently　diminishes　the　attachment　to　a　family；　and　the　cares　of　housekeeping；　and　leaves　them　in　the　free　possession　of　a　military　spirit。

6。　Of　Polygamy　considered　in　itself。　With　regard　to　polygamy　in　general；　independently　of　the　circumstances　which　may　render　it　tolerable；　it　is　not　of　the　least　service　to　mankind；　nor　to　either　of　the　two　sexes；　whether　it　be　that　which　abuses　or　that　which　is　abused。　Neither　is　it　of　service　to　the　children；　for　one　of　its　greatest　inconveniences　is；　that　the　father　and　mother　cannot　have　the　same　affection　for　their　offspring；　a　father　cannot　love　twenty　children　with　the　same　tenderness　as　a　mother　can　love　two。　It　is　much　worse　when　a　wife　has　many　husbands；　for　then　paternal　love　only　is　held　by　this　opinion；　that　a　father　may　believe；　if　he　will；　or　that　others　may　believe；　that　certain　children　belong　to　him。

They　say　that　the　Emperor　of　Morocco　has　women　of　all　colours；　white；　black；　and　tawny；　in　his　seraglio。　But　the　wretch　has　scarcely　need　of　a　single　colour。

Besides；　the　possession　of　so　many　wives　does　not　always　prevent　their　entertaining　desires　for　those　of　others；＇11＇　it　is　with　lust　as　with　avarice；　whose　thirst　increases　by　the　acquisition　of　treasure。

In　the　reign　of　Justinian；　many　philosophers；　displeased　with　the　constraint　of　Christianity；　retired　into　Persia。　What　struck　them　the　most；　says　Agathias；＇12＇　was　that　polygamy　was　permitted　amongst　men　who　did　not　even　abstain　from　adultery。

May　I　not　say　that　a　plurality　of　wives　leads　to　that　passion　which　nature　disallows？　for　one　depravation　always　draws　on　another。　I　remember　that　in　the　revolution　which　happened　at　Constantinople；　when　Sultan　Achmet　was　deposed；　history　says　that　the　people；　having　plundered　the　Kiaya's　house；　found　not　a　single　woman；　they　tell　us　that　at　Algiers；＇13＇　in　the　greatest　part　of　their　seraglios；　they　have　none　at　all。

7。　Of　an　Equality　of　Treatment　in　case　of　many　Wives。　From　the　law　which　permitted　a　plurality　of　wives　followed　that　of　an　equal　behaviour　to　each。　Mahomet；　who　allowed　of　four；　would　have　everything；　as　provisions；　dress；　and　conjugal　duty；　equally　divided　between　them。　This　law　is　also　in　force　in　the　Maldivian　isles；＇14＇　where　they　are　at　liberty　to　marry　three　wives。

The　law　of　Moses＇15＇　even　declares　that　if　any　one　has　married　his　son　to　a　slave；　and　this　son　should　afterwards　espouse　a　free　woman；　her　food；　her　raiment；　and　her　duty　of　marriage　shall　he　not　diminish。　They　might　give　more　to　the　new　wife；　but　the　first　was　not　to　have　less　than　she　had　before。

8。　Of　the　Separation　of　Women　from　Men。　The　prodigious　number　of　wives　possessed　by　those　who　live　in　rich　and　voluptuous　countries　is　a　consequence　of　the　law　of　polygamy。　Their　separation　from　men；　and　their　close　confinement；　naturally　follow　from　the　greatness　of　this　number。　Domestic　order　renders　this　necessary；　thus　an　insolvent　debtor　seeks　to　conceal　himself　from　the　pursuit　of　his　creditors。　There　are　climates　where　the　impulses　of　nature　have　such　force　that　morality　has　almost

none。　If　a　man　be　left　with　a　woman；　the　temptation　and　the　fall　will　be　the　same　thing；　the　attack　certain；　the　resistance　none。　In　these　countries；　instead　of　precepts；　they　have　recourse　to　bolts　and　bars。

One　of　the　Chinese　classic　authors　considers　the　man　as　a　prodigy　of　virtue　who；　finding　a　woman　alone　in　a　distant　apartment；　can　forbear　making　use　of　force。＇16＇

9。　Of　the　Connection　between　domestic　and　political　Government。　In　a　republic　the　condition　of　citizens　is　moderate；　equal；　mild；　and　agreeable；　everything　partakes　of　the　benefit　of　public　liberty。　An　empire　over　the　women　cannot；　among　them；　be　so　well　exerted；　and　where　the　climate　demands　this　empire；　it　is　most　agreeable　to　a　monarchical　government。　This　is　one　of　the　reasons　why　it　has　ever　been　difficult　to　establish　a　popular　government　in　the　East。

On　the　contrary；　the　slavery　of　women　is　perfectly　conformable　to　the　genius　of　a　despotic　government；　which　delights　in　treating　all　with　severity。　Thus　at　all　times　have　we　seen　in　Asia　domestic　slavery　and　despotic　government　walk　hand　in　hand　with　an　equal　pace。

In　a　government　which　requires；　above　all　things；　that　a　particular　regard　be　paid　to　its　tranquillity；　and　where　the　extreme　subordination　calls　for　peace；　it　is　absolutely　necessary　to　shut　up　the　women；　for　their　intrigues　would　prove　fatal　to　their　husbands。　A　government　which　has　not　time　to　examine　into　the　conduct　of　its　subjects　views　them　with　a　suspicious　eye；　only　because　they　appear　and　suffer　themselves　to　be　known。

Let　us　only　suppose　that　the　levity　of　mind；　the　indiscretions；　the　tastes　and　caprices　of　our　women；　attended　by　their　passions　of　a　higher　and　a　lower　kind；　with　all　their　active　fire；　and　in　that　full　liberty　with　which　they　appear　amongst　us；　were　conveyed　into　an　eastern　government；　where　would　be　the　father　of　a　family　who　could　enjoy　a　moment's　repose？　The　men　would　be　everywhere　suspected；　everywhere　enemies；　the　state　would　be　overturned；　and　the　kingdom　overflowed　with　rivers　of　blood。

10。　The　Principle　on　which　the　Morals　of　the　East　are　founded。　In　the　case　of　a　multiplicity　of　wives；　the　more　a　family　ceases　to　be　united；　the　more　ought　the　laws　to　reunite　its　detached　parts　in　a　common　centre；　and　the　greater　the　diversity　of　interests；　the　more　necessary　is　it　for　the　laws　to　bring　them　back　to　a　common　interest。

This　is　more　particularly　done　by　confinement。　The　women　should　not　only　be　separated　from　the　men　by　the　walls　of　the　house；　but　they　ought　also　to　be　separated　in　the　same　enclosure；　in　such　a　manner　that　each　may　have　a　distinct　household　in　the　same　family。　Hence　each　derives　all　that　relates　to　the　practice　of　morality；　modesty；　chastity；　reserve；　silence；　peace；　dependence；　respect；　and　love；　and；　in　short；　a　general　direction　of　her　thoughts　to　that　which；　in　its　own　nature；　is　a　thing　of　the　greatest　importance；　a　single　and　entire　attachment　to　her　family。

Women　have　naturally　so　many　duties　to　fulfil　　duties　which　are　peculiarly　theirs　　that　they　cannot　be　sufficiently　excluded　from　everything　capable　of　inspiring　other　ideas；　from　everything　that　goes　by　the　name　of　amusements；　and　from　everything　which　we　call　business。

We　find　the　manners　more　pure　in　the　several　parts　of　the　East；　in　proportion　as　the　confinement　of　women　is　more　strictly　observed。　In　great　kingdoms　there　are　necessarily　great　lords。　The　greater　their　wealth；　the　more　enlarged　is　their　ability　of　keeping　their　wives　in　an　exact　confinement；　and　of　preventing　them　from　entering　again　into　society。　Hence　it　proceeds　that　in　the　empires　of　Turkey；　Persia；　of　the　Mogul；　China；　and　Japan；　the　manners　of　their　wives　are　admirable。

But　the　case　is　not　the　sa