the spirit of laws-第67部分

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　see；　in　Tacitus；　the　admirable　simplicity　of　the　German　nations：　they　had　no　artificial　elegances　of　dress；　their　ornaments　were　derived　from　nature。　If　the　family　of　their　chief　was　to　be　distinguished　by　any　sign；　it　was　no　other　than　that　which　nature　bestowed。　The　kings　of　the　Franks；　of　the　Burgundians；　and　the　Visigoths　wore　their　long　hair　for　a　diadem。

24。　Of　the　Marriages　of　the　Kings　of　the　Franks。　I　have　already　mentioned　that　with　people　who　do　not　cultivate　the　earth；　marriages　are　less　fixed　than　with　others；　and　that　they　generally　take　many　wives。　〃Of　all　the　barbarous　nations　the　Germans　were　almost　the　only　people　who　were　satisfied　with　one　wife；＇33＇　if　we　except；〃　says　Tacitus；　〃some　persons　who；　not　from　a　dissoluteness　of　manners；　but　because　of　their　nobility；　had　many。〃＇34＇

This　explains　the　reason　why　the　kings　of　the　first　race　had　so　great　a　number　of　wives。　These　marriages　were　less　a　proof　of　incontinence　than　a　consequence　of　dignity：　and　it　would　have　wounded　them　in　a　tender　point　to　have　deprived　them　of　such　a　prerogative。＇35＇　This　also　explains　the　reason　why　the　example　of　the　kings　was　not　followed　by　the　subjects。

25。　Childeric。　〃The　laws　of　matrimony　amongst　the　Germans；〃　says　Tacitus；　〃are　strictly　observed。　Vice　is　not　there　a　subject　of　ridicule。　To　corrupt　or　be　corrupted　is　not　called　fashion；　or　the　custom　of　the　age：＇36＇　there　are　few　examples　in　this　populous　nation　of　the　violation　of　conjugal　faith。〃＇37＇

This　was　the　reason　of　the　expulsion　of　Childeric：　he　shocked　their　rigid　virtue；　which　conquest　had　not　had　time　to　corrupt。

26。　Of　the　Time　when　the　Kings　of　the　Franks　became　of　age。　Barbarians　who　do　not　cultivate　the　earth　have；　strictly　speaking；　no　jurisdiction；　and　are；　as　we　have　already　remembered；　rather　governed　by　the　law　of　nations　than　by　civil　institutions。　They　are；　therefore；　always　armed。　Thus　Tacitus　tells　us　〃that　the　Germans　undertook　no　affairs　either　of　a　public　or　private　nature　unarmed。〃＇38＇　They　gave　their　vote　by　the　sound　of　their　arms。＇39＇　As　soon　as　they　could　carry　them；　they　were　presented　to　the　assembly；＇40＇　they　put　a　javelin　into　their　hands；＇41＇　and　from　that　moment　they　were　out　of　their　minority：　they　had　been　a　part　of　the　family；　now　they　became　a　part　of　the　republic。＇42＇

〃The　eagles；〃　said　the　king　of　the　Ostrogoths；＇43＇　〃cease　to　feed　their　young　ones　as　soon　as　their　wings　and　talons　are　formed；　the　latter　have　no　need　of　assistance　when　they　are　able　themselves　to　seize　their　prey：　it　would　be　a　disgrace　if　the　young　people　in　our　armies　were　thought　to　be　of　an　age　unfit　for　managing　their　estates　or　regulating　the　conduct　of　their　lives。　It　is　virtue　that　constitutes　full　age　among　the　Goths。〃

Childebert　II　was　fifteen　years　old　when　Gontram；　his　uncle；　declared　that　he　was　of　age；　and　capable　of　governing　by　himself。＇44＇　We　find　in　the　Ripuarian　laws　that　the　age　of　fifteen；　the　ability　of　bearing　arms；　and　majority；　went　together。　It　is　there　said＇45＇　〃that　if　a　Ripuarian　dies；　or　is　killed；　and　leaves　a　son　behind　him；　that　son　can　neither　prosecute；　nor　be　prosecuted；　till　he　has　completely　attained　the　age　of　fifteen；　and　then　he　may　either　answer　for　himself　or　choose　a　champion。〃　It　was　necessary　that　his　mind　should　be　sufficiently　formed　to　be　able　to　defend　himself　in　court；　and　that　his　body　should　have　all　the　strength　that　was　proper　for　his　defence　in　single　combat。　Among　the　Burgundians；＇46＇　who　also　made　use　of　this　combat　in　their　judiciary　proceedings；　they　were　of　age　at　fifteen。

Agathias　tells　us　that　the　arms　of　the　Franks　were　light：　they　might；　therefore；　be　of　age　at　fifteen。　In　succeeding　times　the　arms　they　made　use　of　were　heavy；　and　they　were　already　greatly　so　in　the　time　of　Charlemagne；　as　appears　by　our　capitularies　and　romances。　Those　who　had　fiefs；＇47＇　and　were　consequently　obliged　to　do　military　service；　were　not　then　of　age　till　they　were　twenty…one　years　old。＇48＇

27。　The　same　Subject　continued。　We　have　seen　that　the　Germans　did　not　appear　in　their　assemblies　before　they　were　of　age；　they　were　a　part　of　the　family；　but　not　of　the　republic。　This　was　the　reason　that　the　children　of　Clodomir；　king　of　Orleans；　and　conqueror　of　Burgundy；　were　not　proclaimed　kings；　because　they　were　of　too　tender　an　age　to　be　present　at　the　assembly。　They　were　not　yet　kings；　but　they　had　a　right　to　the　regal　dignity　as　soon　as　they　were　able　to　bear　arms；　and　in　the　meantime；　Clotildis；　their　grandmother；　governed　the　state。＇49＇　But　their　uncles　Clotarius　and　Childebert　assassinated　them；　and　divided　their　kingdom。　This　was　the　cause　that　in　the　following　ages　princes　in　their　minority　were　proclaimed　kings　immediately　after　the　death　of　their　fathers。　Thus　Duke　Gondovald　saved　Childebert　II　from　the　cruelty　of　Chilperic；　and　caused　him　to　be　proclaimed　king　when　he　was　only　five　years　old。＇50＇

But　even　in　this　change　they　followed　the　original　spirit　of　the　nation；　for　the　public　acts　did　not　pass　in　the　name　of　the　young　monarch。　So　that　the　Franks　had　a　double　administration：　the　one　which　concerned　the　person　of　the　infant　king；　and　the　other　which　regarded　the　kingdom；　and　in　the　fiefs　there　was　a　difference　between　the　guardianship　and　the　civil　administration。

28。　Of　Adoption　among　the　Germans。　As　the　Germans　became　of　age　by　the　wielding　of　arms；　so　they　were　adopted　by　the　same　sign。　Thus　Gontram；　willing　to　declare　his　nephew　Childebert　of　age　and　to　adopt　him　for　his　son；　made　use　of　these　words：　〃I　have　put　this　javelin　into　thy　hands　as　a　token　that　I　have　given　thee　all　my　kingdom。〃＇51＇　Then；　turning　towards　the　assembly；　he　added；　〃You　see　that　my　son　Childebert　is　grown　a　man；　obey　him。〃　Theodoric；　king　of　the　Ostrogoths；　intending　to　adopt　the　king　of　the　Heruli；　wrote　to　him　thus：＇52＇　〃It　is　a　noble　custom　of　ours　to　be　adopted　by　arms；　for　men　of　courage　alone　deserve　to　be　our　children。　Such　is　the　efficacy　of　this　act；　that　whoever　is　the　object　of　it　had　rather　die　than　submit　to　anything　ignominious。　Therefore；　in　compliance　with　the　national　usage；　and　because　you　are　a　man　of　courage；　we　adopt　you　for　our　son　by　these　bucklers；　these　swords；　these　horses；　which　we　send　you　as　a　present。〃

29。　Of　the　sanguinary　Temper　of　the　Kings　of　the　Franks。　Clovis　was　not　the　only　prince　amongst　the　Franks　who　had　invaded　Gaul。　Many　of　his　relatives　had　penetrated　into　this　country　with　particular　tribes；　but　as　he　had　met　with　much　greater　success；　and　could　grant　considerable　settlements　to　such　as　followed　him；　the　Franks　flocked　to　him　from　all　parts；　so　that　the　other　chiefs　found　themselves　too　weak　to　resist　him。　He　formed　a　design　of　exterminating　his　whole　race；　and　he　succeeded。＇53＇　He　feared；　says　Gregory　of　Tours；＇54＇　lest　the　Franks　should　choose　another　chief。　His　children　and　successors　followed　this　practice　to　the　utmost　of　their　power。　Thus　the　brother；　the　uncle；　the　nephew；　and；　what　is　still　worse；　the　father　or　the　son；　were　perpetually　conspiring　against　their　whole　family。　The　law　continually　divided　the　monarchy；　while　fear；　ambition；　and　cruelty　wanted　to　reunite　it。

30。　Of　the　national　Assemblies　of　the　Franks。　It　has　been　remarked　above　that　nations　who　do　not　cultivate　the　land　enjoy　great　liberty。

This　was　the　case　of　the　Germans。　Tacitus　says　that　they　gave　their　kings；　or　chiefs；　a　very　moderate　degree　of　power；＇55＇　and　C？sar　adds　further　that　in　times　of　peace　they　had　no　common　magistrates；　but　their　princes　administered　justice　in　each　village。＇56＇　Thus；　as　Gregory　of　Tours＇57＇　sufficiently　proves；　the　Franks　in　Germany　had　no　king。

〃The　princes；〃　says　Tacitus；　〃deliberate　on　matters　of　no　great　concern；　while　affairs　of　importance　are　submitted　to　the　whole　nation；　but　in　such　a　manner　that　these　very　affairs　which　are　under　the　cognizance　of　the　people　are　at　the　same　time　laid　before　the　princes。〃＇58＇　This　custom　was　observed　by　them　after　their　conquests；　as　may　be　seen　in　all　their　records。＇59＇

Tacitus　says　that　capital　crimes　might　be　carried　before　the　assembly。＇60＇　It　was　the　same　after　the　conquest；　when　the　great　vassals　were　tried　before　that　body。

31。　Of　the　Authority　of　the　Clergy　under　the　first　Race。　The　priests　of　barbarous　nations　are　commonly　invested　with　power；　because　they　have　both　that　authority　which　is　due　to　them　from　their　religious　character；　and　that　influence　which　among　such　a　people　is　the　offspring　of　superstition。　Thus　we　see　in　Tacitus　that　priests　were　held　in　great　veneration　by　the　Germans；　and　that　they　presided　in　the　assemblies　of　the　people。＇61＇　They　alone　were　permitted＇62＇　to　chastise；　to　bind；　to　smite；　which　they　did；　not　by　order　of　the　prince；　or　as　his　ministers　of　justice；　but　as　by　an　inspiration　of　that　Deity　ever　supposed　to　be　present　with　those　who　made　war。

We　ought　not；　therefore；　to　be　astonished　when；　from　the　very　beginning　of　the　first　race；　we　meet　with　bishops　the　dispensers　of　justice；＇63＇　when　we　see　them　appear　in　the　assemblies　of　the　nation；　when　they　have　such　a　prodigious　influence　on　the　minds　of　sovereigns；　and　when　they　acquire　so　large　a　share　of　property。

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1。　Book　vii。　7。

2。　Solon。

3。　Or　he　who　wrote　the　book　De　Mirabilibus。

4。　Japan　is　an　exception　to　this；　by　its　great　extent　as　well　as　by　its　slavery。

5。　Polybius；　x。　25。

6。　It　is　thus　that　Diodorus；　v。　35；　tells　us　the　shepherds　found　gold　in　the　Pyrenean　mountains。

7。　Edifying　Letters；　coll。　xx。

8。　When　a　khan　is　proclaimed；　all　the　people　cry　that　his　word　shall　be　as　a　sword。

9。　Book　xvii。　5。

10。　We　ought　not　therefore　to　be　astonished　at　Mahomet；　the　son　of　Miriveis；　who；　upon　taking　Ispahan；　put　all　the　princes　of　the　blood　to　the　sword。

11。　Tit。　62。

12。　Nullas　Germanorum　populis　urbes　habitari　satis　notum　est；　ne　pati　quidem　inter　se　junctas　sedes；　colunt　discreti；　ut　nemus　placuit。　Vicos　locant；　non　in　nostrum　morem　connexis　et　coharentibus　？difidis：　suam　quisque　domum　spatio　circumdat。　　De　Moribus　Germanorum；　16。

13。　The　Law　of　the　Alemans；　10；　and　the　Law　of　the　Bavarians；　tit。　10；　§§　1；　2。

14。　This　inclosure　is　called　curtis　in　the　charters。

15。　See　Marculfus；　ii；　form。　10；　12。　Appendix　to　Marculfus；　form。　49；　and　the　ancient　formularies　of　Sir