the spirit of laws-第93部分

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4。　Of　Families。　It　is　almost　everywhere　a　custom　for　the　wife　to　pass　into　the　family　of　the　husband。　The　contrary　is　without　any　inconvenience　established　at　Formosa；＇6＇　where　the　husband　enters　into　the　family　of　the　wife。

This　law；　which　fixes　the　family　in　a　succession　of　persons　of　the　same　sex；　greatly　contributes；　independently　of　the　first　motives；　to　the　propagation　of　the　human　species。　The　family　is　a　kind　of　property：　a　man　who　has　children　of　a　sex　which　does　not　perpetuate　it　is　never　satisfied　if　he　has　not　those　who　can　render　it　perpetual。

Names；　whereby　men　acquire　an　idea　of　a　thing　which　one　would　imagine　ought　not　to　perish；　are　extremely　proper　to　inspire　every　family　with　a　desire　of　extending　its　duration。　There　are　people　among　whom　names　distinguish　families：　there　are　others　where　they　only　distinguish　persons：　the　latter　have　not　the　same　advantage　as　the　former。

5。　Of　the　several　Orders　of　lawful　Wives。　Laws　and　religion　sometimes　establish　many　kinds　of　civil　conjunctions；　and　this　is　the　case　among　the　Mahometans；　where　there　are　several　orders　of　wives；　the　children　of　whom　are　distinguished　by　being　born　in　the　house；　by　civil　contracts；　or　even　by　the　slavery　of　the　mother；　and　the　subsequent　acknowledgment　of　the　father。

It　would　be　contrary　to　reason　that　the　law　should　stigmatise　the　children　for　what　it　approved　in　the　father。　All　these　children　ought；　therefore；　to　succeed；　at　least　if　some　particular　reason　does　not　oppose　it；　as　in　Japan；　where　none　inherit　but　the　children　of　the　wife　given　by　the　emperor。　Their　policy　demands　that　the　gifts　of　the　emperor　should　not　be　too　much　divided；　because　they　subject　them　to　a　kind　of　service；　like　that　of　our　ancient　fiefs。

There　are　countries　where　a　wife　of　the　second　rank　enjoys　nearly　the　same　honours　in　a　family　as　in　our　part　of　the　world　are　granted　to　an　only　consort：　there　the　children　of　concubines　are　deemed　to　belong　to　the　first　or　principal　wife。　Thus　it　is　also　established　in　China。　Filial　respect；＇7＇　and　the　ceremony　of　deep　mourning；　are　not　due　to　the　natural　mother；　but　to　her　appointed　by　the　law。

By　means　of　this　fiction　they　have　no　bastard　children；　and　where　such　a　fiction　does　not　take　place；　it　is　obvious　that　a　law　to　legitimatize　the　children　of　concubines　must　be　considered　as　an　act　of　violence；　as　the　bulk　of　the　nation　would　be　stigmatised　by　such　a　decree。　Neither　is　there　any　regulation　in　those　countries　with　regard　to　children　born　in　adultery。　The　recluse　lives　of　women；　the　locks；　the　inclosures；　and　the　eunuchs　render　all　infidelity　to　their　husbands　so　difficult；　that　the　law　judges　it　impossible。　Besides；　the　same　sword　would　exterminate　the　mother　and　the　child。

6。　Of　Bastards　in　different　Governments。　They　have　therefore　no　such　thing　as　bastards　where　polygamy　is　permitted；　this　disgrace　is　known　only　in　countries　in　which　a　man　is　allowed　to　marry　but　one　wife。　Here　they　were　obliged　to　stamp　a　mark　of　infamy　upon　concubinage；　and　consequently　they　were　under　a　necessity　of　stigmatising　the　issue　of　such　unlawful　conjunctions。

In　republics；　where　it　is　necessary　that　there　should　be　the　purest　morals；　bastards　ought　to　be　more　degraded　than　in　monarchies。

The　laws　made　against　them　at　Rome　were　perhaps　too　severe；　but　as　the　ancient　institutions　laid　all　the　citizens　under　a　necessity　of　marrying；　and　as　marriages　were　also　softened　by　the　permission　to　repudiate　or　make　a　divorce；　nothing　but　an　extreme　corruption　of　manners　could　lead　them　to　concubinage。

It　is　observable　that　as　the　quality　of　a　citizen　was　a　very　considerable　thing　in　a　democratic　government；　where　it　carried　with　it　the　sovereign　power；　they　frequently　made　laws　in　respect　to　the　state　of　bastards；　which　had　less　relation　to　the　thing　itself　and　to　the　honesty　of　marriage　than　to　the　particular　constitution　of　the　republic。　Thus　the　people　have　sometimes　admitted　bastards　into　the　number　of　citizens；　in　order　to　increase　their　power　in　opposition　to　the　great。＇8＇　Thus　the　Athenians　excluded　bastards　from　the　privilege　of　being　citizens；　that　they　might　possess　a　greater　share　of　the　corn　sent　them　by　the　King　of　Egypt。　In　fine；　Aristotle　informs　us　that　in　many　cities　where　there　was　not　a　sufficient　number　of　citizens；　their　bastards　succeeded　to　their　possessions；　and　that　when　there　was　a　proper　number；　they　did　not　inherit。＇9＇

7。　Of　the　Father's　Consent　to　Marriage。　The　consent　of　fathers　is　founded　on　their　authority；　that　is；　on　the　right　of　property。　It　is　also　founded　on　their　love；　on　their　reason；　and　on　the　uncertainty　of　that　of　their　children；　whom　youth　confines　in　a　state　of　ignorance　and　passion　in　a　state　of　ebriety。

In　the　small　republics；　or　singular　institutions　already　mentioned；　they　might　have　laws　which　gave　to　magistrates　that　right　of　inspection　over　the　marriages　of　the　children　of　citizens　which　nature　had　already　given　to　fathers。　The　love　of　the　public　might　there　equal　or　surpass　all　other　love。　Thus　Plato　would　have　marriages　regulated　by　the　magistrates：　this　the　Laced？monian　magistrates　performed。

But　in　common　institutions；　fathers　have　the　disposal　of　their　children　in　marriage：　their　prudence　in　this　respect　is　always　supposed　to　be　superior　to　that　of　a　stranger。　Nature　gives　to　fathers　a　desire　of　procuring　successors　to　their　children；　when　they　have　almost　lost　the　desire　of　enjoyment　themselves。　In　the　several　degrees　of　progeniture；　they　see　themselves　insensibly　advancing　to　a　kind　of　immortality。　But　what　must　be　done；　if　oppression　and　avarice　arise　to　such　a　height　as　to　usurp　all　the　authority　of　fathers？　Let　us　hear　what　Thomas　Gage　says　in　regard　to　the　conduct　of　the　Spaniards　in　the　West　Indies。＇10＇

〃According　to　the　number　of　the　sons　and　daughters　that　are　marriageable；　the　father's　tribute　is　raised　and　increased；　until　they　provide　husbands　and　wives　for　their　sons　and　daughters；　who；　as　soon　as　they　are　married；　are　charged　with　tribute；　which；　that　it　may　increase；　they　will　suffer　none　above　fifteen　years　of　age　to　live　unmarried。　Nay；　the　set　time　of　marriage　appointed　for　the　Indians　is　at　fourteen　years　for　the　man；　and　thirteen　for　the　woman；　alleging　that　they　are　sooner　ripe　for　the　fruit　of　wedlock；　and　sooner　ripe　in　knowledge　and　malice；　and　strength　for　work　and　service；　than　any　other　people。　Nay；　sometimes　they　force　those　to　marry　who　are　scarcely　twelve　and　thirteen　years　of　age；　if　they　find　them　well…limbed　and　strong　in　body；　explaining　a　point　of　one　of　the　canons；　which　alloweth　fourteen　and　fifteen　years。　Nisi　malitia　suppleat　？tatem。〃

He　saw　a　list　of　these　taken。　It　was；　says　he；　a　most　shameful　affair。　Thus　in　an　action　which　ought　to　be　the　most　free；　the　Indians　are　the　greatest　slaves。

8。　The　same　Subject　continued。　In　England　the　law　is　frequently　abused　by　the　daughters　marrying　according　to　their　own　fancy　without　consulting　their　parents。　This　custom　is；　I　am　apt　to　imagine；　more　tolerated　there　than　anywhere　else　from　a　consideration　that　as　the　laws　have　not　established　a　monastic　celibacy；　the　daughters　have　no　other　state　to　choose　but　that　of　marriage；　and　this　they　cannot　refuse。　In　France；　on　the　contrary；　young　women　have　always　the　resource　of　celibacy；　and　therefore　the　law　which　ordains　that　they　shall　wait　for　the　consent　of　their　fathers　may　be　more　agreeable。　In　this　light　the　custom　of　Italy　and　Spain　must　be　less　rational；　convents　are　there　established；　and　yet　they　may　marry　without　the　consent　of　their　fathers。

9。　Of　young　Women。　Young　women　who　are　conducted　by　marriage　alone　to　liberty　and　pleasure；　who　have　a　mind　which　dares　not　think；　a　heart　which　dares　not　feel；　eyes　which　dare　not　see；　ears　which　dare　not　hear；　who　appear　only　to　show　themselves　silly；　condemned　without　intermission　to　trifles　and　precepts；　have　sufficient　inducements　to　lead　them　on　to　marriage：　it　is　the　young　men　that　want　to　be　encouraged。

10。　What　it　is　that　determines　Marriage。　Wherever　a　place　is　found　in　which　two　persons　can　live　commodiously；　there　they　enter　into　marriage。　Nature　has　a　sufficient　propensity　to　it；　when　unrestrained　by　the　difficulty　of　subsistence。

A　rising　people　increase　and　multiply　extremely。　This　is；　because　with　them　it　would　be　a　great　inconvenience　to　live　in　celibacy；　and　none　to　have　many　children。　The　contrary　of　which　is　the　case　when　a　nation　is　formed。

11。　Of　the　Severity　of　Government。　Men　who　have　absolutely　nothing；　such　as　beggars；　have　many　children。　This　proceeds　from　their　being　in　the　case　of　a　rising　people：　it　costs　the　father　nothing　to　give　his　heart　to　his　offspring；　who　even　in　their　infancy　are　the　instruments　of　this　art。　These　people　multiply　in　a　rich　or　superstitious　country；　because　they　do　not　support　the　burden　of　society；　but　are　themselves　the　burden。　But　men　who　are　poor；　only　because　they　live　under　a　severe　government；　who　regard　their　fields　less　as　the　source　of　their　subsistence　than　as　a　cause　of　vexation；　these　men；　I　say；　have　few　children：　they　have　not　even　subsistence　for　themselves。　How　then　can　they　think　of　dividing　it？　They　are　unable　to　take　care　of　their　own　persons　when　they　are　sick。　How　then　can　they　attend　to　the　wants　of　creatures　whose　infancy　is　a　continual　sickness？

It　is　pretended　by　some　who　are　apt　to　talk　of　things　which　they　have　never　examined　that　the　greater　the　poverty　of　the　subjects；　the　more　numerous　their　families：　that　the　more　they　are　loaded　with　taxes；　the　more　industriously　they　endeavour　to　put　themselves　in　a　station　in　which　they　will　be　able　to　pay　them：　two　sophisms；　which　have　always　destroyed　and　will　for　ever　be　the　destruction　of　monarchies。

The　severity　of　government　may　be　carried　to　such　an　extreme　as　to　make　the　natural　sentiments　destructive　of　the　natural　sentiments　themselves。　Would　the　women　of　America　have　refused　to　bear　children　had　their　masters　been　less　cruel？＇11＇

12。　Of　the　Number　of　Males　and　Females　in　different　Countries。　I　have　already　observed　that　there　are　born　in　Europe　rather　more　boys　than　girls。＇12＇　It　has　been　remarked　that　in　Japan　there　are　born　rather　more　girls　than　boys：＇13＇　all　things　compared；　there　must　be　more　fruitful　women　in　Japan　than　in