the spirit of laws-第125部分

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45。　See　Leg。　9；　Cod。　Theod。　De　bonis　proscriptorum；　and　Dio；　lv。　See　Ulpian；　Fragment。；　tit。　ult。；　§　6；　and　tit。　29；　§　3。

46。　Ulpian；　Fragment。；　tit。　16；　§　1。　Sozomenus；　i。　29。

47。　Book　xx。　1。

48。　Book　iv；　tit。　8；　§　3。

49。　Tit。　26；　§　6。

50。　That　is；　the　Emperor　Pius　who　changed　his　name　to　that　of　Adrian　by　adoption。

51。　Leg。　2；　Cod。　de　jure　liberorum。　Institutes；　tit。　3；　§　4；　de　senatus　consult。　Tertul。

52。　Leg。　9；　Cod。　de　suis　et　legitimis　liberis。

53。　Leg。　12；　ibid。；　and　Nov。　118；　127。




Book　XXVIII。　Of　the　Origin　and　Revolutions　of　the　Civil　Laws　among　the　French

1。　Different　Character　of　the　Laws　of　the　several　People　of　Germany。　After　the　Franks　had　quitted　their　own　country；　they　made　a　compilation　of　the　Salic　laws　with　the　assistance　of　the　sages　of　their　own　nation。＇1＇　The　tribe　of　the　Ripuarian　Franks　having　joined　itself　under　Clovis＇2＇　to　that　of　the　Salians　preserved　its　own　customs；　and　Theodoric；＇3＇　King　of　Austrasia；　ordered　them　to　be　reduced　to　writing。　He　collected　likewise　the　customs　of　those　Bavarians　and　Germans；　who　were　dependent　on　his　kingdom。＇4＇　For　Germany　having　been　weakened　by　the　migration　of　such　a　multitude　of　people；　the　Franks；　after　conquering　all　before　them；　made　a　retrograde　march　and　extended　their　dominion　into　the　forests　of　their　ancestors。　Very　likely　the　Thuringian　code　was　given　by　the　same　Theodoric；　since　the　Thuringians　were　also　his　subjects。＇5＇　As　the　Frisians　were　subdued　by　Charles　Martel　and　Pepin；　their　law　cannot　be　prior　to　those　princes。＇6＇　Charlemagne；　the　first　that　reduced　the　Saxons；　gave　them　the　law　still　extant；　and　we　need　only　read　these　last　two　codes　to　be　convinced　they　came　from　the　hands　of　conquerors。　As　soon　as　the　Visigoths；　the　Burgundians；　and　the　Lombards　had　founded　their　respective　kingdoms；　they　reduced　their　laws　to　writing；　not　with　an　intent　of　obliging　the　vanquished　nations　to　conform　to　their　customs；　but　with　a　design　of　following　them　themselves。

There　is　an　admirable　simplicity　in　the　Salic　and　Ripuarian　laws；　as　well　as　in　those　of　the　Alemans；　Bavarians；　Thuringians；　and　Frisians。　They　breathe　an　original　coarseness　and　a　spirit　which　no　change　or　corruption　of　manners　had　weakened。　They　received　but　very　few　alterations；　because　all　those　people；　except　the　Franks；　remained　in　Germany。　Even　the　Franks　themselves　laid　there　the　foundation　of　a　great　part　of　their　empire；　so　that　they　had　none　but　German　laws。　The　same　cannot　be　said　of　the　laws　of　the　Visigoths；　of　the　Lombards　and　Burgundians；　their　character　considerably　altered　from　the　great　change　which　happened　in　the　character　of　those　people　after　they　had　settled　in　their　new　habitations。

The　kingdom　of　the　Burgundians　did　not　last　long　enough　to　admit　of　great　changes　in　the　laws　of　the　conquering　nation。　Gundebald　and　Sigismond；　who　collected　their　customs；　were　almost　the　last　of　their　kings。　The　laws　of　the　Lombards　received　additions　rather　than　changes。　The　laws　of　Rotharis　were　followed　by　those　of　Grimoaldus；　Luitprandus；　Rachis；　and　Astulphus；　but　did　not　assume　a　new　form。　It　was　not　so　with　the　laws　of　the　Visigoths；＇7＇　their　kings　new…moulded　them；　and　had　them　also　new…moulded　by　the　clergy。

The　kings　indeed　of　the　first　race　struck　out　of　the　Salic　and　Ripuarian　laws　whatever　was　absolutely　inconsistent　with　Christianity；　but　left　the　main　part　untouched。＇8＇　This　cannot　be　said　of　the　laws　of　the　Visigoths。

The　laws　of　the　Burgundians；　and　especially　those　of　the　Visigoths；　admitted　of　corporal　punishments；　these　were　not　tolerated　by　the　Salic　and　Ripuarian　laws；＇9＇　they　preserved　their　character　much　better。

The　Burgundians　and　Visigoths；　whose　provinces　were　greatly　exposed；　endeavoured　to　conciliate　the　affections　of　the　ancient　inhabitants；　and　to　give　them　the　most　impartial　civil　laws；＇10＇　but　as　the　Kings　of　the　Franks　had　established　their　power；　they　had　no　such　considerations。＇11＇

The　Saxons；　who　lived　under　the　dominion　of　the　Franks；　were　of　an　intractable　temper；　and　prone　to　revolt。　Hence　we　find　in　their　laws　the　severities　of　a　conqueror；＇12＇　which　are　not　to　be　met　with　in　the　other　codes　of　the　laws　of　the　barbarians。

We　see　the　spirit　of　the　German　laws　in　the　pecuniary　punishments；　and　the　spirit　of　a　conqueror　in　those　of　an　afflictive　nature。

The　crimes　they　commit　in　their　own　country　are　subject　to　corporal　punishment；　and　the　spirit　of　the　German　laws　is　followed　only　in　the　punishment　of　crimes　committed　beyond　the　extent　of　their　own　territory。

They　are　plainly　told　that　their　crimes　shall　meet　with　no　mercy；　and　they　are　refused　even　the　asylum　of　churches。

The　bishops　had　an　immense　authority　at　the　court　of　the　Visigoth　Kings；　the　most　important　affairs　being　debated　in　councils。　All　the　maxims；　principles　and　views　of　the　present　inquisition　are　owing　to　the　code　of　the　Visigoths；　and　the　monks　have　only　copied　against　the　Jews　the　laws　formerly　enacted　by　bishops。

In　other　respects　the　laws　of　Gundebald　for　the　Burgundians　seem　pretty　judicious；　and　those　of　Rotharis；　and　of　the　other　Lombard　princes；　are　still　more　so。　But　the　laws　of　the　Visigoths；　those　for　instance　of　Recessuinthus；　Chaindasuinthus；　and　Egigas　are　puerile；　ridiculous　and　foolish；　they　attain　not　their　end；　they　are　stuffed　with　rhetoric　and　void　of　sense；　frivolous　in　the　substance　and　bombastic　in　the　style。

2。　That　the　Laws　of　the　Barbarians　were　all　personal。　It　is　a　distinguishing　character　of　these　laws　of　the　barbarians　that　they　were　not　confined　to　a　certain　district；　the　Frank　was　tried　by　the　law　of　the　Franks；　the　Aleman　by　that　of　the　Alemans；　the　Burgundian　by　that　of　the　Burgundians；　and　the　Roman　by　the　Roman　law；　nay；　so　far　were　the　conquerors　in　those　days　from　reducing　their　laws　to　a　uniform　system　or　body；　that　they　did　not　even　think　of　becoming　legislators　to　the　people　they　had　conquered。

The　original　of　this　I　find　in　the　manners　of　the　Germans。　These　people　were　parted　asunder　by　marshes；　lakes；　and　forests；　and　C？sar　observes＇13＇　they　were　fond　of　such　separations。　Their　dread　of　the　Romans　brought　about　their　reunion；　and　yet　each　individual　among　these　mixed　people　was　still　to　be　tried　by　the　established　customs　of　his　own　nation。　Each　tribe　apart　was　free　and　independent；　and　when　they　came　to　be　intermixed；　the　independence　still　continued；　the　country　was　common；　the　government　peculiar；　the　territory　the　same；　and　the　nations　different。　The　spirit　of　personal　laws　prevailed　therefore　among　those　people　before　ever　they　set　out　from　their　own　homes；　and　they　carried　it　with　them　into　the　conquered　provinces。

We　find　this　custom　established　in　the　formulas　of　Marculfus；＇14＇　in　the　codes　of　the　laws　of　the　barbarians；　but　chiefly　in　the　law　of　the　Ripuarians＇15＇　and　the　decrees　of　the　kings　of　the　first　race；＇16＇　whence　the　capitularies　on　that　subject　in　the　second　race　were　derived。＇17＇　The　children　followed　the　laws　of　their　father；＇18＇　the　wife　that　of　her　husband；＇19＇　the　widow　came　back　to　her　own　original　law；＇20＇　and　the　freedman　was　under　that　of　his　patron。＇21＇　Besides；　every　man　could　make　choice　of　what　laws　he　pleased；　but　the　constitution　of　Lotharius　I＇22＇　required　that　this　choice　should　be　made　public。

3。　Capital　Difference　between　the　Salic　Laws　and　those　of　the　Visigoths　and　Burgundians。　We　have　already　observed　that　the　laws　of　the　Burgundians　and　Visigoths　were　impartial；　but　it　was　otherwise　with　regard　to　the　Salic　law；　for　it　established　between　the　Franks　and　Romans　the　most　mortifying　distinctions。　When　a　Frank；　a　barbarian；　or　one　living　under　the　Salic　law　happened　to　be　killed；　a　composition　of　200　sols　was　to　be　paid　to　his　relatives；＇23＇　only　100　upon　the　killing　of　a　Roman　proprietor；＇24＇　and　no　more　than　forty…five　for　a　Roman　tributary。　The　composition　for　the　murder　of　one　of　the　king's　vassals；　if　a　Frank；　was　600　sols；＇25＇　if　a　Roman；　though　the　king's　guest；＇26＇　only　300。＇27＇　The　Salic　law　made　therefore　a　cruel　distinction　between　the　Frank　and　Roman　lord；　and　the　Frank　and　Roman　commoner。

Further；　if　a　number　of　people　were　got　together　to　assault　a　Frank　in　his　house；＇28＇　and　he　happened　to　be　killed；　the　Salic　law　ordained　a　composition　of　600　sols；　but　if　a　Roman　or　a　freedman　was　assaulted；　only　one…half　that　composition。＇29＇　By　the　same　law；＇30＇　if　a　Roman　put　a　Frank　in　irons；　he　was　liable　to　a　composition　of　30　sols；　but　if　a　Frank　had　thus　used　a　Roman；　he　paid　only　15。　A　Frank；　stripped　by　a　Roman；　was　entitled　to　the　composition　of　62　1/2　sols；　and　a　Roman　stripped　by　a　Frank　received　only　30。　Such　unequal　treatment　must　needs　have　been　very　grievous　to　a　Roman。

And　yet　a　celebrated　author＇31＇　forms　a　system　of　the　establishment　of　the　Franks　in　Gaul；　on　a　supposition　that　they　were　the　best　friends　of　the　Romans。　The　Franks　then；　the　best　friends　of　the　Romans；　they　who　did；　and　they　who　suffered　from　the　Romans　such　an　infinite　deal　of　mischief！＇32＇　The　Franks；　the　friends　of　the　Romans；　they　who；　after　subduing　them　by　their　arms；　oppressed　them　in　cold　blood　by　their　laws！　They　were　exactly　the　friends　of　the　Romans　as　the　Tartars　who　conquered　China　were　the　friends　of　the　Chinese。　If　some　Cat