the spirit of laws-第16部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

anger。　This　was　a　notion　that　clashed　with　the　spirit　of　Greek　liberty；　hence　Plato＇20＇　in　his　Laws　orders　a　citizen　to　be　punished　if　he　attempts　to　concern　himself　with　trade。

Thus　in　the　Greek　republics　the　magistrates　were　extremely　embarrassed。　They　would　not　have　the　citizens　apply　themselves　to　trade；　to　agriculture；　or　to　the　arts；　and　yet　they　would　not　have　them　idle。＇21＇　They　found；　therefore；　employment　for　them　in　gymnic　and　military　exercises；　and　none　else　were　allowed　by　their　institution。＇22＇　Hence　the　Greeks　must　be　considered　as　a　society　of　wrestlers　and　boxers。　Now；　these　exercises　having　a　natural　tendency　to　render　people　hardy　and　fierce；　there　was　a　necessity　for　tempering　them　with　others　that　might　soften　their　manners。＇23＇　For　this　purpose；　music；　which　influences　the　mind　by　means　of　the　corporeal　organs；　was　extremely　proper。　It　is　a　kind　of　medium　between　manly　exercises；　which　harden　the　body；　and　speculative　sciences；　which　are　apt　to　render　us　unsociable　and　sour。　It　cannot　be　said　that　music　inspired　virtue；　for　this　would　be　inconceivable：　but　it　prevented　the　effects　of　a　savage　institution；　and　enabled　the　soul　to　have　such　a　share　in　the　education　as　it　could　never　have　had　without　the　assistance　of　harmony。

Let　us　suppose　among　ourselves　a　society　of　men　so　passionately　fond　of　hunting　as　to　make　it　their　sole　employment；　they　would　doubtless　contract　thereby　a　kind　of　rusticity　and　fierceness。　But　if　they　happen　to　imbibe　a　taste　for　music；　we　should　quickly　perceive　a　sensible　difference　in　their　customs　and　manners。　In　short；　the　exercises　used　by　the　Greeks　could　raise　but　one　kind　of　passions；　viz。；　fierceness；　indignation；　and　cruelty。　But　music　excites　all　these；　and　is　likewise　able　to　inspire　the　soul　with　a　sense　of　pity；　lenity；　tenderness；　and　love。　Our　moral　writers；　who　declaim　so　vehemently　against　the　stage；　sufficiently　demonstrate　the　power　of　music　over　the　mind。

If　the　society　above　mentioned　were　to　have　no　other　music　than　that　of　drums；　and　the　sound　of　the　trumpet；　would　it　not　be　more　difficult　to　accomplish　this　end　than　by　the　more　melting　tones　of　softer　harmony？　The　ancients　were　therefore　in　the　right　when；　under　particular　circumstances；　they　preferred　one　mode　to　another　in　regard　to　manners。

But　some　will　ask；　why　should　music　be　pitched　upon　as　preferable　to　any　other　entertainment？　It　is　because　of　all　sensible　pleasures　there　is　none　that　less　corrupts　the　soul。　We　blush　to　read　in　Plutarch＇24＇　that　the　Thebans；　in　order　to　soften　the　manners　of　their　youth；　authorised　by　law　a　passion　which　ought　to　be　proscribed　by　all　nations。

______

1。　See　d'Aubigny's　History。

2。　We　mention　here　what　actually　is；　and　not　what　ought　to　be；　honour　is　a　prejudice；　which　religion　sometimes　endeavours　to　remove；　and　at　other　times　to　regulate。

3。　Politics；　i。　13。

4。　Philopoemen　obliged　the　Laced？monians　to　change　their　manner　of　educating　their　children；　being　convinced　that　if　he　did　not　take　this　measure　they　would　always　be　noted　for　their　magnanimity。　　Plutarch；　Philopoemen。　See　Livy；　xxxviii。

5。　She　defended　her　laws　and　liberty　for　the　space　of　three　years。　See　the　98th；　99th；　and　100th　book　of　Livy；　in　Florus's　epitome。　She　made　a　braver　resistance　than　the　greatest　kings。

6。　Florus；　i。　16。

7。　In　fece　Romuli。　　Cicero；　Letters　to　Atticus；　ii。　1。

8。　The　Indians　of　Paraguay　do　not　depend　on　any　particular　lord；　they　pay　only　a　fifth　of　the　taxes；　and　are　allowed　the　use　of　firearms　to　defend　themselves。

9。　Plutarch　in　his　Questions　Concerning　the　Greek　Affairs；　xxix。

10。　Such　as　were　formerly　the　cities　of　Greece。

11。　Republic；　iv。

12。　Politics；　viii。　5。

13。　Pelopidas。

14。　Plato；　in　his　seventh　book　of　Laws；　says　that　the　pr？fectures　of　music　and　gymnic　exercises　are　the　most　important　employments　in　the　city；　and；　in　his　Republic；　iii；　Damon　will　tell　you；　says　he；　what　sounds　are　capable　of　corrupting　the　mind　with　base　sentiments；　or　of　inspiring　the　contrary　virtues。

15。　Memorabilia；　v。

16。　Politics；　iii。　4。

17。　Diophantes；　says　Aristotle；　Politics；　ii。　7；　made　a　law　formerly　at　Athens；　that　artisans　should　be　slaves　to　the　republic。

18。　Plato；　likewise；　and　Aristotle　require　slaves　to　till　the　land；　Laws；　viii。　Politics；　vii。　10。　True　it　is　that　agriculture　was　not　everywhere　exercised　by　slaves：　on　the　contrary；　Aristotle　observes　the　best　republics　were　those　in　which　the　citizens　themselves　tilled　the　land：　but　this　was　brought　about　by　the　corruption　of　the　ancient　governments；　which　had　become　democratic：　for　in　earlier　times　the　cities　of　Greece　were　subject　to　an　aristocratic　government。

19。　Cauponatio。

20。　Book　v。

21。　Aristotle；　Politics；　vii…viii。

22。　Ibid。；　viii。　3。

23。　Aristotle　observes　that　the　children　of　the　Laced？monians；　who　began　these　exercises　at　a　very　tender　age；　contracted　thence　too　great　a　ferocity　and　rudeness　of　behaviour。　　Ibid。；　viii。　4。

24。　Pelopidas。




Book　V。　That　the　Laws　Given　by　the　Legislator　Ought　to　Be　in　Relation　to　the　Principle　of　Government

1。　Idea　of　this　Book。　That　the　laws　of　education　should　relate　to　the　principle　of　each　government　has　been　shown　in　the　preceding　book。　Now　the　same　may　be　said　of　those　which　the　legislator　gives　to　the　whole　society。　The　relation　of　laws　to　this　principle　strengthens　the　several　springs　of　government；　and　this　principle　derives　thence；　in　its　turn；　a　new　degree　of　vigour。　And　thus　it　is　in　mechanics；　that　action　is　always　followed　by　reaction。

Our　design　is；　to　examine　this　relation　in　each　government；　beginning　with　the　republican　state；　the　principle　of　which　is　virtue。

2。　What　is　meant　by　Virtue　in　a　political　State。　Virtue　in　a　republic　is　a　most　simple　thing：　it　is　a　love　of　the　republic；　it　is　a　sensation；　and　not　a　consequence　of　acquired　knowledge：　a　sensation　that　may　be　felt　by　the　meanest　as　well　as　by　the　highest　person　in　the　state。　When　the　common　people　adopt　good　maxims；　they　adhere　to　them　more　steadily　than　those　whom　we　call　gentlemen。　It　is　very　rarely　that　corruption　commences　with　the　former：　nay；　they　frequently　derive　from　their　imperfect　light　a　stronger　attachment　to　the　established　laws　and　customs。

The　love　of　our　country　is　conducive　to　a　purity　of　morals；　and　the　latter　is　again　conducive　to　the　former。　The　less　we　are　able　to　satisfy　our　private　passions；　the　more　we　abandon　ourselves　to　those　of　a　general　nature。　How　comes　it　that　monks　are　so　fond　of　their　order？　It　is　owing　to　the　very　cause　that　renders　the　order　insupportable。　Their　rule　debars　them　from　all　those　things　by　which　the　ordinary　passions　are　fed；　there　remains　therefore　only　this　passion　for　the　very　rule　that　torments　them。　The　more　austere　it　is；　that　is；　the　more　it　curbs　their　inclinations；　the　more　force　it　givfes　to　the　only　passion　left　them。

3。　What　is　meant　by　a　Love　of　the　Republic　in　a　Democracy。　A　love　of　the　republic　in　a　democracy　is　a　love　of　the　democracy；　as　the　latter　is　that　of　equality。

A　love　of　the　democracy　is　likewise　that　of　frugality。　Since　every　individual　ought　here　to　enjoy　the　same　happiness　and　the　same　advantages；　they　should　consequently　taste　the　same　pleasures　and　form　the　same　hopes；　which　cannot　be　expected　but　from　a　general　frugality。

The　love　of　equality　in　a　democracy　limits　ambition　to　the　sole　desire；　to　the　sole　happiness；　of　doing　greater　services　to　our　country　than　the　rest　of　our　fellow…citizens。　They　cannot　all　render　her　equal　services；　but　they　all　ought　to　serve　her　with　equal　alacrity。　At　our　coming　into　the　world；　we　contract　an　immense　debt　to　our　country；　which　we　can　never　discharge。

Hence　distinctions　here　arise　from　the　principle　of　equality；　even　when　it　seems　to　be　removed　by　signal　services　or　superior　abilities。

The　love　of　frugality　limits　the　desire　of　having　to　the　study　of　procuring　necessaries　to　our　family；　and　superfluities　to　our　country。　Riches　give　a　power　which　a　citizen　cannot　use　for　himself；　for　then　he　would　be　no　longer　equal。　They　likewise　procure　pleasures　which　he　ought　not　to　enjoy；　because　these　would　be　also　repugnant　to　the　equality。

Thus　well…regulated　democracies；　by　establishing　domestic　frugality；　made　way　at　the　same　time　for　public　expenses；　as　was　the　case　at　Rome　and　Athens；　when　magnificence　and　profusion　arose　from　the　very　fund　of　frugality。　And　as　religion　commands　us　to　have　pure　and　unspotted　hands　when　we　make　our　offerings　to　the　gods；　the　laws　required　a　frugality　of　life　to　enable　them　to　be　liberal　to　our　country。

The　good　sense　and　happiness　of　individuals　depend　greatly　upon　the　mediocrity　of　their　abilities　and　fortunes。　Therefore；　as　a　republic；　where　the　laws　have　placed　many　in　a　middling　station；　is　composed　of　wise　men；　it　will　be　wisely　governed；　as　it　is　composed　of　happy　men；　it　will　be　extremely　happy。

4。　In　what　Manner　the　Love　of　Equality　and　Frugality　is　inspired。　The　love　of　equality　and　of　a　frugal　economy　is　greatly　excited　by　equality　and　frugality　themselves；　in　societies　where　both　these　virtues　are　established　by　law。

In　monarchies　and　despotic　governments；　nobody　aims　at　equality；　this　does　not　so　much　as　enter　their　thoughts；　they　all　a