the spirit of laws-第27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！

e　therefore　all　massacred；　except　Adymantes；　who　had　opposed　this　decree。　Lysander　reproached　Phylocles；　before　he　was　put　to　death；　with　having　depraved　the　people's　minds；　and　given　lessons　of　cruelty　to　all　Greece。

〃The　Argives；〃　says　Plutarch；＇32＇　〃having　put　fifteen　hundred　of　their　citizens　to　death；　the　Athenians　ordered　sacrifices　of　expiation；　that　it　might　please　the　gods　to　turn　the　hearts　of　the　Athenians　from　so　cruel　a　thought。〃

There　are　two　sorts　of　corruptions　　one　when　the　people　do　not　observe　the　laws；　the　other　when　they　are　corrupted　by　the　laws：　an　incurable　evil；　because　it　is　in　the　very　remedy　itself。

13。　Insufficiency　of　the　Laws　of　Japan。　Excessive　punishments　may　even　corrupt　a　despotic　government；　of　this　we　have　an　instance　in　Japan。

Here　almost　all　crimes　are　punished　with　death；＇33＇　because　disobedience　to　so　great　an　emperor　as　that　of　Japan　is　reckoned　an　enormous　crime。　The　question　is　not　so　much　to　correct　the　delinquent　as　to　vindicate　the　authority　of　the　prince。　These　notions　are　derived　from　servitude；　and　are　owing　especially　to　this；　that　as　the　emperor　is　universal　proprietor；　almost　all　crimes　are　directly　against　his　interests。

They　punish　with　death　lies　spoken　before　the　magistrate；＇34＇　a　proceeding　contrary　to　natural　defence。

Even　things　which　have　not　the　appearance　of　a　crime　are　severely　punished；　for　instance；　a　man　that　ventures　his　money　at　play　is　put　to　death。

True　it　is　that　the　character　of　this　people；　so　amazingly　obstinate；　capricious；　and　resolute　as　to　defy　all　dangers　and　calamities；　seems　to　absolve　their　legislators　from　the　imputation　of　cruelty；　notwithstanding　the　severity　of　their　laws。　But　are　men　who　have　a　natural　contempt　for　death；　and　who　rip　open　their　bellies　for　the　least　fancy　　are　such　men；　I　say；　mended　or　deterred；　or　rather　are　they　not　hardened；　by　the　continual　prospect　of　punishments？

The　relations　of　travellers　inform　us；　with　respect　to　the　education　of　the　Japanese；　that　children　must　be　treated　there　with　mildness；　because　they　become　hardened　to　punishment；　that　their　slaves　must　not　be　too　roughly　used；　because　they　immediately　stand　upon　their　defence。　Would　not　one　imagine　that　they　might　easily　have　judged　of　the　spirit　which　ought　to　reign　in　their　political　and　civil　government　from　that　which　should　prevail　in　their　domestic　concerns？

A　wise　legislator　would　have　endeavoured　to　reclaim　people　by　a　just　temperature　of　punishments　and　rewards；　by　maxims　of　philosophy；　morality；　and　religion；　adapted　to　those　characters；　by　a　proper　application　of　the　rules　of　honour；　and　by　the　enjoyment　of　ease　and　tranquillity　of　life。　And　should　he　have　entertained　any　apprehension　that　their　minds；　being　inured　to　the　cruelty　of　punishments；　would　no　longer　be　restrained　by　those　of　a　milder　nature；　he　would　have　conducted　himself＇35＇　in　another　manner；　and　gained　his　point　by　degrees；　in　particular　cases　that　admitted　of　any　indulgence；　he　would　have　mitigated　the　punishment；　till　he　should　have　been　able　to　extend　this　mitigation　to　all　cases。

But　these　are　springs　to　which　despotic　power　is　a　stranger；　it　may　abuse　itself；　and　that　is　all　it　can　do：　in　Japan　it　has　made　its　utmost　effort；　and　has　surpassed　even　itself　in　cruelty。

As　the　minds　of　the　people　grew　wild　and　intractable；　they　were　obliged　to　have　recourse　to　the　most　horrid　severity。

This　is　the　origin；　this　the　spirit；　of　the　laws　of　Japan。　They　had　more　fury；　however；　than　force。　They　succeeded　the　extirpation　of　Christianity；　but　such　unaccountable　efforts　are　a　proof　of　their　insufficiency。　They　wanted　to　establish　a　good　policy；　and　they　have　shown　greater　marks　of　their　weakness。

We　have　only　to　read　the　relation　of　the　interview　between　the　Emperor　and　the　Deyro　at　Meaco。＇36＇　The　number　of　those　who　were　suffocated　or　murdered　in　that　city　by　ruffians　is　incredible；　young　maids　and　boys　were　carried　off　by　force；　and　found　afterwards　exposed　in　public　places；　at　unseasonable　hours；　quite　naked；　and　sewn　in　linen　bags；　to　prevent　their　knowing　which　way　they　had　passed；　robberies　were　committed　in　all　parts；　the　bellies　of　horses　were　ripped　open；　to　bring　their　riders　to　the　ground；　and　coaches　were　overturned；　in　order　to　strip　the　ladies。　The　Dutch；　who　were　told　they　could　not　pass　the　night　on　the　scaffolds　without　exposing　themselves　to　the　danger　of　being　assassinated；　came　down；　&c。

I　shall　here　give　one　instance　more　from　the　same　nation。　The　Emperor　having　abandoned　himself　to　infamous　pleasures；　lived　unmarried；　and　was　consequently　in　danger　of　dying　without　issue。　The　Deyro　sent　him　two　beautiful　damsels；　one　he　married　out　of　respect；　but　would　not　meddle　with　her。　His　nurse　caused　the　finest　women　of　the　empire　to　be　sent　for；　but　all　to　no　purpose。　At　length；　an　armourer's　daughter　having　pleased　his　fancy；＇37＇　he　determined　to　espouse　her；　and　had　a　son。　The　ladies　belonging　to　the　court；　enraged　to　see　a　person　of　such　mean　extraction　preferred　to　themselves；　stifled　the　child。　The　crime　was　concealed　from　the　Emperor；　for　he　would　have　deluged　the　land　with　blood。　The　excessive　severity　of　the　laws　hinders；　therefore；　their　execution：　when　the　punishment　surpasses　all　measure；　they　are　frequently　obliged　to　prefer　impunity　to　it。

14。　Of　the　Spirit　of　the　Roman　Senate。　Under　the　consulate　of　Acilius　Glabrio　and　Piso；　the　Asilian　law＇38＇　was　made　to　prevent　the　intriguing　for　places。　Dio　says＇39＇　that　the　senate　engaged　the　consuls　to　propose　it；　by　reason　that　C。　Cornelius；　the　tribune；　had　resolved　to　cause　more　severe　punishments　to　be　established　against　this　crime；　to　which　the　people　seemed　greatly　inclined。　The　senate　rightly　judged　that　immoderate　punishments　would　strike；　indeed；　a　terror　into　people's　minds；　but　must　have　also　this　effect；　that　there　would　be　nobody　afterwards　to　accuse　or　condemn；　whereas；　by　proposing　moderate　penalties；　there　would　be　always　judges　and　accusers。

15。　Of　the　Roman　Laws　in　respect　to　Punishments。　I　am　strongly　confirmed　in　my　sentiments　upon　finding　the　Romans　on　my　side；　and　I　think　that　punishments　are　connected　with　the　nature　of　governments　when　I　behold　this　great　people　changing　in　this　respect　their　civil　laws；　in　proportion　as　they　altered　their　form　of　government。

The　regal　laws；　made　for　fugitives；　slaves；　and　vagabonds；　were　very　severe。　The　spirit　of　a　republic　would　have　required　that　the　decemvirs　should　not　have　inserted　those　laws　in　their　Twelve　Tables；　but　men　who　aimed　at　tyranny　were　far　from　conforming　to　a　republican　spirit。

Livy　says；＇40＇　in　relation　to　the　punishment　of　Metius　Suffetius；　dictator　of　Alba；　who　was　condemned　by　Tullius　Hostilius　to　be　fastened　to　two　chariots　drawn　by　horses；　and　torn　asunder；　that　this　was　the　first　and　last　punishment　in　which　the　remembrance　of　humanity　seemed　to　have　been　lost。　He　is　mistaken；　the　Twelve　Tables　are　full　of　very　cruel　laws。＇41＇

The　design　of　the　decemvirs　appears　more　conspicuous　in　the　capital　punishment　pronounced　against　libellers　and　poets。　This　is　not　agreeable　to　the　genius　of　a　republic；　where　the　people　like　to　see　the　great　men　humbled。　But　persons　who　aimed　at　the　subversion　of　liberty　were　afraid　of　writings　that　might　revive　its　spirit。＇42＇

After　the　expulsion　of　the　decemvirs；　almost　all　the　penal　laws　were　abolished。　It　is　true　they　were　not　expressly　repealed；　but　as　the　Porcian　law　had　ordained　that　no　citizen　of　Rome　should　be　put　to　death；　they　were　of　no　further　use。

This　is　exactly　the　time　to　which　we　may　refer　what　Livy　says＇43＇　of　the　Romans；　that　no　people　were　ever　fonder　of　moderation　in　punishments。

But　if　to　the　lenity　of　penal　laws　we　add　the　right　which　the　party　accused　had　of　withdrawing　before　judgment　was　pronounced；　we　shall　find　that　the　Romans　followed　the　spirit　which　I　have　observed　to　be　natural　to　a　republic。

Sulla；　who　confounded　tyranny；　anarchy；　and　liberty；　made　the　Cornelian　laws。　He　seemed　to　have　contrived　regulations　merely　with　a　view　to　create　new　crimes。　Thus　distinguishing　an　infinite　number　of　actions　by　the　name　of　murder；　he　found　murderers　in　all　parts；　and　by　a　practice　too　much　followed；　he　laid　snares；　sowed　thorns；　and　opened　precipices；　wheresoever　the　citizens　set　their　feet。

Almost　all　Sulla's　laws　contained　only　the　interdiction　of　fire　and　water。　To　this　C？sar　added　the　confiscation　of　goods＇44＇　because　the　rich；　by　preserving　their　estates　in　exile；　became　bolder　in　the　perpetration　of　crimes。

The　emperors；　having　established　a　military　government；　soon　found　that　it　was　as　terrible　to　the　prince　as　to　the　subject；　they　endeavoured　therefore　to　temper　it；　and　with　this　view　had　recourse　to　dignities；　and　to　the　respect　with　which　those　dignities　were　attended。

The　government　thus　drew　nearer　a　little　to　monarchy；　and　punishments　were　divided　into　three　classes：＇45＇　those　which　related　to　the　principal　persons　in　the　state；＇46＇　which　were　very　mild：　those　which　were　inflicted　on　persons　of　an　inferior　rank；＇47＇　and　were　more　severe；　and；　in　fine；　such　as　concerned　only　persons　of　the　lowest　condition；＇48＇　which　were　the　most　rigorous。

Maximinus；　that　fierce　and　stupid　prince；　increased　the　rigour　of　the