the spirit of laws-第40部分

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8。　The　same　Subject　continued。　When　a　republic；　therefore；　keeps　another　nation　in　subjection；　it　should　endeavour　to　repair　the　inconveniences　arising　from　the　nature　of　its　situation　by　giving　it　good　laws　both　for　the　political　and　civil　government　of　the　people。

We　have　an　instance　of　an　island　in　the　Mediterranean；　subject　to　an　Italian　republic；　whose　political　and　civil　laws　with　regard　to　the　inhabitants　of　that　island　were　extremely　defective。　The　act　of　indemnity；＇7＇　by　which　it　ordained　that　no　one　should　be　condemned　to　bodily　punishment　in　consequence　of　the　private　knowledge　of　the　governor；　ex　informata　conscientia；　is　still　recent　in　everybody's　memory。　There　have　been　frequent　instances　of　the　people's　petitioning　for　privileges；　here　the　sovereign　grants　only　the　common　right　of　all　nations。

9。　Of　Conquests　made　by　a　Monarchy。　If　a　monarchy　can　long　subsist　before　it　is　weakened　by　its　increase；　it　will　become　formidable；　and　its　strength　will　remain　entire；　while　pent　up　by　the　neighbouring　monarchies。

It　ought　not；　therefore；　to　aim　at　conquests　beyond　the　natural　limits　of　its　government。　So　soon　as　it　has　passed　these　limits；　it　is　prudence　to　stop。

In　this　kind　of　conquest　things　must　be　left　as　they　were　found　　the　same　courts　of　judicature；　the　same　laws；　the　same　customs；　the　same　privileges：　there　ought　to　be　no　other　alteration　than　that　of　the　army　and　of　the　name　of　the　sovereign。

When　a　monarchy　has　extended　its　limits　by　the　conquest　of　neighbouring　provinces；　it　should　treat　those　provinces　with　great　lenity。

If　a　monarchy　has　been　long　endeavouring　at　conquest；　the　provinces　of　its　ancient　demesne　are　generally　ill…used。　They　are　obliged　to　submit　both　to　the　new　and　to　the　ancient　abuses；　and　to　be　depopulated　by　a　vast　metropolis；　that　swallows　up　the　whole。　Now　if；　after　having　made　conquests　round　this　demesne；　the　conquered　people　were　treated　like　the　ancient　subjects；　the　state　would　be　undone；　the　taxes　sent　by　the　conquered　provinces　to　the　capital　would　never　return；　the　inhabitants　of　the　frontiers　would　be　ruined；　and　consequently　the　frontiers　would　be　weaker；　the　people　would　be　disaffected；　and　the　subsistence　of　the　armies　designed　to　act　and　remain　there　would　become　more　precarious。

Such　is　the　necessary　state　of　a　conquering　monarchy：　a　shocking　luxury　in　the　capital；　misery　in　the　provinces　somewhat　distant；　and　plenty　in　the　most　remote。　It　is　the　same　with　such　a　monarchy　as　with　our　planet；　fire　at　the　centre；　verdure　on　the　surface；　and　between　both　a　dry；　cold；　and　barren　earth。

10。　Of　one　Monarchy　that　subdues　another。　Sometimes　one　monarchy　subdues　another。　The　smaller　the　latter；　the　better　it　is　overawed　by　fortresses；　and　the　larger　it　is；　the　better　will　it　be　preserved　by　colonies。

11。　Of　the　Manners　of　a　conquered　People。　It　is　not　sufficient　in　those　conquests　to　let　the　conquered　nation　enjoy　their　own　laws；　it　is；　perhaps；　more　necessary　to　leave　them　also　their　manners；　because　people　in　general　have　a　stronger　attachment　to　these　than　to　their　laws。　

The　French　have　been　driven　nine　times　out　of　Italy；　because；　as　historians　say；＇8＇　of　their　insolent　familiarities　with　the　fair　sex。　It　is　too　much　for　a　nation　to　be　obliged　to　bear　not　only　with　the　pride　of　conquerors；　but　with　their　incontinence　and　indiscretion；　these　are；　without　doubt；　most　grievous　and　intolerable；　as　they　are　the　source　of　infinite　outrages。

12。　Of　a　Law　of　Cyrus。　Far　am　I　from　thinking　that　a　good　law　which　Cyrus　made　to　oblige　the　Lydians　to　practise　none　but　mean　or　infamous　professions。　It　is　true　he　directed　his　attention　to　an　object　of　the　greatest　importance：　he　thought　of　guarding　against　revolts；　and　not　invasions；　but　invasions　will　soon　come；　when　the　Persians　and　Lydians　unite　and　corrupt　each　other。　I　would　therefore　much　rather　support　by　laws　the　simplicity　and　rudeness　of　the　conquering　nation　than　the　effeminacy　of　the　conquered。

Aristodemus；　tyrant　of　Cum？；＇9＇　used　all　his　endeavours　to　banish　courage；　and　to　enervate　the　minds　of　youth。　He　ordered　that　boys　should　let　their　hair　grow　in　the　same　manner　as　girls；　that　they　should　deck　it　with　flowers；　and　wear　long　robes　of　different　colours　down　to　their　heels；　that　when　they　went　to　their　masters　of　music　and　dancing；　they　should　have　women　with　them　to　carry　their　umbrellas；　perfumes；　and　fans；　and　to　present　them　with　combs　and　looking…glasses　whenever　they　bathed。　This　education　lasted　till　the　age　of　twenty　　an　education　that　could　be　agreeable　to　none　but　to　a　petty　tyrant；　who　exposes　his　sovereignty　to　defend　his　life。

13。　Charles　XII。　This　prince；　who　depended　entirely　on　his　own　strength；　hastened　his　ruin　by　forming　designs　that　could　never　be　executed　but　by　a　long　war　　a　thing　which　his　kingdom　was　unable　to　support。

It　was　not　a　declining　state　he　undertook　to　subvert；　but　a　rising　empire。　The　Russians　made　use　of　the　war　he　waged　against　them　as　of　a　military　school。　Every　defeat　brought　them　nearer　to　victory；　and；　losing　abroad；　they　learned　to　defend　themselves　at　home。

Charles；　in　the　deserts　of　Poland；　imagined　himself　sovereign　of　the　whole　world：　here　he　wandered；　and　with　him　in　some　measure　wandered　Sweden；　while　his　capital　enemy　acquired　new　strength　against　him；　locked　him　up；　made　settlements　along　the　Baltic；　destroyed　or　subdued　Livonia。　

Sweden　was　like　a　river　whose　waters　are　cut　off　at　the　fountain　head　in　order　to　change　its　course。

It　was　not　the　affair　of　Pultowa　that　ruined　Charles。　Had　he　not　been　destroyed　at　that　place；　he　would　have　been　in　another。　The　casualties　of　fortune　are　easily　repaired；　but　who　can　be　guarded　against　events　that　incessantly　arise　from　the　nature　of　things？

But　neither　nature　nor　fortune　were　ever　so　much　against　him　as　he　himself。

He　was　not　directed　by　the　present　situation　of　things；　but　by　a　kind　of　plan　of　his　forming；　and　even　this　he　followed　very　ill。　He　was　not　an　Alexander；　but　he　would　have　made　an　excellent　soldier　under　that　monarch。　

Alexander's　project　succeeded　because　it　was　prudently　concerted。　The　bad　success　of　the　Persians　in　their　several　invasions　of　Greece；　the　conquests　of　Agesilaus；　and　the　retreat　of　the　ten　thousand　had　shown　to　demonstration　the　superiority　of　the　Greeks　in　their　manner　of　fighting　and　in　their　arms；　and　it　was　well　known　that　the　Persians　were　too　proud　to　be　corrected。

It　was　no　longer　possible　for　them　to　weaken　Greece　by　divisions：　Greece　was　then　united　under　one　head；　which　could　not　pitch　upon　a　better　method　of　rendering　her　insensible　to　her　servitude　than　by　flattering　her　vanity　with　the　destruction　of　her　hereditary　enemy；　and　with　the　hopes　of　the　conquest　of　Asia。

An　empire　cultivated　by　the　most　industrious　nation　in　the　world；　that　followed　agriculture　from　a　principle　of　religion　　an　empire　abounding　with　every　convenience　of　life；　furnished　the　enemy　with　all　necessary　means　of　subsisting。

It　was　easy　to　judge　by　the　pride　of　those　kings；　who　in　vain　were　mortified　by　their　numerous　defeats；　that　they　would　precipitate　their　ruin　by　their　forwardness　in　venturing　battles；　and　that　the　flattery　of　their　courtiers　would　never　permit　them　to　doubt　of　their　grandeur。

The　project　was　not　only　wise；　but　wisely　executed。　Alexander；　in　the　rapidity　of　his　conquests；　even　in　the　impetuosity　of　his　passion；　had；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　a　flash　of　reason　by　which　he　was　directed；　and　which　those　who　would　fain　have　made　a　romance　of　his　history；　and　whose　minds　were　more　corrupt　than　his；　could　not　conceal　from　our　view。　Let　us　descend　more　minutely　into　his　history。

14。　Alexander。　He　did　not　set　out　upon　his　expedition　till　he　had　secured　Macedonia　against　the　neighbouring　barbarians；　and　completed　the　reduction　of　Greece；　he　availed　himself　of　this　conquest　for　no　other　end　than　for　the　execution　of　his　grand　enterprise；　he　rendered　the　jealousy　of　the　Laced？monians　of　no　effect；　he　attacked　the　maritime　provinces；　he　caused　his　land　forces　to　keep　close　to　the　sea…coast；　that　they　might　not　be　separated　from　his　fleet；　he　made　an　admirable　use　of　discipline　against　numbers；　he　never　wanted　provisions；　and　if　it　be　true　that　victory　gave　him　everything；　he；　in　his　turn；　did　everything　to　obtain　it。

In　the　beginning　of　his　enterprise　　a　time　when　the　least　check　might　have　proved　his　destruction　　he　trusted　very　little　to　fortune；　but　when　his　reputation　was　established　by　a　series　of　prosperous　events；　he　sometimes　had　recourse　to　temerity。　When　before　his　departure　for　Asia　he　marched　against　the　Triballians　and　Illyrians；　you　find　he　waged　war＇10＇　against　those　people　in　the　very　same　manner　as　C？sar　afterwards　conducted　that　against　the　Gauls。　Upon　his　return　to　Greece；＇11＇　it　was　in　some　measure　against　his　will　that　he　took　and　destroyed　Thebes。　When　he　invested　that　city；　he　wanted　the　inhabitants　to　come　into　terms　of　peace；　but　they　hastened　their　own　ruin。　When　it　was　debated　whether　he　should　attack　the　Persian　fleet；＇12＇　it　is　Parmenio　who　shows　his　presumption；　Alexander　his　wisdom。　His　aim　was　to　draw　the　Persians　from　the　sea…coast；　and　to　lay　them　under　a　necessity　of　abandoning　their　marine；　in　which　they　h