the spirit of laws-第61部分

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loses　itself　greatly　by　perspiration；＇15＇　it　must　therefore　be　supplied　by　a　like　liquid。　Water　is　there　of　admirable　use；　strong　liquors　would　congeal　the　globules＇16＇　of　blood　that　remain　after　the　transuding　of　the　aqueous　humour。

In　cold　countries　the　aqueous　part　of　the　blood　is　very　little　evacuated　by　perspiration。　They　may　therefore　make　use　of　spirituous　liquors；　without　which　the　blood　would　congeal。　They　are　full　of　humours；　consequently　strong　liquors；　which　give　a　motion　to　the　blood；　are　proper　for　those　countries。

The　law　of　Mahomet；　which　prohibits　the　drinking　of　wine；　is　therefore　fitted　to　the　climate　of　Arabia：　and　indeed；　before　Mahomet's　time；　water　was　the　common　drink　of　the　Arabs。　The　law＇17＇　which　forbade　the　Carthaginians　to　drink　wine　was　a　law　of　the　climate；　and；　indeed；　the　climate　of　those　two　countries　is　pretty　nearly　the　same。

Such　a　law　would　be　improper　for　cold　countries；　where　the　climate　seems　to　force　them　to　a　kind　of　national　intemperance；　very　different　from　personal　ebriety。　Drunkenness　predominates　throughout　the　world；　in　proportion　to　the　coldness　and　humidity　of　the　climate。　Go　from　the　equator　to　the　north　pole；　and　you　will　find　this　vice　increasing　together　with　the　degree　of　latitude。　Go　from　the　equator　again　to　the　south　pole；　and　you　will　find　the　same　vice　travelling　south；＇18＇　exactly　in　the　same　proportion。

It　is　very　natural　that　where　wine　is　contrary　to　the　climate；　and　consequently　to　health；　the　excess　of　it　should　be　more　severely　punished　than　in　countries　where　intoxication　produces　very　few　bad　effects　to　the　person；　fewer　to　the　society；　and　where　it　does　not　make　people　frantic　and　wild；　but　only　stupid　and　heavy。　Hence　those　laws＇19＇　which　inflicted　a　double　punishment　for　crimes　committed　in　drunkenness　were　applicable　only　to　a　personal；　and　not　to　a　national；　ebriety。　A　German　drinks　through　custom；　and　a　Spaniard　by　choice。

In　warm　countries　the　relaxing　of　the　fibres　produces　a　great　evacuation　of　the　liquids；　but　the　solid　parts　are　less　transpired。　The　fibres；　which　act　but　faintly；　and　have　very　little　elasticity；　are　not　much　impaired；　and　a　small　quantity　of　nutritious　juice　is　sufficient　to　repair　them；　for　which　reason　they　eat　very　little。

It　is　the　variety　of　wants　in　different　climates　that　first　occasioned　a　difference　in　the　manner　of　living；　and　this　gave　rise　to　a　variety　of　laws。　Where　people　are　very　communicative　there　must　be　particular　laws；　and　others　where　there　is　but　little　communication。

11。　Of　the　Laws　in　relation　to　the　Distempers　of　the　Climate。　Herodotus＇20＇　informs　us　that　the　Jewish　laws　concerning　the　leprosy　were　borrowed　from　the　practice　of　the　Egyptians。　And；　indeed；　the　same　distemper　required　the　same　remedies。　The　Greeks　and　the　primitive　Romans　were　strangers　to　these　laws；　as　well　as　to　the　disease。　The　climate　of　Egypt　and　Palestine　rendered　them　necessary；　and　the　facility　with　which　this　disease　is　spread　is　sufficient　to　make　us　sensible　of　the　wisdom　and　sagacity　of　those　laws。

Even　we　ourselves　have　felt　the　effects　of　them。　The　Crusades　brought　the　leprosy　amongst　us；　but　the　wise　regulations　made　at　that　time　hindered　it　from　infecting　the　mass　of　the　people。

We　find　by　the　law　of　the　Lombards＇21＇　that　this　disease　was　spread　in　Italy　before　the　Crusades；　and　merited　the　attention　of　the　legislature。　Rotharis　ordained　that　a　leper　should　be　expelled　from　his　house；　banished　to　a　particular　place；　and　rendered　incapable　of　disposing　of　his　property；　because　from　the　very　moment　he　had　been　turned　out　of　his　house　he　was　reckoned　dead　in　the　eye　of　the　law。　In　order　to　prevent　all　communication　with　lepers；　they　were　rendered　incapable　of　civil　acts。　

I　am　apt　to　think　that　this　disease　was　brought　into　Italy　by　the　conquests　of　the　Greek　emperors；　in　whose　armies　there　might　be　some　soldiers　from　Palestine　or　Egypt。　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　progress　of　it　was　stopped　till　the　time　of　the　Crusades。

It　is　related　that　Pompey's　soldiers　returning　from　Syria　brought　a　distemper　home　with　them　not　unlike　the　leprosy。　We　have　no　account　of　any　regulation　made　at　that　time；　but　it　is　highly　probable　that　some　such　step　was　taken；　since　the　distemper　was　checked　till　the　time　of　the　Lombards。

It　is　now　two　centuries　since　a　disease　unknown　to　our　ancestors　was　first　transplanted　from　the　new　world　to　ours；　and　came　to　attack　human　nature　even　in　the　very　source　of　life　and　pleasure。　Most　of　the　principal　families　in　the　south　of　Europe　were　seen　to　perish　by　a　distemper　that　had　grown　too　common　to　be　ignominious；　and　was　considered　in　no　other　light　than　in　that　of　its　being　fatal。　It　was　the　thirst　of　gold　that　propagated　this　disease；　the　Europeans　went　continually　to　America；　and　always　brought　back　a　new　leaven　of　it。

Reasons　drawn　from　religion　seemed　to　require　that　this　punishment　of　guilt　should　be　permitted　to　continue；　but　the　infection　had　reached　the　bosom　of　matrimony；　and　given　the　vicious　taint　even　to　guiltless　infants。　

As　it　is　the　business　of　legislators　to　watch　over　the　health　of　the　citizens；　it　would　have　been　a　wise　part　in　them　to　have　stopped　this　communication　by　laws　made　on　the　plan　of　those　of　Moses。

The　plague　is　a　disease　whose　infectious　progress　is　much　more　rapid。　Egypt　is　its　principal　seat；　whence　it　spreads　over　the　whole　globe。　Most　countries　in　Europe　have　made　exceedingly　good　regulations　to　prevent　this　infection；　and　in　our　times　an　admirable　method　has　been　contrived　to　stop　it；　this　is　by　forming　a　line　of　troops　round　the　infected　country；　which　cuts　off　all　manner　of　communication。

The　Turks；＇22＇　who　have　no　such　regulations；　see　the　Christians　escape　this　infection　in　the　same　town；　and　none　but　themselves　perish；　they　buy　the　clothes　of　the　infected；　wear　them；　and　proceed　in　their　old　way；　as　if　nothing　had　happened。　The　doctrine　of　a　rigid　fate；　which　directs　their　whole　conduct；　renders　the　magistrate　a　quiet　spectator；　he　thinks　that　everything　comes　from　the　hand　of　God；　and　that　man　has　nothing　more　to　do　than　to　submit。

12。　Of　the　Laws　against　Suicides。　We　do　not　find　in　history　that　the　Romans　ever　killed　themselves　without　a　cause；　but　the　English　are　apt　to　commit　suicide　most　unaccountably；　they　destroy　themselves　even　in　the　bosom　of　happiness。　This　action　among　the　Romans　was　the　effect　of　education；　being　connected　with　their　principles　and　customs；　among　the　English　it　is　the　consequence　of　a　distemper；＇23＇　being　connected　with　the　physical　state　of　the　machine；　and　independent　of　every　other　cause。

In　all　probability　it　is　a　defect　of　the　filtration　of　the　nervous　juice：　the　machine；　whose　motive　faculties　are　often　unexerted；　is　weary　of　itself；　the　soul　feels　no　pain；　but　a　certain　uneasiness　in　existing。　Pain　is　a　local　sensation；　which　leads　us　to　the　desire　of　seeing　an　end　of　it；　the　burden　of　life；　which　prompts　us　to　the　desire　of　ceasing　to　exist；　is　an　evil　confined　to　no　particular　part。

It　is　evident　that　the　civil　laws　of　some　countries　may　have　reasons　for　branding　suicide　with　infamy：　but　in　England　it　cannot　be　punished　without　punishing　the　effects　of　madness。

13。　Effects　arising　from　the　Climate　of　England。　In　a　nation　so　distempered　by　the　climate　as　to　have　a　disrelish　of　everything；　nay；　even　of　life；　it　is　plain　that　the　government　most　suitable　to　the　inhabitants　is　that　in　which　they　cannot　lay　their　uneasiness　to　any　single　person's　charge；　and　in　which；　being　under　the　direction　rather　of　the　laws　than　of　the　prince；　it　is　impossible　for　them　to　change　the　government　without　subverting　the　laws　themselves。

And　if　this　nation　has　likewise　derived　from　the　climate　a　certain　impatience　of　temper；　which　renders　them　incapable　of　bearing　the　same　train　of　things　for　any　long　continuance；　it　is　obvious　that　the　government　above　mentioned　is　the　fittest　for　them。

This　impatience　of　temper　is　not　very　considerable　of　itself；　but　it　may　become　so　when　joined　with　courage。

It　is　quite　a　different　thing　from　levity；　which　makes　people　undertake　or　drop　a　project　without　cause；　it　borders　more　upon　obstinacy；　because　it　proceeds　from　so　lively　a　sense　of　misery　that　it　is　not　weakened　even　by　the　habit　of　suffering。

This　temper　in　a　free　nation　is　extremely　proper　for　disconcerting　the　projects　of　tyranny；＇24＇　which　is　always　slow　and　feeble　in　its　commencement；　as　in　the　end　it　is　active　and　lively；　which　at　first　only　stretches　out　a　hand　to　assist；　and　exerts　afterwards　a　multitude　of　arms　to　oppress。

Slavery　is　ever　preceded　by　sleep。　But　a　people　who　find　no　rest　in　any　situation；　who　continually　explore　every　part；　and　feel　nothing　but　pain；　can　hardly　be　lulled　to　sleep。

Politics　is　a　smooth　file；　which　cuts　gradually；　and　attains　its　end　by　a　slow　progression。　Now　the　people　of　whom　we　have　been　speaking　are　incapable　of　bearing　the　delays；　the　details；　and　the　coolness　of　negotiations：　in　these　they　are　more　unlikely　to　succeed　than　any　other　nation；　hence　they　are　apt　to　lose　by　treaties　what　they　obtain　by　their　arms。

14。　Other　Effects　of　the　Climate。　Our　ancestors；　the　ancient　Germans；　lived　in　a　climate　where　the　passions　were　extremely　calm。　Their　laws　dec