the spirit of laws-第70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！


Hence　it　comes　that　in　Asia；　the　strong　nations　are　opposed　to　the　weak；　the　warlike；　brave；　and　active　people　touch　immediately　upon　those　who　are　indolent；　effeminate；　and　timorous；　the　one　must；　therefore；　conquer；　and　the　other　be　conquered。　In　Europe；　on　the　contrary；　strong　nations　are　opposed　to　the　strong；　and　those　who　join　each　other　have　nearly　the　same　courage。　This　is　the　grand　reason　of　the　weakness　of　Asia；　and　of　the　strength　of　Europe；　of　the　liberty　of　Europe；　and　of　the　slavery　of　Asia：　a　cause　that　I　do　not　recollect　ever　to　have　seen　remarked。　Hence　it　proceeds　that　liberty　in　Asia　never　increases；　whilst　in　Europe　it　is　enlarged　or　diminished；　according　to　particular　circumstances。

The　Russian　nobility　have　indeed　been　reduced　to　slavery　by　the　ambition　of　one　of　their　princes；　but　they　have　always　discovered　those　marks　of　impatience　and　discontent　which　are　never　to　be　seen　in　the　southern　climates。　Have　they　not　been　able　for　a　short　time　to　establish　an　aristocratic　government？　Another　of　the　northern　kingdoms　has　lost　its　laws；　but　we　may　trust　to　the　climate　that　they　are　not　lost　in　such　a　manner　as　never　to　be　recovered。

4。　The　Consequences　resulting　from　this。　What　we　have　now　said　is　perfectly　conformable　to　history。　Asia　has　been　subdued　thirteen　times；　eleven　by　the　northern　nations；　and　twice　by　those　of　the　south。　In　the　early　ages　it　was　conquered　three　times　by　the　Scythians；　afterwards　it　was　subdued　once　by　the　Medes；　and　once　by　the　Persians；　again　by　the　Greeks；　the　Arabs；　the　Moguls；　the　Turks；　the　Tartars；　the　Persians；　and　the　Afghans。　I　mention　only　the　Upper　Asia；　and　say　nothing　of　the　invasions　made　in　the　rest　of　the　south　of　that　part　of　the　world　which　has　most　frequently　suffered　prodigious　revolutions。

In　Europe；　on　the　contrary；　since　the　establishment　of　the　Greek　and　Phoenician　colonies；　we　know　but　of　four　great　changes；　the　first　caused　by　the　conquest　of　the　Romans；　the　second　by　the　inundation　of　barbarians；　who　destroyed　those　very　Romans；　the　third　by　the　victories　of　Charlemagne；　and　the　last　by　the　invasions　of　the　Normans。　And　if　this　be　rightly　examined；　we　shall　find；　even　in　these　changes；　a　general　strength　diffused　through　all　the　parts　of　Europe。　We　know　the　difficulty　which　the　Romans　met　with　in　conquering　Europe；　and　the　ease　and　facility　with　which　they　invaded　Asia。　We　are　sensible　of　the　difficulties　the　northern　nations　had　to　encounter　in　overturning　the　Roman　empire；　of　the　wars　and　labours　of　Charlemagne；　and　of　the　several　enterprises　of　the　Normans。　The　destroyers　were　incessantly　destroyed。

5。　That　when　the　People　in　the　North　of　Asia　and　those　of　the　North　of　Europe　made　Conquests；　the　Effects　of　the　Conquest　were　not　the　same。　The　nations　in　the　north　of　Europe　conquered　as　freemen；　the　people　in　the　north　of　Asia　conquered　as　slaves；　and　subdued　as　others　only　to　gratify　the　ambition　of　a　master。

The　reason　is　that　the　people　of　Tartary；　the　natural　conquerors　of　Asia；　are　themselves　enslaved。　They　are　incessantly　making　conquests　in　the　south　of　Asia；　where　they　form　empires：　but　that　part　of　the　nation　which　continues　in　the　country　finds　that　it　is　subject　to　a　great　master；　who；　being　despotic　in　the　south；　will　likewise　be　so　in　the　north；　and　exercising　an　arbitrary　power　over　the　vanquished　subjects；　pretends　to　the　same　over　the　conquerors。　This　is　at　present　most　conspicuous　in　that　vast　country　called　Chinese　Tartary；　which　is　governed　by　the　emperor；　with　a　power　almost　as　despotic　as　that　of　China　itself；　and　which　he　every　day　extends　by　his　conquests。

We　may　likewise　see　in　the　history　of　China　that　the　emperors＇5＇　sent　Chinese　colonies　into　Tartary。　These　Chinese　have　become　Tartars；　and　the　mortal　enemies　of　China；　but　this　does　not　prevent　their　carrying　into　Tartary　the　spirit　of　the　Chinese　government。

A　part　of　the　Tartars　who　were　conquerors　have　very　often　been　themselves　expelled；　when　they　have　carried　into　their　deserts　that　servile　spirit　which　they　had　acquired　in　the　climate　of　slavery。　The　history　of　China　furnishes　us　with　strong　proofs　of　this　assertion；　as　does　also　our　ancient　history。＇6＇

Hence　it　follows　that　the　genius　of　the　Getic　or　Tartarian　nation　has　always　resembled　that　of　the　empires　of　Asia。　The　people　in　these　are　governed　by　the　cudgel；　the　inhabitants　of　Tartary　by　whips。　The　spirit　of　Europe　has　ever　been　contrary　to　these　manners；　and　in　all　ages；　what　the　people　of　Asia　have　called　punishment　those　of　Europe　have　deemed　the　most　outrageous　abuse。＇7＇

The　Tartars　who　destroyed　the　Grecian　empire　established　in　the　conquered　countries　slavery　and　despotic　power：　the　Goths；　after　subduing　the　Roman　empire；　founded　monarchy　and　liberty。

I　do　not　know　whether　the　famous　Rudbeck；　who　in　his　Atlantica　has　bestowed　such　praises　on　Scandinavia；　has　made　mention　of　that　great　prerogative　which　ought　to　set　this　people　above　all　the　nations　upon　earth；　namely；　this　country's　having　been　the　source　of　the　liberties　of　Europe　　that　is；　of　almost　all　the　freedom　which　at　present　subsists　amongst　mankind。

Jornandes　the　Goth　called　the　north　of　Europe　the　forge　of　the　human　race。　I　should　rather　call　it　the　forge　where　those　weapons　were　framed　which　broke　the　chains　of　southern　nations。　In　the　north　were　formed　those　valiant　people　who　sallied　forth　and　deserted　their　countries　to　destroy　tyrants　and　slaves；　and　to　teach　men　that；　nature　having　made　them　equal；　reason　could　not　render　them　dependent；　except　where　it　was　necessary　to　their　happiness。

6。　A　new　physical　Cause　of　the　Slavery　of　Asia；　and　of　the　Liberty　of　Europe。　In　Asia　they　have　always　had　great　empires；　in　Europe　these　could　never　subsist。　Asia　has　larger　plains；　it　is　cut　out　into　much　more　extensive　divisions　by　mountains　and　seas；　and　as　it　lies　more　to　the　south；　its　springs　are　more　easily　dried　up；　the　mountains　are　less　covered　with　snow；　and　the　rivers；　being　not　so　large；　form　more　contracted　barriers。＇8＇

Power　in　Asia　ought；　then；　to　be　always　despotic；　for　if　their　slavery　was　not　severe　they　would　soon　make　a　division　inconsistent　with　the　nature　of　the　country。

In　Europe　the　natural　division　forms　many　nations　of　a　moderate　extent；　in　which　the　ruling　by　laws　is　not　incompatible　with　the　maintenance　of　the　state：　on　the　contrary；　it　is　so　favourable　to　it；　that　without　this　the　state　would　fall　into　decay；　and　become　a　prey　to　its　neighbours。

It　is　this　which　has　formed　a　genius　for　liberty　that　renders　every　part　extremely　difficult　to　be　subdued　and　subjected　to　a　foreign　power；　otherwise　than　by　the　laws　and　the　advantage　of　commerce。

On　the　contrary；　there　reigns　in　Asia　a　servile　spirit；　which　they　have　never　been　able　to　shake　off；　and　it　is　impossible　to　find　in　all　the　histories　of　that　country　a　single　passage　which　discovers　a　freedom　of　spirit；　we　shall　never　see　anything　there　but　the　excess　of　slavery。

7。　Of　Africa　and　America。　This　is　what　I　had　to　say　of　Asia　and　Europe。　Africa　is　in　a　climate　like　that　of　the　south　of　Asia；　and　is　in　the　same　servitude。　America；＇9＇　being　lately　destroyed　and　repeopled　by　the　nations　of　Europe　and　Africa；　can　now　scarcely　display　its　genuine　spirit；　but　what　we　know　of　its　ancient　history　is　very　conformable　to　our　principles。

8。　Of　the　Capital　of　the　Empire。　One　of　the　consequences　of　what　we　have　been　mentioning　is；　that　it　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　a　great　prince　to　make　a　proper　choice　of　the　seat　of　his　empire。　He　who　places　it　to　the　southward　will　be　in　danger　of　losing　the　north；　but　he　who　fixes　it　on　the　north　may　easily　preserve　the　south。　I　do　not　speak　of　particular　cases。　In　mechanics　there　are　frictions　by　which　the　effects　of　the　theory　are　frequently　changed　or　retarded；　and　policy　has　also　its　frictions。

______

1。　Father　Du　Halde；　i；　p。　112。

2。　The　Chinese　books　make　mention　of　this。　Ibid。；　iv；　p。　448。

3。　See　Travels　to　the　North；　viii；　the　History　of　the　Tartars；　and　Father　Du　Halde；　iv。

4。　Tartary　is；　then；　a　kind　of　flat　mountain。

5。　As　Vouty　V；　emperor　of　the　fifth　dynasty。

6。　The　Scythians　thrice　conquered　Asia；　and　thrice　were　driven　thence。　Justin；　ii。　3。

7。　This　is　in　no　way　contrary　to　what　I　shall　say　in　book　xxviii。　20　concerning　the　manner　of　thinking　among　the　German　nations　in　respect　to　the　cudgel；　let　the　instrument　be　what　it　will；　the　power　or　action　of　beating　was　always　considered　by　them　as　an　affront。

8。　The　waters　lose　themselves　or　evaporate　before　or　after　their　streams　are　united。

9。　The　petty　barbarous　nations　of　America　are　called　by　the　Spaniards　Indios　Bravos　and　are　much　more　difficult　to　subdue　than　the　great　empires　of　Mexico　and　Peru。




Book　XVIII。　Of　Laws　in　the　Relation　They　Bear　to　the　Nature　of　the　Soil

1。　How　the　Nature　of　the　Soil　has　an　Influence　on　the　Laws。　The　goodness　of　the　land；　in　any　country；　naturally　establishes　subjection　and　dependence。　The　husbandmen；　who　compose　the　principal　part　of　the　people；　are　not　very　jealous　of　their　liberty；　they　are　too　busy　and　too　intent　on　their　own　private　affairs。　A　country　which　overflows　with　wealth　is　afraid　of　pillage；　afraid　of　an　army。　〃Who　is　there　that　forms　this　goodly　party？〃　said