the spirit of laws-第91部分

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monly　freedmen。

At　this　time　we　have　neither　the　same　esteem　for　land　forces　nor　the　same　contempt　for　those　of　the　sea。　In　the　former；　art　has　decreased；＇111＇　in　the　latter；　it　has　augmented：＇112＇　now　things　are　generally　esteemed　in　proportion　to　the　degree　of　ability　requisite　to　discharge　them。

14。　Of　the　Genius　of　the　Romans　with　respect　to　Commerce。　The　Romans　were　never　distinguished　by　a　jealousy　for　trade。　They　attacked　Carthage　as　a　rival；　not　as　a　commercial　nation。　They　favoured　trading　cities　that　were　not　subject　to　them。　Thus　they　increased　the　power　of　Marseilles　by　the　cession　of　a　large　territory。　They　were　vastly　afraid　of　barbarians；　but　had　not　the　least　apprehension　from　a　trading　people。　Their　genius；　their　glory；　their　military　education；　and　the　very　form　of　their　government　estranged　them　from　commerce。

In　the　city；　they　were　employed　only　about　war；　elections；　factions；　and　law…suits；　in　the　country；　about　agriculture；　and　as　for　the　provinces；　a　severe　and　tyrannical　government　was　incompatible　with　commerce。

But　their　political　constitution　was　not　more　opposed　to　trade　than　their　law　of　nations。　〃The　people；〃　says　Pomponius；　the　civilian；＇113＇　〃with　whom　we　have　neither　friendship；　nor　hospitality　nor　alliance；　are　not　our　enemies；　however；　if　anything　belonging　to　us　falls　into　their　hands；　they　are　the　proprietors　of　it；　freemen　become　their　slaves；　and　they　are　upon　the　same　terms　with　respect　to　us。〃

Their　civil　law　was　not　less　oppressive。　The　law　of　Constantine；＇114＇　after　having　stigmatised　as　bastards　the　children　of　a　mean　rank　who　had　been　married　to　those　of　a　superior　station；　confounds　women　who　retail　merchandise　with　slaves；　with　the　mistresses　of　taverns；　with　actresses；　with　the　daughters　of　those　who　keep　public　stews；　or　who　had　been　condemned　to　fight　in　the　amphitheatre；　this　had　its　origin　in　the　ancient　institutions　of　the　Romans。

I　am　not　ignorant　that　men　prepossessed　with　these　two　ideas　（that　commerce　is　of　the　greatest　service　to　a　state；　and　that　the　Romans　had　the　best…regulated　government　in　the　world）　have　believed　that　these　people　greatly　honoured　and　encouraged　commerce；　but　the　truth　is；　they　seldom　troubled　their　heads　about　it。

15。　Of　the　Commerce　of　the　Romans　with　the　Barbarians。　The　Romans　having　erected　a　vast　empire　in　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　the　weakness　of　the　people　and　the　tyranny　of　their　laws　united　all　the　parts　of　this　immense　body。　The　Roman　policy　was　then　to　avoid　all　communication　with　those　nations　whom　they　had　not　subdued：　the　fear　of　carrying　to　them　the　art　of　conquering　made　them　neglect　the　art　of　enriching　themselves。　They　made　laws　to　hinder　all　commerce　with　barbarians。　〃Let　nobody；〃　said　Valens　and　Gratian；＇115＇　〃send　wine；　oil；　or　other　liquors　to　the　barbarians；　though　it　be　only　for　them　to　taste。〃　〃Let　no　one　carry　gold　to　them；〃　add　Gratian；　Valentinian；　and　Theodosius；＇116＇　〃rather；　if　they　have　any；　let　our　subjects　deprive　them　of　it　by　stratagem。〃　The　exportation　of　iron　was　prohibited　on　pain　of　death。

Domitian；　a　prince　of　great　timidity；　ordered　the　vines　in　Gaul　to　be　pulled　up；＇117＇　from　fear；　no　doubt；　lest　their　wines　should　draw　thither　the　barbarians。　Probus　and　Julian；　who　had　no　such　fears；　gave　orders　for　their　being　planted　again。

I　am　sensible　that　upon　the　declension　of　the　Roman　empire　the　barbarians　obliged　the　Romans　to　establish　staple　towns；　and　to　trade　with　them。　But　even　this　is　a　proof　that　the　minds　of　the　Romans　were　averse　to　commerce。＇118＇

16。　Of　the　Commerce　of　the　Romans　with　Arabia　and　the　Indies。　The　trade　to　Arabia　Felix；　and　that　to　the　Indies；　were　the　two　branches；　and　almost　the　only　ones；　of　their　foreign　commerce。　The　Arabians　were　possessed　of　immense　riches；　which　they　found　in　their　seas　and　forests；　and　as　they　sold　much　and　purchased　little；　they　drew　to　themselves　the　gold　and　silver　of　the　Romans。＇119＇　Augustus；＇120＇　being　well　apprised　of　that　opulence；　resolved　they　should　be　either　his　friends　or　his　enemies。　With　this　view　he　sent　？lius　Gallus　from　Egypt　into　Arabia。　This　commander　found　the　people　indolent；　peaceable；　and　unskilled　in　war。　He　fought　battles；　laid　sieges　to　towns；　and　lost　but　seven　of　his　men　by　the　sword；　but　the　perfidy　of　his　guides；　long　marches；　the　climate；　want　of　provisions；　distempers；　and　ill…conduct；　caused　the　ruin　of　his　army。

He　was　therefore　obliged　to　be　content　with　trading　to　Arabia；　in　the　same　manner　as　other　nations；　that　is；　with　giving　them　gold　and　silver　in　exchange　for　their　commodities。　The　Europeans　trade　with　them　still　in　the　same　manner；　the　caravans　of　Aleppo　and　the　royal　vessel　of　Suez　carry　thither　immense　sums。＇121＇

Nature　had　formed　the　Arabs　for　commerce；　not　for　war；　but　when　those　quiet　people　came　to　be　near　neighbours　to　the　Parthians　and　the　Romans；　they　acted　as　auxiliaries　to　both　nations。　？lius　Gallus　found　them　a　trading　people；　Mahomet　happened　to　find　them　trained　to　war；　he　inspired　them　with　enthusiasm；　which　led　them　to　glory　and　conquest。

The　commerce　of　the　Romans　to　the　Indies　was　very　considerable。　Strabo＇122＇　had　been　informed　in　Egypt　that　they　employed　in　this　navigation　one　hundred　and　twenty　vessels；　this　commerce　was　carried　on　entirely　with　bullion。　They　sent　thither　annually　fifty　millions　of　sesterces。　Pliny＇123＇　says　that　the　merchandise　brought　thence　was　sold　at　Rome　at　cent。　per　cent　profit。　He　speaks；　I　believe；　too　generally；　if　this　trade　had　been　so　vastly　profitable；　everybody　would　have　been　willing　to　engage　in　it；　and　then　it　would　have　been　at　an　end。

It　will　admit　of　a　question；　whether　the　trade　to　Arabia　and　the　Indies　was　of　any　advantage　to　the　Romans。　They　were　obliged　to　export　their　bullion　thither；　though　they　had　not；　like　us；　the　resource　of　America；　which　supplies　what　we　send　away。　I　am　persuaded　that　one　of　the　reasons　of　their　increasing　the　value　of　their　specie　by　establishing　base　coin　was　the　scarcity　of　silver；　owing　to　the　continual　exportation　of　it　to　the　Indies：　and　though　the　commodities　of　this　country　were　sold　at　Rome　at　the　rate　of　cent。　per　cent；　this　profit　of　the　Romans；　being　obtained　from　the　Romans　themselves；　could　not　enrich　the　empire。

It　may　be　alleged；　on　the　other　hand；　that　this　commerce　increased　the　Roman　navigation；　and　of　course　their　power；　that　new　merchandise　augmented　their　inland　trade；　gave　encouragement　to　the　arts；　and　employment　to　the　industrious；　that　the　number　of　subjects　multiplied　in　proportion　to　the　new　means　of　support；　that　this　new　commerce　was　productive　of　luxury；　which　I　have　proved　to　be　as　favourable　to　a　monarchical　government　as　fatal　to　a　commonwealth；　that　this　establishment　was　of　the　same　date　as　the　fall　of　their　republic；　that　the　luxury　of　Rome　had　become　necessary；　and　that　it　was　extremely　proper　that　a　city　which　had　accumulated　all　the　wealth　of　the　universe　should　refund　it　by　its　luxury。

Strabo　says＇124＇　that　the　Romans　carried　on　a　far　more　extensive　commerce　with　the　Indies　than　the　kings　of　Egypt；　but　it　is　very　extraordinary　that　those　people　who　were　so　little　acquainted　with　commerce　should　have　paid　more　attention　to　that　of　India　than　the　Egyptian　kings；　whose　dominions　lay　so　conveniently　for　it。　The　reason　of　this　must　be　explained。

After　the　death　of　Alexander；　the　kings　of　Egypt　established　a　maritime　commerce　with　the　Indies；　while　the　kings　of　Syria；　who　were　possessed　of　the　more　eastern　provinces；　and　consequently　of　the　Indies；　maintained　that　commerce　of　which　we　have　taken　notice　in　the　sixth　chapter；　which　was　carried　on　partly　by　land；　and　partly　by　rivers；　and　had　been　further　facilitated　by　means　of　the　Macedonian　colonies；　insomuch　that　Europe　had　communication　with　the　Indies　both　by　Egypt　and　by　Syria。　The　dismembering　of　the　latter　kingdom；　whence　was　formed　that　of　Bactriana；　did　not　prove　in　any　way　prejudicial　to　this　commerce。　Marinus　the　Tyrian；　quoted　by　Ptolemy；＇125＇　mentions　the　discoveries　made　in　India　by　means　of　some　Macedonian　merchants；　who　found　out　new　roads；　which　had　been　unknown　to　kings　in　their　military　expeditions。　We　find　in　Ptolemy＇126＇　that　they　went　from　Peter's　tower＇127＇　as　far　as　Sera；　and　the　discovery　made　by　mercantile　people　of　so　distant　a　mart；　situated　in　the　north…east　part　of　China；　was　a　kind　of　prodigy。　Hence；　under　the　kings　of　Syria　and　Bactriana；　merchandise　was　conveyed　to　the　west　from　the　southern　parts　of　India；　by　the　river　Indus；　the　Oxus；　and　the　Caspian　Sea；　while　those　of　the　more　eastern　and　northern　parts　were　transported　from　Sera；　Peter's　tower；　and　other　staples；　as　far　as　the　Euphrates。　Those　merchants　directed　their　route　nearly　by　the　fortieth　degree　of　north　latitude；　through　countries　situated　to　the　west　of　China；　more　civilised　at　that　time　than　at　present；　because　they　had　not　as　yet　been　infested　by　the　Tartars。

Now　while　the　Syrian　empire　was　extending　its　trade　to　such　a　distance　by　land；　Egypt　did　not　greatly　enlarge　its　maritime　commerce。

The　Parthians　soon　after　appeared；　and　founded　their　empire；　and　when　Egypt　fell　under　the　power　of　the　Romans；　this　empire　was　at　its　height；　and　had　received　its　whole　extension。

The　Romans　and　Parthians　were　two　ri