the spirit of laws-第13节

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　government。

Ambition　is　pernicious　in　a　republic。　But　in　a　monarchy　it　has　some　good　effects；　it　gives　life　to　the　government；　and　is　attended　with　this　advantage；　that　it　is　in　no　way　dangerous；　because　it　may　be　continually　checked。

It　is　with　this　kind　of　government　as　with　the　system　of　the　universe；　in　which　there　is　a　power　that　constantly　repels　all　bodies　from　the　centre；　and　a　power　of　gravitation　that　attracts　them　to　it。　Honour　sets　all　the　parts　of　the　body　politic　in　motion；　and　by　its　very　action　connects　them；　thus　each　individual　advances　the　public　good；　while　he　only　thinks　of　promoting　his　own　interest。

True　it　is　that；　philosophically　speaking；　it　is　a　false　honour　which　moves　all　the　parts　of　the　government；　but　even　this　false　honour　is　as　useful　to　the　public　as　true　honour　could　possibly　be　to　private　persons。

Is　it　not　very　exacting　to　oblige　men　to　perform　the　most　difficult　actions；　such　as　require　an　extraordinary　exertion　of　fortitude　and　resolution；　without　other　recompense　than　that　of　glory　and　applause？

8。　That　Honour　is　not　the　Principle　of　Despotic　Government。　Honour　is　far　from　being　the　principle　of　despotic　government：　mankind　being　here　all　upon　a　level；　no　one　person　can　prefer　himself　to　another；　and　as　on　the　other　hand　they　are　all　slaves；　they　can　give　themselves　no　sort　of　preference。

Besides；　as　honour　has　its　laws　and　rules；　as　it　knows　not　how　to　submit；　as　it　depends　in　a　great　measure　on　a　man's　own　caprice；　and　not　on　that　of　another　person；　it　can　be　found　only　in　countries　in　which　the　constitution　is　fixed；　and　where　they　are　governed　by　settled　laws。

How　can　despotism　abide　with　honour？　The　one　glories　in　the　contempt　of　life；　and　the　other　is　founded　on　the　power　of　taking　it　away。　How　can　honour；　on　the　other　hand；　bear　with　despotism？　The　former　has　its　fixed　rules；　and　peculiar　caprices；　but　the　latter　is　directed　by　no　rule；　and　its　own　caprices　are　subversive　of　all　others。

Honour；　therefore；　a　thing　unknown　in　arbitrary　governments；　some　of　which　have　not　even　a　proper　word　to　express　it；＇14＇　is　the　prevailing　principle　in　monarchies；　here　it　gives　life　to　the　whole　body　politic；　to　the　laws；　and　even　to　the　virtues　themselves。

9。　Of　the　Principle　of　Despotic　Government。　As　virtue　is　necessary　in　a　republic；　and　in　a　monarchy　honour；　so　fear　is　necessary　in　a　despotic　government：　with　regard　to　virtue；　there　is　no　occasion　for　it；　and　honour　would　be　extremely　dangerous。

Here　the　immense　power　of　the　prince　devolves　entirely　upon　those　whom　he　is　pleased　to　entrust　with　the　administration。　Persons　capable　of　setting　a　value　upon　themselves　would　be　likely　to　create　disturbances。　Fear　must　therefore　depress　their　spirits；　and　extinguish　even　the　least　sense　of　ambition。

A　moderate　government　may；　whenever　it　pleases；　and　without　the　least　danger；　relax　its　springs。　It　supports　itself　by　the　laws；　and　by　its　own　internal　strength。　But　when　a　despotic　prince　ceases　for　one　single　moment　to　uplift　his　arm；　when　he　cannot　instantly　demolish　those　whom　he　has　entrusted　with　the　first　employments；＇15＇　all　is　over：　for　as　fear；　the　spring　of　this　government；　no　longer　subsists；　the　people　are　left　without　a　protector。

It　is　probably　in　this　sense　the　Cadis　maintained　that　the　Grand　Seignior　was　not　obliged　to　keep　his　word　or　oath；　when　he　limited　thereby　his　authority。＇16＇

It　is　necessary　that　the　people　should　be　judged　by　laws；　and　the　great　men　by　the　caprice　of　the　prince；　that　the　lives　of　the　lowest　subject　should　be　safe；　and　the　pasha's　head　ever　in　danger。　We　cannot　mention　these　monstrous　governments　without　horror。　The　Sophi　of　Persia；　dethroned　in　our　days　by　Mahomet；　the　son　of　Miriveis；　saw　the　constitution　subverted　before　this　resolution；　because　he　had　been　too　sparing　of　blood。＇17＇

History　informs　us　that　the　horrid　cruelties　of　Domitian　struck　such　a　terror　into　the　governors　that　the　people　recovered　themselves　a　little　during　his　reign。＇18＇　Thus　a　torrent　overflows　one　side　of　a　country；　and　on　the　other　leaves　fields　untouched；　where　the　eye　is　refreshed　by　the　prospect　of　fine　meadows。

10。　Difference　of　Obedience　in　Moderate　and　Despotic　Governments。　In　despotic　states；　the　nature　of　government　requires　the　most　passive　obedience；　and　when　once　the　prince's　will　is　made　known；　it　ought　infallibly　to　produce　its　effect。

Here　they　have　no　limitations　or　restrictions；　no　mediums；　terms；　equivalents；　or　remonstrances；　no　change　to　propose：　man　is　a　creature　that　blindly　submits　to　the　absolute　will　of　the　sovereign。

In　a　country　like　this　they　are　no　more　allowed　to　represent　their　apprehensions　of　a　future　danger　than　to　impute　their　miscarriage　to　the　capriciousness　of　fortune。　Man's　portion　here；　like　that　of　beasts；　is　instinct；　compliance；　and　punishment。

Little　does　it　then　avail　to　plead　the　sentiments　of　nature；　filial　respect；　conjugal　or　parental　tenderness；　the　laws　of　honour；　or　want　of　health；　the　order　is　given；　and；　that　is　sufficient。

In　Persia；　when　the　king　has　condemned　a　person；　it　is　no　longer　lawful　to　mention　his　name；　or　to　intercede　in　his　favour。　Even　if　the　prince　were　intoxicated；　or　non　compos；　the　decree　must　be　executed；＇19＇　otherwise　he　would　contradict　himself；　and　the　law　admits　of　no　contradiction。　This　has　been　the　way　of　thinking　in　that　country　in　all　ages；　as　the　order　which　Ahasuerus　gave；　to　exterminate　the　Jews；　could　not　be　revoked；　they　were　allowed　the　liberty　of　defending　themselves。

One　thing；　however；　may　be　sometimes　opposed　to　the　prince's　will；＇20＇　namely；　religion。　They　will　abandon；　nay　they　will　slay　a　parent；　if　the　prince　so　commands；　but　he　cannot　oblige　them　to　drink　wine。　The　laws　of　religion　are　of　a　superior　nature；　because　they　bind　the　sovereign　as　well　as　the　subject。　But　with　respect　to　the　law　of　nature；　it　is　otherwise；　the　prince　is　no　longer　supposed　to　be　a　man。

In　monarchical　and　moderate　states；　the　power　is　limited　by　its　very　spring；　I　mean　by　honour；　which；　like　a　monarch；　reigns　over　the　prince　and　his　people。　They　will　not　allege　to　their　sovereign　the　laws　of　religion；　a　courtier　would　be　apprehensive　of　rendering　himself　ridiculous。　But　the　laws　of　honour　will　be　appealed　to　on　all　occasions。　Hence　arise　the　restrictions　necessary　to　obedience；　honour　is　naturally　subject　to　whims；　by　which　the　subject's　submission　will　be　ever　directed。

Though　the　manner　of　obeying　be　different　in　these　two　kinds　of　government；　the　power　is　the　same。　On　which　side　soever　the　monarch　turns；　he　inclines　the　scale；　and　is　obeyed。　The　whole　difference　is　that　in　a　monarchy　the　prince　receives　instruction；　at　the　same　time　that　his　ministers　have　greater　abilities；　and　are　more　versed　in　public　affairs；　than　the　ministers　of　a　despotic　government。

11。　Reflections　on　the　preceding　Chapters。　Such　are　the　principles　of　the　three　sorts　of　government：　which　does　not　imply　that　in　a　particular　republic　they　actually　are；　but　that　they　ought　to　be；　virtuous；　nor　does　it　prove　that　in　a　particular　monarchy　they　are　actuated　by　honour；　or　in　a　particular　despotic　government　by　fear；　but　that　they　ought　to　be　directed　by　these　principles；　otherwise　the　government　is　imperfect。

______

1。　This　is　a　very　important　distinction；　whence　I　shall　draw　many　consequences；　for　it　is　the　key　of　an　infinite　number　of　laws。

2。　Cromwell。

3。　Plutarch；　Pericles；　Plato；　in　Critias。

4。　She　had　at　that　time　twenty…one　thousand　citizens；　ten　thousand　strangers；　and　four　hundred　thousand　slaves。　See　Athen？us；　vi。

5。　She　had　then　twenty　thousand　citizens。　See　Demosthenes　in　Aristog。

6。　They　had　passed　a　law；　which　rendered　it　a　capital　crime　for　any　one　to　propose　applying　the　money　designed　for　the　theatres　to　military

7。　This　lasted　three　years。

8。　Public　crimes　may　be　punished；　because　it　is　here　a　common　concern；　but　private　crimes　will　go　unpunished；　because　it　is　the　common　interest　not　to　punish　them。

9。　I　speak　here　of　political　virtue；　which　is　also　moral　virtue　as　it　is　directed　to　the　public　good；　very　little　of　private　moral　virtue；　and　not　at　all　of　that　virtue　which　relates　to　revealed　truths。　This　will　appear　better　in　v。　2。

10。　This　is　to　be　understood　in　the　sense　of　the　preceding　note。

11。　We　must　not；　says　he；　employ　people　of　mean　extraction；　they　are　too　rigid　and　morose。　　Testament　Polit。；　4。

12。　This　word　good　man　is　understood　here　in　a　political　sense　only。

13。　See　Footnote　1。

14。　See　Perry；　p。　447。

15。　As　it　often　happens　in　a　military　aristocracy。

16。　Ricaut　on　the　Ottoman　Empire。　I；　ii。

17。　See　the　history　of　this　revolution　by　Father　du　Cerceau。

18。　Suetonius；　Life　of　Domitian；　viii。　His　was　a　military　constitution；　which　is　one　of　the　species　of　despotic　government。

19。　See　Sir　John　Chardin。

20。　Ibid。




Book　IV。　That　the　Laws　of　Education　Ought　to　Be　in　Relation　to　the　Principles　of　Government

1。　Of　the　Laws　of　Education。　The　laws　of　education　are　the　first　impressions　we　receive；　and　as　they　prepare　us　for　civil　life；　every　private　family　ought　to　be　governed　by　the　plan　of　that　great　household　which　comprehends　them　all。

If　the　people　in　general　have　a　principle；　the