the spirit of laws-第130节

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　having　given　some　people　reason　to　think　it　was　proper　to　make　use　of　the　sanctity　of　the　churches　in　order　to　strike　terror　into　the　guilty；　and　to　intimidate　perjurers；　the　clergy　maintained　this　usage　and　the　practice　which　attended　it：　for　in　other　respects　they　were　absolutely　averse　to　negative　proofs。　We　find　in　Beaumanoir＇106＇　that　this　kind　of　proof　was　never　allowed　in　ecclesiastic　courts；　which　contributed　greatly；　without　doubt；　to　its　suppression；　and　to　weaken　in　this　respect　the　regulation　of　the　codes　of　the　Barbarian　laws。

This　will　convince　us　more　strongly　of　the　connection　between　the　usage　of　negative　proofs　and　that　of　judicial　combats；　of　which　I　have　said　so　much。　The　lay　tribunals　admitted　of　both；　and　both　were　rejected　by　the　ecclesiastic　courts。

In　choosing　the　trial　by　duel　the　nation　followed　its　military　spirit；　for　while　this　was　established　as　a　divine　decision；　the　trials　by　the　cross；　by　cold　or　boiling　waters；　which　had　been　also　regarded　in　the　same　lights；　were　abolished。

Charlemagne　ordained　that；　if　any　difference　should　arise　between　his　children；　it　should　be　terminated　by　the　judgment　of　the　cross。　Louis　the　Debonnaire＇107＇　limited　this　judgment　to　ecclesiastic　affairs；　his　son　Lotharius　abolished　it　in　all　cases；　nay；　he　suppressed　even　the　trial　by　cold　water。＇108＇

I　do　not　pretend　to　say　that；　at　a　time　when　so　few　usages　were　universally　received；　these　trials　were　not　revived　in　some　churches；　especially　as　they　are　mentioned　in　a　charter　of　Philip　Augustus；＇109＇　but　I　affirm　that　they　were　very　seldom　practised。　Beaumanoir；＇110＇　who　lived　at　the　time　of　St。　Louis　and　a　little　after；　enumerating　the　different　kinds　of　trial；　mentions　that　of　judicial　combat；　but　not　a　word　of　the　others。

19。　A　new　Reason　of　the　Disuse　of　the　Salic　and　Roman　Laws；　as　also　of　the　Capitularies。　I　have　already　mentioned　the　reasons　that　had　destroyed　the　authority　of　the　Salic　and　Roman　laws；　as　also　of　the　Capitularies；　here　I　shall　add　that　the　principal　cause　was　the　great　extension　given　to　judiciary　combats。

As　the　Salic　laws　did　not　admit　of　this　custom；　they　became　in　some　measure　useless；　and　fell　into　oblivion；　In　like　manner　the　Roman　laws；　which　also　rejected　this　custom；　were　laid　aside；　their　whole　attention　was　then　taken　up　in　establishing　the　law　of　judicial　combats；　and　in　forming　a　proper　digest　of　the　several　cases　that　might　happen　on　those　occasions。　The　regulations　of　the　Capitularies　became　likewise　of　no　manner　of　service。　Thus　it　is　that　such　a　number　of　laws　lost　all　their　authority；　without　our　being　able　to　tell　the　precise　time　in　which　it　was　lost；　they　fell　into　oblivion；　and　we　cannot　find　any　others　that　were　substituted　in　their　place。

Such　a　nation　had　no　need　of　written　laws；　hence　its　written　laws　might　very　easily　fall　into　disuse。

If　there　happened　to　be　any　disputes　between　two　parties；　they　had　only　to　order　a　single　combat。　For　this　no　great　knowledge　or　abilities　were　requisite。

All　civil　and　criminal　actions　are　reduced　to　facts。　It　is　upon　these　facts　they　fought；　and　not　only　the　substance　of　the　affair；　but　likewise　the　incidents　and　imparlances　were　decided　by　combat；　as　Beaumanoir　observes；　who　produces　several　instances。＇111＇

I　find　that；　towards　the　commencement　of　the　third　race；　the　jurisprudence　of　those　times　related　entirely　to　precedents；　everything　was　regulated　by　the　point　of　honour。　If　the　judge　was　not　obeyed；　he　insisted　upon　satisfaction　from　the　person　that　contemned　his　authority。　At　Bourges；　if　the　provost　had　summoned　a　person　and　he　refused　to　come；　his　way　of　proceeding　was　to　tell　him；　〃I　sent　for　thee；　and　thou　didst　not　think　it　worth　thy　while　to　come；　I　demand　therefore　satisfaction　for　this　thy　contempt。〃　Upon　which　they　fought。＇112＇　Louis　the　Fat　reformed　this　custom。＇113＇

The　custom　of　legal　duels　prevailed　at　Orleans；　even　in　all　demands　of　debt。＇114＇　Louis　the　Young　declared　that　this　custom　should　take　place　only　when　the　demand　exceeded　five　sous。　This　ordinance　was　a　local　law；　for　in　St。　Louis'　time　it　was　sufficient　that　the　value　was　more　than　twelve　deniers。＇115＇　Beaumanoir＇116＇　had　heard　a　gentleman　of　the　law　affirm　that　formerly　there　had　been　a　bad　custom　in　France　of　hiring　a　champion　for　a　certain　time　to　fight　their　battles　in　all　causes。　This　shows　that　the　custom　of　judiciary　combat　must　have　prevailed　at　that　time　to　a　wonderful　extent。

20。　Origin　of　the　Point　of　Honour。　We　meet　with　inexplicable　enigmas　in　the　codes　of　laws　of　the　Barbarians。　The　law　of　the　Frisians＇117＇　allows　only　half　a　sou　in　composition　to　a　person　that　had　been　beaten　with　a　stick；　and　yet　for　ever　so　small　a　wound　it　allows　more。　By　the　Salic　law；　if　a　freeman　gave　three　blows　with　a　stick　to　another　freeman；　he　paid　three　sous；　if　he　drew　blood；　he　was　punished　as　if　he　had　wounded　him　with　steel；　and　he　paid　fifteen　sous：　thus　the　punishment　was　proportioned　to　the　greatness　of　the　wound。　The　law　of　the　Lombards　established　different　compositions　for　one；　two；　three；　four　blows；　and　so　on。＇118＇　At　present；　a　single　blow　is　equivalent　to　a　hundred　thousand。

The　constitution　of　Charlemagne；　inserted　in　the　law　of　the　Lombards；　ordains　that　those　who　were　allowed　the　trial　by　combat　should　fight　with　bastons。＇119＇　Perhaps　this　was　out　of　regard　to　the　clergy；　or　probably；　as　the　usage　of　legal　duels　gained　ground；　they　wanted　to　render　them　less　sanguinary。　The　capitulary　of　Louis　the　Debonnaire　allows　the　liberty　of　choosing　to　fight　either　with　the　sword　or　baston。＇120＇　In　process　of　time　none　but　bondmen　fought　with　the　baston。＇121＇

Here　I　seethe　first　rise　and　formation　of　the　particular　articles　of　our　point　of　honour。　The　accuser　began　by　declaring　in　the　presence　of　the　judge　that　such　a　person　had　committed　such　an　action；　and　the　accused　made　answer　that　he　lied；＇122＇　upon　which　the　judge　gave　orders　for　the　duel。　It　became　then　an　established　rule　that　whenever　a　person　had　the　lie　given　him；　it　was　incumbent　on　him　to　fight。

Upon　a　man's　declaring　that　he　would　fight；＇123＇　he　could　not　afterwards　depart　from　his　word；　if　he　did；　he　was　condemned　to　a　penalty。　Hence　this　rule　ensued；　that　whenever　a　person　had　engaged　his　word；　honour　forbade　him　to　recall　it。

Gentlemen　fought　one　another　on　horseback；　and　armed　at　all　points；＇124＇　villains　fought　on　foot　and　with　bastons。＇125＇　Hence　it　followed　that　the　baston　was　looked　upon　as　the　instrument　of　insults　and　affronts；＇126＇　because　to　strike　a　man　with　it　was　treating　him　like　a　villain。

None　but　villains　fought　with　their　faces　uncovered；＇127＇　so　that　none　but　they　could　receive　a　blow　on　the　face。　Therefore；　a　box　on　the　ear　became　an　injury　that　must　be　expiated　with　blood；　because　the　person　who　received　it　had　been　treated　as　a　villain。

The　several　people　of　Germany　were　no　less　sensible　than　we　of　the　point　of　honour；　nay；　they　were　more　so。　Thus　the　most　distant　relatives　took　a　very　considerable　share　to　themselves　in　every　affront；　and　on　this　all　their　codes　are　founded。　The　law　of　the　Lombards　ordains＇128＇　that　whosoever　goes　attended　with　servants　to　beat　a　man　unawares；　in　order　to　load　him　with　shame　and　to　render　him　ridiculous；　should　pay　half　the　composition　which　he　would　owe　if　he　had　killed　him；＇129＇　and　if　through　the　same　motive　he　tied　or　bound　him；　he　would　pay　three…quarters　of　the　same　composition。

Let　us　then　conclude　that　our　forefathers　were　extremely　sensible　of　affronts；　but　that　affronts　of　a　particular　kind；　such　as　being　struck　with　a　certain　instrument　on　a　certain　part　of　the　body；　and　in　a　certain　manner；　were　as　yet　unknown　to　them。　All　this　was　included　in　the　affront　of　being　beaten；　and　in　this　case　the　amount　of　violence　determined　the　magnitude　of　the　outrage。

21。　A　new　Reflection　upon　the　Point　of　Honour　among　the　Germans。　〃It　was　a　great　infamy；〃　says　Tacitus；＇130＇　〃among　the　Germans　for　a　person　to　leave　his　buckler　behind　him　in　battle；　for　which　reason　many　after　a　misfortune　of　this　kind　have　destroyed　themselves。〃　Thus　the　ancient　Salic　law＇131＇　allows　a　composition　of　fifteen　sous　to　any　person　that　had　been　injuriously　reproached　with　having　left　his　buckler　behind　him。

When　Charlemagne　amended　the　Salic　law；＇132＇　he　allowed　in　this　case　no　more　than　three　sous　in　composition。　As　this　prince　cannot　be　suspected　of　having　had　a　design　to　enervate　the　military　discipline；　it　is　manifest　that　such　an　alteration　was　due　to　a　change　of　weapons；　and　that　from　this　change　of　weapons　a　great　number　of　usages　derive　their　origin。

22。　Of　the　Manners　in　relation　to　judicial　Combats。　Our　connections　with　the　fair　sex　are　founded　on　the　pleasure　of　enjoyment；　on　the　happiness　of　loving　and　being　loved；　and　likewise　on　the　ambition　of　pleasing　the　ladies；　because　they　are　the　best　judges　of　some　of　those　things　which　constitute　personal　merit。　This　general　desire　of　pleasing　produces　gallantry；　which　is　not　love　itself；　but　the　delicate；　the　volatile；　the　perpetual　simulation　of　love。

According　to　the　different　circumstances　of　every　country　and　age；　love　inclines　more　to　one　of　those　three　things　than　to　the　other　two。　Now　I　maintain　that　the　prevailing　spirit　at　the　time　of　o