the spirit of laws-第15节

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erience　between　our　religious　and　worldly　engagements；　a　thing　unknown　to　the　ancients。

5。　Of　Education　in　a　Republican　Government。　It　is　in　a　republican　government　that　the　whole　power　of　education　is　required。　The　fear　of　despotic　governments　naturally　arises　of　itself　amidst　threats　and　punishments；　the　honour　of　monarchies　is　favoured　by　the　passions；　and　favours　them　in　its　turn；　but　virtue　is　a　self…renunciation；　which　is　ever　arduous　and　painful。

This　virtue　may　be　defined　as　the　love　of　the　laws　and　of　our　country。　As　such　love　requires　a　constant　preference　of　public　to　private　interest；　it　is　the　source　of　all　private　virtues；　for　they　are　nothing　more　than　this　very　preference　itself。

This　love　is　peculiar　to　democracies。　In　these　alone　the　government　is　entrusted　to　private　citizens。　Now　a　government　is　like　everything　else：　to　preserve　it　we　must　love　it。

Has　it　ever　been　known　that　kings　were　not　fond　of　monarchy；　or　that　despotic　princes　hated　arbitrary　power？

Everything　therefore　depends　on　establishing　this　love　in　a　republic；　and　to　inspire　it　ought　to　be　the　principal　business　of　education：　but　the　surest　way　of　instilling　it　into　children　is　for　parents　to　set　them　an　example。

People　have　it　generally　in　their　power　to　communicate　their　ideas　to　their　children；　but　they　are　still　better　able　to　transfuse　their　passions。

If　it　happens　otherwise；　it　is　because　the　impressions　made　at　home　are　effaced　by　those　they　have　received　abroad。

It　is　not　the　young　people　that　degenerate；　they　are　not　spoiled　till　those　of　maturer　age　are　already　sunk　into　corruption。

6。　Of　some　Institutions　among　the　Greeks。　The　ancient　Greeks；　convinced　of　the　necessity　that　people　who　live　under　a　popular　government　should　be　trained　up　to　virtue；　made　very　singular　institutions　in　order　to　inspire　it。　Upon　seeing　in　the　life　of　Lycurgus　the　laws　that　legislator　gave　to　the　Laced？monians；　I　imagine　I　am　reading　the　history　of　the　Sevarambes。　The　laws　of　Crete　were　the　model　of　those　of　Sparta；　and　those　of　Plato　reformed　them。

Let　us　reflect　here　a　little　on　the　extensive　genius　with　which　those　legislators　must　have　been　endowed；　to　perceive　that　by　striking　at　received　customs；　and　by　confounding　all　manner　of　virtues；　they　should　display　their　wisdom　to　the　universe。　Lycurgus；　by　blending　theft　with　the　spirit　of　justice；　the　hardest　servitude　with　excess　of　liberty；　the　most　rigid　sentiments　with　the　greatest　moderation；　gave　stability　to　his　city。　He　seemed　to　deprive　her　of　all　resources；　such　as　arts；　commerce；　money；　and　walls；　ambition　prevailed　among　the　citizens　without　hopes　of　improving　their　fortune；　they　had　natural　sentiments　without　the　tie　of　a　son；　husband；　or　father；　and　chastity　was　stripped　even　of　modesty　and　shame。　This　was　the　road　that　led　Sparta　to　grandeur　and　glory；　and　so　infallible　were　these　institutions；　that　it　signified　nothing　to　gain　a　victory　over　that　republic　without　subverting　her　polity。＇4＇

By　these　laws　Crete　and　Laconia　were　governed。　Sparta　was　the　last　that　fell　a　prey　to　the　Macedonians；　and　Crete　to　the　Romans。＇5＇

The　Samnites　had　the　same　institutions；　which　furnished　those　very　Romans　with　the　subject　of　four…and…twenty　triumphs。＇6＇

A　character　so　extraordinary　in　the　institutions　of　Greece　has　shown　itself　lately　in　the　dregs　and　corruptions　of　modern　times。＇7＇　A　very　honest　legislator　has　formed　a　people　to　whom　probity　seems　as　natural　as　bravery　to　the　Spartans。　Mr。　Penn　is　a　real　Lycurgus：　and　though　the　former　made　peace　his　principal　aim；　as　the　latter　did　war；　yet　they　resemble　one　another　in　the　singular　way　of　living　to　which　they　reduced　their　people；　in　the　ascendant　they　had　over　free　men；　in　the　prejudices　they　overcame；　and　in　the　passions　which　they　subdued。

Another　example　we　have　from　Paraguay。　This　has　been　the　subject　of　an　invidious　charge　against　a　society　that　considers　the　pleasure　of　commanding　as　the　only　happiness　in　life：　but　it　will　be　ever　a　glorious　undertaking　to　render　a　government　subservient　to　human　happiness。＇8＇

It　is　glorious　indeed　for　this　society　to　have　been　the　first　in　pointing　out　to　those　countries　the　idea　of　religion　joined　with　that　of　humanity。　By　repairing　the　devastations　of　the　Spaniards；　she　has　begun　to　heal　one　of　the　most　dangerous　wounds　that　the　human　species　ever　received。

An　exquisite　sensibility　to　whatever　she　distinguishes　by　the　name　of　honour；　joined　to　her　zeal　for　a　religion　which　is　far　more　humbling　in　respect　to　those　who　receive　than　to　those　who　preach　its　doctrines；　has　set　her　upon　vast　undertakings；　which　she　has　accomplished　with　success。　She　has　drawn　wild　people　from　their　woods；　secured　them　a　maintenance；　and　clothed　their　nakedness；　and　had　she　only　by　this　step　improved　the　industry　of　mankind；　it　would　have　been　sufficient　to　eternise　her　fame。

They　who　shall　attempt　hereafter　to　introduce　like　institutions　must　establish　the　community　of　goods　as　prescribed　in　Plato's　republic；　that　high　respect　he　required　for　the　gods；　that　separation　from　strangers；　for　the　preservation　of　morals；　and　an　extensive　commerce　carried　on　by　the　community；　and　not　by　private　citizens：　they　must　give　our　arts　without　our　luxury；　and　our　wants　without　our　desires。

They　must　proscribe　money；　the　effects　of　which　are　to　swell　people's　fortunes　beyond　the　bounds　prescribed　by　nature；　to　learn　to　preserve　for　no　purpose　what　has　been　idly　hoarded　up；　to　multiply　without　end　our　desires；　and　to　supply　the　sterility　of　nature；　from　whom　we　have　received　very　scanty　means　of　inflaming　our　passions；　and　of　corrupting　each　other。

〃The　Epidamnians；＇9＇　perceiving　their　morals　depraved　by　conversing　with　barbarians；　chose　a　magistrate　for　making　all　contracts　and　sales　in　the　name　and　behalf　of　the　city。〃　Commerce　then　does　not　corrupt　the　constitution；　and　the　constitution　does　not　deprive　society　of　the　advantages　of　commerce。

7。　In　what　Cases　these　singular　Institutions　may　be　of　Service。　Institutions　of　this　kind　may　be　proper　in　republics；　because　they　have　virtue　for　their　principle；　but　to　excite　men　to　honour　in　monarchies；　or　to　inspire　fear　in　despotic　governments；　less　trouble　is　necessary。

Besides；　they　can　take　place　but　in　a　small　state；＇10＇　in　which　there　is　a　possibility　of　general　education；　and　of　training　up　the　body　of　the　people　like　a　single　family。

The　laws　of　Minos；　of　Lycurgus；　and　of　Plato　suppose　a　particular　attention　and　care；　which　the　citizens　ought　to　have　over　one　another's　conduct。　But　an　attention　of　this　kind　cannot　be　expected　in　the　confusion　and　multitude　of　affairs　in　which　a　large　nation　is　entangled。

In　institutions　of　this　kind；　money；　as　we　have　above　observed；　must　be　banished。　But　in　great　societies；　the　multiplicity；　variety；　embarrassment；　and　importance　of　affairs；　as　well　as　the　facility　of　purchasing；　and　the　slowness　of　exchange；　require　a　common　measure。　In　order　to　support　or　extend　our　power；　we　must　be　possessed　of　the　means　to　which；　by　the　unanimous　consent　of　mankind；　this　power　is　annexed。

8。　Explanation　of　a　Paradox　of　the　Ancients　in　respect　to　Manners。　That　judicious　writer；　Polybius；　informs　us　that　music　was　necessary　to　soften　the　manners　of　the　Arcadians；　who　lived　in　a　cold；　gloomy　country；　that　the　inhabitants　of　Cynete；　who　slighted　music；　were　the　cruellest　of　all　the　Greeks；　and　that　no　other　town　was　so　immersed　in　luxury　and　debauchery。　Plato＇11＇　is　not　afraid　to　affirm　that　there　is　no　possibility　of　making　a　change　in　music　without　altering　the　frame　of　government。　Aristotle；　who　seems　to　have　written　his　Politics　only　in　order　to　contradict　Plato；　agrees　with　him；　notwithstanding；　in　regard　to　the　power　and　influence　of　music　over　the　manners　of　the　people。＇12＇　This　was　also　the　opinion　of　Theophrastus；　of　Plutarch＇13＇　and　of　all　the　ancients　　an　opinion　grounded　on　mature　reflection；　being　one　of　the　principles　of　their　polity。＇14＇　Thus　it　was　they　enacted　laws；　and　thus　they　required　that　cities　should　be　governed。

This　I　fancy　must　be　explained　in　the　following　manner。　It　is　observable　that　in　the　cities　of　Greece；　especially　those　whose　。principal　object　was　war；　all　lucrative　arts　and　professions　were　considered　unworthy　of　a　freeman。　〃Most　arts；〃　says　Xenophon；＇15＇　〃corrupt　and　enervate　the　bodies　of　those　that　exercise　them；　they　oblige　them　to　sit　in　the　shade；　or　near　the　fire。　They　can　find　no　leisure；　either　for　their　friends　or　for　the　republic。〃　It　was　only　by　the　corruption　of　some　democracies　that　artisans　became　freemen。　This　we　learn　from　Aristotle；＇16＇　who　maintains　that　a　well…regulated　republic　will　never　give　them　the　right　and　freedom　of　the　city。＇17＇

Agriculture　was　likewise　a　servile　profession；　and　generally　practised　by　the　inhabitants　of　conquered　countries；　such　as　the　Helotes　among　the　Laced？monians；　the　Periecians　among　the　Cretans；　the　Penestes　among　the　Thessalians；　and　other　conquered＇18＇　people　in　other　republics。

In　fine；　every　kind　of　low　commerce＇19＇　was　infamous　among　the　Greeks；　as　it　obliged　a　citizen　to　serve　and　wait　on　a　slave；　on　a　lodger；　or　a　stranger。　This　was　a　notion　that　clashed　with　the　spirit　of　Greek　liberty；　hence　Plato＇20＇　in　his　Laws