the spirit of laws-第60节

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hose　of　sensibility。　I　have　been　at　the　opera　in　England　and　in　Italy；　where　I　have　seen　the　same　pieces　and　the　same　performers：　and　yet　the　same　music　produces　such　different　effects　on　the　two　nations：　one　is　so　cold　and　phlegmatic；　and　the　other　so　lively　and　enraptured；　that　it　seems　almost　inconceivable。

It　is　the　same　with　regard　to　pain；　which　is　excited　by　the　laceration　of　some　fibre　of　the　body。　The　Author　of　nature　has　made　it　an　established　rule　that　this　pain　should　be　more　acute　in　proportion　as　the　laceration　is　greater：　now　it　is　evident　that　the　large　bodies　and　coarse　fibres　of　the　people　of　the　north　are　less　capable　of　laceration　than　the　delicate　fibres　of　the　inhabitants　of　warm　countries；　consequently　the　soul　is　there　less　sensible　of　pain。　You　must　flay　a　Muscovite　alive　to　make　him　feel。

From　this　delicacy　of　organs　peculiar　to　warm　climates　it　follows　that　the　soul　is　most　sensibly　moved　by　whatever　relates　to　the　union　of　the　two　sexes：　here　everything　leads　to　this　object。

In　northern　climates　scarcely　has　the　animal　part　of　love　a　power　of　making　itself　felt。　In　temperate　climates；　love；　attended　by　a　thousand　appendages；　endeavours　to　please　by　things　that　have　at　first　the　appearance；　though　not　the　reality；　of　this　passion。　In　warmer　climates　it　is　liked　for　its　own　sake；　it　is　the　only　cause　of　happiness；　it　is　life　itself。

In　southern　countries　a　machine　of　a　delicate　frame　but　strong　sensibility　resigns　itself　either　to　a　love　which　rises　and　is　incessantly　laid　in　a　seraglio；　or　to　a　passion　which　leaves　women　in　a　greater　independence；　and　is　consequently　exposed　to　a　thousand　inquietudes。　In　northern　regions　a　machine　robust　and　heavy　finds　pleasure　in　whatever　is　apt　to　throw　the　spirits　into　motion；　such　as　hunting；　travelling；　war；　and　wine。　If　we　travel　towards　the　north；　we　meet　with　people　who　have　few　vices；　many　virtues；　and　a　great　share　of　frankness　and　sincerity。　If　we　draw　near　the　south；　we　fancy　ourselves　entirely　removed　from　the　verge　of　morality；　here　the　strongest　passions　are　productive　of　all　manner　of　crimes；　each　man　endeavouring；　let　the　means　be　what　they　will；　to　indulge　his　inordinate　desires。　In　temperate　climates　we　find　the　inhabitants　inconstant　in　their　manners；　as　well　as　in　their　vices　and　virtues：　the　climate　has　not　a　quality　determinate　enough　to　fix　them。

The　heat　of　the　climate　may　be　so　excessive　as　to　deprive　the　body　of　all　vigour　and　strength。　Then　the　faintness　is　communicated　to　the　mind；　there　is　no　curiosity；　no　enterprise；　no　generosity　of　sentiment；　the　inclinations　are　all　passive；　indolence　constitutes　the　utmost　happiness；　scarcely　any　punishment　is　so　severe　as　mental　employment；　and　slavery　is　more　supportable　than　the　force　and　vigour　of　mind　necessary　for　human　conduct。

3。　Contradiction　in　the　Tempers　of　some　Southern　Nations。　The　Indians＇5＇　are　naturally　a　pusillanimous　people；　even　the　children＇6＇　of　Europeans　born　in　India　lose　the　courage　peculiar　to　their　own　climate。　But　how　shall　we　reconcile　this　with　their　customs　and　penances　so　full　of　barbarity？　The　men　voluntarily　undergo　the　greatest　hardships；　and　the　women　burn　themselves；　here　we　find　a　very　odd　compound　of　fortitude　and　weakness。

Nature；　having　framed　those　people　of　a　texture　so　weak　as　to　fill　them　with　timidity；　has　formed　them　at　the　same　time　of　an　imagination　so　lively　that　every　object　makes　the　strongest　impression　upon　them。　That　delicacy　of　organs　which　renders　them　apprehensive　of　death　contributes　likewise　to　make　them　dread　a　thousand　things　more　than　death：　the　very　same　sensibility　induces　them　to　fly　and　dare　all　dangers。

As　a　good　education　is　more　necessary　to　children　than　to　such　as　have　arrived　at　maturity　of　understanding；　so　the　inhabitants　of　those　countries　have　much　greater　need　than　the　European　nations　of　a　wiser　legislator。　The　greater　their　sensibility；　the　more　it　behoves　them　to　receive　proper　impressions；　to　imbibe　no　prejudices；　and　to　let　themselves　be　directed　by　reason。

At　the　time　of　the　Romans　the　inhabitants　of　the　north　of　Europe　were　destitute　of　arts；　education；　and　almost　of　laws；　and　yet　the　good　sense　annexed　to　the　gross　fibres　of　those　climates　enabled　them　to　make　an　admirable　stand　against　the　power　of　Rome；　till　the　memorable　period　in　which　they　quitted　their　woods　to　subvert　that　great　empire。

4。　Cause　of　the　Immutability　of　Religion；　Manners；　Customs；　and　Laws　in　the　Eastern　Countries。　If　to　that　delicacy　of　organs　which　renders　the　eastern　nations　so　susceptible　of　every　impression　you　add　likewise　a　sort　of　indolence　of　mind；　naturally　connected　with　that　of　the　body；　by　means　of　which　they　grow　incapable　of　any　exertion　or　effort；　it　is　easy　to　comprehend　that　when　once　the　soul　has　received　an　impression　it　cannot　change　it。　This　is　the　reason　that　the　laws；　manners；　and　customs；＇7＇　even　those　which　seem　quite　indifferent；　such　as　their　mode　of　dress；　are　the　same　to　this　very　day　in　eastern　countries　as　they　were　a　thousand　years　ago。

5。　That　those　are　bad　Legislators　who　favour　the　Vices　of　the　Climate；　and　good　Legislators　who　oppose　those　Vices。　The　Indians　believe　that　repose　and　non…existence　are　the　foundation　of　all　things；　and　the　end　in　which　they　terminate。　Hence　they　consider　entire　inaction　as　the　most　perfect　of　all　states；　and　the　object　of　their　desires。　To　the　Supreme　Being　they　give　the　title　of　immovable。＇8＇　The　inhabitants　of　Siam　believe　that　their　utmost　happiness＇9＇　consists　in　not　being　obliged　to　animate　a　machine；　or　to　give　motion　to　a　body。

In　those　countries　where　the　excess　of　heat　enervates　and　exhausts　the　body；　rest　is　so　delicious；　and　motion　so　painful；　that　this　system　of　metaphysics　seems　natural；　and　Foe；＇10＇　the　legislator　of　the　Indies；　was　directed　by　his　own　sensations　when　he　placed　mankind　in　a　state　extremely　passive；　but　his　doctrine　arising　from　the　laziness　of　the　climate　favoured　it　also　in　its　turn；　which　has　been　the　source　of　an　infinite　deal　of　mischief。

The　legislators　of　China　were　more　rational　when；　considering　men　not　in　the　peaceful　state　which　they　are　to　enjoy　hereafter；　but　in　the　situation　proper　for　discharging　the　several　duties　of　life；　they　made　their　religion；　philosophy；　and　laws　all　practical。　The　more　the　physical　causes　incline　mankind　to　inaction；　the　more　the　moral　causes　should　estrange　them　from　it。

6。　Of　Agriculture　in　warm　Climates。　Agriculture　is　the　principal　labour　of　man。　The　more　the　climate　inclines　him　to　shun　this　labour；　the　more　the　religion　and　laws　of　the　country　ought　to　incite　him　to　it。　Thus　the　Indian　laws；　which　give　the　lands　to　the　prince；　and　destroy　the　spirit　of　property　among　the　subjects；　increase　the　bad　effects　of　the　climate；　that　is；　their　natural　indolence。

7。　Of　Monkery。　The　very　same　mischiefs　result　from　monkery：　it　had　its　rise　in　the　warm　countries　of　the　East；　where　they　are　less　inclined　to　action　than　to　speculation。

In　Asia　the　number　of　dervishes　or　monks　seems　to　increase　together　with　the　warmth　of　the　climate。　The　Indies；　where　the　heat　is　excessive；　are　full　of　them；　and　the　same　difference　is　found　in　Europe。

In　order　to　surmount　the　laziness　of　the　climate；　the　laws　ought　to　endeavour　to　remove　all　means　of　subsisting　without　labour：　but　in　the　southern　parts　of　Europe　they　act　quite　the　reverse。　To　those　who　want　to　live　in　a　state　of　indolence；　they　afford　retreats　the　most　proper　for　a　speculative　life；　and　endow　them　with　immense　revenues。　These　men；　who　live　in　the　midst　of　plenty　which　they　know　not　how　to　enjoy；　are　in　the　right　to　give　their　superfluities　away　to　the　common　people。　The　poor　are　bereft　of　property；　and　these　men　indemnify　them　by　supporting　them　in　idleness；　so　as　to　make　them　even　grow　fond　of　their　misery。

8。　An　excellent　Custom　of　China。　The　historical　relations＇11＇　of　China　mention　a　ceremony＇12＇　of　opening　the　ground　which　the　emperor　performs　every　year。　The　design　of　this　public　and　solemn　act　is　to　excite　the　people　to　tillage。＇13＇

Further；　the　emperor　is　every　year　informed　of　the　husbandman　who　has　distinguished　himself　most　in　his　profession；　and　he　makes　him　a　mandarin　of　the　eighth　order。

Among　the　ancient　Persians＇14＇　the　kings　quitted　their　grandeur　and　pomp　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month；　called　Chorrem…ruz；　to　eat　with　the　husbandmen。　These　institutions　were　admirably　calculated　for　the　encouragement　of　agriculture。

9。　Means　of　encouraging　Industry。　We　shall　show；　in　the　nineteenth　book；　that　lazy　nations　are　generally　proud。　Now　the　effect　might　well　be　turned　against　the　cause；　and　laziness　be　destroyed　by　pride。　In　the　south　of　Europe；　where　people　have　such　a　high　notion　of　the　point　of　honour；　it　would　be　right　to　give　prizes　to　husbandmen　who　had　excelled　in　agriculture；　or　to　artists　who　had　made　the　greatest　improvements　in　their　several　professions。　This　practice　has　succeeded　in　our　days　in　Ireland；　where　it　has　established　one　of　the　most　considerable　linen　manufactures　in　Europe。

10。　Of　the　Laws　in　relation　to　the　Sobriety　of　the　People。　In　warm　countries　the　aqueous　part　of　the　blood　loses　itself　greatly　by　perspiration；＇15＇　it　must　therefore　be　supplied　by　a　like　liquid。　Water　is　t