the origin of the distinction of ranks-第18节

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ght　by　the　event　to　repent　of　their　folly　and　rashness；　and　are　struck　with　new　admiration　of　his　uncommon　penetration　and　foresight。　They　regard　him　in　the　light　of　a　superior　being；　and　imagine　that　the　gifts　of　fortune　are　at　his　disposal。　They　dread　his　curse；　as　the　cause　of　every　misfortune；　and　they　esteem　his　blessing　of　more　value　than　the　richest　inheritance。　　　　　When　Phenix；　in　the　Iliad；　bewails　his　misfortune　in　having　no　children；　he　imputes　it　to　the　curse　of　his　father；　which　he　had　incurred　in　his　youth。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　sire　with　curses　loads　my　hated　head；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　cries；　Ye　furies！　barren　be　his　bed！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Infernal　Jove；　the　vengeful　Fiends　below；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　ruthless　Proserpine　confirm'd　his　vow。（6*）　　　　　'And　Esau　said　unto　his　father；　Hast　thou　but　one　blessing；　my　father？　Bless　me；　even　me　also；　O　my　father！　And　Esau　lift　up　his　voice　and　wept。'（7*）　　　　　To　these　observations　it　may　be　added；　that　the　authority　of　the　father　is　confirmed　and　rendered　more　universal；　by　the　force　and　influence　of　custom。　　　　　We　naturally　retain；　after　we　are　old；　those　habits　of　respect　and　submission　which　we　received　in　our　youth；　and　we　find　it　difficult　to　put　ourselves　upon　a　level　with　those　persons　whom　we　have　long　regarded　as　greatly　our　superiors。　The　slave；　who　has　been　bred　up　in　a　low　situation；　does　not　immediately；　upon　obtaining　his　freedom；　lay　aside　those　sentiments　which　he　has　been　accustomed　to　feel。　He　retains　for　some　time　the　idea　of　his　former　dependence；　and　notwithstanding　the　change　of　his　circumstances；　is　disposed　to　continue　that　respect　and　reverence　which　he　owed　to　his　master。　We　find　that　the　legislature；　in　some　countries；　has　even　regarded　and　enforced　these　natural　sentiments。　By　the　Roman　law　a　freed　man　was；　through　the　whole　of　his　life；　obliged　to　pay　to　his　patron　certain　attendance　on　public　occasions；　and　to　show　him　particular　marks　of　honour　and　distinction。　If　ever　he　failed　in　the　observance　of　these　duties；　he　was　thought　unworthy　of　his　liberty；　and　was　again　reduced　to　be　the　slave　of　that　person　to　whom　he　had　behaved　in　so　unbecoming　a　manner。　　　　　A　son　who；　in　a　barbarous　age；　has　been　accustomed　from　his　infancy　to　serve　and　to　obey　his　father；　is　in　the　same　manner　disposed　for　the　future　to　continue　that　service　and　obedience。　Even　after　he　is　grown　up；　and　has　arrived　at　his　full　strength　of　body；　and　maturity　of　judgment；　he　retains　the　early　impressions　of　his　youth；　and　remains　in　a　great　measure　under　the　yoke　of　that　authority　to　which　he　has　hitherto　submitted。　He　shrink　at　the　angry　countenance　of　his　father；　and　trembles　at　the　power　of　that　arm　whose　severe　discipline　he　has　so　often　experienced；　and　of　whose　valour　and　dexterity　he　has　so　often　been　a　witness。　He　thinks　it　the　highest　presumption　to　dispute　the　wisdom　and　propriety　of　those　commands　to　which　he　has　always　listened；　as　to　an　oracle；　and　which　he　has　been　taught　to　regard　as　the　infallible　rule　of　his　conduct。　He　is　naturally　led　to　acquiesce　in　that　jurisdiction　which　he　has　seen　exerted　on　so　many　different　occasions；　and　which　he　finds　to　be　uniformly　acknowledged　by　all　the　members　of　the　family。　In　proportion　to　the　rigour　with　which　he　is　treated；　his　temper　will　be　more　thoroughly　subdued；　and　his　habits　of　implicit　submission　and　obedience　will　be　the　stronger。　He　look　upon　his　father　as　invested　by　heaven　with　an　unlimited　power　and　authority　over　all　his　children；　and　imagines　that；　whatever　hardships　they　may　suffer；　their　rebelling　against　him；　or　resistance　to　his　will；　would　be　the　same　species　of　impiety；　as　to　call　in　question　the　authority　of　the　Deity；　and　arraign　the　severe　dispensations　with　which；　in　the　government　of　the　world；　he　is　sometimes　pleased　to　visit　his　creatures。　　　　　From　these　dispositions；　which　commonly　prevail　among　the　members　of　his　family；　the　father　can　have　no　difficulty　to　enforce　his　orders；　wherever　compulsion　may　be　necessary。　In　order　to　correct　the　depravity；　or　to　conquer　the　rebellious　disposition　of　any　single　child；　he　can　make　use　of　that　influence　which　he　possesses　over　the　rest；　who　will　regard　the　disobedience　of　their　brother　with　horror　and　detestation；　and　be　ready　to　contribute　their　assistance　in　punishing　his　transgression。　　　　　In　the　history　of　early　nations；　we　meet　with　a　great　variety　of　facts；　to　illustrate　the　nature　and　extent　of　that　jurisdiction　and　authority　which　originally　belonged　to　the　father；　as　the　head　and　governor　of　his　family。　　　　　We　are　informed　by　Caesar；　that　among　the　Gauls　the　father　had　the　power　of　life　and　death　over　his　children；　and　there　is　reason　to　believe；　that；　in　the　ancient　German　nations；　his　jurisdiction　was　no　less　extensive。　　　　　By　the　early　laws　and　customs　of　Arabia；　every　head　of　a　family　seems；　in　like　manner；　to　have　enjoyed　an　absolute　power　over　his　descendants。　When　the　sons　of　Jacob　proposed　to　carry　their　brother　Benjamin　along　with　them　into　Egypt；　and　their　father　discovered　an　unwillingness　to　part　with　him；　'Rueben　spake　unto　his　father；　saying；　Slay　my　two　sons；　if　I　bring　him　not　to　thee：　deliver　him　into　my　hand；　and　I　will　bring　him　to　thee　again。'（8*）　Moses　appears　to　have　intended　that　the　father　should　not；　in　ordinary　cases；　be　at　liberty　to　take　away　the　life　of　his　children　in　private；　as　may　be　concluded　from　this　particular　institution；　that　a　stubborn　and　rebellious　son　should　be　stoned　to　death　before　the　elders　of　the　city。（9*）　It　was　further　enacted　by　this　legislator；　that　a　man　might　sell　his　daughter　for　a　slave　or　concubine　to　those　of　his　own　nation；　though　he　was　not　permitted　to　dispose　of　her　to　a　stranger。　　　　　If　a　man　sell　his　daughter　to　be　a　maid…servant；　she　shall　not　go　out　as　the　men…servants　do。　　　　　If　she　please　not　her　master；　who　hath　betrothed　her　to　himself；　then　shall　he　let　her　be　redeemed：　to　sell　her　to　a　strange　nation　he　shall　have　no　power；　seeing　he　hath　dealt　deceitfully　with　her。（10*）　　　　　In　the　empire　of　Russia；　the　paternal　jurisdiction　was　formerly　understood　to　be　altogether　supreme　and　unlimited。　Peter　the　Great　appear　to　have　been　so　little　aware　that　the　customs　of　his　own　country　might　differ　from　those　of　other　nations；　that　in　his　public　declaration　to　his　clergy；　and　to　the　states　civil　and　military；　relative　to　the　trial　of　his　son；　he　appeals　to　all　the　world；　and　affirms；　that；　according　to　all　laws　human　and　divine；　and；　above　all；　according　to　those　of　Russia；　a　father；　even　among　private　persons；　has　a　full　and　absolute　right　to　judge　his　children；　without　appeal；　and　without　taking　the　advice　of　any　person。　　　　　Among　the　Tartars；　nothing　can　exceed　the　respect　and　reverence　which　the　children　usually　pay　to　their　father。　They　look　upon　him　as　the　sovereign　lord　and　master　of　his　family；　and　consider　it　as　their　duty　to　serve　him　upon　all　occasions。　In　those　parts　of　Tartary　which　have　any　intercourse　with　the　great　nations　of　Asia；　it　is　also　common　for　the　father　to　sell　his　children　of　both　sexes；　and　from　thence　the　women　and　eunuchs；　in　the　harams　and　seraglios；　belonging　to　men　of　wealth　and　distinction　in　those　countries；　are　said　to　be　frequently　procured。　　　　　Upon　the　coast　of　Africa；　the　power　of　the　father　is　carried　to　the　most　excessive　pitch；　and　exercised　with　the　utmost　severity。　It　is　too　well　known　to　be　denied；　that；　in　order　to　supply　the　European　market；　he　often　disposes　of　his　own　children　for　slaves；　and　that　the　chief　part　of　a　man's　wealth　is　supposed　to　consist　of　the　number　of　his　descendants。　Upon　the　slave…coast；　the　children　are　accustomed　to　throw　themselves　upon　their　knees；　as　often　as　they　come　into　the　presence　of　their　father。　　　　　The　following　account；　given　by　Commodore　Byron；　may　serve　in　some　measure　to　show　the　spirit　with　which　the　savages　of　South　America　are　apt　to　govern　the　members　of　their　family。　　　　　Here　＇says　he＇　I　must　relate　a　little　anecdote　of　our　Christian　Cacique。　He　and　his　wife　had　gone　off；　at　some　distance　from　the　shore；　in　their　canoe；　when　she　dived　for　sea…eggs；　but　not　meeting　with　great　success；　they　returned　a　good　deal　out　of　humour。　A　little　boy　of　theirs；　about　three　years　old；　whom　they　appeared　to　be　doatingly　fond　of；　watching　for　his　father　and　mother's　return；　ran　into　the　surf　to　meet　them：　the　father　handed　a　basket　of　sea…eggs　to　the　child；　which　being　too　heavy　for　him　to　carry；　he　let　it　fall；　upon　which　the　father　jumped　out　of　the　canoe；　and　catching　the　boy　up　in　his　arms；　dashed　him　with　the　utmost　violence　against　the　stones。　The　poor　little　creature　lay　motionless　and　bleeding；　and　in　that　condition　was　taken　up　by　the　mother；　but　died　soon　after。　She　appeared　inconsolable　for　some　time；　but　the　brute　his　father　shewed　little　concern　about　it。（11*）　　　　　The　exposition　of　infants；　so　common　in　a　great　part　of　the　nations　of　antiquity；　is　a　proof　that　the　different　heads　of　families　were　under　no　restraint　or　control　in　the　management　of　their　domestic　concerns。　This　barbarous　practice　was　probably　introduced　in　those　rude　ages　when　the　father　was　often　incapable　of　maintaining　his　children；　and　from　the　influence　of　old　usage；　was　permitted　to　remain　in　later　times；　when　the　plea　of　necessity　could　no　longer