lect10-第5章

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well　be　conceived　as　saying　with　the　writer　in　the　Senchus　Mor；


'He　who　does　not　give　a　pledge　to　fasting　is　an　evader　of　all；　he


who　disregards　all　things　shall　not　be　paid　by　God　or　man。'　Many


centuries　then　elapse；　which　it　would　be　vain　to　calculate；　and


almost　in　our　own　day　we　find　the　ancient　usage　practised　in


India；　but　with　modifications　corresponding　to　a　great　deal　of


change　which　is　suspected　to　have　occurred　in　Hindoo　theology。


The　indefinite　supernatural　penalty　has　become　the　definite


supernatural　penalty　incurred　by　destroying　life；　and


particularly　human　life。　The　creditor　not　only　'watches　at　the


door；'　but　kills　himself　by　poison　or　dagger　if　the　arrest　is


broken；　or　by　starvation　if　payment　is　too　long　delayed。　Finally；


we　have　the　practice　described　by　Lord　Teignmouth　as　one


peculiarly　or　exclusively　resorted　to　by　Brahmins。　The　sanctity


of　Brahminical　life　has　now　in　fact　pretty　much　taken；　in　Hindoo


idea；　the　place　once　occupied　by　the　sanctity　of　human　life；　and


'sitting　dharna；'　when　the　English　law　first　endeavoured　to


suppress　it；　was　understood　to　be　a　special　mode　of　oppression


practised　by　Brahmins　for　a　consideration　in　money　This　is　the


view　taken　of　it　by　the　Indian　Penal　Code；　which　condemns　it　in


the　following　terms　（s。　508）：　


　　　　'Whoever　voluntarily　causes。。。　any　person　to　do　anything


which　that　person　is　not　legally　bound　to　do。。。　by　inducing。。。


that　person　to　believe　that　he。。。　will　become　by　some　act　of　the


offender　an　object　of　Divine　displeasure；　if　he　does　not　do　the


thing　which　it　is　the　object　of　the　offender　to　cause　him　to


do。。。　shall　be　punished　with　imprisonment；　&c。'


　　　　It　seems　to　me　that　a　reasonable　explanation　may　be　given　of


the　origin　of　these　practices　which　now　seem　so　strange。　Let　us


not　forget　that　all　forms　of　Distress；　the　seizure　of　wife；


child；　or　cattle；　even　when　wholly　unregulated　by　law；　were


improvements　on　older　custom。　The　primitive　proceeding　was


undoubtedly　the　unceremonious；　unannounced；　attack　of　the　tribe


or　the　man　stung　by　injury　on　the　tribe　or　the　man　who　had


inflicted　it。　Any　expedient　by　which　sudden　plunder　or　slaughter


was　adjourned　or　prevented　was　an　advantage　even　to　barbarous


society。　Thus；　it　was　a　gain　to　mankind　as　a　whole　when　its


priests　and　leaders　began　to　encourage　the　seizure　of　property　or


family；　not　for　the　purpose　of　permanent　appropriation；　but　with


a　view　to　what　we　should　now　not　hesitate　to　call　extortion。


Similarly；　it　was　a　step　forwards　when　men　learned　to　pause


before　attacking　instead　of　attacking　at　once。　We　are　told；　in


the　Compendium　of　Kafir　Laws　and　Customs　published　by　Mr　Dugmore


and　other　missionaries　（p。　38）；　that　the　regular　procedure　of　a


Kafir　law…suit　simulates　an　expedition　in　force　of　the　plaintiff


and　his　friends　against　the　village　to　which　the　defendant


belongs。　'On　their　arrival　they　sit　down　together　in　some


conspicuous　position　and　await　quietly　the　result　of　their


presence。　This。。。　is　the　signal　for　mustering　all　the　adult　male


residents　that　are　forthcoming。　These　accordingly　assemble　and


also　sit　down　within　conversing　distance。'　After　long　silence　a


conversation　ensues；　and　the　proceeding；　which　is　a　perfectly


peaceable　one；　is　continued　by　a　long　series　of　technical


formalities　and　intricate　pleadings。　This　silent　pause　of　the


attacking　party　is　an　early　form　of　Notice；　in　itself　one　of　the


most　valuable　of　institutions；　and　with　it　is　connected　another


primitive　contrivance；　shutting　a　man　up　in　his　house　till　he


gives　satisfaction；　instead　of　setting　on　him　at　once。　A　very


striking　illustration　of　it　is　found　in　a　law　of　Alfred；　familiar


to　historical　scholars　（Kemble；　'Saxons；'　i。　272；　Thorpe；


'Ancient　Laws；'　i。　91）：　


　　　　'Let　the　man　who　knows　his　foe　to　be　homesitting　fight　not


before　he　have　demanded　justice　of　him。　If　he　have　power　to　beset


his　foe　and　besiege　him　in　his　house；　let　him　keep　him　there　for


seven　days　but　not　attack　him　if　he　will　remain　indoors。　If　then；


after　seven　days；　he　be　willing　to　surrender　and　give　up　his


weapons；　let　him　be　kept　safe　for　thirty　days；　and　let　notice　be


given　to　his　kinsmen　and　friends。　But　if　the　plaintiff　have　not


power　of　his　own；　let　him　ride　to　the　Ealdorman；　and；　if　the


Ealdorman　will　not　aid　him；　let　him　ride　to　the　King　before　he


fights。'　The　passage　ends　with　a　provision　of　which　the　spirit；


strange　to　say；　survives　in　the　modern　Code　making　the　loudest


claim　to　civilised　principle；　the　Code　Napol閛n　（Code　P閚al；　s。


324）；　to　the　effect　that　if　the　man　who　is　homesitting　be　really


shut　up　in　his　house　with　the　complainant's　wife；　daughter；　or


sister；　he　may　be　attacked　and　killed　without　ceremony。　


　　　　The　object　of　the　Law　of　Alfred　is　plainly　the　same　with　that


aimed　at　by　the　ancient　rule　of　Brihaspiti。　The　man　who；　if


nature　had　her　way；　would　be　slain　at　once；　is　shut　up　in　his


house　but　left　otherwise　unharmed　till　he　or　his　kinsmen　pay　the


debt　or　compound　for　the　money。　The　English　rule　is　to　be


enforced　by　the　civil　power；　the　Ealdorman　or　the　King；　the


Hindoo　Brahminical　rule　by　the　fear　of　punishment　in　another


world。　The　Irish　law…tract　retains　the　Brahminical　rule　as　an


alternative　in　certain　cases　to　Notice。　But　an　institution　which


was　perfectly　intelligible　in　a　society　which　included　an　order


of　lawyers　who　were　also　priests　has　lost　all　meaning　when　this


society　has　been　introduced　by　Christianity　to　a　wholly　new　set


of　religious　ideas。　


　　　　The　course　of　our　enquiry　has　led　us　backwards　and　forwards


between　the　extreme　Easterly　and　the　extreme　Westerly　branches　of


the　Aryan　race。　Let　me　now　add　one　word　to　connect　the　Eastern


usage　with　the　most　ancient　law　of　the　community　which　once


occupied　with　its　government　nearly　the　whole　space　between　the


two。　'Sitting　dharna；'　placed　under　the　ban　of　British　law；


chiefly　survives　in　British　india　in　an　exaggerated　air　of


suffering　worn　by　the　creditor　who　comes　to　ask　a　debtor　of


higher　rank　for　payment；　and　who　is　told　to　wait。　But　it　is　still


common　in　the　Native　Indian　States；　and　there　it　is　pre…eminently


an　expedient　resorted　to　by　soldiers　to　obtain　arrears　of　pay。


You　will　remember　that　the　'pignoris　capio'　of　the　Romans　is


stated　by　Gaius　to　have　survived　as　a　remedy　in　two　classes　of


cases；　one　of　them　being　the　default　of　a　military　paymaster。