of the rise and progress of the arts and sciences-第2章

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authority　be　centered　in　a　single　person；　and　if　the　people；

either　by　conquest；　or　by　the　ordinary　course　of　propagation；

encrease　to　a　great　multitude；　the　monarch；　finding　it

impossible；　in　his　own　person；　to　execute　every　office　of

sovereignty；　in　every　place；　must　delegate　his　authority　to

inferior　magistrates；　who　preserve　peace　and　order　in　their

respective　districts。　As　experience　and　education　have　not　yet

refined　the　judgments　of　men　to　any　considerable　degree；　the

prince；　who　is　himself　unrestrained；　never　dreams　of　restraining

his　ministers；　but　delegates　his　full　authority　to　every　one；

whom　he　sets　over　any　portion　of　the　people。　All　general　laws　are

attended　with　inconveniencies；　when　applied　to　particular　cases；

and　it　requires　great　penetration　and　experience；　both　to

perceive　that　these　inconveniencies　are　fewer　than　what　result

from　full　discretionary　powers　in　every　magistrate；　and　also　to

discern　what　general　laws　are；　upon　the　whole；　attended　with

fewest　inconveniencies。　This　is　a　matter　of　so　great　difficulty；

that　men　may　have　made　some　advances；　even　in　the　sublime　arts　of

poetry　and　eloquence；　where　a　rapidity　of　genius　and　imagination

assist　their　progress；　before　they　have　arrived　at　any　great

refinement　in　their　municipal　laws；　where　frequent　trials　and

diligent　observation　can　alone　direct　their　improvements。　It　is

not；　therefore；　to　be　supposed；　that　a　barbarous　monarch；

unrestrained　and　uninstructed；　will　ever　become　a　legislator；　or

think　of　restraining　his　；　in　every　province；　or　even

his　　in　every　village。　We　are　told；　that　the　late　Czar；

though　actuated　with　a　noble　genius；　and　smit　with　the　love　and

admiration　of　European　arts；　yet　professed　an　esteem　for　the

Turkish　policy　in　this　particular；　and　approved　of　such　summary

decisions　of　causes；　as　are　practised　in　that　barbarous　monarchy；

where　the　judges　are　not　restrained　by　any　methods；　forms；　or

laws。　He　did　not　perceive；　how　contrary　such　a　practice　would

have　been　to　all　his　other　endeavours　for　refining　his　people。

Arbitrary　power；　in　all　cases；　is　somewhat　oppressive　and

debasing；　but　it　is　altogether　ruinous　and　intolerable；　when

contracted　into　a　small　compass；　and　becomes　still　worse；　when

the　person；　who　possesses　it；　knows　that　the　time　of　his

authority　is　limited　and　uncertain。　'Habet　subjectos　tanquam

suos；　viles；　ut　alienos。'＇3＇　He　governs　the　subjects　with　full

authority；　as　if　they　were　his　own；　and　with　negligence　or

tyranny；　as　belonging　to　another。　A　people；　governed　after　such　a

manner；　are　slaves　in　the　full　and　proper　sense　of　the　word；　and

it　is　impossible　they　can　ever　aspire　to　any　refinements　or　taste

of　reason。　They　dare　not　so　much　as　pretend　to　enjoy　the

necessaries　of　life　in　plenty　or　security。

　　　　　To　expect；　therefore；　that　the　arts　and　sciences　should　take

their　first　rise　in　a　monarchy；　is　to　expect　a　contradiction。

Before　these　refinements　have　taken　place；　the　monarch　is

ignorant　and　uninstructed；　and　not　having　knowledge　sufficient　to

make　him　sensible　of　the　necessity　of　balancing　his　government

upon　general　laws；　he　delegates　his　full　power　to　all　inferior

magistrates。　This　barbarous　policy　debases　the　people；　and　for

ever　prevents　all　improvements。　Were　it　possible；　that；　before

science　were　known　in　the　world；　a　monarch　could　possess　so　much

wisdom　as　to　become　a　legislator；　and　govern　his　people　by　law；

not　by　the　arbitrary　will　of　their　fellow…subjects；　it　might　be

possible　for　that　species　of　government　to　be　the　first　nursery

of　arts　and　sciences。　But　that　supposition　seems　scarcely　to　be

consistent　or　rational。

　　　　　It　may　happen；　that　a　republic；　in　its　infant　state；　may　be

supported　by　as　few　laws　as　a　barbarous　monarchy；　and　may　entrust

as　unlimited　an　authority　to　its　magistrates　or　judges。　But；

besides　that　the　frequent　elections　by　the　people；　are　a

considerable　check　upon　authority；　it　is　impossible；　but；　in

time；　the　necessity　of　restraining　the　magistrates；　in　order　to

preserve　liberty；　must　at　last　appear；　and　give　rise　to　general

laws　and　statutes。　The　Roman　Consuls；　for　some　time；　decided　all

causes；　without　being　confined　by　any　positive　statutes；　till　the

people；　bearing　this　yoke　with　impatience；　created　the

；　who　promulgated　the　；　a　body　of　laws；

which；　though；　perhaps；　they　were　not　equal　in　bulk　to　one

English　act　of　parliament；　were　almost　the　only　written　rules；

which　regulated　property　and　punishment；　for　some　ages；　in　that

famous　republic。　They　were；　however；　sufficient；　together　with

the　forms　of　a　free　government；　to　secure　the　lives　and

properties　of　the　citizens；　to　exempt　one　man　from　the　dominion

of　another；　and　to　protect　every　one　against　the　violence　or

tyranny　of　his　fellow…citizens。　In　such　a　situation　the　sciences

may　raise　their　heads　and　flourish：　But　never　can　have　being

amidst　such　a　scene　of　oppression　and　slavery；　as　always　results

from　barbarous　monarchies；　where　the　people　alone　are　restrained

by　the　authority　of　the　magistrates；　and　the　magistrates　are　not

restrained　by　any　law　or　statute。　An　unlimited　despotism　of　this

nature；　while　it　exists；　effectually　puts　a　stop　to　all

improvements；　and　keeps　men　from　attaining　that　knowledge；　which

is　requisite　to　instruct　them　in　the　advantages；　arising　from　a

better　police；　and　more　moderate　authority。

　　　　　Here　then　are　the　advantages　of　free　states。　Though　a

republic　should　be　barbarous；　it　necessarily；　by　an　infallible

operation；　gives　rise　to　Law；　even　before　mankind　have　made　any

considerable　advances　in　the　other　sciences。　From　law　arises

security：　From　security　curiosity：　And　from　curiosity　knowledge。

The　latter　steps　of　this　progress　may　be　more　accidental；　but　the

former　are　altogether　necessary。　A　republic　without　laws　can

never　have　any　duration。　On　the　contrary；　in　a　monarchical

government；　law　arises　not　necessarily　from　the　forms　of

government。　Monarchy；　when　absolute；　contains　even　something

repugnant　to　law。　Great　wisdom　and　reflection　can　alone　reconcile

them。　But　such　a　degree　of　wisdom　can　never　be　expected；　before

the　greater　refinements　and　improvements　of　human　reason。　These

refinements　require　curiosity；　security；　and　law。　The　

growth；　therefore；　of　the　arts　and　sciences　can　never　be　expected

in　despotic　governments。

　　　　　There　are　other　causes；　which　discourage　the　rise　of　the

refined　arts　in　despotic　governments；　though　I　take　the　want　of

laws；　and　the　delegation　of　full　powers　to　every　petty

magistrate；　to　be　the　principal。　Eloquence　certainly　springs　up

more　naturally　in　popular　governments：　Emulation　too　in　every

accomplishment　must　there　be　more　animated　and　enlivened：　And

genius　and　capacity　have　a　fuller　scope　and　career。　All　these

causes　render　free　governments　the　only　proper　　for　the

arts　and　sciences。

　　　　　The　next　observation；　which　I　shall　make　on　this　head；　is；

。　The　emulation；　which

naturally　arises　among　those　neighbouring　states；　is　an　obvious

source　of　improvement：　But　what　I　would　chiefly　insist　on　is　the

stop；　which　such　limited　territories　give　both　to　　and　to

。

　　　　　Extended　governments；　where　a　single　person　has　great

influence；　soon　become　absolute；　but　small　ones　change　naturally

into　commonwealths。　A　large　government　is　accustomed　by　degrees

to　tyranny；　because　each　act　of　violence　is　at　first　performed

upon　a　part；　which；　being　distant　from　the　majority；　is　not　taken

notice　of；　nor　excites　any　violent　ferment。　Besides；　a　large

government；　though　the　whole　be　discontented；　may；　by　a　little

art；　be　kept　in　obedience；　while　each　part；　ignorant　of　the

resolutions　of　the　rest；　is　afraid　to　begin　any　commotion　or

insurrection。　Not　to　mention；　that　there　is　a　superstitious

reverence　for　princes；　which　mankind　naturally　contract　when　they

do　not　often　see　the　sovereign；　and　when