the spirit of laws-第102章

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；　in　a　word；　he　found　himself　able　to　sustain　great　losses；　and　to　be　frequently　defeated；　without　being　ruined；＇107＇　neither　would　he　have　been　ruined　if　the　voluptuous　and　barbarous　king　had　not　destroyed；　in　his　prosperous　days；　what　had　been　done　by　the　great　prince　in　times　of　adversity。

Thus　it　was　that　when　the　Romans　had　arrived　at　their　highest　pitch　of　grandeur；　and　seemed　to　have　nothing　to　apprehend　but　from　the　ambition　of　their　own　subjects；　Mithridates　once　more　ventured　to　contest　the　mighty　point；　which　the　overthrow　of　Philip；　of　Antiochus；　and　of　Perseus　had　already　decided。　Never　was　there　a　more　destructive　war：　the　two　contending　parties；　being　possessed　of　great　power；　and　receiving　alternate　advantages；　the　inhabitants　of　Greece　and　of　Asia　fell　a　sacrifice　in　the　quarrel；　either　as　foes；　or　as　friends　of　Mithridates。　Delos　was　involved　in　the　general　fatality；　and　commerce　failed　on　every　side：　which　was　a　necessary　consequence；　the　people　themselves　being　destroyed。

The　Romans；　in　pursuance　of　a　system　of　which　I　have　spoken　elsewhere；＇108＇　acting　as　destroyers；　that　they　might　not　appear　as　conquerors；　demolished　Carthage　and　Corinth；　a　practice　by　which　they　would　have　ruined　themselves　had　they　not　subdued　the　world。　When　the　kings　of　Pontus　became　masters　of　the　Greek　colonies　on　the　Euxine　Sea；　they　took　care　not　to　destroy　what　was　to　be　the　foundation　of　their　own　grandeur。

13。　Of　the　Genius　of　the　Romans　as　to　Maritime　Affairs。　The　Romans　laid　no　stress　on　anything　but　their　land　forces；　who　were　disciplined　to　stand　firm；　to　fight　on　one　spot；　and　there　bravely　to　die。　They　could　not　like　the　practice　of　seamen；　who　first　offer　to　fight；　then　fly；　then　return；　constantly　avoid　danger；　often　make　use　of　stratagem；　and　seldom　of　force。　This　was　not　suitable　to　the　genius　of　the　Greeks＇109＇　much　less　to　that　of　the　Romans。

They　destined　therefore　to　the　sea　only　those　citizens　who　were　not　considerable　enough　to　have　a　place　in　their　legions。＇110＇　Their　marines　were　commonly　freedmen。

At　this　time　we　have　neither　the　same　esteem　for　land　forces　nor　the　same　contempt　for　those　of　the　sea。　In　the　former；　art　has　decreased；＇111＇　in　the　latter；　it　has　augmented：＇112＇　now　things　are　generally　esteemed　in　proportion　to　the　degree　of　ability　requisite　to　discharge　them。

14。　Of　the　Genius　of　the　Romans　with　respect　to　Commerce。　The　Romans　were　never　distinguished　by　a　jealousy　for　trade。　They　attacked　Carthage　as　a　rival；　not　as　a　commercial　nation。　They　favoured　trading　cities　that　were　not　subject　to　them。　Thus　they　increased　the　power　of　Marseilles　by　the　cession　of　a　large　territory。　They　were　vastly　afraid　of　barbarians；　but　had　not　the　least　apprehension　from　a　trading　people。　Their　genius；　their　glory；　their　military　education；　and　the　very　form　of　their　government　estranged　them　from　commerce。

In　the　city；　they　were　employed　only　about　war；　elections；　factions；　and　law…suits；　in　the　country；　about　agriculture；　and　as　for　the　provinces；　a　severe　and　tyrannical　government　was　incompatible　with　commerce。

But　their　political　constitution　was　not　more　opposed　to　trade　than　their　law　of　nations。　〃The　people；〃　says　Pomponius；　the　civilian；＇113＇　〃with　whom　we　have　neither　friendship；　nor　hospitality　nor　alliance；　are　not　our　enemies；　however；　if　anything　belonging　to　us　falls　into　their　hands；　they　are　the　proprietors　of　it；　freemen　become　their　slaves；　and　they　are　upon　the　same　terms　with　respect　to　us。〃

Their　civil　law　was　not　less　oppressive。　The　law　of　Constantine；＇114＇　after　having　stigmatised　as　bastards　the　children　of　a　mean　rank　who　had　been　married　to　those　of　a　superior　station；　confounds　women　who　retail　merchandise　with　slaves；　with　the　mistresses　of　taverns；　with　actresses；　with　the　daughters　of　those　who　keep　public　stews；　or　who　had　been　condemned　to　fight　in　the　amphitheatre；　this　had　its　origin　in　the　ancient　institutions　of　the　Romans。

I　am　not　ignorant　that　men　prepossessed　with　these　two　ideas　（that　commerce　is　of　the　greatest　service　to　a　state；　and　that　the　Romans　had　the　best…regulated　government　in　the　world）　have　believed　that　these　people　greatly　honoured　and　encouraged　commerce；　but　the　truth　is；　they　seldom　troubled　their　heads　about　it。

15。　Of　the　Commerce　of　the　Romans　with　the　Barbarians。　The　Romans　having　erected　a　vast　empire　in　Europe；　Asia；　and　Africa；　the　weakness　of　the　people　and　the　tyranny　of　their　laws　united　all　the　parts　of　this　immense　body。　The　Roman　policy　was　then　to　avoid　all　communication　with　those　nations　whom　they　had　not　subdued：　the　fear　of　carrying　to　them　the　art　of　conquering　made　them　neglect　the　art　of　enriching　themselves。　They　made　laws　to　hinder　all　commerce　with　barbarians。　〃Let　nobody；〃　said　Valens　and　Gratian；＇115＇　〃send　wine；　oil；　or　other　liquors　to　the　barbarians；　though　it　be　only　for　them　to　taste。〃　〃Let　no　one　carry　gold　to　them；〃　add　Gratian；　Valentinian；　and　Theodosius；＇116＇　〃rather；　if　they　have　any；　let　our　subjects　deprive　them　of　it　by　stratagem。〃　The　exportation　of　iron　was　prohibited　on　pain　of　death。

Domitian；　a　prince　of　great　timidity；　ordered　the　vines　in　Gaul　to　be　pulled　up；＇117＇　from　fear；　no　doubt；　lest　their　wines　should　draw　thither　the　barbarians。　Probus　and　Julian；　who　had　no　such　fears；　gave　orders　for　their　being　planted　again。

I　am　sensible　that　upon　the　declension　of　the　Roman　empire　the　barbarians　obliged　the　Romans　to　establish　staple　towns；　and　to　trade　with　them。　But　even　this　is　a　proof　that　the　minds　of　the　Romans　were　averse　to　commerce。＇118＇

16。　Of　the　Commerce　of　the　Romans　with　Arabia　and　the　Indies。　The　trade　to　Arabia　Felix；　and　that　to　the　Indies；　were　the　two　branches；　and　almost　the　only　ones；　of　their　foreign　commerce。　The　Arabians　were　possessed　of　immense　riches；　which　they　found　in　their　seas　and　forests；　and　as　they　sold　much　and　purchased　little；　they　drew　to　themselves　the　gold　and　silver　of　the　Romans。＇119＇　Augustus；＇120＇　being　well　apprised　of　that　opulence；　resolved　they　should　be　either　his　friends　or　his　enemies。　With　this　view　he　sent　？lius　Gallus　from　Egypt　into　Arabia。　This　commander　found　the　people　indolent；　peaceable；　and　unskilled　in　war。　He　fought　battles；　laid　sieges　to　towns；　and　lost　but　seven　of　his　men　by　the　sword；　but　the　perfidy　of　his　guides；　long　marches；　the　climate；　want　of　provisions；　distempers；　and　ill…conduct；　caused　the　ruin　of　his　army。

He　was　therefore　obliged　to　be　content　with　trading　to　Arabia；　in　the　same　manner　as　other　nations；　that　is；　with　giving　them　gold　and　silver　in　exchange　for　their　commodities。　The　Europeans　trade　with　them　still　in　the　same　manner；　the　caravans　of　Aleppo　and　the　royal　vessel　of　Suez　carry　thither　immense　sums。＇121＇

Nature　had　formed　the　Arabs　for　commerce；　not　for　war；　but　when　those　quiet　people　came　to　be　near　neighbours　to　the　Parthians　and　the　Romans；　they　acted　as　auxiliaries　to　both　nations。　？lius　Gallus　found　them　a　trading　people；　Mahomet　happened　to　find　them　trained　to　war；　he　inspired　them　with　enthusiasm；　which　led　them　to　glory　and　conquest。

The　commerce　of　the　Romans　to　the　Indies　was　very　considerable。　Strabo＇122＇　had　been　informed　in　Egypt　that　they　employed　in　this　navigation　one　hundred　and　twenty　vessels；　this　commerce　was　carried　on　entirely　with　bullion。　They　sent　thither　annually　fifty　millions　of　sesterces。　Pliny＇123＇　says　that　the　merchandise　brought　thence　was　sold　at　Rome　at　cent。　per　cent　profit。　He　speaks；　I　believe；　too　generally；　if　this　trade　had　been　so　vastly　profitable；　everybody　would　have　been　willing　to　engage　in　it；　and　then　it　would　have　been　at　an　end。

It　will　admit　of　a　question；　whether　the　trade　to　Arabia　and　the　Indies　was　of　any　advantage　to　the　Romans。　They　were　obliged　to　export　their　bullion　thither；　though　they　had　not；　like　us；　the　resource　of　America；　which　supplies　what　we　send　away。　I　am　persuaded　that　one　of　the　reasons　of　their　increasing　the　value　of　their　specie　by　establishing　base　coin　was　the　scarcity　of　silver；　owing　to　the　continual　exportation　of　it　to　the　Indies：　and　though　the　commodities　of　this　country　were　sold　at　Rome　at　the　rate　of　cent。　per　cent；　this　profit　of　the　Romans；　being　obtained　from　the　Romans　them