the spirit of laws-第103章

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t　Rome　at　the　rate　of　cent。　per　cent；　this　profit　of　the　Romans；　being　obtained　from　the　Romans　themselves；　could　not　enrich　the　empire。

It　may　be　alleged；　on　the　other　hand；　that　this　commerce　increased　the　Roman　navigation；　and　of　course　their　power；　that　new　merchandise　augmented　their　inland　trade；　gave　encouragement　to　the　arts；　and　employment　to　the　industrious；　that　the　number　of　subjects　multiplied　in　proportion　to　the　new　means　of　support；　that　this　new　commerce　was　productive　of　luxury；　which　I　have　proved　to　be　as　favourable　to　a　monarchical　government　as　fatal　to　a　commonwealth；　that　this　establishment　was　of　the　same　date　as　the　fall　of　their　republic；　that　the　luxury　of　Rome　had　become　necessary；　and　that　it　was　extremely　proper　that　a　city　which　had　accumulated　all　the　wealth　of　the　universe　should　refund　it　by　its　luxury。

Strabo　says＇124＇　that　the　Romans　carried　on　a　far　more　extensive　commerce　with　the　Indies　than　the　kings　of　Egypt；　but　it　is　very　extraordinary　that　those　people　who　were　so　little　acquainted　with　commerce　should　have　paid　more　attention　to　that　of　India　than　the　Egyptian　kings；　whose　dominions　lay　so　conveniently　for　it。　The　reason　of　this　must　be　explained。

After　the　death　of　Alexander；　the　kings　of　Egypt　established　a　maritime　commerce　with　the　Indies；　while　the　kings　of　Syria；　who　were　possessed　of　the　more　eastern　provinces；　and　consequently　of　the　Indies；　maintained　that　commerce　of　which　we　have　taken　notice　in　the　sixth　chapter；　which　was　carried　on　partly　by　land；　and　partly　by　rivers；　and　had　been　further　facilitated　by　means　of　the　Macedonian　colonies；　insomuch　that　Europe　had　communication　with　the　Indies　both　by　Egypt　and　by　Syria。　The　dismembering　of　the　latter　kingdom；　whence　was　formed　that　of　Bactriana；　did　not　prove　in　any　way　prejudicial　to　this　commerce。　Marinus　the　Tyrian；　quoted　by　Ptolemy；＇125＇　mentions　the　discoveries　made　in　India　by　means　of　some　Macedonian　merchants；　who　found　out　new　roads；　which　had　been　unknown　to　kings　in　their　military　expeditions。　We　find　in　Ptolemy＇126＇　that　they　went　from　Peter's　tower＇127＇　as　far　as　Sera；　and　the　discovery　made　by　mercantile　people　of　so　distant　a　mart；　situated　in　the　north…east　part　of　China；　was　a　kind　of　prodigy。　Hence；　under　the　kings　of　Syria　and　Bactriana；　merchandise　was　conveyed　to　the　west　from　the　southern　parts　of　India；　by　the　river　Indus；　the　Oxus；　and　the　Caspian　Sea；　while　those　of　the　more　eastern　and　northern　parts　were　transported　from　Sera；　Peter's　tower；　and　other　staples；　as　far　as　the　Euphrates。　Those　merchants　directed　their　route　nearly　by　the　fortieth　degree　of　north　latitude；　through　countries　situated　to　the　west　of　China；　more　civilised　at　that　time　than　at　present；　because　they　had　not　as　yet　been　infested　by　the　Tartars。

Now　while　the　Syrian　empire　was　extending　its　trade　to　such　a　distance　by　land；　Egypt　did　not　greatly　enlarge　its　maritime　commerce。

The　Parthians　soon　after　appeared；　and　founded　their　empire；　and　when　Egypt　fell　under　the　power　of　the　Romans；　this　empire　was　at　its　height；　and　had　received　its　whole　extension。

The　Romans　and　Parthians　were　two　rival　nations；　that　fought　not　for　dominion　but　for　their　very　existence。　Between　the　two　empires　deserts　were　formed　and　armies　were　always　stationed　on　the　frontiers；　so　that　instead　of　there　being　any　commerce；　there　was　not　so　much　as　communication　between　them。　Ambition；　jealousy；　religion；　national　antipathy；　and　difference　of　manners　completed　the　separation。　Thus　the　trade　from　east　to　west；　which　had　formerly　so　many　channels；　was　reduced　to　one；　and　Alexandria　becoming　the　only　staple；　the　trade　to　this　city　was　immensely　enlarged。

We　shall　say　but　one　word　of　their　inland　trade。　Its　principal　branch　was　the　corn　brought　to　Rome　for　the　subsistence　of　the　people；　but　this　was　rather　a　political　affair　than　a　point　of　commerce。　On　this　account　the　sailors　were　favoured　with　some　privileges；　because　the　safety　of　the　empire　depended　on　their　vigilance。＇128＇

17。　Of　Commerce　after　the　Destruction　of　the　Western　Empire。　After　the　invasion　of　the　Roman　empire　one　effect　of　the　general　calamity　was　the　destruction　of　commerce。　The　barbarous　nations　at　first　regarded　it　only　as　an　opportunity　for　robbery；　and　when　they　had　subdued　the　Romans；　they　honoured　it　no　more　than　agriculture；　and　the　other　professions　of　a　conquered　people。

Soon　was　the　commerce　of　Europe　almost　entirely　lost。　The　nobility；　who　had　everywhere　the　direction　of　affairs；　were　in　no　pain　about　it。

The　laws　of　the　Visigoths＇129＇　permitted　private　people　to　occupy　half　the　beds　of　great　rivers；　provided　the　other　half　remained　free　for　nets　and　boats。　There　must　have　been　very　little　trade　in　countries　conquered　by　these　barbarians。

In　those　times　were　established　the　ridiculous　rights　of　escheatage　and　shipwrecks。　These　men　thought　that；　as　strangers　were　not　united　to　them　by　any　civil　law；　they　owed　them　on　the　one　hand　no　kind　of　justice；　and　on　the　other　no　sort　of　pity。

In　the　narrow　bounds　which　nature　had　originally　prescribed　to　the　people　of　the　north；　all　were　strangers　to　them：　and　in　their　poverty　they　regarded　all　only　as　contributing　to　their　riches。　Being　established；　before　their　conquest；　on　the　coasts　of　a　sea　of　very　little　breadth；　and　full　of　rocks；　from　these　very　rocks　they　drew　their　subsistence。

But　the　Romans；　who　made　laws　for　all　the　world；　had　established　the　most　humane　ones　with　regard　to　shipwrecks。＇130＇　They　suppressed　the　rapine　of　those　who　inhabited　the　coasts；　and　what　was　more　still；　the　rapacity　of　their　treasuries。＇131＇

18。　A　particular　Regulation。　The　law　of　the　Visigoths　made；　however；　one　regulation　in　favour　of　commerce。＇132＇　It　ordained　that　foreign　merchants　should　be　judged；　in　the　differences　that　arose　among　themselves；　by　the　laws　and　by　judges　of　their　own　nation。　This　was　founded　on　an　established　custom　among　all　mixed　people；　that　every　man　should　live　under　his　own　law　　a　custom　of　which　I　shall　speak　more　at　large　in　another　place。

19。　Of　Commerce　after　the　Decay　of　the　Roman　Power　in　the　East。　The　Mahomedans　appeared；　conquered；　extended；　and　dispersed　themselves。　Egypt　had　particular　sovereigns；　these　carried　on　the　commerce　of　India；　and　being　possessed　of　the　merchandise　of　this　country；　drew　to　themselves　the　riches　of　all　other　nations。　The　sultans　of　Egypt　were　the　most　powerful　princes　of　those　times。　History　informs　us　with　what　a　constant　and　well…regulated　force　they　stopped　the　ardour；　the　fire；　and　the　impetuosity　of　the　crusades。

20。　How　Commerce　broke　through　the　Barbarism　of　Europe。　Aristotle's　philosophy　being　carried　to　the　west；　pleased　the　subtle　geniuses　who　were　the　virtuosi　of　those　times　of　ignorance。　The　schoolmen　were　infatuated　with　it；　and　borrowed　from　that　philosopher＇133＇　a　great　many　notions　on　lending　upon　interest；　whereas　its　source　might　have　been　easily　traced　in　the　gospel；　in　short；　they　condemned　it　absolutely　and　in　all　cases。　Hence　commerce；　which　was　the　profession　only　of　mean　persons；　became　that　of　knaves；　for　whenever　a　thing　is　forbidden；　which　nature　permits　or　necessity　requires；　those　who　do　it　are　looked　upon　as　dishonest。

Commerce　was　transferred　to　a　nation　covered　with　infamy；　and　soon　ranked　with　the　most　shameful　usury；　with　monopolies；　with　the　levying　of　subsidies；　and　with　all　the　dishonest　means　of　acquiring　wealth。

The　Jews；　enriched　by　their　exactions；　were　pillaged　by　the　tyranny　of　princes；　which　pleased　indeed；　but　did　not　ease；　the　people。＇134＇

What　passed　in　England　may　serve　to　give　us　an　idea　of　what　was　done　in　other　countries。　King　John＇135＇　having　imprisoned　the　Jews；　in　order　to　obtain　their　wealth；　there　were　few　who　had　not　at　least　one　of　their　eyes　plucked　out。　Thus　did　that　king　administer　justice。　A　certain　Jew；　who　had　a　tooth　pulled　out　every　day　for　seven　days　successively；　gave　ten　thousand　marks　of　silver　for　the　eighth。　Henry　III　extorted　from　Aaron；　a　Jew　at　York；　fourteen　thousand　marks　of　silver；　and　ten　thousand　for　the　queen；　in　those　times　they　did　by　violence　what　is　now　done　in　Poland　with　some　semblance　of　moderation。　As　princes　could　not　dive　into　the　purses　of　their