the spirit of laws-第134章

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14。　In　what　instances　Marriages　between　Relatives　shall　be　regulated　by　the　Laws　of　Nature：　and　in　what　instances　by　the　civil　Laws。　With　regard　to　the　prohibition　of　marriage　between　relatives；　it　is　a　thing　extremely　delicate　to　fix　exactly　the　point　at　which　the　laws　of　nature　stop　and　where　the　civil　laws　begin。　For　this　purpose　we　must　establish　some　principles。

The　marriage　of　the　son　with　the　mother　confounds　the　state　of　things：　the　son　ought　to　have　an　unlimited　respect　for　his　mother；　the　wife　an　unlimited　respect　for　her　husband；　therefore　the　marriage　of　the　mother　to　her　son　would　subvert　the　natural　state　of　both。

Besides；　nature　has　forwarded　in　women　the　time　in　which　they　are　able　to　have　children；　but　has　retarded　it　in　men；　and；　for　the　same　reason；　women　sooner　lose　this　ability　and　men　later。　If　the　marriage　between　the　mother　and　the　son　were　permitted；　it　would　almost　always　be　the　case　that　when　the　husband　was　capable　of　entering　into　the　views　of　nature；　the　wife　would　be　incapable。

The　marriage　between　the　father　and　the　daughter　is　contrary　to　nature；　as　well　as　the　other；　but　it　is　not　less　contrary；　because　it　has　not　these　two　obstacles。　Thus　the　Tartars；　who　may　marry　their　daughters；＇32＇　never　marry　their　mothers；　as　we　see　in　the　accounts　we　have　of　that　nation。＇33＇

It　has　ever　been　the　natural　duty　of　fathers　to　watch　over　the　chastity　of　their　children。　Entrusted　with　the　care　of　their　education；　they　are　obliged　to　preserve　the　body　in　the　greatest　perfection；　and　the　mind　from　the　least　corruption；　to　encourage　whatever　has　a　tendency　to　inspire　them　with　virtuous　desires；　and　to　nourish　a　becoming　tenderness。　Fathers；　always　employed　in　preserving　the　morals　of　their　children；　must　have　a　natural　aversion　to　everything　that　can　render　them　corrupt。　Marriage；　you　will　say；　is　not　a　corruption；　but　before　marriage　they　must　speak；　they　must　make　their　persons　beloved；　they　must　seduce；　it　is　this　seduction　which　ought　to　inspire　us　with　horror。

There　should　be　therefore　an　insurmountable　barrier　between　those　who　ought　to　give　the　education；　and　those　who　are　to　receive　it；　in　order　to　prevent　every　kind　of　corruption；　even　though　the　motive　be　lawful。　Why　do　fathers　so　carefully　deprive　those　who　are　to　marry　their　daughters　of　their　company　and　familiarity？

The　horror　that　arises　against　the　incest　of　the　brother　with　the　sister　should　proceed　from　the　same　source。　The　desire　of　fathers　and　mothers　to　preserve　the　morals　of　their　children　and　families　untainted　is　sufficient　to　inspire　their　offspring　with　a　detestation　of　everything　that　can　lead　to　the　union　of　the　two　sexes。

The　prohibition　of　marriage　between　cousins…german　has　the　same　origin。　In　the　early　ages；　that　is；　in　the　times　of　innocence；　in　the　ages　when　luxury　was　unknown；　it　was　customary　for　children＇34＇　upon　their　marriage　not　to　remove　from　their　parents；　but　settle　in　the　same　house；　as　a　small　habitation　was　at　that　time　sufficient　for　a　large　family；　the　children　of　two　brothers；　or　cousins…german；＇35＇　were　considered　both　by　others　and　themselves　as　brothers。　The　estrangement　then　between　the　brothers　and　sisters　as　to　marriage　subsisted　also　between　the　cousins…german。＇36＇　These　principles　are　so　strong　and　no　natural　that　they　have　had　their　influence　almost　over　all　the　earth；　independently　of　any　communication。　It　was　not　the　Romans　who　taught　the　inhabitants　of　Formosa＇37＇　that　the　marriage　of　relatives　of　the　fourth　degree　was　incestuous；　it　was　not　the　Romans　that　communicated　this　sentiment　to　the　Arabs；＇38＇　it　was　not　they　who　taught　it　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　Maldivian　islands。＇39＇

But　if　some　nations　have　not　rejected　marriages　between　fathers　and　children；　sisters　and　brothers；　we　have　seen　in　the　first　book；　that　intelligent　beings　do　not　always　follow　the　law　of　nature。　Who　could　have　imagined　it！　Religious　ideas　have　frequently　made　men　fall　into　these　mistakes。　If　the　Assyrians　and　the　Persians　married　their　mothers；　the　first　were　influenced　by　a　religious　respect　for　Semiramis；　and　the　second　did　it　because　the　religion　of　Zoroaster　gave　a　preference　to　these　marriages。＇40＇　If　the　Egyptians　married　their　sisters；　it　proceeded　from　the　wildness　of　the　Egyptian　religion；　which　consecrated　these　marriages　in　honour　of　Isis。　As　the　spirit　of　religion　leads　us　to　attempt　whatever　is　great　and　difficult；　we　cannot　infer　that　a　thing　is　natural　from　its　being　consecrated　by　a　false　religion。

The　principle　which　informs　us　that　marriages　between　fathers　and　children；　between　brothers　and　sisters；　are　prohibited　in　order　to　preserve　natural　modesty　in　families　will　help　us　to　the　discovery　of　those　marriages　that　are　forbidden　by　the　law　of　nature；　and　of　those　which　can　be　so　only　by　the　civil　law。

As　children　dwell；　or　are　supposed　to　dwell　in　their　father's　house；　and　consequently　the　son…in…law　with　the　mother…in…law；　the　father…in…law　with　the　daughter…in…law；　or　wife's　daughter；　the　marriage　between　them　is　forbidden　by　the　law　of　nature；　in　this　case　the　resemblance　has　the　same　effect　as　the　reality；　because　it　springs　from　the　same　cause；　the　civil　law　neither　can；　nor　ought　to　permit　these　marriages。

There　are　nations；　as　we　have　already　observed；　among　whom　cousins…german　are　considered　as　brothers；　because　they　commonly　dwell　in　the　same　house；　there　are　others　where　this　custom　is　not　known。　Among　the　first　the　marriage　of　cousins…german　ought　to　be　regarded　as　contrary　to　nature；　not　so　among　the　others。

But　the　laws　of　nature　cannot　be　local。　Therefore；　when　these　marriages　are　forbidden　or　permitted；　they　are；　according　to　the　circumstances；　permitted　or　forbidden　by　a　civil　law。

It　is　not　a　necessary　custom　for　the　brother…in…law　and　the　sister…in…law　to　dwell　in　the　same　house。　The　marriage　between　them　is　not　then　prohibited　to　preserve　chastity　in　the　family；　and　the　law　which　forbids　or　permits　it　is　not　a　law　of　nature；　but　a　civil　law；　regulated　by　circumstances　and　dependent　on　the　customs　of　each　country：　these　are　cases　in　which　the　laws　depend　on　the　morals；　or　customs　of　the　inhabitants。

The　civil　laws　forbid　marriages　when　by　the　customs　received　in　a　certain　country　they　are　found　to　be　in　the　same　circumstances　as　those　forbidden　by　the　law　of　nature；　and　they　permit　them　when　this　is　not　the　case。　The　prohibitions　of　the　laws　of　nature　are　invariable；　because　the　thing　on　which　they　depend　is　invariable；　the　father；　the　mother　and　the　children　necessarily　dwell　in　the　same　house。　But　the　prohibitions　of　the　civil　laws　are　accidental　because　they　depend　on　an　accidental　circumstance；　cousins…german　and　others　dwelling　in　the　house　by　accident。

This　explains　why　the　laws　of　Moses；　those　of　the　Egyptians；＇41＇　and　of　many　other　nations　permitted　the　marriage　of　the　brother…in…law　with　the　sister…in…law；　whilst　these　very　marriages　were　disallowed　by　other　nations。

In　the　Indies　they　have　a　very　natural　reason　for　admitting　this　sort　of　marriages。　The　uncle　is　there　considered　as　the　father　and　is　obliged　to　maintain　and　educate　his　nephew　as　if　he　were　his　own　child；　this　proceeds　from　the　disposition　of　this　people；　which　is　good…natured　and　full　of　humanity。　This　law　or　this　custom　has　produced　another；　if　a　husband　has　lost　his　wife；　he　does　not　fail　to　marry　her　sister：＇42＇　which　is　extremely　natural；　for　his　new　consort　becomes　the　mother　of　her　sister's　children；　and　not　a　cruel　stepmother。

15。　That　we　should　not　regulate　by　the　Principles　of　political　Law　those　Things　which　depend　on　the　Principles　of　civil　Law。　As　men　have　given　up　their　natural　independence　to　live　under　political　laws；　they　have　given　up　the　natural　community　of　goods　to　live　under　civil　laws。

By　the　first；　they　acquired　liberty；　by　the　second；　property。　We　should　not　decide　by　the　laws　of　liberty；　which；　as　we　have　already　said；　is　only　the　government　of　the　community；　what　ought　to　be　decided　by　the　laws　concerning　property。　It　is　a　paralogism　to　say　that　the　good　of　the　individual　should　give　way　to　that　of　the　public；　this　can　never　take　place；　except　when　the　government　of　the　community；　or；　in　other　words；　the　liberty　of　the　subject　is　concerned；