the spirit of laws-第16章

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hows　we　are　not　of　a　mean　condition；　and　that　we　have　not　been　bred　with　those　who　in　all　ages　are　considered　the　scum　of　the　people。

Politeness；　in　monarchies；　is　naturalised　at　court。　One　man　excessively　great　renders　everybody　else　little。　Hence　that　regard　which　is　paid　to　our　fellow…subjects；　hence　that　politeness；　equally　pleasing　to　those　by　whom；　as　to　those　towards　whom；　it　is　practised；　because　it　gives　people　to　understand　that　a　person　actually　belongs；　or　at　least　deserves　to　belong；　to　the　court。

A　courtly　air　consists　in　quitting　a　real　for　a　borrowed　greatness。　The　latter　pleases　the　courtier　more　than　the　former。　It　inspires　him　with　a　certain　disdainful　modesty；　which　shows　itself　externally；　but　whose　pride　insensibly　diminishes　in　proportion　to　its　distance　from　the　source　of　this　greatness。

At　court　we　find　a　delicacy　of　taste　in　everything　　a　delicacy　arising　from　the　constant　use　of　the　superfluities　of　life；　from　the　variety；　and　especially　the　satiety；　of　pleasures；　from　the　multiplicity　and　even　confusion　of　fancies；　which；　if　they　are　but　agreeable；　are　sure　of　being　well　received。

These　are　the　things　which　properly　fall　within　the　province　of　education；　in　order　to　form　what　we　call　a　man　of　honour；　a　man　possessed　of　all　the　qualities　and　virtues　requisite　in　this　kind　of　government。

Here　it　is　that　honour　interferes　with　everything；　mixing　even　with　people's　manner　of　thinking；　and　directing　their　very　principles。

To　this　whimsical　honour　it　is　owing　that　the　virtues　are　only　just　what　it　pleases；　it　adds　rules　of　its　own　invention　to　everything　prescribed　to　us；　it　extends　or　limits　our　duties　according　to　its　own　fancy；　whether　they　proceed　from　religion；　politics；　or　morality。

There　is　nothing　so　strongly　inculcated　in　monarchies；　by　the　laws；　by　religion　and　honour；　as　submission　to　the　prince's　will；　but　this　very　honour　tells　us　that　the　prince　never　ought　to　command　a　dishonourable　action；　because　this　would　render　us　incapable　of　serving　him。

Crillon　refused　to　assassinate　the　Duke　of　Guise；　but　offered　to　fight　him。　After　the　massacre　of　St。　Bartholomew；　Charles　IX；　having　sent　orders　to　the　governors　in　the　several　provinces　for　the　Huguenots　to　be　murdered；　Viscount　Dorte；　who　commanded　at　Bayonne；　wrote　thus　to　the　king：＇1＇　〃Sire；　among　the　inhabitants　of　this　town；　and　your　majesty's　troops；　I　could　not　find　so　much　as　one　executioner；　they　are　honest　citizens　and　brave　soldiers。　We　jointly；　therefore；　beseech　your　majesty　to　command　our　arms　and　lives　in　things　that　are　practicable。〃　This　great　and　generous　soul　looked　upon　a　base　action　as　a　thing　impossible。

There　is　nothing　that　honour　more　strongly　recommends　to　the　nobility　than　to　serve　their　prince　in　a　military　capacity。　And；　indeed；　this　is　their　favourite　profession；　because　its　dangers；　its　success；　and　even　its　miscarriages　are　the　road　to　grandeur。　Yet　this　very　law　of　its　own　making　honour　chooses　to　explain：　and　in　case　of　any　affront；　it　requires　or　permits　us　to　retire。

It　insists　also　that　we　should　be　at　liberty　either　to　seek　or　to　reject　employments；　a　liberty　which　it　prefers　even　to　an　ample　fortune。

Honour　therefore　has　its　supreme　laws；　to　which　education　is　obliged　to　conform。＇2＇　The　chief　of　these　are　that　we　are　permitted　to　set　a　value　upon　our　fortune；　but　are　absolutely　forbidden　to　set　any　upon　our　lives。

The　second　is　that；　when　we　are　raised　to　a　post　or　preferment；　we　should　never　do　or　permit　anything　which　may　seem　to　imply　that　we　look　upon　ourselves　as　inferior　to　the　rank　we　hold。

The　third　is　that　those　things　which　honour　forbids　are　more　rigorously　forbidden；　when　the　laws　do　not　concur　in　the　prohibition；　and　those　it　commands　are　more　strongly　insisted　upon；　when　they　happen　not　to　be　commanded　by　law。

3。　Of　Education　in　a　Despotic　Government。　As　education　in　monarchies　tends　to　raise　and　ennoble　the　mind；　in　despotic　governments　its　only　aim　is　to　debase　it。　Here　it　must　necessarily　be　servile；　even　in　power　such　an　education　will　be　an　advantage；　because　every　tyrant　is　at　the　same　time　a　slave。

Excessive　obedience　supposes　ignorance　in　the　person　that　obeys：　the　same　it　supposes　in　him　that　commands；　for　he　has　no　occasion　to　deliberate；　to　doubt；　to　reason；　he　has　only　to　will。

In　despotic　states；　each　house　is　a　separate　government。　As　education；　therefore；　consists　chieflv　in　social　converse；　it　must　be　here　very　much　limited；　all　it　does　is　to　strike　the　heart　with　fear；　and　to　imprint　on　the　understanding　a　very　simple　notion　of　a　few　principles　of　religion。　Learning　here　proves　dangerous；　emulation　fatal；　and　as　to　virtue；　Aristotle＇3＇　cannot　think　that　there　is　any　one　virtue　belonging　to　slaves；　if　so；　education　in　despotic　countries　is　confined　within　a　very　narrow　compass。

Here；　therefore；　education　is　in　some　measure　needless：　to　give　something；　one　must　take　away　everything；　and　begin　with　making　a　bad　subject　in　order　to　make　a　good　slave。

For　why　should　education　take　pains　in　forming　a　good　citizen；　only　to　make　him　share　in　the　public　misery？　If　he　loves　his　country；　he　will　strive　to　relax　the　springs　of　government；　if　he　miscarries　he　will　be　undone；　if　he　succeeds；　he　must　expose　himself；　the　prince；　and　his　country　to　ruin。

4。　Difference　between　the　Effects　of　Ancient　and　Modern　Education。　Most　of　the　ancients　lived　under　governments　that　had　virtue　for　their　principle；　and　when　this　was　in　full　vigour　they　performed　actions　unusual　in　our　times；　and　at　which　our　narrow　minds　are　astonished。

Another　advantage　their　education　possessed　over　ours　was　that　it　never　could　be　effaced　by　contrary　impressions。　Epaminondas；　the　last　year　of　his　life；　said；　heard；　beheld；　and　performed　the　very　same　things　as　at　the　age　in　which　he　received　the　first　principles　of　his　education。

In　our　days　we　receive　three　different　or　contrary　educations；　namely；　of　our　parents；　of　our　masters；　and　of　the　world。　What　we　learn　in　the　latter　effaces　all　the　ideas　of　the　former。　This；　in　some　measure；　arises　from　the　contrast　we　experience　between　our　religious　and　worldly　engagements；　a　thing　unknown　to　the　ancients。

5。　Of　Education　in　a　Republican　Government。　It　is　in　a　republican　government　that　the　whole　power　of　education　is　required。　The　fear　of　despotic　governments　naturally　arises　of　itself　amidst　threats　and　punishments；　the　honour　of　monarchies　is　favoured　by　the　passions；　and　favours　them　in　its　turn；　but　virtue　is　a　self…renunciation；　which　is　ever　arduous　and　painful。

This　virtue　may　be　defined　as　the　love　of　the　laws　and　of　our　country。　As　such　love　requires　a　constant　preference　of　public　to　private　interest；　it　is　the　source　of　all　private　virtues；　for　they　are　nothing　more　than　this　very　preference　itself。

This　love　is　peculiar　to　democracies。　In　these　alone　the　government　is　entrusted　to　private　citizens。　Now　a　government　is　like　everything　else：　to　preserve　it　we　must　love　it。

Has　it　ever　been　known　that　kings　were　not　fond　of　monarchy；　or　that　despotic　princes　hated　arbitrary　power？

Everything　therefore　depends　on　establishing　this　love　in　a　republic；　and　to　inspire　it　ought　to　be　the　principal　business　of　education：　but　the　surest　way　of　instilling　it　into　children　is　for　parents　to　set　them　an　example。

People　have　it　generally　in　their　power　to　communicate　their　ideas　to　their　children；　but　they　are　still　better　able　to　transfuse　their　passions。

If　it　happens　otherwise；　it　is　because　the　impressions　made　at　home　are　effaced　by　those　they　have　received　abroad。

It　is　not　the　young　people　that　degenerate；　they　are　not　spoiled　till　those　of　maturer　age　are　already　sunk　into　corruption。

6。　Of　some　Institutions　among　the　Greeks。　The　ancient　Greeks；　convinced　of　the　necessity　that　people　who　live　under　a　popular　government　should　be　trained　up　to　virtue；　made　very　singular　institutions　in　order　to　inspire　it。　Upon　seeing　in　the　life　of　Lycurgus　the　laws　that　legislator　gave　to　the　Laced？monians；　I　imagine　I　am　reading　the　history　of　the　Sevarambes。　The　laws　of　Crete　were　the　model　of　those　of　Sparta；　and　those　of　Plato　reformed　them。

Let　us　reflect　here　a　little　on　the　extensive　genius　with　whi