the spirit of laws-第34章

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　proportion　to　the　inequality　of　fortunes；　and　that　luxury；　as　we　have　already　observed；　should　increase　in　this　proportion。　The　augmentation　of　private　wealth　is　owing　to　its　having　deprived　one　part　of　the　citizens　of　their　necessary　support；　this　must　therefore　be　restored　to　them。

Hence　it　is　that　for　the　preservation　of　a　monarchical　state；　luxury　ought　continually　to　increase；　and　to　grow　more　extensive；　as　it　rises　from　the　labourer　to　the　artificer；　to　the　merchant；　to　the　magistrate；　to　the　nobility；　to　the　great　officers　of　state；　up　to　the　very　prince；　otherwise　the　nation　will　be　undone。

In　the　reign　of　Augustus；　a　proposal　was　made　in　the　Roman　senate；　which　was　composed　of　grave　magistrates；　learned　civilians；　and　of　men　whose　heads　were　filled　with　the　notion　of　the　primitive　times；　to　reform　the　manners　and　luxury　of　women。　It　is　curious　to　see　in　Dio；＇7＇　with　what　art　this　prince　eluded　the　importunate　solicitations　of　those　senators。　This　was　because　he　was　founding　a　monarchy；　and　dissolving　a　republic。

Under　Tiberius；　the　？diles　proposed　in　the　senate　the　re…establishment　of　the　ancient　sumptuary　laws。＇8＇　This　prince；　who　did　not　want　sense；　opposed　it。　〃The　state；〃　said　he；　〃could　not　possibly　subsist　in　the　present　situation　of　things。　How　could　Rome；　how　could　the　provinces；　live？　We　were　frugal；　while　we　were　only　masters　of　one　city；　now　we　consume　the　riches　of　the　whole　globe；　and　employ　both　the　masters　and　their　slaves　in　our　service。〃　He　plainly　saw　that　sumptuary　laws　would　not　suit　the　present　form　of　government。

When　a　proposal　was　made　under　the　same　emperor　to　the　senate；　to　prohibit　the　governors　from　carrying　their　wives　with　them　into　the　provinces；　because　of　the　dissoluteness　and　irregularity　which　followed　those　ladies；　the　proposal　was　rejected。　It　was　said　that　the　examples　of　ancient　austerity　had　been　changed　into　a　more　agreeable　method　of　living。＇9＇　They　found　there　was　a　necessity　for　different　manners。

Luxury　is　therefore　absolutely　necessary　in　monarchies；　as　it　is　also　in　despotic　states。　In　the　former；　it　is　the　use　of　liberty；　in　the　latter；　it　is　the　abuse　of　servitude。　A　slave　appointed　by　his　master　to　tyrannise　over　other　wretches　of　the　same　condition；　uncertain　of　enjoying　tomorrow　the　blessings　of　to…day；　has　no　other　felicity　than　that　of　glutting　the　pride；　the　passions；　and　voluptuousness　of　the　present　moment。

Hence　arises　a　very　natural　reflection。　Republics　end　with　luxury；　monarchies　with　poverty。＇10＇

5。　In　what　Cases　sumptuary　Laws　are　useful　in　a　Monarchy。　Whether　it　was　from　a　republican　spirit；　or　from。　some　other　particular　circumstance；　sumptuary　laws　were　made　in　Aragon；　in　the　middle　of　the　thirteenth　century。　James　the　First　ordained　that　neither　the　king　nor　any　of　his　subjects　should　have　above　two　sorts　of　dishes　at　a　meal；　and　that　each　dish　should　be　dressed　only　one　way；　except　it　were　game　of　their　own　killing。＇11＇

In　our　days；　sumptuary　laws　have　been　also　enacted　in　Sweden；　but　with　a　different　view　from　those　of　Aragon。

A　government　may　make　sumptuary　laws　with　a　view　to　absolute　frugality；　this　is　the　spirit　of　sumptuary　laws　in　republics；　and　the　very　nature　of　the　thing　shows　that　such　was　the　design　of　those　of　Aragon。

Sumptuary　laws　may　likewise　be　established　with　a　design　to　promote　a　relative　frugality：　when　a　government；　perceiving　that　foreign　merchandise；　being　at　too　high　a　price；　will　require　such　an　exportation　of　home　manufactures　as　to　deprive　them　of　more　advantages　by　the　loss　of　the　latter　than　they　can　receive　from　the　possession　of　the　former；　they　will　forbid　their　being　introduced。　And　this　is　the　spirit　of　the　laws　which　in　our　days　have　been　passed　in　Sweden。＇12＇　Such　are　the　sumptuary　laws　proper　for　monarchies。

In　general；　the　poorer　a　state；　the　more　it　is　ruined　by　its　relative　luxury；　and　consequently　the　more　occasion　it　has　for　relative　sumptuary　laws。　The　richer　a　state；　the　more　it　thrives　by　its　relative　luxury；　for　which　reason　it　must　take　particular　care　not　to　make　any　relative　sumptuary　laws。　This　we　shall　better　explain　in　the　book　on　commerce；＇13＇　here　we　treat　only　of　absolute　luxury。

6。　Of　the　Luxury　of　China。　Sumptuary　laws　may；　in　some　governments；　be　necessary　for　particular　reasons。　The　people；　by　the　influence　of　the　climate；　may　grow　so　numerous；　and　the　means　of　subsisting　may　be　so　uncertain；　as　to　render　a　universal　application　to　agriculture　extremely　necessary。　As　luxury　in　those　countries　is　dangerous；　their　sumptuary　laws　should　be　very　severe。　In　order；　therefore；　to　be　able　to　judge　whether　luxury　ought　to　be　encouraged　or　proscribed；　we　should　examine　first　what　relation　there　is　between　the　number　of　people　and　the　facility　they　have　of　procuring　subsistence。　In　England　the　soil　produces　more　grain　than　is　necessary　for　the　maintenance　of　such　as　cultivate　the　land；　and　of　those　who　are　employed　in　the　woollen　manufactures。　This　country　may　be　therefore　allowed　to　have　some　trifling　arts；　and　consequently　luxury。　In　France；　likewise；　there　is　corn　enough　for　the　support　of　the　husbandman　and　of　the　manufacturer。　Besides；　a　foreign　trade　may　bring　in　so　many　necessaries　in　return　for　toys　that　there　is　no　danger　to　be　apprehended　from　luxury。

On　the　contrary；　in　China；　the　women　are　so　prolific；　and　the　huma。n　species　multiplies　so　fast；　that　the　lands；　though　never　so　much　cultivated；　are　scarcely　sufficient　to　support　the　inhabitants。　Here；　therefore；　luxury　is　pernicious；　and　the　spirit　of　industry　and　economy　is　as　requisite　as　in　any　republic。＇14＇　They　are　obliged　to　pursue　the　necessary　arts；　and　to　shun　those　ot　luxury　and　pleasure。

This　is　the　spirit　of　the　excellent　decrees　of　the　Chinese　emperors。　〃Our　ancestors；〃　says　an　emperor　of　the　family　of　the　Tangs＇15＇　〃held　it　as　a　maxim　that　if　there　was　a　man　who　did　not　work；　or　a　woman　that　was　idle；　somebody　must　suffer　cold　or　hunger　in　the　empire。〃　And　on　this　principle　he　ordered　a　vast　number　of　the　monasteries　of　Bonzes　to　be　destroyed。

The　third　emperor　of　the　one…and…twentieth　dynasty；＇16＇　to　whom　some　precious　stones　were　brought　that　had　been　found　in　a　mine；　ordered　it　to　be　shut　up；　not　choosing　to　fatigue　his　people　with　working　for　a　thing　that　could　neither　feed　nor　clothe　them。

〃So　great　is　our　luxury；〃　says　Kiayventi；＇17＇　〃that　people　adorn　with　embroidery　the　shoes　of　boys　and　girls；　whom　they　are　obliged　to　sell。〃　Is　employing　so　many　people　in　making　clothes　for　one　person　the　way　to　prevent　a　great　many　from　wanting　clothes？　There　are　ten　men　who　eat　the　fruits　of　the　earth　to　one　employed　in　agriculture；　and　is　this　the　means　of　preserving　numbers　from　wanting　nourishment？

7。　Fatal　Consequence　of　Luxury　in　China。　In　the　history　of　China　we　find　it　has　had　twenty…two　successive　dynasties；　that　is；　it　has　experienced　twenty…two　general；　without　mentioning　a　prodigious　number　of　particular；　revolutions。　The　first　three　dynasties　lasted　a　long　time；　because　they　were　wisely　administered；　and　the　empire　had　not　so　great　an　extent　as　it　afterwards　obtained。　But　we　may　observe　in　general　that　all　those　dynasties　began　very　well。　Virtue；　attention；　and　vigilance　are　necessary　in　China；　these　prevailed　in　the　commencement　of　the　dynasties；　and　failed　in　the　end。　It　was　natural　that　emperors　trained　up　in　military　toil；　who　had　compassed　the　dethroning　of　a　family　immersed　in　pleasure；　should　adhere　to　virtue；　which　they　had　found　so　advantageous；　and　be　afraid　of　voluptuousness；　which　they　knew　had　proved　so　fatal　to　the　family　dethroned。　But　after　the　three　or　four　first　princes；　corruption；　luxury；　indolence；　and　pleasure　possessed　their　successors；　they　shut　themselves　up　in　a　palace；　their　understanding　was　impaired；　their　life　was　shortened；　the　family　declined；　the　grandees　rose　up；　the　eunuchs　gained　credit；　none　but　children　were　set　on　the　throne；　the　palace　was　at　variance　with　the　empire；　a　lazy　set　of　people　that　dwelt　there　ruined　the　industrious　part　of　the　nation；　the　emperor　was　killed　or　destroyed　by　a　usurper；　who　founded　a　family；　the　third　or　fourth　successor　of　which　went　and　shut　himself　up　in　the　very　same　palace。

8。　Of　public　Continency。　So　many