the spirit of laws-第38章

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5。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　Aristocracy。　Aristocracy　is　corrupted　if　the　power　of　the　nobles　becomes　arbitrary：　when　this　is　the　case；　there　can　no　longer　be　any　virtue　either　in　the　governors　or　the　governed。

If　the　reigning　families　observe　the　laws；　it　is　a　monarchy　with　several　monarchs；　and　in　its　own　nature　one　of　the　most　excellent；　for　almost　all　these　monarchs　are　tied　down　by　the　laws。　But　when　they　do　not　observe　them；　it　is　a　despotic　state　swayed　by　a　great　many　despotic　princes。

In　the　latter　case；　the　republic　consists　only　in　the　nobles。　The　body　governing　is　the　republic；　and　the　body　governed　is　the　despotic　state；　which　forms　two　of　the　most　heterogeneous　bodies　in　the　world。

The　extremity　of　corruption　is　when　the　power　of　the　nobles　becomes　hereditary；＇6＇　for　then　they　can　hardly　have　any　moderation。　If　they　are　only　a　few；　their　power　is　greater；　but　their　security　less：　if　they　are　a　larger　number；　their　power　is　less；　and　their　security　greater；　insomuch　that　power　goes　on　increasing；　and　security　diminishing；　up　to　the　very　despotic　prince　who　is　encircled　with　excess　of　power　and　danger。

The　great　number；　therefore；　of　nobles　in　an　hereditary　aristocracy　renders　the　government　less　violent：　but　as　there　is　less　virtue；　they　fall　into　a　spirit　of　supineness　and　negligence；　by　which　the　state　loses　all　its　strength　and　activity。＇7＇

An　aristocracy　may　maintain　the　full　vigour　of　its　constitution　if　the　laws　be　such　as　are　apt　to　render　the　nobles　more　sensible　of　the　perils　and　fatigues　than　of　the　pleasure　of　command：　and　if　the　government　be　in　such　a　situation　as　to　have　something　to　dread；　while　security　shelters　under　its　protection；　and　uncertainty　threatens　from　abroad。

As　a　certain　kind　of　confidence　forms　the　glory　and　stability　of　monarchies；　republics；　on　the　contrary；　must　have　something　to　apprehend。＇8＇　A　fear　of　the　Persians　supported　the　laws　of　Greece。　Carthage　and　Rome　were　alarmed；　and　strengthened　by　each　other。　Strange；　that　the　greater　security　those　states　enjoyed；　the　more；　like　stagnated　waters；　they　were　subject　to　corruption！

6。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　Monarchy。　As　democracies　are　subverted　when　the　people　despoil　the　senate；　the　magistrates；　the　judges　of　their　functions；　so　monarchies　are　corrupted　when　the　prince　insensibly　deprives　societies　or　cities　of　their　privileges。　In　the　former　case　the　multitude　usurp　the　power；　in　the　latter　it　is　usurped　by　a　single　person。

〃The　destruction　of　the　dynasties　of　Tsin　and　Soui；〃　says　a　Chinese　author；　〃was　owing　to　this：　the　princes；　instead　of　confining　themselves；　like　their　ancestors；　to　a　general　inspection；　the　only　one　worthy　of　a　sovereign；　wanted　to　govern　everything　immediately　by　themselves。〃＇9＇　The　Chinese　author　gives　us　in　this　instance　the　cause　of　the　corruption　of　almost　all　monarchies。

Monarchy　is　destroyed　when　a　prince　thinks　he　shows　a　greater　exertion　of　power　in　changing　than　in　conforming　to　the　order　of　things；　when　he　deprives　some　of　his　subjects　of　their　hereditary　employments　to　bestow　them　arbitrarily　upon　others；　and　when　he　is　fonder　of　being　guided　by　fancy　than　judgment。

Again；　it　is　destroyed　when　the　prince；　directing　everything　entirely　to　himself；　calls　the　state　to　his　capital；　the　capital　to　his　court；　and　the　court　to　his　own　person。

It　is　destroyed；　in　fine；　when　the　prince　mistakes　his　authority；　his　situation　and　the　love　of　his　people；　and　when　he　is　not　fully　persuaded　that　a　monarch　ought　to　think　himself　secure；　as　a　despotic　prince　ought　to　think　himself　in　danger。

7。　The　same　Subject　continued。　The　principle　of　monarchy　is　corrupted　when　the　first　dignities　are　marks　of　the　first　servitude；　when　the　great　men　are　deprived　of　public　respect；　and　rendered　the　low　tools　of　arbitrary　power。

It　is　still　more　corrupted　when　honour　is　set　up　in　contradiction　to　honours；　and　when　men　are　capable　of　being　loaded　at　the　very　same　time　with　infamy＇10＇　and　with　dignities。

It　is　corrupted　when　the　prince　changes　his　justice　into　severity；　when　he　puts；　like　the　Roman　emperors；　a　Medusa's　head　on　his　breast；＇11＇　and　when　he　assumes　that　menacing　and　terrible　air　which　Commodus　ordered　to　be　given　to　his　statues。＇12＇

Again；　it　is　corrupted　when　mean　and　abject　souls　grow　vain　of　the　pomp　attending　their　servitude；　and　imagine　that　the　motive　which　induces　them　to　be　entirely　devoted　to　their　prince　exempts　them　from　all　duty　to　their　country。

But　if　it　be　true　（and　indeed　the　experience　of　all　ages　has　shown　it）　that　in　proportion　as　the　power　of　the　monarch　becomes　boundless　and　immense；　his　security　diminishes；　is　the　corrupting　of　this　power；　and　the　altering　of　its　very　nature；　a　less　crime　than　that　of　high　treason　against　the　prince？

8。　Danger　of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　monarchical　Government。　The　danger　is　not　when　the　state　passes　from　one　moderate　to　another　moderate　government；　as　from　a　republic　to　a　monarchy；　or　from　a　monarchy　to　a　republic；　but　when　it　is　precipitated　from　a　moderate　to　a　despotic　government。

Most　of　the　European　nations　are　still　governed　by　the　principles　of　morality。　But　if　from　a　long　abuse　of　power　or　the　fury　of　conquest；　despotic　sway　should　prevail　to　a　certain　degree；　neither　morals　nor　climate　would　be　able　to　withstand　its　baleful　influence：　and　then　human　nature　would　be　exposed；　for　some　time　at　least；　even　in　this　beautiful　part　of　the　world；　to　the　insults　with　which　she　has　been　abused　in　the　other　three。

9。　How　ready　the　Nobility　are　to　defend　the　Throne。　The　English　nobility　buried　themselves　with　Charles　the　First　under　the　ruins　of　the　throne；　and　before　that　time；　when　Philip　the　Second　endeavoured　to　tempt　the　French　with　the　allurement　of　liberty；　the　crown　was　constantly　supported　by　a　nobility　who　think　it　an　honour　to　obey　a　king；　but　consider　it　as　the　lowest　disgrace　to　share　the　power　with　the　people。

The　house　of　Austria　has　ever　used　her　endeavours　to　oppress　the　Hungarian　nobility；　little　thinking　how　serviceable　that　very　nobility　would　be　one　day　to　her。　She　would　fain　have　drained　their　country　of　money；　of　which　they　had　no　plenty；　but　took　no　notice　of　the　men；　with　whom　it　abounded。　When　princes　combined　to　dismember　her　dominions；　the　several　parts　of　that　monarchy　fell　motionless；　as　it　were　one　upon　another。　No　life　was　then　to　be　seen　but　in　those　very　nobles；　who；　resenting　the　affronts　offered　to　the　sovereign；　and　forgetting　the　injuries　done　to　themselves；　took　up　arms　to　avenge　her　cause；　and　considered　it　the　highest　glory　bravely　to　die　and　to　forgive。

10。　Of　the　Corruption　of　the　Principle　of　despotic　Government。　The　principle　of　despotic　government　is　subject　to　a　continual　corruption；　because　it　is　even　in　its　nature　corrupt。　Other　governments　are　destroyed　by　particular　accidents；　which　do　violence　to　the　principles　of　each　constitution；　this　is　ruined　by　its　own　intrinsic　imperfections；　when　some　accidental　causes　do　not　prevent　the　corrupting　of　its　principles。　It　maintains　itself　therefore　only　when　circumstances；　drawn　from　the　climate；　religion；　situation；　or　genius　of　the　people；　oblige　it　to　conform　to　order；　and　to　admit　of　some　rule。　By　these　things　its　nature　is　forced　without　being　changed；　its　ferocity　remains；　and　it　is　made　tame　and　tractable　only　for　a　time。

11。　Natural　Effects　of　the　Goodness　and　Corruption　of　the　Principles　of　Government。　When　once　the　principles　of　government　are　corrupted；　the　very　best　laws　become　bad；　and　turn　against　the　state：　but　when　the　principles　are　sound；　even　bad　laws　have　the　same　effect　as　good；　the　force　of　the　principle　draws　everything　to　it。

The　inhabitants　of　Crete　used　a　very　singular　method　to　keep　the　principal　magistrates　dependent　on　the　laws；　which　was　that　of　Insurrection。　Part　of　the　citizens　rose　up　in　arms；＇13＇　put　the　magistrates　to　flight；　and　obliged　them　to　return　to　a　private　life。　This　was　supposed　to　be　done　in　consequence　of　the　law。　One　would　have　imagined　that　an　institution　of　this　nature；　which　established　sedition　to　hinder　the　abuse　of　power；　would　have　subverted　any　republic　whatsoever；　and　yet　it　did　not　subvert　that　of　Crete。　The　reason　is