the spirit of laws-第60章

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Let　us　go　and　serve　other　gods；'　thou　shalt　surely　kill　him；　thou　shalt　stone　him。〃＇48＇　This　law　of　Deuteronomy　cannot　be　a　civil　law　among　most　of　the　nations　known　to　us；　because　it　would　pave　the　way　for　all　manner　of　wickedness。

No　less　severe　is　the　law　of　several　countries　which　commands　the　subjects；　on　pain　of　death；　to　disclose　conspiracies　in　which　they　are　not　even　so　much　as　concerned。　When　such　a　law　is　established　in　a　monarchical　government；　it　is　very　proper　it　should　be　under　some　restrictions。

It　ought　not　to　be　applied　in　its　full　severity　save　to　the　strongest　cases　of　high　treason。　In　those　countries　it　is　of　the　utmost　importance　not　to　confound　the　different　degrees　of　this　crime。　In　Japan；　where　the　laws　subvert　every　idea　of　human　reason；　the　crime　of　concealment　is　applied　even　to　the　most　ordinary　cases。

A　certain　relation＇49＇　makes　mention　of　two　young　ladies　who　were　shut　up　for　life　in　a　box　thick　set　with　pointed　nails；　one　for　having　had　a　love　intrigue；　and　the　other　for　not　disclosing　it。

18。　How　dangerous　it　is　in　Republics　to　be　too　severe　in　punishing　the　Crime　of　High　Treason。　As　soon　as　a　republic　has　compassed　the　destruction　of　those　who　wanted　to　subvert　it；　there　should　be　an　end　of　terrors；　punishments；　and　even　of　rewards。

Great　punishments；　and　consequently　great　changes；　cannot　take　place　without　investing　some　citizens　with　an　exorbitant　power。　It　is；　therefore；　more　advisable　in　this　case　to　exceed　in　lenity　than　in　severity；　to　banish　but　few；　rather　than　many；　and　to　leave　them　their　estates；　instead　of　making　a　vast　number　of　confiscations。　Under　pretence　of　avenging　the　republic's　cause；　the　avengers　would　establish　tyranny。　The　business　is　not　to　destroy　the　rebel；　but　the　rebellion。　They　ought　to　return　as　quickly　as　possible　into　the　usual　track　of　government；　in　which　every　one　is　protected　by　the　laws；　and　no　one　injured。

The　Greeks　set　no　bounds　to　the　vengeance　they　took　upon　tyrants；　or　of　those　they　suspected　of　tyranny；　they　put　their　children　to　death；＇50＇　nay；　sometimes　five　of　their　nearest　relatives；＇51＇　and　they　proscribed　an　infinite　number　of　families。　By　such　means　their　republics　suffered　the　most　violent　shocks：　exiles；　or　the　return　of　the　exiled；　were　always　epochs　that　indicated　a　change　of　the　constitution。

The　Romans　had　more　sense。　When　Cassius　was　put　to　death　for　having　aimed　at　tyranny；　the　question　was　proposed　whether　his　children　should　undergo　the　same　fate：　but　they　were　preserved。　〃They；〃　says　Dionysius　Halicarnassus；＇52＇　〃who　wanted　to　change　this　law　at　the　end　of　the　Marsian　and　civil　wars；　and　to　exclude　from　public　offices　the　children　of　those　who　had　been　proscribed　by　Sulla；　are　very　much　to　blame。〃

We　find　in　the　wars　of　Marius　and　Sulla　to　what　excess　the　Romans　had　gradually　carried　their　barbarity。　Such　scenes　of　cruelty　it　was　hoped　would　never　be　revived。　But　under　the　triumvirs　they　committed　greater　acts　of　oppression；　though　with　some　appearance　of　lenity；　and　it　is　provoking　to　see　what　sophisms　they　made　use　of　to　cover　their　inhumanity。　Appian　has　given　us＇53＇　the　formula　of　the　proscriptions。　One　would　imagine　they　had　no　other　aim　than　the　good　of　the　republic；　with　such　calmness　do　they　express　themselves；　such　advantages　do　they　point　out　to　the　state；　such　expediency　do　they　show　in　the　means　they　adopt；　such　security　do　they　promise　to　the　opulent；　such　tranquillity　to　the　poor；　so　apprehensive　do　they　seem　of　endangering　the　lives　of　the　citizens；　so　desirous　of　appeasing　the　soldiers；　such　felicity；　in　fine；　do　they　presage　to　the　commonwealth。

Rome　was　drenched　in　blood　when　Lepidus　triumphed　over　Spain：　yet；　by　an　unparalleled　absurdity；　he　ordered　public　rejoicings　in　that　city；　upon　pain　of　proscription。

19。　In　what　Manner　the　Use　of　Liberty　is　suspended　in　a　Republic。　In　countries　where　liberty　is　most　esteemed；　there　are　laws　by　which　a　single　person　is　deprived　of　it；　in　order　to　preserve　it　for　the　whole　community。　Such　are　in　England　what　they　call　Bills　of　Attainder。＇54＇

These　are　in　relation　to　those　Athenian　laws　by　which　a　private　person　was　condemned；＇55＇　provided　they　were　made　by　the　unanimous　suffrage　of　six　thousand　citizens。　They　are　in　relation　also　to　those　laws　which　were　made　at　Rome　against　private　citizens；　and　were　called　privileges。＇56＇　These　were　never　passed　except　in　the　great　meetings　of　the　people。　But　in　what　manner　soever　they　were　enacted；　Cicero　was　for　having　them　abolished；　because　the　force　of　a　law　consists　in　its　being　made　for　the　whole　community。＇57＇　I　must　own；　notwithstanding；　that　the　practice　of　the　freest　nation　that　ever　existed　induces　me　to　think　that　there　are　cases　in　which　a　veil　should　be　drawn　for　a　while　over　liberty；　as　it　was　customary　to　cover　the　statues　of　the　gods。

20。　Of　Laws　favourable　to　the　Liberty　of　the　Subject　in　a　Republic。　In　popular　governments　it　often　happens　that　accusations　are　carried　on　in　public；　and　every　man　is　allowed　to　accuse　whomsoever　he　pleases。　This　rendered　it　necessary　to　establish　proper　laws；　in　order　to　protect　the　innocence　of　the　subject。　At　Athens；　if　an　accuser　had　not　the　fifth　part　of　the　votes　on　his　side；　he　was　obliged　to　pay　a　fine　of　a　thousand　drachms。　？schines；　who　accused　Ctesiphon；　was　condemned　to　pay　this　fine。＇58＇　At　Rome；　a　false　accuser　was　branded　with　infamy＇59＇　by　marking　the　letter　K　on　his　forehead。　Guards　were　also　appointed　to　watch　the　accuser；　in　order　to　prevent　his　corrupting　either　the　judges　or　the　witnesses。＇60＇

I　have　already　taken　notice　of　that　Athenian　and　Roman　law　by　which　the　party　accused　was　allowed　to　withdraw　before　judgment　was　pronounced。

21。　Of　the　Cruelty　of　Laws　in　respect　to　Debtors　in　a　Republic。　Great　is　the　superiority　which　one　fellow…subject　has　already　over　another；　by　lending　him　money；　which　the　latter　borrows　in　order　to　spend；　and；　of　course；　has　no　longer　in　his　possession。　What　must　be　the　consequence　if　the　laws　of　a　republic　make　a　further　addition　to　this　servitude　and　subjection？

At　Athens　and　Rome＇61＇　it　was　at　first　permitted　to　sell　such　debtors　as　were　insolvent。　Solon　redressed　this　abuse　at　Athens＇62＇　by　ordaining　that　no　man's　body　should　answer　for　his　civil　debts。　But　the　decemvirs＇63＇　did　not　reform　the　same　custom　at　Rome；　and　though　they　had　Solon's　regulation　before　their　eyes；　yet　they　did　not　choose　to　follow　it。　This　is　not　the　only　passage　of　the　law　of　the　Twelve　Tables　in　which　the　decemvirs　show　their　design　of　checking　the　spirit　of　democracy。

Often　did　those　cruel　laws　against　debtors　throw　the　Roman　republic　into　danger。　A　man　covered　with　wounds　made　his　escape　from　his　creditor's　house　and　appeared　in　the　forum。＇64＇　The　people　were　moved　with　this　spectacle；　and　other　citizens　whom　their　creditors　durst　no　longer　confine　broke　loose　from　their　dungeons。　They　had　promises　made　them；　which　were　all　broken。　The　people　upon　this；　having　withdrawn　to　the　Sacred　Mount；　obtained；　not　an　abrogation　of　those　laws；　but　a　magistrate　to　defend　them。　Thus　they　quitted　a　state　of　anarchy；　but　were　soon　in　danger　of　falling　into　tyranny。　Manlius；　to　render　himself　popular；　was　going　to　set　those　citizens　at　liberty　who　by　their　inhuman　creditors＇65＇　had　been　reduced　to　slavery。　Manlius's　designs　were　prevented；　but　without　remedying　the　evil。　Particular　laws　facilitated　to　debtors　the　means　of　paying；＇66＇　and　in　the　year　of　Rome　428　the　consuls　proposed　a　law＇67＇　which　deprived　creditors　of　the　power　of　confining　their　debtors　in　their　own　houses。＇68＇　A　usurer；　by　name　Papirius；　attempted　to　corrupt　the　chastity　of　a　young　man　named　Publius；　whom　he　kept　in　irons。　Sextus's　crime　gave　to　Rome　its　political　liberty；　that　of　Papirius　gave　it　also　the　civil。

Such　was　the　fate　of　this　city；　that　new　crimes　confirmed　the　liberty　which　those　of　a　more　ancient　date　had　procured　it。　Appius's　attempt　upon　Virginia　flung　the　people　again　into　that　horror　against　tyrants　with　which　the　misfortune　of　Lucretia　had　first　inspired　them。　Thirty…seven　years　after＇69＇　the　crime　of　the　infamous　Papirius；　an　action　of　the　like　criminal　nature＇70＇　was　the　cause　of　the　people's　retiring　to　the　Janiculum；＇71＇　and　of　giving　new