the spirit of laws-第67章

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se　to　him；　I　believe　you　will　find　him　very　little　disposed　towards　it；　his　present　weakness　will　throw　him　into　despondency；　he　will　be　afraid　of　everything；　being　in　a　state　of　total　incapacity。　The　inhabitants　of　warm　countries　are；　like　old　men；　timorous；　the　people　in　cold　countries　are；　like　young　men；　brave。　If　we　reflect　on　the　late　wars；＇3＇　which　are　more　recent　in　our　memory；　and　in　which　we　can　better　distinguish　some　particular　effects　that　escape　us　at　a　greater　distance　of　time；　we　shall　find　that　the　northern　people；　transplanted　into　southern　regions；＇4＇　did　not　perform　such　exploits　as　their　countrymen　who；　fighting　in　their　own　climate；　possessed　their　full　vigour　and　courage。

This　strength　of　the　fibres　in　northern　nations　is　the　cause　that　the　coarser　juices　are　extracted　from　their　aliments。　Hence　two　things　result：　one；　that　the　parts　of　the　chyle　or　lymph　are　more　proper；　by　reason　of　their　large　surface；　to　be　applied　to　and　to　nourish　the　fibres；　the　other；　that　they　are　less　proper；　from　their　coarseness；　to　give　a　certain　subtilty　to　the　nervous　juice。　Those　people　have　therefore　large　bodies　and　but　little　vivacity。

The　nerves　that　terminate　from　all　parts　in　the　cutis　form　each　a　nervous　bundle；　generally　speaking；　the　whole　nerve　is　not　moved；　but　a　very　minute　part。　In　warm　climates；　where　the　cutis　is　relaxed；　the　ends　of　the　nerves　are　expanded　and　laid　open　to　the　weakest　action　of　the　smallest　objects。　In　cold　countries　the　cutis　is　constinged　and　the　papill？　compressed：　the　miliary　glands　are　in　some　measure　paralytic；　and　the　sensation　does　not　reach　the　brain；　except　when　it　is　very　strong　and　proceeds　from　the　whole　nerve　at　once。　Now；　imagination；　taste；　sensibility；　and　vivacity　depend　on　an　infinite　number　of　small　sensations。

I　have　observed　the　outermost　part　of　a　sheep's　tongue；　where；　to　the　naked　eye；　it　seems　covered　with　papill？。　On　these　papill？　I　have　discerned　through　a　microscope　small　hairs；　or　a　kind　of　down；　between　the　papill？　were　pyramids　shaped　towards　the　ends　like　pincers。　Very　likely　these　pyramids　are　the　principal　organ　of　taste。

I　caused　the　half　of　this　tongue　to　be　frozen；　and；　observing　it　with　the　naked　eye；　I　found　the　papill？　considerably　diminished：　even　some　rows　of　them　were　sunk　into　their　sheath。　The　outermost　part　I　examined　with　the　microscope；　and　perceived　no　pyramids。　In　proportion　as　the　frost　went　off；　the　papill？　seemed　to　the　naked　eye　to　rise；　and　with　the　microscope　the　miliary　glands　began　to　appear。

This　observation　confirms　what　I　have　been　saying；　that　in　cold　countries　the　nervous　glands　are　less　expanded：　they　sink　deeper　into　their　sheaths；　or　they　are　sheltered　from　the　action　of　external　objects；　consequently　they　have　not　such　lively　sensations。

In　cold　countries　they　have　very　little　sensibility　tor　pleasure；　in　temperate　countries；　they　have　more；　in　warm　countries；　their　sensibility　is　exquisite。　As　climates　are　distinguished　by　degrees　of　latitude；　we　might　distinguish　them　also　in　some　measure　by　those　of　sensibility。　I　have　been　at　the　opera　in　England　and　in　Italy；　where　I　have　seen　the　same　pieces　and　the　same　performers：　and　yet　the　same　music　produces　such　different　effects　on　the　two　nations：　one　is　so　cold　and　phlegmatic；　and　the　other　so　lively　and　enraptured；　that　it　seems　almost　inconceivable。

It　is　the　same　with　regard　to　pain；　which　is　excited　by　the　laceration　of　some　fibre　of　the　body。　The　Author　of　nature　has　made　it　an　established　rule　that　this　pain　should　be　more　acute　in　proportion　as　the　laceration　is　greater：　now　it　is　evident　that　the　large　bodies　and　coarse　fibres　of　the　people　of　the　north　are　less　capable　of　laceration　than　the　delicate　fibres　of　the　inhabitants　of　warm　countries；　consequently　the　soul　is　there　less　sensible　of　pain。　You　must　flay　a　Muscovite　alive　to　make　him　feel。

From　this　delicacy　of　organs　peculiar　to　warm　climates　it　follows　that　the　soul　is　most　sensibly　moved　by　whatever　relates　to　the　union　of　the　two　sexes：　here　everything　leads　to　this　object。

In　northern　climates　scarcely　has　the　animal　part　of　love　a　power　of　making　itself　felt。　In　temperate　climates；　love；　attended　by　a　thousand　appendages；　endeavours　to　please　by　things　that　have　at　first　the　appearance；　though　not　the　reality；　of　this　passion。　In　warmer　climates　it　is　liked　for　its　own　sake；　it　is　the　only　cause　of　happiness；　it　is　life　itself。

In　southern　countries　a　machine　of　a　delicate　frame　but　strong　sensibility　resigns　itself　either　to　a　love　which　rises　and　is　incessantly　laid　in　a　seraglio；　or　to　a　passion　which　leaves　women　in　a　greater　independence；　and　is　consequently　exposed　to　a　thousand　inquietudes。　In　northern　regions　a　machine　robust　and　heavy　finds　pleasure　in　whatever　is　apt　to　throw　the　spirits　into　motion；　such　as　hunting；　travelling；　war；　and　wine。　If　we　travel　towards　the　north；　we　meet　with　people　who　have　few　vices；　many　virtues；　and　a　great　share　of　frankness　and　sincerity。　If　we　draw　near　the　south；　we　fancy　ourselves　entirely　removed　from　the　verge　of　morality；　here　the　strongest　passions　are　productive　of　all　manner　of　crimes；　each　man　endeavouring；　let　the　means　be　what　they　will；　to　indulge　his　inordinate　desires。　In　temperate　climates　we　find　the　inhabitants　inconstant　in　their　manners；　as　well　as　in　their　vices　and　virtues：　the　climate　has　not　a　quality　determinate　enough　to　fix　them。

The　heat　of　the　climate　may　be　so　excessive　as　to　deprive　the　body　of　all　vigour　and　strength。　Then　the　faintness　is　communicated　to　the　mind；　there　is　no　curiosity；　no　enterprise；　no　generosity　of　sentiment；　the　inclinations　are　all　passive；　indolence　constitutes　the　utmost　happiness；　scarcely　any　punishment　is　so　severe　as　mental　employment；　and　slavery　is　more　supportable　than　the　force　and　vigour　of　mind　necessary　for　human　conduct。

3。　Contradiction　in　the　Tempers　of　some　Southern　Nations。　The　Indians＇5＇　are　naturally　a　pusillanimous　people；　even　the　children＇6＇　of　Europeans　born　in　India　lose　the　courage　peculiar　to　their　own　climate。　But　how　shall　we　reconcile　this　with　their　customs　and　penances　so　full　of　barbarity？　The　men　voluntarily　undergo　the　greatest　hardships；　and　the　women　burn　themselves；　here　we　find　a　very　odd　compound　of　fortitude　and　weakness。

Nature；　having　framed　those　people　of　a　texture　so　weak　as　to　fill　them　with　timidity；　has　formed　them　at　the　same　time　of　an　imagination　so　lively　that　every　object　makes　the　strongest　impression　upon　them。　That　delicacy　of　organs　which　renders　them　apprehensive　of　death　contributes　likewise　to　make　them　dread　a　thousand　things　more　than　death：　the　very　same　sensibility　induces　them　to　fly　and　dare　all　dangers。

As　a　good　education　is　more　necessary　to　children　than　to　such　as　have　arrived　at　maturity　of　understanding；　so　the　inhabitants　of　those　countries　have　much　greater　need　than　the　European　nations　of　a　wiser　legislator。　The　greater　their　sensibility；　the　more　it　behoves　them　to　receive　proper　impressions；　to　imbibe　no　prejudices；　and　to　let　themselves　be　directed　by　reason。

At　the　time　of　the　Romans　the　inhabitants　of　the　north　of　Europe　were　destitute　of　arts；　education；　and　almost　of　laws；　and　yet　the　good　sense　annexed　to　the　gross　fibres　of　those　climates　enabled　them　to　make　an　admirable　stand　against　the　power　of　Rome；　till　the　memorable　period　in　which　they　quitted　their　woods　to　subvert　that　great　empire。

4。　Cause　of　the　Immutability　of　Religion；　Manners；　Customs；　and　Laws　in　the　Eastern　Countries。　If　to　that　delicacy　of　organs　which　renders　the　eastern　nations　so　susceptible　of　every　impression　you　add　likewise　a　sort　of　indolence　of　mind；　naturally　connected　with　that　of　the　body；　by　means　of　which　they　grow　incapable　of　any　exertion　or　effort；　it　is　easy　to　comprehend　that　when　once　the　soul　has　received　an　impression　it　cannot　change　it。　This　is　the　reason　that　the　laws；　manners；　and　customs；＇7＇　even　those　which　seem　quite　indifferent；　such　as　their　mode　of　dress；　are　the　same　to　this　very　day　in　eastern　countries　as　they　were　a　thousand　years　ago。

5。　That　those　are　bad　Legislators　who　favour　the　Vices　of　the　Climate；　and　good　Legislators　who　oppose　those　Vices。　The　Indians　believe　tha