the spirit of laws-第68章

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5。　That　those　are　bad　Legislators　who　favour　the　Vices　of　the　Climate；　and　good　Legislators　who　oppose　those　Vices。　The　Indians　believe　that　repose　and　non…existence　are　the　foundation　of　all　things；　and　the　end　in　which　they　terminate。　Hence　they　consider　entire　inaction　as　the　most　perfect　of　all　states；　and　the　object　of　their　desires。　To　the　Supreme　Being　they　give　the　title　of　immovable。＇8＇　The　inhabitants　of　Siam　believe　that　their　utmost　happiness＇9＇　consists　in　not　being　obliged　to　animate　a　machine；　or　to　give　motion　to　a　body。

In　those　countries　where　the　excess　of　heat　enervates　and　exhausts　the　body；　rest　is　so　delicious；　and　motion　so　painful；　that　this　system　of　metaphysics　seems　natural；　and　Foe；＇10＇　the　legislator　of　the　Indies；　was　directed　by　his　own　sensations　when　he　placed　mankind　in　a　state　extremely　passive；　but　his　doctrine　arising　from　the　laziness　of　the　climate　favoured　it　also　in　its　turn；　which　has　been　the　source　of　an　infinite　deal　of　mischief。

The　legislators　of　China　were　more　rational　when；　considering　men　not　in　the　peaceful　state　which　they　are　to　enjoy　hereafter；　but　in　the　situation　proper　for　discharging　the　several　duties　of　life；　they　made　their　religion；　philosophy；　and　laws　all　practical。　The　more　the　physical　causes　incline　mankind　to　inaction；　the　more　the　moral　causes　should　estrange　them　from　it。

6。　Of　Agriculture　in　warm　Climates。　Agriculture　is　the　principal　labour　of　man。　The　more　the　climate　inclines　him　to　shun　this　labour；　the　more　the　religion　and　laws　of　the　country　ought　to　incite　him　to　it。　Thus　the　Indian　laws；　which　give　the　lands　to　the　prince；　and　destroy　the　spirit　of　property　among　the　subjects；　increase　the　bad　effects　of　the　climate；　that　is；　their　natural　indolence。

7。　Of　Monkery。　The　very　same　mischiefs　result　from　monkery：　it　had　its　rise　in　the　warm　countries　of　the　East；　where　they　are　less　inclined　to　action　than　to　speculation。

In　Asia　the　number　of　dervishes　or　monks　seems　to　increase　together　with　the　warmth　of　the　climate。　The　Indies；　where　the　heat　is　excessive；　are　full　of　them；　and　the　same　difference　is　found　in　Europe。

In　order　to　surmount　the　laziness　of　the　climate；　the　laws　ought　to　endeavour　to　remove　all　means　of　subsisting　without　labour：　but　in　the　southern　parts　of　Europe　they　act　quite　the　reverse。　To　those　who　want　to　live　in　a　state　of　indolence；　they　afford　retreats　the　most　proper　for　a　speculative　life；　and　endow　them　with　immense　revenues。　These　men；　who　live　in　the　midst　of　plenty　which　they　know　not　how　to　enjoy；　are　in　the　right　to　give　their　superfluities　away　to　the　common　people。　The　poor　are　bereft　of　property；　and　these　men　indemnify　them　by　supporting　them　in　idleness；　so　as　to　make　them　even　grow　fond　of　their　misery。

8。　An　excellent　Custom　of　China。　The　historical　relations＇11＇　of　China　mention　a　ceremony＇12＇　of　opening　the　ground　which　the　emperor　performs　every　year。　The　design　of　this　public　and　solemn　act　is　to　excite　the　people　to　tillage。＇13＇

Further；　the　emperor　is　every　year　informed　of　the　husbandman　who　has　distinguished　himself　most　in　his　profession；　and　he　makes　him　a　mandarin　of　the　eighth　order。

Among　the　ancient　Persians＇14＇　the　kings　quitted　their　grandeur　and　pomp　on　the　eighth　day　of　the　month；　called　Chorrem…ruz；　to　eat　with　the　husbandmen。　These　institutions　were　admirably　calculated　for　the　encouragement　of　agriculture。

9。　Means　of　encouraging　Industry。　We　shall　show；　in　the　nineteenth　book；　that　lazy　nations　are　generally　proud。　Now　the　effect　might　well　be　turned　against　the　cause；　and　laziness　be　destroyed　by　pride。　In　the　south　of　Europe；　where　people　have　such　a　high　notion　of　the　point　of　honour；　it　would　be　right　to　give　prizes　to　husbandmen　who　had　excelled　in　agriculture；　or　to　artists　who　had　made　the　greatest　improvements　in　their　several　professions。　This　practice　has　succeeded　in　our　days　in　Ireland；　where　it　has　established　one　of　the　most　considerable　linen　manufactures　in　Europe。

10。　Of　the　Laws　in　relation　to　the　Sobriety　of　the　People。　In　warm　countries　the　aqueous　part　of　the　blood　loses　itself　greatly　by　perspiration；＇15＇　it　must　therefore　be　supplied　by　a　like　liquid。　Water　is　there　of　admirable　use；　strong　liquors　would　congeal　the　globules＇16＇　of　blood　that　remain　after　the　transuding　of　the　aqueous　humour。

In　cold　countries　the　aqueous　part　of　the　blood　is　very　little　evacuated　by　perspiration。　They　may　therefore　make　use　of　spirituous　liquors；　without　which　the　blood　would　congeal。　They　are　full　of　humours；　consequently　strong　liquors；　which　give　a　motion　to　the　blood；　are　proper　for　those　countries。

The　law　of　Mahomet；　which　prohibits　the　drinking　of　wine；　is　therefore　fitted　to　the　climate　of　Arabia：　and　indeed；　before　Mahomet's　time；　water　was　the　common　drink　of　the　Arabs。　The　law＇17＇　which　forbade　the　Carthaginians　to　drink　wine　was　a　law　of　the　climate；　and；　indeed；　the　climate　of　those　two　countries　is　pretty　nearly　the　same。

Such　a　law　would　be　improper　for　cold　countries；　where　the　climate　seems　to　force　them　to　a　kind　of　national　intemperance；　very　different　from　personal　ebriety。　Drunkenness　predominates　throughout　the　world；　in　proportion　to　the　coldness　and　humidity　of　the　climate。　Go　from　the　equator　to　the　north　pole；　and　you　will　find　this　vice　increasing　together　with　the　degree　of　latitude。　Go　from　the　equator　again　to　the　south　pole；　and　you　will　find　the　same　vice　travelling　south；＇18＇　exactly　in　the　same　proportion。

It　is　very　natural　that　where　wine　is　contrary　to　the　climate；　and　consequently　to　health；　the　excess　of　it　should　be　more　severely　punished　than　in　countries　where　intoxication　produces　very　few　bad　effects　to　the　person；　fewer　to　the　society；　and　where　it　does　not　make　people　frantic　and　wild；　but　only　stupid　and　heavy。　Hence　those　laws＇19＇　which　inflicted　a　double　punishment　for　crimes　committed　in　drunkenness　were　applicable　only　to　a　personal；　and　not　to　a　national；　ebriety。　A　German　drinks　through　custom；　and　a　Spaniard　by　choice。

In　warm　countries　the　relaxing　of　the　fibres　produces　a　great　evacuation　of　the　liquids；　but　the　solid　parts　are　less　transpired。　The　fibres；　which　act　but　faintly；　and　have　very　little　elasticity；　are　not　much　impaired；　and　a　small　quantity　of　nutritious　juice　is　sufficient　to　repair　them；　for　which　reason　they　eat　very　little。

It　is　the　variety　of　wants　in　different　climates　that　first　occasioned　a　difference　in　the　manner　of　living；　and　this　gave　rise　to　a　variety　of　laws。　Where　people　are　very　communicative　there　must　be　particular　laws；　and　others　where　there　is　but　little　communication。

11。　Of　the　Laws　in　relation　to　the　Distempers　of　the　Climate。　Herodotus＇20＇　informs　us　that　the　Jewish　laws　concerning　the　leprosy　were　borrowed　from　the　practice　of　the　Egyptians。　And；　indeed；　the　same　distemper　required　the　same　remedies。　The　Greeks　and　the　primitive　Romans　were　strangers　to　these　laws；　as　well　as　to　the　disease。　The　climate　of　Egypt　and　Palestine　rendered　them　necessary；　and　the　facility　with　which　this　disease　is　spread　is　sufficient　to　make　us　sensible　of　the　wisdom　and　sagacity　of　those　laws。

Even　we　ourselves　have　felt　the　effects　of　them。　The　Crusades　brought　the　leprosy　amongst　us；　but　the　wise　regulations　made　at　that　time　hindered　it　from　infecting　the　mass　of　the　people。

We　find　by　the　law　of　the　Lombards＇21＇　that　this　disease　was　spread　in　Italy　before　the　Crusades；　and　merited　the　attention　of　the　legislature。　Rotharis　ordained　that　a　leper　should　be　expelled　from　his　house；　banished　to　a　particular　place；　and　rendered　incapable　of　disposing　of　his　property；　because　from　the　very　moment　he　had　been　turned　out　of　his　house　he　was　reckoned　dead　in　the　eye　of　the　law。　In　order　to　prevent　all　communication　with　lepers；　they　were　rendered　incapable　of　civil　acts。　

I　am　apt　to　think　that　this　disease　was　brought　into　Italy　by　the　conquests　of　the　Greek　emperors；　in　whose　armies　there　might　be　some　soldiers　from　Palestine　or　Egypt。　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　progress　of　it　was　stopped　till　the　time　of　the　Crusades。

It　is　related　that　Pompey's　soldiers　returning　from　Syria　brought　a　distemper　home　with　them　not　unlike　the　leprosy。　We　have　no　acco