the spirit of laws-第79章

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form　empires：　but　that　part　of　the　nation　which　continues　in　the　country　finds　that　it　is　subject　to　a　great　master；　who；　being　despotic　in　the　south；　will　likewise　be　so　in　the　north；　and　exercising　an　arbitrary　power　over　the　vanquished　subjects；　pretends　to　the　same　over　the　conquerors。　This　is　at　present　most　conspicuous　in　that　vast　country　called　Chinese　Tartary；　which　is　governed　by　the　emperor；　with　a　power　almost　as　despotic　as　that　of　China　itself；　and　which　he　every　day　extends　by　his　conquests。

We　may　likewise　see　in　the　history　of　China　that　the　emperors＇5＇　sent　Chinese　colonies　into　Tartary。　These　Chinese　have　become　Tartars；　and　the　mortal　enemies　of　China；　but　this　does　not　prevent　their　carrying　into　Tartary　the　spirit　of　the　Chinese　government。

A　part　of　the　Tartars　who　were　conquerors　have　very　often　been　themselves　expelled；　when　they　have　carried　into　their　deserts　that　servile　spirit　which　they　had　acquired　in　the　climate　of　slavery。　The　history　of　China　furnishes　us　with　strong　proofs　of　this　assertion；　as　does　also　our　ancient　history。＇6＇

Hence　it　follows　that　the　genius　of　the　Getic　or　Tartarian　nation　has　always　resembled　that　of　the　empires　of　Asia。　The　people　in　these　are　governed　by　the　cudgel；　the　inhabitants　of　Tartary　by　whips。　The　spirit　of　Europe　has　ever　been　contrary　to　these　manners；　and　in　all　ages；　what　the　people　of　Asia　have　called　punishment　those　of　Europe　have　deemed　the　most　outrageous　abuse。＇7＇

The　Tartars　who　destroyed　the　Grecian　empire　established　in　the　conquered　countries　slavery　and　despotic　power：　the　Goths；　after　subduing　the　Roman　empire；　founded　monarchy　and　liberty。

I　do　not　know　whether　the　famous　Rudbeck；　who　in　his　Atlantica　has　bestowed　such　praises　on　Scandinavia；　has　made　mention　of　that　great　prerogative　which　ought　to　set　this　people　above　all　the　nations　upon　earth；　namely；　this　country's　having　been　the　source　of　the　liberties　of　Europe　　that　is；　of　almost　all　the　freedom　which　at　present　subsists　amongst　mankind。

Jornandes　the　Goth　called　the　north　of　Europe　the　forge　of　the　human　race。　I　should　rather　call　it　the　forge　where　those　weapons　were　framed　which　broke　the　chains　of　southern　nations。　In　the　north　were　formed　those　valiant　people　who　sallied　forth　and　deserted　their　countries　to　destroy　tyrants　and　slaves；　and　to　teach　men　that；　nature　having　made　them　equal；　reason　could　not　render　them　dependent；　except　where　it　was　necessary　to　their　happiness。

6。　A　new　physical　Cause　of　the　Slavery　of　Asia；　and　of　the　Liberty　of　Europe。　In　Asia　they　have　always　had　great　empires；　in　Europe　these　could　never　subsist。　Asia　has　larger　plains；　it　is　cut　out　into　much　more　extensive　divisions　by　mountains　and　seas；　and　as　it　lies　more　to　the　south；　its　springs　are　more　easily　dried　up；　the　mountains　are　less　covered　with　snow；　and　the　rivers；　being　not　so　large；　form　more　contracted　barriers。＇8＇

Power　in　Asia　ought；　then；　to　be　always　despotic；　for　if　their　slavery　was　not　severe　they　would　soon　make　a　division　inconsistent　with　the　nature　of　the　country。

In　Europe　the　natural　division　forms　many　nations　of　a　moderate　extent；　in　which　the　ruling　by　laws　is　not　incompatible　with　the　maintenance　of　the　state：　on　the　contrary；　it　is　so　favourable　to　it；　that　without　this　the　state　would　fall　into　decay；　and　become　a　prey　to　its　neighbours。

It　is　this　which　has　formed　a　genius　for　liberty　that　renders　every　part　extremely　difficult　to　be　subdued　and　subjected　to　a　foreign　power；　otherwise　than　by　the　laws　and　the　advantage　of　commerce。

On　the　contrary；　there　reigns　in　Asia　a　servile　spirit；　which　they　have　never　been　able　to　shake　off；　and　it　is　impossible　to　find　in　all　the　histories　of　that　country　a　single　passage　which　discovers　a　freedom　of　spirit；　we　shall　never　see　anything　there　but　the　excess　of　slavery。

7。　Of　Africa　and　America。　This　is　what　I　had　to　say　of　Asia　and　Europe。　Africa　is　in　a　climate　like　that　of　the　south　of　Asia；　and　is　in　the　same　servitude。　America；＇9＇　being　lately　destroyed　and　repeopled　by　the　nations　of　Europe　and　Africa；　can　now　scarcely　display　its　genuine　spirit；　but　what　we　know　of　its　ancient　history　is　very　conformable　to　our　principles。

8。　Of　the　Capital　of　the　Empire。　One　of　the　consequences　of　what　we　have　been　mentioning　is；　that　it　is　of　the　utmost　importance　to　a　great　prince　to　make　a　proper　choice　of　the　seat　of　his　empire。　He　who　places　it　to　the　southward　will　be　in　danger　of　losing　the　north；　but　he　who　fixes　it　on　the　north　may　easily　preserve　the　south。　I　do　not　speak　of　particular　cases。　In　mechanics　there　are　frictions　by　which　the　effects　of　the　theory　are　frequently　changed　or　retarded；　and　policy　has　also　its　frictions。

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1。　Father　Du　Halde；　i；　p。　112。

2。　The　Chinese　books　make　mention　of　this。　Ibid。；　iv；　p。　448。

3。　See　Travels　to　the　North；　viii；　the　History　of　the　Tartars；　and　Father　Du　Halde；　iv。

4。　Tartary　is；　then；　a　kind　of　flat　mountain。

5。　As　Vouty　V；　emperor　of　the　fifth　dynasty。

6。　The　Scythians　thrice　conquered　Asia；　and　thrice　were　driven　thence。　Justin；　ii。　3。

7。　This　is　in　no　way　contrary　to　what　I　shall　say　in　book　xxviii。　20　concerning　the　manner　of　thinking　among　the　German　nations　in　respect　to　the　cudgel；　let　the　instrument　be　what　it　will；　the　power　or　action　of　beating　was　always　considered　by　them　as　an　affront。

8。　The　waters　lose　themselves　or　evaporate　before　or　after　their　streams　are　united。

9。　The　petty　barbarous　nations　of　America　are　called　by　the　Spaniards　Indios　Bravos　and　are　much　more　difficult　to　subdue　than　the　great　empires　of　Mexico　and　Peru。




Book　XVIII。　Of　Laws　in　the　Relation　They　Bear　to　the　Nature　of　the　Soil

1。　How　the　Nature　of　the　Soil　has　an　Influence　on　the　Laws。　The　goodness　of　the　land；　in　any　country；　naturally　establishes　subjection　and　dependence。　The　husbandmen；　who　compose　the　principal　part　of　the　people；　are　not　very　jealous　of　their　liberty；　they　are　too　busy　and　too　intent　on　their　own　private　affairs。　A　country　which　overflows　with　wealth　is　afraid　of　pillage；　afraid　of　an　army。　〃Who　is　there　that　forms　this　goodly　party？〃　said　Cicero　to　Atticus；＇1＇　〃are　they　the　men　of　commerce　and　husbandry？　Let　us　not　imagine　that　these　are　averse　to　monarchy　　these　to　whom　all　governments　are　equal；　as　soon　as　they　bestow　tranquillity。〃

Thus　monarchy　is　more　frequently　found　in　fruitful　countries；　and　a　republican　government　in　those　which　are　not　so；　and　this　is　sometimes　a　sufficient　compensation　for　the　inconveniences　they　suffer　by　the　sterility　of　the　land。

The　barrenness　of　the　Attic　soil　established　there　a　democracy；　and　the　fertility　of　that　of　Laced？monia　an　aristocratic　constitution。　For　in　those　times　Greece　was　averse　to　the　government　of　a　single　person；　and　aristocracy　bore　the　nearest　resemblance　to　that　government。

Plutarch　says＇2＇　that　the　Cilonian　sedition　having　been　appeased　at　Athens；　the　city　fell　into　its　ancient　dissensions；　and　was　divided　into　as　many　parties　as　there　were　kinds　of　land　in　Attica。　The　men　who　inhabited　the　eminences　would；　by　all　means；　have　a　popular　government；　those　of　the　flat；　open　country　demanded　a　government　composed　of　the　chiefs；　and　they　who　were　near　the　sea　desired　a　mixture　of　both。

2。　The　same　Subject　continued。　These　fertile　provinces　are　always　of　a　level　surface；　where　the　inhabitants　are　unable　to　dispute　against　a　stronger　power；　they　are　then　obliged　to　submit；　and　when　they　have　once　submitted；　the　spirit　of　liberty　cannot　return；　the　wealth　of　the　country　is　a　pledge　of　their　fidelity。　But　in　mountainous　districts；　as　they　have　but　little；　they　may　preserve　what　they　have。　The　liberty　they　enjoy；　or；　in　other　words；　the　government　they　are　under；　is　the　only　blessing　worthy　of　their　defence。　It　reigns；　therefore；　more　in　mountainous　and　rugged　countries　than　in　those　which　nature　seems　to　have　most　favoured。

The　mountaineers　preserve　a　more　moderate　government；　because　they　are　not　so　liable　to　be　conquered。　They　defend　themselves　easily；　and　are　attacked　with　difficulty；　ammunition　and　provisions　are　collected　and　carried　against　them　with　great　expense；　for　the　country　furnishes　none。　It　is；　then；　a　more　arduous；　a