the spirit of laws-第83章

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e　might　inherit　to　the　prejudice　of　a　male　of　the　sixth；　and　this　may　be　seen　in　the　law　of　the　Ripuarian　Franks　（a　faithful　interpreter　of　the　Salic　law）；　under　the　title　of　Allodial　Lands；　where　it　closely　adheres　to　the　Salic　law　on　the　same　subject。＇22＇

If　the　father　left　issue；　the　Salic　law　would　have　the　daughters　excluded　from　the　inheritance　of　the　Salic　land；　and　determined　that　it　should　belong　to　the　male　children。

It　would　be　easy　for　me　to　prove　that　the　Salic　law　did　not　absolutely　exclude　the　daughters　from　the　possession　of　the　Salic　land；　but　only　in　the　case　where　they　were　debarred　by　their　brothers。　This　appears　from　the　letter　of　the　Salic　law；　which；　after　having　said　that　the　women　shall　possess　none　of　the　Salic　land；　but　only　the　males；　interprets　and　restrains　itself　by　adding；　〃that　is；　the　son　shall　succeed　to　the　inheritance　of　the　father。〃

2。　The　text　of　the　Salic　law　is　cleared　up　by　the　law　of　the　Ripuarian　Franks；　which　has　also　a　title　on　allodial　lands　very　conformable　to　that　of　the　Salic　law。＇23＇

3。　The　laws　of　these　barbarous　nations　who　all　sprang　from　Germany　interpret　each　other；　more　particularly　as　they　all　have　nearly　the　same　spirit。　The　Saxon　law　enjoined　the　father　and　mother　to　leave　their　inheritance　to　their　son；　and　not　to　their　daughter；　but　if　there　were　none　but　daughters；　they　were　to　have　the　whole　inheritance。＇24＇

4。　We　have　two　ancient　formularies＇25＇　that　state　the　case　in　which；　according　to　the　Salic　law；　the　daughters　were　excluded　by　the　males；　that　is；　when　they　stood　in　competition　with　their　brother。

5。　Another　formulary＇26＇　proves　that　the　daughter　succeeded　to　the　prejudice　of　the　grandson；　she　was　therefore　excluded　only　by　the　son。

6。　If　daughters　had　been　generally　debarred　by　the　Salic　law　from　the　inheritance　of　land；　it　would　be　impossible　to　explain　the　histories；　formularies；　and　charters　which　are　continually　mentioning　the　lands　and　possessions　of　the　females　under　the　first　race。

People　have　been　wrong　in　asserting　that　the　Salic　lands　were　fiefs。＇27＇　1。　This　head　is　distinguished　by　the　title　of　allodial　lands。　2。　Fiefs　at　first　were　not　hereditary；　3。　If　the　Salic　lands　had　been　fiefs；　how　could　Marculfus　treat　that　custom　as　impious　which　excluded　the　women　from　inheriting；　when　the　males　themselves　did　not　succeed　to　fiefs？　4。　The　charters　which　have　been　cited　to　prove　that　the　Salic　lands　were　fiefs　only　show　that　they　were　freeholds。　5。　Fiefs　were　not　established　till　after　the　conquest；　and　the　Salic　customs　existed　long　before　the　Franks　left　Germany。　6。　It　was　not　the　Salic　law　that　formed　the　establishment　of　fiefs；　by　setting　bounds　to　the　succession　of　females；　but　it　was　the　establishment　of　fiefs　that　prescribed　limits　to　the　succession　of　females；　and　to　the　regulations　of　the　Salic　law。

After　what　has　been　said；　one　would　not　imagine　that　the　perpetual　succession　of　males　to　the　crown　of　France　should　have　taken　its　rise　from　the　Salic　law。　And　yet　this　is　a　point　indubitably　certain。　I　prove　it　from　the　several　codes　of　the　barbarous　nations。　The　Salic　law；＇28＇　and　the　law　of　the　Burgundians；＇29＇　debarred　the　daughters　from　the　right　of　succeeding　to　the　land　in　conjunction　with　their　brothers；　neither　did　they　succeed　to　the　crown。　The　law　of　the　Visigoths；＇30＇　on　the　contrary；　permitted　the　daughters　to　inherit　the　land　with　the　brothers：＇31＇　and　the　women　were　capable　of　inheriting　the　crown。＇32＇　Among　these　people　the　regulations　of　the　civil　law　had　an　effect　on　the　political。

This　was　not　the　only　case　in　which　the　political　law　of　the　Franks　gave　way　to　the　civil。　By　the　Salic　law；　all　the　brothers　succeeded　equally　to　the　land；　and　this　was　also　decreed　by　a　law　of　the　Burgundians。　Thus；　in　the　kingdom　of　the　Franks；　and　in　that　of　the　Burgundians；　all　the　brothers　succeeded　to　the　crown；　if　we　except　a　few　murders　and　usurpations　which　took　place　amongst　the　Burgundians。

23。　Of　the　regal　Ornaments　among　the　Franks。　A　people　who　do　not　cultivate　the　land　have　no　idea　of　luxury。　We　may　see；　in　Tacitus；　the　admirable　simplicity　of　the　German　nations：　they　had　no　artificial　elegances　of　dress；　their　ornaments　were　derived　from　nature。　If　the　family　of　their　chief　was　to　be　distinguished　by　any　sign；　it　was　no　other　than　that　which　nature　bestowed。　The　kings　of　the　Franks；　of　the　Burgundians；　and　the　Visigoths　wore　their　long　hair　for　a　diadem。

24。　Of　the　Marriages　of　the　Kings　of　the　Franks。　I　have　already　mentioned　that　with　people　who　do　not　cultivate　the　earth；　marriages　are　less　fixed　than　with　others；　and　that　they　generally　take　many　wives。　〃Of　all　the　barbarous　nations　the　Germans　were　almost　the　only　people　who　were　satisfied　with　one　wife；＇33＇　if　we　except；〃　says　Tacitus；　〃some　persons　who；　not　from　a　dissoluteness　of　manners；　but　because　of　their　nobility；　had　many。〃＇34＇

This　explains　the　reason　why　the　kings　of　the　first　race　had　so　great　a　number　of　wives。　These　marriages　were　less　a　proof　of　incontinence　than　a　consequence　of　dignity：　and　it　would　have　wounded　them　in　a　tender　point　to　have　deprived　them　of　such　a　prerogative。＇35＇　This　also　explains　the　reason　why　the　example　of　the　kings　was　not　followed　by　the　subjects。

25。　Childeric。　〃The　laws　of　matrimony　amongst　the　Germans；〃　says　Tacitus；　〃are　strictly　observed。　Vice　is　not　there　a　subject　of　ridicule。　To　corrupt　or　be　corrupted　is　not　called　fashion；　or　the　custom　of　the　age：＇36＇　there　are　few　examples　in　this　populous　nation　of　the　violation　of　conjugal　faith。〃＇37＇

This　was　the　reason　of　the　expulsion　of　Childeric：　he　shocked　their　rigid　virtue；　which　conquest　had　not　had　time　to　corrupt。

26。　Of　the　Time　when　the　Kings　of　the　Franks　became　of　age。　Barbarians　who　do　not　cultivate　the　earth　have；　strictly　speaking；　no　jurisdiction；　and　are；　as　we　have　already　remembered；　rather　governed　by　the　law　of　nations　than　by　civil　institutions。　They　are；　therefore；　always　armed。　Thus　Tacitus　tells　us　〃that　the　Germans　undertook　no　affairs　either　of　a　public　or　private　nature　unarmed。〃＇38＇　They　gave　their　vote　by　the　sound　of　their　arms。＇39＇　As　soon　as　they　could　carry　them；　they　were　presented　to　the　assembly；＇40＇　they　put　a　javelin　into　their　hands；＇41＇　and　from　that　moment　they　were　out　of　their　minority：　they　had　been　a　part　of　the　family；　now　they　became　a　part　of　the　republic。＇42＇

〃The　eagles；〃　said　the　king　of　the　Ostrogoths；＇43＇　〃cease　to　feed　their　young　ones　as　soon　as　their　wings　and　talons　are　formed；　the　latter　have　no　need　of　assistance　when　they　are　able　themselves　to　seize　their　prey：　it　would　be　a　disgrace　if　the　young　people　in　our　armies　were　thought　to　be　of　an　age　unfit　for　managing　their　estates　or　regulating　the　conduct　of　their　lives。　It　is　virtue　that　constitutes　full　age　among　the　Goths。〃

Childebert　II　was　fifteen　years　old　when　Gontram；　his　uncle；　declared　that　he　was　of　age；　and　capable　of　governing　by　himself。＇44＇　We　find　in　the　Ripuarian　laws　that　the　age　of　fifteen；　the　ability　of　bearing　arms；　and　majority；　went　together。　It　is　there　said＇45＇　〃that　if　a　Ripuarian　dies；　or　is　killed；　and　leaves　a　son　behind　him；　that　son　can　neither　prosecute；　nor　be　prosecuted；　till　he　has　completely　attained　the　age　of　fifteen；　and　then　he　may　either　answer　for　himself　or　choose　a　champion。〃　It　was　necessary　that　his　mind　should　be　sufficiently　formed　to　be　able　to　defend　himself　in　court；　and　that　his　body　should　have　all　the　strength　that　was　proper　for　his　defence　in　single　combat。　Among　the　Burgundians；＇46＇　who　also　made　use　of　this　combat　in　their　judiciary　proceedings；　they　were　of　age　at　fifteen。

Agathias　tells　us　that　the　arms　of　the　Franks　were　light：　they　might；　therefore；　be　of　age　at　fifteen。　In　succeeding　times　the　arms　they　made　use　of　were　heavy；　and　they　were　already　greatly　so　in　the　time　of　Charlemagne；　as　appears　by　our　capitularies　and　romances。　Those　who　had　fiefs；＇47＇　and　were　consequently　obliged　to　do　military　service；　were　not　then　of　age　till　they　were　twenty…one　years　old。＇48＇

27。　The　same　Subject　continued。　We　have　seen　that　the　Germans　did　not　appear　in　their　assemblies　before　they　were　of　age；　they　were　a　part　of　the　family；　but　not　of　the　republic。　This　was　the　reason　t