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the spirit of laws-第69章

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is; History of the Kingdom of Algiers; p。 61。

2。 See Jornandes; De Regno et tempor。 success。; and the ecclesiastic historians。

3。 See Leg。 7。 Cod。; De Jud?is et C?licolis; and Nov。 18; cap。 v。

4。 In Ceylon a man may live on ten sols a month; they eat nothing there but rice and fish。 Collection of Voyages that Contributed to the Establishment of the East India Company; ii; part 1。

5。 Dr。 Arbuthnot finds that in England the number of boys exceeds that of girls; but people have been to blame to conclude that the case is the same in all climates。

6。 See Kempfer; who relates that upon numbering the people of Meaco there were found 182;072 males; and 223;573 females。

7。 Father Du Halde; History of China; iv; p。 4。

8。 Albuzeir…el…hassen; one of the Mahometan Arabs who; in the ninth century; went into India and China; thought this custom a prostitution。 And indeed nothing could be more contrary to the ideas of a Mahometan。

9。 Collection of Voyages that Contributed to the Establishment of the East India Company; i。

10。 See Francis Pirard; 27。 Edifying Letters; coll。 iii; x; on the Malleami on the coast of Malabar。 This is considered as an abuse of the military profession; as a woman; says Pirard; of the tribe of the Bramins never would marry many husbands。

11。 This is the reason why women in the East are so carefully concealed。

12。 Life and Actions of Justinian; p。 403。

13。 Laugier de Tassis; History of the Kingdom of Algiers。

14。 See Pirard; Voyages; 12。

15。 Exod。; 21。 10; 11。

16。 〃It is an admirable touch…stone; to find by oneself a treasure; and to know the right owner; or to see a beautiful woman in a lonely apartment; or to hear the cries of an enemy; who must perish without our assistance。〃  Translation of a Chinese piece of morality; which may be seen in Du Halde; iii; p。 151。

17。 Collection of Voyages that Contributed to the Establishment of the East India Company; ii; part II; p。 196。

18。 In the Maldivian isles the fathers marry their daughters at ten and eleven years of age; because it is a great sin; say they; to suffer them to endure the want of a husband。 See Pirard; 12。 At Bantam; as soon as a girl is twelve or thirteen years old; she must be married; if they would not have her lead a debauched life。 Collection of Voyages that Contributed to the Establishment of the East India Company; p。 348。

19。 Voyage to Guinea; part II; p。 192。 〃When the women happen to meet with a man; they lay hold of him; and threaten to make a complaint to their husbands if he slight their addresses。 They steal into a man's bed; and wake him; and if he refuses to comply with their desires; they threaten to suffer themselves to be caught in flagranti。〃

20。 Mahomet desired his followers to watch their wives; a certain Iman; when he was dying; said the same thing; and Confucius preached the same doctrine。

21。 It does not follow hence that repudiation on account of sterility should be permitted amongst Christians。

22。 They took them again preferably to any other; because in this case there was less expense。  Pirard; Travels。

23。 Solis; History of the Conquest of Mexico; p。 499。

24。 Romulus。

25。 This was a law of Solon。

26。 Mimam res suas sibi habere jussit; ex duodecim tabulis causam addidit。  Philipp; ii。 69。

27。 Justinian altered this; Nov。 117; cap。 x。

28。 Book ii。

29。 Book ii。 4。

30。 Book iv。 3。

31。 According to Dionysius Halicarnassus and Valerius Maximus; and five hundred and twenty…three; according to Aulus Gellius。 Neither did they agree in placing this under the same consuls。

32。 See the Speech of Veturia in Dionysius Halicarnassus; viii。

33。 Plutarch; Romulus。

34。 Ibid。

35。 Indeed sterility is not a cause mentioned by the law of Romulus: but to all appearance he was not subject to a confiscation of his effects; since he followed the orders of the censors。

36。 In his comparison between Theseus and Romulus。

37。 Book xxiii; 21。




Book XVII。 How the Laws of Political Servitude Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate

1。 Of political Servitude。 Political servitude does not less depend on the nature of the climate than that which is civil and domestic; and this we shall now demonstrate。

2。 The Difference between Nations in point of Courage。 We have already observed that great heat enervates the strength and courage of men; and that in cold climates they have a certain vigour of body and mind; which renders them patient and intrepid; and qualifies them for arduous enterprises。 This remark holds good; not only between different nations; but even in the different parts of the same country。 In the north of China'1' people are more courageous than those in the south; and those in the south of Korea'2' have less bravery than those in the north。

We ought not; then; to be astonished that the effeminacy of the people in hot climates has almost always rendered them slaves; and that the bravery of those in cold climates has enabled them to maintain their liberties。 This is an effect which springs from a natural cause。

This has also been found true in America; the despotic empires of Mexico and Peru were near the Line; and almost all the little free nations were; and are still; near the Poles。

3。 Of the Climate of Asia。 The relations of travellers'3' inform us 〃that the vast continent of the north of Asia; which extends from forty degrees or thereabouts to the Pole; and from the frontiers of Muscovy even to the eastern ocean; is in an extremely cold climate; that this immense tract of land is divided by a chain of mountains which run from west to east; leaving Siberia on the north; and Great Tartary on the south; that the climate of Siberia is so cold that; excepting a few places; it is unsusceptible of cultivation; and that; though the Russians have settlements all along the Irtis; they cultivate nothing; that this country produces only some little firs and shrubs; that the natives of the country are divided into wretched hordes or tribes; like those of Canada; that the reason of this cold proceeds; on the one hand; from the height of the land; and on the other from the mountains; which; in proportion as they run from south to north; are levelled in such a manner that the north wind everywhere blows without opposition; that this wind; which renders Nova Zembia uninhabitable; blowing in Siberia makes it a barren waste; that in Europe; on the contrary; the mountains of Norway and Lapland are admirable bulwarks; which cover the northern countries from the wind; so that at Stockholm; which is about fifty…nine degrees latitude; the earth produces plants; fruits; and corn; and that about Abo; which is sixty…one degrees; and even to sixty…three and sixty…four; there are mines of silver; and the land is fruitful enough。〃

We see also in these relations 〃that Great Tartary; situated to the south of Siberia; is also exceedingly cold; that the country will not admit of cultivation; that nothing can be found but pasturage for flocks and herds; that trees will not grow there; but only brambles; as in Iceland; that there are; near China and India; some countries where there grows a kind of millet; but that neither corn nor rice will ripen; that there is scarcely a place in Chinese Tartary at forty…three; forty…four; and forty…five degrees where it does not freeze seven or eight months in the year; so that it is as cold as Iceland; though it might be imagined; from its situation; to be as hot as the south of France; that there are no cities; except four or five towards the eastern ocean; and some which the Chinese; for political reasons; have built near China; that in the rest of Great Tartary there are only a few situated in Buchar; Turkestan; and Cathay; that the reason of this extreme cold proceeds from the nature of the nitrous earth; full of saltpetre and sand; and more particularly from the height of the land。 Father Verbiest found that a certain place; eighty leagues north of the great wall; towards the source of Kavamhuran; exceeded the height of the sea near Pekin three thousand geometrical paces; that this height'4' is the cause that though almost all the great rivers of Asia have their source in this country; there is; however; so great a want of water that it can be inhabited only near the rivers and lakes。〃

These facts being laid down; I reason thus: Asia has properly no temperate zone; as the places situated in a very cold climate immediately touch upon those which are exceedingly hot; that is; Turkey; Persia; India; China; Korea; and Japan。

In Europe; on the contrary; the temperate zone is very extensive; though situated in climates widely different from each other; there being no affinity between the climates of Spain and Italy and those of Norway and Sweden。 But as the climate grows insensibly cold upon our advancing from south to north; nearly in proportion to the latitude of each country; it thence follows that each resembles the country joining it; that there is no very extraordinary difference between them; and that; as I have just said; the temperate zone is very extensive。

Hence it comes that in Asia; the strong nations are opposed to the weak; the warlike; brave; and active people touch immediately upon those who are i
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