the origin of the distinction of ranks-第16部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


。　11；　12。　17。　1　Samuel；　chap。　xviii；　ver。　25。　18。　The　Commonwealth　of　England；　bk。　3；　chap。　8。　19。　Husbands　have　the　same　power　of　life　and　death　over　their　wives　as　over　their　children。　When　the　head　of　a　noble　family　dies　his　relatives　meet；　and　if　there　is　suspicion　of　foul　play　the　widow　is　examined　under　torture；　just　as　we　examine　slaves。'　Caesar；　de　bell。　Gall。　lib。　6；　？18。　20。　She　was　said　'convenire　in　manum　mariti；'　and　was　precisely　in　the　same　condition　with　a　'filia…familias。'　21。　The　ceremonies　of　'coemptio。'　22。　Herodot。　hist。　lib。　1。　　See　Goguet's　Origin　of　Laws；　etc。　vol。　2；　book　1。　　Charlevoix　Journal　historique　d'un　voyage　de　l'Amer。　Nouveaux　voyages　aux　Indes　Orientales；　tom。　2；　p。　20。　　Mod。　Univ。　Hist。　vol。　6；　p。　561　　　　　Vestiges　of　the　same　practice　are　also　to　be　found　in　the　writing　of　the　Roman　Lawyers。　23。　Modern　Universal　History；　vol。　16。　　Capt。　Hamilton　says；　that　upon　the　coast　of　Malabar　a　woman　is　not　allowed　to　have　more　than　twelve　husbands。　24。　Father　Tachard；　superior　of　the　French　Missionary　Jesuits　in　the　East　Indies；　gives　the　following　account　of　the　inhabitants　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Calicut。　'In　this　county；'　says　he；　called　Malleami；　'there　are　castes；　as　in　the　rest　of　India。　Most　of　them　observe　the　same　custom；　and；　in　particular；　they　all　entertain　a　like　contempt　for　the　religion　and　manners　of　the　Europeans。　But　a　circumstance；　that　perhaps　is　not　found　elsewhere；　and　which　I　myself　could　scarce　believe；　is　that　among　these　barbarians；　and　especially　the　noble　castes；　a　woman　is　allowed；　by　the　laws；　to　have　several　husbands。　Some　of　these　have　had　ten　husbands　together；　all　of　whom　they　look　upon　as　so　many　slaves　that　their　charms　have　subjected。'　Lettres　edifiantes　et　curieuses；　translated　by　Mr　Lockman；　vol。　1；　p。　168。　25。　Genesis；　chap。　xxix；　ver。　18；　19；　20。　26。　As　this　poet　was　chiefly　employed　in　describing　grand　and　sublime　objects；　he　has　seldom　had　occasion　to　introduce　any　images　taken　from　the　pastoral　life。　From　the　following　passages；　however；　there　can　be　no　doubt　that；　in　his　time；　the　people　in　the　West…Highlands　of　Scotland；　as　well　as　upon　the　neighbouring　coast　of　Ireland；　were　acquainted　with　pasturage。　'The　deer　descend　from　the　hill。　No　hunter　at　a　distance　is　seen。　No　whistling　cow…herd　is　nigh'　Carric…thura。　　　　　'Let　Cuchullin；'　said　Cairbar；　'divide　the　herd　on　the　hill。　His　breast　is　the　seat　of　justice。　Depart；　thou　light　of　beauty。　I　went　and　divided　the　herd。　One　bull　of　snow　remained。　I　gave　that　bull　to　Cairbar。　The　wrath　of　Deugala　rose。'　Fingal；　B。　II。　　　　　I　am　informed　that；　in　the　Erse　language；　the　word　used　to　denote　a　man　who　has　nothing；　signifies　properly　one　who　has　no　head　of　cattle；　which　affords　a　presumption　that；　in　the　countries　where　this　language　was　spoken；　pastorage　was　nearly　coeval　with　property。　It　is；　at　the　same　time　difficult　to　imagine；　that　people　should　possess　the　art　of　managing　a　chariot　drawn　by　horses；　without　having　previously　learnt　something　of　the　management　of　herds　and　flocks：　Not　to　mention；　that；　in　those　parts　of　Britain　which　were　known　to　the　Romans；　the　pasturing　of　cattle　was　understood　for　ages　before　the　time　when　Ossian　is　supposed　to　have　lived。　27。　The　battle　of　Lora。　28。　Pope's　Odyssey；　book　i；　l。　453。　29。　Among　the　Franks；　so　early　as　the　compilation　of　the　Salique　law；　it　appears　that　a　high　degree　of　reserve　was　practised　between　the　sexes。　M。　L'Abb？Velly　quotes；　from　that　ancient　code；　the　following　article；　'Any　man　who　has　shaken　hands　with　a　free　woman　shall　be　made　to　pay　a　penalty；　of　fifteen　gold　sous。'　And　he　adds；　'If　our　century　is　admittedly　more　polished　than　that　of　our　ancient　legislators；　it　is　at　least　neither　so　respectful　nor　so　reserved。'　Histoire　de　France。　tom。　1；　p。　134。　30。　M。　de　la　Curne　de　Sainte　Palaye　has　collected　some　extraordinary　instances　of　that　zeal　with　which　those　who　enjoyed　the　honour　of　knighthood　endeavoured　to　expose　any　lady　who　had　lost　her　reputation。　　'Et　vous　diray　encore　plus；'　says　an　old　author；　'comme　j'ay　ouy　racompter　？plusieurs　Chevaliers　qui　virent　celluy　Messire　Geoffroy；　qui　disoit　que　quand　il　chevauchoit　par　les　champs；　et　il　vcoit　le　chasteau　ou　manoir　de　quelque　Dame；　il　demandoit　tousjours　？qui　il　estoit；　et　quand　on　lui　disoit；　il　est　a　celle；　se　le　Dame　estoit　blasmee　de　son　honneur；　il　se　fust　plustost　detourn？d'une　demi　lieue　qu'il　ne　fust　venu　jusques　devant　la　porte；　et　l？prenoit　ung　petit　de　croye　qu'il　portoit；　et　notoit　cetter　porte；　et　y　faisoit　ung　signet；　et　s'en　venoit。'　31。　Proverbs；　chap　xxxi；　ver。　i　3；　etc。　32。　Thucydides；　lib。　2。　33。　Lysias；　Orat。　cont。　Diogit。　34。　See　the　oration　of　Lysias；　in　defence　of　Euphiletus；　translated　by　Dr　Gillies。　35。　What　is　here　said　with　respect　to　polygamy　is　only　applicable　to　that　institution　as　it　takes　place　among　opulent　and　luxurious　nations；　for　in　barbarous　countries；　where　it　is　introduced　in　a　great　measure　from　motives　of　conveniency；　and　where　it　is　accompanied　with　little　or　no　jealousy；　it　cannot　have　the　same　consequences。　36。　By　the　Roman　law；　about　this　period；　divorces　were　granted　upon　any　pretence　whatever；　and　might　be　procured　at　the　desire　of　either　party。　At　the　same　time；　the　manners；　which　produced　this　law；　disposed　the　people　very　frequently　to　lay　hold　of　the　privilege　which　it　gave　them；　in　so　much　that　we　read　of　few　Romans　of　rank　who　had　not　been　once　divorced；　if　not　oftener。　To　mention　only　persons　of　the　gravest　and　most　respectable　character：　M。　Brutus　repudiated　his　wife　Claudia；　though　there　was　no　stain　upon　her　reputation。　Cicero　put　away　his　wife　Terentia；　after　she　had　lived　with　him　thirty　years；　and　also　his　second　wife　Publilia；　whom　he　had　married　in　his　old　age。　His　daughter　Tullia　was　repudiated　by　Dolabella。　Terentia；　after　she　was　divorced　from　Cicero；　is　said　to　have　had　three　successive　husbands；　the　first　of　whom　was　Cicero's　enemy；　Sallust　the　historian。　It　was　formerly　mentioned　that　M。　Cato；　after　his　wife　Marcia　had　brought　him　three　children；　gave　her　away　to　his　friend　Hortensius。　Many　of　those　trifling　causes　which　gave　rise　to　divorce　are　taken　notice　of　by　Valerius　Maximus。　Seneca　declares　that　some　women　of　illustrious　rank　were　accustomed　to　reckon　their　years；　not　by　the　number　of　consuls；　but　of　husbands。　＇De　beneficiis。＇　As　a　further　proof　of　the　profligacy　of　that　age；　it　is　observed　that　men　were　sometimes　induced　to　marry　from　the　prospect　merely　of　enriching　themselves　by　the　forfeiture　of　the　wife's　dower；　when　she　committed　adultery。　Valerius　Maximus；　lib。　6；　c。　3。　37。　The　action　for　the　recovery　of　such　stolen　goods　was　not　called　conditio　furtiva；　but　actio　rerum　amotarum。　38。　Heredipetae。　39。　'Do　thou；　O　prophet；　tell　me　forthwith　how　I　may　amass　riches；　and　heaps　of　money。　In　troth　I　have　told　you　and　tell　you　again。　Use　your　craft　to　lie　at　catch　for　the　last　wills　of　old　men：　and　do　not；　if　one　or　two　cunning　chaps　escape　by　biting　the　bait　off　the　hook；　either　lay　aside　hope；　or　quit　the　art；　though　disappointed　in　your　aim。'　＇See　the　whole　of　the　5th　Satire；　B。　2　of　Horace。＇　The　Volpone；　of　Johnson；　is　entirely　founded　upon　this　part　of　ancient　manners；　but　the　ridicule　of　that　performance　is　in　a　great　measure　lost；　as　the　original　from　which　it　is　drawn；　and　of　which　it　is　a　faithful　copy；　has　no　place　in　any　modern　country。　Chapter　II　Of　the　jurisdiction　and　authority　of　a　father　over　his　children　Section　I　The　power　of　a　father　in　early　ages　　　　　The　jurisdiction　and　authority　which；　in　early　times；　a　father　exercised　over　his　children；　was　of　the　same　nature　with　that　of　a　husband　over　his　wife。　Before　the　institution　of　regular　government；　the　strong　are　permitted　to　oppress　the　weak；　and　in　a　rude　nation；　every　one　is　apt　to　abuse　that　power　which　he　happens　to　possess。　　　　　After　marriage　is　completely　established　in　a　community；　the　husband；　as　has　been　formerly　observed；　becomes　the　head　of　his　family；　and　assumes　the　direction　and　government　of　all　its　members。　It　is　to　be　expected；　indeed；　that　in　the　exercise　of　this　authority；　he　should　have　an　inclination　to　promote　the　welfare　and　prosperity　of　his　children。　The　helpless　and　miserable　state　in　which　they　are　produced；　can　hardly　fail　to　excite　his　pity；　and　to　solicit　in　a　peculiar　manner　the　protection　of　that　person　from　whom　they　have　derived　their　existence。　Being　thereby　induced　to　undertake　the　burden　of　rearing　and　maintaining　them；　he　is　more　warmly　engaged　in　their　behalf　in　proportion　to　the　efforts　which　he　has　made　for　their　benefit；　and　his　affection　for　them　is　increased　by　every　new　mark　of　his　kindness。　While　they　grow　up　under　his　culture　and　tuition；　and　begin　to　lisp　the　endearing　names　of　a　parent；　he　has　the　satisfaction　of　observing　their　progress　towards　maturity；　and　of　discovering　the　seeds　of　those　dispositions　and　talents；　from　the　future　display　of　which　he　draws　the　most　flattering　expectations。　By　retailing　them　afterwards　in　his　family；　which　is　the　foundation　of　a　constant　intercourse；　by　procuring　their　assistance　in　the　labour　to　which　he　is　subjected；　by　connecting　them　with　all　his　plans　and　views　of　interest；　his　attachment　is　usually　continued　and　strengthened　from　the　same　habits　and　principles　which；　in　other