University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The Spirit of the Laws

  
[title page]
expand section 
The Translator to the Reader
  
CONTENTS
expand section 
PREFACE
  
ADVERTISEMENT

expand section1. 
Book I. Of Laws in General.
expand section2. 
Book II. Of Laws Directly Derived from the Nature of Government.
expand section3. 
Book III. Of the Principles of the Three Kinds of Government.
expand section4. 
Book IV. That the Laws of Education Ought to Be in Relation to the Principles of Government.
expand section5. 
Book V. That the Laws Given by the Legislator Ought to Be in Relation to the Principle of Government.
expand section6. 
Book VI. Consequences of the Principles of Different Governments with Respect to the Simplicity of Civil and Criminal Laws, the Form of Judgments, and the Inflicting of Punishments.
expand section7. 
Book VII. Consequences of the Different Principles of the Three Governments with Respect to Sumptuary Laws, Luxury, and the Condition of Women.
expand section8. 
Book VIII. Of the Corruption of the Principles of the Three Governments.
expand section9. 
Book IX., Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to a Defensive Force.
expand section10. 
Book X. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to Offensive Force.
expand section11. 
Book XI. Of the Laws Which Establish Political Liberty, with Regard to the Consti- tution.
expand section12. 
Book XII. Of the Laws That Form Political Liberty, in Relation to the Subject.
expand section13. 
Book XIII. Of the Relation Which the Levying of Taxes and the Greatness of the Public Revenues Bear to Liberty.
expand section14. 
Book XIV. Of Laws in Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section15. 
Book XV. In What Manner the Laws of Civil Slavery Relate to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section16. 
Book XVI. How the Laws of Domestic Slavery Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section17. 
Book XVII., How the Laws of Political Servitude Bear a Relation to the Nature of the Climate.
expand section18. 
Book XVIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Nature of the Soil.
expand section19. 
Book XIX. Of Laws in Relation to the Principles Which Form the General Spirit, Morals, and Customs of a Nation.
expand section20. 
Book XX. Of Laws in Relation to Commerce, Considered in its Nature and Distinctions.
expand section21. 
Book XXI. Of Laws in relation to Commerce, considered in the Revolutions it has met with in the World.
expand section22. 
Book XXII. Of Laws in Relation to the Use of Money.
expand section23. 
Book XXIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Number of Inhabitants.
expand section24. 
Book XXIV. Of Laws in relation to Religion Considered in Itself, and in its Doctrines.
expand section25. 
Book XXV. Of Laws in Relation to the Establishment of Religion and its External Polity.
expand section26. 
Book XXVI. Of Laws in Relation to the Order of Things Which They Determine.
expand section27. 
Book XXVII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Roman Laws on Successions.
expand section28. 
Book XXVIII. Of the Origin and Revolutions of the Civil Laws among the French.
expand section29. 
Book XXIX. Of the Manner of Composing Laws.
expand section30. 
Book XXX. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks in the Relation They Bear to the Establishment of the Monarchy.
collapse section31. 
Book XXXI. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks, in the Relation They Bear to the Revolutions of their Monarchy.
expand section31.1. 
1. Changes in the Offices and in the Fiefs.
expand section31.2. 
2. How the Civil Government was reformed.
expand section31.3. 
3. Authority of the Mayors of the Palace.
expand section31.4. 
4. Of the Genius of the Nation in regard to the Mayors.
expand section31.5. 
5. In what Manner the Mayors obtained the Command of the Armies.
expand section31.6. 
6. Second Epoch of the Humiliation of our Kings of the first Race.
expand section31.7. 
7. Of the great Offices and Fiefs under the Mayors of the Palace.
expand section31.8. 
8. In what Manner the Allodial Estates were changed into Fiefs.
expand section31.9. 
9. How the Church Lands were converted into Fiefs.
 31.10. 
10. Riches of the Clergy.
expand section31.11. 
11. State of Europe at the Time of Charles Martel.
expand section31.12. 
12. Establishment of the Tithes.
expand section31.13. 
13. Of the Election of Bishops and Abbots.
expand section31.14. 
14. Of the Fiefs of Charles Martel.
expand section31.15. 
15. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.16. 
16. Confusion of the Royalty and Mayoralty. The Second Race.
expand section31.17. 
17. A particular Circumstance in the Election of the Kings of the Second Race.
expand section31.18. 
18. Charlemagne.
expand section31.19. 
19. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.20. 
20. Louis the Debonnaire.
expand section31.21. 
21. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.22. 
22. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.23. 
23. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.24. 
24. That the Freemen were rendered capable of holding Fiefs.
expand section31.25. 
25. Changes in the Allodia.
expand section31.26. 
26. Changes in the Fiefs.
expand section31.27. 
27. Another change which happened in the Fiefs.
expand section31.28. 
28. Changes which happened in the great Offices, and in the Fiefs.
expand section31.29. 
29. Of the Nature of the Fiefs after the Reign of Charles the Bald.
expand section31.30. 
30. The same Subject continued.
expand section31.31. 
31. In what Manner the Empire was transferred from the Family of Charlemain.
expand section31.32. 
32. In what Manner the Crown of France was transferred to the House of Hugh Capet.
expand section31.33. 
33. Some Consequences of the Perpetuity of Fiefs.
expand section31.34. 
34. The same Subject continued.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section2. The same Subject continued. The Spirit of the Laws
next section

29.2. 2. The same Subject continued.

Cecilius, in Aulus Gellius, [2] speaking of the law of the Twelve Tables which permitted the creditor to cut the insolvent debtor into pieces, justifies it even by its cruelty, which hindered people from borrowing beyond their ability of paying. [3] Shall then the cruellest laws be the best? Shall goodness consist in excess, and all the relations of things be destroyed?

Footnotes

[2]

Book xx. 1.

[3]

Cecilius says that he never saw nor read of an instance in which this punishment had been inflicted; but it is likely that no such punishment was ever established: the opinion of some civilians, that the law of the Twelve Tables meant only the division of the money arising from the sale of the debtor, seems very probable.

previous section2. The same Subject continued. The Spirit of the Laws
next section