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.
collapse section18. 
Book XVIII. Of Laws in the Relation They Bear to the Nature of the Soil.
expand section18.1. 
1. How the Nature of the Soil has an Influence on the Laws.
 18.2. 
2. The same Subject continued.
expand section18.3. 
3. What Countries are best cultivated.
 18.4. 
4. New Effects of the Fertility and Barrenness of Countries.
expand section18.5. 
5. Of the Inhabitants of Islands.
 18.6. 
6. Of Countries raised by the Industry of Man.
expand section18.7. 
7. Of human Industry.
 18.8. 
8. The general Relation of Laws.
 18.9. 
9. Of the Soil of America.
 18.10. 
10. Of Population in the Relation it bears to the Manner of procuring Subsistence.
 18.11. 
11. Of savage and barbarous Nations.
 18.12. 
12. Of the Law of Nations among People who do not cultivate the Earth.
 18.13. 
13. Of the Civil Laws of those Nations who do not cultivate the Earth.
 18.14. 
14. Of the political State of the People who do not cultivate the Land.
expand section18.15. 
15. Of People who know the Use of Money.
 18.16. 
16. Of Civil Laws among People who know not the Use of Money.
expand section18.17. 
17. Of political Laws among Nations who have not the Use of Money.
 18.18. 
18. Of the Power of Superstition.
expand section18.19. 
19. Of the Liberty of the Arabs and the Servitude of the Tartars.
 18.20. 
20. Of the Law of Nations as practised by the Tartars.
 18.21. 
21. The Civil Law of the Tartars.
expand section18.22. 
22. Of a Civil Law of the German Nations.
 18.23. 
23. Of the regal Ornaments among the Franks.
collapse section18.24. 
24. Of the Marriages of the Kings of the Franks.
  
[section]
  
Footnotes
expand section18.25. 
25. Childeric.
expand section18.26. 
26. Of the Time when the Kings of the Franks became of age.
expand section18.27. 
27. The same Subject continued.
expand section18.28. 
28. Of Adoption among the Germans.
expand section18.29. 
29. Of the sanguinary Temper of the Kings of the Franks.
expand section18.30. 
30. Of the national Assemblies of the Franks.
expand section18.31. 
31. Of the Authority of the Clergy under the first Race.
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.
expand section31. 
Book XXXI. Theory of the Feudal Laws among the Franks, in the Relation They Bear to the Revolutions of their Monarchy.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section4. Particular Cause of the Corruption of the People. The Spirit of the Laws
next section

8.4. 4. Particular Cause of the Corruption of the People.

Great success, especially when chiefly owing to the people, intoxicates them to such a degree that it is impossible to contain them within bounds. Jealous of their magistrates, they soon became jealous likewise of the magistracy; enemies to those who govern, they soon prove enemies also to the constitution. Thus it was that the victory over the Persians in the straits of Salamis corrupted the republic of Athens; [4] and thus the defeat of the Athenians ruined the republic of Syracuse. [5]

Marseilles never experienced those great transitions from lowness to grandeur; this was owing to the prudent conduct of that republic, which always preserved her principles.

Footnotes

[4]

Ibid.

[5]

Ibid.

previous section4. Particular Cause of the Corruption of the People. The Spirit of the Laws
next section