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.
collapse section24. 
Book XXIV. Of Laws in relation to Religion Considered in Itself, and in its Doctrines.
 24.1. 
1. Of Religion in General.
expand section24.2. 
2. A Paradox of M. Bayle's.
expand section24.3. 
3. That a moderate Government is most agreeable to the Christian Religion, and a despotic Government to the Mahometan.
expand section24.4. 
4. Consequences from the Character of the Christian Religion, and that of the Mahometan.
 24.5. 
5. That the Catholic Religion is most agreeable to a Monarchy, and the Protestant to a Republic.
 24.6. 
6. Another of M. Bayle's Paradoxes.
expand section24.7. 
7. Of the Laws of Perfection in Religion.
expand section24.8. 
8. Of the Connection between the moral Laws and those of Religion.
expand section24.9. 
9. Of the Essenes.
 24.10. 
10. Of the Sect of Stoics.
expand section24.11. 
11. Of Contemplation.
 24.12. 
12. Of Penances.
expand section24.13. 
13. Of inexpiable Crimes.
expand section24.14. 
14. In what Manner Religion has an Influence on Civil Laws.
expand section24.15. 
15. How false Religions are sometimes corrected by the Civil Laws.
expand section24.16. 
16. How the Laws of Religion correct the Inconveniences of a political Constitution.
expand section24.17. 
17. The same Subject continued.
expand section24.18. 
18. How the Laws of Religion have the Effect of Civil Laws.
expand section24.19. 
19. That it is not so much the Truth or Falsity of a Doctrine which renders it useful or pernicious to Men in civil Government, as the Use or Abuse of it.
expand section24.20. 
20. The same Subject continued.
 24.21. 
21. Of the Metempsychosis.
 24.22. 
22. That it is dangerous for Religion to inspire an Aversion for Things in themselves indifferent.
expand section24.23. 
23. Of Festivals.
expand section24.24. 
24. Of the local Laws of Religion.
expand section24.25. 
25. The Inconvenience of transplanting a Religion from one Country to another.
expand section24.26. 
26. The same Subject continued.
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 section19. That a Prince ought not to engage himself in Commerce. The Spirit of the Laws
next section

20.19. 19. That a Prince ought not to engage himself in Commerce.

Theophilus, [16] seeing a vessel laden with merchandise for his wife Theodora, ordered it to be burned. "I am emperor," said he, "and you make me the master of a galley. By what means shall these poor men gain a livelihood if we take their trade out of their hands?" He might have added. Who shall set bounds to us if we monopolise all ourselves? Who shall oblige us to fulfil our engagements? Our courtiers will follow our example; they will be more greedy and more unjust than we: the people have some confidence in our justice, they will have none in our opulence: all these numerous duties, the cause of their wants, are certain proofs of ours.

Footnotes

[16]

Zonaras.

previous section19. That a Prince ought not to engage himself in Commerce. The Spirit of the Laws
next section