the origin of the distinction of ranks-第26章

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st　of　all　the　life　and　personal　safety　of　the　children。（17*）　　　　　Upon　comparing　the　manners　of　different　countries；　with　regard　to　the　subject　of　our　present　inquiry；　it　will　be　found　that　where　ever　polygamy　is　established；　the　authority　enjoyed　by　the　head　of　every　family　is　usually　carried　to　a　greater　height；　and　is　more　apt　to　remain　in　its　full　force；　notwithstanding　the　improvements　which；　in　other　respects；　the　people　may　have　attained。　By　the　institution　of　polygamy；　the　children　belonging　to　a　person　of　opulent　fortune；　are　commonly　rendered　so　numerous　as　greatly　to　diminish　the　influence　of　paternal　affection：　not　to　mention　that　the　confinement　of　his　wives；　and　the　jealousy；　hatred；　and　dissension；　which　prevail　among　them；　are　productive　of　such　intrigues　to　supplant　or　destroy　one　another；　and　to　promote　the　interest　of　their　respective　children；　that　the　husband；　in　order　to　repress　these　disorders；　finds　it　necessary　to　preserve　a　strict　discipline　in　his　family；　and　to　hold　all　its　members　in　extreme　subjection。　This　will　suggest　a　reason　for　what　is　observed　by　Aristotle；　that　among　the　Persians；　in　his　time；　the　power　of　a　father　over　his　children　was　no　less　absolute　as　that　of　a　master　over　his　slaves。　　　　　In　the　empire　of　China；　the　same　circumstance；　together　with　that　aversion　which　the　people　discover　to　every　sort　of　innovation；　has　also　enabled　the　father　to　maintain　a　great　part　of　his　original　jurisdiction。（18*）　The　father　is　said　to　have　there　the　privilege　of　selling　his　children　whenever　he　thinks　proper；　but　if　he　intends　to　put　them　to　death；　it　is　necessary　that　he　should　bring　them　before　a　magistrate；　and　publicly　accuse　them。　At　the　same　time；　whatever　be　the　crime　of　which　they　are　accused；　they　are　held　to　be　guilty；　without　any　other　proof　but　the　bare　assertion　of　the　father。（19*）　　　　　　The　custom　of　exposing　infants　was　not　restrained　in　China　till　very　lately。　Father　Noel；　in　a　relation　presented　to　the　general　of　the　Jesuits　in　1703；　takes　notice；　that　at　Pekin　a　number　of　children　were　usually　dropped　or　exposed　every　morning　in　the　streets。　　　　　　As　Pekin　is　excessively　populous　＇continues　that　pious　and　Catholic　father＇　and　those　who　have　more　children　than　they　can　maintain　do　not　scruple　to　drop　them　in　places　of　public　resort；　where　they　either　die　miserably；　or　are　devoured　by　beasts；　one　of　our　first　cares　is　to　send；　every　morning；　catechists　into　the　different　parts　of　that　great　city；　in　order　to　baptize　such　of　those　children　as　are　not　dead。　About　twenty　or　thirty　thousand　children　are　exposed　yearly；　and　of　these　our　catechists　baptize　about　three　thousand；　and　had　we　twenty　or　thirty　catechists；　few　of　the　children　in　question　would　die　unbaptized。（20*）　　　　　In　those　European　nations　which　have　made　the　greatest　improvements　in　commerce　and　manufactures；　great　liberty　is　usually　enjoyed　by　the　members　of　every　family；　and　the　children　are　no　farther　subjected　to　the　father　than　seems　necessary　for　their　own　advantage。　When　they　come　to　be　of　age；　they　have　the　full　enjoyment　and　disposal　of　any　separate　property　which　they　happen　to　acquire；　and　even　during　their　father's　life；　they　are　in　some　cases　entitled　to　a　fixed　provision　out　of　the　family　estate。　　　　　It　can　hardly　be　doubted　that　these　regulations；　which　tend　to　moderate　the　excessive　and　arbitrary　power　assumed　by　the　head　of　a　family；　are　supported　by　every　consideration　of　justice　and　utility。　The　opinion　of　Sir　Robert　Filmer；　who　founds　the　doctrine　of　passive　obedience　to　a　monarch；　upon　the　unlimited　submission　which　children　owe　to　their　father；　seems；　at　this　day　；　unworthy　of　the　serious　refutation　which　it　has　met　with；　and　could　only　have　gained　reputation　when　men　were　just　beginning　to　reflect　upon　the　first　principles　of　government。　To　say　that　a　king　ought　to　enjoy　absolute　power　because　a　father　has　enjoyed　it；　is　to　defend　one　system　of　oppression　by　the　example　of　another。　　　　　The　interest　of　those　who　are　governed　is　the　chief　circumstance　which　ought　to　regulate　the　powers　committed　to　a　father；　as　well　as　those　committed　to　a　civil　magistrate　；　and　whenever　the　prerogative　of　either　is　further　extended　than　is　requisite　for　this　great　end；　it　immediately　degenerates　into　usurpation；　and　is　to　be　regarded　as　a　violation　of　the　natural　rights　of　mankind。　　　　　The　tendency；　however；　of　a　commercial　age　is　rather　towards　the　opposite　extreme；　and　may　occasion　some　apprehension　that　the　members　of　a　family　will　be　raised　to　greater　independence　than　is　consistent　with　good　order；　and　with　a　proper　domestic　subordination。　As；　in　every　country；　the　laws　enforced　by　the　magistrate　are　in　a　great　measure　confined　to　the　rules　of　justice；　it　is　evident　that　further　precautions　are　necessary　to　guard　the　morals　of　the　inhabitants；　and　that；　for　this　purpose；　the　authority　of　parents　ought　to　be　such　as　may　enable　them　to　direct　the　education　of　their　children；　to　restrain　the　irregularities　of　youth；　and　to　instil　those　principles　which　will　render　them　useful　members　of　society。　NOTES：　1。　Lathmon。　2。　Leviticus；　chap。　xix；　ver。　32。　3。　Job；　chap。　xxxii。　4。　Histoire　generale　des　voyages。　5。　Notwithstanding　that　old　men　are　commonly　so　much　respected　among　savages；　they　are　sometimes　put　to　death　when　so　far　advanced　in　years　as　to　have　lost　the　use　of　their　faculties。　This　shows；　that　the　estimation　in　which　they　are　held　does　not　proceed　from　a　principle　of　humanity；　but　from　a　regard　to　the　useful　knowledge　they　are　supposed　to　possess。　　6。　Pope's　translation　of　the　Iliad；　book　9；　l。　582。　7。　Genesis；　chap。　xxvii；　ver。　38。　　8。　Genesis；　chap。　xlii；　ver。　37。　9。　Deuteronomy；　chap。　xxi；　ver。　18。　10。　Exodus；　chap。　xxi；　ver。　7。　11。　Narrative　of　the　honourable　John　Byron。　　12。　AElian　mentions　the　Thebans　alone　as　having　made　a　law　forbidding　the　exposition　of　infants　under　a　capital　punishment；　and　ordaining；　that　if　the　parents　were　indigent；　their　children；　upon　application　to　the　magistrate；　should　be　maintained　and　brought　up　as　slaves。　AElian；　var。　hist。　lib。　2；　cap。　7。　13。　Dionysius　of　Halicarnassus；　lib。　11；　l。　11。　Dig。　de　lib。　et　postum。　？3。　Inst。　per　quas　person。　ciuq。　＇cuiq。＇　adquir。　1。　ult。　Cod。　de　impub。　et　al。　subst。　1。　4。　Dig。　de　judic。　？6。　Inst。　de　inut。　stip。　　　　　Upon　the　same　principle　a　father　might　claim　his　son　from　any　person；　by　the　ordinary　action　upon　property；　lib。　1。　？2。　Dig。　de　rei　vind。　If　a　son　had　been　stolen　from　his　father；　the　'actio　furti'　was　given　against　the　thief；　l。　38。　Dig。　de　furt。　When　children　were　sold　by　their　father；　the　form　of　conveyance　was　the　same　which　was　used　in　the　transference　of　that　valuable　property　which　was　called　'res　mancipi'　；　Cai。　Inst。　1。　6；　3。　　14。　It　was　called　'peculium　castrense。'　15。　Peculium　quasi　castrense。　16。　The　subject　so　acquired　was　called　peculium　adventitium。　Constantine　made　the　first　regulations　concerning　it；　which　were　extended　by　his　successors；　especially　by　the　emperor　Justinian。　Vid。　Tit。　Cod。　de　bon。　matern。　　Tit。　de　bon。　quae　lib。　17。　Aristot。　Ethic：　lib。　6。　cap。　10。　18。　Though　in　China　a　man　is　not　allowed　to　have　more　wives　than　one；　yet　he　may　have　any　number　of　concubines；　which；　in　the　point　under　consideration；must　ha