the origin of the distinction of ranks-第52章

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！


s　for　life；　or　for　a　longer　period；　according　to　the　circumstances　or　inclination　of　the　parties。　　　　　The　modern　nations　of　Europe　continued　for　a　long　time　to　be　almost　entirely　unacquainted　with　manufactures；　and；　as　they　had　no　other　slaves　but　those　which　were　employed　in　agriculture；　the　privileges　acquired　by　the　villains　had　therefore　a　tendency　to　produce　a　total　extinction　of　servitude。　By　degrees；　however；　as　the　people　began　to　improve　their　circumstances；　and　to　multiply　the　comforts　and　conveniencies　of　life；　their　attention　was　more　and　more　diverted　to　other　employments。　At　the　same　time　that　the　villains　were　engaged　in　cultivating　the　ground；　they　were　also　bound　to　perform　any　other　services　which　the　master　thought　proper　to　require；　and　were　often　called　to　assist　him　in　the　practice　of　those　few　mechanical　arts　which　were　then　understood。　Particular　persons　acquiring　a　singular　dexterity　in　these　occupations；　were　distinguished　upon　that　account；　and　came　to　be　more　frequently　employed　than　their　neighbours。　In　proportion　to　the　liberty　which　they　enjoyed　as　peasants；　they　were　enabled　with　more　advantage　to　prosecute　this　collateral　business；　and　while　they　received　a　reward　for　the　crop　which　they　produced　upon　their　farms；　they　were　not　restrained　from　working；　for　hire；　in　that　peculiar　trade　or　profession　which　they　were　qualified　to　exercise。　As　the　progress　of　luxury　and　refinement　multiplied　these　occupations；　and　rendered　the　profits　which　they　afforded　superior　in　many　cases　to　those　which　were　derived　from　agriculture；　individuals　were　gradually　led　to　quit　the　latter　employment；　and　to　attach　themselves　entirely　to　the　former。　In　that　state　of　the　country；　the　children　of　farmers　were　frequently　bred　to　manufactures；　and　a　number　of　tradesmen　and　artificers；　having　arisen　in　different　villages；　were　advanced　to　consideration　and　esteem；　in　proportion　as　their　assistance　became　more　essentially　necessary　in　supplying　the　wants　of　mankind。　According　to　the　wealth　which　this　new　order　of　men　had　accumulated；　they　purchased　immunities　from　their　master；　and；　by　permitting　him　to　levy　tolls　and　duties　upon　their　commerce；　they　were　enabled　to　secure　his　patronage　and　protection。　Thus　the　privileges　acquired　by　the　peasants　appear　to　have　given　rise　to　domestic　freedom；　which　was　communicated　to　the　trading　part　of　the　inhabitants；　while　the　employment　of　the　latter　became；　on　the　other　hand；　the　source　of　great　opulence；　and　contributed；　as　has　been　formerly　observed；　to　raise　the　people　of　inferior　rank　to　political　independence。　　　　　Other　circumstances　may　be　mentioned；　which；　in　a　subordinate　manner；　have；　perhaps　contributed　something　to　this　remarkable　change　of　European　manners。　　　　　The　establishment　of　Christianity　has　been　supposed　by　many　to　be　the　principal　circumstance　which　rooted　out　the　practice　of　slavery　so　universally　permitted　and　encouraged　among　all　the　heathen　nations。　There　is　no　doubt　that　the　spirit　of　this　religion；　which　considers　all　mankind　as　children　of　the　same　Father；　and　as　all　equally　the　objects　of　his　paternal　care　and　affection；　should　inspire　them　with　compassion　for　the　miseries　of　each　other；　and　should　teach　the　opulent　and　the　proud　to　consider　those　who　are　depressed　with　labour　and　penury　as　creatures　of　the　same　species；　to　treat　them　with　mildness　and　humanity；　and　to　soften　the　rigours　to　which　their　severe　and　unequal　fortune　has　unavoidably　subjected　them。　But　it　does　not　seem　to　have　been　the　intention　of　Christianity　to　alter　the　civil　rights　of　mankind；　or　to　abolish　those　distinctions　of　rank　which　were　already　established。　There　is　no　precept　of　the　gospel　by　which　the　authority　of　the　master　is　in　any　respect　restrained　or　limited；　but；　on　the　contrary；　there　are　several　passages　from　which　it　may　be　inferred　that　slaves；　even　after　they　had　embraced　the　Christian　religion；　were　not　absolved　from　any　part　of　the　duties　formerly　incumbent　upon　them。（13*）　　　　　We　accordingly　find　that　slavery　remained　all　over　Europe　for　several　centuries　after　Christianity　became　the　established　religion：　not　to　mention　that　this　institution　is　still　retained　in　Russia；　in　Poland；　in　Hungry；　and　in　several　parts　of　Germany；　and　that　it　is　at　present　admitted；　without　limitation；　in　the　colonies　which　belong　to　the　European　nations；　whether　in　Asia；　Africa；　or　America。　The　Quakers　of　Pennsylvania；　are　the　first　body　of　men　in　those　countries；　who　have　discovered　any　scruples　upon　that　account；　and　who　seem　to　have　thought　that　the　abolition　of　this　practice　is　a　duty　they　owe　to　religion　and　humanity。　　　　　It　has　likewise　been　imagined　that　the　state　of　the　clergy；　their　great　influence　and　ambition；　together　with　that　opposition　between　the　civil　and　ecclesiastical　powers；　which　subsisted　for　a　long　time　in　most　of　the　nations　of　Europe　were　favourable　to　the　lower　ranks　of　men；　and　contributed　to　limit　and　destroy　the　ancient　practice　of　villanage。　The　learning；　the　ideas　of　policy；　and；　above　all；　the　peaceable　manners　of　ecclesiastics；　naturally　produced　an　aversion　to　the　disorders　incident　to　the　feudal　governments；　and　disposed　them　to　shelter　the　weak　and　defenceless　from　the　tyranny　of　their　superiors。　　　　　In　those　dark　and　superstitious　ages；　the　church　was；　at　the　same　time；　most　successful　in　establishing　her　authority　over　the　lowest　and　most　ignorant　of　the　people；　and　was　therefore　led；　in　a　particular　manner；　to　exert　her　power　and　abilities　in　protecting　that　order　of　men　by　which　she　was　most　firmly　supported。　As　dying　persons　were　frequently　inclined　to　make　considerable　donations　for　pious　uses；　it　was　more　immediately　for　the　interest　of　churchmen；　that　people　of　inferior　condition　should　be　rendered　capable　of　acquiring　property；　and　should　have　the　free　disposal　of　what　they　had　acquired。　　　　　The　progress　of　ecclesiastical　rapacity　seems　at　length　to　have　produced　a　custom　that　villains；　who　obtained　their　liberty　by　the　influence　of　the　clergy；　should　reward　their　benefactors；　and　that　the　manumission　should；　for　this　reason；　be　confirmed　by　the　church。　In　these　circumstances；　the　ministers　of　religion　did　not　fail　to　recommend　the　manumission　of　slaves；　as　an　action　highly　proper　to　atone　for　the　offences　of　a　sinner。　and　ecclesiastical　censures　were；　in　some　cases；　inflicted　upon　the　master；　when　he　refused　to　allow　his　villains　the　liberty　of　alienating　their　goods　by　a　testament。　So　much　does　this　appear　to　have　been　an　object　of　attention；　that　a　bull　was　published　by　Pope　Alexander　III　exhorting　the　Christian　world　to　a　general　emancipation　of　the　villains。　　　　　It　was　not；　however；　to　be　expected　that；　from　such　interested　views；　the　clergy　would　be　disposed　to　strike　at　the　root　of　servitude；　or　to　employ　their　casuistry　in　overthrowing　an　institution　upon　which　so　great　a　part　of　their　own　property　depended。　Like　physicians；　they　were　far　from　thinking　it　necessary　to　swallow　that　medicine　which　they　had　prescribed　to　the　people；　and　while　they　appeared　so　extremely　liberal　with　regard　to　the　estates　of　the　laity；　they　held　a　very　different　conduct　with　relation　to　the　villains　in　their　own　possession。　These　being　appropriated　to　pious　us