It is despotic folly that decreed that a father’s fall from favor should entail that of the children and wives. They are already wretched without being criminals ; and moreover the prince needs to leave supplicants between the accused and himself to assuage his anger or enlighten his justice.

It is a good custom of the Maldives [1] that when a lord falls from favor he goes every day to pay his court to the king until he returns to favor : his presence disarms the prince’s anger.

There are despotic states where it is thought that to speak to a prince for a man fallen from grace is to violate the respect due him. [2] These princes seem to make every effort to deny themselves the virtue of clemency.

Arcadius and Honorius, in the law [3] which we have so much discussed, [4] declare that they will show no mercy to those who dare intercede with them for the guilty. [5] This law was very bad, since it is bad even in despotism.

The Persian custom that allows anyone who so wishes to leave the kingdom [6] is very good ; and while the opposite policy originated in despotism where subjects were considered as slaves [7] and those who left as runaway slaves, nevertheless the Persian practice is very good for despotism, where fear of the flight or withdrawal of debtors halts or moderates the persecutions of the pashas and extortionists.