The author’s foreword
For the understanding of the first four books of this work, it must be noted that what I call virtue in the republic is love of the homeland, in other words love of equality. It is not a moral virtue, nor a Christian virtue, it is political virtue ; and this virtue is (…)
Early in his enterprise, which is to say at a time when a failure could overturn him, he left little to chance ; when fortune placed him above events, temerity was sometimes one of his means. When before his departure he marches against the Triballians and the Illyrians, you see a war like the (…)
To vanquished peoples he did not leave only their customs ; he also left them their civil laws, and often even the kings and governors he had found. He would put the Macedonians at the head of his troops, and native men at the head of the government, preferring to run the risk of some individual (…)
We see in the wars of Marius and Sulla the extent to which the Romans’ souls had progressively become depraved. Such fateful things gave the impression they would never be seen again. But under the triumvirs, they wanted to be more cruel while appearing so less ; it is dismaying to see the (…)
It does not suffice, in the tribunals of the realm, for there to be evidence enough to convince the judges ; it is also necessary that this evidence be formal, in other words legal ; and the law requires that there be two witnesses against the accused ; another piece of evidence would not (…)
On nations where civil liberty is generally established
We hear it said every day that it would be a good thing if we had slaves here.
But to judge well on this matter, one should not examine whether they would be useful to the small wealthy and sensual portion of each nation. Doubtless they (…)
On the capital of the empire
One of the consequences of what we have just said is that it is important to a very great prince to choose the seat of his empire well. He who places it toward the south will risk losing the north, and he who places it in the north will easily retain the south. I (…)
On adoption among the Germans
As a young man attained majority among the Germans by receiving weapons, he was adopted by the same sign. Thus Guntram, in order to declare his nephew Childebert of age, and also adopt him, said to him : “I have placed this javelin in thy hands as a sign that I (…)
Some effects of extensive navigation
It sometimes happens that a nation that engages in commerce of economy, needing from one country a product that can be traded for products of another country, is willing to make little profit, and sometimes none, on some of them in the hope or certainty of (…)
A law of Rhodes
The Rhodians went further. Sextus Empiricus says that there a son could not avoid paying his father’s debts by renouncing the succession. [1] The law of Rhodes was given to a republic founded on commerce : now, I believe the reason of commerce must itself have imposed this (…)
Montesquieu
Unité Mixte de Recherche 5317, CNRS