Page:Montesquieu - The spirit of laws.djvu/480

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THE SPIRIT


CHAP. XV.
The Influence of domestic Government on the political.

Book XIX.
Chap. 15, & 16.
THEchanging the manners of women had, without doubt, a great influence on the government ot Muscovy. One thing is very closely united to another: the despotic power of the prince is naturally connected with the servitude of women, the liberty of women with the spirit of monarchy.


CHAP. XVI.
How some Legislators have confounded the Principles which govern Mankind.

MANNERS and customs are those habits which are not established by the laws, either because they were not able, or were not willing to establish them.

There is this difference between laws and manners, that the laws are most adapted to regulate the actions of the subject, and manners to regulate the actions of man. There is this difference between manners and customs, that the first principally relate to the interior conduct, the others to the exterior.

These things[1] have been sometimes confounded. Lycurgus made the same code tor the laws, manners, and customs; and the legislators of China have done the same.

We ought not to be surprized, that the legislators of China and Sparta should confound the laws,

  1. Moses made the same code for laws and religion. The old Roman, confounded the ancient customs with the laws.
man-