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CHAP. VII.

Another Origin of the Right of Slavery.

THERE is another origin of the right of flavery,

and even of the most cruel flavery, which is to be seen amongst men.

There are countries where the excess of heat enervates the body, and renders men fo flothful and difpirited, that nothing but the fear of chaftifement can oblige them to perform any laborious duty: Slavery is there more reconcileable to reafon; and the mafter being as lazy with refpect to his fovereign, as his slave is to him, this adds a political to a civil flavery..

Ariftotle* endeavors to prove, that there are natural flaves; but what he fays is far from proving it. If there be any fuch, I believe they are thofe of whom I have been speaking.

But as all men are born equal, flavery must be accounted unnatural, though in fome countries it be founded on natural reafon; and a wide difference ought to be made betwixt fuch countries, and those where even natural reafon rejects it, as in Europe, where it has been so happily abolished.

Plutarch, in his life of Numa, fays, that in Saturn's time there was neither flave nor master. Chriftianity has reftored that age in our climates.

CHAP. VIII,

Inutility of Slavery among us.

NATURAL flavery, then, is to be limited to

fome particular parts of the world. In all other countries, even the most laborious works of fociety may be perform ed by freemen.

Polit. lib. 1. c. 1.

Experience

1

Experience verifies my affertion.

Before Christianity

had abolished civil flavery in Europe, working in the mines was judged too toilfome for any but flaves or malefactors: But, at prefent, there are men employed in them, who are known to live happily. They have, by fome fmall privileges encouraged this profeffion; to an increase of labor, they have joined an increase of gain; and have gone fo far as to make them better pleased with their condition, than with any other which they could have embraced.

No labor is fo heavy, but it may be brought to a level with the workman's ftrength, when regulated by equity, and not by avarice. The violent fatigues which flaves are made to undergo, in other parts, may be fupplied by commodious machines, invented by art, and skilfully applied. The Turkish mines in the Bannat of Temefwar, though richer than those of Hungary, did not yield fo much; because their invention reached no further than the strength of their flaves.

I know not whether this article be dictated by my understanding, or by my heart. Poffibly there is not that climate upon earth, where the most laborious fervices might not, with proper encouragement, be performed by freemen. Bad laws having made lazy men, they have been reduced to flavery because of their laziness.

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SLAVERY is of two kinds, real and perfonal. The real annexes the flave to the land, which Tacitust makes the condition of flaves among the Germans. They

were

As may be seen in the mines of Hartz, in Lower Germany, and in thofe of Hungary,

+De moribus Germanorum,

were not employed in the family; a ftated tribute of corn, cattle, or other moveables paid to their mafter, was the whole of their fervitude. And fuch a fervitude ftill con tinues in Hungary, Bohemia, and feveral parts of Lower Germany.

Perfonal flavery confifts in domeftic fervices, and relates more to the mafter's perfon.

The worst degree of flavery is, when it is at once both real and perfonal, as that of the Helotes among the Lacedemonians. They underwent the fatigues of the field, and fuffered all manner of infults within the house, This Helotifm is contrary to the nature of things, The real flavery is to be found only among nations of a plain manner of living; all family bufinefs being done by the wives and children. The perfonal flavery is peculiar to voluptuous nations; luxury requiring the fervice of flaves in the house. But Helotifm joins in the fame persons this flavery established by voluptuous nations, and that of the moft fimple.

СНАР. Х.

Regulations necessary in respect to Slavery.

BUT of whatsoever kind the flavery be, the civil laws fhould endeavor, on the one hand, to abolish the abufes of it, and on the other to guard against its dangers.

CHAP. XI.

Abufes of Slavery.

IN Mahometan ftates,+ not only the life and goods of female flaves, but also what is called their virtue or honor, are at their master's difpofal. One of the misfortunes of thofe countries, is, that the greatest part of the

nation

* Tacitus de moribus German, fays, the mafter is not to be diftinguished from the flave by any delicacy of living. + Sir John Chardin's travels to Perfia,

nation are born only to be fubfervient to the pleasures of the other. This fervitude is alleviated by the laziness in which fuch flaves live, which is an additional difadvantage to the state.

It is this indolence which renders the eastern feraglios fo delightful to those very perfons whom they were made to confine. People who dread nothing, but labor, may imagine themselves happy in these places of indolence and ease. But this fhews how contrary they are to the very inftitutions of flavery.

Reafon requires that the master's power fhall not extend to what does not appertain to his fervice. Slavery should be calculated for utility, and not for pleasure. The laws of chastity arife from thofe of nature, and ought in all nations to be refpected.

If a law which preferves the chastity of flaves, be good in thofe ftates where an arbitrary power bears down all before it, how much more will it be fo in monarchies, and how much more ftill in republics ?

The law of the Lombardst has a regulation which ought to be adopted by all governments. "If a mafter debauches his flave's wife, the flave and his wife fhall be restored to their freedom.' An admirable expedient, which, without feverity, lays a powerful restraint on the incontinency of mafters.

The Romans feem to me to have erred on this head, They allowed an unlimited fcope to the master's luft, and, in fome measure, denied their flaves the privilege of marrying. It is true, they were the lowest part of the nation; yet there fhould have been fome care taken of their morals; especially as, in prohibiting their marriage, they cor rupted the morals of the citizens.

CHA P. XII.

Danger from the Multitude of Slaves.

THE multitude of flaves has different effects in different governments. It is no grievance in a defpotic flate, where the political flavery of the whole body takes

away

Sir John Chardin, vol. 2. in his description of the market of Izagour.
Lib. 1. tit. 32. sect. 5.

away the fenfe of civil flavery. Those who are called Freemen, in reality are little more fo than they who do not come within that clafs; and as the latter, in quality of eunuchs, freedmen, or flaves, have generally the management of all affairs, the condition of a freeman and that of a flave are very nearly allied. This makes it therefore almoft a matter of indifference, whether in such states the flaves be few or numerous.

But in moderate ftates, it is a point of the highest importance, that there should not be a great number of flaves. The political liberty of those states adds to the value of civil liberty; and he who is deprived of the latter, is also deprived of the former. He fees the happiness of a focie ty, of which he is not so much as a member; he sees the fecurity of others fenced by laws, himself without any protection. He fees his mafter has a foul, that can enlarge itfelf; while his own is con ftrained to fubmit to a continual depreffion. Nothing more affimilates a man to a beaft, than living among freemen, himself a flave. Such people as these are the natural enemies of the fociety, and their number must be dangerous.

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It is not therefore to be wondered at, that moderate ernments have been fo frequently disturbed, by revolts of flaves; and that this fo feldom happens in defpotic ftates.

CHAP. XIII.

Of armed Slaves.

THE danger of arming flaves is not fo great in monarchies as in republics. In the former a warlike people, and a body of nobility, are a fufficient check upon thefe armed flaves; whereas the pacific members of a republic would have a hard task to quell a fet of men, who, having offenfive weapons in their hands, would find themfelves a match for the citizens.

The

* The revolt of the Mammalucs was a different cafe; this was a body of the militia who ufurped the empire.

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