An Essay on Crimes and Punishments

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An Essay on Crimes and Punishments (1764)
by Cesare Beccaria, translated by unknown translator
Preface of the Translator
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Anonymous 1767 English translation of Dei delitti e delle pene (1764). Foundational text of modern criminology. Famous for the Marquis Beccaria's arguments against torture and capital punishment.

Cesare Beccaria392765An Essay on Crimes and Punishments1764unknown translator
​

AN


ESSAY


ON


CRIMES


AND


PUNISHMENTS,


TRANSLATED FROM THE ITALIAN;


WITH A


COMMENTARY,


ATTRIBUTED TO


Mons. De VOLTAIRE,


TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.


THE FOURTH EDITION


In rebus quibuscumque difficilioribus non expectandum, ut quis simul, & serat, & metat, sed praeparatione opus est, ut per gradus maturescant.

Bacon.

LONDON.

Printed for F. Newbery, at the Corner of
St. Paul's Church-Yard.

MDCCLXXV.



​

TABLE OF CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION Page
1
Chap. I. Of the Origin of Punishments 5
II. Of the Right to punish 7
III. Consequences of the foregoing Principles 10
IV. Of the Interpretation of laws 12
V. Of the Obscurity of laws 18
VI. Of the Proportion between Crimes and Punishments 21
VII. Of estimating the Degree of Crimes 26
VIII. Of the Division of Crimes 29
IX. Of Honour 33
X. Of Duelling 38
XI. Of Crimes which disturb the public Tranquillity 40
XII. Of the Intent of Punishments 43
XIII. Of the Credibility of Witnesses 44
XIV. Of Evidence, and the Proofs of a Crime, and of the Form of Judgment 49
XV. Of secret Accusations 53
XVI. Of Torture 57
XVII. Of pecuniary Punishments 69
XVIII. Of Oaths 72
XIX. Of the Advantage of immediate Punishment 74 ​
XX. Of Acts of Violence 79
XXI. Of the Punishment of the Nobles 80
XXII. IOf Robbery 83
XXIII. Of Infamy, considered as a Punishment 85
XXIV. Of Idleness 87
XXV. Of Banishment and Confiscation 89
XXVI. Of the Spirit of Family in States 92
XXVII. Of the Mildness of Punishments 98
XXVIII. Of the Punishment of Death 102
XXIX. Of Imprisonment 117
XXX. Of Prosecution and Prescription 120
XXXI. Of Crimes of difficult Proof 125
XXXII. Of Suicide 132
XXXIII. Of Smuggling 139
XXXIV. Of Bankrupts 142
XXXV. Of Sanctuaries 147
XXXVI. Of Rewards for apprehending, or killing Criminals 150
XXXVII. Of Attempts, Accomplices, and Pardon 152
XXXVIII. Of Suggestive Interrogations 156 ​
XXXIX. Of a particular Kind of Crimes 158
XL. Of false Ideas of Utility 160
XLI. Of the Means of preventing Crimes 164
XLII. Of the Sciences 167
XLIII. Of Magistrates 172
XLIV. Of Rewards 173
XLV. Of Education 174
XLVI. Of Pardons 175
XLVII. Conclusion 178



 This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

Translation:

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

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