confining himself to its natural hiftory, he omits nothing that has been said of it in books where it has been occafionally introduced, not even excepting tales for amufing children: he mentions all the fuperftitious notions concerning it, every poetical comparison drawn from it, the ufe it has ferved in hieroglyphics and in coats-armorial; in a word, all the histories and all the fables in which it has been named. Take another instance from a German or Dutch chronologer, whofe name has escaped me, and which I give in a tranflation from the Latin, to prevent the bias that one has for a learned language. "Samfon was the fame with the Theban "Hercules; which appears from the actions attri "buted to each of them, especially from the "following, That Hercules, unarmed, is faid to have fuffocated the Nemean lion with a squeeze " of his arms: Samfon, unarmed, did the fame, by tearing a lion to pieces; and Jofephus says, "that he did not tear the lion, but put out his "breath with a fqueeze; which could be done, " and was done by Scutilius the wreftler, as rer ported by Suidas. David alfo, unarmed, tore to "pieces a lion, 1 Samuel, chap. 17.; and Benaiah "the fon of Jehoiada alfo flew a lion, 2 Sam. chap. 23. ver. 20. Moreover we read, that Samson having caught three hundred foxes, tied lighted "firebrands to their tails, and drove them into "the standing corn of the Philiftines, by which "both the fhocks and ftanding corn, with the "vineyards and olives, were burnt up. Many think ❝ it incredible, that three hundred foxes fhould be caught by one man; as the fox, being the most "cunning of all animals, would not fuffer itfelf to "be eafily taken. Accordingly Oppian, a Greek poet who writes upon hunting, afferts, that no "fox will fuffer itfelf to be taken in a gin or a net; "though we are taught the contrary by Martial, lib. 10. epig. 37. Hic olidam clamofus ages in retia vulpem. "In India, eagles, hawks, and ravens, are taught to hunt foxes, as we are informed by Elianus, "Var. hift. lib. 9. cap. 26. They are alfo caught "by traps and fnares, and in covered pits, as "wolves are, and other large animals. Nor is it "wonderful that fuch a multitude of foxes were CC caught by Samfon, confidering that Paleftine "abounded with foxes, He had hunters without "number at command; and he was not confined "in time. The fame of that exploit was fpread far "and near. Even among the Romans there were veftiges of it, as appears from Ovid, Faft. lib. 9. CC ver. 681. In one Roman festival, armed foxes CC were let loofe in the circus; which Ovid, in the "place quoted, fays was done in memory of the "Carfiolan fox, which, having deftroyed many "hens belonging to a country-woman, was caught by her, and punished as follows. She wrapped cc up the fox in hay, which fhe fet fire to; and the "fox being let go, fled through the ftanding corn, ❝and fet it on fire. There can be no doubt but "that this feftival was a veftige of Samfon's foxes, not only from congruity of circumstances, but 66 "from the time of celebration, which was the "month of April, the time of harvest in Palestine. See more about foxes in Burman's works." Not to mention the ridiculous arguments of this writer to prove Samfon to be the fame with the Theban Hercules, nor the childish wanderings from that fubject; he has totally overlooked the chief diffl. culties. However well fixed the fire brands might be, it is not easily conceivable, that the foxes, who would naturally fly to their lurking-holes, could much injure the corn, or the olive trees. And it is as little conceivable, what should have moved Samfon to employ foxes, when, by our author's fuppofition, he had men at command, much better qualified than foxes for committing wafte. This author would have faved himself much idle labor, had he embraced a very probable opinion, that, if the tranflation be not erroneous, the original text must be corrupted. But enough, and more than enough, of these writers. Maturity of tafte has banished such abfurdities; and at present, happily, books are lefs bulky, and more to the purpose, than formerly. 47 It is obferved above " that in a country thinly peopled, where the fame person must for bread undertake different employments, the people are knowing and conversable; but stupid and ignorant in a populous country where industry and manu factures abound. That observation holds not with refpect to the fine arts. It requires fo much genius to 47 Firft fection of the prefent Sketch. copy even a fingle figure, whether in painting or in fculpture, as to prevent the operator from degenerating into a brute. The great exertion of genius, as well as of invention, required in grouping figures, and in imitating human actions, tends to envigorate thefe faculties with refpect to every subject, and of course to form a man of parts. SKETCH V. Manners. SOME perfons have a peculiar air, a peculiar manner of speaking or of acting, which, in oppofition to the manners of the generality, are termed their manners. Such peculiarities in a whole nation, by which it differs from other nations or from itself at different periods, are termed the manners of that nation. Manners therefore fignify a mode of behaviour peculiar to a certain nation. The term is not applied to mankind in general; except perhaps in contradistinction to other beings. Manners are diftinguished from morals; but in what refpect has not been clearly stated. Do not the fame actions come under both? Certainly; but in different refpects: an action confidered as right or wrong, belongs to morals; confidered as peculiar to a perfon or to a people, it belongs to manners. The intention of the prefent fketch is, to trace out fuch manners only as appear to proceed immediately from the nature and character of a people, whether influenced by the form of government, or depending on the degree of civilization. I am far from regretting, that manners produced by climate, by foil, and by other permanent causes, fall not under my plan: I fhould indeed make a forry figure upon a subject that has been acutely difcuffed by the greateft genius of the prefent age'. I begin with external appearance, being the first thing that draws attention. The human counte nance and geftures have a greater variety of expreffions than thofe of any other animal: and fome perfons differ widely from the generality in these expreffions, fo as to be known by their manner of walking, or even by fo flight an action as that of putting on or taking off a hat: fome men are known even by the found of their feet in walking. Whole nations are diftinguishable by fuch peculiarities. And yet there is lefs variety in looks and gestures, than the different tones of mind would produce, were men left to the impulfes of pure nature: man, an imitative animal, is prone to copy others; and by imitation, external behaviour is nearly uniform among those who ftudy to be agreeable; witnefs people of fashion in France. I reft upon thefe outlines to enter fully into the fubject would be an endless work; difproportioned at any rate to the narrowness of my plan. Drefs must not be omitted, because it enters alfo into external appearance. Providence hath clothed all animals that are unable to clothe themselves. I Montefquieu. |