contrivances of art, or of arbitrary fyftem: For the laws of nations are but those of nature guarantied by civil fanctions.

Those who speak of a state of nature, think of men as of orang outangs; and those that treat of legislation, seem to confider them* as angels. In fhort, like Prometheus, they make to themfelves a lad of wax, of their own, and leave the man of nature quite out of the creation.

But would it not be a fhorter and a jufter anfwer to fuch ignorant and unnatural philofophers, to deny that there is any fuch thing poffible as a state of

* The Legislators.

nature,

nature, according to their Definition of one? Man loves woman, and woman loves man. Parents love their offspring, and their affection is reciprocal. Children love their brothers and fifters. Neighbours connect themfelves with one another, by the ties of 'friendship, or for their mutual defence and convenience.

nature.

Here is a fociety already formed, by Legislation does not create these affections, or frame thefe connections. Its fole province is merely to contrive and establish rules of justice and decorum for the joint good of a community first in being, and which human laws could never have com pelled to exist, if the natural fympa

thy

thy of mankind had not originally led them into fuch an union.

The ingenious author of a French tract, intituled, The Theory of agreeable Senfations, fays, that the generality "of philofophers, instead of taking "their ideas of beings from their real « natures, have formed their notions "of them from their own prejudices "and opinions. Seated in their closets

they have pretended to dive into the "hidden receffes of Providence, refem

bling the hero of Cervantes mounted "on a wooden horfe, with his eyes "bound up. In this manner they imagine they have traverfed the uni

verfe; and then arbitrarily deter

"mine the nature of all beings, out "of their own heads, affigning to "each their respective properties, and "functions."

bar CHAP.

S

CHA P. XLVIII.

INDIAN A concluded.

See Chapter XXXIX. last line.

HE wiped away the tears, from her

lovely blue eyes, and thus went on.

Soon after my return to Cafimir, my uncle being fummoned to attend the Great Mogul, at Agra, on a convention of the several states of that extenfive empire, in order to celebrate his birth-day, and weigh his person, took me in his train to a Court, the gorgeoufnefs and magnificence of which exceeds all other human grandeur, and may well be stiled the very Palace of the Sun.

My