herds, fo evidently is man born for fociety. As every other animal is in its natural state when in the fituation which its inftinct requires; fo man, when his reafon is cultivated, is then, and only then, in the state proper to his nature. The life of the naked favage, who feeds on acorns and fleeps like a beaft in his den, is commonly called the natural state of man; but if there be any propriety in this affertion, his rational faculties compofe no part of his nature, and were given not to be used. If the savage therefore live in a state contrary to the appointment of nature, it must follow that he is not fo happy as nature intended him to be. And a view of his true character will confirm this conclufion. The reveries, the fairy dreams of a Rouffeau, may figure the paradifiacal life of a Hottentot, but it is only in fuch dreams that the fuperior happiness of the barbarian exifts. The favage, it is true, is reluctant to leave his manner of life; but unless we allow that he is a proper judge of the modes of living, his attachment only exemplifies the amazing power of habit in reconciling the human breaft to the moft uncomfortable fituations. If the intercourse of mankind in fome inftances be introductive of vice, the want of it as certainly excludes the exertion of the nobleft virtues; and if the feeds of virtue are indeed in the heart, they often lie dormant, and even unknown to the favage pof

feffor. The most beautiful description of a tribe of favages, which we may be affured is from real life, occurs in these words. And the five spies of Dan "came to Laifh, and faw the people that were there, how they dwelt careless after the manner of the Zidonians, quiet and fecure, and there was no magiftrate in the land that might put them to shame in any thing- -And the spies said to their brethren, Arife, that we may go up against them; for we have feen the land, and behold it is very goodand they came unto Laish, unto a people that were quiet and fecure, and they fmote them with the edge of the fword, and burnt the city with fire; and there was no deliverer, because it was far from Zidon, and they had no business with any man".

However the happy fimplicity of this fociety may please the man of fine imagination, the true philofopher will view the men of Laifh with other eyes. However virtuous he may fuppofe one generation, it requires an alteration of human nature, to preferve the children of the next in the fame generous eftrangement from the selfish paffions, from thofe paffions which are the parents of the acts of injuftice. When his wants are eafily fupplied, the manners of the favage will be fimple, and often humane, for the human heart is not vicious without objects of temptation. But thefe will foon occur; he that gathers the greatest quantity of fruit will be envied by the lefs induftrious:

trious: The uninformed mind feems infenfible of the idea of the right of poffeffion which the labour of acquirement gives. When want is preffing, and the supply at hand, the only confideration with fuch minds is the danger of feizing it; and where there is no magiftrate to put to fhame in any thing, depredation will foon difplay all its horrors. Let it be even admitted that the innocence of the men of Laifh could fecure them from the confequences of their own unreftrained defires; could even this impoffibility be furmounted, ftill they are a wretched prey to the firft invaders; and because they have no bufinefs with any man, they will find no deliverer. While human nature is the fame, the fate of Laish will always be the fate of the weak and defenceless; and thus the moft amiable defcription of favage life, raises in our minds the strongest imagery of the mifery and impoffible continuance of fuch a ftate. But if the view of these innocent people terminate in horror, with what contemplation fhall we behold the wilds of Africa and America? The tribes of America, it is true, have degrees of policy greatly fuperior to any thing understood by the men of Laifh. Great mafters of martial oratory, their popular assemblies are schools open to all their youth. In these they not only learn the hiftory of their nation, and what they have to fear from the strength and defigns of their enemies, but

they

they also imbibe the most ardent spirit of war. The arts of ftratagem are their study, and the moft athletic exercises of the field their employment and delight. And what is their greatest praise, they have magiftrates to put to fhame. They inflict no corporeal punishment on their countrymen, it is true, but a reprimand from an elder, delivered in the affembly, is esteemed by them a deeper degradation, and feverer punishment, than any of those, too often most impolitically adopted by civilized nations. Yet though poffeffed of this advantage, an advantage impoffible to exift in a large commercial empire, and though mafters of great martial policy, their condition, upon the whole, is big with the most striking demonstration of the mifery and UNNATURAL state of fuch very imperfect civilization. Multiply, and replenish the earth, is an injunction of the best political philofophy ever given to man. Nature has appointed man to cultivate the earth, to increase in number by the food which its culture gives, and by this increase of brethren to remove fome, and to mitigate all the natural miseries of human life. But in direct oppofition to this is the political state of the wild Americans. Their lands, luxuriant in climate, are often defolate wastes, where thousands of miles hardly support a few hundreds of favage hunters. Attachment to their own tribe conftitutes their highest idea of virtue; but

this

this virtue includes the moft brutal depravity, makes them esteem the man of every other tribe as an enemy, as one with whom nature had placed them in a state of war, and had commanded to destroy*. And to this principle, their cuftoms

and ideas of honour serve as rituals and minifters. The cruelties practifed by the American favages on their prisoners of war (and war is their chief employment) convey every idea expreffed by the word diabolical, and give a moft fhocking view of the degradation of human nature f. But

what

*This ferocity of favage manners affords a philofophical account how the most distant and inhofpitable climes were first peopled. When a Romulus erects a monarchy and makes war on his neighbours, fome naturally fly to the wilds. As their families increase, the stronger commit depredations on the weaker; and thus from generation to generation, they who either dread juft punishment or unjuft oppreffion, fly farther and farther in fearch of that protection which is only to be found in civilized fociety.

+ Unless when compelled by European troops, the exchange of prisoners is never practifed by the American savages.—Sometimes, when a favage lofes a fon in war, he adopts one of the captives in his ftead; but this seldom occurs; for the death of the prisoner feems to give them much more fatisfaction. The victim is tied to a tree, his teeth and nails are drawn, burning wood is held to every tender part, his roafted fingers are put into the bowl of a pipe and fmoaked by the favages; his tormentors with horrid howls dance round him, wounding him at every turn with their poignards; his eyes are at last thrust out, and he is det loose to stagger about as his torture impels him. As foon as

he