1

animal is in its natural state when in the fituation
which its inftinct requires; fo man, when his rea-
fon is cultivated, is then, and only then, in the state
proper to his nature. The life of the naked fa
vage, 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 favage
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 Rouffeau, may figure
the paradifiacal life of a Hottentot, but it is only
in fuch dreams that the fuperior happinefs of the
barbarian exifts. The favage, it is true, is reluc-
tant to leave his manner of life; but unless we al-
low that he is a proper judge of the modes of
living, his attachment to his own by no means
proves that he is happier than he might otherwise
have been. His attachment only exemplifies the
amazing power of habit in reconciling the human
breaft to the most uncomfortable fituations. If the
intercourse of mankind in fome inftances be intro-
ductive of vice, the want of it as certainly ex-
cludes the exertion of the noblest virtues; and if
the feeds of virtue are indeed in the heart, they
often lie dormant, and even unknown to the favage
poffeffor.

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poffeffor. 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 fpies of Dan "came to Laish, 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 fpies faid to their brethren, Arife, that we may go up against them; for we have feen the land, and behold it is very good....and 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 Laish 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 those paffions which are the parents of the acts of injuftice. When his wants are easily fupplied, the manners of the favage will be fimple, and often humane, for the human heart is not vicious without objects of temptation. But these will foon occur; he that gathers the greateft quantity of fruit will be envied by the lefs induftrious: 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 fupply 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 display 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 first invaders; and because they have no business with any man, they will find no deliverer. While human nature is the same, the fate of Laish will always be the fate of the weak and defenceless; and thus the most amiable description 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 underftood by the men of Laifh. Great masters of martial oratory, their popular affemblies 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 ftrength and designs of their enemies, but they also imbibe the most ardent spirit of war. The arts of ftrata

gem are their study, and the most athletic exercises of the field their employment and delight. And what is their greatest praise, they have magistrates to put to shame. 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 thofe, 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 masters of great martial policy, their condition, upon the whole, is big with the most striking demonftration of the mifery and UNNATURAL state of fuch very imperfect civilization. Multiply, and replenish the earth, is an injunction of the best political philosophy 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 miferies 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 waftes, where thousands of miles hardly fupport a few hundreds of favage hunters. Attachment to their own tribe conftitutes their higheft idea of virtue; but this virtue includes the moft brutal depravity, makes them efteem the

man

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 customs 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 most shocking view of the degradation of human nature†. But what peculiarly completes

the

* This ferocity of favage manners affords a philofophical account how the most distant and inhofpitable climes were firft 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 search of that protection which is only to be found in civilized fociety.

+ Unlefs when compelled by European troops, the exchange of prisoners is never practifed by the American favages. Sometimes, when a favage lofes a fon in war, he adopts one of the captives in his ftead; but this feldom occurs; for the death of the prifoner seems 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 roasted 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 poniards; his eyes are at last thrust out, and he is let loose to stagger about as his torture impels him. As foon as he expires, his diffevered limbs are boiled in the war-kettle, and devoured by his executioners. And fuch is the power of custom and the ideas of honor, that the unhappy sufferer under