5 3 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK. i. 



ciprocal hostility ; maintaining, that all the soft and 

 tender affections are not originally implanted in us, 

 but are superinduced by education and reflection. A 

 retrospect to what has been related of the Charaibes 

 will shew the fallacy of this opinion. Alan, as he 

 comes from the hands of his Creator, is every where 

 constituted a mild and a merciful being. It was by 

 rigid discipline and barbarous example, that the Cha- 

 raibe nation trained up their youth to suffer with for- 

 titude, and to inflict without pity the utmost exer- 

 tions of human vengeance. The dictates of nature 

 were as much violated by those enormities of savage 

 life, as they are suppressed by the cold unfeeling 

 apathy of philosophical resentment. To the honour of 

 humanity, it is as certain that compassion and kindness 

 are among the earliest propensities of our nature, as 

 that they constitute the chief ornament and the hap- 

 piness of it. Of this truth our next researches will 

 furnish a pleasing example. 



