21,2 STUDIES OF NATURE, 



They abjured the national prejudices which had 

 rendered them, from the womb, the enemies of 

 otlier men ; and efpecially that which is the fource 

 of all the animofities of the Humm Race, and 

 which Europe inftils, with the mother's milk, into 

 each of her fons — the defire of being the firfl. 

 They adopted, under the immediate protedtion of 

 the Author of Nature, the principles of univerfal 

 toleration ; and by that aâ: of general juftice, they 

 fell back, without interruption, into the uncon- 

 ftrained exercife of their particular charafter. The 

 Dutchman there purfued agriculture and com- 

 merce, into the very bofom of the morafles ; the 

 Swifs, up to the fummit of the rocks, and the Ruf- 

 fian, dexterous in managing the hatchet, into the 

 very centre of the thickeft forefts. The Englifh- 

 man there addided himfelf to navigation, and to the 

 Lifeful arts, which conftitute the ftrength of States; 

 the Italian, to the liberal arts, which raife them to 

 a ilourilhing condition; the Pruflian, to military 

 exercifes ; the Poles to thofe of horfemanfhip ; the 

 referved Spaniard, to the talents which require 

 firmnefs; the Frenchman, to thoie which render 

 life "agreeable, and to the focial inftinft, which qua- 

 lifies him to be the bond of union among all Na- 

 tions. All thefe men, of opinions fo very diffe- 

 rent, enjoyed, through the medium of toleration, 

 an inter-communication of every thing that was 

 t>eft in their feveral characters, and tempered the 



defeds 



