380 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



*' our underftanding, and can be the effects only 

 " of a power divine. You are the darling chil- 

 ** dren of the fuperior Gods : as for us, we are 

 " abandoned of Jupiter to the infernal deities. 

 " Our country is covered with unproduflive fo- 

 *' refts, inhabited by maleficent genii, who difle- 

 ** minate through the whole of our exiftence, dif- 

 " cord, civil broils, terrors, ignorance, and mif- 

 ** chievous opinions. Our lot is a thoufand times 

 ** more deplorable than that of the beafis, which, 

 ** clothed, lodged, and fed by the hand of Nature, 

 ** follow undeviatingly their inftind, without being 

 *' tormented by the fears of Hell." 



** The Gods,'* replied Cephas, " have not been 

 *' unjuft to any Country, nor to any one individual, 

 '' Every Country poffefles bleffings peculiar to it- 

 " felf, and which ferve to keep up a communica- 

 " tion among all Nations, by a reciprocal inter- 

 *' change of commodities. Gaul contains the 

 *' metals which Egypt wants; her forefts are more 

 *' beautiful ; her cattle yield milk in greater abun- 

 ** dance ; and, the fleeces of her fheep are greater 

 *' in quantity, and give a finer wool. But wherefo- 

 <* ever the habitation of Man is fixed, his portion is 

 ** always far fuperior to that of the beafis, becaufe 

 *' he is endowed with a reafon which expands in 

 ** proportion to the obflacles which it furmounts, 

 <* and becaufe he alone oî animals is capable of 



*' applying 



