386 STUDIES OK NATURE, 



to render her victorious over powers the mod for- 

 midable, and to curb by means of it the ferocity 

 of her own citizens, by inuring them to the prac- 

 tice of fublime virtue. What would they have 

 become, had they given themfelves up, without 

 reftraint to that furious inftinct? They would have 

 refembled the favages of America, who burn their 

 enemies alive, and devour their flefh ftill dreaming 

 with blood. This Rome at laft experienced, when 

 her Religion prefented no longer any thing to her 

 enlightened inhabitants, except unmeaning ima- 

 gery. Then were feen the two parlions natural to 

 the heart of Man, ambition and love, inviting to 

 a refidence within her walls, the luxury of Afia, 

 the corruptive arts of Greece, profcriptions, mur- 

 ders, poifonings, conflagrations, and giving her 

 up a prey to barbarous Nations. The Theutatès 

 of the Gauls then ifluing from the forefts of the 

 North, and arriving at the Capitol, made the Ro* 

 man Jupiter to tremble in his turn. 



Our reafons of fiat e are, in modern times, lefs fu- 

 blime, but are not for that lefs fatal to the repofe 

 of Mankind, of which a judgment may be formed 

 by the wars of Europe, which are continually di- 

 flurbing that of the Globe. A Nation delivered 

 up to it's parlions, and to fimple reafons of Jlate t 

 would fpeedily accumulate upon itfelf all the mi- 

 feries incident to humanity ; but Providence has 



implanted 



