STUDY XII. 389 



the North, the rein-deer which feeds him. The 

 wandering Iroquois demands of the Spirits, which 

 prelide over the lakes and the forefts, plentiful 

 fifhing and hunting feafons. Many Nations wor- 

 ship their Kings. There is not one of them which, 

 in order to render more dear to men thofe auguft 

 difpenfers of their felicity, have not called in the 

 intervention of fome Divinity for the purpofe of 

 confecrating their origin. Such are, in general, 

 the Gods of the Nations : but when the parlions 

 interpole, and darken among them this divine 

 inftinct, and blend with it either the madnefs 

 of ambition, or the feduclion of voluptuoufnefs, 

 you behold them proftrating themfelves before fer- 

 pents, crocodiles, and other gods, too abominable 

 to be mentioned. You behold them offering in 

 iacrifîce, the blood of their enemies and the virgi- 

 nity of their daughters. Such as is the character 

 of a People, fuch is it's religion. Man is carried 

 along by this celeftial impulie fo irrefiftibly, that, 

 when he ceafes to take the Deity for his model, 

 he never fails to make one after his own image. 



There are, therefore, two powers in Man, the 

 one animal, the other divine. The firft is incef- 

 fantly giving him the fentiment of his wretched- 

 néfs; the fécond, conftantly awakening in him 

 that of his own excellence : and from their con- 

 c c z fiicts 



