STUDY VII. Ï5 



talent from the tool with which it works. It is juft 

 as if I were to fay, that Le Sueur is indebted for 

 the happy native graces of his piflures to a pencil 

 of fable's hair ; and that Virgil owes all the har- 

 mony of his verfes to a feather of the fwan of 

 Mantua. 



It is ftill more extravagant to maintain, that 

 human reafon depends on Climate, becaufe there 

 are fome (hades of variety in manners and cuf- 

 toms. The Turks cover their heads with turbans, 

 and we cover ours with hats ; they wear long 

 flowing robes, and we drefs in coats with (hort 

 fkit ts. In Portugal, fays Montagne^ they drink off 

 the fcdiment of wines, we throw it away. Other 

 examples, which I could quote, are of fimilar im- 

 portance. To all this I anfwer, that we would afl 

 as thpfe people, if we were in their country ; and 

 that they would ad as we do, were they in ours. 



Turbans and flowing robes are adapted to hot 

 countries, where the head and body ftand in need 

 of being cooled, by inclofing in the covering of 

 both a greater mafs of air. From this neceffity 

 has arifen the ufe of turbans among the Turks, 

 the Perfians, and Indians, of the mitres of the 

 Arabians, of the bonnets like a fugar-loaf of the 

 Chinefe and Siamefe, and that of wide and flowing 

 robes, worn by moft of the Nations of the South. 



From. 



