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X6 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



From a contrary neceflity, the Nations of the 

 North, as the Polanders, the Ruffians, the Tar- 

 tars, wear furred caps and clofe garments. We 

 are obhged to have, in our rainy Chmates, three 

 aqueduûs upon our head, and garments (hortened, 

 becaufe of the dirt. The Portugueze drink the 

 fediment of wine ; and fo would we do with the 

 wines of Portugal j for in fweet wines, as thofe of 

 hot countries, the moft fugary particles are at the 

 bottom of the calk ; and in ours, which are 

 fprightly, nothing is at the bottom but mere dregs, 

 the beft is uppermoft. 1 have feen in Poland, 

 where they drink great quantities of the wines of 

 Hungary, the bottom of the bottle prefented as a 

 mark of preference. Thus the very varieties of 

 national cufloms prove the confiftency of human 

 reafon. 



Climate has no greater influence in changing 

 human morality, which is reafon in perfedion^r I 

 admit, at the fame time, that extreme heat and 

 cold produce an eifed on the paffions. I have 

 even remarked, that the hotteft days of Summer, 

 and the coldeft of Winter, were actually the fea- 

 fons of ihe year when moft crimes were commit- 

 ted. The dog-days, fay the vulgar, is a feafon of 

 calamity. I could fay as much of the month of 

 January. I believe it muft have been in confor- 

 mity to thefe obfervations, that ancient Legiflators 



had 



