76 STUDIES OF NATURE, 



He forms a real family, all the members of 

 which are fcattered over the face of the Earth, to 

 coiled: her produftions, and are capable of main- 

 taining a moft wonderful correfpondence, adapted 

 to their mutual neceffities. Man has been, in 

 every age, the friend of Man, not merely from 

 the interefls of commerce, bur by the more facred, 

 the more indiffbluble, bands of Humanity. Sages 

 appeared, two or three thoufand years ago, in the 

 Eaft, and their wifdom is now illuminating us at 

 the remoteft verge of the Weft. To-day, a favage 

 is opprefled in the wilds of America ; he fends his 

 arrow round from family to family, from nation to 

 nation, and the flame of war is kindled in the four 

 quarters of the Globe. We are all bondfmen for 

 each other, 



We fhall frequently recur to this great truth, 

 which is the bafis of the morality of Subjedts as 

 well as of Sovereigns. The happinefs of every in- 

 dividual is attached to the happinefs of Mankind. 

 He is under obligation to exert himfelf for the ge- 

 neral good, becaufe his own depends on it. But 

 intereft is not the only motive which renders vir- 

 tue a duty to him; to Nature he is indebted for 

 it's fublimeft leffons. Being born deftitute of in- 

 ftincl, he was laid under the neceffity of forming 

 his intelleft on her productions. He could ima- 

 gine nothing but after the models of every kind 



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