I4S STUDIES OF NATURE. 



having burJl afunder all it's bands, by the propa- 

 gation of their opinions. What have they not 

 written on Friendfliip, on Love, on Patriotifm, 

 and on all the Human Affeftions, which they 

 have reduced to the level of thofe of the beads, 

 while fome of them could render human affedion 

 almofl divine by the fublimity of their talents ! 



Are not they, in part, the veryperfons to whom 

 many of our calamities may be juftly imputed, 

 for their flattering, in a thoufand different ways, 

 the paffions of our modern tyrants, whilft a crofs, 

 rifmg in the midft of a defert, comforts the mi- 

 ferable ? It is a matter of no fmall difficulty to re- 

 tain thefe laft in a rational devotion ; and it is a 

 moral phenomenon which appeared to me, for a 

 long time, inexplicable, to behold, in every Age, 

 atheifm fpringing up among men who had moft 

 reafon to cry up the goodnefs of Nature, and 

 fuperfticion among thofe who have the jufteft 

 ground of complaint againft her. It is amidft the 

 luxury of Greece and Rome, in the bofom of the 

 wealth of Indoftan, of the pomp of Perfia, of the 

 voluptuoufnefs of China, of the overflowing abun- 

 dance of European Capitals, that men firft ftarted 

 up, who dared to deny the exiftence of a Deity. 

 On the contrary, the houfelefs Tartars ; the Sa- 

 vages of America, continually prefled with fa- 

 mine ; the Negros, without forefight, and without 



a police ; 



