Ill 



invested with coercive authority, except when engaged in 

 hostilities, having no tribunals to decide their differences, 

 implacable in their vengeance, treating their enemies with 

 extreme cruelty ; polygamists, yet without any restrictive ma- 

 trimonial contracts, holding their females in a state of slavery, 

 (though this abuse is not without some singular exceptions) 

 possessing no arts but the rudest and grossest, having no pro- 

 perty but in things absolutely necessary for their existence. 



These are the distinctive characters of the savage state ; 

 most savages it is true live either by fishing or hunting, or 

 both ;. but no lawful mode of life affords a sufficient reason 

 for denominating any portion of mankind savage; for even 

 civilized tribes might subsist in that manner. 



The savage state seems to have existed in the remotest 

 ages ; it appears to have originated principally from the anci- 

 ent mode of punishing criminals. Notwithstanding the 

 Noachic institution that homicide should be punished with 

 death, criminals frequently escaped that punishment by 

 flight, as was the custom in Greece.* Involuntary homicide 

 was always so punished,-f and consequently crimes of inferior 

 ssagnitude; hence Euripides sa3^s, 



Quani: 



* Biodor. Lib. 4.- cap. 5. j- 2 Goguet. 73, 



