137 



He begins by asserting, that man considered abstractedly 

 from all his social, and as he thinks, adventitious acquire- 

 ments, possessed the following eminent advantages. 



1st, That men were less subject to various distempers, than 

 they now are in the civilized state. 



This is not agreeable to truth. The savages of modern 

 times who subsist as the ancient savages must have done, by 

 fishing or hunting, and are furnished with many more advan- 

 tages than Rousseau's fictitious savages could have been, (who 

 must have originally at least, been destitute of fishing tack- 

 ling and bows and arrows, and who could not find fruits 

 throughout the year, nor possessed any tool tor digging up 

 roots, nor even distinguish such as are nourishing, which are 

 not every where to be found,) are notwithstanding extremely 

 subject to consumptions, pleuritic, asthmatic and paralytic 

 disorders, as Dr. Robertson remarks*, ,who adds, that in the 

 savage state hardships and fatigue violently assault the con- 

 stitution ; and that in polished society intemperance under- 

 mines it: that the influence of the former is most extensive, 

 and that whereas the pernicious consequences of luxury reach 

 onlv to a i'ew members in any community, the distresses of 

 savage life are felt by all. He tells us, that as far as he can 

 judge, the general period of human life is shorter among sa- 

 vages than in well regulated and industrious societies. To 



VOL. XI. T the 



• 2 Roberts. America, p. 61. 



