MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS, 
draw infallible conclusions. Let us 
first be natural philosophers : I have 
thought J could discern on the globe 
a decided intention of nature to se- 
parate states without too much dis- 
joining them, to delineate geome- 
trically the form of empires, and 
to domiciliate kingdoms; I have 
thought I could perceive that the 
globe wasso configured, as that na- 
vigation would one day be the tie 
to bind together the human race, 
These ideas will no doubt please 
those who, struck with the harmo- 
nious immensity, believe, that the 
government of the universe presides 
majestically and necessarily over all 
other governments. We need only 
use our eyes, perhaps, to be con- 
vinced of these new truths: an at- 
tentive survey of geographical charts 
.determines, in some measure, the 
positive extent of states; fur the 
mountains, the rivers, and the lakes, 
are the unquestionable boundaries 
end guardians which kind nature has 
placed for the preservation and tran- 
quillity of human associations, 
But if the order of-nature have 
visibly separated empires, it has 
on another hand decreed, that they 
shall have a mutual commerce of 
knowledge ; its design in this respect 
isnot concealed. When I hold in 
my hand a fragment of loadstone, 
and reflect that this stone, which 
appears in no way remarkable, in- 
forms us constantly of the direction 
of the north, and renders possible 
and easy the navigation of the most 
unknown seas, I have about mea 
convincing proof that nature in- 
tended a social life for man. All 
these indications of design seem, 
therefore, to evince that her views 
tend simply to unite men, and make 
them share in common the good 
things disseminated over the globe. 
Vor, XXXVII. 
t 
r*199 
Whenever, for the preservation of 
the whole, a great crisis of nature 
occasions the disruption of a small 
portion of the globe, you suddenly 
perceive seas arise where islands 
were swallowed up. Never hasa 
gulf, never has a large gap, invin- 
cibly separated the different parts of 
the globe ; on the contrary, the soft 
girdle of the waters every where _ 
invites man, every where presents 
to him roads more dangerous than 
difficult, and which his courage and 
genius have surmounted: The ce- 
lebrated English navigator, who 
discovered the inhabited islands in 
the Pacific Ocean, sailed from the 
Thames, passed the Antipodes of 
London, and performed the circuit 
of the earth. Lastly, since it has 
latterly been discovered, by a ne- 
ver-erring experience, that winds, 
which blow constantly during a cer-. 
tain season of the year, waft our 
ships to India, and that contrary 
winds, prevailing during another 
season, Convey them back again to 
our ports—it is impossible not to 
recognize certain admirable guides, 
calculated to approximate.and unite 
the most remote nations. If man 
has learned to construct a vessel, a 
bridge upon the ocean, if this frail 
machine nevertheless braves the 
angry elements ; itis because the 
primary intention of nature was 
that men of all climates should not 
be strangers to each other: A dark 
cloud conceals from us the nations 
which inhabit the northern extre- 
mity of Ameriea ; but a slight con 
vulsion of the globe may suddenly 
form asea, to conduct our vessels 
among these new nations; and, in 
a similar way, although the interior 
parts of Africa be nearly as much 
unknown as the centre of the earth, 
it requires only a happy occurrence 
[*1] to 
