Ixxvlli PREFACE. 



can apply remedies, if not to cure it, at leaft to retard the progrefs 

 of it, as we do of old age and death in the individual ; and befides, 

 it is fome comfort to know that our cafe at prefent, however lament- 

 able it may feem, is not fingular, but that it has been the cafe in a 

 o-reater or lefs degree, of all civilized nations, as far back as we have 

 any hiftory or tradition of man. 



How this {late of mankind is to be reconciled to the providence and 

 goodnefs of God, w^ill be the fubjed of the next Volume; where it 

 will be fhewn, that as the univerfe is a fyftem, it was of neceflity that 

 an imperfea: intelligence, fuch as ours, being united to an animal life, 

 fhould fooner or later confume it ; but that in doing fo, it is in its 

 progrefs towards the greateft perfection its nature is capable of, and 

 to which it will attain, if not in this life, at leaft in the life to come. 



In the mean time, from what has been faid, fome important 

 pradical confequeuces, both as to publick and private life, may be 

 drawru 



And in the firft place, As wealth and luxury have introduced 

 among us an almoft univerfal corruption and diflblution of manners, 

 it appears that Philofophy is as neceffary to preferve any virtue and 

 wifdom among us, as it was among the Romans, when they were in 

 the fame ftate * j nor is it poflible, in rny opinion, that any man of 

 this country, though in the moft profperous circumftances of fortune, 

 can be happy without Philofophy in fome degree. In a nation where 

 the manners are not corrupted, and the difcipline both of. the ftate 

 and of families is preferved, men may, no doubt, live happily, as far, 

 at leaft, as the enjoyment of things of this life goes. This was the 

 cafe of the P^omans in the iirft ages of their ftate, among whom 

 Philofophy would then have been as fuperfluous as it became after- 

 wards neceffary ; but no body, I believe, will fay, that it is our cafe 



at prefent. 



Q.do, 



* Sec with refpe^l to the Romans, Vol. III. of the Origin of Language, p. 458, 

 et feq» 



