Chap. I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. ss 



lived not in hcufes. The people I mean were the Scythians, of 

 whom Herodotus fays *, that they were the greateft and wifefl 

 people of the earth, in this refpe6t, That no enemy, who invaded 

 their country, could efcape them ; nor could they be found by any 

 invader, if they did not choofe it ; or, if found, they were not to be 

 conquered ; for, fays he, having no houfes or cities, no cultivated lands, 

 and fubfifting intirely upon flocks and herds, in a great track of coun- 

 try cut and divided by many large rivers, and carrying about their 

 wives and children in waggons with them, they could not be overta- 

 ken by an enemy, when they had a mind to keep out of his reach ; 

 and being moft fkilful bowmen, mounted upon excellent horfes, 

 which I hold to be the moft terrible of all military force, if they had 

 a mind to fight, they could not be overcome. Accordingly, we read 

 of no people who defended their country fo well againft the moft 

 powerful invaders. They were firft invaded by the Perfians, under 

 their greateft King, and founder of their monarchy, Cyrus, who, after 



E 2 he 



to drefs it j and the warm blood ferved him for water. During all the time, he 

 kept his health perfe£lly well, except that his legs were fwelled by the excefTive 

 fatigue of walking with the Indians, who were his conduftors and purveyors. But 

 of this he recovered very foon, after his return to Church-hill Fort, of which he is 

 now governor, in place of Mr Graham ; and yet both he and Mr Graham were 

 born and bred in Britain, and had lived as we do before they came to Hudfon's 

 Bay ; and, when they were there, kept themfelves very warm in their fadories with 

 fire, floves, and fur. This fhows, not only v^hat extremity of cold the human body 

 can bear, but, from what degrees of heat to what degrees of cold we can pafs 

 without hurt, and how foon our BoJy can fuit itfclf to the temperature of the me- 

 dium where it is. The water is very much colder than the ur; and we are very 

 fenfible of the difference when we firft go into it ; but in a very ftiort time that feeling 

 ceafes, and we are foon as much at uur eafe m the one element as m the other ; nor 

 did I ever hear of any man that catchcd cold in fwimaung j which, 1 believe, is as ■ 

 wholefome an exercile as any we ufe at land. 



* Lib. iv. cap. 5. . 



