Chap. V. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 129 



CHAP. V. 



Of the Size of Men. — Prodigious Gro-wths of Men, in different Ages^ 

 and different Nations. — The ^ejlion at prefent concerning the Or- 

 dinary Size of Men in different Ages of the Wot Id. — Great Variety 

 in the Size of Men — This Variety not oiving to Soil or Climate.'-'- 

 The Diminution of the Size of Men in the fame Country and Climatt 

 proved, fir ft from Facls, then from the Reafon of the Thing. — The 

 Author s Way of judging of FaHs — Of the Size of the Oran 

 Outan. — Of the Patagonians. — No Reafon to difhelie've By- 

 ron s Acco?mt of them. — His Account fupported by other Evi- 

 dences. — Of the Size of the antient Egyptians and Indians. — Of 

 the Size of the Greeks as defcribed by Homer. — Of the Romans, 

 and their inferiority in Size to the barbarous Nations. — The 

 Defendants of thofe Nations not fuperior to us in Size. — Dege- 

 neracy of the Romans in Size, acknovuledged by one of their oivn 

 Authors. — Memorials yet to be feen of the degeneracy of the Size of 

 Men; — Stonehenge; — Body of a Man found near it fourteen Feet 

 ten Inches long. — The Decline fill going on. — This proved by 

 Facis. — Record of the Degeneracy of the Human Stature. — The 

 Decline, in this rcfpeSl, fiot confined to Britain. — Some Re- 

 mains yet prefsrved in Europe of the antient Stature of Men. 

 — Vifible Marks of the Degeneracy of the Species to be daily 

 feen. — The Time of Gefiation of the Females fjjortened in Mo- 

 dern Times, an evident Proof of the Degeneracy ; — alfo the Women 

 not having Milk for their Children. 



THAT there have been Men of extraordinary fizc, in different 

 countries, and in different ages of the world, is a fad that, I 

 think, cannot be difputed. In Scripture, we read of the fons of Anak 

 and of GoHah of Gath ; and Homer mentions two men of moft extra- 

 VoL. III. R ordinary 



