Chap. VI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. ig; 



tiiential difeafes in fuch a country as Egypt, it was no wonder it 

 became the fource of plagues to all Europe. 



But, as Europe had been deftincd by Nature to be the receptacle 

 of all the difeafes in the world, it was not from Egypt and Ethiopia 

 only that it was afFxided with this fevereft fcourge of God, but from 

 the remoteft part of the Eaft. From the kingdom of Cathay, in Chi- 

 na, there came a plague, which over-ran all Afia and Africa, and at 

 laft came into Europe, in 1346, and made fuch havock there, that, in 

 many places, it dedroyed a fifteenth part of the inhabitants, and, in 

 fome places, many more ; particularly, in France, it was computed 

 to have deftroyed an eighth part, and, in England, a third, or, at 

 leaft, a fourth part *. This and the other plague under Juftinian are 

 fuch calamities, that, though a nation in its youth and vigour might 

 recover of them, I do not think it was poffible that nations, fuch 

 as the European were at that time, could ever repair the lofs j and, 

 therefore, I hold that, even at this day, Europe feels the defolation 

 it then fuffered. 



Such countries as Egypt and the Eaft, having been Co much longer 

 in a ftate of civilization than Europe, may be faid to be the native 

 countries of difeafes. There the plague dwells, and from thence it 

 comes to Conftantinople, out of which it never is ; and the neighbour- 

 ing provinces of Macedonia and Walachia are very feldom free of it. 

 In one part of Afia, I have heard of a plague, fuch as never was heard 

 of, I believe, any where elfe. It was in the ifland of Sumatra, where 

 we have our fettlement of Bencoolen. It happened in the year 

 1775, during their dry feafon, which is always more or lefs unheal- 

 thy ; for there blows at that time a land-wind, which coming from 



A a 2 the 



• See the French Encyclopedle, under the article PeJliUncc, 



