I02 A N T I E N T M E T A P H Y S I C S. Book L 



under the difgulfe of fable, of Orpheus and Aniphion having civi- 

 lifed the Greeks by rehgion and mufic ; but which, I beheve, to be 

 as much a truth as the Jefuits having civilifed, in that way, the 

 people of Paraguay : And I would have our philofophers confider, 

 whether religion be not as neceflary for continuing good government 

 among men, as for introducing it at firft ; or, whether our Scotch 

 philofopher, Mr David Hume, be in the right, who has informed 

 us, that the lefs religion there is in a nation fo much the better. 



The order of the Jefuits, who wrought thofe wonders in Para- 

 guay, is now no more. I was in France when the perfecution of 

 them began there ; and I had an opportunity of being pretty well 

 informed how it was brought about : But to fpeak of this is fo- 

 reign to our prefent purpofe : I will only fay, what is very well 

 known, and is acknowledged even by their enemies, that they were 

 the mod learned body of men in Europe; nor do I think, that 

 there has been, at any time in Europe, fince the Colleges of Philo- 

 fophers which were inftituted by Pythagoras in Magna Graecia, a 

 more (deCt body of men ; And I hold the difperfion of the Jefuits 

 to be one of the greateft blows that learning and philofophy have 

 got, fince the difperfion of thofe Colleges. The Jefuits, before they 

 could be admitted into the order, went through a novitiate of no 

 lefs than fifteen years, which time they fpent not only in ftudying 

 moft diligently Antient Learning, Antient Philofophy, and Chrifti- 

 an Theology, but alfo in teaching them : For teaching, as well as 

 learning, was part of their education ; and, indeed, there is nothing 

 that perfedls our knowledge more, in any thing we have learned, than 

 teaching it to others ; and it will even make us learned in fome de- 

 gree, when we were ignorant before, according to the common pro- 

 verbial faying, 



Qui docet indoilos, licet indoftiflimus efTet, 

 Jpfe brevi reliouis doftior elTc oueat. 



And 



