130 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book 11. 



2dOy As neither language, nor indeed any art of value, could have 

 been invented, except bv men aflbciated together in confiderable 

 numbers, and living in clofe intercourfe and communication, it is e- 

 vident that the country where language was firft invented, muft 

 have been fuch as could enable men to live upon the natural pro- 

 duQions of the earth, without even thofe arts, which we call the 

 neceffary arts of life : For that men muft have lived a long time 

 in that way, before thefe arts were invented, I think, is evident ; 

 and they muft have lived, aflbciated, as I have faid, and in confider- 

 able numbers, otherwife, I think, no art could have been invented, 



2,tio, For the invention of a language of art, it was alfo neceffary 

 that men fliould live not aflbciated only, or even carrying on fome 

 common bufinefs, but that they {hould have a regular polity, in 

 which fome were to command and dire£t, while others obeyed, fo that 

 all public bufinefs might be regularly carried onj for, I fay, that men, 

 living as the favages of Paraguay did before the Jefuits came among 

 them, without any regular government, and every man doing what 

 feemed good in his own eyes, never could have invented an art of 

 any value, much lefs an art of language, fuch as the Sanfcrit or 

 Greek ; for the Invention of which not only a regular polity was 

 neceflliiy, but I think it was further neceflary, that a clafs or order 

 of the beft men among the people fliould be fet apart for the in- 

 vention and cultivation of arts. For I hold that arts of fo difficult 

 invention as that of language, never could have arifen from com- 

 mon ufe and obfervation of men engaged in the ordinary bufinefs 

 of life. 



Lajlly, I require, for the invention of the arts I have mentioned, 

 that the inventors of them ihculd be men of genius, and of very 

 good natural parts : For Nature muft lay the foundation of all arts 

 and fciences ; and I deny, that fuch men as the Laplanders and 



Greenlanders, 



