2IO ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



men were not fitted by nature for all things, but that every man 

 was born more fitted for one thing than for another ; which I am 

 perfuaded is the cafe. There were, therefore, befides the Prlefts 

 and the foldiers, a third clafs of hufbandmen, a fourth of fhep- 

 herds, and a fifth of handicraftfmen. This is the divifion of the 

 people of Egypt, which Diodorus Siculus has given us *. 



And here a qucftion will naturally occur, By what means fuch 

 a divifion of men was made, by which diftin£t and feparate clafles 

 of men were iet apart for the different occupations of life? That 

 the men deftined by nature to govern their fellow creatures, might 

 be difcovered even among herds of men, by their look, their figure, 

 and appearance, and by fuperior qualities of mind as well as of 

 body, 1 have fhown elfewhere ; and that in this way the Greek he- 

 roes, and founders of ftates, became Kings and rulers. But how 

 were a whole people divided and affigned to different occupations, 

 for which they were by nature fuited ? A man, who by nature is 



deftined 



* Herodotus has made the number of claffes greater, altogether feven ; namely, 

 Priefts, Soldiers, Cattle herds, Swine herds, Merchants, Interj^ reters, and Pilots : (Lib. 

 2. Cap. 164.) As Herodotus was in the country much earlier than Diodorus, and when 

 we mufl; fnppofe that the antient conftitution of Egypt was better preferved than in 

 later times, I Ihould be inclined to think, that his divifion was more accurate than that 

 of Diodorus. But I cannot account for Herodotus omitting the hufbandmen, or til- 

 lers of the ground ; who are the moft ufeful of all the inferior orders of men, and 

 therefore, are very proix;rly ranked by Diodorus next the fighting men. Neither 

 can I account for Herodotus omitting altogether thofe who praftifed mechanic arts. 

 If there were any doubt in this matter, I think it is removed by the praflice of India 

 to which the divifion of men, into different claiTes, or cofis, as the Indians call them 

 Was brought by the Egyptians. Now the hufbandmen, or tillers of the ground, are 

 there a caft by themfelves ; and the feveral mechanics form ^o many different carts. 

 And Diodorus Siculus tells us, that in India, in his time, the farmers were a very 

 numerous clafs of people, and very much refpefled even by nations that were at war 

 ■with one another: For it was a rule among them, not to do any hurt to the farmers 

 or their pofTe (lions.— (Diodorus, Lib. 2. Cap. 41.) 



