228 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



number of captives. ■ But they were not niade domeftic fiaves to 

 particular men, but were employed in public works; and in the 

 fame way the Ifraelites were employed by Pharoah. The fmgle 

 inftance, therefore, of Jofeph being fold as a Have to a piivate 

 man, does not prove that it was the general cullom of Egypt to 

 make Haves even of foreigners ; and, 1 think, the contrary is prov- 

 ed by the example of Sefoflris. 



Thus, I think, it appears, that the third race of men, which He- 

 fiod, in the pallage I have quoted *, mentions as ufelefs, was far 

 from being fo in Egypt : But, on the contrary, they were moft ufe- 

 ful, and, 1 believe, as happy as by nature they were capable of be- 

 ing. For as men cannot be happy without a proper education, they 

 were as well educated as was pofTible for qualifying them to dif- 

 charge the feveral offices affigned them ; for which, therefore, they 

 were fitted by education, as well as by nature. Nor does it appear, that, 

 in any country, fo much attention was given to the education of the 

 lower fort : So that, if we could fuppofe, that education was the 

 only thing neceflary to form a good government, as the Greek phi- 

 lofophers feem to fuppofe, there never was a country where it was 

 more attended to than in Egypt. In other countries, no doubt, great 

 attention has been given to the education of the men, who, by their 

 rank in the ftate, were entitled to govern. But in no country was 

 there ever fo much care taken of the education of the lower fort ; 

 and the Greek philofophers, who fpeak fo much of the education 

 of the citizens, mention only the education of thofe, who might 

 govern as well as be governed: Which was the cafe of all the forms 

 of government, that they have given us; and particularly of that which 

 Ariftotle thinks the beft, and calls, by way of diftin£tion, uoXituu., 

 where the citizens were all to govern and be governed in their turns, 

 and to praftife nothing but arms and government, while the neceflary 



arts 



• Page 177. 



