Chap, IL ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. n 



CHAP. II. 



Of the Civilifed Life of Man — altogether different from his Natural 

 Lf. — To be inquired^ which of them is mof conducive to the well- 

 being of the Animal Life, — The Life of the Brute, who lives the 

 pure Animal Lfe^ coinpared with the Civilifed Life, and f own to 

 be more ptrfedl than the Animal Life of Man in his Civilifed State, 

 — The wi/iiom and Goodnefs of God have affignedfor every Animal 

 the life mof proper for it. — The Brute enjoys that life, — and is not 

 liable to any difeafe — not even the plagues produced by a contagion 

 of the air. — The nearer Man comes to this Natural Lite, the heal- 

 thier, and [Ironger, and longer-lived he is. — This proved by faEi 

 as well as reafon ; particularly by the example of the People of the 

 Ladrone Ifands, — alfo by the example of the Calif ornians, inhabit- 

 ing the north wef coaf of America; — and of the Caribbs inhabit^ 

 ing the Antilles in the Wef Indies ;-^and, lafly, by the example of 

 the Antedeluvian Patriarchs. — The People of the Pelew I/lands 

 and of New Zealand, though living lefs in the Natural Life, Rill 

 preferve their health. 



IN the preceding chapter I have fhown what the natural life of 

 man is. What his civilifed life is, we all know very well. It is 

 a life with the ufe of clothes, houfes, fire, flefh diet prepared by 

 fire, and even the vegetables we eat prepared in that way; with the 

 ufe, too, of fermented and even diiUlled liquors. How different 

 this manner of living is fom the natural, is evident at lirll light; 

 And we are now to inquire, which of them is moft conducive to the 



B 2 well-being 



