34 



ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book L 



(as I have fiiid) I conlider as favages rather than civilifed men. 

 One part of their regimen we ought certainly to imitate ; and that 

 is their frequent bathing in cold water, which ferves the double pur- 

 pofe both of cleanling and bracing. The people of Otaheite pradlife 

 it twice a day; which makes them fo clean and fweet, compared 

 with us, that Omai, the Otaheite man, who was in England fome 

 years ago, thought all the people of England flunk ; And I can 

 eafily believe, that a man, born and brought up in fo cleanly a coun- 

 try, would have the fenfe of fmelling much more delicate than the peo- 

 ple of Great Britain, the greater part of whom not only do not bathe 

 once a day, but live conftantly in the filth of their own bodies, and 

 fo may be f^ud, compared with the people of Otaheite, to live in a 

 houfe of oflice. Further, I think, if we will live indolently and lux- 

 vn-ioufly, w^e fhould take phyfic, as the Egyptians did, and as the 

 French people of quality did, when I was among them, about 30 

 years ago ; the confequence of which was, that, according to my 

 obfervation, they kept their health better, and lived longer, if they 

 kept free of the venereal difeafe, than the people of the fame rank 

 in Britain. But I would hardly advife fo fevere a purgation as the 

 Egyptian; becaufe I am afraid our weak bodies could not bear it, any 

 more than the Monks of the Grande Chartreufe could at prefent 

 bear bleeding five times a year, which was a rule of the order, and 

 was pradifed three or four hundred years ago** 



But in a climate fo variable as ours, and fo different in every re- 

 fpe<St from that of Egypt, we mufl not trufl to phyfic only for 

 health, but mufl take air and exercife, otherwife the vicifTitudes of 

 the weather will lay hold of us: For, I am perfuaded, the Egyptians 



were 



* This is related in a book which I faw in London two or three years ago; but 

 which is very rare, and not to be found in Scotland. It is entitled A/males Ordinis Car- 

 thufiiiti^y written by a Superior of the order. The author of this work fays, that if the 

 Monks now were to be blooded as often, it would kill the greater part of them. 



