Chap. I. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 83 



have hardly names ^ much lefs cures for them, — Of the prevalence of 

 Confumptions among us, — The death of Children by this difcafe muji 

 ar'ife from the weakneffes of Parents, — To the fame catfe is to be 

 attributed the great mortality of Children in great Toivns, fuch as 

 London^ — -where it is computed^ that not a h.df of thofe that are 

 born live to be tvDO years old, — Confumption not unknoivn to the 

 Antients; — but not near fo fatal. — This a proof that their manner 

 of Life was more Natural than ours. 



IN the preceding book I think I have fhown very clearly, that 

 man, in his natural ftate, is much happier than he is in his ci- 

 vilifed life, as it is condud:ed at prefent in the nations of Europe. 

 And the reafon is plain, that man, as well as other animals in the 

 natural ftate, is governed by inftindl, that is divine intelligence 

 prompting him to do every thing that is neceflary for. the preferva- 

 tion of the ind vidual and the continuation of the kind; whereas the 

 civilifed man is guided by his own intelligence, which, however 

 weak or imperfed: it may he. is the governing principle in his little 

 world, dire6iing all his operations, particularly thofe. of his animal 

 life. Now, this government nmft be very diflicuk in the civil foci- 

 eties 1 fpeak of, particularly m fuch of them where money is fo pre- 

 dominant, and of fuch general ufe., as ic is in Britain In the natu- 

 ral ftate, the wants and appetites are very few, none but fuch as ar& 

 neceflary for the fupport of the indiviuual and the propagation of 

 the kind,- and which all, at the fame time, give pleafure to the ani- 

 mal ; whereas^ in the civilifed ftate, the wants and defires are innu- 

 merable, efpecially when money furniihes the means of gratifying 

 them. Then there arife paffions the raoft unnatural ; and, even in 

 focieties where money is not fo predominant, one paflion has arifen, 

 the mcft unnatural that can be imagined : For, the inventive genius 

 of man prompts him, after he has tried all natural pleafures, and is 



L 2 fatiated . 



