Qiap. IL ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. ^ 



But, according; to the common faying, the corruption or (lepra* 

 vation of the beft things is the worO:; and, indeed, it Vv'as in ibme 

 fort neceflary, that men living together in fociety, after having in- 

 vented the neceflary arts of Ufe, fliould not confine their fagacious 

 and inventive genius to thefe, but fhould proceed to difcover arts of 

 j)leafure and of luxury, even the mod unnatural; of which I have 

 given an example* in the ufe of males for venery in place of females. 

 For, that it was only in procefs of time, and not in the beginning 

 of civil fociety, that thefe were invented, is evident from the ex- 

 ample of the people of the Ladrone iilands, of the Pelcw iflands, 

 ■and of New Zealand, who being, as appears, but newly clvililed, 

 Hill retain the primitive fimplicity of their manners, and have no 

 fuch unnatural paffions. But, when fociety grows old, and if wealth 

 likewife "has got in among them, I hold it to be impolRble that the 

 corruption and degeneracy of fuch a ftate can be prevented, oth.r- 

 wife than by a government of religion and philofophy, fuch as thofe 

 of Egypt or Sparta. 



But it will be faid. Where is fuch a government now to found as 

 that of Egypt or Sparta? and, I mufl own, that, in thefe degenerate 

 days, there is none fuch to be found. But this does not hinder any 

 private man, under the word government, to make himfeif happy 

 by religion and philofophy. It was in this way, as i have eliewhere 

 obferved t» that the \lexandrian philofophers lived at their eafe and 

 profecuted their ftudies in philofophy, under one of the word go- 

 vernments thcit I beheve ever was, I mean that of the Saracens, 

 who, bcfides being the greateft tyrants, were the declared enemies 

 of ciU learning, and, accordingly, deftroyed, as it is laid, four him- 

 dred thcufand manufcripts, in the Alexandrian Library, uling them 

 to warm their baths. 



Vol. V. M But, 



* Page 84. of this vol- 



-J- Preface to vol. 3. p. Ixiil, 



