Chap. XIII. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 179 



of the race"*, "We are, therefore, to confider nobility, not as a thing 

 merely of human inftitution, but as having a foundation in nature. 

 Nor is it peculiar to our fpecies; for there is a diftindion of races in 

 all the animals that we are acquainted with, fuch as horfes, dogs, 

 and oxen; and, indeed, if there were no fuch diftindtion among 

 men, civil fociety could never be properly conftituted, nor anfwer 

 the ends which God and Nature have propofed by it: For, if all men. 

 were equally fit to govern, there would not be that proper fubordi- 

 nation of men which government requires; and if they were all unfit 

 to govern, there could be no good government among them, nor in- 

 deed any thing that deferves the name of government. 



In this way, as I have fhown in the chapter above quoted, were 

 governed the fineft ftates of which we read in antient hiftory, par- 

 ticularly the heroic ftates of Greece, fuch as that of Sparta, and the 

 ftate of Rome as long as the diftindion of Patricians and Plebeians 

 was preferved, and the two races not mixed together, nor allowed 

 to enjoy promifcuoufly all the great offices of ft:ate. But it was in 

 Egypt, more than in any other country, that the difcrimination of 

 the races of men was preferved, and the beft men fet apart, not 

 only to give counfel in the adminiftration of the government, but 

 to prefide over the religion of the country, and to cultivate arts and 

 fciences ; which three offices were, I think, very properly joined to- 

 gether, and made Egypt not only the beft governed country that, I 

 believe, ever was, but made it the parent country of all arts and 

 fciences \, 



Nor were the Egyptians lefs eminent for their religion than for 

 their arts, fciences, and government. And this leads me to fpeak 

 of the greatcft of all the difcoveries which civil life and its arts and 



Z 2 fciences 



* See p. 184. of Vol. IV. of this work. 



t Of the Egyptian government fee Vol. IV. Book 11. Chap. X. 



