Chap. XVI. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 209 



mal on this earth. And as to heat^ the fame author, Zimmerman, 

 tells us, in the paflage above quoted from Vol. IV. of this work, 

 that women can work in an oven heated to the degree of 275, by 

 Fahrenheit's thermometer. —I think, therefore, it is certain that ;here 

 is no animal of this earth, that can endure more cold and more heat 

 than man; and, therefore, that he is fitted for inhabiting everv coun- 

 try of this earth, for which he appears to be deftined by God and 

 Nature. 



For thefc reafons I am convinced, tliat all the men of this earth 

 were originally in the natural ftate, that is without clothing ; 

 and that, therefore, clothing is entirely an invention of art, and 

 has, like many other inventions of art, impaired the health and 

 fhortened the lives of men. I am alfo convinced, that the favages, 

 who at this day live in the primeval ftate and go naked, keep 

 their healths very much better than we do ; nor do we hear of 

 any difeafes among them, except fuch as are produced by the 

 fpirits that we give them. But though the primitive naked ftate 

 may be proper for vagrant favages, it would not be at all proper for 

 the civilifed life, in which men live in the clofleft intercourfe and 

 communication with one another, and where, therefore, decency 

 muft be oblerved, particularly with refped to the fexes : For, as in 

 civil fociety men and women do not copulate promifcuoully, it 

 would be altogether improper and indecent, if their parts of genera- 

 tion were expofed to view ; and even the naked favages, though 

 there be no marriages among them, conceal thofe parts from view 

 ■with coverings of leaves, as our fnft parents did, or with fome thin"- 

 elfe. 



Clothing, therefore, I hold to he coeval with civil fociety; and 

 accordingly, we do not hear of any fuch Ibciety of naked men, even 

 in the carliefl. times. But the clothing needs not be, nor, I am per- 



Vol. VI. D d fuaded, 



