258 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



his minifters not only nations, but individuals. (See Vol. IV. pp. 

 162 and 163.) 



Among the Greeks and Romans it was an urjiverfal belief, that, 

 not only every nation had its tutelary god, but families had their 

 poenates and their lares. And further, they believed that every man 

 had a Genius which attended him, whom Horace calls 



natale comes, qui temperet aftra, 



Naturae Deus bumanae- 



And there is a Greek Poet who fays, 



n«»Tl «>^(l«T4l AxiflUV (7V/^7rUfl<l-TXTXIf 



Uvlv; '/lyv^fiitM, ftuirrx'/tiiyt; Tow /3iov *. 



And to this Genius the Romans made oblations when they ate and 

 drank. 



The favage nations of North America believe that there is a fpjrit 

 which takes care of them f ; and, I think, it is very natural they 

 (hould have that belief, as they believe in a God, whom they call 

 the Greal Spirit and in whofe name they make their treaties. 



And thus much I think may fuffice with refpe£t to the goodnefs 

 of God, fo far as man is concerned : What refpeds his goodnefs as 

 to other animals, will be confidered in the next book. 



And here I conclude the hiftory and philofophy of man, of which 



I 



* The reader here will obferve the word fivn-Tu/yuyx, denoting that this Genius con- 

 dudls our lives in a myfterious manner : And I am perfuaded that many things, which 

 we do, proceed from the fuggeftion of this /pirii which attends us. 



I Long's Travels in North America, p. 86. 



