26o ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book III. 



to an animal not only very different from man in his natural ftate, 

 but very various in himfelf, according to the diiference of the focieties 

 in which he lives, I hope the reader will not think that I have ex- 

 aggerated, when I have faid that he is the moft various and moft 

 wonderful animal of this earth. 



If the reader defires to know more of the wonderful variety of 

 man, he may read what 1 have faid upon the fubjed: in Vol. V. of 

 this work, pp. 226. 322. and 323. where I have proved that man, 

 in his natural ftate, is not only a moft various animal, more various 

 than any other on this earth, but ftill more various in his civilized 

 ftate, and indeed the moft various animal that can be imagined ; 

 for, as Plorace fays, in that ftate 



Quot capitum vivunt, totidem ftudloruni 



Millia- 



To what I have faid here and in other paflages referred to, upon 

 the fubjed of the variety of man, I will add another variety in his 

 nature, which appears more wonderful than any that I have yet 

 mentioned ; — that he is not only a land-animal, but a fea-animal j 

 and that there are mermaids, that is, fea womeu and fea tnen, who 

 live as conftantly in the fea, as any fifti that fwims there. This I 

 have proved in the 3d Vol. of this work, p. 254 and following, 

 upon evidence that, I think, cannot be contraverted. Thefe ani- 

 mals appear to have lived not only conftantly in the fea, but to have 

 been produced there. But what I think ftill more extraordinary, 

 I have proved in the 4th Vol. of this work (p. t,^ and following), 

 that a man, who has been born and educated upon the land, may 

 take to the fea, and live there, like the animals belonging to that 

 element, for fundry years. So that there is in the nature of man all 

 the variety that can poflibly be imagined in one animal. 



Man 



