302 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book IV. 



But after agriculture was invented in Egypt, it mufl have been a 

 long time before the art was propagated to the many different na- 

 tions of the earth ; while in the meantime it was necelfary that men 

 ihould have fome other way of living than upon the natural fruits 

 of the earth. Now this could only be by the flefli of animals, which 

 they billed by hunting : And accordingly we are aflurcd that many 

 nations in antient times fubfifted in that way ; and feveral do fo at 

 prefent, fuch as the Indians of North America, who pradice very 

 little agriculture, but live almoft intirely by hunting and fifliing. 



The firft animals, that men fed upon, were thofe they killed 

 in thefe ways : For at firft I am perfuaded they did not feed 

 upon animals that they houfed, nor collecfl them for the purpofe of 

 making food of them. Even at this day the Tartars, who live in- 

 tirely by hunting, ufe, for food, no animals which they have tamed 

 or domefticated : For they fay it would be contrary to the laws of 

 hofpitality, to kill an animal for food which you have taken under 

 your roof; and, though they fometimes eat their horfes, it is no- 

 thing but extreme neceffity which makes them do fo. 



Thus I think I have proved, that it was neceffity that drove men 

 to ufe the unnatural food of flefli ; and it was the failure of the 

 natural fruits of the earth, which, by the great multiplication of men, 

 became not able to fupport them and the other animals of this earth-: 

 For though in Egypt the invention of corn and of the art of agricul- 

 ture did fupply men with provifions, yet as that art could only 

 be flowly propagated to other countries, it is evident that thofe other 

 countries mud have been obliged to fupply the want of food by 

 killing animals and eating them, till they had learned the art of agri- 

 culture. In this opinion I am glad to be fupported by fo emi- 

 nent a philofopher of the Alexandrian fchool as Porphyry, in his 

 learned work Dc Ahftlnent'ia, It was the fame neceffity that made 



the 



