RELIGION. 91 



foible, it repreffes luxury ; they think themfelves wifer than the 

 reft of mankind, and that they are fupplied with whatever their 

 Ctuation can require. Their rule of government, their cuftoms, 

 their arts, their habits, have remained for centuries the fame, and 

 probably will continue fo to the end of time. 



This leading feature is, befides, the refult of the high and juft Antiquity. 

 opinion they entertain of the antiquity of the Chinefe nation, in 

 comparifon of that of the reft of the world ; and they with truth 

 obferve, that they were a poliflied people ages before the nations 

 of modern Europe had emerged from favage manners and pro- 

 found ignorance. 



The founder of their empire is faid to be Fo-bi, cotemporary Fo-Hi,FouNi>eR 

 with Fhaleg and Heber. His fubjedts at that time were nearly in 

 the ftate of nature ; they fed on what they caught, ate it raw, 

 drank the blood, and clothed themfelves with the fkins. He 

 taught them to make filliing-nets and fnares for birds, to rear 

 domeftic animals, and inftru6led them in various arts of life; 

 and to foften the fiercenefs of his people, invented mufic, and 

 the inftrument Kin.. China was inhabited above two thoufand 

 years before the. Chriftian sera, demonftrable from an eclipfe ob- 

 ferved at that period. The boaft of the Chinefe is, that their mo- 

 narchy has continued four thoufand years under the government 

 of emperors ; that it experienced twenty-two dynafties or revo- 

 lutions, but the commotions each occafioned were fo Hinrt that 

 the country fuffered very little inconveniency, and returned im- 

 mediately into its former regular fyftem. 



The original religion of the Chinefe wa? truly pure, and pro- religiox. 

 bably delivered to them by the fiift founder cf the empire, 



N 2 " Fo-biy 



