BOOK VII.] History of Nature. 175 



Creatures is it given to mourn, one only is guilty of excess, 

 and that in a vast variety of ways, and through every Mem- 

 ber that he has. Who but we are ambitious ? Who but 

 we are avaricious ? None but we possess the extravagant 

 desire of living, are superstitious, anxious for our burial, 

 and what shall be our fate when we are gone. To none is 

 Life more frail ; yet to no Creature is there a greater craving- 

 after every thing ; none suflfereth under a more terrifying 

 Fear ; and none more furious in his Rage. To conclude, other 

 Animals live orderly according to their kind : we see them 

 flock together, and stand against others of a contrary kind ; 

 the Lions, though savage, fight not one with another ; 

 Serpents sting not Serpents : and even the very Beasts and 

 Fishes of the Sea war not upon their own kind : but, by Her- 

 cules ! the greatest part of the evils that happen to Men are 

 from the hand of Man himself. 



CHAPTER I. 

 The wonderful Forms of Nations. 



IN our reports of Nations we have spoken in general of 

 the Human Race spread over the Face of the Earth. Neither 

 is it our purpose at present to describe particularly all their 

 numberless Customs and Manners of Life, which are as 

 many as there are Assemblies of Men. However, I think it 

 good not to omit all, but to make relation of some things 

 concerning those People especially who live furthest from 

 the Sea; among whom, I doubt not but I shall find such 

 matter as to most Men will seem both prodigious and 

 incredible. For whoever believed that there were Ethio- 

 pians before he saw them? what is it that seemeth not a 

 Wonder at the First Sight? how many things are judged 

 impossible before they are done? and the Power and Ma- 

 jesty of Nature in every particular action seemeth incre- 

 dible, if we consider the same severally, and do not em- 

 brace the whole at once in the Mind. For, to say nothing 

 of the Peacocks' Feathers, of the Spots of Tigers and Pan- 

 thers, of the Colours that ornament so many Creatures 



