THE BELLES LETTRES. 9 



nature, that it is not capable of producing the 

 complete felicity of created beings, and efpecia 1 !/ 

 of mankind, or elfe thofe gods were guilty of an 

 a'jfurdity, by interrupting the eftablifhed order 

 of nature, to produce effects, that might have 

 been produced by merely following that eternal 

 order. It is to be obferved here, that we are 

 now fpeaking of the gods of paganifm only. 



VIII. Hiftoric faith is moreover founded en- 

 tirely on human teflimony, and that foundation 

 is unfortunately very weak. What aflurances 

 have we, that the witneffes of events have never 

 been deceived ? or even that they have never 

 been willing to be deceived ? The fame, and 

 ftill more may be faid of hiftorians, who have 

 been very rarely witnefles of the facts they relate, 

 but have taken them merely from report. Now, 

 if we fuppofe thefe facts to be certain, we mud 

 conclude, that thefe witnefles and hiftorians were 

 angels ; for it is not in the nature of man to be 

 infallible. The more witnefles likewife any 

 prodigy has, for the moft part, the more rca- 

 ;bn there is to fufpect it : for the multitude are 

 conftantly inclined to deceive thcmfelves ; arc 

 of the marvellous, and drown the voice of 

 the fmall number of the difcerning part of man- 

 knul. We have icen the miracle-, of the bleflKI 

 Paris, that were atteftol hv thoufands of 

 witnefles, whofe veracity was indifputable, and 



'icy have at laft been proved to be not! 

 more than artful impolh 



t The 



