OF NATURAL HISTORY. 205 



iiekher move nor fupport their bodies. Befides, many quad- 

 rupeds are deftitute of the fenfe of feeing for feveral days 

 after birth. But the faculty of viiion Is enjoyed by infants 

 the moment after they come into the \vorld. This faculty, 

 in a few hours, becomes a great fource of pleafure and amufe- 

 ment to them ; but it is denied, for fomc days, to many 

 other fpecies of animals. The young of moft birds are 

 equally weak and helplefs as ,human infants. The former 

 have no other powers but thofe of refpiration, opening their 

 mouths to receive food from the parent, and ejecling the ex- 

 crement, after the food has been properly digefted. If in- 

 fants really fufFer more pain and mifery than other animals 

 in the fame ftate. Nature feems not to merit that feverity of 

 cenfure which fhe has fometimes received. Man in foclety, 

 like domeftic animals, by luxury, by artificial modes of living, 

 by unnatural and vicious habits, debilitate their bodies, and 

 tranfmit to their progeny the feeds of weaknefs and difeafe, 

 the eflfefts of which afe not felt by thofe V'^ho live more agree- 

 ably to the general oeconomy and intentions of nature. The 

 children of favages, for the fame reafon, whether in the hun» 

 ting or fliepherd flate, are more robuft, more healthy, and 

 Hable to fewer dlfeafes than thofe produced by men in the 

 more enlightened and refined ftages of fociety. Even undei* 

 the fame governments, and in the fame ftate of civilization;^ 

 a fimilar gradation of imbecility and difeafe is to be obferved*- 

 The children of men of rank and fortune are, in general, 

 more puny, debilitated, and difeafed, than thofe of the pea-" 

 fant or artificer. Still, however, children, in their progrefs 

 from birth to maturity, have innumerable fource s of pleafure, 

 which alleviate, if they do not fully compenfate, the pain 

 which muft unavoidably be endured, whether in a more nat-' 

 ural or more artificial fi:ate of mankind. If luxury and civil- 

 ization debilitate the conftitutions of children, they give rife 

 to many real enjoyments which are totally unknown to thi 



