DR. DARWIN. 413 



which, when founded in benevolence, and 

 not in haughtinefs, is the faireft and moft 

 productive foil in which the virtues can 

 grow, whether thofe virtues be lowly and 

 plain in ignorance and poverty, or height- 

 ened and refined by knowledge and af- 

 fluence. 



Of this theory, however, Dr. Darwin is 

 neither the fource, nor the firft who drew 

 the fcattered hints of former philofophers 

 concerning it, into a regular fyftem. The 

 ingenious and excellent Dr. Percival, of 

 Manchefter, preceded him in maintaining 

 that fyftem from the prefs. Congeniality 

 on it's fubjecl between a mild, a temperate, 

 and religious fage, and a bold philofopher 

 of the modern fchool, who pofleffed the 

 eye of a lynx for nature's arcana, leave 

 us little reafon to doubt that it is veritable. 

 Why fliould we fuppofe the chain of ex- 

 iftence broken at the laft, inert clafs of 



animals, 



