MENTAL AND CORPOREAL. 269 



lion to that of any other country, to which his 

 curiosity or his necessities may lead him. This 

 together with his being omnivorous, by which he 

 finds a supply of food wherever he may be situ- 

 ated, renders him independent of circumstances, 

 and gives him a place in opposite climates, where 

 other animals, unaccustomed to the change, 

 would degenerate, or perish in the attempt. But 

 this is only one part of the benefit which man 

 derives from being left to his own resources. 

 For a knowledge of the means of contributing to 

 ^personal conveniencies qualifies him to supply 

 the wants of others under similar circumstances, 

 in return for such commodities as the productions 

 of each country and the ingenuity of the inhabi- 

 tants may furnish; and thus by barter, he lays 

 the foundation of an extensive commerce; and 

 as to enable him to effect this, the materials must 

 be obtained, agriculture and the arts are called 

 into his aid, opening to him a new field for 

 action, which, in his earlier state of knowledge, 

 he had scarcely contemplated. 



The luxuriant foliage of Asiatic vegetation (for 

 it was in Asia as we are informed that man was 

 first brought into existence) would naturally sug- 

 gest to him the use of leaves as the only means 

 of protecting his skin against the inconveniences 

 of the weather, until he had obtained the method 

 of destroying such animals as he required for 

 his use, or which might endanger his life by 



