﻿88 
  PRIMEVAL 
  MAN. 
  

  

  cording 
  to 
  their 
  beauty, 
  or 
  according 
  to 
  their 
  

   power 
  of 
  comforting. 
  Among 
  the 
  causes 
  

   which 
  have 
  determined 
  their 
  form 
  and 
  cha- 
  

   racter 
  in 
  different 
  nations 
  we 
  must 
  reckon 
  

   the 
  moral 
  corruption 
  of 
  human 
  nature. 
  I 
  

   am 
  not 
  speaking 
  of 
  this 
  corruption 
  in 
  a 
  

   dogmatic 
  and 
  theological 
  sense 
  ; 
  I 
  speak 
  of 
  

   it 
  as 
  an 
  unquestionable 
  fact, 
  whatever 
  be 
  the 
  

   history 
  of 
  its 
  origin. 
  By 
  the 
  corruption 
  of 
  

   human 
  nature, 
  I 
  mean 
  the 
  undeniable 
  fact 
  

   that 
  Man 
  has 
  a 
  constant 
  tendency 
  to 
  abuse 
  his 
  

   powers, 
  to 
  do 
  what 
  according 
  even 
  to 
  his 
  

   own 
  standard 
  of 
  right 
  or 
  wrong 
  he 
  knows 
  

   he 
  ought 
  not 
  to 
  do 
  ; 
  to 
  be 
  unjust 
  and 
  

   cruel 
  towards 
  others, 
  and 
  to 
  fall 
  into 
  horrible 
  

   and 
  degrading 
  superstitions. 
  Human 
  corrup- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  this 
  sense 
  is 
  as 
  much 
  a 
  fact 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  