246 Hijîorîcal Journal of 



Knowledge of the Objeéls, which fo much work upon and feduce 

 U5, had excited in them Deiires which Ignorance kept in Supine- 

 nefs ; and which have not as yet made any great Ravages among 

 them. Wedifcover in them a Mixture of the fierceft and the moll 

 gentle Manners, thelmperfedlions of wild Beaîls, and Virtues and 

 Qualities of the Heart and Mind, which do the greateft Honour 

 to Human Nature. One would think at firft that they have no 

 Form of Government, that they acknowledge neither Laws nor 

 Subordination ; and that living in an entire Independence, they 

 fufFer themfelves to be folely guided by Çhançe, and the wildeR 

 Caprice : Neverthelefs, they enjoy almWî: ill the Advantages 

 that a Vv^eii regulated Authority can procure for the befl: go- 

 \^erned Nations. Born free and independent, they look with 

 Horror even on the Shadow of a defpotic Power ; but they fel- 

 dom depart from certain Principles and Cuftoms, founded on 

 good Senfe, which are to them inilead of Laws, and which in 

 fome Meafure fupply the Place of a lawful Authority. They 

 will not bear the leaft Reftraint ; but Reafon alone keeps them 

 in a Kind of Subordination ; which, for being voluntary, is not 

 the lefs efFedual to obtain the End intended. 



A Man who fhould be highly efîeemed by them, would find 

 them docible enough, and would make them do almoft what he 

 pleafed ; but it is noteafy to obtain their Efteem to fuch a De- 

 gree : They never give it but to Merit, and to fuperior Merit ; 

 of which they are as good ^ Judges as thofe amongft us, who 

 think they have the moil Difcernment. 



They rely much onPhyfiognomy, and perhaps there are no Men 

 in the World v/ho are better Judges of it. The Reafon is, that 

 they have none of that Refpeél for any Perfon whatfoever, which 

 feduQps us : And Hudying only pure Nature, they have a perfe^l 

 Knowledge of it. As they are not Slaves to Ambition andlntereH, 

 and that there is fcarce any Thing but thefe two Pallions which 

 has weakened in us that Senfe of Humanity which the Author of 

 Nature had graved in our Hearts, the Inequality of Conditions 

 is no Way neceffary to them for the Support of Society. 



Therefore, Madam, we do not fee here, at leafb we feldom meet 

 v^ith thofe haughty Spirits, who, full of their own Grandeur, or 

 their Merit, almofl: fancy they are a different Species, difdaining 

 the reft of Mankind, by whom of Confequence they are never 

 trufted nor beloved ; who think none like themfelves, becaufe 

 the Jealoufy which reigns among the Great, does not permit 

 them to fee each other near enough ; who do not know them- 

 felves, becaufe they never ftudy their own Hearts, but always 

 flatter themfelves ; who do not conlider that to win the Hearts of 

 Men, we mufl. in fome Meafure make ourfelves their Equals : 

 Sq that with this pretended Superiority of Knowledge, which 



9 they 



