( m ) 



and burned a great number of enemies, are the 

 fole merits which entitle them to this paradife, the 

 whole felicity of which confifts in an inexhauftible 

 plenty of game and fifties, an everiafting fpring, 

 a vaft abundance of all things without being oblig- 

 ed to work, and a full fatisfaction of all their 

 fenfual appetites. Thefe are likewife the only 

 bleffings they afk of their gods in their life-time. 

 All their fongs, which are originally their prayers, 

 have no other theme befides the goods of this life, 

 there being not the leaft mention any more than, 

 in their vows of an hereafter ; they are certain of 

 being happy in the other world in proportion to 

 their happinefs in this. 



The fouls of beafts have alfo a place in the in- 

 fernal regions, and are according to the Indians 

 immortal, as well as ours ; they even acknowledge 

 in them a kind of reafon, and not only every (pe- 

 des, but every individual animal, if we may be- 

 lieve them, has its tutelary genius. In a word 

 they hold no difference between us, and the brutes 

 but in degree only. Man, fay they, is king of 

 the animals, who have all of them the fame fa- 

 culties, but that man polfefies them in a very fu> 

 perior degree. They hold likewife that in hell 

 there are models of fouls of all kinds, but they 

 give themfelves very little trouble in explaining 

 this notion, and in general concern themfelves very 

 little with matters of pure fpeculation : have the 

 fageft philofophers of Pagan antiquity who have 

 been at fo much pains to explain them, been much 

 more fuccefsful than they ? It is impoflible to walk 

 fafely amidft thefe abfurdities, but by the torch of 

 faith. 



There 



