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DISSERTATION VI. 



Of the Culture of the Mexicans. 



MR. de Paw, perpetually incenfed againft the new 

 world, terms all the Americans barbarians and 

 favages, and efteems them inferior in induftry and faga- 

 city to the coarfeft and rudefl nations of the old continent. 

 If he had confined himfelf to fay, that the American na- 

 tions were in great part uncultivated, barbarous, and 

 beaftly in their cuftoms, as many of the molt cultivated 

 nations of Europe were formerly, and as feveral people 

 of Afia, Africa, and even Europe are at prefent ; that 

 the moft civilized nations of America were greatly lefs 

 poliflied than the greater part of the European nations ; 

 that their arts were not nearly perfected, nor their laws 

 fo good, or fo well framed ; and that their facrifices were 

 inhuman, and fome of their cuftoms extravagant, we 

 would not have reafon to contradict him. But not to 

 diftinguifh between the Mexicans and Peruvians, and the 

 Caribs and Iroquefe, to allow them no merit or virtues, 

 to undervalue their arts, and to depreciate their laws, 

 and place thofe induftrious nations below the coarfefl: 

 nations of the old continent, is obilinate perfiftence in an 

 endeavour to revile the new world and ics inhabitants, 

 inllead of purfuing, according to the title of his book, 

 the inveftigation of truth. 



We call thofe men barbarous and favage, who, led 

 more by caprice and natural will than guided by reafon, 

 neither live in fociety, nor have laws for their govern- 

 ment, judges to determine their differences, fuperiors to 

 watch over their conduct, nor exercife the arts which 



are 



