Ch. XV. ^ SOUTH AMERICA. 183 



produ6ls and manufadures ; nor for any of thofecaures, 

 which even with lefs foundation, envy has dared to 

 fuggefl:; but for this reafon, and a very prudent one 

 it is, that their Indians, who being as it were new 

 born from favagenefs and brutality, and initiated into 

 morality and religion, may be kept fteady in this {late 

 of innocence and fmipiicity. Thefe Indians are ftr an- 

 gers to fedidon, pride, malice, envy, and other paffions, 

 which are fo fatal to fociety. But were ftrangers ad- 

 mitted to come among them, their bad examples v^ould 

 teach them what at prefent they are happily ignorant 

 of ; but (liould modefty, and the attention they pay to 

 the inftrudions of their teachers, be once laid afide, 

 thefhining advantages of thefe fettlem.ents v/ould foon 

 come to nothing •, and fuch a number of fouls, who 

 now worHiip the true God in the beauty of holinefs, 

 and live in tranquility and love (of which fuch flender 

 traces are feen among civilized nations) would be 

 2gain feduced into the paths of diforder and per- 

 dition. 



These Indians live at prefent in an entire alTa- 

 r mce, that whatever their priefts advife them 10 is 

 good, and whatever they reprehend is bad. But 

 their minds would foon take a different turn, by 

 feeing other people, on Vv'hpm the do6lrine of the 

 gofpel is fo i'ar from having any effed, that their 

 adions are abiblutely repugnant to its precepts. At 

 prefent tliey are (irmly perfuaded, that in all bargains 

 and other tranfadions, the greateft candor and pro- 

 bity mud be ufed, without any prevarication or de- 

 ceit. But it is too evident, that were others adm'tted 

 among them, whofc leading maxim is to fell as dear, 

 and buy as cheap as they are able, thefe innocent peo- 

 ple would foon imbibe the fame practice, together 

 with a variety of others wh'ch feem naturjdly to flow 

 from it. The contamination would foon ipread thro' 

 every part of their behaviour, fo as never more to ba 

 reclaimed. I do not here mean to leffen the charac- 



N 4 ^ ters 



