the Natural Eifiory Part L 



own Gueffes and Fancy. For their 



Progenitors^ and thofe who had lived 

 in the earlier Ages, were almoft en- 

 tirely taken up with Bufinefs of ano- 

 ther kind. That fatal Calamity, the 

 Deluge, had wrought fuch a Change, 

 that they beheld every w^here a new 

 face of things : and the Earth did not 

 then teem forth its Encreaie, 2S former- 

 ty^ of its own accord, but required 

 Culture, and the Affiftance of their 

 Hands, much more than before it did. 

 The provifion of Bread for Food : 

 Clothing to w^ard off the Injury and 

 Inclemency of the Air : and other like 

 Employs for the Comfort and Support 

 of Life^ being of indifpenfible neceffi- 

 tv^ v/ere to be firft lookM after ; and 

 thele Employs, being then for the moft 

 part new 10 them, and fuch as they 

 were unskilfd in, w^ere alone enough 

 to take up the greateft part of their 

 time. The methods they ufed of Agri- 

 culture, and other Arts of like im- 

 portance, were fb aukward and tedi- 

 ous, as to afford them little leifure for 

 Works of the Brain,, for Hiftory, or 

 Contemplations of that nature. And 

 till better Experience had led their 

 Pofterity to the Improvements of Arcs : 



