AFRICA. 125 
" all things, the approach of an Almagro, a 
" Pizarro, a Cortez, and of the bloody ftole 
" of the Vanverdes/' 
In an uncivilized ftate man is naturally 
good; why then (hould the Hottentot be an 
exception to this general rule ? It is not juft 
to accufe him of cruelty ; he is only re- 
vengeful. Too fenfible of the evil done him, 
what can be more natural than to repel force 
by force ? It becomes us well to enjoin the 
children of nature to praftife our fidlitious 
virtues, when their names are fcarcely known 
to us, and no one undertakes to follow what 
they prefcribe. Even the law of retaliation, 
the only one in ufe before we thought of 
being philofophers, what elfe is it but the 
right of rendering injury for injury, and of 
taking away the lives of thoft who do not 
fcruple to attempt ours ? 
Should the favages of Africa or America 
take it into their heads, fome day, that they 
live miferable, deprived of our arts, riches, 
and all the refources of our genius 5 and, unit- 
ing together in arms, (liould haften to inun- 
date Europe, and to drive us from our pof- 
feffions, with what countenances could we 
receive thefe barbarians, and by v/hat fuf- 
1 fering^ 
