EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 
425 
CHAP. XXIX. 
Comparative view of life and happinefs in the Eq/l and in 
Europe, 
■ Et qui plus ejl, il me femhle que je 7i^ay rencontre guere de 
wanieres, qui ne vaillent les nq/ires. Montaigne, 
Th e great contraft which is obfervable between the manners 
and perfonal character of the Orientals and Europeans, in- 
fenfibly leads to a comparifon of its refult in fociety. The 
character of every nation merits the attention of the philo- 
fopher ; and the lefs that nation refembles ourfelves, the more 
its diftinguifhing features require our inveftigation. 
While vanity inftigates us to claim an undifputed fuperiority, 
experience often compels us^ to doubt the validity of the fen- 
tence on which we infift. We are fearful of being reduced to 
acknowlege, that the labour, the thought, the agitation which 
have place among us, often augment not the happinefs of the 
individual, and are of doubtful utility to the collective body. 
It is not however defigned to infift on any fuch conceflion ; 
3 I and 
