P R E F A C E. vii 
becaufe he knows not the Reafon of any one. And 
it is fo in a Language, which may, to a Stranger, 
feem ridiculous, only becaufe he ii ignorant of its 
proper Idiom- The Cuftoms of all Countries arife 
chiefly from fome neceffary Caufe, and are adapted 
and continued by the fame Law, tho', perhaps, with 
fome additional Conveniences; and fince thofe of 
different Nations muft always differ from each other, 
it feems to me as injudicious to ridicule them, as 
to grumble becaufe the Perfons of the English are 
not exactly like thofe of the French . 
XI. 
Here is a Angular Inftance in a Man of Learning, 
who could find but very few Men of Genius, or 
good Things, out of his own Country. This ftrangc 
Love for his own Fire-fide puts me in Mind of a 
Hottentot Boy, who Was taken up young by the 
Hutch, educated and fupplied with every thing that 
could engage the Approbation and Satisfaction of 
fiich a one tor feveral Years ; yet he was not content, 
but made ufe of the firft Opportunity to get back to 
his own People ; among whom he had no fooner 
arrived, than he haflily threw off his Cloaths, flew to 
the next Shambles, and there, in an Inftant, clad him- 
lelf with the Garbage he found, which with Pleafure 
he rolled round his Limbs and Body ; furnifhing him- 
felf at once with Food and Raiment, more agreeable 
to him than the Neceflaries better fuited to the Wel- 
fare of human Life, with which he was fupplied be- 
fore. But enough of the learned Abbe, and of the 
Hottentot . 
b 2 
XIL 
