1 • a « - 1 
394 ■ The Difcovery, Settlement, and Commerce look 1 
5 never To much as murmur at any Accidents that befal us. 
c indifferent to Nourishment, we know not fo much as what 
s Delicacy means : Our Tables are only furniflied with fuch 
s Roots and Herbs as the Earth produces in herfelf, with- 
4 out Trouble, without Toil ; and hence it is, that we 
4 know nothing more of Difeafes, than what we are taught 
6 by the Pains and Complaints of others. That pure joy 
4 which reigns in our Breafts is never difturbed, but by the 
Senfe we have of other Peoples Miferies. 
‘ An abfplute Equality renders every one of us inde- 
4 pendent, and baniihes from amongft us Envy, Jealoufy,. 
‘ Ambition, and Malice.. We have no Courts of Judi- 
4 cature, becaufe we do nothing that is amifs •, and eur 
4 Uriel regard to Juftice hath exempted us hitherto from 
4 thofe fevere Laws, by which Crimes are puniihed among 
4 other People. We are even afraid, that the introducing 
4 of them fhoold awaken the Notions of thofe Evils 
6 which they are intended to prohibit. The foie Law. 
4 amongft us is, not to violate the Laws of Nature. By 
4 avoiding all Reproach, we are notexpofed to the Necef- 
4 fity of pardoning others,, in hopes of being treated by 
4 them , with the like Indulgence : Much lefs do we pur- 
4 chafe Pardon or Impunity by the Force of Money ; a 
4 fort of Tendernefs produced by Avarice, and which 
4 renders the judge more guilty than the Criminal. 
4 Amongft us, Idlenefs is moft rigoroufty chaftifed. 
4 We dread Pleafure as the Source of Weaknefs. We 
4 love that Sort of Labour which exercifes the Body, but 
4 we deleft that which fprings Tom the Defire of Gain. 
4 Our Occupations tend only to procure the,N eceffaries of 
4 Life. We abhor all other Views, and regard them as 
4 the Fountain of Evils. In our Fields we have neither 
4 Bound nor Limits, nor any thing that can conftitute Pro- 
4 perty. We are convinced, that this is an Ufurpation 
4 direftly contrary to the Laws of Nature ; every one 
4 therefore takes where he pleafes, what the Earth boun- 
4 tifully produces for the Service of All. We let the Birds 
4 fly quietly in the Air ^ the Beafts feed peaceably in the 
4 Fields ; and the Fifh are unmolefted by us in the Waters. 
4 We poffefs all that we can wifhg becaufe we defire no 
4 more than we want. There is nothing we dread fo 
4 much as that infatiable Defire of acquiring Property, 
4 which creates a thoufand Wants in the Heart of Man ^ 
4 and renders him daily poorer and poorer, in proportion 
4 as his Wealth iricreafes. 
4 We warm ourfelves in the Sun-beams. The Dews 
4 refrefh us. We wafh in the Rivers. We eat the Herbs 
4 and the Roots, which the Field produces. The Earth 
4 ferves for our Bed. Cares never difturb our Sleep. Peace 
4 of Mind preferves our Thoughts always free. Our In- 
4 dependency delivers us from Fear, and from Subjection, 
4 of every kind. We look upon each other as Brethren, 
4 whom Nature has made equal, and as the Children of 
4 one fupreme God our Father, who ought therefore to 
4 fhare alike the Inheritance he has given us. We are 
c ignorant amongft us as to the Art of deftroying Forefts, 
4 and breaking Rocks to-pieces, to build Houfes, while 
4 Nature has formed Caves for that Ufe. There we nei- 
4 rirer fear Winds, Rain, Cold, Heat, or Tempefts. Thefe 
4 natural Habitations are our Dwellings while we live, and 
4 ferve us for Sepulchres after Death. 
6 We avoid in our' Drefs, whatever has the lead Appear- 
4 ance of Softnefs or Luxury. Leaves, or the Bark of 
4 Trees, cover what in Decency fhould not be expofed. 
4 Our Women are not allowed to adorn themfelves like 
4 the reft of their Sex , and, even if they were permitted, 
6 their' Sentiments would hinder them from making ufe of 
4 that Permiffion ; perfuaded, as they are, that vain and 
s gaudy Attire is rather troublefome than ornamental ; 
4 and that all the Art in the World cannot add to Beauty, 
4 or Supply the want of it. All fuch Pains, therefore, are 
4 either thrown away, becaufe they do not correct Defefts; 
4 or criminal, becaufe they would improve the Work of 
4 an All-wife Creator. Such as our Women are by Na- 
4 ture, they merit all our A fieri; ion ; and we never hear 
4 named among us the Crimes of Inceft, Adultery, or other 
4 Infidelities which dishonour Nature, and violate tile 
6 conjugal Tie. 
e Peace and Quiet rule always our Society. The bare' 
4 T hough t of killing a Man fills us with Horror. We 
4 never provoke Strangers. We know not how to handle 
4 Arms.' It is Mildnefs, and not Force, by which we 
6 maintain a good Underftanding with our Neighbours. 
s Fortune alone is our only Enemy 5 with her only we con- 
4 tend ; and, generally Speaking, the Blows Ihe aims at us 
fall befide us. Attentive as we are to do nothino- that 
4 may expofe us to Mifchief, we have few Evils which we 
4 can juftly complain of. Death troubles us only when we 
4 are taken off immaturely ; otherwise the Father attends 
4 not the Funeral of the Son, and we conftder it as the Lot 
4 of Nature. Whenever it befals us, we never attempt to 
4 raife pompous Monuments, which feem to infuk the Re- 
4 lifts which they cover. For what more vile, more 
4 wretched, than the miferable Remains of a disfigured 
4 Corpie, deftroyed by the Flames, that it might not poF 
4 lute the Earth ! 
4 Be not difpleafed, if thefe firft Strokes of our PiftureS 
4 difigure thine, With what Ravages haft thou not de~ 
4 folated the Univerfe ? Madly fond of Riches, and furious 
4 with Ambition, how much Blood has been fhed by thy 
4 Hands, or, which is the fame thing, by thy Orders ? 
4 Thou teareft Children from their Parents, depriveft 
4 Men of funeral Rites, thou violateft Tombs ; thou art 
4 eager in endeavouring to reach the rifing Sun, as if thou 
4 meaneft to ftop his Courfe. Thou overturneft Thrones ; 
4 thou draweft after thee captive Kings to adorn thy 
4 Triumphs. Of Citizens thou delighted: to make Slaves 5 
4 and, from a like Inconftancy, thou fetteft Slaves at Li- 
4 berty. Thou perfuadeft thyfelf thou haft taken Towns, 
4 when thou haft bribed their Governors with Money. 
4 Without doubt, hereafter, thou flattered thyfelf thou 
4 fhalt be able to corrupt the Prince of Hell. 
4 I forbear to fet thy Image before thy Eyes, that I may 
4 proceed in the Account I am giving you of our Manners 
4 We know nothing of thofe tumultuous Affemblies, thofe 
4 Games, thofe Spectacles, which are your fupreme De- 
4 lights. Of what Ufe would your Comedians be in the 
4 midft of a People who moft heartily defpife the Pro- f 
4 feffion, and who do nothing that can furnifti a Subjeft 
4 for Ridicule ? Amongft us, there are none of thofe cruel 
4 Scenes proper to form your Tragedies. The Brach- 
4 mans would tremble at the Sight of young Men expofed 
4 to wild Beafts, or at the Sight of Strong ' lofty Men, 
4 who, in cool Blood, beat and wound each other for the 
4 Diverlion or fuch as look on. Heaven is to us the 
5 nobleft Spectacle ; we admire, we rejoice at the Order, 
4 the (Economy, the Regularities of its Motions j we are 
4 ravifhed in contemplating the Sun, mounted on his pur- 
4 pie Car, and travelling through the Realms of Night, 
4 till he returns, at the End of the Year, to the Point 
4 from which he fet out. From the Heaven, we tumour 
4 Eyes to the Earth, and behold there the Speftacle of 
4 Nature j all whofe Works appear to us equally lovely, 
4 admirable, and incomprehenfible. The Notes of the 
4 Birds, the murmuring Streams, the Flowers, nay, a 
4 Single Leaf of a Flower, Sufficiently employ our 
4 Thoughts, and abforb our Attention. 
4 Content with what grows in our own Country, we 
4 never think of looking elfewhere, for the Rarities of other 
4 Soils, and other Climates.. Nothing ftrikes us fo much 
4 as what is our own. We defpife all the Flowers of your 
4 Eloquence 5 we condemn it as a pernicious Art, which 
4 too often teaches Men to employ their Talents in giving 
4 Falfhood the Air of Truth, protefting Crimes, accufing 
4 Innocence, and Sometimes juftifying Parricide. All our 
4 Eloquence confift in being fincere, and in never telling 
4 an Untruth. 
4 This is a Short Account of our Manners 5 this is a 
4 fuccinft Detail of our Doctrines. It is a Maxim 
4 among the Brachmans , never to fully their Sacrifices 
4 with Blood by the Slaughter of innocent Viftims ; they 
4 adorn not their Temples with Gold or Silver Plate, or 
4 with the Luftre of Precious Stones. They look upon 
4 this as infulting the Divinity, as if we meant to give 
4 him what he has not, or as if we intended to fhew otir- 
4 Selves as powerful as he, by affefting to display our 
* Riches 
