1796.] 
this, however, amounts to no proof that 
the original powers of all men are equal. 
But your Correfpondent fays, that “the 
© netion of natural powers, aptitude, 
and difpofitions, has been productive 
of infinite mifchief: it has a tendency 
** to produce habits of indolence, de- 
“ ffondency, and vicious indulvence:” 
and it is certain, that for men haftily to 
fuppofe that they are incapable of lite- 
rary or {cientinc attainments, or that 
fuch attainments are confined to a few 
men of finguiar and uncomimon genius, 
would be a very pernicious fentiment ; 
bat fuch ideas are not very common, 
nor is it neceflary, in order to avoid 
them, that a man fhould become a dif- 
ciple of Helvetius. 
I fufpeét, that the man who thould 
affert, that. all men are equally tall or 
equally fhort, equally fat or equally 
lean, would approach as nearly to the 
truth, as the man who afferts, that the in- 
telleétua! powers of all men are naturally 
equal, and that there 1s no difference but 
what refults from education, or from ac- 
cidental circumftances. 
I confider the fyftem of Helvetius as 
a fanciful hypothefis, not fupported by 
any proper or fufficient arguments, and 
repugnant to the general fentiments and 
experience of mankind: but I am not 
certain that Helvetius’s book may not be 
fomewhat the more entertaining, and 
have the more admirers, on account of 
parts of it being paradoxical, agreeably 
to an obfervation of his tranflator, Dr. 
Hooper: ‘ A man who is mafter of a 
s« fine ftyle, and is well verfed in fo- 
paiftry, will always fhine by taking 
the paradoxical fide of a queftion. He 
that fhould attempt to prove, that we 
fee the light of the fun at mid-day, 
how juftly foever his arguments were 
ranged, and how beautiful foever his 
language,would have but few readers : 
“‘ whereas, he‘thet fhould affert, that 
we fee the fun’s light at midnight, 
and fupport his affertion in pleafing 
language, by fomething like argument, 
would have many admirers. For the 
human mind, though not convinced, 
is always pleafed to find the appear- 
ance of argument, where it has no 
right to expect any argument at all.” 
Though I do not confider the general 
fyfiem of Helvetius to be founded upon 
truth, I think that he has made many 
obfervations which might be attended to 
with advantage, in the eftablithment of 
a@ n¢w feminary of education; and 1 am 
4&6 
3 
WV hat Man is made fore , i 
5*3 
decidedly of opinion, that many great 
and important improvements may yet be 
v . 
made in education. 
Tg em 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
GOON after the marriage of the dau- 
phin and dauphinefs of France. (the 
late unfortunate Louis KVI and An- 
tcinette) when all the converfation ran 
upon the f{plendid fre-works exhibited 
at their nuptials, a friend of mine, hap- 
pening to be at Paris, was much amufed 
with a circumftance to which he was 
wiinefs, in a rooin full of company. A 
boy, about feven years old, pofleffed of 
rather more than an ordinary degree of 
that forward vivacity which is fo charac- 
teriftic of the youthful part of the French 
nation, was haranguing, in the midft of 
the circle, with great volubilitv. and em- 
phafis, on the fubject of fire-works, and 
giving a defcription of what he con- 
ceived would make a perfeét {peétacle of 
that kind. But while he was painting, 
with all his eloquence, the immenfe vo- 
lumes of flame, and prodigious explo. 
fions, that filled his imagination, a by- 
ftander ventured to obferve, that all the 
people employed about them would be in 
danger of being blown to pieces. ‘“* Ob 
(fays the boy, with a wzonchalance wor- 
thy of the privileged orders)—Ob, ils 
font faits pour cela.’— It is what they 
are made for.” 
This expreffion has often come into 
my mind, on reflecting upon the deftiny 
of the great bulk of mankind, in all 
paft, and in the prefent periods; and I 
~have withed, if pollible, to fatisty my-_ 
felf what, in reality, the human race was 
made for; and I contefs, willing as I 
am to entertain better hopes, I cannot 
difcover, from any principles of philofo- 
phifing, fo fure a ground for reafoning 
concerning the future condition of man- 
kind, as the uniform experience of fome 
thoufands of paft years.. If I breed up 
a horfe for the courfe, or a dog for the 
chace, or a game-cock for the pit, it is 
becaufe a long courfe of experiments has 
convinced me that fuch is the ature of 
thofe animals, and that I am pretty fure 
of finding in the progeny thofe qua- 
lities and difpofitions which I remarked 
in the parents. May not then a king of 
Pruffia, with equal reafon, train a nume-. 
ber of two-legged unfeathered crea- 
tures, called men, to pillage, en{lave, and 
murder other men, at the word of com- 
2h 2 mand, 
\ 

