1796.] 
into fociety, they foon learned to provide 
themfelves, by means of manual opera- 
tions, with food, clothing, habitation, and 
weapons of defence. But thefe arts were 
rude attempts, which a long courfe of 
experience enabled them to improve: and 
even after improvements have from time 
_ to time been made in the ufeful arts, 
room has ftill been left for farther ad- 
vances. This fufliciently appears from the 
prefent ftate of manufactures ; in which 
it is impoffible to doubt, that innumera- 
ble articles of utility and convenience 
are produced, which were either wholly 
unknown tothe ancients, or executed in 
a much lefs perfeét manner. The in- 
creafe of knowledge in mechanics and 
chemiftry, has been a vaft increale of 
power, which has enabled the moderns to 
carry their manufactures to a degree of 
perfection, to execute them witha degree 
of facility, and to circulate them to a 
degree of extent, not to be paralleled in 
ancient times. ‘The machines for abridg- 
ing labour, which modern ingenuity has 
introduced into almoft every branch of 
manufacture, have enabled men to mul- 
tiply the fupplies of human wants be- 
_ every thing that could formerly 
nave beem attempted.. Chemifry has 
been applied to the improvement of the 
arts in a thoufand ways altogether new ;~ 
and the mathematics have lent their aid 
in all cafes to which they could be ufe- 
fully applied. Whilit almoft every old 
art has been in this manner materially 
improved, new arts have been introduced, 
among which may be mentioned, printing, 
as beyond all compariion the nsoft ufeful 
and important invention of modern times. 
The general ftock of convenience and 
enjoyment js thus perpetually increafing 
by the advancement of {cience or the im- 
provement of the arts, without any thing 
to place on the oppofite fide of the ac- 
count; for thereis no fufficient ground 
to fuppofe that any one valuable art, or 
ufeful branch of {cience has ever been 
wholly loft. The pretended infiances of 
lof? arts given in Pancirollus’s work on 
this fubject, are either manifeftly falfe or 
fabulous, or fuch trifles as have fallen into 
difufe through their inutility.. Where 
any art has been loft, it has commonly 
» been either fuperfeded by foime more eafy 
and commodious invention, or has become 
fuperfluous through a change of man- 
ners. , 
- Enough: has now been faid to prove, 
that {cience and arts are progreffive. If 
this be admitted, it neceflarily follows, 
that mankind are advancing in their ca- 
Lhe Enquirere No. Xe 
873 
pacity of happinefs; for it will not be 
difputed, that knowledge is power, or 
that, in proportion as men increafe in 
their acquaintance with nature, and in 
fkill to apply its laws to the various pur- 
pofes of life, they multiply their means 
of health, fecurity, and enjoyment. 
‘But, in order to prove that mankind 
are actually advancing towards perfec- 
tion, it is not only neceflary to fhow that 
their ftock of materials, out of which 
the web of happinefs may be woven, is 
continually increafing, but that they are 
impreving, and likeiy fill farther to im- 
prove, in that moral and policical wifdom 
which conftitutes the practical art of bap- 
pinefs. In order to complete the proof of 
the point before us, it muft be fhown that 
men are advancing in the difpofition, as 
well as the capacity, to enjoy life indivi- 
dually, and to contribute to the common 
profperity and felicity of the f{peciese 
Without moral and political wifdom, the 
external materials of happinefs are oaly 
fo many diamonds thrown upon a dung- 
hill to be trampled upon by fwine. 
The hiftory of mankind proves, that. 
fomething has already been done towards 
their moral and political amelioration. 
The patiions of men have been reftrained 
by civil law, by the forms of politenefs, 
and by religious principles. War has 
been rendered lefs-deftru€tive, and the 
glorious idea has been formed, of banith- 
ing it entirely from the earth. Huma- 
“nity and beneficence have been exercifed 
ina degree unknown among the ancients ; 
and the narrow principle ef exclufive 
patriotifm has begun to be abforbed in 
the generous fentiment of univerfal phi- 
lanthropy. More correét and enlarged 
ideas than. were conceived by the an- 
cients, of the nature-and ends of civil 
fociety, of the crigin of. all civil power, 
and of the method of conducting public 
aitairs, have been conceived, difleminated 
among the people, and, in part, already 
carried into effect. The true doétrine 
concerming the equal rights of men has 
been better underitood, and ‘more cene- 
rally diffufed. In confequence of this, 
the combination among the higher ranks 
of men to opprefs the lower, has 
been fhaken ; fiavery has become odious ; | 
a free intercourfe has been opened among 
men of all defcriptions ; and a general 
attention has been awakened to the in- 
terelts, the rights, and the comforts of 
the labouring part of mankind. 
Thefe things clearly indicate, in the 
prefent time, an advance towards perfec. 
tien. [tis true the -progrefs of moral 
fy : ; an 
and 







