but not a Word relative to Colours.

The

Point of Honour is never carried to fo high a Pitch as among thofe poor Wretches: Rather than bear Contradiction or take the Lie, they are ready to facrifice themselves and all Mankind. Lenity is loft upon them; they know not how to yield to any thing but Force; and accordingly, Hunger, Chains, and Blows are the Means to make them quiet a little while : For as to a perfect Cure, nothing less than restoring, or, as I may fay, new-cafting the Organs, can effect it.

CHAP IX.

ON'T take it in Dudgeon, if I propose

DON

to you a fimilar Example, in order to go to the Source of the Contradictions observable in Mankind, which our modern Authors have endeavoured to encrease as much as poffible, I had like to say more than is poffible. It is not I that am deficient in the Respect and Tenderness due to human Nature: I fhould

be very glad to spare it, and reclaim it from all its Errors: But thofe Errors are fo loudly extolled

tolled in our Days, that there is fcarce an Echo in the World but what inceffantly returns the Sound. Let us then for a Moment liften to it, but without making an ill use of it. To what Purpofe is it, fay fome People, that all Nations, even the most barbarous, deteft Irreligion, Murder, Adultery, Theft, Falfe-witnefs, Fraud, and many other heinous Crimes, if one cannot find two perfectly agreed about thefe Articles?

THE Worship which all the World acknowledges to be due to the Deity, is generally altogether exterior; but moft Men would have it interior alfo: Thofe who would have no Worship at all, pretend it ought to be interior only. Others maintain it is by Virtue only that we honour the Gods; and the Bulk of the People fet up their Rest in Ceremonies. But this is not all. Some abhor every Object of Worship but a fpiritual one: Some acknowledge none but corporeal Objects; and others blend both together. In fome Nations they deteft a Plurality of Gods; in others they worship every thing that may ferve as Emblems of the Deity; and great Numbers worship all their Life, without any clear Notions or folid

Prin

<

upon

Principles. The eternal Rewards and Punishments, which are propounded and established in every Religion, never could work the wretched Sadducees, nor can they perfuade the Innovators of our Age. In fine, the Author of The Spirit of Laws, Book xxiv. Chap. 14. has not hesitated to affirm, That • Men who believe fure Rewards in another • World, will efcape the Legislator: They 'will defpife Death too much. How can a "Man be bridled by Laws, who firmly believes that the greatest Punishment the Magiftrate can inflict on him, will be over in a Moment, and then his eternal Happi'nefs begins?' Was the Lie ever given fo formally to all the Legiflators of Mankind, not one excepted? Nobody ever knew of any other Means to fix the Observance of the Laws, but eternal Rewards and Punishments. A Man must be very dull not to retort the weak Argument thus; How can a Man be restrained by Laws, who thinks himself fure of efcaping and eluding the Punishments which the Magiftrates might inflict on him? Men may not only easily perfuade themselves of it, but the Majority would stick at nothing to fucceed in it, and combine together to elude the

Penalties

เ

Penalties of their Crimes, were they not generally restrained by the Fear of everlasting Mifery, and the Hope of Pardon and eternal Blifs. This is not a proper Time nor Place to say more: Be it sufficient to acknowledge here, that human Reafon, left to itself, perpetually falls into the greatest Extravagancies and Contradictions in regard to this Article. Let us pass more lightly over the rest.

MURDER, though generally reproved and punished, does nevertheless meet with Applause and Honour in War, Gladiatorship, and Duels; and in abundance of Cafes has a thousand Excufes to offer, whereby it efcapes the just Punishment due to it.

THEFT has its Partifans likewife, even among Legislators. War, Policy and Neceffity feem to justify it on several Occafions: And it must indeed be confeffed, that he who takes moft, and from the greatest Number, is leaft punished for it; and to have Effronterie and Refolution enough to rob the whole Community, may fometimes procure him Admiration and Applause.

NOTHING

NOTHING is more difficult than to fix People's Notions of Adultery, which all the World abhors and punishes. Some Nations would acknowledge none at all, neither in Women nor Men. Others looked upon as Adultreffes only fuch Women as quite forfook their Husbands and Children, to live with other Men. Some maintained that all carnal Converfation of the Wife, without the Hufband's Permiffion, was downright Adultery; whilst others fixed Times and Circumftances, when every Kind of Diffolutenefs was allowed, and even looked upon as a religious Act among Idolaters. In fine, to lend one's Wife to another Man, was not contrary to the Catonian Law: Whilft others cenfured as Adultery, not only every lewd Act, but even impure Thoughts and lufting after married Women. On this Head the Husbands were very much fpared, except by certain refined Moralifts, who raised Scruples without End or Measure.

As to Fraud and Lies, which are generally condemned every where, if we descend to Particulars, in regard to Perfons, Intentions

and