himself, he ought not to kill his FellowCreature: But is fuch a Man always in that Way of thinking? When calm and compofed, if he unfortunately offends another, he readily acknowledges that the Axiom is just and neceffary in Society. There is perhaps no Man in the World but what acknowledges it, in the Cafe of Injuries, Frauds, Thefts, and Depredations committed against himself, or on Perfons whom he loves or refpects. Traytors, Robbers, and the greatest Villains, as abominable as they are, as foon as they form any Society conftantly acknowledge it. And will you now venture to afk, whether human Nature is decifive in those Points?

IV. I CONFESS, that a Man who finds his Wife troublesome to him, and paffionately loves his Neighbour's, fincerely consents to the Exchange I have mentioned in a former Chapter, and wishes for nothing but complete Diffolutenefs. But let the Exchange be made, and allow him the Woman he adores, do you expect to find him ftill in the fame Humour? Would he immediately after consent to the fame Truck with another Husband that might be in the fame Cafe he was in before? Would

he

he approve of a general Licentiousness that should drive his dear Charmer to Despair two or three Days after he had got Poffeffion of her? What then is become of this first Man? He is no longer the fame. On which of the two will you rely, for the Voice of Nature?

I FARTHER agree, that a handfome, lufty young Man will admit of no Restraints in fenfual Gratifications: But he must gradually exhaust his Strength, and faint at last in the Carreer. And then can he help being fenfible that he has facrificed abundance of Pleafures and good Things to the Enjoyment of one only, which never can be worth the Rest collectively? Does he think then as he did while he was indulging his lewd Appetite? If he does not, you cannot be much puzzled to difcern the Time and Circumftances in which you are to depend on what he says.

A

CHA P. XIII.

MAN must have bid adieu to common Sense to affert, that it is agreeable to the Conftitution of human Nature to be fometimes in Health, and fometimes fick; one while wife, another Time foolish; fometimes joyful, and fometimes mourning; and that all this suits and becomes him in proper Time and Place. This is the utmoft Stretch of Error and Prevarication, which fome modern Authors have difguifed by ingenious Works wrote in a Stile equally feducing and impious. Would any Man living confent to be fometimes in Pain, or to play the Fool, or be forrowful, unless with a View to avoid a greater Evil? Such a Paradox deferves no farther Answer: For if no Man, at any Time, or in any Climate whatsoever, would confent to Pain, Folly, or Grief, it follows that human Nature is always averse thereto, and never willingly gives Place to any of thofe Evils.

IT

IT is then manifeft, that through all the Contradictions which I have already taken Notice of, we may discern in Nature a folid, uniform and invariable Character, which fufficiently indicates what it calls for, and what it wants, and by the Help of which we may go up to the Source of its Rights and its Laws. But on whom shall we depend, to investigate it nicely, to difpel the Mifts that cover it, and follow it by the Track it prefents to us? To every one that undertakes this Research, the Impediments of Sex, Age, and Prejudices will occur, and the latter never can be quite fhaken off: And hence it is, that Men of the greatest Penetration, Authors of the most extenfive Knowledge, favoured by Princes, or honour'd by the State, fuch as Puffendorff, Grotius, Barbeyrac, and many other Writers no lefs celebrated, have been fubject, like Homer himfelf, to nod fometimes, and bewilder themselves, racking their Wits to falve Appearances in Articles of the greatest Impor

tance.

EVERY Man has not Fortitude enough to enter the Lifts at Home against Error and Vice,

F 3

Vice.

be

Such Fortitude is fo rare, that it would very difficult to find any that have fincerely set about refifting their principal Bent or predominant Paffion: They are refolute enough in all the other Articles; they accuse themfelves, make a vigorous Oppofition, and sometimes come off Conquerors in feveral Points; but always make themselves Amends by the Article that concerns them moft: Reason, which triumphs in all other Matters, is conftantly a Slave here. Every thing ferves to give a Colouring and a Glofs to that which we take most Delight in: We excuse, nay, we justify it; and as the most effectual Way to do it, is to establish an invincible Neceffity, a natural Bent, and a general Example, as well as certain Confequences which appear favourable when compared with the other Exceffes that ruin and dishonour Mankind, it happens that the most learned always impose upon themselves firft, and then deceive other Men.

A SUPERIOR Genius, of an amorous Complexion and strong Constitution, may bravely dive into Nature, in order to fet Juftice in a fair Point of View in the midst of all the Mi

fery