he is complete both in mind and body. In a state of degeneracy by luxury and yoluptuousness, he has neither mind nor body *.

of

* In ancient Egypt, execution against the perfon a debtor was prohibited. Such a law could not obtain but among a temperate people, where bankruptcy happens by misfortune, and feldom by lu xury or extravagance.

SKETCHES

SKETCHES

OF THE

HISTORY OF MAN,

воок II.

Progrefs of MEN IN SOCIETY,

PREFACE.

IN the course of explaining this fubject, no opportunity is omitted of fuggefting an important doctrine, That patriotifm is the cornerStone of civil fociety; that no nation ever became great and powerful without it; and, when extinguished, that the most powerful nation will totter and become a ruin. But I profefs only to ftate facts. From these the reader will not fail to draw the obfervation : and what he himself obferves will fink deeper, than what is inculcated by an author, however pathetically.

SKETCH

SKETCH I.

Appetite for Society. Origin of National Societies.

T

Hat there is in man an appetite for fociety, never was called in queftion *. But to what end the appetite ferves, whether it embrace the whole fpecies or be in any manner limited, whether

* This appetite is not denied by Vitruvius; but it feems to have been overlooked in the account he gives (book 2. ch. 1.) of the commencement of fociety, which is as follows. "In ancient times, men, like wild beafts, lived in caves and woods, feeding on wild food. In a certain place it happened, "that the trees, put in motion by tempeftuous "winds, and rubbing their branches one against "another, took fire. Thofe in the neighbourhood "fled for fear: but as the flame abated, they ap"proached; and finding the heat comfortable, they "threw wood into the fire, and preferved it from "being extinguished. They then invited others to "take benefit of the fire. Men, thus affembled, "endeavoured to exprefs their thoughts by articu"late founds; and by daily practice, certain founds. $་ fignifying things in frequent ufe, came to be eftaVOL. II. "blifhed.

U

ther men be naturally qualified for being useful members of civil fociety, and whether they are fitted for being happy in it, are questions that open extenfive views into human nature, and yet have been little attended to by writers. I grieve at the ne

blished. From that cafual event, language arofe. "And thus, fire having attracted many to one "place, they foon discovered that they were by na"ture fuperior to other animals, differing from "them not only in an erect pofture, which gave "them opportunity to behold the beauties of the "heavens as well as of the earth; but also in their "hands and fingers, fitted for executing whatever

they could invent. They therefore began to 66 cover their habitations with the boughs of trees: fome dug caves in the mountains; and, in imita❝tion of a fwallow's neft, fome fheltered themselves " with fprigs and loam. Thus, by observing each ❝ other's work and turning their thoughts to invention, they by degrees improved their habitations, "and became daily more and more skilful." Diodorus Siculus (lib 1.) fays, that men originally led a favage life, without any fociety; that fear made them join for mutual defence againft beafts of prey; that cuftom by degrees made them focial; and that each fociety formed a language to itfelf. Has not the celebrated Rouffeau been guilty of the fame overfight in his effay on the inequality of men? Thefe authors fuggeft to me the butcher, who made diligent fearch for his knife, which he held in his teeth.

glect,

3

glect, because in the prefent enquiry, thefe questions, however abftrufe, must be difcuffed.

As many animals, befide man, are focial, it appeared to me probable, that the focial laws by which fuch animals are governed, might open views into the focial nature of man. But here I met with a fecond difappointment: for after perufing books without end, I found very little fatisfaction; tho' the laws of animal fociety make the most instructive and moft entertaining part of natural history. A few dry facts, collected occafionally, enabled me to form the embryo of a plan, which I here prefent to the reader if his curiofity be excited, 'tis well; for I am far from expecting that it will be gratified.

Animals of prey have no appetite for fociety, if the momentary act of copulation be not excepted. Wolves make not an exception, even where hunger makes them join to attack a village: as fear prevents them fingly from an attempt so hazardous, their cafual union is prompted by appetite for food, not by appetite for fociety. So little of the focial is there in wolves, that if one happen to be wounded, U 2

he