after the Emperor had publicly inveighed againft Francis as void of honour, and Francis had accufed the Emperor as murderer of his own fon; fuch behaviour will scarce. be thought confiftent with human nature. But thefe monarchs lived in a period verging from cruelty to humanity; and fuch periods abound with furprizing changes of temper and conduct. In the present times, fuch changes are unknown

Conqueft has not always the fame effect upon the manners of the conquered. The Tartars who fubdued China in the thirteenth century, adopted immediately the Chinefe manners: the government, laws, cuftoms, continued without variation. And the fame happened upon their fecond conqueft of China in the feventeenth century. The barbarous nations alfo who crufhed the Roman Empire, adopted the laws, cuftoms, and manners, of the conquered. Very different was the fate of the Greek empire, when conquered by the Turks. That warlike nation introduced every where their own laws and manners: even at this day, they continue a diftinct people, as much as ever. The Tartars, as well as the barbarians who overthrew the Roman empire, were all of them rude and illiterate, deftitute of laws, and igno rant of government. Such nations readily adopt the laws and manners of a civilized people, whom they admire. The Turks had laws, and a regular government; and the Greeks, when fubdued by them, were reduced by luxury and fenfuality to be objects of contempt, not

of imitation.

Manners are deeply affected by perfecution. The forms of procedure in the Inquifition enable the inqui fitors to ruin whom they please. A perfon accufed is not confronted with the accufer: every fort of accufation is welcome, and from every perfon: a child, a common proftitute, one branded with infamy, are reputable witneffes: a fon is compelled to give evidence against his • father, and a woman against her husband. Nay, the perfans accufed are compelled to inform against themfelves, by gueffing what fin they may have been guilty of. Such odious, cruel, and tyrannical proceedings,

made all Spain tremble: every man distrusted his neighbour, and even his own family: a total end was put to friendship, and to focial freedom. Hence the gravity and referve of a people, who have naturally all the vivacity of a temperate clime and bountiful foil*. Hence the profound ignorance of that people, while other European nations are daily improving in every art; and in every fcience. Human nature is reduced to its lowest ftate. when governed by fuperftition clothed with power.

We proceed to another capital article in the hiftory of manners, viz. the selfish and focial branches of our nature, by which manners are greatly influenced. Selfishness prevails among favages; because corporeal pleafures are its chief objects, and of thefe every favage is perfectly fenfible. Benevolence and kindly affection are too refined for a favage, unless of the fimpleft kind, fuch as the ties of blood. While artificial wants were unknown, felfifhnefs, made no figure: the means of grati fying the calls of nature were in plenty; and men, who are not afraid of ever being in want, never think of providing against it; and far lefs do they think of coveting what belongs to another But men are not long contented with fimple neceffaries: an unwearied appetite to be more and more comfortably provided, leads them from neceffaries to conveniencies, and from these every luxury of life. Avarice turns headstrong; and locks and bars, formerly unknown, become neceffary to protect individuals from the rapacity of their neighbours. When the goods of fortune, money in particular, come to be prized, selfishness foon difplays itself. In Madagascar, a man who makes a prefent of an ox, or a calf, expects the value in return: and fcruples not to fay, . You my friend, I your friend; you no my friend, I no your friend; I falamanca you, you falamanca me." Salamanca means, the making a prefent. Admiral Watfon being introduced to the King of Baba, in Madagascar, was afked by his Majefty, what presents he had brought.

*The populace of Spain, too low game for the inquifition, are abundantly chearful, perhaps more fo than thofe of France.

Book I. Hence the custom, universal among barbarians, of always accofting a king, or any man of high rank, with presents. The peculiar excellence of man, above all other animals, is the capacity he has of improving by education and example. In proportion as his faculties refine, he acquires a relifh for fociety, and finds a pleasure in benevolence, generofity, and in every other kindly affection, far above what selfishness can afford. How agreeable is this scene! Alas, too agreeable to laft for ever. Opulence and luxury inflame the hoarding appetite; and selfishness at laft prevails as it did originally. The felfifhnefs however of favages differs from that of pampered people. Luxury, confining a man's whole views to himself, admits not of friendship, and scarce of any other focial paffion. But where a favage takes a liking to a particular perfon, the whole force of his focial affection being directed to a fingle object, becomes extremely fervid. Hence the unexampled friendship between Achilles and Patroclus in the Iliad; and hence many fuch. friendships among favages.

But there is much more to be faid of the influence of opulence on manners. Rude and illiterate nations are tenacious of their laws and manners; for they are governed by cuftom, which is more and more rivetted by length of time, A people, on the contrary, who are polifhed by having paffed through various fcenes, are full of invention, and conftantly thinking of new modes. Manners in particular can never be stationary, in a nation which is refined by profperity and the arts of peace. Good government will advance men to a high degree of civilization; but the very beft government will not preferve them from corruption, after becoming rich by profperity. Opulence begets luxury, and envigorates the appetite for fenfual pleasure. The appetite, when inflamed, is never confined within moderate bounds, but clings to every object of gratification, without regard to propriety or decency. When Septimius Severus was elected Emperor, he found on the roll of caufes depending before the judges in Rome no fewer than three thousand accufations of adultery. From that moment he aban

doned all thoughts of attempting a reformation. Love of pleasure is fimilar to love of money: the more they are indulged the more they are inflamed. Polygamy is an incentive to the vice againft nature; one act of incontinence leading to others, without end. When the Sultan Achmet was depofed at Conftantinople, the people breaking into the houfe of one of his favourites, found not a fingle woman. It is reported of the Algerines, that in many of their feraglios there are no women. For the fame reason, polygamy is far from preventing adul tery, a truth finely illuftrated in Nathan's parable to David. What judgment then are we to form of the opu. lent cities London and Paris, where pleafure is the rul ing paffion, and where riches are coveted as inftruments. of fenfuality? What is to be expected but a peftiferous corruption of manners? Selfishnefs, ingroffing the whole foul, eradicates patriotifm, and leaves not a cranny for focial virtue. If in that condition men abftain from robbery or from murder, it is not love of juftice that reftrains them, but dread of punishment. Babylon is arraigned by Greek writers for luxury, fenfuality, and profligacy. But Babylon represents the capital of every opulent kingdom, ancient and modern: the manners of all are the fame; for power and riches never fail to produce luxury, fenfuality, and, profligacy. Canghi, Emperor of China, who died in the year 1722, deferves to be recorded in the annals of fame, for refifting the softnefs and effeminacy of an Afiatic court. Far from ahandoning himself to fenfual pleafure, he paffed feveral months yearly in the mountains of Tartary, moftly on horfeback, and declining no fatigue. Nor in that fituation were affairs of ftate neglected: many hours he borrowed from sleep, to hear his minifters, and to iffue orders. How few monarchs, bred up like Canghi in the downy indolence of a feraglio, have refolution to withftand the temptations of fenfual pleasure !

In no other history is the influence of profperity and opulence on manners fo confpicuous as in that of old Rome. During the fecond Punic war, when the Romans were reduced by Hannibal to fight pro aris et focis, Hiero

Book I. King of Syracufe fent to Rome a large quantity of corn, with a golden ftatue of victory, weighing three hundred and twenty pounds, which the fenate accepted. But tho' their finances were at the lowest ebb, they accepted but the lighteft of forty golden vafes prefented to them by the city of Naples; and politely returned, with many thanks, fome golden vafes fent by the city of Pæftum, in Lucania: a rare inftance of magnanimity! But no degree of virtue is proof against the corruption of conquest and opulence. Upon the influx of Aliatic riches and luxury, the Romans abandoned themselves to every vice: they became in particular wonderfully avaricious, breaking through every reftraint of juftice and humanity *. Spain in particular, which abounded with gold and filver, was for many years a fcene, not only of oppreffion and cruelty, but of the bafeft treachery, practifed against the natives by fucceffive Roman generals in order to accumulate wealth. Lucullus, who afterward made a capital figure in the Mithridatic war, attacked Cauca, a Celtiberian city, without the flighteft provocation. Some of the principal citizens repaired to his camp with olivebranches, defiring to be informed upon what conditions they could purchase his friendship. It was agreed, that they fhould give hoftages, with an hundred talents of filver. They also confented to admit a garrison of 2000 men, in order, as Lucullus pretended, to protect them against their enemies. But how were they protected? The gates were opened by the garrifon to the whole army; and the inhabitants were butchered, without dif tinction of fex or age. What other remedy had they, -but to invoke the gods prefiding over oaths and cove

Poftquam divitiae honori effe coeperent, et eas gloria, imperium, potentia fequebatur; hebefcere virtus, paupertas probro haberi, innocentia pro malevolentia duci, coepit. Igitur ex divitiis juventutem luxuria, atque avaritia, cum fuperbia invafere. Salluft. Bell. Cat. c 12 [In English thus: "After it had become an "honour to be rich, and glory, empire, and power, became the at"tendants of riches, virtue declined apace, poverty was reckoned difgraceful, and innocence was held fecret malice. Thus to the introduction of riches our youth owe their luxury, their avarice, " and pride."]