ness, virtue, and good fenfe. Through an effect of this vanity it is, fays he, that the courtiers imagine themselves the fole pofleflors of a polite behaviour; which, according to them is the higheft merit, and without which, no fuch thing as merit can fubfift. They do not perceive, that this behaviour, which they call the custom of the world, by way of excellence, is only the cuftom of thofe with whom they converfe. At Monomotapa, when the King fneezes, all the courtiers are obliged, through politeness, to fnecze alfo, and the fneezing spreading from the court to the city, and from the city to the provinces, the whole empire feems to have gotten a cold. Who can doubt, but that there are fome courtiers who value themselves in fneezing in a more noble manner than other men, who do not confider themfelves, as in this refpect, the only poffeffors of the polite behaviour; and treat as bad company, or as barbarians, every individual, and all the nations, whofe fneezing appears to them lefs harmonious?

Do not the inhabitants of the Marian islands pretend, that civility confifts in taking hold of the foot of him to whom they would do honour, in gently ftroking the face, and in never spitting before a fuperior?

Do not the Chiriguanes maintain, that it is proper they fhould have breeches; but that the politeft manner of wearing them is under the arm, as we do our hats?

• Do not the inhabitants of the Phillippines fay, that it is not the bufinefs of the husband to make his wife tafte the first pleafures of love; that this is a trouble which he hires another to difcharge? Do not they add, that a girl who is a maid at the time of her marriage, is void of merit, and only worthy of contempt?

Do they not maintain at Pegu, that it is the most polite and decent behaviour for the King to advance into the audiencechamber with a fan in his hand, preceded by four of the most beautiful young men of the court, who are deftined to his pleafures; and are at the fame time his interpreters, and the heralds who declare his will?

Were I to run through all the nations, I fhould every where find a different behaviour: and each people in particular would neceflarily

In the kingdom of Juida, when the inhabitants meet, they throw themselves down from the hammocks in which they are, place them. felves on their knees over against each other; kifs the ground, clap their hands, make their compliments, and rife. The people in this country certainly believe, that their manner of faluting is the most polite.

neceffarily think themselves in the poffeffion of that which is the most polite.'

From a fubject fo indifferent to morals as politeness, our Author goes on to confider more interefting ones. Thus, probity, humanity, and chastity, fays he, are efteemed either virtuous or vicious, according to the nation you are in, the nature of the climate, and the form of the government. Theft was permitted at Sparta, but the detection punished. Robbery is permitted at Congo, but theft prohibited; every thing there is to be taken by force. Among the Scythians, on the contrary, both were prohibited on the feverest penalties.

M. Helvetius endeavours to prove that these different customs were equally calculated for the public good, among the several people who adopted them: their different circumftances and manner of life rendering laws fo very oppofite, equally falutary.

As to humanity, it is the cuftom, he fays, among some nations of favages, to affemble at the beginning of the hunting feafon, and making the old men mount the trees, the young ones fhake the boughs with great violence, while thofe of the former, who are too feeble to hold faft, are, on falling down, immediately maffacred. This fact, fays our Author, is well known, and nothing can at first appear more abominable. However, what room for furprize is there, when, after examining its origin, we find that the favage confiders the fall of these unhappy old men, as a proof of their inability to fuftain the fatigues of hunting? Were they left in their cabins, or in the forefts, they would fall a prey to hunger, or the wild beafts; they there. fore chufe rather to preferve them from the long duration, and the violence of pain; and by a speedy and neceffary parricide, fave their fathers from a flow and cruel death. This is the principle on which fo execrable a cuftom is founded; that erra

The inhabitants of the Manillas fay, that politenefs requires that they fhould bow their bodies very low, put each of their hands on their cheeks, and raife up one foot from the ground, keeping the knees bent.

The favage of New Orleans maintained, that we failed in politeness towards our kings. "When I prefent myfelf, faid he, to the great chief, I falute him with a howl; then I run to the bottom of the cabbin, without calling a fingle glance to the right fight where the chief is feated. There I renew my falutation, raifing my hands upon my head, and howling three times. The chief invites me to fit by a low figh: upon which I thank him with another howl. At every question the chief afks me, I howl once before answer him; and I take leave of him by drawling out a howl till I am out of his prefence.'

tic

tic people, whom hunting, and the neceffity of procuring pro vifions, detains for fix months together in immenfe forefts, are thus, in a manner, neceffitated to this barbarity; and in thofe countries, parricide is inspired and committed from the fame principle of humanity that makes us look upon it with horror*.

But without having recourse to favage nations, let us caft our eyes on polite countries, fuch as China: if it be demanded why an abfolute authority is there given to fathers, over the lives of their children, we find that the lands of that empire, how extenfive foever they are, cannot fometimes furnish fubfiftence for the numerous inhabitants; now as the two great difproportion between the multiplicity of men, and the fertility of the lands, would neceffarily occafion wars, fatal to that empire, and perhaps to the whole world, we fee that in a time of famine, and to prevent an infinite number of murders, and unnecessary misfortunes, the Chinese nation, humane in its intentions, but barbarous in the choice of the means, has, through a fentiment of humanity, though a mistaken one, confidered the permiffion to murder their infants, as neceflary to the repofe of the world. We facrifice, fay they, for this purpose, fome unfortunate victims, to whom infancy and ignorance conceal the knowlege and the horrors of death, in which, perhaps, confifts its moft formidable terrors +.

As to the virtue of continence, our Author is lavish of inftances in what countries, and among what people, libertinism was not only permitted by the laws, but eftcemed as an act of virtue, charity, and religion. It is at Tonquin," fays he, where fruitfulness is honoured, the pain impofed by the law on barren women, is to fearch for agreeable girls, and bring them to their husbands. In confequence of this political inftitution, the Tonquinefe think the Europeans ridiculous in having but one wife; and cannot conceive why among us, rational Beings

In the kingdom of Juida, in Africa, the people give no affiftance to the fick; they cure themfelves as well as they can, and when they are recovered, live in the fame cordiality with those who had thus abandoned them.

The inhabitants of Congo kill thofe whom they imagine past recovery, to fhorten their pains and agonies.

In the isle of Formofa, when a man is dangerously ill, they put a flip-knot about his neck, and ftrangle him, to fave him from the pain of a lingering death.'

The manner of dispatching girls in catholic countries, is forcing them to take the veil; and many thus pa's an unhappy life, a prey to defpair: perhaps our custom in this refpect, is more barbarous than that of the Chinese.'

can

can think of honouring God by a vow of chastity. They maintain that when there is an opportunity, it is as criminal not to give life to what has it not, as to take it from thofe who already have it *.

It is also under the protection of the laws, that the Siamefe women, with their bofoms and thighs half naked, are carried into the streets in palanquins, where they fhew themfelves in the most lafcivious attitudes. This law was eftablifhed by one of their queens, named Tirada, who, in order to difguft the men against a more fhameful paffion, thought herfelf obliged to ufe all the power of beauty. This project, fay the Siamese, fucceeded: they add, that it is befides a wife law, fince it is agreeable to the men to have defires, and to the women to excite them. Thus it is the happiness of both fexes, and the only bleffing Heaven has mingled with the evils by which we are afflicted, and what foul can be fo barbarous as to defire to deprive us of itt?

All thefe facts, [a very few of which we have here giyen the Reader] lays our Author, are cited to prove, that cuftoms, even the moft foolish and cruel, have always their fource in the real or apparent utility of the public. His Readers, therefore, will do well to confider this, and beware they do not make a worse use of them.

In juftice to our Author alfo, it may not be improper to add, on good authority, that we fhould do him the highest injuftice to fufpect the goodness of his own heart, from the bad opinion he appears to have of the reft of mankind: fince we are told, even by those who admit his having endeavoured to loofen all the focial bonds of humanity; and to invalidate thofe reciprocal duties which bind children to their parents, husbands to their

Among the Giagues, when a girl has the figns of her being capable of bearing children, they make a feaft: but when thefe figns difappear, they put those women to death, as unworthy of life, when they can no longer communicate it.'

+ A very fenfible Writer fays on this fubject, it is beyond contradiction, that all plenfures contrary to the general good, ought to be prohibited; but before this prohibition, it is proper, that by a thoufand efforts of the mind, endeavours be used to reconcile this pleasure with the general happiness." Men," he adds, " are to unhappy, that one pleature more is well worth the pains of an attempt to feparate from this whatever may be dangerous with refpect to fociety; and and perhaps it might be eafy to fucceed, were we with this view to examine the laws of thole countries where thefe pleasures are permitted."

REVIEW, June 1759.

Mm

wives,

wives, friends to each other, and citizens to their country; that in his private character, our Author hath, nevertheless, indifputably approved himself a dutiful fon, a tender father, an affectionate husband, a fincere friend, and a juft citizen; in every relation generous, difinterested, and benevolent. Is it poffible a man of this character, however mistaken in his principles, can be fufpected of a wilful defign to injure mankind by his writings, in fo effential a point? But to return to the work.

It is, from this difference in the customs and manners of different nations, fays our Author, that they entertain a reciprocal contempt for, and condemn each other, as brutes, fots, ideots, and infidels.

If we caft our eyes on all fides, we fee every place thus unjuft. Each nation, convinced that he is the fole poffeffor of wifdom, takes all others for fools; and nearly resembles the inhabitants of the Marian iflands, who being perfuaded that theirs. was the only language in the universe, conluded from thence, that all other men knew not how to speak.

If a fage defcended from Heaven, and in his conduct confulted only the light of reafon, he would univerfally pass for a fool. He would be, as Socrates fays, like a phyfician, whom the paftry-cooks accused before a tribunal conpofed of children, for having prohibited the eating of pies and tarts; and would certainly be condemned. In vain would this fage fupport his opinions, by the ftrongest demonftrations; all the nations would be with refpect to him, as the nation of hump-backed people, among whom, as the Indian fabulift fays, came a god, beautiful, young, and well proportioned. This God, they add, entered into the capital, where he was foon furrounded by a multitude of the inhabitants: his figure appeared extraordinary; their laughter and taunts declared their aftonishment: and they were going to carry their affronts ftill farther, if, to fave him from danger, one of the inhabitants, who had doubtless seen other men that were not hump backed, had not fuddenly cried out, O my friends, what are we going to do? Let us not infult this unhappy piece of deformity: if Heaven has granted to us all the gifts of beauty; if it has adorned our backs with a mountain of fefh, let us be filled with gratitude to the immor tals, repair to the temple, and return thanks to the gods. This fable is the hiftory of human vanity. All people admire their own defects, and defpile the contrary qualities. To fucceed in any country, we must carry the hump of the nation into which we travel.

There are in every country but few advocates who plead the cause of the neighbouring nations; few men who acknow

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