conveniencies, and from these to every fort of luxury. Avarice turns headftrong; and locks and bars, formerly unknown, become neceffary to protect people 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, 1 no

your friend; I falamanca you, you sa"lamanca me (a)." Admiral Watson being introduced to the King of Baba, in Madagascar, was asked by his Majefty, What prefents he had brought? Hence the custom, univerfal among barbarians, of always accofting a king, or any man of high rank, with prefents. Sir John Chardin fays, that this cuftom goes through all Afia. It is reckoned an honour to receive prefents they are received in pu blic; and a time is chofen when the croud is greateft. It is a maxim too refined for the potentates of Afia, that there is more honour in beftowing than in receiving.

(a) Salamanca means, the making a prefent.

The

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 relish for fociety, and finds a pleasure in benevolence, generosity, and in every other kindly affection, far above what selfishness can afford. How agreeable is this fcene! Alas, too agreeable to be lafting. Opulence and luxury inflame the hording appetite; and selfishness at last prevails as it did originally. The selfishnefs, 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 said of the influence of opulence on manners. Rude and illiterate nations are tenacious 3 E

VOL. I.

of

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 polished 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 refined by prosperity and the arts of peace. Good government will advance men to a high degree of civilization; but the very best 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 thoufand accufations of adultery. From that moment he abandoned all thoughts of a reformation. Love

f pleafure is fimilar to love of money: the more it is indulged the more it is infred. Polygamy is an incentive to the

vice against nature; one act of incontinence leading to others without end. When the Sultan Achmet was depofed at Conftantinople, the people, breaking into the house 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 reafon polygamy is far from preventing adultery, a truth finely illuftrated in Nathan's parable to David. What judgement then are we to form of the opulent cities London and Paris, where pleasure is the ruling paffion, and where riches are. coveted as inftruments of fenfuality? What is to be expected but a peftiferous corruption of manners? Selfifhnefs, 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

produce luxury, fenfuality, and profligacy *. Canghi, Emperor of China, who died in the year 1722, deserves to be recorded in the annals of fame, for refifting the softness and effeminacy of an Afiatic court. Far from abandoning himself to fenfual pleasure, he paffed feveral months yearly in the mountains of Tartary, mostly on horseback, and declining no fatigue. Nor in that fituation were affairs of state neglected: many hours he borrowed from fleep, to hear his minifters, and to iffue orders. How few monarchs, bred up like Canghi in the downy indolence of a seraglio, have refolution to withstand the temptations of fenfual pleasure!

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

* In Paris and London, people of fashion are inceffantly running after pleasure, without ever attaining it. Diffatisfied with the prefent, they fondly imagine that a new purfuit will relieve them. Life thus passes like a dream, with no enjoyment but what arises from expectation,

fent