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misfortunes, before they were able to mo derate its fury, to extinguish it, to revive at their pleasure, and to employ it to their common purposes and neceffities. Ancient history affords fufficient teftimony: but the favages of North America within the courfe of the last century furnished a remarkable confirmation of this opinion. It would be difficult to give in that refpect a jufter idea of the first ages then by the example of that rudeness and fimplicity which they fhewed in their use of this element for one of the fimpleft and commoneft purposes, which occur among civilized nations. When they wanted to dress or warm their Victuals they put fome water into a hollow scoop of a rock, and threw in a great quantity of lighted coals.

"This example fhews a flowness in the inventive genius which it would be difficult to conceive if it was not attefted by Voyagers, and those who have written the history of those countries. From thefe modern instan

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ces we may conclude, that those who formed the greatest empires of Antiquity were for a certain space of time equally uninftructed. But it will be afked no doubt, why they were more early civilized than the nations of North America: and may it not be answered, that the sweetness of their climate, and the fertility of their soil, by supplying them with an easy fubfiftence left them more at liberty to follow their réflexions and researches. The favages of Canada, inhabiting a cold country, might therefore have had a less active genius, and not reflecting on the means, which chance at different times prefented to them, continued attached to the first discovery, which was fufficient to answer their neceflities.

"Without recurring to these ancient examples, more recent facts, and reflexions eftablished on them, fhew that the first means were perfected very flowly, and by very fmall additions, infpired by practise, and confirmed by the continual occurrence of those neceffities which first suggested them.

which result from it, enlighten the mind of the Antiquary, and enable him to acquire a knowledge of human nature, and just estimate of its real powers. I believe that any one will be convinced of the flowness of the human genius, by comparing it with what is ftrictly called Invention. Indeed men are born imitators and copyists: and from that love of imitation, through which one mean was applied to new purposes by modifications of that mean, arose that augmentation of means, which conftitutes the progrefs of knowledge and of Art.

The Antiquary in acquiring more rational and certain Ideas of the firft Ages, whofe ignorance was univerfal, discovers the origin of their Deities; that is, he perceives how Men, who were benefactors to their country, and valiant kings, were honoured with altars after their death. He diftinguishes the various acceffions of fuperftition, the particular errors and deviations of which became them

felves the object of general worship, but always with the fame flowness of progres fion, as the means and arts, which sprung from their neceffities. We may be affured that all the views, which we can take of the ancient world, will terminate in a proof of the mediocrity of the inventive faculty.

But that which more than any thing difplays the mediocrity which all nations have fhewn in this respect, is the pains, which they take to conceal the fources, from whence they derived their knowledge. The Antiquary however knows how to diftinguish the original. He perceives that what is given as a novelty in one part of the world, was known anciently, and in ufe. He judges impartially, by more modern examples, of facts in remote Antiquity. By application of them to nations and Ages nearer his own time he perceives that human nature always has been, and always will be the fame. But if to difengage himself from the great objects, which are presented in this examination of the Religions, and Empires, which S 2

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individuals which have had a place in Antiquity, what a few, fcattered atoms will he discover in that immenfity of space! His researches will present him with but a very fmall number of Men, whofe names are known to pofterity, who have received the humble meed of two or three lines of an Inscription, from which, if it can be read, we often learn nothing more than that fuch a perfon once lived. This particular examination is, in my opinion, the most essential and the principal object of these reflexions, fince it in effect affords the greatest advantage resulting from the Study in question, and fhews the Antiquary the innumerable numbers buried in the abyss of time, in whose vortex he must himself be one day swallowed up. He perceives a great number of Kings, concerning many of whom little has been even feigned, while others are totally unknown to whom if any one had said in the meridian of their pride and

power, that