probably occafioned by factions and civil wars; the next by commerce. Greece affords inftances of the former, Phoenicia of the latter. Unlefs upon fuch occafions, members of a family or of a tribe will never retire farther from their fellows than is neceffary for food; and by retiring gradually, they lofe neither their connections nor their manners, far lefs their language, which is in conftant exercife. As far back as history carries us, tribes without number are discovered, each having a language peculiar to itself. Strabo reports, that the Albanians were divided into feveral tribes, differing in external appearance and in language. Cafar found in Gaul feveral fuch tribes; and Tacitus records the names of many tribes in Germany. There are a multitude of American tribes that to this day continue diftinct from each other, and have each a different language. The mother-tongues at prefent, tho' numerous, bear no proportion to what formerly exilled. We find original tribes gradually enlarging; by conqueit frequently, and more frequently by the union of weak tribes for mutual defence. Such events promote one language instead of many. The Celtic tongue, once extenfive, is at prefent confined to the highlands of Scotland, to Wales, to Britanny, and to a part of Ireland In a few centuries, it will fhare the fate of many other original tongues: it will be totally forgotten.

If men had not been scattered every where upon the confufion of Babel, another particular must have occurred, differing not lefs from what has really happened than that now mentioned. As paradife is conjectured to have been fituated in the heart of Afia, the furrounding regions, for the reafon above given, mut have been firft peopled; and the civilization and improvements of the mother-country were undoubtedly carried along to every new fettlement. In particular, the colonies planted in America, the South-fea iflands, and the Terra Auftralis incognita, muft have been highly polithed; because, being at the greatest distance, they probably were the lateft. And yet thefe and other remote people, the Mexicans and Peruvians excepted, remain to this day in the original favage ftate of hunting and fishing.

Thus, had not men wildly attempted to build a tower whofe top might reach to heaven, all men would not only have spoken the fame language, but would have made the fame progrefs toward maturity of knowledge and civilization. That deplorable event reverfed all nature by scattering men over the face of all the earth, it deprived them of fociety, and rendered them favages. From that fate of degeneracy, they have been emerging gradually. Some nations, ftimulated by their own nature, or by their climate, have made a rapid progrefs: fome have proceeded more flowly; and fome continue favages. To trace out that progrefs toward maturity in different nations, is the fubject of the present undertaking.'

Though what our Author advances in this Sketch, in fupport of his opinion of there being different races of men, is far from conclufive or fatisfactory, yet it will contribute greatly to the Reader's entertainment, as it contains many curious facts vouched by late Travellers and Writers of credit.

* Book ii.

Our

Our Author proceeds, in his fecond Sketch, to treat of the progress of men with refpect to food and population, and the moft ftriking obfervation we meet with upon this fubject is, that cookery depopulates like a peftilence. The ingenious Author, we fuppofe, means Scotch cookery, fince it is univerfally allowed that ENGLISH COOKERY gives health, vigour, spirit, and courage; a truth, to which many a brave, honeft Scotchman will bear teftimony, with gratitude and joy.

The fubject of the third Sketch, which is a very fhort one, is the progress of men with respect to property. And here our Author obferves, that among the fenfes inherent in the nature of man, the fenfe of property is eminent. By this fense wild animals, caught by labour or art, are perceived to belong to the hunter or filher; they become his property; it is the foundation of meum et tuum, a diftinction of which no human being is igno

rant.

The gradual progrefs, continues he, of this fenfe, from its infancy among favages to its maturity among polifhed nations, is one of the most entertaining articles that belong to the prefent undertaking. But as that article makes a part of Historical Law-Tracts, nothing remains for me but a few gleanings.'

In the fourth Sketch he treats of the origin and progrefs of commerce, and his chief view in it is, to examine how far induftry and commerce are affected by the quantity of circulating coin. In the courfe of what he advances upon this fubject, he gives us his fentiments upon the following question,Whether a Bank be upon the whole beneficial or hurtful to

commerce?

It is undoubtedly, fays he, a fpur to induftry, like a new influx of money but then, like fuch influx, it raifes the price of labour and of manufactures. Weighing these two facts in a just balance, the refult feems to be, that in a country where money is fcarce, a bank properly constituted is a great bleffing, as it in effect multiplies the fpecie, and promotes induftry and manufactures; but that in a country which poffeffes money fufficient for an extenfive trade, the only bank that will not hurt foreign commerce, is what is erected for fupplying the merchant with ready money by discounting bills. At the fame time, much caution and circumfpection is neceffary with respect to banks of both kinds. A bank erected for difcounting bills, ought to be confined to bills really granted in the course of commerce; and ought to avoid, as much as poffible, the being impofed on by fictitious bills drawn merely in order to procure a loan of money. And with refpect to a bank purpofely erected for lending money, there is great danger of extending credit too far, not only with respect to the bank itfelf and to its numerous debtors, but with refpect to the country in general, by raifing the price of labour and of manufactures, which is the never-failing refult of too great plenty of money, whether coin or paper.'

The

The fifth Sketch is divided into two sections, the first of which is a very entertaining one; the fubject of it is the origin and progress of useful arts. The following extract from it cannot fail of being acceptable to our Readers.

66

• When Cæfar invaded Britain, agriculture was unknown in the inner parts: the inhabitants fed upon milk and flesh, and were cloathed with fkins. Hollinfhed, cotemporary with Elizabeth of England, describes the rudeness of the preceding generation in the arts of life: There were very few chimneys even in capital towns: the fire was laid to the wall, and the fmoke iffued out at the roof, or door, or window. The houfes were wattled and plaistered over with clay; and all the furniture and utenfils were of wood. The people flept on straw-pallets, with a log of wood for a pillow.". Henry II. of France, at the marriage of the Duchefs of Savoy, wore the first filk stockings that were made in France. Queen Elizabeth, the third year of her reign, received in a present a pair of black filk knit ftockings; and Dr. Howel reports, that he never wore cloth hofe any more. Before the conqueft there was a timber bridge upon the Thames between London and Southwark, which was repaired by King William Rufus, and was burnt by accident in the reign of Henry II. ann. 1176. At that time a ftone bridge in place of it was projected, but it was not finished till the year 1212. The bridge Notre-Dame over the Seine in Paris was first of wood. It fell down anno 1499; and as there was not in France a man who would undertake to rebuild it of ftone, an Italian cordelier was employed, whofe name was Joconde, the fame upon whom Sanazarius made the following pun:

Jocondus geminum impofuit tibi, Sequana, pontem ;

Hunc tu jure potes dicere pontificem.

The art of making glafs was imported from France into England ann. 674, for the ufe of monafteries. Glafs windows in private houses were rare even in the twelfth century, and held to be great luxury. King Edward III. invited three clockmakers of Delft in Holland to fettle in England. In the former part of the reign of Henry VIII. there did not grow in England cabbage, carrot, turnip, or other edible root; and it has been noted, that even Queen Catharine herself could not command a falad for dinner, till the King brought over a gardener from the Netherlands. About the fame time, the artichoke, the apricot, the damask rofe, made their first appearance in England. Turkeys, carps, and hops, were firft known there in the year 1524. The currant-fhrub was brought from the island of Zant ann. 1533; and in the year 154, cherry-trees from Flanders were firft plansed in Kent. It was in the year 1563 that knives were first made in England. Pocket-watches were brought there from Germany ann. 1577. About the year 1580, coaches were introduced; before which time Queen Elizabeth on public occafions rode behind her chamberlain. A faw-mill was erected near London ann. 1633, but afterward demolished, that it might not deprive the labouring poor of employment. How crude was the fcience of politics even in that late age?

• People

1

People who are ignorant of weights and measures fall upon odd fhifts to fupply the defect. Howel Dha, Prince of Wales, who died in the year 948, was their capital lawgiver. One of his laws is, "If any one kill or fteal the cat that guards the Prince's granary, he forfeits a milch ewe with her lamb; or as much wheat as will cover the cat when fufpended by the tail, the head touching the ground." By the fame lawgiver a fine of twelve cows is enacted for a rape committed upon a maid, eighteen for a rape upon a matron. If the fact be proved after being denied, the criminal for his fallity pays as many fhillings as will cover the woman's pofteriors.'

In the fecond fection our Author treats of the progrefs of taste, and of the fine arts; and the best of his observations upon this fubject are to be found in his Elements of Criticism, His account of the Greek Tragedy is fuperficial and injudicious, and fome of his occafional remarks rather trifling; as, for example, when he tells us that in Rome, an illiterate Shopkeeper is a more correct judge of ftatues, pictures, and buildings, than the best educated Citizen of London.

In the fixth Sketch our Author traces the gradual progress of women, from their low ftate in favage tribes, to their elevated state in civilized nations. This is a very curious and interesting fubject, and many of his reflections upon it are just and pertinent. As it has been much controverted, whether matrimony be an appointment of nature, or only of municipal law, he confiders this question at fome length, and thinks the controverfy may be determined upon folid principles. The means provided by nature for continuing the race of other animals, he thinks, may throw light upon the economy of nature with respect to man; accordingly he begins with that article, which, he fays, has not engaged the attention of naturalifts fo much as it ought to do.

With refpect to animals whose nourishment is grafs, pairing, we are told, would be of no ufe; the female feeds herself and her young at the fame inftant, and the male has nothing to do. On the other hand, all brute animals whofe young require the nurfing care of both parents, are directed by nature to pair; nor is the connection diffolved till the young can provide for themselves. Pairing is indifpenfible to wild birds that build in trees; because the male muft provide food for his mate while fhe is hatching the eggs; and as they have commonly a numerous iffue, it requires the labour of both to pick up food for themfelves and for their young: upon which account it is fo ordered, that the young are fufficiently vigorous to provide for themselves, before a new brood is produced.

Now if analogy can be relied on, man too, our Author thinks, is directed by nature to matrimony, as there is no other creature in the known world to which pairing is fo neceffary. Providential care defcends even to vegetable life: every plant

bears

bears a profufion of feed; and in order to cover the earth with vegetables, fome feeds have wings, fome are scattered by means of a spring, and fome are fo light as to be carried about by the wind. If men and women, therefore, were not impelled by nature to matrimony, they would be lefs fitted for continuing their fpecies than even the humbleft plant. We may fairly conclude then, our Author fays, that matrimony in the human race is an appointment of nature; and this conclufion, we are told, cannot be refifted by any one who believes in providence, and in final caufes.

But if pairing in the strictest sense be a law of nature among men, as among fome other animals, how is Polygamy to be accounted for, which formerly was univerfal, and to this day obtains among many nations?

I am reduced, fays our Author, to no dilemma here. Polygamy is derived from two fources; firft, from favage manners, once univerfal; and next, from a voluptuoufnefs in warm climates, which inftigate men of wealth to tranfgrefs every rule of temperance. Thefe two fources I propofe to handle with care, because they make a great part of the hiftory of the female fex.'

For what our Author fays upon this curious fubject, as likewife upon the different degrees of restraint impofed upon married women in different countries, and at different times in the fame country, together with the caufes of thefe differences, we muft refer our Readers to the work at large.

In his Appendix to the fixth Sketch our Author gives us fome very entertaining and inftructive obfervations concerning the propagation of animals, and the care of their offspring, which cannot fail of being acceptable to every clafs of Readers.

The natural history of animals, fays he, with respect to pairing, and care of their offspring, is fufceptible of more elucidation than could regularly be introduced into the sketch itself, where it makes but a fingle argument. Loth to neglect a fubject that eminently dif plays the wisdom and benevolence of Providence, I gladly embrace the prefent opportunity, however flight, to add what further occurs upon it. Buffon, in many large volumes, beftows scarce a thought on that favourite fubject; and the neglect of our countrymen Ray and Derham is ftill lefs excufable, confidering that to display the conduct of Providence was their fole purpose in writing on natural history.

The inftinct of pairing is bestow'd on every species of animals to which it is neceflary for rearing their young; and on no other fpecies. All wild birds pair: but with a remarkable difference between fuch as place their nefts on trees, and fuch as place them on the ground. The young of the former, being hatched blind, and without feathers, require the nurfing care of both parents till they be able to fly. The male feeds his mate on the neft, and cheers her with a fong. As foon as the young are hatched, finging yields to a more necessary occupation, that of providing food for a numerous issue, a task that requires both parents.

Eagles