quire a multitude of focial ideas; from the confufion and diforder of which, arifes a deep fenfe of their own weakness, and of a laffitude which makes even life itself a burthen *. Hence it is that we endeavour to go beyond that perfonal sphere, which feems too confined for our defires; to live, as it were, at a diftance from ourselves in the midst of society. Our lives become in general, habitually and meanly fubjected to the influence of prefent objects; to which, reflection very feldom oppofes the image of those which are diftant: a confideration this, which is fufficient to give those, who can find enjoyment in folitude, a fenfe of real fuperiority above the reft of mankind. To preferve this fuperiority alfo, it is highly neceffary to reflect maturely in every important action of our lives: by which means, we fhall the more rarely commit fuch as we may have reafon to repent. A good confcience is almost always the acquifition of reflection: for what is a good confcience, but a fenfe of the conformity of our actions with the rules of juftice; and what is justice, but the conformity of actions with the laws of fociety By the laws of fociety, however, our author does not mean the ftatutes or cuftoms of particular ftates; which may fometimes be even contradictory to thofe general rules, or principles by which all focieties fhould be regulated. He remarks in particular, that one of thofe laws which has ever had the greatest influence on mankind, is that univerfal notion to which we give the name of honour. Yet this notion which hath formerly effected fuch wonders, is frequently found to be in direct oppofition to particular inftitutions, both ecclefiaftical

and civil.

This confideration leads our author into an examination of the nature of laws and the fundamental principles of fociety; after which he endeavours to fhew, that the moral duty and the political intereft of every individual, are the fame thing; the one term fignifying the genus, and the other the species. Thus our duty is our intereft regulated by law; altho' we may, it is true, in fome particular cafes, have an intereft where we are not bound in duty; because there are many actions, concerning which the laws are filent. It is impoffible, however, that our true interest should be contrary to the laws, becaufe it is a flat contradiction to pretend that it is our intereft

And yet, who that ever tafted, or has a tafte for the pleasures of fociety, would with to have been a favage, or can envy that ftupid tranquillity which is here recommended? we may with indeed, that our defires had been more moderate, and our gratifications lefs exquifite, in order that we might have longer enjoyed the charms of fociety without difguft. But tho' we look back on paft pleafure with regret, we cano look forward at indifference with delight.

to purchase even a great piire at the price of a gre pain.

One of the principal conditions of human happiness, fays this writer, is the acquisition of a knowlege of mankind, the connections by which they are bound, and the relations in which they fand to each other. He feems to think, alio, that this knowledge is to be acquired to fuch a degree, as to fet our opinion above the cafual indsence of particular events and circonftances: none of which fhocid in fach a cale, prevent our forming a jult eftimate of men and things. Bat. by whom is this acquitition to be made? By a man pouted equally of cosrage and candour; without afectation and without weakness; equally distant from an unpo" thed leverity of manners, as from a despicable and complacent fervillity. If fach a man could be found, indeed, he would bid fair to je as happy, as our author's adrice could make him; but we fear, that in this age of timidity, dependence and irresolution, the generality of his readers will be apt to think the greater part of what he hath advanced, to be merely for taking! It is doubtlets much easier to fay than to do: but it does by no means invalidate the truth of a propoition, or fhew the impracticability of a defiga, to izy it is eafer than DONE.

L'Antiquité délie par fiz ajaga.

Antiquity unveiled; or a critical Enquiry into the printed Opnions, Ceremonies and Infintions, religions and felt in, of the diferen Inbabnants of the Earth. By the late Mr. Bollanger. 2 Vols. 12mo. Amfterdam, 1756.

IN

I a letter prefixed to this performance, we have fome accourt of the life and writings of its author; of which the writer, who profeffes himfe'f to have been his int mate friend, fpeaks with a degree of warmth that evidently borders on partiality. The well known talents, however, of Mr. Boulinger, may fufficiently apologize, if not juftify, this inftance of the letterwriter's regard for his deceased friend. There is, indeed, foo thing fo fingular in his account of the progrefs of this author's genius, that we cannot refift the temptation of feletting a few paffages from this introductory epiftle.

After having acquainted the reader that Mr. Bolanger was remarkably dull and backward in his learning when a schoolboy, he proceeds to inform us, that when about the age of 18. our author applied himself with fuccefs to the fudy of the m thematics and architecture; in confequence of which he terwards was made engineer, and was appointed to exec.

Na4

feveral difficult works in the conftruction of the highways and bridges in Champaigne, Lorraine, Burgundy, and other provinces of France. It was in the midst of this active and laborious employment, that he first conceived the design of enquiring into the ancient ftate of that earth, whofe furface daily afforded him proofs of the great variety of changes it must neceffarily have undergone. Il vit, (fays this writer) la multitude des fubftances diverfes, que la terre recéle dans fon fein, et qui atteftent fon ancienneté et la fuite innombrable de fes revolutions fous l'afre qui l'eclaire; les climats changés, et les contrées qu'un foleil perpendiculaire bruloit autrefois, maintenant effleurées de fes rayons obliques et paffagers, et chargée de glaces éternelles; il ramalja du bois, des pierres, des coquilles: il vit dans nos carrieres Pempreinte des plantes qui naiffent fur la côte de l'Inde; la charrue retourner, dans nos champs, des êtres dont les analogues font cachés dans l'abîme des mers; l'homme couché au nord fur les os de l'elephant, et fe promenant ici fur la demeure des baleines; il vit la nourriture d'un monde préfent croiffant fur la furface de cent mondes paffes: il confidera Pordre que les couches de la terre gardoient entre elles: ordre tantit fi egulier, tantôt fi troublé, qu'ici le globe tout neuf femble fortir des mains du grand ouvrier; la n'offrir qu'un cabos ancien qui cherche à fe debrouiller; ailleurs que les ruines d'un vafte édifice renverse, reconftruit et renversé derechef, fans qu'à travers tant de bouleverje mens fucceffifs, l'imagination même puiffe remonter au premier.'

It was from thefe obfervations, and his reflections on the great revolutions which must have happened in the natural hiftory of the earth, that he was led to confider the influence which fuch numerous changes in the physical state of foils and climates muft neceffarily have had over its inhabitants: hence arofe a variety of conjectures in his mind concerning the primitive ftate of fociety, of religion, and of government. It was neceffary, however, to verify thefe conjectures by comparing them with the facts recorded in hiftory, or tranfmitted by tradition. To this end he applied himfelf to the latin writers; but first of all was obliged to learn their language, and even when he had obviated this difficulty, he found himfelf little the better; the Latins were too ignorant and too modern. He betook himself, therefore, to the Greeks; learned their language, and prefently ran through their poets, philofophers and hiftorians but in thefe he was equally difappointed; the Greek writers being full of fictions, falfehoods and mifreprefentations. He concluded, therefore, he might find greater fatisfaction in his researches into the Hebrew, Syriac, Chaldean and Arabic writes: all which languages he undertook to learn, and foon made hin felf a competent mafter of them. Such was the refolution, labour and perfeverance of our author, in compaffing his favourite point. How far the fuccefs of his attempts to decy

events; it is that which difplays the general fpirit of the times, or the circumftances which first established those customs and brought about fuch events. There must have been a motive for every established cuftom; which motive must be fimply - deduced from mere opinions or from facts; nay even popular opinions themfelves must be founded originally on facts. Every cuftom therefore must have its particular history, or at least its particular fable; as it must relate to fome particular fact; and perhaps may have at the fame time a fecret connection with the general chain, that unites together all customs and all facts. The hiftory of manners, therefore, joined to that of their motives, would only difplay a new method of writing the history of mankind. The difficulty of writing hiftory in this method, Mr. Boulanger owns indeed to be extremely great; but thinks it might be undertaken with fuccefs, if we recur no farther back than to a certain fact, whofe verity is univerfally allowed. This fact he conceives to be the univerfal deluge; from the epoch of which he would fet out, in tracing the natural and political hiftory of mankind to the present times.

It is at the æra of the deluge, fays he, that we must begin the hiftory of fociety, and of all the nations now exifting. If there be falfe and destructive religions in the world, we must recur to the deluge for their origin: if there be erroneous fyftems of government, we must trace their fource in the flood. In a word, it is to the deluge I impute all those numerous abfurdities and incongruities in the manners, customs, and ceremonies, (moral, political, and religious) which prevail over the face of the earth : hinc prima mali labes.'

As our author's plan is partly new, it will no doubt appear a little fingular; but he fays, it will feem exceptionable and paradoxical only to fuch as know not how to consider the globe we inhabit; or to thofe who cannot get rid of the prejudices acquired from the popular methods of writing and reading hil tory.

With regard to the prefent work, Mr. Boulanger feems to have intended it as a kind of introduction to a general history of man in a state of fociety; in which he hath attempted to withdraw that veil of time, which, he fays, at prefent obfcures and hides the face of true hiftory. He hath divided his tract into four books; in the first of which he treats of the several inftitutions fubfifting among different people, in commemoration of the general deluge. In the fecond, he treats of the funereal folemnity that prevailed in the ancient feftivals; of the fects of antiquity; and of the favage and erratic ftate of the primitive focieties, fucceeding the deluge. Nothing can be more mournful and deplorable, than the ftate in which mankind exifted, according to our author, for many ages; their

religious