o f fuppcbting their wives and children, and perhaps a few younger
brethren or lifters. Th is evidently points'Out the ■ true caufe of
the debafement and degeneracy in favages; they can neither profit
by the afliftance, nor by the'inventions and improvements o f others,
and the fmallnefs of their numbers affords but a bad chance for a
multiplicity- of inventions of improvements. - Th e inftfuftions and
good advice o f long experience- are loft to them, and the conftant
neceffity o f procuring a precarious food for the family, robs them
o f that leifure, w h ich 'is neceffary for inftrudtion, and a more
finifhed- education. A s foon as their numbers increafe, that the
country can no more feed the inhabitants, they muft o f courfe
either opprefs and expel, or kill others, in order to occupy their
fifhing and hunting places ; or they' are obliged to migrate to an
unoccupied country; or they muft devife new methods'' of
procuring food with eafe for their increafed numbers.: . "Seldom
is their indolence conquered to that degree,' that they migrate
or become induftrious, and find out a new kind o f food, and' a
new way o f living. Oppreffion is commonly reprefented to
their minds as the eafieft and fureft method, they therefore diflodge
their neighbours, or put them to death, and take their wives" and
children for their flaves and drudges. Thus grown elated with
fuccefs, and powerful by extent o f land, and enjoying thofe
advantages which fupply them with the means o f fupporting
i themfelves
themfelves with greater,eafe,. and making life fomewhat more
comfortable; they endeavour to. extend, their dominion,, and every
fuccefs enables them to emerge more, and more'from that Rate o f
debafement in which they . were plunged ; or if,'they, fhould be
oppofed, checked, and even -routed -in the attempt, they will
certainly be prompted to exert themfelves again, that they may not
lofe thatSuperiority which they had on.ee. attained; or they will
ftudy .to make, the misfortunes, which their ambition had drawn
upon them, lefs confequential, and to avert the miferies which
otherwife-would fall upon them. AH this , o f courfe roufes 1 their
minds from that indolence and' inac tiv ityw ith which they were
oppreffed, and they in every refpeCt conquer fomewhat of that
degeneracy to which they were reduced: for the human mind,
left to itfelf in a continued courfe; o f uniformity either in happinefs
or wretphednefs, has very little exertion; but add to- it the fprings
o f paffions, which are moft powerful in 'fuch tribes as are leaft
improved in their mental faculties, . and we fliall find it amazing
to .what length they may carryafet o f men, who lend no ear to.
any principles o f morality, and who adjuft their notions of rectitude
by the extent of power only. Though naturally this principle
cannot carry them very far, becaufe they muft fooner or later
meet with a powerful oppofition, from the united efforts of
fuch tribes as will not lofe their liberty; it has however, in general
ORIGIN
'F SOCI ET
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