P R I N C I P
L E S OF
S O C I E -
E T I E S .
thofe principles. It teaches individuals to fcorn. to enjoy advantages
which cannot become uuivertkl, or milii be purchafed at
the expence o f the happinefs. o f the community, and makes; of
every individual a hero; who, i f he lived in countries, where
poets, orators, and authors, for gold lavifh their incenfe, would
have fuch monuments of eloquence raided to his memory, as are-
but too common in our adulatory age ; and had he been born with
thofe noble fentiments at Athens or Rome, he would have defended
to rank with Ariflides, Agelilaus, Leonidas, Fabius, A f r i -
canus, Cato, and the facred bands, who fill the temples o f Grecian
and Roman patriotifin.
T h e whole that has been laid o f the happinefs o f the Taheiteansi.
and inhabitants o f the Society-ifl'ands, is not applicable to the reft
o f the nations in the tropical illes.- In the Friendly-iflands, cultivation
is carried to a higher degree, which is likewife evident from
the fences and partitions, fo ingenioufly contrived, and artfully
executed between the various poffeffions o f each individual family
but at the fame time their government has ftill much oriental def-
potifm and flavilh fubjedtion to chiefs and their L a t o o , derogatory
to that dignity and liberty, to which nature deftined all her
fons and daughters : the firft is owing to the great population o f
thefe illes ; the latter proves them to be nearer to that country, from
whence they came, and where abjedt humiliations for chiefs and
6 • - , princes
mmm im m
princes are common, and originally were introduced by. prepofte-
rous obfequioufnefs and abjedt flattery, and afterwards eftablifhed -
and propagated by tyranny and oppreflion. W e were witnefs to
their proftrations. before their chief, but our ftay was too Ihort .to
be able to judge o f their laws, and form o f government. W e found
Attaha to have great authority at-the place where we landed ; there
were, however, other chiefs, who had certainly more authority
than he, which went fo far, .that he was afraid of fitting at dinner
■ with us in their prefence. . One o f thefe fuperior chiefs had great
influence and weight with all -the people in the boats, to whom
Lome o f our friends gave the title of lord high admiral; their .prieft
was Ekewife a man o f confiderable authority, even to fuch a degree,
that when all the other chiefs conftantly gave the prefents they
■ had received from us to the L a t o o , the prieft kept to himfelf
every thing that was prefented to h im ; which feemed to intimate
the fubjedtion of their chiefs to L a to o , and the great authority
this chief had aflumed to himfelf. Several other chiefs were ready
enough to order their people to do fomething, and we found their
-Orders always refpedted; -but I never faw them take any goods or
fruits, from the inferior people, in order to gave , to us j nor did
they rob' their people o f the things they had exchanged for. various
articles; this behaviour, fhould perhaps, teach us to think that
they have made regulations for fecuring to individuals, peifonal
C c c a property
P R I N C I P
L E S OF
S O C I E T
I E S .