H E M A R K S ' o n t h e
manners tvhere one might, at. leaft find to the'honour o f humanity, Iefs
degeneracy joined :to:,an amiable innocence and primitive fimplicity,
my fpirits were damped by this unexpected fcene o f immorality
and .felfifhnefs, in a fanulywhere I .leaft expedted to hear o f it.
The principles o f chaftity we found however, in many families, •
exceedingly well underltood and pradtifed, to the great fatisfadtjon
o f ^ 1 thofe Europeans in ..whole, hearts le.wdnefs had not yet
effaced every notion of prurity and morality. I have with tranlport
feen many fine women, who with a modelly mixed with politenefs,
which would have graced , the molt .exalted characters p f pur polite
nations, -refute .the greatefl and mpft tempting offers, made them
"by our forward youths ■, .often they excufed themfelves with a
Ample .tirra-tone, “ T am married,” and at other times they
fmiled and declined .it with ei^pa,, “ no.” But i t "is .neceffary .to
obferve that a nation flill enjoying that ju ll and ,noble fimplicity
o f .manners., living in large, hqufes with feveral families .together,
in the midft o f their children, cannot conceal certain adtions,
which none p f pur Europeans, who have feelings and breeding,
-wilhed tp cpmmit in fp great companies this naturally makes all
their children acquainted with tranfa&ions o f which feme European
matrons perhaps may have no ideas, nor has love, and .all its .concomitant,
and moll myllerio.us endearments, enjoyments, and
.confequences, ever been ftamped in thefe happy ifles with a notion
of
H U M A N ' S P E C I E S .
p f turpitude. Virtuous women hear a joke without emotion, m a n n e r s .
which among!! us might perhaps put fame men to the blulh.
Neither aullerity and anger, nor joy and ecltafy is the coniiequence,
but fometimes a modell, dignified, ferene fmile fpreads itlelf
-over their faces, and Teems gently to rebuke the uncouth jefler,
for not being better acquainted with the purer enjoyments o f
-model! and virtuous love, and with the pradtice of. that relpedt
which is due to thofe who are its l-eligious votaries.
Thus the conlhint and excellent principles o f candour and
humanity -teach the better individuals o f this happy nation, the
diftindlion between right and wrong, and fpread, and confirm the
notions o f virtue and morality among them. But the adtioas of
a people may be likewife confidered, as far as they become
Oxpreffiveof a charadter peculiar to them, by which they give us
an idea o f their manners. There are nations that have fuch
firong outlines in their characters, forming fp effential a contrail
between them and other nations, that it is very eafy to catch them,
and to defcri.be a pidlure perfedtly refembling the original; the
-warlike inftitutions and laws o f Lyeurgus gave fuch a llrong
charadter -to the Spartans, that nothing was more ealy than to
give a pidlure of Spartan manners: but. to dift'iftguilh the inhabitant
o f Orchomenus.from that of .Megalopolis or of Mantinea and-Tegea,
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