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the following instance. A gentleman going down the great stair of the Emperor's palace, paffed another going up, and their fwords happened to clafh. The perfon defcending took offence: the other excufed himself, faying that it was accidental; adding, that the fwords only were concerned, and that the one was as good as the other. I'll fhow you the difference, fays the perfon who began the quarrel: he drew his fword, and ripped up his own ❘ belly. The other, piqued at being thus prevented in with a revenge, haftened up plate he had in his hand for the Emperor's table; and returning with equal speed, he in like manner ripped up his belly in fight of his antagonist, faying, "If I had not been ferving my prince, fhould not have you the start of me: "but I fhall die fatisfied, having fhow'd fword is as good as yours.' you that my The fame author gives an inftance of uncommon ferocity in the Japanese, blended with manners highly polifhed. In the midst of a large company at dinner, a young woman, straining to reach a plate, unwarily fuffered wind to escape. Afhamed and confounded, fhe raised her breasts

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to her mouth, tore them with her teeth, and expired on the fpot. The Japanese are equally fingular in fome of their religious opinions. They never fupplicate the gods in diftrefs; holding, that as the gods enjoy uninterrupted blifs, fuch fupplications would be offenfive to them. Their holidays accordingly are dedicated to feasts, weddings, and all public and private rejoicings. It is delightful to the gods, fay they, to see men happy. They are far from being fingular in thinking that a benevolent deity is pleased to see men happy; but nothing can be more inconfiftent with the common feelings of men, than to hold, that in diftrefs it is wrong to fupplicate the author of our being for relief, and that he will be difpleafed with fuch fupplication. In deep affliction, there is certainly no balm equal to that of pouring out the heart to a benevolent deity, and expreffing entire refignation to his will.

In fupport of the foregoing doctrine, many particulars ftill more extraordinary might have been quoted from Greek and Roman writers: but truth has no occafion for artifice; and I would not take advan

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tage of celebrated names to vouch facts that appear incredible or doubtful. Greeks and Romans made an illuftrious figure in poetry, rhetoric, and all the fine arts; but they were little better than novices in natural hiftory. More than half of the globe was to them the Terra Auftralis incognita; and imagination operates without controul, when it is not checked by knowledge: the ignorant at the fame time are delighted with wonders; and the most wonderful ftory is always the most welcome. This may ferve as an apology for ancient writers, even when they relate and believe facts to us incredible. Men at that period were ignorant in a great measure of nature, and of the limits of her operations. One conceffion will chearfully be made to me, that the writers mentioned, who report things at fecondhand, are much more excufable than the earliest of our modern travellers, who pretend to vouch endlefs wonders from their own knowledge. Natural hiftory, that of man especially, is of late years much ripened: no improbable tale is fuffered to pass without a strict examination; and I have been careful to adopt no facts, but what

are

are vouched by late travellers and writers of credit. Were it true, what Diodorus Siculus reports, on the authority of Agatharchides of Cnidus, concerning the Ichthyophages on the east coast of Afric, it would be a more pregnant proof of a distinct race of men, than any I have discovered. They are described to be so stupid, that even when their wives and children are killed in their fight, they stand infenfible, and give no figns either of anger or of compaffion. This I cannot believe upon. fo flight teftimony; especially as the Greeks and Romans were at that time extremely credulous, being lefs acquainted with neighbouring nations, than we are with the Antipodes. Varro, in his treatife De re ruftica, reports it as an undoubted truth, that in Lufitania mares were impregnated by the weft wind; and both Pliny and Columella are equally positive. The Balearic islands, Majorca, Minorca, Yvica, are at no great distance from Sicily; and yet Diodorus the Sicilan reports of the inhabitants, that at the folemnization of marriage all the male friends, and even the household fervants, enjoy'd the bride before the bridegroom was admit

ted.

ted. Credat Judæus appella. It would not be much more difficult to make me believe what is faid by Pliny of the Blemmyans, that they had no head, and that the mouth and eyes were in the breast? or of the Arimafpi, who had but one eye, placed in the middle of the forehead; or of the Aftomi, who having no mouth, could neither eat nor drink, but lived upon fmelling; or of a thousand other abfurdities which Pliny relates, with a grave face, in the 6th book of his natural history, cap. 30. and in the 7th book, cap. 2.

Thus upon an extenfive furvey of the inhabited parts of our globe, many nations are found differing fo widely from each other, not only in complexion, features, fhape, and other external circumftances, but in temper and difpofition, particularly in two capital articles, courage, and behaviour to ftrangers, that even the certainty of different races could not make one expect more striking varieties. Doth M. Buffon think it fufficient to say dryly, that such varieties may poffibly be the effect of climate, or of other accidental caufes? The prefumption is, that the varieties fubfifting at prefent have always fubfifted;

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