As to phyfical caufes, I am inclined to doubt altogether of their operation in this particular; nor do I think, that men owe any thing of their temper or genius to the air, food, or climate. I confefs, that the contrary opinion may juftly, at firft fight, feem very probable; fince we find, that thefe circumftances have an influence over every other animal, and that even thofe creatures, which are fitted to live in all climates, fuch as dogs, horfes, &c. do not attain the fame perfection in all. The courage of bull-dogs and game-cocks feems peculiar to ENGLAND. FLANDERS is remarkable for large and heavy horfes: SPAIN for horfes light, and of good mettle. And any breed of thefe creatures, tranfported from one country into another, will foon lofe the qualities, which they derived from their native climate. It may be afked, why not the fame with men ? the clergy can often be fatisfied only by promoting ignorance and fuperftition and implicite faith and pious frauds. And having got what ARCHIMEDES only wanted, (viz. another world, on which he could fix his engines) no wonder they move this world at their pleasure. Moft men have an over-weaning conceit of themselves; but thefe have a peculiar temptation to that vice, who are regarded with fuch veneration, and are even deemed facred, by the ignorant multitude. Most men are apt to bear a particular regard for the members of their own profeffion; but as a lawyer, or phyfician, or merchant does, each of them, follow out his business apart, the interefts of these profeffions are not fo clofely united as the interefts of clergymen of the fame religion; where the whole body gains by the veneration, paid to their common tenets, and by the fuppreffion of antagonists. Few men can bear contradiction with patience; but the clergy too often proceed even to a degree of fury on this article: Because all their credit and livelihood depend upon the belief, which their opinions meet with; and they alone pretend to a divine and fupernatural authority, or have any color for representing their antagonists as impious and prophane. The Odium Theologicum, or Theological Hatred, is noted even to a proverb, and means that degree of rancor, which is the most furious and implacable. Revenge is a very natural paffion to mankind; but feems to reign with the greatest force in priests and women: Because being deprived of the immediate exertion of anger, in violence and combat, they are apt to fancy themselves defpifed on that account; and their pride fupports their vindictive difpofition. Thus many of the vices of human nature are, by fixed moral causes, inflamed in that profeffion; and tho' several individuals escape the contagion, yet all wife governments will be on their guard against the attempts of a fociety, who will for ever THERE combine into one faction, and while it acts as a fociety, who will for ever be actuated by ambition, pride, revenge, and a perfecuting fpirit. The temper of religion is grave and ferious; and this is the character required of priests, which confines them to ftrict rules of decency, and commonly prevents irregularity and intemperance amongst them. The gaiety, much lefs the exceffes of pleasure, is not permitted in that body; and this virtue is, perhaps, the only one, which they owe to their profeffion. In religions, indeed, founded on fpeculative principles, and where public difcourfes make a part of religious fervice, it may alfo be fuppofed that the clergy will have a confiderable fhare in the learning of the times; tho' 'tis certain that their taste and eloquence will always be better than their skill in reasoning and philofophy. But whoever poffeffes the other noble virtues of humanity, meeknefs, and moderation, as very many of them, no doubt, do, is beholden for them to nature or reflection, not to the genius of his calling. 'Twas no bad expedient in the ROMANS, for preventing the strong effect of the priestly character, to make it a law that no one fhould be received into the facerdotal office, till he was past fifty years of age, DION. Hal. lib. 1. The living a layman till that age, 'tis prefumed, would be able to fix the character. I CESAR (de Bell. GALLICO, lib. 1.) fays that the GALLIC horfes were very good; the GERMAN very bad. We find in lib. 7. that he was obliged to remount fome GERMAN cavalry with GALLIC horfes. At prefent, no part of EUROPE has fo bad horfes of all kinds as FRANCE: But GERMANY abounds with excellent war horfes. This may beget a little fufpicion, that even animals depend not on the climate; but on the different breeds and on the skill and care in rearing them. The north of ENGLAND abounds in the best horfes of all kinds which are in the world. In the neighboring counties, north fide the TWEED, no good horfes R of THERE are few questions more curious than this, or which will occur oftener in our enquiries concerning human affairs; and therefore it may be proper to give it a ferious examination. THE human mind is of a very imitative nature; nor is it poffible for any fet of men to converfe often together, without acquiring a fimilitude of manners, and communicating to each other their vices as well as virtues. The propenfity to company and fociety is ftrong in all rational creatures; and the fame difpofition, which gives us this propenfity, makes us enter deeply into each other's fentiments, and caufes like paffions and inclinations to run, as it were by contagion, thro' the whole club or knot of companions. Where a number of men are united into one political body, the occafions of their intercourse must be fo frequent, for defence, commerce, and government, that, together with the fame fpeech or language, they must contract a refemblance in their manners, and have a common or national character, as well as a perfonal one, peculiar to each individual. Now tho' nature produces all kinds of temper and understanding in great abundance, it follows not that she always produces them in like proportions, and that in every fociety the ingredients of industry and indolence, valor and cowardice, humanity and brutality, wisdom and folly, will be mixed after the fame manner. In the infancy of fociety, if any of these difpofitions be found in greater abundance than the reft, it will naturally prevail in the compofition, and give a tincture to the national character. Or fhould it be afferted, that no fpecies of temper can reasonably be prefumed to predominate, even in those contracted focieties, and that the fame proportions will always be preserved in the mixture; yet furely the perfons in credit and authority, being a more contracted body, cannot always be prefumed to be of the fame character; and their influence on the manners of the people, muft, at all times, be very confiderable. If on the first establishment of a republic, a BRUTUS fhould be placed in authority, and be tranfported with fuch an enthusiasm for liberty and public good, as to overlook all the ties of nature, as well as private intereft; fuch an illustrious example will naturally have an effect on the whole fociety, and kindle the fame paffion in every bofom. Whatever it be that forms the manners of one generation, the next muft imbibe a deeper tincture of the fame dye; men being more fufceptible of all impreffions during infancy, and retaining thefe impreffions as long as they remain in the world. I affert, then, that all national characters, where they depend not on fixed moral causes, proceed from fuch accidents as thefe, and that phyfical caufes have no difcernible operation on the human mind. If we run over the whole globe, or revolve all the annals of hiftory, we shall discover every where figns of this fympathy or contagion of manners, none of the influence of air or climate. First. We may obferve, that where a very extenfive government has been eftablished for many centuries, it spreads a national character over the whole empire, and communicates to every part a fimilitude of manners. Thus the CHINESE of any kind are to be met with. STRABO, lib. 1 NIANS are learned, the LACEDEMONIANS ignorant, and the THEBANS too, who are still nearer neighbors to the former. Even the difference of animals, he adds, depends not on climate. have the greatest uniformity of character imaginable; tho' the air and climate, in different parts of thofe vaft dominions, admit of very confiderable variations. Secondly. In fmall governments, which are contiguous, the people have notwithstanding a different character, and are often as diftinguishable in their manners as the most diftant nations. ATHENS and THEBES were but a fhort day's journey from each other; tho' the ATHENIANS were as remarkable for ingenuity, politenefs, and gaiety, as the THEBANS for dulnefs, rufticity, and a phlegmatic temper. PLUTARCH, difcourfing of the effects of air on the minds of men, obferves, that the inhabitants of the PIRUM poffeffed very different tempers from those of the higher town of ATHENS, which was diftant about four miles from the former: But I believe no one attributes the difference of manners, in WAPPING and St. JAMES's to a difference of air or climate. Thirdly. THE fame national character commonly follows the authority of government to a precife boundary; and upon croffing a river, or paffing a mountain, one finds a new fet of manners, with a new government. The LANGUEDOCIANS and GASCONS are the gayeft people of all FRANCE; but whenever you pass the PYRENEES, you are among SPANIARDS. Is it conceiveable, that the qualities of the air fhould change fo exactly with the limits of an empire, which depend so much on the accidents of battles, negotiations, and marriages? Fourthly. WHERE any fet of men, fcattered over diftant nations, have a close fociety or communication together, they acquire a fimilitude of manners, and have 'but little in common with the nations amongst whom they live. Thus, the Jews: in EUROPE, and the ARMENIANS in the caft, have a peculiar character; and the former are as much noted for fraud, as the latter for probity *. The Jefuites, in all Roman-Catholic countries, are also observed to have a character peculiar to themselves. Fifthly. WHERE any accident, as a difference of language or religion, keeps two nations, inhabiting the fame country, from mixing with each other, they will preferve, during several centuries, a diftinct and even oppofite fet of manners. The integrity, gravity, and bravery of the TURKS form an exact contrast to the deceit, levity, and cowardice of the modern GREEKS. Sixthly. THE fame fet of manners will follow a nation, and adhere to them over the whole globe, as well as the fame laws and language. The SPANISH, ENGLISH, FRENCH, and DUTCH colonies are all diftinguishable, even betwixt the tropics. Seventhly. THE manners of a people change very confiderably from one age to another; either by great alterations in their government, by the mixtures of new people, or by that inconftancy, to which all human affairs are fubject. The ingenuity and induftry of the ancient GREEKS have nothing in common with the ftupidity and indolence of the prefent inhabitants of thofe regions. Candor, bravery, and love of liberty, formed the character of the ancient ROMANS; as fubtilty, cowardice, and a flavifh difpofition do that of the modern. The old SPA A fmall fect or fociety amidst a greater are commonly moft regular in their morals; because they are more remarked, and the faults of individuals draw dishonor on the whole. The only exception to this rule is, when the fuperftition and prejudices of the large fociety are fo ftrong as to throw an infamy on the fmaller fociety, independent of their morals. For in that cafe, having no character either to fave or gain, they become carelefs of their behavior, except among themselves. R 2 NIARDS NIARDS were restless, turbulent, and fo addicted to war, that many of them killed themselves, when deprived of their arms by the ROMANS *. One would find an equal difficulty, at prefent, (at least one would have found it fifty years ago) to rouze up the modern SPANIARDS to arms. The BATAVIANS were all foldiers of fortune, and hired themselves into the ROMAN armies. Their posterity make use of foreigners for the fame purpose that the ROMANS did their ancestors. Tho' fome ftrokes of the FRENCH character be the fame with that, which CÆSAR has afcribed to the GAULS; yet what comparison between the civility, humanity and knowlege of the modern inhabitants of that country, and the ignorance, barbarity and groffness of the ancient? Not to infift upon the great difference betwixt the prefent poffeffors of BRITAIN, and those before the ROMAN conqueft; we may obferve, that our ancestors, a few centuries ago, were funk into the most abject fuperftition, laft century they were inflamed with the most furious enthusiasm, and are now fettled into the moft cool indifference with regard to religious matters, that is to be found in any nation of the world. Eighthly. Where feveral neighboring nations have a very clofe communication together, either by policy, commerce, or travelling, they acquire a fimilitude of manners, proportioned to the communication. Thus all the FRANKS appear to have a uniform character to the eastern nations. The differences among them are like the particular accents of different provinces, which are not diftinguishable, except by an ear accustomed to them, and which commonly escape a foreigner. WE Ninthly. We may often remark a wonderful mixture of manners and character in the fame nation, fpeaking the fame language, and fubject to the fame government: And in this particular, the ENGLISH are the moft remarkable of any people, that ever were in the world. Nor is this to be afcribed to the mutability and uncertainty of their climate, or to any other phyfical causes; fince all these caufes take place in their neighboring kingdom of SCOTLAND, without having the fame effect. Where the government of a nation is altogether republican, it is apt to beget a particular fet of manners. Where it is altogether monarchical, it is more apt to have the fame effect; the imitation of fuperiors fpreading the national manners fafter among the people. If a state confifts altogether of merchants, fuch as HOLLAND, their uniform way of life will fix their character. If it confifts chiefly of nobles and landed gentry, like GERMANY, FRANCE, and SPAIN, the fame effect follows. The genius of a particular fect or religion is also apt to mould the manners of a people. But the ENGLISH government is a mixture of monarchy, ariftocracy, and democracy. The people are compofed of gentry and merchants. All fects of religion are to be found among them. And the great liberty and independency, which they enjoy, allows every one to difplay the manners, peculiar to him. Hence the ENGLISH, of any people in the univerfe, have the leaft of a national character; unless this very fingularity may stand for fuch. If the characters of men depended on the air and climate, the degrees of heat and cold fhould naturally be expected to have a mighty influence; fince nothing has a greater effect on all plants and irrational animals. And indeed there is fome TIT. LIVII, Lib. 34. Cap. 17. reafon reason to think, that all the nations, which live beyond the polar circles or betwixt the tropics, are inferior to the rest of the fpecies, and are utterly incapable of all the higher attainments of the human mind. The poverty and mifery of the northern inhabitants of the globe, and the indolence of the fouthern from their few neceffities, may, perhaps, account for this remarkable difference, without having recourfe to phyfical caufes. This however is certain, that the characters of nations are very promi'cuous in the temperate climates, and that almoft all the general. obfervations, which have been formed of the more fouthern or more northern nations in these climates, are found to be uncertain and fallacious *. SHALL we fay, that the neighborhood of the fun inflames the imagination of men, and gives it a peculiar fpirit and vivacity? The FRENCH, GREEKS, EGYPTIANS and PERSIANS are remarkable for gaiety: The SPANIARDS, TURKS and CHINESE are noted for gravity and a ferious behavior; without any fuch difference of climate, as to produce this difference of temper. THE GREEKS and KOMANS, who called all other nations barbarians, confined genius and a fine understanding to the more fouthern climates, and pronounced the northern nations incapable of all knowlege and civility. But BRITAIN has produced as great men, either for action or learning, as GREECE or ITALY has to boast of. 'Tis pretended, that the fentiments of men become more delicate as the country approaches nearer the fun; and that the taste of beauty and elegance receives proportionable improvements in every latitude; as we may particularly obferve of the languages, of which the more fouthern are smooth and melodious, the northern harsh and untuneable. But this obfervation holds not univerfally. The ARABIC is uncouth and difagreeable: The MuscoVITE foft and mufical. Energy, strength, and sometimes harshness form the character of the LATIN tongue: The ITALIAN is the most liquid, smooth, and effeminate language, which can poffibly be imagined. Every language will depend fomewhat on the manners of the people; but much more on that original ftock of words and founds, which they received from their ancestors, and which remain unchangeable, even while their manners admit of the greatest alterations. Who can doubt, but the ENGLISH are at present a much more polite and knowing people than the GREEKS were for feveral ages after the fiege of TROY? Yet there is no comparison between the language of MILTON and that of HOMER. Nay, the greater are the alterations and improvements, which happen in the manners of a people, the lefs can be expected in their language. A few great and refined geniufes will communicate their taste I am apt to fufpect the negroes, and in general all the other fpecies of men (for there are four or five different kinds) to be naturally inferior to the whites. There never was a civilized nation of any other complexion than white, nor even any individual eminent either in action or fpeculation. No ingenious manufactures amongst them, no arts, no fciences. On the other hand, the most rude and barbarous of the whites, fuch as the antient GERMANS, the prefent TARTARS, have still fomething eminent about them, in their valour, form of government, or fome other particular. Such a uni form and conftant difference could not happen, in fo many countries and ages, if nature had not made an original distinction betwixt these breeds of men. Not to mention our colonies, there are NEGROE flaves dispersed all over Europe, of which none ever difcovered any fymptoms of ingenuity; tho' low people, without education, will start up amongst us, and distinguish themselves in every profeffion. In JAMAICA indeed they talk of one negroe as a man of parts and learning; but 'tis likely he is admired for very flender accomplishments, like a parrot, who fpeaks a few words plainly. and |