as how great a fuperiority the Europeans have over the Americans, who are every where cafily overcome, and have not dared to attempt a revolution, though a thoufand to the fuperior in numbers.

This part of America was also remarkable on account of its animals and plants, which the not to be found in the other three parts of the world, and which are of fo great use to us. Horfes, corn of all kinds, and iron, were not wanting in Mexico and Peru; and among the many valuable commodities unknown to the old world, cochineal was the principal, and was brought to us from this country. Its ufe dying has now made us forget the fcarlet, which for time immemorial had been the only thing known for giving a fine red colour. The importation of cochineal was foon fucceeded by that of indigo, cacao, vanille, and thofe woods which ferve for ornamental and medicinal purposes, particularly the quinqui, or jefuit's bark, which is the only specific again intermitting fevers. Nature has placed this remedy in the mountains of Peru, whilft fhe has difperfed the difcafe it cured through all the reft of the world. This new continent likewife furnished pearls, coloured flones, and diamonds.

was difperfed throughout all Europe, and by paffing into a number of hands, the diftri bution is become more equal. The price of commodities is likewife encreased in Europe, in proportion to the encrease of specie.

To comprehend how the treafures of Amcrica paffed from the poffeflion of the Spaniards into that of other nations, it will be fufficient to confider thefe two things: the ufe which Charles V. and Philip II. made of their money; and the manner in which other nations acquired a fhare in the wealth of Peru.

The Emperor Charles V. who was always travelling, and always at war, neceffarily dif perfed a great quantity of that fpecie which he received from Mexico and Peru, through Germany and Italy. When he sent his fon Philip over to England, to marry Queen Mary, and take upon him the title of King of England, that prince depofited in the tower of London twenty-feven large chefts of filver in bars, and an hundred horfe-loads of gold and filver coin. The troubles in Flanders, and the intrigues of the league in France, coft this Philip, according to his own confeffion, above three thoufand millions of livres of our money.

The manner in which the gold and filver It is certain that America at prefent fur- of Peru is diftributed amongst all the people nishes the meanest citizen of Europe with his of Europe, and from thence is fent to the conveniences and pleafures. The gold and Eaft-Indies, is a furprifing, though wellfiver mines, at their firft difcovery, were of known circumftance. By a ftrict law enacted ervice only to the kings of Spain and the by Ferdinand and Ifabella, and afterwards merchants; the reft of the world was impo- confirmed by Charles V. and all the kings verished by them, for the great multitudes who of Spain, all other nations were not only exdid not follow bufinefs, found themfelves pof- cluded the entrance into any of the ports in Luffed of a very small quantity of fpecie, in com- Spanish America, but likewife from having parifon with the immenfe fums accumulated the leaft fhare, directly or indirectly, in the by thofe who had the advantage of the firft dif- trade of that part of the world. One would veries. But by degrees, the great quantity have imagined, that this lawwould have enabled of gold and filver which was fent from America, the Spaniards to fubdue all Europe; and yet

than his truth, there remains enough to make us fhudder with horror.

It may feem furprifing, that this massacre of a whole race of men could have been carried on in the fight, and under the administration of feveral religions of the order of St. Jerome; for we know that Cardinal Ximenes, who was prime ministry of Caftile before the time of Charles V. fent over four monks of this order, in quality of prefidents of the royal council of the ifland. Doubtlefs they were not able to refift the torrent; and the hatred of the natives to their new mafters, being with just reafon become implacable, rendered their destruction unhappily neceffary. Voltaire.

and even to this day, we find that a momenry indulgence, which has been paffed for tight or ten years, may bring this cruel and hameful fcourge upon the chastest union. The great Columbus, after having built feveral houses on these islands, and difcovered the continent, returned to Spain, where he enjoyed a reputation unfullied by rapine or cruelty, and died at Valladolid in 1506. But the governors of Cuba and Hifpaniola, who fucceeded him, being perfuaded that thefe provinces furnished gold, refolved to make the difcovery at the price of the lives of the inhabitants. In fhort, whether they thought the natives had conceived an implacable hatred to them; or that they were apprehenfive of their fuperior numbers; or that the rage of flaugh-§ ter, when once begun, knows no bounds, they in the fpace of a few years entirely dePopulated Hifpaniola and Cuba, the former of which contained three millions of inhabitants, and the latter above fix-hundred thousand.

Bartholomew de la Cafas, bishop of Chiapa, who was an eye-witnefs to thefe defolations, relates, that they hunted down the natives with dogs. Thefe wretched favages, almoft naked and without arms, were purfued like wild beafts in the forefts, devoured alive by dogs, thot to death, or furprized and burnt in their habitations.

He farther declares, from ccular teftimony, that they frequently caufed a number of thefe miferable wretches to be fummoned by a priest to come in, and fubmit to the Chriftian religon, and to the king of Spain; and that after this ceremony, which was only an additional act of injuftice, they put them to death without the leaft remorfe:-I believe that De la Cafas has cxaggerated in many parts of his relation; but, allowing him to have faid ten times more

65.

The Influence of the Progress of

Science on the Manners and Characters of Men.

The progress of fcience, and the cultivation of literature, had confiderable effect in changing the manners of the European nations, and introducing that civility and retinement by which they are now distinguished. At the time when their empire was overturned, the Romans, though they had loft that correct tafte which has rendered the productions of their ancestors the standards of excellence, and models for imitation to fucceeding ages, ftill preferved their love of letters, and cultivated the arts with great ardour. But rude Barbarians were fo far from being ftruck with admiration of thefe unknown accomplishments, that they defpifed them. They were not arrived at that state of fociety, in which thofe faculties of the human mind, that have beauty and elegance for their objects, begin to unfold themfelves. They were strangers to all thofe wants and defires which are the parents of ingenious invention; and as they did not comprehend either the

courfe which nature points out, plunged at once into the depths of abftrufe and metaphyfical enquiry. They had been converted to the Christian faith foon after they fettled in their new conquests; but they did not receive

merit or utility of the Roman arts, they deftroyed the monuments of them, with induftry not inferior to that with which their pofterity have fince studied to preferve, or to recover them. The convulfions occafioned by their fettlement in the empire; the fre-it purc. The prefumption of men had added quent as well as violent revolutions in every kingdom which they established; together with the interior defects in the form of government which they introduced, banithed fecurity and leifure; prevented the growth of tafte or the culture of fcience; and kept Europe, during feveral centuries, in a ftate of ignorance. But as foon as liberty and independence began to be felt by every part of the community, and communicated fome tate of the advantages arifmg from commerce, from public order, and from perfonal fecurity, the human mind became confcious of powers which it did not formerly perceive, and fond of occupations or purfuits of which it was formerly incapable. Towards the beginning of the twelfth century, we difcern the firft fymptoms of its awakening from that lethargy in which it had long been funk, and obferve it turning with curiofity and attention towards new objects.

to the fimple and inftructive doctrines of Chriftianity, the theories of a vain philofophy, that attempted to penetrate into myfteries, and to decide queftions which the limited faculties of the human mind are unable to comprehend, or to refolve. These overcurious fpeculations were incorporated with the fyftem of religion, and came to be confidered as the moft effential part of it. As foon, then, as curiofity prompted men to enquire and to reafon, thefe were the fubjects which firft prefented themfelves, and engaged their attention. The fcholaftic theology, with its infinite train of bold difquifitions, and fubtile diftinétions concerning points which are not the object of human reafon, was the firft production of the fpirit of enquiry after it began to refume fome degree of activity and vigour in Europe.

It was not this circumftance alone that gave fuch a wrong turn to the minds of men, The firft literary efforts, however, of the when they began again to exercife talents European nations, in the middle ages, were which they had fo long neglected. Moft of extremely ill directed. Among nations, as the perfons who attempted to revive literature well as individuals, the powers of imagination in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, had attain fome degree of vigour before the in- received inftruction, or derived their printellectual faculties are much exercifed in fpe- ciples of fcience from the Greeks in the culative or abstract difquifition. Men are caftern empire, or from the Arabians in Spain poets before they are philofophers. They and Africa. Both thefe people, acute and feel with fenfibility, and defcribe with force, inquifitive to excefs, corrupted thofe sciences when they have made but little progrefs in which they cultivated. The former rendered inveftigation or reafoning. The age of Ho-theology a fyftem of fpeculative refinement, mer and of Hefiod long preceded that of Thales, or of Socrates. But, unhappily for literature, our ancestors, deviating from this

or of endlef's controverfy. The latter communicated to philofophy a fpirit of metaphyfical and frivolous fubtlety. Milled by thefe

guides,

guides, the perfons who firft applied to fcience were involved in a maze of intricate enquiries. Instead of allowing their fancy to take its natural range, and to produce fuch works of invention as might have improved their tafte, and refined their fentiments; inftead of cultivating thofe arts which embellifh human life, and render it confortable; they were fettered by authority; they were led aftray by example, and wafted the whole force of their genius in fpeculations as unavailing as they were difficult.

efforts may appear, there was one circumftance which prevented the effects of them from being as extensive as they ought to have been. All the languages in Europe, during the period under review were barbarous. They were deftitute of elegance, of force, and even of perfpicuity. No attempt had been hitherto made to improve or to polish them. The Latin tongue was confecrated by the church to religion. Custom, with authority scarce lefs facred, had appropriated it to literature. All the fciences cultivated in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, were taught in Latin. All the books with refpect to them, were written in that language. To have treated of any important fubject in a modern language, would have been deemed a degradation of it. This confined fcience within a very narrow circle. The learned alone were admitted into the temple of knowledge; the gate was thut against all others, who were allowed to remain involved in their former darkness and ignorance.

But fruitlefs and ill-directed as these fpeculations were, their novelty roufed, and their boldness interefted, the human mind. The ardour with which men purfued these uninviting ftudies was aftonishing. Genuine philofophy was never cultivated, in any enlightened age, with greater zeal. Schools, upon the model of those inftituted by Charlemagne, were opened in every cathedral, and almoft in every monaftery of note. Colleges and universities were erected, and formed into communities, or corporations, governed But though fcience was thus prevented, by their own laws, and invefted with feparate during feveral ages, from diffufing itfelf and extenfive jurifdictions over their own through fociety, and its influence was circuinmembers. A regular courfe of ftudies was fcribed, the progrefs of it may be mentioned, planned. Privileges of great value were con- nevertheless, among the great caufes which ferred on masters and fcholars. Academical contributed to introduce a change of manners titles and honours of various kinds were in- into Europe. That ardent, though ill-judged vented, as a recompence for both. Nor was fpirit of enquiry, which I have defcribed, it in the fchools alone that fuperiority in occafioned a fermentation of mind, which put fcience led to reputation and authority; it ingenuity and invention in motion, and gave became the object of refpect in life, and ad-them vigour. It led men to a new employvanced fuch as acquired it to a rank of no inconfiderable eminence. Allured by all thefe advantages, an incredible number of students referted to these new feats of learning, and stouded with cagernefs into that new path which was open to fame and diftinction.

ment of their faculties, which they found to be agreeable, as well as interefting. It accuftonied them to exercifes and occupations which tended to foften their manners and to

From the fubverfion of the Roman empire But how confiderable foever thefe firft to the beginning of the fixteenth century.