feen bringing up the rear, and biting and kicking the hindmoft, in order to make them run fafter.

But there is another animal that resembles us still more in this refpect, and that is the beaver; of which I fhall fay a great deal more afterwards. But it is fufficient for my prefent purpose to observe, that he is precisely what I fuppofe man to be, amphibious betwixt the folitary and the focial life: For, in certain countries, particularly in North America, and fome of the northern countries of Europe, he is found living in what may be called civil society, without metaphor or exaggeration; whereas, in other countries, where they are not so numerous, or in those very countries when they happen to be dispersed, and their villages (for fo I may call them) ruined by the men who hunt them, or, when they are prevented by men from affociating, as they are in all the fouthern countries of Europe, they lead a folitary life, and hide themselves in holes, without any community or public good*.

Of the fame amphibious kind is an animal well known in this country, viz. the

*Buffon's Hift. Natur. vol. 8. pag. 297.

hare, which, being few in number in all the countries of Europe, and much perfecuted by men, lead a folitary life, and never affociate or form a public; but, in the plains of Tartary, they are gregarious. The fact we are affured of by the fame author, who informs us of what is above related concerning the horse, viz. Mr Bell, who has published his travels through Tartary and Siberia, which he made with the Ruffian caravan that goes to China. Now, I cannot conceive that the hare, which by its nature appears to be folitary, fhould affociate in Tartary for any other reafon except sustenance and felf-defence; which, as I fhall fhew afterwards, are the reasons that made men first herd together, and enter into the political life. What kind of policy the hares have, in their affociated state, Mr Bell has not told us; but I am perfuaded they have something of that kind; otherwise I do not think that they would have come together. For even those animals, such as the fheep, which are not political while they are fed and protected by us, become fo when they live in a kind of natural ftate by themselves in the hills: And accordingly they are observed to fet watches in the night-time against

their enemy the fox, who give notice of his approach; and, when he attacks them, they draw up in a body, and defend themselves. And, in general, as nature appears to me to have always fome further intention than pleasure merely, and the gratification of appetite and inclination, I think it is probable that she has not given to any animal that defire for fociety, without intending that it should be useful for fome political purpose, either of fuftenance or defence: So that I doubt whether gregarious and political animals differ entirely in their natures, or only in the more or lefs; so that fome by the neceffities of their nature are more political, others less.

But that the fierce and ravenous animals, which fubfift entirely by prey, are naturally folitary, and averfe to all society, cannot be doubted, for this plain reason, that they can both fubfift and defend themselves without it. For, though fome wild beasts are much stronger than others, yet, as they do not prey upon one another, the weaker have no occafion to affociate in order to protect themselves against the stronger. But, though they have no fociety on that account, they are by nature directed to affociate with the

female at certain times, for the purpose of propagating the fpecies; but this intercourse continues no longer than is neceffary for that purpose. That time is longer or fhorter according to the nature of the animal. Among the birds, it continues a confiderable time, because both the parents must contribute to the fupport of the young; whereas, among certain beasts, it is over immediately after the act of coition, the care of the offspring being entirely left to the mother. Of what kind our commerce with the female is in the natural state, whether we be of those animals which Linnaeus calls bigamous; that is to fay, which pair for the propagation of the fpecies, and continue jointly their care of the offspring; or whether we are not in this respect rather to be claffed with the ox, the sheep, the deer, and almost all the other beafts of the frugivorous kind, is a mattter of curious inquiry, of which I shall say fomething afterwards.

I shall add only one obfervation more before I conclude this chapter: That though we should suppose that men herded together before they entered into civil fociety, yet I think it is impoffible to believe, that,

while they only herded together, they ever could invent a language, which could only be the fruit of that ftrict intercourse produced by the political life. Our bufinefs therefore at present is, to inquire how the political life began.

CHA P. III.

Examples from antient and modern Hiftory of Men living in the Brutish State, without Arts or Civility.

UT, before I enter upon this inquiry, I

think it proper to support the account I have given of the original state of human nature, both with respect to rationality and fociety, by facts as well as by arguments : For it is very different from the notions commonly received, and will no doubt appear incredible to thofe who have been taught, that man is by nature a rational, as well as a focial and political animal, and have read large volumes on the fubject of the law of nature, founded all upon the fuppofition that civil fociety, or the political