with gentleness, and the love of blood with fentiments of tenderness and pity.

THE fyftem of chivalry, when completely formed, proceeded on a marvellous refpect and veneration to the fair fex, on forms of combat, eftablished, and on a fuppofed junction of the heroic and fanctified character. The formalities of the duel, and a kind of judicial challenge, were known among the ancient Celtic nations of Europe. The Germans, even in their native forefts, paid a kind of devotion to the female fex. The Chriftian religion injoined meekness and compaffion to barbarous ages. These different principles combined together, may have ferved. as the foundation of a fyftem, in which courage was directed by religion and love, and the warlike and gentle were united together. When the characters of the hero and the faint were mixed, the mild fpirit of Christianity, though often turned into venom by the bigotry of oppofite parties, though it could not always fubdue the ferocity of the warrior, nor fupprefs the admiration of courage and force, may have confirmed the ap prehenfions of men in what was to be held meritorious and fplendid in the conduct of their quarrels.

In the early and traditionary hiftory of the Greeks and the Romans, rapes were affigned as the most frequent occafions of war; and the fexes were, no

*Liv, lib. 28. c. 21,

doubt, at all times, equally important to each other. The enthusiasm of love is most powerful in the neighbourhood of Afia and Africa; and beauty, as a poffeffion, was probably more valued by the countrymen of Homer, than it was by thofe of Amadis de Gaul, or by the authors of modern gallantry. "What wonder," fays the old Priam, when Helen appeared, "that nations fhould con"tend for the poffeffion of fo much beauty?" This beauty, indeed, was poffeffed by different lovers; a fubject on which the modern hero had many refinements, and feemed to foar in the clouds. He adored at a refpectful distance, and employed his valour to captivate the admiration, not to gain the poffeffion of his miftrefs. A cold and unconquerable chastity was fet up, as an idol to be worshipped, in the toils, the fufferings, and the combats of the hero and the lover.

THE feudal establishments, by the high rank to which they elevated certain families, no doubt, greatly favoured this romantic fyftem. Not only the luftre of a noble defcent, but the ftately castle befet with battlements and towers, ferved to inflame the imagination, and to create a veneration for the daughter and the fifter of gallant chiefs, whofe point of honour it was to be inacceffible and chafte, and who could perceive no merit but that of the high-minded and the brave, nor be approached in any other accents than thofe of gentleness and refpect.

WHAT was originally fingular in these apprehenfions, was, by the writer of romance, turned

to extravagance, and under the title of chivalry was offered as a model of conduct, even in common affairs: the fortunes of nations were directed by gallantry; and human life, on its greatest occasions, became a scene of affectation and folly. Warriors went forth to realize the legends they had ftudied; princes and leaders of armies dedicated their moft ferious exploits to a real or to a fancied miftrefs.

BUT whatever was the origin of notions often fo lofty and fo ridiculous, we cannot doubt of their lafting effects on our manners. The point of honour, the prevalence of gallantry in our converfations, and on our theatres, many of the opinions which the vulgar apply even to the conduct of war; their notion, that the leader of an army being offered battle upon equal terms, is dishonoured by declining it, are undoubtedly remains of this antiquated fyftem: and chivalry, uniting with the genius of our policy, has probably fuggefted thofe peculiarities in the law of nations, by which modern ftates are diftinguished from the ancient. And if our rule in measuring degrees of politenefs and civilization is to be taken from hence, or from the advancement of commercial arts, we shall be found to have greatly excelled any of the celebrated nations of antiquity.

Of Suppofed National Eminence, and of the Viciffi tudes of Human affairs.

No

O nation is fo unfortunate as to think itfelf inferior to the reft of mankind: few are even willing to put up with the claim to equality. The greater part having chofen themfelves, as at once, the judges and the models of what is excellent in their kind, are firft in their own opinion, and give to others confideration or eminence, fo far only as they approach to their own condition. One nation is vain of the perfonal character, or of the learning of a few of its members; another of its policy, its wealth, its tradefmen, its gardens, and its buildings; and they who have nothing to boast, are vain, because they are ignorant. The Ruffians, before the reign of Peter the Great, thought themfelves poffeffed of every national honour, and held the

Nemei, or dumb nations, (the name which they bestowed on their western neighbours of Europe, ) in a proportional degree of contempt. The map of the world, in China, was a fquare plate, the greater part of which was occupied by the provinces of this great empire, leaving on its skirts a few obfcure corners, into which the wretched remainder of mankind were fuppofed to be driven. If you have not the ufe of our letters, "nor the knowledge of our books," faid the learned Chinefe to the European miffionary, "what literature, or what fcience can you "have t?"

THE term polished, if we may judge from its etymology, originally referred to the ftate of nations in refpect to their laws and government; and men civilized were men practifed in the duty of citizens. In its later applications, it refers no lefs to the proficiency of nations in the liberal and mechanical arts, in literature, and in commerce, and men civilized are scholars, men of fashion and traders. But whatever may be its application, it appears, that if there were a name fill more refpectable than this, every nation, even the most barbarous, or the most corrupted, would affume it; and beftow its reverfe where they conceived a diflike, or apprehended a difference. The names of alien or foreigner, are seldom pronounced without fome degree of intended reproach. That of barbarian, in ufe with one arrogant people, and that of gentil, with another, + Gemelli Carreri,

* Strahlenberg,