Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man Volume 16 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1800 edition. Excerpt: ... other, he is perfuaded, merits it's facred foil. Thus the fiamefe, and the ja-panefe; eveiy where, out of their own country, they are untimely planted fhrubs. What the Indian folitary thinks of his god, the fiamefe of his emperor, we do not think: what to us appear activity and freedom of mind, manly honour and female beauty, in their eyes are far otherwife. The confinement of the indian women is to them by no means infupportable. The empty pomp of a mandarin would be to any other an infipid farce. It is the fame with all the cuftoms of diverfified man, nay with all that appears on our Earth. If our fpecies be deftined to approach, in the eternal path of an afymptote, a point of perfection, which it does not know, and which, with all the labour of a Tantalus, it can never touch; you chinefe and japanefe, you lamas and bramins, purfue this pilgrimage in a tolerably quiet corner of the veffel. You trouble not your-ielves about the unattainable point, and remain as you were thoufands of years ago. 7. It is confolatory to the inveftigator of man, to obferve, that Nature has in no organization forgotten, with all the evils me has diftributed among the huthan fpecies, the balfam, that at leaft mitigates their wounds. The opprefiive load of afiatic defpotifm exifts only in nations, that are willing to bear it; that is, are lefs fenfible of it's crushing weight. The hindoo, when, finking under the fevereft famine, he perceives his emaciated body followed by the dog, that tvill foon make it his prey, awaits his doom with refignation: he props himfelf up, that he may die erect, while the patiently expecting dog flares him in the pale, deathlike face: of fuch a refignation we have no idea, yet it frequently reciprocates with the moft violent gufts of...