Gazette.
c /amej vT&ocma*** :i
Tctt<f rs Dir.dim*!, Chief f the Bradman', in Alexander tlx Greet', •when he
invaded It.diu.
’ V LEXANPKR. the which you (hew to be made ac
i u.:intcd with wisdom, makes me, believe that you might
li/ % already be ranked among the Sage'. Hothing„(xr vents my
. § ‘ regarding you as such, but yout immoderate ambition to
*• ‘ under your feet all the human race, and extend
vour command over the univerle. The true'philofophy teaches us to ,
iubmit, and receive the law without repining: but your dialer, and
ambit’ous heart, pL’.ce invincible obit-des in yo ir way. You dcfirc I
lull red you in our manners, and in our cufioms; I hardly dare
undertake it, becaufc T sm fenftble eloque-vr is not my talent ; and that
the continual hurry and cxercifo of arms wi*l not give you h iutre to hear
me. I cannot, in the mean time, disengage m\Mf from the talk, iince
you demand It of me: -but expea not that 1 fh.ill flatter you ; truth is our
guide, and we know net what it is to wear a d.ifguifc.
The life of the FSrachmans isJ pure as it is Ample. Plcnfure, the
g'cat fcduevefthe roll of mankind, has norharms for uS; our desires are
under the direftten of reason ; constantly resigned to whatever befalls, no.
murmurs perspire tHrmigh our lips, even under the fcvtrell r.mfurtdnes.
Indifferent as to food, delicacy is or.ly known among u* by its name;
nothing is freiv upon nor tables but herbs and vegetables, which the earth
produces of itfelf without any care or labour; thus wc i.now nothing of
disease-s but whatwc learn from the com iaint* aud experience of others.
The pure ffleafore which wc enjfcy is only interrupted by their groaffs.
I Equa'ity places us all in independence; it bundles from amoagit u<
I envy, ita'oufv, ambition, and hatred. VVe have no tribunals, because
we do nothing which deserves reprehension ; and the jullice in which we
! live has not yet given rife to til* ellahlifhmentof the fevete law s by which
vice is punished antongll the red of mankind Wc are even afraid that,
4>v introducing them, they should give birth to the thoughts of that evil
which they p/ohibit. Our only law is, not to violate fttnt of nature.
Thus fliunning all manner of reproach, wc are not under any neceflity to
pardon o.hersin tlie'hopes we may be imitled to a mutual i- dulgence.
Much lefsdo we purchase pardon or impunity by the foiccof money ; such
an ait of grace, granted thro’ avarice, renders the judge more culpable
than the criminal.
Among 11 us idleness is severely punished ; we dread voluptuousness 3S
the source of all frailty. We'lovc labour, as it c.vcrcifcs our bodies, and
we detell the man who is a flavefo his lulls. Our bulincls has nb other
objeft but to procure us ncccfiafies; we abhor every other view', and we
look upon it as the original of all evil. No land marks or boundaries arc
’ to hr seen in our fields for the diilinctnn of property; we are convinced
‘that is an usurpation contrary to n a tore; every one takes what he pleafs
of the pioduits of the earth. We fufier tlw birds to fly unmob lit: 1, the
bealts to range the fields, and the fiih to fwi.n in the bbfom ol the waters.
Wepcffofs all that weem desire, bccaufe w“ desire nothing beyond what
is netcCary. VVe dread nothing so much as that inUtiable delire to acquire
pnpritv, which gives rife to a thouiand cravings in the heart of man,
and makes him’ poorer from day to day,_ iu proportion to the incrcafe of
his riches.
The fun warms s ; the rain and dew co'ols us; the rivers quench opr
tlii r ft; the herbs and the roots nouriih us; the earth affords us a bed;
anxious carts interrupt notour rep >fe; independence oeiivers us from fear
and a!! kinds of tubjeftion; and weip ik upon oncanotber as brothers,
w'nm nature has rendered equal, afd as* the children of one Supreme *
G id, our common fachr, wno ought to make us partakers of the ft me in
heritmcc.
We know not thn it is to hew down fort (Is, ©r to cut rocks in pieces,
in order to build hauics; nature has firmed caves for,that purpose. There
w- tear neither the wind nor the rain, heat nor cold, nor the inclemency
Y the weather. These natural abodes serve us for retreats during life, and
*r'r fepulchres after death. Wc banilh from out drcls every thing that lias
the leafi appraranct of luxury and effeminacy ; the leaves, or the bark of
trem, f er ..(. to conceal that which decency, forbids us to dife n er. Our
women are not fntf red to deck thcmfelvcs out as oihc*s ;re; and even
fl uid we grant them that liberty, they have other principles, being prr
fuadej that a v'fi.i and pompous aiti'e is mere cnmbcrfbmo tlian becom
ing, and :hat all the art in the world gives no new va'ne to beauty, a’ it
take”- nothing from de'Otjnity. bo nv*ny them become cifin r fu
perHjour, becaufe.they correil no defetts ; orctimina , brc3ufe they aim
at mending the work of the Creator. Such as our w#men are, the/ have
all cur ! ve; and such crimes as Inrod, ndubery, and other impurities,
wliich didionour nature, and violate the conjugal union, are never lb much
is jinn ed among us. ,
Our Ecietyis he kingdom of gentlrr.ef- and peace. The thought of
homicide alone fills us with horror; we never irrila’e foreigners; we know
jnotbow manage arms; it isger tlvncfs, and not force, ihich
an uninn between us and our neighbours. Fortune is otr only enemy ;
ce hive only'her to combat; but, for the moil putt, ihs fees the blows
the aims a?ainit us fall harmless to the gronn 1. Car-*lul to do
tiiprt the Dejiiuies, they Icldom give us fuhjefl of compi tint.
JHath alonr chagrins us, when he comes be ore the natural-decay of o and
J>ire; in that case the father accompanies nor the f oncial obf-quies of fits
S"n. At whatev r time we may be cairitd ofl, wc no superb itionu
nv-nts, which seem to inlutt the humble condition of the manes. What
Wi*bc more moving, *or more {hocking, to humaVi nature, than them
J'i*p.y wrecks of a disfi. uteJ bodv the dc(l>udion of which wc complcat
h| tr.e flames, that it may net defile the earth l • . .
WEDNE SD A TANARUS, July 26, ,760.
B. not offifndc 1 :( I compare these out-l'rr ■ of our piclurc with those
wlnc i compofc you V'i.. wfca Jev;.;tatioq.i have you no; already L 4
wa e n * un|, er?:? p,agcr ia i’.c ou;l”t af ririics and ambition,
oceans o. blood have you not V:i by year own hands, ur :hofe of other* i
You ravish t-.e children Ao n -heir faihei. ; y -u deprive them of the rites
of y.i u violae the tombs ; you run with impetuufity iow..rda
that quartePlrhcre the fun rilt S; as i’ you co u ld l! ,p iu course with your
’ Ou , ove, ‘ l ' il thrjn ? s ; y>u drag captive kings in chains to aJora
Of free ci;i'/,cns yoa nuke Haves, and, by the fame ca
price, i-.*t luves at liberty. Yna fancy that you conquer cities when you
bubcjbcir ‘K > v M 1 and mb: you Hatter yourfelt that you (hail car
i,lr,lC n,a!,:ier i;uardis.r., and then the god of the infernal
i fetjour pi dl me no longer be fire your eyes, that 1 may continue my
tak nf lnltrucfmg you in nur nuimoi. Wc aic imircly unacquaiiucd with
thoie tumultuous afemblurs, thole games and flows which ary your j§
light. 1 o what purpote wouM your comedians serve, in tne mid A
people who entertain a fovcrcign contempt for their profcfiioc, and who
do nothing which can be turned into ridicule? No Icencs oi ctucitv pais
among us proper to furnifli matter tor your tragedies. The iiracial.s.Vi
wou.d be moved to indignation ir they i.w tee youth exsofed to wild
oealls; or lirong aiu io.-jII men attack, beat, and knock cue another cq
the h: ad in
tacie; we admire ivi'li joy tlieirorjer, their cuconomy, rcgiflpi’.y, and
motion ;pvc are. tranlporied when wc behold the iuu ilyiiitf in !us •• ir le
car, Spreading tkrojgh cv-ry region his bi*iniuj isys of l-glit, and re
turning every year to the place iroru u hence he departed. l iom the
ve,-S we pals to the view cf nvonv whose work’ appr rto us cq tally b tu
tiful, admirable, and incomprehenntile. The fkrging of tlfb, birds, the
fountains, a flower,..the lt.dk of an herb, ravtthiu, arid aiferd us an in-”
exhaudiblc fund of reflection. *
Contn:e i with the natural growth of otir own counrrr, we wapdef
nt eife-where in search ot th *. different ririties which an unknown fkyand
climate produce. Nothin/atfeds us bat th it which is convenient ror us.
Wedefpife the flowers of your eloquence and wc condemn it ao a pcri.i
ciouj i rt, only made use of to give fa.(hied the appearance ot truth, tor
fereen villainy, to accuse innocenee. au.i fbmetimes to :u!tifv parricide,*
A’l our eloquence con lilts in being lincsre, and aJftering tlriiiy to the
truth.
This is anabridgm/nt ofour manners and here fjlloiveth articles of
our belief. The Brach nans liold ir as a mac.m never to defile their lacri
fices with b'ood, by fl inghtcring innocent vidlitns ; y adorn not their
temples with gold or fiiver, or ’he splendor of precious Hones. They*
think it ivou.d be insulting the Deity, fliould they attempt to give hint
that which he does r.ot w iru ; or t * fliew tiieoii’clves as powerful as he, in
oflentatioufly displaying .ill the riches which he could hive. God require*
that we lhiuld honour him with & pure, an! not a lloody, worfliip; a:4
to he rendered propitious by the prayars and hu niliatiuns of men- He
is that word itfelf, by which Uv has created the vilibl s world, by which lie
preserves jt, governs i‘, and keeps it in being. He is a pure fpirit,,Md
consequently require-, nothing but the oflerfng of our good works, of ouf
virtues, and virtu.>a actions.
After this declaration ofour religion, compare it with vour oam, or, at
lead, fuffer me to do it. ] cannot indme that hlindnefs you are involved
in, prevents you from acknowledging teat your origin proceeds
from Heaven, and unites yru intimately with the Supreme Being. You
can lee in* grearnefs but in being defreoded from an iiluilrious race ; yorf
degrade theublcne!s of your fir:t birth, and every thing to the
in that you-fix your whole delight. You cherill the utntoll care ;
you pamper it, and l©/e nothing but it; and, whit is flill a greater
crime, you think it worthy of btin"offered u in facrifice to the iniiiuirial
mind. Yog know not that God who is, aid you a fora an infinite tlu.n-‘
bar of others who are not. You place fine in Heaven, to whom y--.ii
aferibe the care of presiding over different of the body. Minerva
reiide* in the brain, a> 111 t'ie (eat of Wii’dju ; |utr> rctlraius the impe
tuO'W motijiis of the heart; Mercury, your god of eloquence, fciidcs upon
your lips; Hercules communicates flrength to your li-nbs; Cupid inf. ires
you with feniimeats of trndenief. ; Bacchus gives you tntic ; Ceres digeils
your aliments ; Venus procures fertility ; Jupiter opens the.organs of re*
fpiration ; and Apollo, f> renowned for his address, gufiles your fingers
upon inilruincnts ot loufick, aud in performing curious pieces of wotk
manlhip.
What divinities aic these, whose power i confiu*d within such narrow -
hound*, and w!;# timer cannot,’ or will not, undertake their mutual func
tion*! i heir opposition displays itlelf evan in the worship which you
render the:*. A Lull mull i*c offend to Jupiter, a }>'*.rotk to Juno, *
v-iid boar to Men, a he goat to Bacchus, a swan ro Apollo, a dove t©
Venus, an ov. l to Minerva,* cakes ro Ceres, and honey to Mercury.”
I lercules requires branches of poplar upon his liafues aud altars, and
Cupid loves fioil’ing b’ t roses. You cannot alter tliat order without in
curriog thuir displeasure. Behold again theoppofition of their characters;
they te m to be leagued together to torment you. Oue calls you to
war, another to pleafu •; this w th^care* of traflick, a.qd rhut to good
cheer. Ail of them enjoin you that which they love ttiemfclvas; they
invite yea to ft. they profs you, fh*ry solicit vou, and leave you no rest
rii! yo have obliged them. Ate there thegodv who ought lo procure hap
piness to human nat re? Codfefs the truth, they afe only your pafGonf
which yon have deified. ‘ t * -
You. will be fee Able of this yourselves, in tbofe divinities with which
