Page:A discourse upon the origin and foundation of the inequality among mankind (IA discourseuponori00rous).pdf/181

 became an Affront, as beides the Michief, which reulted from it as an Injury, the Party offended was ure to find in it a Contempt for his Peron more intolerable than the Michief itelf. It is thus that every Man, punihing the Contempt expreed for him by others in proportion to the value he et upon himelf, the Effects of Revenge became terrible, and Men learned to be anguinary and cruel. Such preciely was the Degree attained by mot of the avage Nations with whom we are acquainted. And it is for want of ufficiently ditinguihing Ideas, and oberving at how great a Ditance thee People were from the firt tate of Nature, that o many Authors have hatily concluded that Man is naturally cruel, and requires a regular Sytem of Police to be reclaimed; whereas nothing can be more gentle than him in his primitive State, when placed by Nature at an equal Ditance from the Stupidity of