Page:Thoughts on civil liberty, on licentiousness and faction.djvu/57

 the greatest Legislator: But to overturn all the pre-established Habits of the Head and Heart, to destroy or reverse all the fixed Associations, Maxims, Manners, and Principles, of a whole civilized Community; were a Labour, which might well be ranked among the most extravagant Legends of fabulous.

On the other Hand, to bring forward a Tribe of untaught Savages one Degree towards Civilization, and there to fix them;—to assign equal Portions of Land to those among whom Lands laid in Common;—to introduce Iron Money, where no Money had been in Use;—to prohibit Commerce, where Commerce was almost unknown;—to make the Girls dance naked in Public, where they had never known the decent Use of Cloaths;—to allow of Theft and Homicide under certain Limitations, where Both had been practised without Limitation;—to make Wives at Times a public Property, where promiscuous Concubinage had prevailed;