experienced, and of whofe valour and dexterity he has fo often been a witnefs.-He thinks it the highest prefumption to difpute the wisdom and propriety of those commands to which he has always liftened, as to an oracle, and which he has been taught to regard as the infallible rule of his conduct.-He is naturally led to acquiefce in that jurisdiction which he has fcen exerted on fo many different occafions, and which he finds to be uniformly acknowledged by all the members of the family. In proportion to the severity and rigour with which he is treated, his habits of fubmiffion become the ftronger, and his implicit obedience is esteemed the more indifpenfably neceffary.-He looks upon his father as invested by heaven with an unlimited power and authority over all his children; and imagines that, whatever they may fuffer from his arbitrary conduct, their rebellion against him, or refiftance to his will, would be the fame fpecies of impiety, as to call in queftion the authority of the Deity, or to quarrel with those fevere difpenfations of Providence with which, in the government of the world, he is fometimes pleased to vifit his

creatures.

From these difpofitions, which commonly prevail among the members of his family, the father can have

по

no difficulty to enforce his orders, wherever compulfion may be neceffary.-In order to correct the depravity, or to fubdue the unruly temper of any fingle child, he can make use of that influence which he poffeffes over the reft, who will regard the unnatural behaviour of their brother with horror and deteftation, and be ready to contribute their affiftance in reducing him to obedience, or in punishing his tranfgreffion.

In the history of early nations, and even of those which have made fome advances in refinement, we meet with a great variety of facts to illuftrate the nature and extent of that jurisdiction and authority which originally belonged to the father, as the head and governor of his family.

We are told, by CESAR, that among the Gauls the father had the power of life and death over his children*; and there is reafon to believe, that, among the ancient German nations, he was invefted with the fame unlimited jurisdiction +.

According to the customs which took place among the early inhabitants of Arabia, it would feem, that, in like manner, the father was under no restraint in the

* Cæf. de bell. Gall. lib. 6.

† See Heineccius elem. jur. German.

admi

nistration and government of his family.-When the fons of JACOB propofed to carry their brother BENJAMIN along with them into Egypt, and their father discovered an unwillingness to part with him, “REU"BEN fpake unto his father, faying, Slay my two fons, "if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my "hand, and I will bring him to thee again *."

Among the Tartars, nothing can exceed the respect and reverence which the children ufually pay to their father. They look upon him as the fovereign lord and master of his family, and confider it as their duty to ferve him upon all occafions.-In those parts of Tartary which have any intercourse with the great nations of Afia, it is also common for the father to fell his children of both fexes; and from thence the women

and eunuchs, in the harams and feraglios belonging to men of wealth and diftinction in thofe countries, are faid to be frequently procured †.

Upon the coast of Africa, the power of the father is carried to the moft exceffive pitch, and exercifed with the utmost severity.—It is too well known to be denied,

Genefis, xlii. 37.

+ Hiftoire generale des voyages, tom. 9.C

VOL. I.

-Chardin. tom. I.

that,

that, in order to fupply the European market, he often difpofes of his own children for flaves; and that the chief part of a man's wealth is fuppofed to confift in the number of his defcendants.-Upon the flave coaft, the children are accustomed to throw themselves upon their knees, as often as they come into the prefence of their father*.

The following account, which is given by Commodore BYRON, may serve, in fome measure, to fhew the spirit with which the savages of South America are apt to govern the members of their family.

Here, fays he, I must relate a little anecdote of our chriftian Cacique.-He and his wife had gone off, at fome diftance from the fhore, in their canoe, when fhe dived for fea-eggs; but not meeting with great fuccess, they returned a good deal out of humour.—A ́ little boy of theirs, about five years old, whom they appeared to be doatingly fond of, watching for his father and mother's return, ran into the furf to meet them the father handed a basket of fea-eggs to the child, which being too heavy for him to carry, he let it fall; upon which the father jumped out of the ca

Hiftoire generale des voyages, tom. 5. liv. 10. chap. 3.

noe,

noe, and catching the boy up in his arms, dashed him with the utmost violence against the ftones.-The poor little creature lay motionless and bleeding, and in that condition was taken up by the mother, but died foon after. No one seemed to reprobate the conduct of the father. He appeared, to the bystanders, only to exercife his right.

Such was the power which, in early times, appears to have been uniformly poffeffed by the head of a family.— But the progrefs of a people in civilization and refinement has a natural tendency to limit and restrain this primitive jurifdiction.

In those rude and fimple periods, when men are chiefly employed in hunting and fishing, in pafturing cattle, or in cultivating the ground, the children are commonly brought up in the house of their father; and continuing in his family as long as he lives, they have no occafion to acquire any separate property, but depend entirely for fubfiftence upon that hereditary estate, of which he is the sole disposer and manager.— Their fituation, however, in this as well as in many other refpects, is greatly altered by the introduction of commerce and manufactures.-In a commercial coun