among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward, he was higher than any of the people. Polybius remarks, that whenever experience convinced them, that other qualifications besides strength and a warlike disposition were necessary for the people's happiness, then they chose persons of the greatest prudence and wisdom for their governors; h which seems to have been the fact in the land of Shinaar, when Nimrod died, and Belus was made king after his decease.' All the kingdoms which were raised by the men of Shinaar, were not built upon this foundation. Nimrod began as a captain, his subjects being at first only soldiers under him; but probably some other societies began in the order of masters and servants. Some wise and understanding men, who knew how to contrive methods for tilling and cultivating the ground, for managing cattle, and for pruning and planting fruittrees, and preserving and using the fruits; took into their families and promised to provide for such as would become their servants, and be subject to their direction. Servitude is very justly defined by the Civilians to be a state of subjection contra naturam,* very different from and contrary to the natural rights of mankind; and they endeavour to qualify the assertion of Aristotle,' who thought that some persons 1 Sam. ix. 2. See book 4. p. 169. Polyb. lib. 6. c. 5 Justinian. Institut. lib. 1. Tit. 3. Politic. lib. 1. c. 5.. were by nature designed for servitude. The established politics of all nations, with which Aristotle was acquainted, could hardly fail to bias him in this opinion. We have now a truer sense of things than to think, that God has made some persons to be slaves and the mere property of others. God has indeed given different abilities both of mind and body to different men. Some are best able by their powers of mind to invent and contrive, and others more fit to execute with strength those designs, which are by the directions of other people marked out and contrived for thein. In this way all mankind are made serviceable to one another, without absolute dominion in some, or slavery in others; which is fully experienced in Christian kingdoms. Busbequius," a very ingenious writer, queries much, whether the abolishing servitude has been advantageous to the public; but I cannot think what he has said for his opinion is at all conclusive. The grandeur of particular persons may be greater, where they are surrounded with multitudes of slaves; but a community, which consists of none but citizens, is in a better capacity to procure and improve the advantages, which arise from government and society; such a body is, I may say, politically alive in all its parts and members, and every individual has a real interest of its own depending in the public good. As to all the inconveniences arising from, or miscarriages of the low vulgar people; not their liberty, but an abuse of it is the cause of them, and they may be as easily taught to be good citizens in their stations, as m Epist. 3. good servants. Now this sense of things prevailed in the parts were Noah settled;" but his children, who left him and travelled to Shinaar, quickly fell into other politics. At the time of the confusion of tongues, they had practised or cultivated but few arts to provide for the necessaries of life. They had travelled from Ararat to Shinaar, and engaged in a wild project to little purpose, of building a tower, but had not laid any wise schemes for a settled life. But when they resolved to till the earth, it naturally occurred that those who knew how to manage and direct in ordering the ground, should take under their care those who were not so skilful, and provide for them, employing them. to work under their direction. Husbandry, in the carly days, before the seasons were known, was,' as I have said, very imperfect, and there were but few whom we can suppose to have had much skill in it; so that those who had, must every where have as many hands at their disposal, as they knew how to employ, and were soon attended with a great number of ser-. vants. It is very evident, that the heads of Abraham's family acquired servants in this manner very early; for Abraham himself, though perhaps the greatest part of his father's house remained at Haran," and some part were gone with Lot," before he had lived half his life, was master of three hundred and eighteen "Diodorus Siculus says of the ancient Indians, that they every one took care, ελεύθερον υπαρχονία την ισότητα τιμαν εν πασι' τις γαρ μαθοντας μηθ' υπερέχειν μηθ' υποπιπλειν άλλοις, κρατιςον έξειν βίον προς απάσας τας περιςάσεις. • Gen xi. 31. r Chap. xiii. servants; nay they were (Chanikei) trained servants, or brought up to be warriors. He had probably many others besides these, and all these were born in his house, and he had others bought with his money ;* from whence it appears plainly, that servitude arose very early amongst these men. The confusion of tongues broke all their measures of living together; and they had lived a wandering life, without cultivating any useful arts to provide themselves a livelyhood. So when they came to settle, the unskilful multitude found it their best way to take the course which Posidonius the Stoic mentions; to become voluntary servants to others, obliging themselves to be at their command, bargaining to receive the necessaries of life for it ; εθελον δ' ανευ μισθεί πας αυτός καταμένειν επι ris, says Eubulus. They knew not how to provide themselves food and raiment, and were therefore desirous to submit to masters, who could provide these things for them. It was no easy thing for men of little genius and low parts to live indepen dent in those early days; therefore multitudes of people thought it far safer to live under the care and provision of those who knew how to manage, than to set up for themselves. They thought, like Chalinus in Plautus, who would not part with the person promised him in marriage, though he might have had his liberty for her; but replied to his master. Liber si sim, meo periculo vivam, nunc vivo tuo." He was г Chap. xiv. 14. Gen xiv. 14. • Plautus Casina Act. 2. Scen. 4: well contented with his condition; a security of having necessaries was in his opinion a full recom pence for all the inconveniences of a servile state. Many families were raised in this manner, perhaps, amongst Nimrod's subjects; some of whom, when they thought themselves in a condition for it, removed from under him, and planted kingdoms in countries at a distance. Thus Ashur went out of his land into Assyria, and with his followers built cities there;* and many other leading men, who had never been subject to him, formed companies in this manner, and planted them in places where they chose to settle. Abraham had a very numerous company, before he had a paternal right to govern any one person; for he was not the eldest son of his father; nor was he the father of one child, when he led his men to fight with the king of Elam and his confederates. Thus Esau, who had but five sons by his three wives, be a sides some daughters, though he did not marry nor attempt to settle in the world until he was forty years old, had, before he was a hundred, when he went to meet Jacob on his return from Laban, a family so numerous, as to afford him four hundred men to attend him upon any expedition, and with these and the increase of them, his children made themselves dukes, and in time kings of Edom. Thus it is certain, that kingdoms were raised by men of prudence and sagacity, in taking and providing * Gen. x. 11. b Gen. xxxiii. 1. y Vol. i. b. V. Gen. xxxvi. |
