THE ORIGIN O F LAWS, ARTS, and SCIENCES, AND THEIR PROGRESS AMONG The moft ANCIENT NATIONS. VOLUME· I. From the DELUGE to the Death of JACOB, EDINBURGH: Printed by ALEX. DONALDSON and JOHN REID. For the TRANSLATOR. Sold by A. DONALDSON. MDCCLXI. PREFACE. HE design of a preface, is to inform the reader of the principal drift and general plan of the work presented to him. I fhall do both these in as few words as poffible. The history of laws, arts, and fciences, is, properly speak ing, the history of the human mind. This great and most important fubject has often indeed been treated of already; but, in my opinion, fufficient pains have not as yet been taken to discover the real origin, and unfold the gradual improvements of all the various branches of our knowledge. In general, the writers who have engaged in this vaft and arduous undertaking, have fallen into great mistakes, by indulging themfelves too much in conjectures, by following fancies more than facts, and taking their own imaginations, rather than the lights of hiftory, for their guides. I have refolved therefore to draw a more faithful reprefentation of the first steps of the human understanding. In order to this, I propose to trace the origin of laws, arts, and sciences, with more care and diligence, and in a manner more agreeable to history, than has hitherto been done. I fhall endeavour alfo to fhew the ftrict connection of all these different objects, and their mutual influence upon one another. For, in all nations, the state of the arts and sciences has at all times been intimately connected with, and greatly influenced by the political conftitution and form of government. These feveral objects are, at least, as much connected with manners and cuftoms. The arts efpecially, bear fo ftrong an impreffion of the character of the people by whom they have been cultivated, that an attentive examination of their origin and progress is the most effectual way to discover the genius, the manners, and turn of mind, of the various nations of the world. I have followed then, as far as I could perceive them, the footsteps of the human understanding, and reprefented them fair ly |