I N order to know what is the Strength of Laws, or, in other Words, what induces Men to feek, love, and fulfil them ; or what forces them to fubmit thereto, and brings them back to this Duty, when they dare to refift it; we must always bear in Mind what the Law is, ac cording to the Idea I have given of it in the former Part of this Work, which I briefly fum up here. L + THERE is a natural Law, neceffarily intended not only for the Being, but also the Well-being of every Creature; fo that without this Law it could not fubfift, nor attain to its due Perfection. It is this Law, common throughout Nature, which places all Beings in their proper Situation in the Whole, that they may mutually actuate and give each other fuch Succours as are indifpenfable, ta the End that none may want any thing, nor others have more than is neceffary: So that all Things be diftributed in a due and regular Proportion, and conftantly fubfift, or be capable of Repristination, in case the Weakness or Defect of the Matter does not exactly answer the Intention of the fupreme Creator. THE fovereign Intelligence that produced all Things, and acts inceffantly in Nature, to conferve, correct, and repriftinate or renew it, is therefore the fole Source of this univerfal Law, by the Defign he formed, and the Object he propofed, in producing it. Un lefs lefs we dive into that firft Defign, and get a clear View of that grand Object which is prior to the Creation, all the Inferences we might thence draw, from what now appears to our Senfes, would be very liable to Exceptions. I ask any fober Man, whether he can prefume to penetrate fo far, unless this fame fu=preme Intelligence helps him in the Search by an immediate Revelation? If he cannot, what avail all our Efforts to ascertain the true Source, Strength, and Spirit of Laws, that is to fay, their Intention? And indeed it is evident, by M. de Montefquiou's pompous Work,that the dazzling Title of Spirit of Laws can bear no fixed Meaning. After going through with it, and picking out of it a thousand good Things, with fome judicious Reflections, you are just as wife as them that never heard of it, or lived in any Age before this celebrated Author. THERE is likewife a Law peculiar to Mankind, which does not bind Beafts, Infects, Birds and Fishes. This is a Family and a focial Law, from which, whatever is not of the human Species is manifeftly excluded, as not being fufceptible thereof, and would be nei ther ther more, nor lefs fubfifting and perfect by not fubmitting to it. Do not lay any Strefs upon the Beavers, the Bees of the incomparable M. de Saumur, the Nefts of Birds, the Holes and Dens of Beafts, the poetical Fidelity of Turtle-doves, the Amours of Nightingales, the Folds and Coverings of Caterpillers, and abundance of other Mechanisms difcovered by the most faithful and accurate Naturalifts: For all this, no more implies, any Affinity with Humanity, than the Metamorphofis of Worms into Butterflies. CONJUGAL, paternal, filial, fraternal Sentiments, both in Lords and Vaffals, Mafters and Servants, have nothing in them that is common to Beafts: In like Manner, the Conve niencies of Life, the Advantages of Society, the neceffary Precautions against the Injuries of Weather, Water, Fire, Infects, Beafts, and even of Men, were never understood, nor ever feen, but among Mankind, nor can they fuit any other Creatures. Among Animals. there are no Arts and Sciences: For if the Arts attributed to them were in any Measure real, they would no Way refemble ours, but would appear incomparably more perfect, just as |