anged their family complexion, but that they
have changed it to _as many different colours_ as they have gone
into _different regions of the world_. We cannot have, perhaps, a
more striking instance of this, than in the _Jews_. These people,
are scattered over the face of the whole earth. They have preserved
themselves distinct from the rest of the world by their religion; and,
as they never intermarry with any but those of their own sect, so they
have no mixture of blood in their veins, that they should differ from
each other: and yet nothing is more true, than that the _English
Jew_[092] is white, the _Portuguese_ swarthy, the _Armenian_
olive, and the _Arabian_ copper; in short, that there appear
to be as many different species of _Jews_, as there are countries
in which they reside.
To these facts we shall add the following observation, that if we can
give credit to the ancient historians in general, a change from the
darkest black to the purest white must have actually been accomplished.
One instance, perhaps, may be thought sufficient. _Herodotus_[093]
relates, that the _Colchi were black_, and that they had _crisped
hair_. These people were a detachment of the _AEthiopian_ army
under _Sesostris_, who followed him in his expedition, and settled
in that part of the world, where _Colchis_ is usually represented
to have been situated. Had not the same author informed us of this
circumstance, we should have thought it strange[094], that a people of
this description should have been found in such a latitude. Now as they
were undoubtedly settled there, and as they were neither so totally
destroyed, nor made any such rapid conquests, as that history should
notice the event, there is great reason to presume, that their
descendants continued in the same, or settled in the adjacent country;
from whence it will follow, that they must have changed their complexion
to that, which is observable in the inhabitants of this particular
region at the present day; or, in other words, that the _black
inhabitant of Colchis_ must have been changed into the _fair
Circassian_[095].
As we have now shewn it to be highly probable, from the facts which have
been advanced, that climate is the cause of the difference of colour
which prevails in the different inhabitants of the globe, we shall now
shew its probability from so similar an effect produced on the _mucous
substance_ before-mentioned by so similar a cause, that though the
fact doe
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