al in a people will be
brought out."

It ought to be an animating thought to a traveller that, even if it be
not in his power to settle any one point respecting the morals and
manners of an empire, he can infallibly aid in supplying means of
approximation to truth, and of bringing out "what is fixed and essential
in a people." This should be sufficient to stimulate his exertions and
satisfy his ambition.

CHAPTER I.

PHILOSOPHICAL REQUISITES.

"Only I believe that this is not a bow for every man to shoot in
that counts himself a teacher, but will require sinews almost
equal to those which Homer gave Ulysses; yet I am withal
persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the essay than it
now seems at a distance."--MILTON.

There are two parties to the work of observation on Morals and
Manners--the observer and the observed. This is an important fact which
the traveller seldom dwells upon as he ought; yet a moment's
consideration shows that the mind of the observer--the instrument by
which the work is done, is as essential as the material to be wrought.
If the instrument be in bad order, it will furnish a bad product, be the
material what it may. In this chapter I shall point out what requisites
the traveller ought to make sure that he is possessed of before he
undertakes to offer observations on the Morals and Manners of a people.

SECTION I.

He must have made up his mind as to what it is that he wants to know. In
physical science, great results may be obtained by hap-hazard
experiments; but this is not the case in Morals. A chemist can hardly
fail of learning something by putting any substances together, under new
circumstances, and seeing what will arise out of the combination; and
some striking discoveries happened in this way, in the infancy of the
science; though no one doubts that more knowledge may be gained by the
chemist who has an aim in his mind, and who conducts his experiment on
some principle. In Morals, the latter method is the only one which
promises any useful results. In the workings of the social system, all
the agents are known in the gross--all are determined. It is not their
nature, but the proportions in which they are combined, which have to be
ascertained.

What does the traveller want to know? He is aware that, wherever he
goes, he will find men, women, and children; strong men and weak men;
just men and selfish men. He knows that he will everywhere find