tely appeared at Florence, a life of this Americus
Vespusius, which seems to be written with very little regard to truth,
and without any conclusive reasoning. Several French authors are there
complained of, who have done justice to Columbus's merit; but the writer
should not have fallen upon the French authors, but on the Spanish, who
were the first that did this justice. This writer says, "that he will
confound the vanity of the French nation, who have always attacked with
impunity the honour and success of the Italian nation."

19. What vanity can there be in saying, that it was a Genoese that first
discovered America? or how is the honour of the Italian nation injured
in owning, that it was to an Italian born in Genoa, that we are indebted
for the new world? I purposely remark this want of equity, good
breeding, and good sense, as we have too many examples of it; and I must
say, that the good French writers have in general been the least guilty
of this insufferable fault; and one great reason of their being so
universally read throughout Europe, is their doing justice to all
nations.

20. The inhabitants of these islands, and of the continent, were a new
race of men. They were all without beards, and were as much astonished
at the faces of the Spaniards, as they were at their ships and
artillery: they at first looked upon these new visitors as monsters or
gods, who had come out of the sky or the sea.

21. These voyages, and those of the Portuguese, had now taught us how
inconsiderable a spot of the globe our Europe was, and what an
astonishing variety reigns in the world. Indostan was known to be
inhabited by a race of men whose complexions were yellow. In Africa and
Asia, at some distance from the equator, there had been found several
kinds of black men; and after travellers had penetrated into America, as
far as the line, they met with a race of people who were tolerably
white. The natives of Brazil are of the colour of bronze. The Chinese
still appear to differ entirely from the rest of mankind, in the make of
their eyes and noses. But what is still to be remarked is, that into
whatsoever regions these various races are transplanted, their
complexions never change, unless they mingle with the natives of the
country. The mucous membrane of the negroes, which is known to be of a
black colour, is a manifest proof, that there is a differential
principle in each species of men, as well as plants.

22. Dependent up