The Siamese pretend, that on the contrary the family commenced by being republican; and that the giant existed not until after a great many years and dissensions: but all the authors of Benares and Siam agree that men lived an infinity of ages before they had the wit to make laws, and they prove it by an unanswerable argument, which is that even at present, when all the world piques itself upon having wit, we have not yet found the means of making a score of laws passably good. It is still, for example, an insoluble question in India, whether republics were established before or after monarchies; if confusion has appeared more horrible to men than despotism! I am ignorant how it happened in order of time, but in that of nature we must agree that men are all born equal: violence and ability made the first masters; laws have made the present. MATTER. SECTION I. A Polite Dialogue Between A Demoniac And A Philosopher. DEMONIAC. Yes, thou enemy of God and man, who believest that God is all-powerful, and is at liberty to confer the gift of thought on every being whom He shall vouchsafe to choose, I will go and denounce thee to the inquisitor; I will have thee burned. Beware, I warn thee for the last time. PHILOSOPHER. Are these your arguments? Is it thus you teach mankind? I admire your mildness. DEMONIAC. Come, I will be patient for a moment while the fagots are preparing. Answer me: What is spirit? PHILOSOPHER. I know not. DEMONIAC. What is matter? PHILOSOPHER. I scarcely know. I believe it to have extent, solidity, resistance, gravity, divisibility, mobility. God may have given it a thousand other qualities of which I am ignorant. DEMONIAC. A thousand other qualities, traitor! I see what thou wouldst be at; thou wouldst tell me that God can animate matter, that He has given instinct to animals, that He is the Master of all. PHILOSOPHER. But it may very well be, that He has granted to this matter many properties which you cannot comprehend. DEMONIAC. Which I cannot comprehend, villain! PHILOSOPHER. Yes. His power goes much further than your understanding. DEMONIAC. His power! His power! thou talkest like a true atheist. PHILOSOPHER. However, I have the testimony of many holy fathers on my side. DEMONIAC. Go to, go to: neither God nor they shall prevent us from burning thee alive--the death inflicted on parricides and on philosophers who are not of our opinion. PHILOSOPHER. Was it the devil or yourself that invented this method of arguing? DEMONIAC. Vile wretch! darest thou to couple my name with the devil's? (Here the demoniac strikes the philosopher, who returns him the blow with interest.) PHILOSOPHER. Help! philosophers! DEMONIAC. Holy brotherhood! help! (Here half a dozen philosophers arrive on one side, and on the other rush in a hundred Dominicans, with a hundred Familiars of the Inquisition, and a hundred alguazils. The contest is too unequal.) SECTION II.