thus.  One of them, in the character of an husbandman, is seen to till his land, and is observed, as he drives his plough, to look frequently behind him, as if apprehensive of danger.  Another immediately appears in fight, in the character of a robber.  The husbandman, having seen him previously advancing, snatches up his arms.  A battle ensues before the plough.  The whole of this performance is kept in perfect time with the musick of the flute.  At length the robber, having got the better of the husbandman, binds him, and drives him off with his team.  Sometimes it happens that the husbandman subdues the robber:  in this case the scene is only reversed, as the latter is then bound and driven, off by the former.”

It is scarcely necessary to observe, that this dance was a representation of the general manners of men, in the more uncivilized ages of the world; shewing that the husbandman and shepherd lived in continual alarm, and that there were people in those ages, who derived their pleasures and fortunes from kidnapping and enslaving their fellow creatures.

We may now take notice of a circumstance in this narration, which will lead us to a review of our first assertion on this point, “that the honourable light, in which piracy was considered in the times of barbarism, contributed not a little to the slavery of the human species.”  The robber is represented here as frequently defeated in his attempts, and as reduced to that deplorable situation, to which he was endeavouring to bring another.  This shews the frequent difficulty and danger of his undertakings:  people would not tamely resign their lives or liberties, without a struggle.  They were sometimes prepared; were superior often, in many points of view, to these invaders of their liberty; there were an hundred accidental circumstances frequently in their favour.  These adventures therefore required all the skill, strength, agility, valour, and every thing, in short, that may be supposed to constitute heroism, to conduct them with success.  Upon this idea piratical expeditions first came into repute, and their frequency afterwards, together with the danger and fortitude, that were inseparably connected with them, brought them into such credit among the barbarous nations of antiquity, that of all human professions, piracy was the most honourable.[013]

The notions then, which were thus annexed to piratical expeditions, did not fail to produce those consequences, which we have mentioned before.  They afforded an opportunity to the views of avarice and ambition, to conceal themselves under the mask of virtue.  They excited a spirit of enterprize, of all others the most irresistible, as it subsisted on the strongest principles of action, emolument and honour.  Thus could the vilest of passions be gratified with impunity.  People were robbed, stolen, murdered, under the pretended idea that these were reputable adventures:  every enormity in short was committed, and dressed up in the habiliments of honour.