ABSTRACT
Man differs from the lower animals in two respects: first, he is provided with reason that enables him to make things, and, secondly, he is not provided, as are the lower animals, with the means of protection, or with provision for bodily comfort, and such is his digestion that he requires a superior quality of food. English commerce covers every sea, and there is not a port the world over unfrequented by her ships of trade. So commanding is her position in trade that all peoples of the earth quote their international exchanges in terms of her finance. The land is not more than then, nor has nature added to its fertility. The population dwelt either upon manors or in towns, and was, therefore, divided into small isolated groups. The citizens of the town were free; they had many rights of self-government, among others the right to levy taxes, regulate trade, and administer justice.
