DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18731#0234
[ '7i 1
morphofis of this kind j the boys were fo dis-
figured by bags to their hair, and fwords by
their fides j the girls in hoops, facques, and
tetes, that after my utmoft refearches, I gave
up the expectation of finding children in
that city: at the fame time, congratulating
my native land, that the fweet fimplicity of
childhood, the engaging attractions of youth,
were not fmgularities there. I may therefore
frankly appeal to your own obfervations, La-
dies and Gentlemen, for the propriety of
my remarks on this period of life.
As childhood has a conftant tendency to-
wards maturity, it is neceffary that it fhould
be furnifhed with fufficient moifture, and fpi-
rits, to recruit their perpetual confumption.
Children are therefore fatter, and more plump
in their members, than perfons of maturer
years, whofe increafe haying fed, as it were,
on their flock of juices, has exhaufted the
fuperfiuity of their youthful ftate. In fact, the
progrefs of human life is from moift to dry,
from fuperabundant fpirit, activity, and glee,
to folidity and firmnefs, fucceeded by ri-
gidity and weaknefs. Accordingly, children
are in the length of their members, only
half the diftances of maturity, but in the
thicknefs of their mufcular meafures they are
moxt than proportionate: Initead of being
the
morphofis of this kind j the boys were fo dis-
figured by bags to their hair, and fwords by
their fides j the girls in hoops, facques, and
tetes, that after my utmoft refearches, I gave
up the expectation of finding children in
that city: at the fame time, congratulating
my native land, that the fweet fimplicity of
childhood, the engaging attractions of youth,
were not fmgularities there. I may therefore
frankly appeal to your own obfervations, La-
dies and Gentlemen, for the propriety of
my remarks on this period of life.
As childhood has a conftant tendency to-
wards maturity, it is neceffary that it fhould
be furnifhed with fufficient moifture, and fpi-
rits, to recruit their perpetual confumption.
Children are therefore fatter, and more plump
in their members, than perfons of maturer
years, whofe increafe haying fed, as it were,
on their flock of juices, has exhaufted the
fuperfiuity of their youthful ftate. In fact, the
progrefs of human life is from moift to dry,
from fuperabundant fpirit, activity, and glee,
to folidity and firmnefs, fucceeded by ri-
gidity and weaknefs. Accordingly, children
are in the length of their members, only
half the diftances of maturity, but in the
thicknefs of their mufcular meafures they are
moxt than proportionate: Initead of being
the