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Show 40 ON THE SLAVERY AND CoMMERCE produce their effects, as the different nations were converted; and procured that general liberty at !all:, which, at the clofe of the twelfth century, was confpicuous in the well: of Europe. What a glorious and important change! Thofe, who would have had otherwife no hopes, but that their miferies would be terminated by death, were then freed from their fervile condition; thofe, who, by the laws of war, would have had otherwife an immediate profpect of fervitude from the hands of their imperious conquerors, were then excbanged; a cull:om, which bas happily defcended to the prefent day. Thus, " a numerous clafs of men, " who formerly had no political exill:ence, " and were employed merely as inll:ruments " of labour, became ufeful citizens, and " contributed towards augmenting the force " or riches of the fociety, which adopted " them as members;" and thus did the greater part of the Europeans, by their conduct on this occafion, ~lfert not only liberty for themfelve~, but for their fellowHeatures alfo. CHAP. OF TirE HuMAN SPECIES, 41 C II A P. VIII. But if men th erefore, at a time when under the influence of religion they exercifed their ferious thought,, aboliil1ed Oavery, how impious mull: they appea r, who revived it; and what arguments will not prefent themfelves againll: thei r conduCt'* The Portugueze, within two centuries after its fuppreffion in Europe, in imitation of thofe piracies, which we have iliewn to have exified in the uncivilized ages of the world, made their defccn ts on Africa, and committing depredations on the coafi, :J: jirjl • The following lhort hill:ory of the African fcrvitude, is taken from Aftley's CollcClion of Voyages, and from the united teflimonies of Smyth, Adanfon, Bofmnn, Moore, and others, who were ngen ts to the different f:ttl:ories eftablifhed there; who refided many years in the ~.:ountry; and publifhcd their refpc8:ive hiCl:oricS at their return. Thcfc writers, if they are partial at all, m:1.y be confidcrcd as favoupblc rather to their own countrymen, th;m the unfortuna te Afri(.ans. t We would not with to be underflood, that tlavery was unknown in Africa before the piratical expeditions of the Porlltgucfl, as ic appears from the Nub:"tm'; Geography, that both the flavery and commerce had been eCl::-tbliflled among the natives with one another. We mean on ly to affcrt, that the Portu&urft |