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CHAPTER I.

OF THE ORIGIN OF BUILDING.

Mankind originally brought forth like the beasts of thefield, in woods, dens, and groves, passed their lives ina savage manner, eating the simple food which nature af-forded. A tempest, on a certain occasion, having ex-ceedingly agitated the trees in a particular spot, the fric-tion between some of the branches caused them to takefire; this so alarmed those in the neighbourhood of theaccident, that they betook themselves to flight. Return-ing to the spot after the tempest had subsided, and find-ing the warmth which had thus been created extremelycomfortable, they added fuel to the fire excited, in orderto preserve the heat, and then went forth to invite others,by signs and gestures, to come and witness the discovery.In the concourse that thus took place, they testified theirdifferent opinions and expressions by different inflexionsof the voice. From daily association words succeeded tothese indefinite modes of speech ; and these becoming bydegrees the signs of certain objects, they began to jointhem together, and conversation became general. Thusthe discovery of fire gave rise to the first assembly ofmankind, to their first deliberations, and to their unionin a state of society. For association with each otherthey were more fitted by nature than other animals, fromtheir erect posture, which also gave them the advantageof continually viewing the stars and firmament, no lessthan from their being able to grasp and lift an object, and