The Origin of British Society, Customs and Manners, With a general Sketch of the State of Religion, Superstition, Dresses, TO WHICH ARE ADDED, Illustrations of the Changes in our Language, Literary Customs, ILLUSTRATED BY EIGHTEEN ENGRAVINGS. BY JAMES PELLER MALCOLM, F. A. S. ANECDOTES OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF LONDON DURING THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY," &c. THE SECOND EDITION. VOLUME I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, CHAP. I. ORIGIN OF BRITISH SOCIETY-CUSTOMS AND MANNERS. THE imperfect notices we have of the people who at first inhabited England, necessarily lead us to view the accounts of very antient authors with suspicion it would, however, be wrong to reject them as entirely fabulous; particularly as we have no other than conjectural objections. The Scriptures, we know, solve all our difficulties, and prove man to have diverged from one centre: hence it will appear that the most extended parts of the circle were peopled last, through the gradual progress of population, and the imperfect means of conveyance when every art was in its infancy. Three principles, apparently inherent in the nature of man, contributed to the distribution of his species; war, the vindictive spirit of ambition, and commerce, united with curiosity. It is useless to attempt ascertaining B |