mplexion of Noah and his sons, from whom the rest of the
world were descended, was the same as that, which is peculiar to the
country, which was the seat of their habitation. This, by such a mode of
decision, will be found a dark olive; a beautiful colour, and a just
medium between white and black. That this was the primitive colour, is
highly probable from the observations that have been made; and, if
admitted, will afford a valuable lesson to the Europeans, to be cautious
how they deride those of the opposite complexion, as there is great
reason to presume, _that the purest white[079] is as far removed from
the primitive colour as the deepest black_.

We come now to the grand question, which is, that if mankind were
originally of this or any other colour, how came it to pass, that they
should wear so various an appearance? We reply, as we have had occasion
to say before, either _by the interposition of the Deity_; or _by
a co-operation of certain causes, which have an effect upon the human
frame, and have the power of changing it more or less from its primitive
appearance, as they are more or less numerous or powerful than those,
which acted upon the frame of man in the first seat of his
habitation_.

With respect to the Divine interposition, two epochs have been assigned,
when this difference of colour has been imagined to have been so
produced. The first is that, which has been related, when the curse was
pronounced on a branch of the posterity of _Ham_. But this argument
has been already refuted; for if the particular colour alluded to were
assigned at this period, it was assigned to the descendants of
_Canaan_, to distinguish them from those of his other brothers, and
was therefore _limited_ to the former. But the descendants of
_Cush_[080], as we have shewn before, partook of the same colour; a
clear proof, that it was neither assigned to them on this occasion, nor
at this period.

The second epoch is that, when mankind were dispersed on the building of
_Babel_. It has been thought, that both _national features and
colour_ might probably have been given them at this time, because
these would have assisted the confusion of language, by causing them to
disperse into tribes, and would have united more firmly the individuals
of each, after the dispersion had taken place. But this is improbable:
first, because there is great reason to presume that Moses, who has
mentioned the confusion of language, would have menti