1 AFOHAUN CHARACTER. 14^
2 character to figiiietfae aspects they WMld poreaant to a -titviiUer from
3 B^g^md, and to one from lpdi>.
4 Ifu iii«D:00ii]d be traiuported from England to the Afghaun obunp
5 try, without passing. tbroii|^ the dominions of Turkey, Persia, or
6 Tartary, he would be, amazed at the wide and iinfreqiiented desarts,
7 and the mount^i», covered with perennial snow* Even in the culti-
8 vated part of the country, he would discover a wild assemblage of hills
9 and wastes, unmarked by enclosures, not embellished by trees, and
10 destitute of navigable canals, public roadn. and all the fjreat and ela-
11 borate productions of hnmnn industry and retinement. He would find
12 the towns few, and far (ilstaiit from each other ; and, ho would look in
13 vain for inns or other convenuMicies, which a traveller vxnild meet with
14 in the wildest piwrts of Great Britaiii. Yet, he would sometimes be
15 delighted with the fertility and populuusuc^s of particular plains and
16 valleys, where he would see the productions of Europe, mingled in
17 profusion withtiboae of the torrid aone ; and, the land, laboured with
18 en indniCfj and a judgment no where aiirpiMcd. He ironld see llie
19 ' uihihitMit8» ibUowing their flodb in tcnta» or Msemhled, in viUagei^
20 which the teifpobd roofii and- mud walla gjlvean appeannee.eiitMj
21 new. He would be atruck wt fiiat wttli their blf^ and em hanh .
22 ieatnre^ their fpivbumed oountenattOBt* their long beards* thtir loose
23 gnments, and dicir ahi^ggj mantles of skms. When he entered Into
24 the Bocietr* he would notice the ribsancft of femilar coufts of iiistioBb
25 and of ereiy thing l|ke an ciigantaed police. He would be surprised
26 at the fluctuation apd instability of the dvU institutions. He would
27 find it difficult to compr^end how a nation oould anbsist in suchdl^
28 order ; and would pity those, who were compelled to pass their dAys
29 in such a scene, and whose mindv txained by their unhappy situ-
30 ation to fraud and violence, to rapine, deceit, and rer^nge. Yet, he
31 would scarce fail to admire their martial and lofty spirit, their liospi-
32 tality, and their bold and simple manners, equally removed from the
33 suppleness of a citizen, and tlie awkward rusticity of a clown ; and^
34 he would, probably, before long discover, among so many ij^ualitiea
35 th»t e;}u;it^ his disgu^^ rudiments of mapy virtues.
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