OF　THE　RISE　AND　PROGRESS　OF　THE　ARTS　AND　SCIENCES
  David　Hume
  1742
  Nothing　requires　greater　nicety；　in　our　enquiries　concerning
  human　affairs；　than　to　distinguish　exactly　what　is　owing　to
  ；　and　what　proceeds　from　；　nor　is　there　any
  subject；　in　which　an　author　is　more　liable　to　deceive　himself　by
  false　subtilties　and　refinements。　To　say；　that　any　event　is
  derived　from　chance；　cuts　short　all　farther　enquiry　concerning
  it；　and　leaves　the　writer　in　the　same　state　of　ignorance　with　the
  rest　of　mankind。　But　when　the　event　is　supposed　to　proceed　from
  certain　and　stable　causes；　he　may　then　display　his　ingenuity；　in
  assigning　these　causes；　and　as　a　man　of　any　subtilty　can　never　be
  at　a　loss　in　this　particular；　he　has　thereby　an　opportunity　of
  swelling　his　volumes；　and　discovering　his　profound　knowledge；　in
  observing　what　escapes　the　vulgar　and　ignorant。
  The　distinguishing　between　chance　and　causes　must　depend
  upon　every　particular　man's　sagacity；　in　considering　every
  particular　incident。　But；　if　I　were　to　assign　any　general　rule　to
  help　us　in　applying　this　distinction；　it　would　be　the　following；
  。
  Two　natural　reasons　may。　be　assigned　for　this　rule。　；
  If　you　suppose　a　dye　to　have　any　biass；　however　small；　to　a
  particular　side；　this　biass；　though；　perhaps；　it　may　not　appear
  in　a　few　throws；　will　certainly　prevail　in　a　great　number；　and
  will　cast　the　balance　entirely　to　that　side。　In　like　manner；　when
  any　　beget　a　particular　inclination　or　passion；　at　a
  certain　time；　and　among　a　certain　people；　though　many　individuals
  may　escape　the　contagion；　and　be　ruled　by　passions　peculiar　to
  themselves；　yet　the　multitude　will　certainly　be　seized　by　the
  common　affection；　and　be　governed　by　it　in　all　their　actions。
  ；　Those　principles　of　causes；　which　are　fitted　to
  operate　on　a　multitude；　are　always　of　a　grosser　and　more　stubborn
  nature；　less　subject　to　accidents；　and　less　influenced　by　whim
  and　private　fancy；　than　those　which　operate　on　a　few　only。　The
  latter　are　commonly　so　delicate　and　refined；　that　the　smallest
  incident　in　the　health；　education；　or　fortune　of　a　particular
  person；　is　sufficient　to　divert　their　course；　and　retard　their
  operation；　nor　is　it　possible　to　reduce　them　to　any　general
  maxims　or　observations。　Their　influence　at　one　time　will　never
  assure　us　concerning　their　influence　at　another；　even　though　all
  the　general　circumstances　should　be　the　same　in　both　cases。
  To　judge　by　this　rule；　the　domestic　and　the　gradual
  revolutions　of　a　state　must　be　a　more　proper　subject　of　reasoning
  and　observation；　than　the　foreign　and　the　violent；　which　are
  commonly　produced　by　single　persons；　and　are　more　influenced　by
  whim；　folly；　or　caprice；　than　by　general　passions　and　interests。
  The　depression　of　the　lords；　and　rise　of　the　commons　in　England；
  after　the　statutes　of　alienation　and　the　encrease　of　trade　and
  industry；　are　more　easily　accounted　for　by　general　principles；
  than　the　depression　of　the　Spanish；　and　rise　of　the　French
  monarchy；　after　the　death　of　Charles　V。　Had　Harry　IV；　Cardinal
  Richlieu　and　Louis　XIV　been　Spaniards；　and　Philip　II；　III；　and
  IV；　and　Charles　II　been　Frenchmen；　the　history　of　these　two
  nations　had　been　entirely　reversed。
  For　the　same　reason；　it　is　more　easy　to　account　for　the　rise
  and　progress　of　commerce　in　any　kingdom；　than　for　that　of
  learning；　and　a　state；　which　should　apply　itself　to　the
  encouragement　of　the　one；　would　be　more　assured　of　success；　than
  one　which　should　cultivate　the　other。　Avarice；　or　the　desire　of
  gain；　is　an　universal　passion；　which　operates　at　all　times；　in
  all　places；　and　upon　all　persons：　But　curiosity；　or　the　love　of
  knowledge；　has　a　very　limited　influence；　and　requires　youth；
  leisure；　education；　genius；　and　example；　to　make　it　govern　any
  person。　You　will　never　want　booksellers；　while　there　are　buyers
  of　books：　But　there　may　frequently　be　readers　where　there　are　no
  authors。　Multitudes　of　people；　necessity　and　liberty；　have
  begotten　commerce　in　Holland：　But　study　and　application　have
  scarcely　produced　any　eminent　writers。
  We　may；　therefore；　conclude；　that　there　is　no　subject；　in
  which　we　must　proceed　with　more　caution；　than　in　tracing　the
  history　of　the　arts　and　sciences；　lest　we　assign　causes　which
  never　existed；　and　reduce　what　is　merely　contingent　to　stable　and
  universal　principles。　Those　who　cultivate　the　sciences　in　any
  state；　are　always　few　in　number：　The　passion；　which　governs　them；
  limited：　Their　taste　and　judgment　delicate　and　easily　perverted：
  And　their　application　disturbed　with　the　smallest　accident。
  Chance；　therefore；　or　secret　and　unknown　causes；　must　have　a
  great　influence　on　the　rise　and　progress　of　all　the　refined　arts。
  But　there　is　a　reason；　which　induces　me　not　to　ascribe　the
  matter　altogether　to　chance。　Though　the　persons；　who　cultivate
  the　sciences　with　such　astonishing　success；　as　to　attract　the
  admiration　of　posterity；　be　always　few；　in　all　nations　and　all
  ages；　it　is　impossible　but　a　share　of　the　same　spirit　and　genius
  must　be　antecedently　diffused　throughout　the　people　among　whom
  they　arise；　in　order　to　produce；　form；　and　cultivate；　from　their
  earliest　infancy；　the　taste　and　judgment　of　those　eminent
  writers。　The　mass　cannot　be　altogether　insipid；　from　which　such
  refined　spirits　are　extracted。　'There　is　a　God　within　us；'　says
  OVID；　'who　breathes　that　divine　fire；　by　which　we　are
  animated。'＇2＇　Poets；　in　all　ages；　have　advanced　this　claim　to
  inspiration。　There　is　not；　however；　any　thing　supernatural　in　the
  case。　Their　fire　is　not　kindled　from　heaven。　It　only　runs　along
  the　earth；　is　caught　from　one　breast　to　another；　and　burns
  brightest；　where　the　materials　are　best　prepared；　and　most
  happily　disposed。　The　question；　therefore；　concerning　the　rise
  and　progress　of　the　arts　and　sciences；　is　not　altogether　a
  question　concerning　the　taste；　genius；　and　spirit　of　a　few；　but
  concerning　those　of　a　whole　people；　and　may；　therefore；　be
  accounted　for；　in　some　measure；　by　general　causes　and　principles。
  I　grant；　that　a　man；　who　should　enquire；　why　such　a　particular
  poet；　as　Homer　for　instance；　existed；　at　such　a　place；　in　such　a
  time；　would　throw　himself　headlong　into　chimaera；　and　could　never
  treat　of　such　a　subject；　without　a　multitude　of　false　subtilties
  and　refinements。　He　might　as　well　pretend　to　give　a　reason；　why
  such　particular　generals；　as　Fabius　and　Scipio；　lived　in　Rome　at
  such　a　time；　and　why　Fabius　came　into　the　world　before　Scipio。
  For　such　incidents　as　these；　no　other　reason　can　be　given　than
  that　of　Horace：
  。
  But　I　am　persuaded；　that　in　many　cases　good　reasons　might　be
  given；　why　such　a　nation　is　more　polite　and　learned　at　a
  particular　time；　than　any　of　its　neighbours。　At　least；　this　is　so
  curious　a　subject；　that　it　were　a　pity　to　abandon　it　entirely；
  before　we　have　found　whether　it　be　susceptible　of　reasoning；　and
  can　be　reduced　to　any　general　principles。
  My　first　observation　on　this　head　is；　。
  In　the　first　ages　of　the　world；　when　men　are　as　yet
  barbarous　and　ignorant；　they　seek　no　farther　security　against
  mutual　violence　and　injustice；　than　the　choice　of　some　rulers；
  few　or　many；　in　whom　they　place　an　implicit　confidence；　without
  providing　any　security；　by　laws　or　political　institutions；
  against　the　violence　and　injustice　of　these　rulers。　If　the
  authority　be　centered　in　a　single　person；　and　if　the　people；
  either　by　conquest；　or　by　the　ordinary　course　of　propagation；
  encrease　to　a　great　multitude；　the　monarch；　finding　it
  impossible；　in　his　own　person；　to　execute　every　office　of
  sovereignty；　in　every　place；　must　delegate　his　authority　to
  inferior　magistrates；　who　preserve　peace　and　order　in　their
  respective　districts。　As　experience　and　education　have　not　yet
  refined　the　judgments　of　men　to　any　considerable　degree；　the
  prince；　who　is　himself　unrestrained；　never　dreams　of　restraining
  his　ministers；　but　delegates　his　full　authority　to　every　one；
  whom　he　sets　over　any　portion　of　the　people。　All　general　laws　are
  attended　with　inconveniencies；　when　applied　to　particular　cases；
  and　it　requires　great　penetration　and　experience；　both　to
  perceive　that　these　inconveniencies　are　fewer　than　what　result
  from　full　discretionary　powers　in　every　magistrate；　and　also　to
  discern　what　general　laws　are；　upon　the　whole；　attended　with
  fewest　inconveniencies。　This　is　a　matter　of　so　great　diffi