THÉOPHRASTE RENAUDOT (1586-1653) General Collection of ...

THÉOPHRASTE RENAUDOT (1586-1653)
General Collection of Discourses of the Virtuosi of France

CONFERENCE CCXI.
Of Negroes

NAture loves variety so well that she is not contented with producing a great
number of Species of all sorts of Animals differing chiefly according to the
Climates which produce them; but she hath also pleas’d her self in an innumerable
diversity of individuals especially as to colour, as cannot be call’d an Accident in
Blackamores, but an inseparable property, which distinguishes them from other
men, and constitutes the nature of Negroes, in whom the Sun’s heat produceth an
effect contrary to that of his light; this brightning, the other obscurring the subject
upon which it acts. Yet it acteth not alike upon all Subjects, since the same Star
(Æthiopian) whitens linnen and wax; but this blackness happens to the Æthiopians
because moisture exceeds, and in a manner extinguisheth heat; just as we see it
come to pass in Charcoals, Gangreens, and the parts of man’s body when struck
with Lightning. For, if the first Quality would take colours, no doubt cold would
be white as we may judg by Water, Ice, Snow, Gray Hairs, and the Animals that
live under the Artick Pole which are all white, though of the same Species with
ours of another colour; as Bears and Hares. Which is further prov’d by Herbs
which grow white underground, and lose as much of their heat and bitterness, as
they partake of such whiteness, witness the stalks of Hartichoaks and Savoury.
Hot things would be red, and of the colour of Fire, which we see gives that colour
to faces formerly pale, to hot Iron and burning Wood; but a supersluous humidity
supervening stifles, and extinguishes this heat, and leaves behind it the colour of
corruption; as we see the whitest skin grows black by heat upon traveling
Southwards; the contrary happening to those that go Northwards.

The Second said, This, if heat alone made Blacksmoors, those that are most
expos’d to the Sun-beams should be the blackest; but they are not so, there being
many Nations of the New World, where it is so hot, that they go all naked, of an
olive colour, whereas in Guiney, Æthiopla, and other places inhabited by Moors,
they are cloth’d and feel more cold. And because this colour may be ascrib’d to the
reciprocation of heat and cold, which is more likely to alter men’s bodies in all
other qualities, than in a permanent one, there are found both black and white
people under the same parallels and elevation of the Pole, as in the Isle of Sumatrn,

where the Inhabitants are white. Wherefore this colour must not be attributed to
the Heaven but to the Earth, which produceth all other varieties of Animals,
especially men, as is observ’d in the Patagons, who are Gyants: To whom are
oppos’d the Pigmies which their soil likewise produceth. And to shew that the
mixture of the skin is not the only particularity observable in Negroes, they have
many other Properties whereby they are distinguish’d from other Nations; as their
thick lips, saddle-noses, coarse short hair, the horny tunicle of the eye, and the
teeth whiter than the rest of men. Besides, they are not only exempted form the
Pox and other Venerous Maladies, but their Climate alone airs the same. Not to
mention the Qualities of their minds, which are so ignorant, that though they have
plenty of Flax, yet they want Cloth, because they want skill how to work it; they
abound with Sugar-canes, yet make no trade of them, and esteem Copper more
than Gold, which they barter for the like weight of Salt, and are wholly ignorant of
Laws and Physick. Which ignorance tenders their spirits more base and servile
than those of other Nations; and they are so born to slavery, that even free men
among the Abyssins (the most considerable people of all Æthiopia) when they are
employ’d by any one, take it not ill to be lash’d with a Bull’s Pizzle, provided they
be paid; and when their Priests exhort the people, they whip them till the blood
comes, for the better inculcating of their Instructions, those being held in most
reverence, who whip them most severely; though they were the first Pagans who
were converted to the Faith by Queen Candace’s Eunuch, who was instructed by S.
Philip. And as pusillanimous persons are commonly the most treacherous, (these
two vices both the same principles) and presupposing ignorance of the point
wherein true Honour consists; so the Moors are ordinarily base and unfaithful to
their Masters, as is verifi’d by abundance of Histories; which meanness and
poorness of Courage, reaches from the second next the King’s person to the most
inferior amongst them; all bowing down and touching the ground with their hand
when they hear the name of their King Prete-Jun, before whose Tent they make a
Reverence though he be not there, and flatter him so excessively that if one of their
Kings happen to lose an Eye or other member, they deprive themselves of the
same too. Moreover, they are so credulous that they perswade themselves that this
King is descended in a direct line from Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, (who, they
say, was nam’d Maqueda) when she came to see him, as they report, for some other
cause besides admiring his Wisdom.

The Third said, That the case is the same with the Negroes, in respect of the colour
of their skin, and the other above-mention’d particulars, as with the long heads of
the Children of Paris, which Nature produceth at this day of her self, ever since the

Medwives had form’d the first after that manner, upon a belief that this figure was
more becomming and suitable to the functions of the Soul than roundness. So
likewise the heat of the Sun first blacken’d the skin of the Moors of either Sex by
little and little; amongst whom, the blackest hides, the thickest lips, and most
evers’d being in esteem, every Mother endeavor’d to make her Childrens lips and
nose of that figure; and Nature, helpt by their Imagination mov’d by the
occurrence of like objects, hath produc’d such ever since. But ‘tis no wonder if the
people of some Countries, under the same parallets and latitude indeed, but
defended from the heat of the Sun by opposite Mountains, are exempt from the
effect of that heat; as there are places in France, where upon the same reason fruits
are a month or two later in ripening than those of their Neighbours. Moreover, the
firist’d short hair of Negroes is an effect of the same heat, as also their being
exempted from the Pox, which being a phlegmatick cold poyson, as appears by its
invading the spermatick parts, and the encreasing of its pain in the night more
than day, ‘tis more reasonable that the Temperaments opposite thereunto, such as
theirs whose flesh is very day and void of Phlegm, not only out of custom, but
express Law, which would never have been made if it had not been easie to
observe. Moreover, the whiteness of their teeth is augmented by the blackness of
their faces: And as for their wits, Scaliger thinks them not really dull, but only out
of design and craft; which always argues wit. Whence Geographers, who reckon
Southern people amongst the most ingenious, say, They could never be brought to
their duty by Reason, but suffer themselves to be rul’d only by Religion: Because
where Humane Reason holds not, as in matters of Faith, there the greatest wits are
oblig’d to become subject to the less, when they speak to them as from God.
Besides, their Characters are handsomer and more agreeable than either the
Arabick or Turkish. They are addicted to Navigation, and have a Military Order
under the protection of Saint Anthony, to which every Gentleman is bound to
design one of his three Sons, except the eldest, which serves for their King’s
Guard, and amounts to 12000 Horsemen. And if there be no other reason to
esteem them ignorant but their having no wrangling Lawyers, many other
Nations would be happy if they had none neither. And though Physick be not
reduc’d to an Art, nor taught by a Method amongst them, (as neither was it of old
amongst us) yet they want not Remedies useful for health. Their want of Linnen
proceeds from their abundance of Cotton; and the comparison of Gold and
Copper depends upon Phansie: And, lastly, the paucity of the people finding food
enough at home, have less cause to be eager upon Trade abroad.

§§§§§§§§§

THÉOPHRASTE RENAUDOT (1586-1653)
General Collection of Discourses of the Virtuosi of France, Upon Questions of all Sorts of
Philosophy and other Natural Knowledg.
Two Volumes — London, 1664 & 1665.

Selected, Transcribed & Edited, by Dr Robert A. Hatch©

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