BOOK III PART II
of mutual protection and assistance. I also sup-
pose, that they are endowed with such sagacity
as immediately to perceive, that the chief im-
pediment to this project of society and partner-
ship lies in the avidity and selfishness of their
natural temper; to remedy which, they enter
into a convention for the stability of possession,
and for mutual restraint and forbearance. I am
sensible, that this method of proceeding is not
altogether natural; but besides that I here only
suppose those reflections to be formed at once,
which in fact arise insensibly and by degrees;
besides this, I say, it is very possible, that sev-
eral persons, being by different accidents sepa-
rated from the societies, to which they formerly
belonged, may be obliged to form a new soci-
ety among themselves; in which case they are
entirely in the situation above-mentioned.