1827.] The Origiti of Language. 253 



happy upon this than upon the former occasion, in his view of the " idea" 

 which the book of Genesis has intended to convey : 



" An ancient oriental relic upon the division of languages (which I only con- 

 sider as a poetical fragment for the archeology of the history of nations) con- 

 firms, in a very poetical narrative, what so many nations, in all parts of the world, 

 have proved by their example. * Languages were not suddenly changed,' as 

 the philosopher multiplies them by migration. ' Nations united themselves 

 (says the poem) for some great undertaking, then came upon them the dizziness 

 of confusion and of multiplied languages, so that they left off their work and 

 separated.' What was this but sudden exasperation and discord, for which any 

 important work furnished fittest occasion. There, perhaps, some trifling point 

 gave rise to offended family pride; union and mutual intention were destroyed, 

 the spark of dissention shot into a flame, they fled from each other, and from 

 their violence, caused the very thing which their work was intended to prevent 

 they confounded their origin and their language. Thus arose different nations, 

 and the ruins, says a later writer, were called the ' confusion of nations.' 



" Whoever understands the oriental spirit in such metaphorical introductions 

 and histories (though, for the sake of theology, I willingly yield here to a 

 higher decree) will not in this allegory mistake the principal idea, though sen- 

 tiently expressed, that dissension upon any important design undertaken in com- 

 mon, and not merely the migration of nations, was the reason of the rise of so 

 many languages. But setting aside this oriental testimony (which I only adduce 

 here as a poem) it is apparent that multiplicity of languages can furnish no objec- 

 tion against the natural and human progressive cultivation of language." 



M. Von Herder appears to feel himself strongly called upon to overcome 

 the prepossession of those who teach the divine origin of language. The 

 following are his concluding propositions : 



" The divine origin has nothing in its favour, not even the testimony of the 

 oriental scriptures, upon which it relies, for these clearly indicate the human: 

 origin of language, in the designation of the brute creation. 



" Every thing is in favour of, and nothing absolutely against the human origin* 

 of language. The inmost nature of the human soul, and the elements of lan- 

 guage, the analogy of the human race, and the analogy of the progress of 

 language. 



" The important example of all nations, in all ages and quarters of the world. 

 The divine origin, however pious it may appear, is altogether irreligious. It 

 degrades God at every step, to the lowest and most imperfect anthropomor- 

 phosis. 



" The human origin manifests God in the highest light. 



" His work, a human soul, is able of itself to create and perpetuate language. 

 Because it is his work, because it is a human soul, gifted with the faculty of free 

 will, it is able to produce language, this ingenious organ of its reason, as a medi- 

 ating symbol of its existence. The origin of language can then only in a dignified 

 sense be termed divine, in as far as it is human. 



" The divine origin is rather injurious than beneficial, it destroys all the activity 

 of the human soul, and renders both psychology and the sciences inexplicable. 

 For with language man must have received the seeds of all knowledge from God. 

 Nothing, therefore, proceeds from the human soul. The commencement of 

 every art and science, and of all knowledge, must be thus rendered incon- 

 ceivable. The human origin admits of no step, without some view, or without 

 the most useful elucidation in every branch of philosophy, in all kinds and coin- 

 positions of language. The author has presented some of these here, and may 

 have more to offer upon a fit occasion. 



" How would he rejoice, if this treatise should invalidate an hypothesis, which 

 considered, in many points of view, has long tended, and can only tend, to obscure 

 the human mind !" 



We have pointed out some of the difficulties which stand in the way of 

 an English perusal of this work ; but, to such readers as are prepared to 

 struggle with them, we can strongly recommend it, as abounding witl} 

 many attractions, and as leading to unquestionable truth. *K. 



