HISfORT of the SOCIETT. 43 



MOST human inftincts receive improvement from experience 

 and obfervation, and are capable of a thoufand modifications. 

 One inftinct counteracts and modifies another, and often extin- 

 guifhes the original motive to action. The inftinct of fear is 

 often counteracted by ambition and by refentment : The inftinct 

 of anger, by fear, by fhame, by contempt, by companion. Of 

 modified, compounded, and extended inftincts, there are many 

 examples. Devotion is an extenfion of the inflinct of love, to 

 the firft Caufe or Author of the univerfe. Superftition is the 

 inftinct of fear extended to imaginary objects of terror. Hope 

 is the inftinct of love directed to future good. Avarice is 

 the inftinct of love directed to an improper object. Fear is like- 

 wife an ingredient of this attachment. Envy is compounded 

 of love, avarice, ambition, and fear. Sympathy is the inftinct 

 of fear transferred to another perfon, and reflected back upon 

 ourfelves. In this manner all the modified, compounded or ex- 

 tended paflions of the human mind, may be traced back to 

 their original inftincts. 



THE inftincts of brutes are likewife improved by obfervation 

 and experience. Of fuch improvement, the dog, the elephant, 

 the horfe, the camel, afford numerous and ftrong inftances. 



FROM thefe and other examples, given of the different claffes 

 of inftincts, Mr SMELLIE argues, that inftinct is an original 

 quality of mind, which, in man, as well as in other animals, 

 may be improved, modified, and extended, by experience. 



SENSATION implies a fentient principle or mind. Whatever 

 feels, therefore, is mind. Of courfe, the loweft fpecies of ani- 

 mals is endowed with mind. But the minds of animals have 

 very different powers ; and thefe powers are expreffed by pecu- 

 liar actions. The ftructure of their bodies is uniformly adapt- 

 ed to the powers 'of their minds ; and no mature animal at- 

 tempts actions which nature has not enabled it to perform: The 

 inftincts, however, of animals, appear often previoufly to the 

 expanfion of thofe inftruments which nature intended they 



(F 2) fhould 



