ONi THE INTELLECT OF INFANTS. 49 



a time, and then changes her object, as if reflecting and 

 comparing. But her manner differs greatly, accordingly 

 as she is more or less thoroughly awakened or attentive. 

 The indolent enjoyment of mere sensation is probably the 

 state of all minds not rpused by motive. She is much 

 more calm and indifferent, and her apparent progress less 

 rapid, than when every thing was a novelty to her. It 

 gives her more pleasure to see me at the distance of five 

 or six feet than at the old distance of three. She will 

 attend to my talk, but cares much less for me than before. 

 She views her mother with the most lively affection. 

 Though she is moi^e comfortable and happy in my arms 

 than when with any other person but her mother, yet she 

 now very much prefers her mother to me; which she did 

 not at first. 



Contrary to an assertion of Rousseau in his Emilius,' Infants smell 

 the sense of smelling in this, and other infants in general, y^ry acuteljr; 

 is very acute. They even suck the 4)reast at tirst by an tinguish tastes 

 action of the nostrils, like that of a scenting dog. But at first. 

 the sense of taste is not originally very acute. Medicine, 

 food, and the milk, are then almost indifferently taken. 

 But this infant, at present, prefers the breast very much 

 to water-gruel, and rejects a mixture of rhubarb, chalk, 

 and ginger, with abhorrence. ^ 



I shall here suspend my journal for the present, which Concludmf re- 

 I am inclined to suspect will be read with some surprise by 

 those who have indolently adopted the opinion, that in- 

 fants of much more advanced age than during the first 

 fortnight possess very little sense, or moral discrimina- 

 tion. If the contrary opinion, or the truth, were adopted, 

 it would conduce much to the^eneral sum of the happi- 

 ness of these little beings, who are exerting their industry 

 and diligence in acquiring ideas and language to a degree 



which is sfeldom suspected. Others may, perhaps, sup- The preceding 

 .J. , ' j\. X narrative not at 



pose extraordmary acutcness in the parent, or uncommon ^jj extraordl- 



ability in the child, to afford an history of its progress nary. 



during so few days : but here also there would be error. 



The child is indeed above the middle rank for memory 



and intelligence, and the father is capable of observing 



facts and writing them down. But I have never yet met 



with an infant who would not willingly enter into conver- 



VoL. XV.— Si:pt. 1800. H ' i>ation 



