^ 



ON THE INTELLECT Of INFANTS. J 37 



Mamc ; that is to say, she shewed them when asked hand and her 

 " wliich is your hand,"—" which is your foot," provided ^°°' ^^ °*"'^- 

 her attention was not turned to other objects. 



'J'o this period I carried my journal. The subsequent xhe journal 

 months were not noticed ; and indeed in these she became ends here. 

 one of the family as to general intercourse, making her- 

 self understood by all, and comprehending what was said 

 to her to the full extent of her understanding and the sim- 

 plicity of her wants. I shall not extend my communica- Qy, why j^ 

 tion hy arguments and inferences ; but will only take not children 

 notice that children do not speak sentences, and indeed ^^^^ at ^twelve 

 scarcely words before they are twelve or fourteen months months? 

 old, though my narrative seems to shew that they possess 

 ability to do it much earlier. On this subject I would Because their 

 remark that the latter part of the first year of the life of necessity for 

 an infant, is a time of indolence ; when most of their not operate till 

 wants are supplied by attendants who are constantly with ^hey walk, &c. 

 them ; and in the lower ranks of society, they are so 

 ignorantly treated that they do not speak intelligibly for —and they 

 years ; and again that they seldom have their teeth till ^^^ "°^ teeth, 

 after the twelvemonth. I have known a child who had Tn$tance of a 

 teeth at six months, and spoke many words very well at ^^^^ "^^^ ^f^ 

 that period, with a knowledge of their meaning* ; but ^^ six months - 

 though he was highly satisfied at his own performance, he butdidnotper- 



did not find motives for proceeding in his labours after T^^^*^'"®?^^* 

 * ^ nemoreadvan- 



language, till about the fourteenth month, when he began ced at the 

 to run about- and found his wants and yiews so muiti- twelvemonth 

 plied under this new change of circumstances, as to re- (jr^^. 

 quire a greater share of diligence than he had found 

 leedful in the arms of his protectors. 

 I remain, 



than other chi^r 



Sir, 



Your constant reader, 

 R. B. 



* He is now a very intelligent, unaffected bey; but has no 

 extraordinary claim* to notice, either in his own opinion or that of 

 •thcrs. B. 



