42 Major Pricr’s Extracts from the Mualijdt-i-Dard Shekohi. 
These various sounds, then, by which its manifold wants are made known 
to its kind, are to the animal in the place of speech. 
In mechanical contrivance, also, the irrational animal partakes with man. 
In the instance of the spider, which weaves its own dwelling ; in the bee, 
which fabricates its abode with such elaborate symmetry and regularity, 
without the appliance of clay. We are acquainted with birds, also, which 
perforate even timber for their abiding places; and with others which 
build their nests of clay, with doors to them, through which to lodge their 
store. There are moreover other animals which, in contrivance and 
skill, man, with all his boasted pre-eminence, would in vain endeavour to 
imitate: such is the silkworm, which spins its thread from the leaves of 
the mulberry ; such the bee, which compounds its honey from the blossom ; 
and such the shell-fish, which concocts its pearl from the fluid of the ocean. 
Others might be mentioned, but this is sufficient to shew that, in artificial 
contrivance, there are animals not less endowed than man; but in the 
faculty of writing there is no animal that participates with man. 
Writing, then, allowing the precedence to speech, is peculiar to man 
alone. But speech is more universally common to man; because, though 
every writer is a man, every man is not a writer; and every writing is a 
speech, though every speech is not a writing. He, however, that is 
master of both faculties, both peculiar to the wise and prudent, approaches 
nearest to the perfection of manhood. 
Again, speech stands in the place of writing, to which the tongue of man 
supplies the pen ; the lengthened sound or voice is in the place of aright 
line, and to letters and words the ambient air supplies the tablet, the air 
reflecting, though it does not retain impressions: and hence it is that speech 
is so evanescent. 
Writing, on the other hand, may be described as that sort of speech to 
which the pen supplies the place of tongue; a right line that of protracted 
sound or voice, the figures and words of which may be permanently 
retained on any smooth surface, whether of earth or clay ; for clay, we 
know from experience, is capable of retaining impressions when inscribed 
upon it. 
The peculiar excellence of writing, however, consists in this: by means 
of the pen it conveys information from the wise and intelligent to those 
that are absent, and from the past to future generations ; whereas speech is 
of advantage only to those present on the spot, and that by verbal commu- 
