40 A N T I E N T METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



The laft thing I mentioned is the Art of Speech. That it is truly 

 an Art, and not a mere natural operation, I believe now every Man 

 is convinced, as mucli as Dains Barrington, who has proved that 

 fmging is not natural to Birds, and fays, that, to believe the con- 

 trary, would be as abfurd as to believe that Man fpoke naturally *. 

 And, indeed, it appears to me, that a language of articulation is fo 

 difficult of pradice, even after it is invented, that, unlefs we begin 

 young, and pradlife conftantly, it is hardly to be learned. How infi- 

 nitely more difficult, then, muft the invention have been ? — fo diffi- 

 cult, that, though I think I have fhewnt the poffibility of its having 

 been invented, yet, as I believe that, in the early ages of the world, 

 men had a much greater communication with Superior Powers than 

 they have now, I am not at all averfe to the opinion of thofe who 

 think it may have been revealed to certain nations by fome of thofe 

 Powers, or, at Icaft, that they muft have been affifted by them in 

 the difcovery of it. But, be that as it will, there are men ftill ex- 

 tant to whom it has not been revealed, and thefe are fufficient to 

 fhow that it is not natural to Man. And there is, firft, the Oran 

 Outan, whofe humanity, I think, I have eftabliffied by proof, that 

 ought to fatisfy every one who gives credit to human teftimony. 

 1 will, however, add fome circumftances more concerning him, 

 which I have learned fmce publifliing the Firft Volume of the Ori- 

 gin and Progrefs of Language. And, firft, I have been told that the 

 Oran Outan, who is to be feen in Sir Afhton Lever's colledion, had 

 learned, before he died, to articulate fome words. This was one of 

 the fmall kind ; but, if I can believe the Newfpapers, there was 

 one of the great kind, fcven feet high, that was fome time ago fhip- 

 ped aboard a French Eaft India fhip : I hope he has had a fafe voy- 

 age 



• This ingenious work of Mr Barrington's was publifhed in the Philofophical 

 Tranfa6l'ons fome time ago. 



t Origin and Progrefs of Language, Vol. i. Book iii. Cap. 4. p. 471. Second. 

 Edition. 



