Chap. III. APPENDIX. 7,6-j 



he hlmfelf was once an embryo in the womb, and then an infant, 

 very much weaker, and every way more dcfpicable, than the infiint 

 of an Orang Outang. 



The cafe of the Orang Outang, I think, it is impofnble to dl- 

 ftinguiih from the cafe of Peter the Wild Boy 3 for, if Mr BufFon's 

 Orang Outang was nota man, bccaufe he had not learned to fpeak at 

 the age of /wo, it Is impolTible to believe that Peter, who, at the age 

 Q)i f event )\ and, after having been above fifty years in England, has 

 learned to articulate but a few words, is a man ; and yet I have it 

 from moft refpedable authority, of a man of iilgh rank now living, 

 and who remembers very well, being then above the age of twenty, 

 and in London, when Peter was brought over, that his humanity 

 was never doubted of, though he had been caught running upon all 

 four in the woods of Hanover. I have related in this Volume ma- 

 ny particulars concerning this extraordinary phaenosuenon, which I 

 myfelf obferved, or learned from others ; but, fince printing that 

 part of the work, I have received further information concerning 

 him, which I will here give to the public, from a young gentleman 

 of Oxford, of the name of Burgefs, who took the trouble, at my 

 defire, to go and fee him, and inquire about him. He is well 

 known as a fcholar, by feveral ingenious things that he has publifh- 

 ed ; and- 1 hope he will contribute not a little to the great work that 

 is going on at Oxford, of reftoring the philofophy of the Antients, 

 which will be greatly to his honour, and, I think, very much to the 

 honour of the Univerfity, if they fliall be the firft in Europe to fet 

 on foot again a philofophy that has been fo long extindt, to the 

 great lofs, not only of good learning, but of religion ; for all the 

 philofophy, that has been in flifliion fince the Antient was put down, 

 has had a tindure, more or lefs, of Materialifm and Atheifm. 



I 



