3« ANTIENT METAPHYSICS- Book 1. 



and invented words to exprefs them, which Horace calls nomina. 

 But this is a ftep in the progrefs towards the civilized life, which 

 the Ourang Outang has not yet made. This hiftory of man, I am 

 perfuaded, Horace learned from the philofophers with whom he 

 converfed in Athens ; and 1 hold it to have been the general opi- 

 nion of the Greek philofophers at that time, and particularly of the 

 Epicureans, who ftudied fads of natural hiftory very much *. Of 

 this led Horace was, though not wholly addided to it ; 



(Nullius addiiElus (as he fays) jurare in verba magiftri.) 



but getting all the information he could from the other feds of phi- 

 lofophy. 



There are, I know, many, who will think this progrefs of man, 

 from a quadruped and an Ourang Outang to men fuch as we fee 

 them now a days, very difgraceful to the fpecies. But they fliould 

 confider their own progrefs as an individual. In the womb, man is 

 no better than a vegetable ; and, when born, he is at firft more im- 

 perfed, I believe, than any other animal in the fame ftate, wanting 

 almoft altogether that comparative faculty, which the brutes, young 

 and old, poffefs f. If, therefore, there be fuch a progrefs in the in- 

 dividual, it is not to be wondered that there (hould be a progrefs al- 

 fo in the fpecies, from the mere animal up to the intelledual crea- 

 ture : But, on the contrary, 1 fliould think it not agreeable to that 

 wonderful order and progreffion of things that we obferve in na- 

 ture, if it Vv'ere otherwife j for the fpecies, with refped to the ge- 

 nus. 



• Epicurus was a diligent inquirer into fa£ls of natural hiftory, particularly con- 

 cerning tlie progrefs of men in the invention of arts. And accordingly Lucretius 

 tells us, that he difcovered that men learned mufic f om the (inging of birds, which, as 

 I (hall prefently fliew, is confirmed by what I learned from the favage girl I faw ia 

 France. 



f See wliat I have faid of this comparative faculty, p. 13. of this volume. 



