ETHOLOGY. 453 



laws. They would show, indeed, that there was some con 

 nexion between the type of character formed, and the circum 

 stances existing in the case; but not what the precise 

 connexion was, nor to which of the peculiarities of those 

 circumstances the effect was really owing. They could only, 

 therefore, be received as results of causation, requiring to be 

 resolved into the general laws of the causes : until the deter 

 mination of which, we could not judge within what limits 

 the derivative laws might serve as presumptions in cases yet 

 unknown, or even be depended on as permanent in the very 

 cases from which they were collected. The French people 

 had, or were supposed to have, a certain national -&quot;character : 

 but they drive out their royal family and aristocracy, alter their 

 institutions, pass through a series of extraordinary events for 

 half a century, and at the end of that time are found to be, 

 in many respects, greatly altered. A long list of mental and 

 moral differences are observed, or supposed, to exist between 

 men and women : but at some future, and, it may be hoped, 

 i\ot distant period, equal freedom and an equally independent 

 social position* come to be possessed by both, and their dif 

 ferences of character are either removed or totally altered. 



But if the differences which we think we observe between 

 French and English, or between men and women, can be con 

 nected with more general laws ; if they be such as might be 

 expected to be &quot;produced by the differences of government, 

 former customs, and physical peculiarities in the two nations, 

 and by the diversities of education, occupations, personal inde 

 pendence, and social privileges, and whatever original dif 

 ferences there may be in bodily strength and nervous sensi 

 bility, between the two sexes; then, indeed, the coincidence 

 of the two kinds of evidence justifies us in believing that we 

 have both reasoned rightly and observed rightly. Our observa 

 tion, though not sufficient as proof, is ample as verification. 

 And having ascertained not only the empirical laws, but 

 the causes, of the peculiarities, we need be under no difficulty 

 in judging how far they may be expected to be perma 

 nent, or by what circumstances they would be modified or 

 destroyed. 



