BOOK III. CHAP. 1. 371 



But if we admit with Mr. Bnffon, that with all this analogy of or- 

 ganization, the nran-outang's brain is a fenfelcfs icon of the human ; 

 that it is mcer matter, unanimatcd with a thinking principle, in any, 

 or at leaft in a very minute and imperfed: degree, we nnifl then infer 

 the flronoeft conclufion to eftablifli our belief of a natural diverfitv 

 of the human intelleft, in general, ab origine; an oran-outang, in this 

 cafe, is a human being, quoiui his form and organs; but of an inferior 

 fpecies, quoad his intelled ; he has in form a much nearer refemblancc 

 to the Negroe race, than the latter bear to white men; the fuppofition 

 then Is well founded, that the brain, and intelledual organs, fo far as 

 they are dependent upon meer matter, though flmilar in texture and 

 modification to thofe of other men, may in fome of the Negroe race 

 be fo conllituted, as fiot to refult to the fame effeSfs ; for we cannot 

 but allow, that the Deity might, if it was his plea/ure, diverfify hii 

 works in this manner, and either witliholfj tVie fuperior principle en- 

 tirely, or in part only, or infufe it injo the different clafles and races 

 ot human creatures, m luch portions, as to form the fame gradual 

 climax towards perfedion in this human fyftem, which is fo evidently 

 defigned in every other. 



If fuch has been the intention of the Almighty, we are then per- 

 haps to regard the oran-outang as, 



•' — the lag of human kind, 

 " Neareft to brutes, by God delign'd [^]." 

 The Negroe race (confining of varieties) will then appear rifing pro- 

 greffively in the fcale of intelle£l, the further they mmuit above the 

 oran-outang and brute creation. The fyftem of man will feem more 

 confiftent, and the meafure of it more compleat, and analagous to the 

 harmony and order that are vifible in every other line of the world's 

 ftupcndous fabric. Nor is this conclufion degrading to human nature, 

 while it tends to exalt our idea of the Infinite perfedtlons of the Deity ; 



a man in mind as well as body, yet was not only mute When firft caught, but continued fo for 30 

 years after, having never learned to fpeak, notwithftanding his conftant intercourfe with mankind 

 fiuring ihat fpace. This would feem to prove, that the want of aiticulation> or exprefling ideas by 

 fpeech, does not attbrd a pofitive indication of a want of intelleft : fince the difficulty arifing from 

 ihe mechanifm of fpeech, or pronunciation, may to fome organs be infurmountable. Singular ex- 

 amples of this kind may happen, but they are rare. To find a whole fociety of people labouring 

 under the fame impediment, would be really wonderful. 



[«•] Prior. 



B b b 2 fof 



