Art and Science 



accept I mean, that all symbols or tokens of 

 whatever kind, if voluntarily adopted as such, 

 are the products of thought, and perform the 

 functions of human speech ; but I cannot too 

 often remind you that nothing can be con- 

 sidered as fulfilling the conditions of language, 

 except a voluntary application of a recognised 

 token in order to convey a more or less definite 

 meaning, with the intention doubtless of thus 

 purchasing as it were some other desired mean- 

 ing and consequent sensation. It is astonish- 

 ing how closely in this respect money and 

 words resemble one another. Money indeed 

 may be considered as the most universal and 

 expressive of all languages. For gold and 

 silver coins are no more money when not in 

 the actual process of being voluntarily used 

 in purchase, than words not so in use are 

 language. Pounds, shillings and pence are 

 recognised covenanted tokens, the outward 

 and visible, signs of an inward and spiritual 

 purchasing power, but till in actual use they 

 are only potential money, as the symbols of 

 language, whatever they may be, are only 



potential language till they are passing be- 



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