226 THE ASCENT OF MAN 



of the people. The English Language is now being 

 grown on two or three different kinds of soil, and 

 the different fruits and flavours that result are 

 intercharged and mixed, to enrich, or adulterate, the 

 common English tongue. The mere fact that Lan- 

 guage-making is a living art at the present hour, if 

 not an argument against the theory that Language 

 is a special gift, at least shows that Man has a 

 special gift of making Language. If Man could 

 manufacture words in any quantity, there was 

 little reason why he should have been presented 

 with them ready-made. The power to manufacture 

 them is gift enough, and none the less a gift that 

 we know some of the steps by which it was given, 

 or at least through which it was exercised. But if 

 the very words were given him as they stand, it is 

 more than singular that so many of them should 

 bear traces of another origin. Even Trench at 

 this point succumbs to the theory of develop- 

 ment, and his testimony is the more valuable that 

 it is evidently so very much against the grain to 

 admit it. He begins by stating apparently the 

 opposite : — " The truer answer to the inquiry how 

 language arose is this : God gave man language 

 just as He gave him reason, and just because He 

 gave him reason ; for what is man's word but his 

 reason coming forth that it may behold itself? 



