l80 THE PHILOSOPHir 



« agreement without figns, nor without language ; and there- 

 « fore there muft be a natural language before any artificial 



* language can be invented*/ Let any man try to overturn 

 this argument, which is founded, not upon metaphyjical con- 

 jecture, but upon the folid bafis oifacl and uncontrovertible 

 reafotiing. The elements, or conftituent parts of the natural 

 language of mankind, the Doctor reduces to three kinds ; 

 modulations of the voice, geftures, and features. < By means 



* of thefe,' fays he, * two flivages, who have no common ar- 



< tificial language, can converfe together \ can communicate 



< their thoughts in fome tolerable manner \ can afk and re- 



< fufe, affirm and deny, threaten and fupplicate \ can traffic, 



* enter into covenants, and plight their faith/ 



I can perceive only one plauiible objedlion to this reafon- 

 ing. If, it may be faid, man were endowed with a natural 

 language, this language muft be univerfal , from what fource, 

 then, can the great diverlity of languages in different na* 

 tions, and tribes of the human race be derived ? The folu- 

 tion of this queftion depends not upon metaphyiical argu- 

 ments, but upon fa£l and experience. I have had conlider- 

 able opportunities of obferving the behaviour of children. 

 Infants, when very young, have nearly the fame modes of ex- 

 prefilng their pleafures and pains, their defires and averfions. 

 Thefe they communicate by voice, gefture, and feature ; and 

 every infant, whatever be the country, climate, or language, 

 uniformly exprefTes its feelings almoft in the fam>e manner. 

 But, when they arrive at nine or twelve months of age, a dif- 

 ferent fcene is exhibited. They then, befide the general 

 expreffions of feeling and defire, attempt to give names to 

 particular objects. Here artifice begins. In thefe attempts, 

 previous to the capacity of imitating articulate founds, every 

 individual infant utters different founds, or rather gives differ- 



* Dr. Reld's Inquiry into the Human Mind, on the Principles of Common 

 Scnfe, page 93. 



