502 THE PHILOSOPHY 



CHAPTER VII. 



Of Infancy. 



IjY the term Infancy^ in this chapter, is gener- 

 ally meant that portion of Ufe whicii commences at birth, 

 and terminates, at that period when animals have acquired 

 the power of felf-prefervation, without any affiftance from 

 |:heir parents. This period varies greatly in different ani- 

 mals. Of courfe, when different fpecies are mentioned, the 

 term infancy mufl have very different limitations v,?ith regard 

 to time. 



The {late of infancy, in the human fpecies, continues lon- 

 ger than in any other animal. Infants, immediately after 

 birth, are indeed extremely helplefs, and require every aflifl- 

 ^nce and attention from the mother. Mofl writers, however, 

 on this fubje£c feem to have exaggerated not only the imbe^ 

 cility, but the miferies of the infant ftate, ' An infant,' fays 

 Buffon, < is more helplefs than the young of any other animal ! 

 ^ Its uncertain life feems every moment to vibrate on the 

 ^ borders of death. It can neither move nor fupport its bo- 

 * dy : It has hardly force enough to exifl, and to announce, 



< by groans, the pain which it fuffers ; as if Nature intended 

 f to apprife the little innocent, that it is born to mifery, and 



< that it is to be ranked among human creatures only to par- 

 ? take of their infirmities and of their afflidtions*.' 



This humiliating picture is partly juft, and partly mifre- 

 prefented. Though infants remain longer in a flate of im- 

 becility than the young of other animals, they are by no 

 moans more helplefs. The inftant after birth, they are capa- 

 ble of fucking whatever is prefented to their mouths. 

 When in the fame condition, the young of the opoffum, of 

 hares, rabbits, rats, mice, &c. can do more. They can 

 * BufTon, vol, a, page 369.Tranil3t. 



