V ANIMAL AUTOMATISM 243 



think out scientifically to go as far as reason 

 leads, and stop where evidence comes to an end 

 Avithout speedily being deafened by the tattoo of 

 " the drum ecclesiastic " that I have luxuriated 

 in my rare freedom, and would now willingly 

 bring this disquisition to an end if I could hope 

 that other people would go no farther. Unfortu- 

 nately, past experience debars me from entertain- 

 ing any such hope, even if 



" . . . . that drum's discordant sound 

 Parading round and round and round," 



were not, at present, as audible to me as it was 

 to the mild poet who ventured to express his 

 hatred of drums in general, in that well-known 

 couplet. 



It will be said, that I mean that the conclusions 

 deduced from the study of the brutes are applicable 

 to man, and that the logical consequences of such 

 application are fatalism, materialism, and atheism 

 whereupon the drums will beat the pas de 

 charge. 



One does not do battle with drummers ; but I 

 venture to offer a few remarks for the calm con- 

 sideration of thoughtful persons, untrammelled by 

 foregone conclusions, unpledged to shore-up totter- 

 ing dogmas, and anxious only to know the true 

 bearings of the case. 



It is quite true that, to the best of my judg- 

 ment, the argumentation which applies to brutes 



B 2 



