i56 HISTORY OF 



the animal has received its name : the tail is naked in the middle, 

 and hairy only at both extremities : its hair is woolly, soft, and 

 of a deep ash-colour. As to the rest, it is unknown from what 

 country this animal was brought ; but the naturalist from whom 

 we have its description, supposes it to be a native of America. 



From this general description of four-handed animals, we per- 

 ceive what few advantages the brute creation derive from those 

 organs, that, in man, are employed to so many great and useful 

 purposes. The being able to pluck their food from the trees, 

 the capacity of clinging among the branches, and at most of con- 

 verting one of those branches, into a weapon of offence, are the 

 highest stretches of their sagacity, and the only use their hands 

 have hitherto been employed in ; and yet some superficial men 

 have asserted, that the hands alone are sufficient to vindicate the 

 dominion of mankind over other animals ; and that much of his 

 boasted reason, is nothing more than the result of his happier 

 conformation : however, were this so, an ape or a monkey would, 

 in some instances, be more rational than we ; their fingers are 

 smaller, and, in some of them, more finely formed than ours. 

 To what a variety of purposes might they not be employed, if 

 their powers were properly exerted ! Those works which we, 

 from the largeness of our fingers, are obliged to go clumsily 

 about, one of these could very easily perform with the utmost 

 exactness ; and if the fineness of the hand assisted reason, an 

 ape would be one of the most reasonable beings in the creation. 

 But these admirably formed machines, are almost useless both to 

 mankind and themselves ; and contribute little more to the hap- 

 piness of animal life than the paws of the lowest quadruped. 

 They are supplied, indeed, with the organs ; but they want the 

 mind to put them into action : it is that reasoning principl 

 alone, with which man has been endowed, that can adapt seem- 

 ingly opposite causes to concur in the same general design ; and 

 even where the organs are deficient, that can supply their place, 

 by the intervention of assisting instruments. Where reason 

 prevails, we find that it scarcely matters what the organs are 

 that give it the direction ; the being furnished with that principle 

 still goes forward steadily, and uniformly successful ; breaks 

 through every obstacle, and becomes master of every enterprise. 

 J have seen a man without hands or legs convert, by practice, 

 his very stumps to the most convenient purposes ; and with these 



