4 THE ELEPHANT. 



is hurtful or difpleafmg. But thefe real faults 

 are compehfated by apparent perfections. In his 

 external figure, he refembles man: He has arms, 

 hands, and fingers. The ufe of thefe parts alone 

 renders him fuperior in addrefs to other animals; 

 and the relations they give him to us, in iimila- 

 rity of movements and conformity of actions, 

 plcafe and deceive us, and lead us to aicribe to 

 internal qualities, what depends folely on the 

 ilructure of his members. 



The beaver, whofe individual qualities feem 

 far inferior to thofe of the dog and ape, has, not- 

 withftanding, received from Nature a gift almofl 

 equivalent to that of fpeech. He makes him- 

 felf fo well underftood to his own fpecies, that 

 they unite in fociety, act in concert, undertake 

 and execute large and long continued works; 

 and this focial attachment, as well as the refult 

 of their mutual intelligence, are more entitled to 

 our admiration than the addrefs of the ape, or 

 the fidelity of the dog. 



Hence the genius of the dog (if I may be 

 permitted to profane this term) is borrowed ; 

 the ape has only the appearance of it ; and the 

 talents of the beaver extend no farther than to 

 what regards himfelf and his affbeiates. But 

 the elephant is fuperior to all the three; for in 

 him all their mod exalted qualities are united. 

 In the ape, the hand is the principal organ of 

 addrefs. The trunk of the elephant affords him 

 the fame means of addrefs as the ape. It ferves 



inflead 



