58 THE NOMENCLATURE ' 



rents can perform. To an infant, 'feveral years 

 are neceffary before it acquires this degree of 

 perfedion ; becaufe, when brought forth, it is 

 incomparably lefs advanced, weaker, and more 

 imperfeftly formed, than the fmaller animals. In 

 early infancy, the mind is nothing, when com- 

 pared to the powers it will afterwards acquire. 

 In receiving individual education, therefore, the 

 infant is much flower than the brute ; but, for 

 this very reafon, it becomes fufceptible of that of 

 the fpecles. The multiplicity of fuccours, the 

 continual cares, which the ftate of inibeciliity for 

 a long time requires, cheiilh and augment the 

 attachment of the parents. In training the body, 

 they cultivate the mind. The time employed 

 in ftrengthening the former gives an advantage 

 to the latter. The bodily powers of mod ani- 

 mals are more advanced in two months than 

 thofe of the infant in two years. Hence the 

 time employed in beftowing on the infant its 

 individual education, is as twelve to one, without 

 eftimating the fruits of what follows after this 

 period, without confidering that animals fepa- 

 rate from their parents as foon as they can pro- 

 vide for themfelves, and that, not long after this 

 feparation, they know each other no more. All 

 education ceafes the moment that the aid of the 

 parents becomes unneceflary. This time of edu- 

 cation being fo Ihort, its eileds mufl; be very li- 

 mited : It is even aftonifliing that the animals 

 acquire, in two months, all that is neceffary far 



them 



