70 THE NOMENCLATURE 



fink below the condition of an idiot, and, with 

 regard to its material part, be entirely levelled 

 Avith the brutes ? But in this condition of nature, 

 the firft education requires an equal time as ia 

 the civilized ftiite ; for in both, the infant is e- 

 qually feeble, and equally flow in its growth ; 

 and, confequently, demands the care of its pa- 

 rents during an equal period. In a v/ord, ii" a- 

 bandoned before the age of three years, it would 

 infallibly perifh. Now, this neceflary, and fo long 

 continued intercourfe between the mother and 

 child, is fufficient to communicate to ic all that 

 ihe poflefles : And though we fhould falfely fup- 

 pofe, that a mother, in a ftate of nature, pofTeiTes 

 nothing, not even the faculty of fpeech, would 

 not this long intercourfe with her infant produce 

 a language ? Hence a ftate of pure nature, in 

 which man is fuppofed neither to think nor 

 fpeak, is imaginary, and never had an exiftence. 

 This ncceflity of a long intercourfe between pa- 

 rents and children produces fociety in the midfl: 

 of a defert. The family underftand each other 

 both by figns and founds ; and this lirft ray of 

 intelligence, when cherilhed, cultivated, and com- 

 municated, unfolds, in procefs of time, all the 

 cerms of eosritation. As this habitual intercourfe 

 could not fiibfirt fo long, without producing mu- 

 tual figns and founds, thefe figns and founds, 

 always repeated and gradually engraven on the 

 memory of the child, would become permanent 

 expreffions. The catalogue of words, though 



fliort, 



