MENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PERIODS OF LIFE. 271 



Deceit appears to be a principle in most of the perfect animals, or 

 those endowed with the senses. It is of two kinds, either to screen 

 the animal itself, for its own safety, or to impose upon another for its 

 own advantage, or for the disadvantage of the other. Probably in all 

 animals it is instinctive, and has but little variety. But Man employs 

 his reason, which, in most things, he does to improve or extend his 

 instinctive actions ; even to the creating new instincts. These begin 

 very early, in the child, to become artificial. It hides its cake ; it finds 

 its natural and instinctive actions are checked, yet it practises them, of 

 which practice it soon learns to evade the detection. It is encouraged 

 by some of the older children ; may even be assisted by those accus- 

 tomed to evasion. They first put on an appearance as if innocent ; if 

 questioned, they deny. These lead to deceit of the mind, and may be 

 called ' passive deceits.' 



But the mind becomes more active ; it is inventing actions, which 

 actions are to deceive, without having committed them first ; as it were, 

 innocently, and then inventing an excuse as in the former stated cases. 

 The first inventions are to excuse themselves from some task imposed, and 

 they find out what will plead best in their favour. Health in young folks 

 is a great object with parents, and the children find that out ; therefore 

 sickness is the great resource, as lameness or fits. Lameness is, gene- 

 rally, the first, because it requires the least art, and is more in the way 

 of having been observed by them. Fits are not so commonly observed ; 

 and it requires a greater degree of mental powers either to put them on 

 or go through with them ; therefore we seldom have fits until about fif- 

 teen. The age of fits lasts longer in girls than boys ; it even creeps 

 into womanhood, but seldom into manhood ; man beginning to employ 

 his wits in another way. 



Periods of Life, according to Appetites and Mental Operations. 



The life of man may be divided into three great periods : viz. 

 1 youth,' ' middle-age,' and ' old age.' In considering these three dif- 

 ferent stages of life, both as to constitution and disposition, we shall 

 find that there is a gradual and imperceptible change always taking- 

 place; the first going gradually into the second, and the second as 

 gradually into the third ; so that there is no particular period between 



avoid going to school. Referring to the present case, Mr. Hunter had desired the 

 dessert for a dinner party to be laid out in the room where Master W. was laid up ; 

 and, being, watched, he was seen to skip naturally and very briskly from his sofa, 

 appropriate a bunch of grapes, and retreat with equal agility to his place of repose. 

 The imposition was thus exposed, the culprit punished, but the surgeon was never 

 again called in. — Wm. Cmft.] 



