M A N 
Feeling is the moH: grofs, and yet the moft: 
iifeful of all the fenfes. Man often furvives the 
lofb of the reft; but of this he can never be to- 
tally deprived but Vv'ith life. Though this fenfe 
is diffultd over all parts of the body, it frequent- 
ly happens, that thofe members which are moft 
exercifed in touching, acquire the greateft degree 
of accuracy: thus, the fingers, by long habit, 
become greater maftcrs in the art than any others, 
even where the fenfation is more delicate and fine. 
It is from this habit therefore, and their peculiar 
formation, and not, as fome have fuppofed, from 
their being furniflied with a greater quantity of 
nerves, that the fingers are thus perfeftly qualified 
to judge of forms. Blind people, who are ob- 
liged to ufe them much oftener than others, have 
this fenfe in much greater perfection : fo that the 
delicacy of the toucli arifes rather from the habit 
of conftantly employing the fingers, than from 
any fancied fuperiority in their formation. 
Such animals as are furnilhed with hands ap- 
pear to have moft fligacity. Apes imitate the 
mechanical adions of Men fo compleatly, that 
they fcem to be excited by the fame fenfations: 
but no animals which are deft'itute of hands can 
form any diftind ideas of the fliape of obje£ls by 
v/hich they are furrounded; becaufe they want 
that organ which ferves to examine and meafure 
their forms, their elevations, and their depref- 
fions. A quadruped probably conceives as er- 
roneous an idea of any thing near it, as a child 
would of a diftant rock or mountain; and hence 
we often fee animals frightened at things with 
which they ought to be better acquainted. In 
them the muzzle is the principal organ of feel- 
ing, wliich is divided into two parts by the 
mouth; and this, with the afiiftance of the tongue, 
ferves to touch bodies, before they are feized 
with the teeth. It is alfo probable that animals 
furnifhed with many inftruments of feeling have 
a fuperior faculty of diftinguifhing and chufing 
whatever is agreeable or convenient for tliem. 
Hence fifties, v/hofe bodies are covered with 
fcales, and deftitute of any organs for feeling, 
muft be the moft ftupid of all animals ; and fer- 
pents, by their undulatory motion, may be bet- 
ter adapted to judge of the figures of bodies. 
But ail thefe can have but very imperfect ideas of 
feeling ; and v/hen animals are deprived of this, 
the reft of their fenfes are extremely fallacious. 
Feeling, therefore, may be faid to be the guar- 
dian, the judge, and the teft of all the other 
fenfes ; it eftablifiies their information, and de- 
tects their errors. All the other fenfes are altered 
by time, and contradiCl their former evidence: 
but the touch ftlll continues the fame; and, 
though extremely confined in it's operations, it 
is never found to deceive. 
To a perfon who enjoyed the ufe of the other 
fenfes only, the nniverfe would prove but a fcene 
of illufion; every objefl would be mifreprefented, 
and all it's properties unknown. Buffbn has 
pourtrayed a Man, newly brought into exiftence, 
defcribing the illufion of his firft fenfations, and 
pointing out the gradations by which he arrived 
at reality. He confiders him as v/aking amidft 
the produftions of nature; and, in order to ani- 
mate his narrative in the ftrongeft manner, has 
fet forth this ideal being as endov/ed with the gift 
of fpeech, and defcribing his firft fenfations in 
the fubfequent manner. 
' I recoiled the moment when my exiftence 
Vol. 11. 
commenced; it was a moment replete with a variety 
of fenfations, hope, wonder, and apprehenfion. 
I neither knew what I was, where I was, nor from 
whence I came. I opened my eyes; and how 
were my feelings increafed! The light, the ce- 
leftial vault, the verdure of the earth, and the 
liquid luftre of the waters, gave animation to 
my fpirits, and excited pleafures which furpaffed 
the powers of expreffion. 
' At firft I conceived that all thefe objefls ex- 
ifted within me, and conftituted a part of myfelf. 
When nearly abforbed in this idea, I turned my 
eyes towards heaven: I beheld the fun; his fplen- 
dor overpowered me. I involuntarily ftiut out 
the light, and felt a flight degree of pain ; for, 
during this moment of darknefs, I imagined that 
a confiderable fhare of my being was annihilated. 
' Refleding with grief and aftonifhment on this 
great and fudden change, I was rouzed with a va- 
riety of founds: the finging of birds, and the mur- 
muring of the breeze, formed a concert which 
awakened the moft fweet and enchanting emo- 
tions; I liftened a longtime, and feemecl fully 
convinced that thefe harmonious founds had their 
exiftence within me. Totally engrofled with this 
new fpecies of exiftence, I had already forgot the 
light, though the firft part of my being that I had 
recognized. I again opened my eyes by acci- 
dent, and ^Vas delighted to find that I recovered 
the pofleflion of fo many brilliant objefts: this 
pleafure furpafl^ed every former fenfation, and fu- 
fpended for a time the charming melody of found. 
I fixed my eyes on innumerous obje6ts : I foon 
perceived that I poflelTed the power of lofing and 
of recovering them ; and that I could, at pleafure, 
deftroy and renew this beautiful portion of my 
fenfations. 
* I could not fee without aftonifhment, nor hear 
without anxiety, when a gentle breeze wafted per- 
fumes to my noftrils. This new and delightful 
feeling agitated my frame, and gave a frefh addi- 
tion to my felf-love. 
' When occupied by all thofe fenfations, and 
filled with pleafures fo delicate and fo multi- 
farious, I fuddenly arofe, and was tranfported by 
the perception of an unknown faculty. I made 
but a fingle ftep, when the novelty of my fituation 
rendered me immoveable. My furprize was ex- 
treme; I imagined my being fled from me: the 
movement I had made confounded the objects of 
vifion; and the whole creation feemed to be in 
diforder. I raifed my hand to my head; I touched 
my forehead and my eyes, and felt every part of 
my body. The hand now appeared to be the 
principal organ of my exiftence: the perceptions 
afforded by this inftrument were fo diftindl and fo 
perfed, the pleafures conveyed by it were fo in- 
finitely fuperior to thofe of light and found, that 
for fome time I attached myfelf entirely to this 
fubftantial part of my being, and I perceived that 
my ideas began to aflTume a confiftence and a rea- 
lity which I had never before felt. Every part of 
my body which I touched with my hand refledled 
the fenfation, and produced in my mind a double 
idea. By this exercife I foon learned, that the 
faculty of feeling was expanded over every part of 
my frame; and I began to recognize the limits of 
my exiftence, which, till now, feemed to be of an 
immenfe extent. I furveyedmy body, and I fup- 
pofed it to be of fuch immenfe magnitude, that 
all other objedls, in comparifon, feemed only lu- 
minous points. I followed my hand with my 
S eyesj 
