LANGUAGE. 
between the most uninformed mind of the 
human species and the most sagacious of 
the brutes, than between the brightest orna- 
ments of our race and those whose minds 
have received the leastculture from natural 
or artificial education. We gain greater 
exactness by making the capacity of speech 
the criterion of distinction between man 
and t!ie brute creation. Many animals are 
capable of actpiainting others of the same, 
and even of a ditferent species, with the feel- 
ings of their minds ; but man alone has the 
power of expressing a train of ideas,' and of 
stating the causes of those feelings. 
2. Articulation furnishes the most conve- 
nient and extensive method of communica- 
tion. It would be possible to form a lan- 
guage of signs, and in many instances this is 
done ; but human thought would never 
have acquired any high degree of accuracy 
and extent, if there had been' no other lan- 
guage. The most perfect language of signs 
is merely a representative of the language 
of speech. What are called the natural 
signs of feeling are very similar to the lan- 
guage of brutes, and not more extensive. 
To give speech all the energy of thought, 
the language of tone and gesture must be 
joined to it ; but it will generally be found 
that those who have wordsfor all their ideas, 
seldom have recourse to gesticulation, 
except when tlie warmth of feeling calls it 
forth. Where speech is defective in ener- 
gy, it is usually enforced by looks, gestures, 
and tones ; these powerfully appeal to the 
feelings, because they are considered as an 
indication that certain feelings exist in the 
mind of the speaker, and feeling is contagi- 
ous ; but our limits will not allow us to 
enter into the consideration of this species 
of language, and we shall confipe ourselves 
to that of speech, at the same time begging 
our readers to refer to the article Voice for 
an account of the mechanism by which 
speech is effected, and to Writing, origin 
of, alphabetical, for the methods which men 
have adopted for a permanent visible de- 
notement of speech, wlrich latter w'e wish 
to be considered as forming one with the 
present article. 
3. Whatever be our opinion respecting 
the progressive melioration of brutes, if 
the capacity of language were commu- 
nicated to them, there can be no hesitation 
in admitting that there would be a progres- 
sive deterioration of the human species, if 
they were ileprived of it. Had not man 
possessed this, or some other extensive 
power of communication, that astonishing 
system which we call the human mind, 
would have remained in inactivity, its facul- 
ties torpid, its energies unexcited, and that 
capacity of progressive improvement which 
forms so important a part in the mental 
constitution would have been unknown 
and giyen in vain. But in every part of 
the creation we discern an unity of design 
which equally proves the wisdom and bene- 
volence of the great First Cause. The 
means of bringing his powers into activity 
are bestowed upon man, as well as the pow- 
ers themselves ; and it is a position which 
will bear a rigorous examination, that the 
accuracy of human thought, and the extent 
of human intellect, generally proceed in 
equal steps with the accuracy and extent of 
language. When we consider the influence 
of language upon intellect, it will not ap- 
pear too much to affirm that, if those whose 
genius has dazzled the world with its splen- 
dour and extent, had been from the first 
destitute of the power of communication, 
they would not have risen above the level 
of the least cultivated of their fellow mor- 
tals. “ Conceive such a -one (to use the 
ideas of Condillac) bereft of tlie use of visi- 
ble signs, how much knowledge would be 
concealed from him, attainable even by an 
ordinary capacity. Take away from him 
the use of speech, the lot of the dumb 
teaches you in what narrow bounds you 
enclose him. Finally, deprive him of the 
use of all kinds of signs, let him not know 
how to make with propriety any gesture, 
you would have in him a mere idiot.” 
4. We are far, however, from believing, 
with Lord Monboddo, that the human race 
have actually risen from the very lowest 
stage — that of mere brutality. His lord- 
ship supposes, on the authority of several 
travellers whom he quotes, (and of whose 
passion for the maryelloUs his quotations 
leave no room to doubt), that there have 
been nations without laws or any of the arts 
of civilized fife,.without even language; and 
that some of them (to complete their resem- 
blance to the monkey tribe) had actually 
tails. This, with other opinions which dis- 
play rather the credulity of the man of 
system, than the sober and cool judgment of 
the philosopher, has exposed his lordship to 
the lively ridicule of Mr. Horne Tooke ; and 
though ridicule is no test of troth, we must 
admit that this is one of those dogmata 
which it is below the dignity of reason to 
refute. 
5. We see in language a complicated 
whole, which we are usually accustomed to 
i 
