$60 7 Reply to Lapicida on the Theory of Arches. [Nov. 1, 
formed, that certain impressions pro- clusion, attended with inextricable difi- 
duced on our organs of sense, by exter- culties, &c.” . 
nal objects, are followed by correspond- Surely, if this be reasoning, never was 
ing sensations; and.that these sensations, reasoning more unphilosophical, or more 
which have no more resemblance to the fraught with . mere dangerous conse- 
gualities of matter, than the words of a quences. Whatever may be the final 
language have-to the things signified, are cause of pain in them, or in us, or whe- 
followed by a perception of the qualities ther that, which perceives and wills, be | 
of the body, by which the impressions the same or different from that which 
had beea made, That all the steps Of is extended and ‘solid, we have, consi- 
this process are equally incomprehen- dering all the phenomena, the strongest , 
sible, and. that. for any thing we can and soundest reasons for believing, that 
pire to the contrary, the connexion brutes have minds, as well as the human 
between the sensation, and the percep- species. And were an opinion such as 
tion, as well as between the impression that to become general, it would lead to - 
and the sensation, may be both arbitra- worse than “ dreary scepticism ;” it would 
ry.’ Now if the connexion between originate cruelties ten-fold more dreadful, 
Sensations and perceptions be arbitrary, than those to which the brute creation 
we may have sensations without percep- are already exposed, and annihilate some 
| tions; that is to say, we may have the of the best and finest feelings of the 
Sensation of seeing, and yet perceive no- heart. If such, too, were to be regarded 
thing; we may have the sensation of as a truth, all our instructions to our 
. ‘feeling, and yet perceive nothing, &c.” children, and to the uneducated part of . 
| That this is the true sense of the words, the community, would he useless; and. 
‘ the ‘connexion between. the sensation instead of my Lord Erskine having me- 
and the perception, as well as between rited, as he deservedly has done, the 
_.the impression and the sensation, may be thanks of every friend to humanity, for 
both arbitrary,’ I very much. doubt. All his Bill to prevent cruelty to animals, he 
that ismeant, I conceive, is, that the sei- ought to’‘Dde considered in the light of a 
salon and impression are uniformly visionary, who had’exerted his splendid 
found to precede the perception; but that talents to secure those from suffering who 
ifthe Deity had_so willed it, we might are incapable of feeling. Rather than 
have had perception without them... But believe with the learned metaphysician, _- 
we may even, contrary to what ,Mr. and geologist, thatevery animal but man 
Kirwan asserts, have, by three of the .is an automaton, destitute of sensation, 
Senses, sensaiion without perception;and I would embrace the hypothesis cf Dar- 
Professor Stewart has given) a fair in- -win, which gives even to vegetables per- 
stance in two of them, in chap. i. seet.4, ‘ception and volition... The tendency of - 
3d edit. of his elegant. and, truly. phi- - the one, would bé to humanize; but the 
Josophic. werk, the “ Elements. of the effects of the other, would: inevitably be 
‘Philosophy of the Human Mind.”> The that of brutalizing mankind. .) 900+ 
principlesof Dr, Reid, as exposed by the |» Chapter Coffee: House 25 
great northern philosopher, do not lead, ~ Aug. 14, 1809... ~ bashat tar 
therefore, to the most dreary scepticism, f os 
In the third Essay, the author, after — For the Monthly Magazine. . © 
_eonsidefing pain. as’ designed. for our On the tuEoRy of arcnEs, and.omthe 
amendment, or moral reformation, brings respective HONOURS duetO NAPIER, and 
forward the objection, that brateanimals ~ BRiccs, in the invention: of LoGa- 
being incapable of moral saction;,are .  RITEMS.© 4) tor) reheat Wool ag 
nevertheless subject to pain; and con- ..— DO wonder, Mr. Editor; what would 
-sequebtly, that it cannot in them be, fer . be the consequence;: af! -it--were 
the purpose of amendment... To obgiate made! a sine: gud non, that “no pere 
this objection, he says, page 479, “This «son should writey or at least print; upon 
train of reasoning 1s grounded on the — a subject which bédid not; comprehend, 
supposed certainty, that these animals sor whichhe had not» thoughtoabour. 
yeally suffer pain, and are capable of - Why, most:of the:printers andengravezs 
perception and passions; in. attributing «would. starve: for'we should have :no 
perceptica to them, we argue solely from - Mayazinesy*no Reviews, no Novels, no 
aialogy,-in contradiction tothe most modern Epic poems;:and we should 
evident principles: but L appeal to every . then, being reduced to the die necessity 
.- imparual mind, whether this analogy be # ef reading the Bible, and Rilgrim’s. Pro- 
not by far too feeble to support a con- gress, be converted into the strangest, 
2 ASEDAE mies and 
: Pe 
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