1807.] 
serve to call the attention of those with 
whom the power lies, to protect the un- 
fortunate dumb from a deprivation ‘of 
that justice which is allowed hy the laws 
of our country to the worst of foreigners. 
The French government deirays the 
expence ef the ‘echoal under the direc- 
tion of. M. Sicard, and the children of 
poor persons are maintained and edu- 
cated gratuitously. Parents who can af- 
ford it, are required to pay a stipulated 
sum yearly. The gesticulations made use 
of among the pupils of this school are, -in 
the outline they describe, not unlike the 
hieroglyphic figures desivned by the an- 
cient ‘Beyptians to convey the images of 
thoughts and things directly to the nnind, 
Thus, a circle turned in the air, denotes, 
for instance, not only that figure itself, 
but eternity also; a long: line traced off. 
wards in the air with the hand, denotes 
distance; a line with the finger repre- 
sents length; an extended motion of the 
hand and arm designates space, extent, 
immensity. The signs for persons and 
things are all taken from some quality or 
peculiarity. A woman is expressed by 
putting the hands, as a woman might do, 
under the bosom; or drawiig the hand 
across the knees, to Barcel petticoats 
or putting one hand to the outside of the 
thigh, in the attitude of a woman holding 
her gownin walking... A married woman 
is denoted by pointing to the part of the 
dingers where women usually wear their 
Tings, in addition to the general sign for 
2 woman. All the names, in fact, are 
-highly descriptive, and many of them en- 
tertaining ; 1 am sure they would prove 
very ruch so to an arch boy who is fond. 
of what is called taking folks off. The 
Abbé Sicard’s name is made by putting 
the hand up to the chin, with the thumb 
extended on one side, and the fore-finger 
on the other; the lower fingers closed. 
‘This is a gesture which the children have 
remarked to be habitual to the Abbé 
when he walks, or stands, meditating. 
Each of themelves, and of theimasters 3, 18 
designated by. his peculiar sign or nick- 
name ; one 1s by describing the attitude 
of drawing, another is mentioned by flat- 
tening the nose with the finger; another 
by laying the finger along the nose, as if 
.to intimate avery high one; a fourth is 
expressed by see the. sign of a wide 
‘mouth, a fitth is known by a fierce look, 
&&e. 
Most of this mimicry isvery diverting to 
common observers; but I can assure the 
reader that the mimics themselves under- 
of the Deaf and Dumb, in Great Britain, Ke. 
41§ 
stand it very seriously; and that each of 
them seems perfectly content with his 
own nick-name, which, in their ordinar 
language, supplies the place es the French 
naine, or surname. This they always 
write when there is occasion, without 
any allusion to the feature, custom, or 
habitual attitude from whence they derive 
the individual’s name in the language 
of signs, unless you desire to. know the 
reasons upon which such a manner of 
haming a person is founded. 
I have been present at several of the 
exhibitions of the progress made by the 
scholars of this institution. Their exer- 
cises are very curious, and it is pleasing 
to observe the rapidity with which they 
translate the gesticulated meaning into 
written w ords. They are, almost inva- 
riably, exact to a synonymy. One of 
them, I remember, on a particular day, 
when 1 was present, wrote down glory, 
for renown, im transcribing a question 
which was dictated to him through the 
interpretation of M. Sicard’s gestures ; 
but on the sign which he had mistaken 
being repeated, he corrected the word 
immediately; and, without hesitation, 
wrote the answer underneath in the face 
of the whole company. The tablet being 
a jatge square surface of boards painted 
black, nad in front of the elevated range 
of benches, the chalk writing was distinct- 
ly lesible in every part of “the examina- 
tion hall. 
The whole then stood thus : 
“ Qu’est-ce que la renommée ?” 
“ C’est la celebrité, la publicité des 
grandes actions.” 
Then, pausing to reflect a moment, he 
added, as if to shew that he well under- 
stood the distinction,—‘ Elle différe de 
la gloire en ce que la gloire tient plus a 
i admiration ; etne se donne qu’aux actions, 
qui sont en elles-mémes bonnes et gene- 
reuses, aussi bien que capables de faire 
éclit.” 
*« What is renown (or fame)?” 
“Tt is the celebrity, or publicity, of 
great actions.—It differs from glory in 
this: that glory partakes more of admira- 
tion; and belongs only to actions which 
are good and generous.in themselves, as 
well as capable of making a noise in ‘the 
world.” 
In my next I shall Gan bei the stibe 
ject, and present to your readers a view 
of what has been done in other party of 
Europe. L ain, &c. LER 
. Purfleet, De soe ATM bai 
May i2, 1807. | bh 
> 
Te 
