benevolence in the miser, or humanity in the cruel

man.

Verbal language, it is true, is, of all languages and of all possible artificial signs, the most convenient to employ; it needs neither instruments nor preparations as for traced figures; it requires neither space not freedom of limbs as for gestures; in whatever position one is, maimed, sick, acting, he can produce this language. It is heard as well by night as by day, at a distance as well as near, without disturbing one's self, without turning toward the speaker, without being earnestly attentive, without even wishing it. These properties, which sounds possess, of being the most natural and the most convenient of all signs, cause them to become by custom the most habitual of all, and within us they are the most intimately connected with the ideas which they represent.

It is also true, that sounds have the very precious property of being able to become permanent signs by means of writing; that they remain fixed under our eyes, like hieroglyphics, drawings, and all other durable signs; and can, like them, awake in us, constantly, the ideas with which we have been transiently affected, and recall to us those which we may have forgotten, and which serve as necessary connections with others.

Notwithstanding all these advantages, so well detailed by Destutt Tracy, it must be confessed, that the language of gestures, though destitute of some of these properties, is more natural, more intelligible, more universal than spoken language, and that the language of actions or of gestures, is anterior to spoken language, &c. The immense utility of the language of gestures I shall make evident, when I have occasion to speak on pathognomony and mimickry.

The cases of disease, which I have quoted above, in which the patients had full knowledge of things, without being able to find or pronounce their names, prove, that the action of the internal forces precedes signs; that it is, in some measure, independent of

these; and, finally, that arbitrary signs, like spoken language, can give rise to ideas and sentiments, only so far as they have become by use means of association.

If it were true, that without signs, we should hardly think, and that nothing but articulate words can lead us to abstract ideas, then children would scarcely think before knowing how to speak. Now, experience shows that, before speaking, children acquire an infinity of notions, which without thinking, would be impossible. Children even commence the operations of their intelligence by making abstract ideas for themselves. Without stopping at the shades of color, all these shades are referred to the abstract idea: they are all green, red, blue, &c. The young of animals, the calf, the foal, &c. are the offspring of the cow, horse, &c. Thus, abstraction is the first want of the understanding, and is effected without the aid of any language.

It is likewise proved by experience, that, when an individual has been deprived of hearing, he employs other signs, natural or artificial, to express his sentiments and his thoughts. Men have at length seen the fallacy of the opinion, refuted many centuries since, that persons, deaf from birth, are not susceptible of the same sentiments, ideas, acquirements, as those persons who hear. The attainments of the deaf, unless their intelligence is imperfect, are often more just and more precise than the vague and indeterminate knowledge of other persons. The instruction of these is too often given in ill understood, ambiguous terms; the instruction of the deaf, on the contrary, always commences with the objects themselves; the deaf man will never persuade himself, that he has a positive idea of spiritual things; he knows very well, that whatever he learns of them is founded on negations, because he has been made to conceive, for example, that spirit is not an extended body, that it is not matter without action, &c. For the rest, every body knows the precision of their ideas on the affections, the sen

sations, the sentiments, and the passions, and with what rapidity they communicate together before having received the least instruction.

Spurzheim saw a young Scotchman, born deaf and blind, who, though deprived of these two principal means of communication, and without having received any education whatever, manifests moral or affective qualities and intellectual faculties, to a higher degree than many other individuals endowed with all the external senses.

This fact is too important to be omitted. I shall relate it, as Spurzheim has reported it in his Phrenology. "The history of James Mitchell, a young Scotchman, born deaf and blind, furnishes us an evident proof, that the five senses do not procure us our affective and intellectual faculties, and that they are only intermediate instruments. On account of the importance of the fact, and because I have myself seen this young man, I will speak of him with some detail.

"He was born the 11th Nov. 1795, deaf and blind, of intelligent parents. It may be conjectured, that he perceives sounds internally, for he appears to experience pleasure in moving hard bodies against his teeth; he has been seen to do this for whole hours. He has always seen the light so far as to distinguish day from night, and dazzling colors; and amused himself in his youth with looking at the sun through the clefts of the door, and with kindling fire. At the age of twelve years, the drums of both ears were perforated, one by Sir Astley Cooper, the other by Mr. Saunders, but without any improvement of the hearing. fourteen years, Mr. Wardrop performed for him the operation of cataract on the right eye; after this he recognised more easily the presence of external objects, but never made use of sight to distinguish the qualities of bodies. Before and after this period, the colors of red, white, and yellow particularly fixed his attention. His senses of relation were always smell and touch. At present, he recurs to smell less than

At

formerly; he turns bodies with quickness in all directions, and turns the head sideways in the same manner as other blind men. His desire to know external objects, their qualities and uses, has always been great; he examines all that he meets, men, animals, and things. All his actions indicate reflection. One day, the shoemaker brought him a pair of shoes too small; his mother shuts them in a neighbouring closet and takes out the key. Some moments afterwards Mitchell asks his mother for the key, turning his hand, as if in opening a door, and pointed to the closet. His mother gives it to him; he opens the door, brings the shoes, and puts them on the feet of the young boy, who accompanied him in his excursions, and whom they fitted very well.

"In his childhood, he always smelled out the persons whom he approached, carrying their hands to his nose and drawing in the air. Their odor determined his affection or aversion, in the same manner, as persons, endowed with the sense of sight, are attracted or repelled by a handsome or ugly person. He always knew his clothes by the smell, and refused to put on those of another. Bodily exercise always amused him, such as rolling himself from the top to the bottom of a hill, turning a somerset, making wood or other objects float down a brook, which ran past the house of his father, picking up round and smooth stones, which he found on the bank, arranging them in a circle, and placing himself in the midst, or building houses with pieces of turf, in which he left openings, probably to imitate windows. Since he is able, by the aid of his right eye, to distinguish objects better, he is bolder in his excursions. He goes alone the distance of twelve Scotch miles, from Nairn to Fort Georges. He passes the greatest part of the day in the fields and on the road; but returns at the hours of meals.

"The traits of his countenance are very expressive. In general his natural language is not that of an idiot,

but of an intelligent being. When he is hungry, he carries his hand to his mouth, and points to the closet where the eatables are shut up. When he wishes to lie down, he inclines his head on one side on his hand, as if he would place it on his pillow; he imitates the motions of artisans in referring to them, as the movements of a shoemaker, who draws his thread by extending his arms, or of a tailor in sewing. He loves to mount on horseback; he designates this exercise by joining his hands and placing them under the sole of his foot, no doubt to imitate the stirrup. He makes, like every body else, the natural signs, for yes and no, with his head. He does not like any one to kiss him on the face, and if his sister does this in sport, he wipes and rubs himself with a discontented air. It is remarkable that almost all the signs, which he invents, are calculated for the sight of others. He appears to know his own inferiority in regard to this sense. Formerly he was accompanied by a little boy in his excursions; he went where he wished, but if he met any object, which seemed to him an obstacle, he waited for his companion to come up.

"He easily recalls the signification of the signs made to him. To make him comprehend the number of the days, they incline the head to him, to intimate that he must lie down so many times before the thing takes place. Approbation is manifested to him by caressing his shoulder or arm, and disapprobation by striking a slight blow. He is sensible to the caresses and the satisfaction of his relations. He loves young children, and takes them in his arms. He is naturally good and offends no one, yet his temper is not equal. Sometimes he loves to have others play with him, and breaks into bursts of laughter. One of his favorite amusements is to shut up somebody in a chamber or in the stable; but if others thwart him much, or too long, he becomes angry, and utters very disagreeable cries; in general, he appears contented with his situation.