tracing back the long line of man's progression, he will discover another state of our nature, even beyond that in which this girl was, however near it may seem to the original, I mean the state before language was invented, that is, the communication of general ideas, by the articulation of the voice, when men were literally, as the poet describes them, mutum et turpe pecus: For it is impossible to suppose, that language, the most wonderful art among men, should have been born with us, and practised by us from mere instinct, unless we could at the same time suppose, that other arts came into the world with us in the same manner; nor can we believe that it was sooner invented than other arts much less difficult, and more obvious.
In this manner, the philosopher will discover a state of nature, very different from what is commonly known by that name: And from this point of view, he will see,—That those superior faculties of mind, which distinguish our nature from that of any other animal on this earth, are not congenial with it, as to the exercise or energy, but adventitious and acquired, being only at first latent powers in our nature, which have been evolved and brought into exertion by degrees, in the course of our progression above mentioned, from one state to another.—That the rational man has grown out of the mere animal, and that reason and animal sen-
sation,
