The incorporeal and immaterial have always a relative sense; the spiritual is that which is positive: God is a spiritual, not properly an incorporeal nor immaterial being: the angels are likewise designated, in general, as the spiritual inhabitants of Heaven; All creatures as well spiritual as corporeal declare their absolute dependance upon the first author of all beings, the only self-existent God.' BENTLEY. Although, when spoken of in regard to men, they may be denominated incorporeal;

Thus incorporeal spirits to smallest forms
Reduc'd their shapes immense. MILTON.

Spirituous signifies having the spirit separated from the gross particles of the body, after the manner of spirituous liquors; The spirituous and benign matter most apt for generation.' SMITH on Old Age. Spirited is applicable to the animal spirits of either men or brutes; a person or a horse may be spirited; and also in a moral application in the sense of vivacious, or calculated to rouse the spirit; Dryden's translation of Virgil is noble and spirited. POPE. What is spiritual is after the manner of a spirit; and what is ghostly is like a ghost; although originally the same in meaning, the former being derived from the Latin spiritus, and the latter from the German geist, and both signifying what is not corporeal, yet they have acquired a difference of application. Spiritual objects are distinguished generally from those of sense; Virginity is better than the married life, not that it is more holy, but that it is a freedom from cares, an opportunity to spend more time in spiritual employments.' TAYLOR (Holy Living). Hence it is that the word spiritual is opposed to the temporal; She loves them as her spiritual children, and they reverence her as their spiritual mother, with an affection far above that of the fondest friend.' Law.

UNDERSTANDING, INTELLECT,

INTELLIGENCE.

Understanding being the Saxon word, is employed to describe a familiar and easy operation of the mind in forming distinct ideas of things. Intellect, which is of Latin derivation, is employed to mark the same operation in regard to higher and more abstruse objects. The understanding applies to the first exercise of the rational powers: it is therefore aptly said of children and savages that they employ their understandings on the simple objects of perception; a child uses his understanding to distinguish the dimensions of objects, or to apply the right names to the things that come before his notice; By understanding I mean that faculty whereby we are enabled to apprehend the objects of knowledge, generals as well as particulars, absent things as well as present, and to judge of their truth or falsehood, good or evil.' WILKINS.

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Intellect, being a matured state of the understanding, is most properly applied to the efforts of those who have their powers in full vigour: we speak of understanding as the characteristic distinction between man and brute; The light within us is (since the fall) become darkness; and the understanding, that should be eyes to the blind faculty of the will, is blind itself. SOUTH. But human beings are distinguished from each other by the measure of their intellect; All those arts and inventions which vulgar minds gaze at, the ingenious pursue, and all admire, are but the reliques of an intellect defaced with sin and time.' SOUTH. We may expect the youngest children to employ an understanding according to the opportunities which they have of using their senses; one is gratified in seeing great intellect in youth.

Intellect and intelligence, are derived from the same word; but intellect describes the power itself, and intelligence the exercise of that power: the intellect may be hidden, but the intelligence brings it to light;

Silent as the ecstatic bliss

OTWAY.

Of souls, that by intelligence converse. Hence we speak of intelligence as displayed in the countenance of a child whose looks evince that he has exerted his intellect, and thereby proved that it exists. Hence it arises that the word intelligence has been employed in the sense of knowledge or information, because these are the express fruits of intelligence : we must know by means of intelligence; but we may be ignorant with a great share of intellect.

Understanding and intelligence admit of comparison in the sense of acquaintance between two or more persons as to each other's views, and a consequent harmony and concert; but the former term is applied to the ordinary concerns of life, and the harmonious intercourse of men, as in the phrase to be on terms of a good understanding; He hoped the loyalty of his subjects would concur with him in the preserving a good understanding between him and his subjects. CLARENDON. Intelligence, on the other hand, is particularly applicable to persons who, being obliged to co-operate at

INTELLECT, GENIUS, TALENT. Intellect, in Latin intellectus, from intelligo to understand, signifying the gift of understanding, as opposed to mere instinct or impulse, is here the generic term, as it includes in its own meaning that of the two others: there cannot be genius or talent without intellect; but there may be intellect without genius or talent: a man of intellect distinguishes himself from the common herd of mankind, by the acuteness of his observation, the accuracy of his judgement, the originality of his conceptions, and other peculiar attributes of mental power; genius in Latin genius, from gigno to be born, signifying that which is peculiarly born with us, is a particular bent of the intellect, which distinguishes a man from every other individual; talent, which from Táλavrov and talentum a Greek coin exceeding one hundred pounds, is now employed in the figurative language of our Saviour for that particular modus or modification of the intellect, which is of practical utility to the possessor. Intellect sometimes runs through a family, and becomes as it were an hereditary portion: genius, is not of so communicable a nature; it is that tone of the thinking faculty which is altogether individual in its character; it is opposed to every thing artificial, acquired, circumstantial, or incidental; it is a pure spark of the Divine flame, which raises the possessor above all his fellow mortals; it is not expanded, like intellect, to many objects; for in its very nature it is contracted within a very short space; and, like the rays of the sun, when concentrated within a focus, it gains in strength what it loses in expansion.

We consider intellect as it generally respects speculation and abstraction; but genius as it respects the operations of the imagination; talent as it respects the exercise or acquirements of the mind. A man of intellect may be a good writer; but it requires a genius for poetry to be a poet, a genius for painting to be a painter, a genius for sculpture to be a statuary, and the like it requires a talent to learn languages; it requires a talent for the stage to be a good actor; some have a talent for imitation, others a talent for humour. Intellect, in its strict sense, is seen only in a mature state; genius or talent may be discovered in its earliest dawn: we speak in general of the intellect of a man only; but we may speak of the genius or talent of a youth; intellect qualifies a person for conversation, and affords him great enjoyment; There was a select set, supposed to be distinguished by

superiority of intellects, who always passed the evening together.' JOHNSON. Genius qualifies a person for the most exalted efforts of the human mind; Thomson thinks in a peculiar train, and always thinks as a man of genius.' JOHNSON. Talent qualifies a person for the active duties and employments of life; It is commonly thought that the sagacity of these fathers. (the Jesuits) in discovering the talent of a young student has not a little contributed to the figure which their order has made in the world.' BUDGELL.

GIFT, ENDOWMENT, TALENT.

Gift, and endowment both refer to the act of giving and endowing, and of course include the idea of something given, and something received: the word talent conveys no such collateral idea. When we speak of a gift, we refer in our minds to a giver ;

But Heaven its gifts not all at once bestows,
These years with wisdom crowns, with action those.

РОРЕ.

When we speak of an endowment, we refer in our minds to the receiver; A brute arrives at a point of perfection that he can never pass; in a few years he has all the endowments he is capable of." ADDISON. When we speak of a talent (v. Intellect) we only think of its intrinsic quality or worth; Mr. Locke has an admirable reflection upon the difference of wit and judgement, whereby he endeavours to show the reason why they are not always the talents of the same person.' ADDISON.

The gift is either supernatural or natural; the endowment is only natural. The primitive Christians received various gifts through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as the gift of tongues, the gift of healing, &c. There are some men who have a peculiar gift of utterance; beauty of person, and corporeal agility, are endowments with which some peculiarly invested.

are

The word gift excludes the idea of any thing acquired by exertion; it is that which is communicated to us altogether independent of ourselves, and enables us to arrive at that perfection in any art which could not be attained any other way. Speech is denominated a general gift, inasmuch as it is given to the whole human race in distinction from the brutes; but the gift of utterance is a peculiar gift granted to individuals, in distinction from others, which may be exerted for the benefit of mankind. Endowments, though inherent in us, are not independent of exertions; they are qualities which admit of improvement by being used; they are in fact the gifts of nature, which serve to adorn and elevate the possessor, when employed for a good purpose. Talents are either natural or acquired, or in some measure of a mixed nature; they denote powers without specifying the source from which they proceed; a man may have a talent for music, for drawing, for mimicry, and the

like; but this talent may be the fruit of practice and experience, as much as of nature.

It is clear from the above that an endowment is a gift, but a gift is not always an endowment; and that a talent may also be either a gift or an endowment, but that it is frequently distinct from both. A gift or a talent is applicable to corporeal as well as spiritual actions; an endowment is applicable to corporeal or mental qualities. To write a superior hand is a gift, inasmuch as it is supposed to be unattainable by any force of application and instruction; it is a talent, inasmuch as it is a power or property worth our possession; but it is never an endowment. On the other hand, courage, discernment, a strong imagination, and the like, are both gifts and endowments; and when the intellectual endowment displays itself in any creative form, as in the case of poetry, music, or any art, so as to produce that which is valued and esteemed, it becomes a talent to the possessor.

ABILITY, CAPACITY.

Ability, in French habilité, Latin habilitas, comes from able, habile, habilis, and habeo to have, because possession and power are inseparable. Capacity, in French capacité, Latin capacitas, from capax and capio to receive, marks the abstract quality of being able to receive or hold.

Ability is to capacity as the genus to the species. Ability comprehends the power of doing in general, without specifying the quality or degree; capacity is a particular kind of ability.

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Ability may be either physical or mental, capacity, when said of persons, is mental only; Riches are of no use, if sickness taketh from us the ability of enjoying them.' Swift. In what I have done, I have rather given a proof of my willingness and desire, than of my ability to do him (Shakspeare) justice.' POPE. Ability respects action, capacity respects thought. Ability always supposes something able to be done; 'I look upon an able statesman out of business like a huge whale, that will endeavour to overturn the ship unless he has an empty cask to play with.' STEELE. Capacity is a mental endowment, and always supposes something ready to receive or hold; The object is too big for our capacity, when we would comprehend the circumference of a world.' ADDISON. Hence we

say an able commander; an able statesman; a man of a capacious mind; a great capacity of thought. Ability is no wise limited in its extent; it may be

small or great;

Of singing thou hast got the reputation,
Good Thyrsis; mine I yield to thy ability.

My heart doth seek another estimation. SIDNEY. Capacity of itself always implies a positive and superior degree of power; Sir Francis Bacon's capacity seemed to have grasped all that was revealed in books before.' HUGHES. Although it may be modified by epithets to denote different degrees; a boy of capacity

will have the advantage over his school-fellows, particularly if he be classed with those of a dull capacity. A person may be able to write a letter, who is not capable of writing a book; St. Paul requireth learning in presbyters, yea, such learning as doth enable them to exhort in doctrine which is sound, and to disprove them that gainsay it. What measure of ability in such things shall serve to make men capable of that kind of office he doth not determine.' HOOKER. Abilities, when used in the plural only, is confined to the signification of mental endowments, and comprehends the operations of thought in general; As for me, my abilities, if ever I had any, are not what they were." ATTERBURY. Capacity, on the other hand, is that peculiar endowment, that enlargement of understanding, that exalts the possessor above the rest of mankind; We sometimes repine at the narrow limits prescribed to human capacity.' BEATTIE. Many men have the abilities for managing the concerns of others, who would not have the capacity for conducting a concern of their own. We should not judge highly of that man's abilities who could only mar the plans of others, but had no capacity for conceiving and proposing any thing better in their stead.

A vivid imagination, a retentive memory, an exuberant flow of language, are abilities which may be successfully employed in attracting popular applause ; I grieve that our senate is dwindled into a school of rhetoric, where men rise to display their abilities rather than to deliberate.' SIR W. JONES. But that

capacity which embraces a question in all its bearings, which surveys with a discriminating eye the mixed multitude of objects that demand attention, which is accompanied with coolness in reflecting, readiness in combining, quickness in inventing, firmness in deciding, promptitude in action, and penetration in discerning, that is the capacity to direct a state, which is the gift of but few; An heroic poem requires the accomplishment of some extraordinary undertaking, which requires the duty of a soldier, and the capacity and prudence of a general.' DRYDEN.

ABILITY, FACULTY, TALENT.

The common idea of power is what renders these words synonymous.

Ability, as in the preceding article, signifies that otherwise faculty, in Latin facultas, changed from which may be derived either from circumstances or facilitas facility, which signifies doableness, or the property of being able to do or bring about effects, is a power derived from nature; The vital faculty is that by which life is preserved and the ordinary functions of speech preserved; and the animal faculty is what conducts the operations of the mind." QUINCY. The faculty is a permanent possession, it is held by a certain tenure; the ability is an incidental possession; it is whatever we have while we have it at our disposal, but it may vary in degree and quality with times, persons, and circumstances; Ability to teach

by sermons is a grace which God doth bestow on them whom he maketh sufficient for the commendable discharge of their duty.' HOOKER. The powers of seeing and hearing are faculties; health, strength, and fortune, are abilities. The faculty is some specific power which is directed to one single object; it is the power of acting according to a given form;

No fruit our palate courts, or flow'r our smell,
But on its fragrant bosom nations dwell:

All form'd with proper faculties to share The daily bounties of their Maker's care. JENYNS. The ability is in general the power of doing; the faculty therefore might, in the strict sense, be considered as a species of ability; Human ability is an unequal match for the violent and unforeseen vicissitudes of the world.' BLAIR.

A man uses the faculties with which he is endowed; he gives according to his ability.

Faculty and talent both owe their being to nature; but the faculty may be either physical or mental; the talent is altogether mental: the faculty of speech and the rational faculty are the grand marks of distinction. between man and the brute; Reason is a noble faculty, and when kept within its proper sphere, and applied to useful purposes, proves a means of exalting human creatures almost to the rank of superior beings.' BEATTIE. The talent of mimicry, of dramatic acting, and of imitation in general, is what distinguishes one man from the other;

"Tis not, indeed, my talent to engage
In lofty trifles, or to swell my page
With wind and noise. DRYDEN.

These terms are all used in the plural, agreeably to the above explanation; the abilities include, in the aggregate, whatever a man is able to do; hence we speak of a man's abilities in speaking, writing, learning, and the like: the faculties include all the endowments of body and mind, which are the inherent properties of the being, as when we speak of a man's retaining his faculties, or having his faculties impaired : talents are the particular endowments of the mind, which belong to the individual; hence we say, the talents which are requisite for a minister of state are different from those which qualify a man for being a judge.

ABILITY, DEXTERITY, ADDRESS.

Ability is here, as in the preceding articles, the generic term: dexterity, says the Abbe Girard,* respects the manner of executing things; it is the mechanical facility of performing an office: address refers to the use of means in executing; it signifies properly the mode of address or of managing one's self: deaterity and address are but in fact modes of ability.

His wisdom, by often evading from perils, was turned rather into a dexterity to deliver himself from dangers when they pressed him, than into a providence to prevent and remove them afar off.' BACON. Address is the gift of nature; It was no sooner dark than she conveyed into his room a young maid of no disagreeable figure, who was one of her attendants, and did not want address to improve the opportunity for the advancement of her fortune.' SPECTATOR.

We may have ability to any degree (v. Ability); 'It is not possible for our small party and small ability to extend their operations so far as to be much felt among such numbers.' CowPER. But dexterity and address are positive degrees of ability; It is often observed that the race is won as much by the deaterity of the rider as by the vigour and fleetness of the animal.' EARL OF BATH. I could produce innumerable instances from my own observation, of events imputed to the profound skill and address of a minister, which in reality were either mere effects of negligence, weakness, humour, or pride, or at best but the natural course of things left to themselves.' SWIFT.

To form a good government there must be ability in the prince or his ministers; address in those to whom the detail of operations is entrusted; and deaterity in those to whom the execution of orders is confided. With little ability and long habit in transacting business, we may acquire a dexterity in dispatching it, and address in giving it whatever turn will best suit our purpose.

Ability enables us to act with intelligence and confidence; dexterity lends an air of ease to every action; address supplies art and ingenuity in contrivance. To manage the whip with dexterity, to carry on an intrigue with address, to display some ability on the turf, will raise a man high in the rank of the present fashionables.

Dexterity, in Latin dexteritas, comes from dexter, the right hand, because that is the member most fitted for dexterous execution. Dexterity may be acquired;

adroitness the suitable movements of the body. A person is clever at drawing who shows a taste for it, and executes it well without much instruction; he is skilful in drawing if he understands it both in theory and practice; he is expert in the use of the bow if he can use it with expedition and effect; he is dexterous at any game when he goes through the manoeuvres with celerity and an unerring hand; he is adroit if by a quick, sudden, and well-directed movement of his body, he effects the object he has in view.

Čleverness is mental power employed in the ordinary concerns of life: a person is clever in business or amusements;

My friend bade me welcome, but struck me quite dumb,
With tidings that Johnson and Burke would not come;
"And I knew it," he cried, "both eternally fail,
The one at the House, and the other with Thrale.
But no matter; I'll warrant we'll make up the party,
With two full as clever and ten times as hearty.

GOLDSMITH.

Skill is both a mental and corporeal power, exerted in mechanical operations and practical sciences: a physician, a lawyer, and an artist, is skilful: one may have a skill in divination, or a skill in painting: There is nothing more graceful than to see the play stand still for a few moments, and the audience kept in an agreeable suspense, during the silence of a skilful actor. ADDISON. Expertness and dexterity require more corporeal than mental power exerted in minor arts and amusements: one is expert at throwing the quoit; dexterous in the management of horses;

O'er bar and shelf the watery path they sound,
With dextrous arm, sagacious of the ground;
Fearless they combat every hostile wind,
Wheeling in many tracts with course inclin'd,
Expert to moor where terrors line the road.
FALCONER.

He applied himself next to the coquette's heart, which he likewise laid open with great dexterity." ADDISON. Adroitness is altogether a corporeal talent, employed only as occasion may require one is adroit at eluding the blows aimed by an adversary; Use yourself to carve adroitly and genteelly.' LORD CHES

TERFIELD.

INCAPABLE, INSUFFICIENT, INCOM

PETENT, INADEQUATE.

Incapable, that is, not having capacity (v. Ability); insufficient, or not sufficient, or not having what is sufficient; incompetent, or not competent; are employed either for persons or things: the first in a general, the last two in a specific sense: inadequate or not adequate or equalled, is applied most generally to things.

When a man is said to be incapable, it characterizes his whole mind; Were a human soul incapable of farther enlargements, I could imagine it might fall away insensibly. ADDISON. If he be said particular objects to which he has applied his power: to have insufficiency and incompetency, it respects the he may be insufficient or incompetent for certain things; but he may have a capacity for other things: the term incapacity, therefore, implies a direct charge upon the understanding, which is not implied by the insufficiency and incompetency. An incapacity consists altogether of a physical defect; an insufficiency and incompetency are incidental defects: the former depending upon the age, the condition, the acquisitions, moral qualities, and the like, of the individual; the latter on the extent of his knowledge, and the nature of his studies; where there is direct incapacity, a person has no chance of making himself fit for any office or employment; It chiefly proceedeth from natural incapacity, and general indisposition.' BROWN. Youth is naturally accompanied with insufficiency to fill stations which belong to mature age, and to perform offices which require the exercise of judgement;

The minister's aptness, or insufficiency, otherwise than by reading, to instruct the flock, standeth in this place as a stranger, with whom our Common Prayer therefore, still more incompetent to form a fixed opihas nothing to do.' HOOKER. A young person is, himself master of none; Laymen, with equal advannion on any one subject, because he can have made tages of parts, are not the most incompetent judges of sacred things.' DRYDEN.

Incapable is applied sometimes to the moral character, to signify the absence of that which is bad; insufficient and incompetent always convey the idea of a deficiency in that which is at least desirable: it is an honour to a person to be incapable of falsehood, or incapable of doing an ungenerous action; but to be insufficient and incompetent are, at all events, qualities not to be boasted of, although they may not be expressly disgraceful. These terms are likewise applicable to things, in which they preserve a similar