have fallen on the very scheme which is now offered to you. But attempting to rear the whole fabric of the human mind on sensation and reflection, he has created it, as it were, out of nothing, as some atomical philosophers do the world. Sensation in its primary idea is but touching; and in its secondary one, but the image or representation of the thing seen or felt. If sensation be the only source of all primary ideas, the animal tribes, which appear to have sensation to the full as extensive and lively as we, must be naturally capable of equal improvement, and ought to be as prolific of Homers, Socrateses, Shakspeares, Lockes, and Newtons. Reflection carries not the matter a whit further; for reflection can mean no more than the power of continuing or renewing the presence of the image or impression, and viewing it at pleasure in all its parts. But to step from the bare image to an intellectual or moral judgment; and because the representation of a thing is excited within us, to find by inference certain moral moral relations, which we bear to it, is to make but one stride from Earth to Heaven; it is, in the words of this great author, to see a little, presume a great deal, and then leap to the conclusion. There requires the concession of some original faculty in the human mind, which shall be sufficient to produce all this intellectual and moral furniture, of which it is allowed to be totally destitute on its first appearance in life. Now this sufficient principle is imitation, whereby the mind is capable of transplanting into its own garden a scion from every plant, which, having existence in another mind, has been presented to its notice. Flattered, however, as I am with finding the fundamental principles of my theory in the metaphysics of Mr. Locke, I acknowledge a more kindred mind in lord Monboddo; whose imitative faculty has seized and wonderfully improved some accidental idea that has been thrown in his way, and enabled him to discover what has hitherto escaped the attention of every one, or at least all historical mention; viz. that speech is not natural to man, but altogether derived from imitation, and a whole community would never to eternity acquire it, if they were educated from infancy without the hearing of articulate sounds from the mouth of some one who had acquired them by imitation. Fashion therefore, which is only another word for a propensity to imitation, dictates even speech; and as fashion is infinitely variable and fluctuating, the fashion of silence may take place in some community; perhaps, as in the case of the tails, the faculty of speech may from some public motive become lost to the whole humankind. What a wonderful confirmation of my brother Monboddo's theory and mine would the success of such an experiment ensure to us, and of the success there could not be entertained the smallest doubt, considering the clear and self-evident principles on which we both proceed. Well is the experiment worth the trial, if we reflect on the infinite advantages which would accrue to mankind therefrom, Nor Nor is it wholly to be despaired of. A public spirit may become the general fashion, when the leaders of every nation have but to set the heroic example of cutting out their tongues, and by authority subjecting every one who has acquired the habit of prating to the same glorious sacrifice. If the major part of the stronger sex could once be brought over, the weaker class, however refractory, would be easily compelled to yield to a salutary force. Then what a world of vexation and evil would the introduction of such a fashion save to the human race! For the possibility of speech being once cut off from the whole talkative herd, their posterity could never regain it; and all our converse with each other would from that blessed hour be reduced to the natural signs and motions, which constitute the whole language of brutes. Well have we each experienced how much of life has been spent in learning only to speak according to this or that particular form, and at how dear a price the acquisition has been bought, bought, like as with the ill-fated bear, whom the barbarity of man, against the plain intention of Nature, teaches first to dance upon hot irons. All that infinity of mischief which St. James ascribes to the tongue, and which every lettered nation so miserably experiences, would be cut off, together with the use of that little instrument from which it springs; and human societies would quickly improve into that peaceful innocent commerce which we observe amongst the gregarious species of animals. In truth, it is far from being clear, that such a state has not existed among men in the happier days of primæval innocence. It is probable, that this is to be understood by that golden age of which the early poets speak with so much rapture, and of which they have retained a very affecting but imperfect tradition. In an evil hour did some malicious dæmon teach the first use of words to man, and much may our posterity owe to this happy discovery of the illustrious North Britons ; whose idea, if it were realised, would neces |