❝ductions of one and the fame Genus, as to have 66 put between Beafts fo effential a Difference, as that "of speaking, or not fpeaking at all, would be.

Upon this Principle it is, that, though we hardly "know the Seeds of Coral, of Mushrooms, of "Trufles, or Fern, we are, nevertheless, perfuaded

that these Plants proceed from Seeds, because it "is the Manner in which Nature produces all "the reft. Let us then conclude, that if Nature has

given to Beasts (or Animals) living in Society, and "in a Family, the Faculty of Speaking; she has, "doubtless, bestowed the fame.Advantage on all the "reft. For we are not now upon those accidental "Differences which Nature loves to diverfify in the "different Species of the fame Genus: There are “not, perhaps, in the whole World, two Faces "perfectly alike; but yet all Men have a Face. "There are, among the feveral Species of Animals, "Differences ftill greater: Some have Wings, others "have Fins, fome Feet and Legs; the Serpents have 66 none of thefe: But all Animals have the Faculty "of moving and tranfporting themfelves wherever "they please, according to their Wants. Among "Animals, there are some that fee and hear more or

lefs perfectly; but yet they all hear and fee. It is "the fame Thing with the Faculty of Speech: This "Faculty, perhaps, is more perfect in the Beafts which " live in Societies and form Families; but it being in "fome, we must believe it to be in all of them; but more or lefs perfect, according to their refpective "Wants,

"It is even obfervable, that the Animals who live neither in Society, nor in a fettled Family, yet ❝ have

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have in each Species a Sort of Commerce or So

ciety among themselves. Such are the Quadru "pedes, the Fishes, the Reptiles, the Birds themfelves independently of their Houfhold, as Starlings, Partridges, Ravens, Ducks, and Hens. Now what Advantage could thefe Creatures have "by endeavouring to live in Society one with another, "if they did it not for mutual Affistance, and reci"procally to have the Benefit of their Knowledge, "Discoveries, and of all the Helps they can afford "each other; and how could they do fo, if they do "not understand one another? All the Arguments Į have already ufed, to prove that the Creatures which live in Society must have a Language, here "again find their Place and their whole Energy. All

the Difference must be only in the Degrees of Plus "and Minus; and if we judge of this only by Mat"ters of Facts, perhaps there is no Difference at all. "The Wolves, for inftance, hunt with great Skill, and together contrive warlike Stratagems. A Man, croffing a Frith, faw a Wolf, who feemed to be watching a Flock of Sheep. He informed the Shepherd of it, and advised him to cause the Animal to be purfued by his Dog: I fhan't be "fuch a Fool, replied the Shepherd; the Wolf yon"der is there only to divert my Attention, and another "Wolf, who is working on the other Side, only "watches the Moment when I fhall fet my Dogs "upon this, to fnatch one of my Sheep from me. "The Man who was paffing by, willing to be fa"tisfied of the Fact, promised to pay for the Sheep; and the Thing happened just as the Shepherd had faid it would. Does not a Stratagem fo well con

certed

"certed evidently fuppofe that the two Wolves had "agreed together, one to fhew, and the other to hide "himself? Now how is it poffible to agree in this "manner without the Help of Speech.

"A Sparrow finding a Neft that a Martin had just "built, ftanding very convenient for him, poffeffed "himself of it. The Martin, feeing the Ufurper in "her House, called for Help to expel him. A thou"fand Martins came full speed and attacked the "Sparrow; but the latter being covered on every "Side, and presenting only his large Beak at the "Entrance of the Neft, was invulnerable, and made "the boldeft of them, who durft approach him, to "repent their Temerity. After a Quarter of an "Hour's Combat, all the Martins difappeared. "The Sparrow thought he had got the better, and "the Spectators judged that the Martins had aban"doned their Undertaking. Not in the leaft. Im"mediately we faw them return to the Charge; and ❝each of them having procured a little of that tem"pered Earth with which they make their Nefts, they "all at once fell upon the Sparrow, and inclosed him "in the Neft to perifh there, though they could not "drive him thence. Can you imagine, Madam,

that the Martins could have been able to hatch and concert this Defign all of them together without "fpeaking to each other?

"Wonders are recounted, by Travelers, of the "Monkeys, when they go a plundering; a Troop "of Soldiers, when they go a forraging, cannot "march in greater Order, or with more Precaution. "I could mention, and you can eafily recollect, a "thousand other Inftances of the fame Nature; but

66

"this would require a Volume, and I aim only at fupporting my Argument. Men hitherto have al 66 ways made use of these Inftances to prove that "Beafts have a knowing Faculty; and they have "been in the right fo to do, because it is really incon"ceivable that Beafts can do fuch fingular Actions " without Knowledge; but we have not fufficiently "examined into the Merits and Bottom of this Que"ftion: For if it be abfolutely impoffible for Beafts "to perform thefe Actions without fpeaking, we are 66 moreover obliged to conclude, that they have a "Faculty of speaking to each other. Now, Madam, "I would beg of you here to obferve, that this is "not an Opinion or a Syftem founded upon mere Conjecture or probable Explications, but an Ar56 gument fupported by fenfible and palpable Facts; "I fay fenfible Matters of Fact, fuch as these I have "just been alledging, and a thousand others of every "Kind. Enter into a Wood where there are a Parcel "of Jays, the first then that fees you gives the Alarm to the whole Troop. Magpyes, Blackbirds, and almoft all the feathered Kind, do the fame. Let "a Cat but fhew herfelf upon the Top of a Houfe, or "in a Garden, the very firft Sparrow that perceives her, "exactly does what a Centinal does among us, when " he perceives an Enemy; he, by his Cries, warns "all his Companions, and seems to imitate the Noise "of a Drum beating a March. See a Cock near "his Hen, a Dove near the Female he is courting, Cat following his Mate, there is no End of their "Difcourfes till there is an End of their Courtship.

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But there is one important Reflection yet behind, "which, in my Opinion, is little less than Demon"ftration,

<< ftration. We every Day speak to Beasts, and they " understand us very well. The Shepherd makes

himself understood by his Sheep, but particularly "by his Dog that attends him. The Cows understand "all the Milkmaid fays to them. Many a profound

Converfation passes between the Sportsman and his "Dogs, the Groom and his Horfes, the Lady and ❝her Parrot, Mifs and her Cat: we speak to them

all, and they understand us; they, in their turn, "speak to us, and we understand them. How much sc more probable is it, that they speak to and under"ftand each other! for, with regard to them, we can "speak no other than a foreign Language; and if "Nature has enabled them to speak a foreign Language, how can fhe have refused them the Faculty of fpeaking and understanding a natural one? "This can hardly be conceived.

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"But though we should allow Understanding and "Language to the feveral Species of Beafts, Birds,

and Infects, What shall we do with the Fifhes and Reptiles? What can we fay for them? Has Na$6 ture been as bountiful to them as to the reft? "Muft we allow them to have Speech and Under"ftanding? Can they understand and converfe with

each other? Can we imagine a Converfation betwixt two Fishes, two Ants, or two Worms? "The Birds indeed fing, the Dogs bark, the Wolves

howl, Sheep bleat, Lions roar, Oxen low, Horfes "neigh; this every body hears and knows; but “whoever heard the Language of a Fish, or the “Converfation of Worms and Caterpillars! What

ever Difficulty there may be in hearing or explain❝ing their Language, I think there can be but little " in

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