by snatching up an earthen cup, which stood beside him, and dashing it with fury against the wall of his stone cottage. And if it should be said, (however little the remark would be to the purpose,) that this incident is found in a work of fiction, we are at liberty to refer to the historical works of the same great writer for parallel passages. "On the 16th of October, the conferences were renewed upon the former grounds, and Cobentzel went over the whole subject of the indemnifications, insisting that Mantua and the line of the Adige should be granted to the emperor, threatening to bring down the Russians in case the war should be renewed, and insinuating, that Buonaparte sacrificed the desire of peace to his military fame, and desired a renewal of the war. Napoleon, with stern but restrained indignation, took from a bracket an orna. mental piece of china, on which Cobentzel set some value, as being a present from the empress Catherine. The truce, he said, is then ended, and war declared. But beware! I will break your empire into as many fragments, as that potsherd. He dashed the piece of china against the hearth, and withdrew abruptly.*

§. 105. Of the instinctive interpretation of certain natural

signs.

The meaning of many of those signs, which are called natural, is learnt from experience. The action being a representative or imitation of the thing itself, it necessarily suggests whatever is intended to be signified. But there are some, which appear to be understood instinctively, and of course independently of experience; for instance, a smile, or frown, or the signs of terror. The opinion, that there is to a certain extent an original or instinctive interpretation of signs appears to be maintained by writers chiefly on the following grounds.

(1) We are clearly led in all our inquiries, whether of an intellectual or a physical kind, to the conclusion, that the great Author of nature has some purpose or design in

Scott's Life of Napoleon, Chap. xxvII.

his works. Now there can be no dispute, that he has furnished men with a large apparatus of natural signs. Almost every desire and passion of the soul is capable of being expressed in that way. Peace of mind, the desire of knowledge, especially when quickened by any peculiar circumstances, the benevolent affections, intensity of thought, the passions of joy and grief, all have their appropriate language, beaming in the eye, quivering on the lips, contracting in the forehead, reddening and dimpling in the cheeks; and are rendered yet more emphatic by the attitude, the gestures, and the tones of voice. It be. ing, therefore, an admitted fact, that his Creator has furnished man with a system of natural signs, it is but reasonable to suppose, that he has furnished him also with a corresponding power of interpretation; and that man is thereby enabled, at the very earliest period, to avail himself of the price, which has thus kindly been placed in his hands. It is maintained, that this is the probability or presumption, arising in the mere view of the facts; and that such presumption is supported by the analogy of other cases. We not only find, for instance, in human nature a love of the truth and a disposition to utter it, but a corresponding principle of belief; and by analogy we should be led to expect, in like manner, a corresponding power of interpretation, where we find a system of signs susceptible of being interpreted.

(2) But there are other circumstances, which seem to afford direct and positive proof of what we should thus be led to expect.- -The power of interpreting natural signs is noticed at a very early period, long before the ability to interpret arbitrary signs. Children understand the meaning of smiles and frowns, of a soothing or threatening tone of voice, of the expressions of joy and grief, at a time of life, when they cannot be supposed capable of so much observation as to remark the connection between a passion and its external effect. While they are months in learning the alphabet, and years elapse before they can read a book with facility, they read and understand the signs of nature, as soon as their ears are opened to hear,

and their eyes to see, and without the aid of a laborious system of training.

§. 106. Further evidence of the instinctive interpretation of natural signs.

(3) There is another train of thought tending to illustrate this subject. It is an undoubted matter of fact, that the knowledge of the intellectual operations and of the passions cannot be fully communicated to their pupils by instructers of the deaf and dumb, in the ordinary modes. They cannot here, as in the case of external objects, write the name, and then point to the object in explanation of it. They are obliged to rely almost wholly on natural signs, particularly those of the countenance, in the explanation of what is taking place within. And when an instructer, who is well versed in the language of such signs, throws the workings of the soul into the looks, it is interesting to sce, with what avidity and ease, his unfortunate pupils decypher this dialect of flesh and blood and muscular motion. It cannot be said here, that the power of interpretation depends on the previous experience of the pupils, because we suppose the instructer, (which is often the fact,) is expressing mental acts and operations, with which they have hitherto been unacquainted, and with which they cannot possibly be made acquainted in any other way.

(4) Those signs, which are maintained to be susceptible of an instinctive interpretation, affect us more than others. The passions of hatred, love, and anger, interest us much more strongly, when they are represented in the countenance, than when they are expressed by mere written or spoken words. So that unquestionably we give to some natural signs a significancy, which we do not, and cannot give to others, and still less to those forms of language, which are purely arbitrary. This being the case, it seems to be reasonable to conclude, that the mind has an original power of interpreting to some extent.

(5) This power seems to be necessary as an introductory step to the formation of all conventional lan

guage. Artificial language, whether we regard it as written or spoken, is arbitrary, and a matter of mere agreement. But if it were not of divine original, as many writers have contended, it is evident, that there must have been some antecedent signs, by means of which such agreement was first formed. And we can think of no instrument, which could have been employed to this end, except the instinctive power of interpreting those signs of gesture, tones of voice, and movements of the countenance, which we find from the earliest period of life to be expressive of emotions and the passions.

There is another consideration on this subject, in addition to those already alluded to, which it is proper to mention, although the train of thought cannot be pursued to any length. The brute creation, as well as men, have their natural signs. They are destitute, it is true, of the natural language of the countenance; but they are rich in that of the voice. Every mountain and forest is vocal with the lowing of herds, the bleating of flocks, the threatening cries of animals of prey, and the infinitely varied notes of birds. By the sounds, which are continually sent forth, they communicate to each other their joys and sorrows, their jealousies and hopes, their attachments and their aversions; and probably no one doubts, that they are instinctively interpreted, for it is not easy to see, in what other way they could be understood. But if the Creator has given this power of interpretation to brutes, we cannot well suppose, that he has altogether withholden it from men, when he has given them the same natural signs, and with an originally equal necessity of their being interpreted.*

§. 107. Considerations on the use of natural signs. Before dismissing the subject of this chapter, it re

These considerations may be satisfactory to the minds of most persons; still there are some, who profess to doubt of the existence of this power. Among other dissenters from the more commonly received opinion, is Dr. Priestly, who has remarked on the subject at Sect. XI. of his Examination of Reid. But the amount of his argument can be summed up in this brief statement, that his own children were, in his opinion, without the ability in question.

mains to be remarked, that it is one of no little practical importance, although it may often be thought otherwise.

An attention to natural signs could hardly fail to be of advantage in infant schools, and in all cases of instruction of very young children. The knowledge, which is suited to their minds, is that, which we have already described as having an external origin. Consequently, the objects or actions, with which they are to be made acquainted, must be presented to the sight, or some other of the senses. But in the absence of objects, the instructer, if he have studied the language of natural signs, will be able to convey the meaning of many words by gestures; a method, which will secure the purpose designed, and will not be wanting in interest to the little pupils."Notwithstanding (says Dugald Stewart) the decline of natural language in consequence of the use of artificial signs, the acquaintance, which we still have with the former, (however imperfect,) is of essential service in teaching children the meaning of the latter. This may be easily exemplified by first reading over to a child one of Æsop's fables without taking your eye from the book, or using any inflection of voice; and afterwards telling him the same story with the commentary of your face, and gestures, and tones."

Again, the doctrine of natural signs is deserving of greater attention than it has received, when it is considered in connection with the Deaf and Dumb. No small acquaintance with them is implied, in being able to fix upon such as are suitable in the instruction of these unfortunate persons. And the worth of such acquaintance, therefore,can be conjectured from its subserviency to their improvement and happiness. If there were no other result, the labour, attending the study of natural signs, would be amply repaid by this.

Furthermore some knowledge of natural signs might be found profitable to all travellers and sojourners among nations of an unknown tongue, and among others to Missionaries. It is one of the pleasing features of the present times, that men, from almost all the civilized parts of the world, are gone out to announce in heathen lands the glad