ELEVENTH EVENING. ON MAN. Charles. You gave me the definition of a horse some time ago-Pray, Sir, how is a man defined? Father. That is worth inquiring. Let us consider then. He must either stand by himself, or be ranked among the quadrupeds; for there are no other two-legged animals but birds, which he certainly does not resemble. C. But how can he be made a quadruped? F. By setting him to crawl on the ground, in which case he will as much resemble a baboon, as a baboon set on his hind-legs does a man. In reality, there is little difference between the arms of a man and the fore-legs of a quadruped; and in all other circumstances of internal and external structure they are evidently formed upon the same model. C. I suppose then we must call him a digitated quadruped that generally goes upon its hind legs. F. A naturalist could not reckon him otherwise; and accordingly Linnæus has placed him in the same division with apes, macocos, and bats. C. Apes, macocos, and bats! F. Yes-they have all four cutting teeth in the upper jaw, and teats on the How do breast. tions? How do you like your rela C. Not at all ! F. Then we will get rid of them by applying to the other part of human nature the mind. Man is an animal possessed of reason, and the only one. This, therefore, is enough to define him. |