Thus far I have tranfcribed almost intirely from the ingenious Author, who upon this Head talks more like a Philofopher, than in any other part of his Work. But were we now to enter into a minute Examination of the various Labours, the indefatigable Application, the publick Spirit, the regular Policy, the exact Oeconomy of the feveral Families of Infects, Bees, Ants and Wafps in particular, of which you find most furprizing Accounts in Spectacle de la Nature, and other learned Writers, it would be very hard to account for them, any otherwise than by allowing fome mutual Means of Communication betwixt the Individuals of each Society, which we may venture to call a Language, or fomething analogous to it; and why fhould we be afraid of allowing this, when we confider, that even the most inarticulate Sounds are a kind of Language to fome part of the Creation or other; nay, I may venture to add, even to ourselves. Do not the Drum and Trumpet fpeak to the Soldier? Does not every mufical Sound fpeak to some part of our Nature? How are we excited by fome to martial Rage and Fury, foften'd by others into jovial Mirth and Pleasures and diffolute Luxury; and melted by others into the tendereft Sentiments of Pity and Compaffion, and fometimes even into Tears? Nay, the most discordant and grating Sounds have a Power over us; they make disagreeable Impreffions, and excite painful Senfations in us; they difcompofe and diffipate the Spirits, they feem to curdle the Blood, like Acids thrown inta

Milk, they enfeeble the whole nervous System, they fpread a Trembling through our Joints, and Paleness over our Faces, and make the ftouteft Heart to tremble. Mr. Collier, has fomewhere in his Effays, carried this Thought so far as to fancy, that fuch a Concert of difcordant Sounds, or Anti-mufic, might be compofed, as fhould fink the Spirits, fhake the Nerves, curdle the Blood, and infpire Defpair, Cowardice, and Confternation into all that hear it. 'Tis probable (fays he, Part II. page 24.) that the roaring of Lions, the warbling of Cats and ScreechOwls, together with a Mixture of the bowling of Dogs, (to which I could add fome other Sounds, which I tremble to think of) judiciously imitated and compounded, might go a great way in this Invention: And propofes it as a very ufeful Improvement for the military Service, to ftrike a Terror and Panic into an Enemy; not confidering, that the Performers in this infernal Concert, and their Friends about them, would be in more Danger than the Enemy, who would be further removed from the difcordant Sounds, and confequently from the terrible Impreffion. This by-the-bye.-But in general we may venture to affirm with the Apoftle, That amongst that almost infinite Variety of Sounds and Voices that are to be heard thro' the whole Creation, there is not fo much as one without its Signification. 1 Cor. xiv. 10.

Well! Madam, thus far, I think, our Author and we are pretty well agreed, that Brutes have Understanding to know and exprefs their Wants,

Wants, and provide for their Neceffities; and a Language, or fomething equivalent to it, to demand and give mutual Advice and Affistance. Here, I think, we must make a Stand, we can go no further their Language, however known to them, is quite unknown to us; but could we converse with them in their own Language, as our renown'd and ingenious Countryman Capt. Lemuel Gulliver did with the Nation of the Houbynnims, we might then perhaps have Reafon to agree with him, that they think and act more rationally, have more Senfe, more Honour, and more Virtue, are better Philofophers, and deeper Politicians, than fome of the fineft Folks in Great Britain. The only Difference now between us is, how to account for thefe furprizing Faculties, that they are not the Effects of mere Matter and Motion; that they vastly exceed all the Powers of Mechanism, he readily confeffes, and fo I think must you and I. But fpiritual Powers and Faculties, without a spiritual Subject to which they belong, and in which they refide, is a fhocking Abfurdity. Well, and how does he get rid of this Difficulty? You fhall hear him, Madam, in his own Words, Page 10. Reafon (fays he) naturally inclines us to believe that Beafts have a Spiritual Soul; and the only thing that oppofes this Sentiment, is the Confequences that might be inferred from it. If Brutes have a Soul, that Soul must be either Matter or Spirit, it must be one of the two; and yet you dare affirm neither. You dare not jay it is Matter, because

you

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you must then neceffarily fuppofe Matter to be capable of Thinking; nor will you fay that it is Spirit, this Opinion bringing with it Confequences contrary to the Principles of Religion; and this among others, that Men would differ from Beafts, only by the Degrees of Plus and Minus, which would demolish the very Foundations of all Religion. Therefore, if I can elude all thefe Confequences, if I can affign to Beafts a fpiritual Soul, without ftriking at the Doctrines of Religion, it is evident that my Syftem, being moreover the most agreeable to Reafon, is the only warrantable Hypothefis. Now I fhall, and can do it with the greatest Eafe imaginable. I even have means, by the fame Method, to explain many very obfcure Paffages in the Holy Scripture, and to refolve fome very great Difficulties, which are not well confuted. This we shall unfold in a more par

ticular Manner.

And, in good truth, Madam, you will find the Matter as particular as the Manner. An Hypothefis, fo wild and unphilofophical, fo contrary to Reafon and Scripture, fo fhocking to common Senfe, delivered with fuch an affuming Air, and fuch dogmatical Language, could furely proceed from nothing but an Excefs of Vanity, or Contempt of his fine Lady's Underftanding. But I fhall detain you from it no longer, but give you as fhort and plain a View of it as Ican; and, as near as poffible, in his own Words..

Page 11. Religion teaches us, that the Devils, from the very Moment they had finned, were · reprobate, and that they were doomed to burn for

ever in Hell; but the Church has not as yet determined whether they do actually endure the Torments to which they are condemned: it may then be thought they do not yet fuffer them, and that the Execution of the Verdict brought against them is referved for the Day of the final Judgment. Page 13. Now what I pretend to infer from bence is, that till Doom's-day comes, God, in order not. to fuffer fo many Legions of reprobate Spirits to be of no ufe, has diftributed them thro' the feveral Spaces of the World, to ferve the Defigns of his Providence, and make his Omnipotence to appear. Some continuing in their natural State, bufy themselves in tempting Men, in feducing and tormenting them, either immediately, as Job's Devil, and those that lay hold on human Bodies, or by the miniftry of Sorcerers or Phantoms. Thefe wicked Spirits are those whom the Scripture calls the Powers of Darkness, or the Powers of the Air. God, with the others, makes Millions of Beafts of all kinds, which ferve for the feveral Uses of Man, which fill the Univerfe, and caufe the Wisdom and Omnipotence of the Creator to be admired: By that means I can ea fily conceive bow, on the one hand, the Devils can tempt us; and on the other, how Beafts can think, know, have Sentiments, and a spiritual Soul, without any way ftriking at the Doctrines of Religion. I am no longer furprized to see them have Dexterity, Forecast, Memory, and Judgment. Ifhould rather have occafion to wonder at their having no more, fince their Soul, very lik ly, is more perfect than ours: But I discover the Reafon of this, it is because in Beafts as well as in