The Scottish Philosophy [149]
language; for as he taught it to speak Latin, so you have taught it to speak English. The language which Mr. Locke has put into her mouth is mere stammering, and is, in my opinion, as contemptible as the matter which be has made her utter. Mr. Hobbes I am not so well acquainted with; but as be is of the same heresy, that is, one of those who pretend to philosophize, without the assistance of the ancients, I suppose he has succeeded as ill. As for myself, I am meditating great things in the literary way, but I am not sure that I will ever execute any thing. I have one work in view, which I think would not make a bad second part, if it were executed, to your I Hermes,'-- I mean a work showing the origin and progress of this most wonderful of all the arts of man, the art of speech. What set me upon this train of thinking was the study of some most barbarous and imperfect languages, spoken in America, from grammars and dictionaries which I had {250} out of the King's Library, when I was last at Paris. Besides the curiosity of seeing the process of so wonderful an art, in tracing the progress of language, you at the same time trace the progress of the human understanding, and I think I have already collected materials from which a very good history of the human mind might be formed,-- better, at least, than that which Mr. Locke has given us. This, if I had leisure, I would make part of a much greater work which I project, viz., a History of fan; in which I would propose to trace him through the several stages of his existence; for there is a progression of our species from a state little better than mere brutality to that most perfect state you describe in ancient Greece, which is really amazing, and peculiar to our species. But the business of a laborious profession will, I'm afraid, prevent me from executing this, and several other projects which I have had in my head. But with respect to you, being now eased of the care of public affairs, the world will certainly exact from you an account of your leisure; especially as you have given them such pledges of your capacity to instruct and entertain them. You have done enough upon grammar. But I would have you do something upon logic, to show an ignorant age that the greatest discovery in science ever made by any one man is the discovery of the Syllogism by Aristotle." [72] He has two great philosophic works. The first is "Ancient Metaphysics, or the Science of Universals; with an Appendix containing an Examination of the Principles of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy." It is in six quarto volumes, averaging four hundred pages each. He treats first of metaphysics and then of man. The proper subject of metaphysics is " mind pure and separate from all matter." In nature, all is either body or mind or their accidents. There is not in the universe, so far as our knowledge extends, any body without mind; they are never separated in the material world. " What is moved I call body, what moves is called mind." " Under mind in this definition I include, 1st, the rational and intellectual; 2d, the animal life; 3d, the principle in the vegetable by which it is nourished, grows, and produces its like, and which, therefore, is commonly called the vegetable life; and 4th, the motive principle, which I understand to be in all bodies, even such as are thought to be inanimate." He says the Greek word [Greek word] denotes the three first kinds; the fourth, the motive, is not commonly in Greek called [Greek word], but Aristotle says it is [Greek words]. He makes moving or producing motion an essential property of mind. In respect of quality, motion applies to mind as well as {251} body. By motion the whole business of nature above, below, and round about us is carried on. " It is impossible that any thing can be generated, come to maturity, or be extinguished without passing