devoid of sense to many others; but to the philosopher it is the effect
of a very lively feeling to him it consists in the faculty of combining,
promptly, a multitude of experience--of arranging with facility--of
comparing with quickness, a long and numerous train of extremely
complicated ideas. It is want that causes the inexplicable instinct we
behold in animals which have been denied souls without reason, whilst
they are susceptible of an infinity of actions that prove they think--
judge--have memory--are capable of experience--can combine ideas--can
apply them with more or less facility to satisfy the wants engendered by
their particular organization; in short, that prove they have passions
that are capable of being modified. Nothing but the height of folly can
refuse intellectual faculties to animals; they feel, choose, deliberate,
express love, show hatred; in many instances their senses are much
keener than those of man. Fish will return periodically to the spot
where it is the custom to throw them bread.

It is well known the embarrassments which animals have thrown in the way
of the partizans of the doctrine of spirituality; they have been
fearful, if they allowed them to have a spiritual soul, of elevating
them to the condition of human creatures; on the other hand, in not
allowing them to have a soul, they have furnished their adversaries with
authority to deny it in like manner to man, who thus finds himself
debased to the condition of the animal. Metaphysicians have never known
how to extricate themselves from this difficulty. DESCARTES fancied he
solved it by saying that beasts have no souls, but are mere machines.
Nothing can be nearer the surface, than the absurdity of this principle.
Whoever contemplates Nature without prejudice, will readily acknowledge
that there is no other difference between the man and the beast, than
that which is to be attributed to the diversity of his organization.