discipline and teach them as you will, can neither communicate the results individually obtained, small as they are, to their fellows, nor to their offspring, except in particular cases; and such results, if foreign to their original nature, are not propagated at all.

No animals have intellect, nor reasoning powers, except in a very rudimentary state-not the most advanced amongst them; only special organs, and frequently one special organ only of those numerous ones which go to constitute intellect; and that special organ is characteristic of each class separately, in the individual as in the mass, leading neither to improvement nor change in their nature. And although some of the higher classes of the vertebrata may, with some reasonable show of probability, be regarded as fitted for, or worthy of, immortal life, yet would that immortality imply nothing more than the individual permanency of their characteristics-always and of necessity embodied in a form consonant with their restricted range and common quality, and never could place or bring them in the scale of spiritual life in any, except a very remote degree, related to man, such as we see him even on this earth, and such as we are assured he may become hereafter.

Let us take our scheme of man's spiritual organisation, and see how it applies to animals. Have they

Free will? No.

Self-consciousness? Imperfect.

Love of God? None. Love of self? Yes. Love of self is the active principle of their lives, and the cause of all their actions. Certainly, a monkey, a dog, or an elephant may be regarded as the most acute of animals, and in a certain sense the most intelligent, and yet love of self is clearly the source of all their actions. Not their will, but their love, incites and impels them to act this way or that; influenced as such actions may be, and are, by the presence of one or more special organs-such, for instance, as combativeness or adhesiveness, the most common organs in dogs, and which, influenced by self-love, are manifested by courage and fidelity. As these creatures have no choice of spiritual loves presented to them, so have they no need of free will; as they have no means of going wrong, of selecting evil

rather than good, so have they no need of will at all; as possessed of neither of these powers of selection, so have they but an imperfect consciousness of individuality in themselves; as they perceive no difference between beauty and ugliness; as beautiful paintings, statues, landscapes, &c., are utterly without meaning to them; as the most exquisite music and the commonest musical sounds are equally indifferent to them, so have they no soul, such as we conceive a soul to be. They do not judge for themselves, but are judged for by a higher power; and, in obedience to its direction, perform perfectly and without trials, or failures, or advancement, the allotted purposes of their being.

As regards intellect (we speak still of the highest classes, the aristos of the animal kingdom), where is the imagination? We see no signs of it, except it may be urged in dreams, or in their sports, but this is much more probably memory at work, or innate habit. Reason, with its various attendant organs of observation, comparison, reflection, judgment, conscience, &c., how does it exhibit its presence? Why, in so imperfect a manner, only, as arises from the possession of a few special organs (and these generally very imperfectly developed) belonging to reason, such as observation, comparison, and judgment, and this is quite open to question. The only quality they can show in some perfection being memory-of places and persons chieflywhich in the most remarkable instances, as related of animals, is again very imperfect if compared with the power of memory in man, and indeed hardly deserving to be named in the same breath with it.

The instances related of intelligence and memory in animals, are only wonderful because related of animals; as proofs of intelligence in man they would not deserve

mention.

man.

As regards the senses, we have seen how glorious or how fearful are the results arising from their exercise in Now what do they affect in animals? Why, next to nothing, beyond their use for the everyday purposes of life; of indulging animal desire, and assisting self-love in self-preservation. We contend that this fact alone proves that the soul of an animal of the highest order, if soul it can be called at all, is one of a most rudimentary and

imperfect nature, and hardly to be held as deserving of individual immortality, even by its most enthusiastic admirers. Although neither do we endorse the foolish saying of the unhappy author of Ecclesiastes, "who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth ?"

Thus far animals of the highest organisation after man ; but what do we meet with after them in the middle class animals, as they may be called? Why, neither imagination, nor reason of any kind, memory but slight and special-nor will, nor love, only such as prompts them to perform their daily acts and satisfy their daily wants; and though often gifted with the most extraordinary intelligence, apparently, as in ants, spiders, bees, &c., it is so clearly an instinct implanted in them by their Maker, and acting by His agency in them, that few persons, we think, could imagine or admit for a moment, that it was the effect of their own reason, or of personal intelligence acting from free will.

Further down in the lowest forms of animal life, love of self alone appears to exist; self-nutrition, preservation, and propagation, being the only requirements which seem to direct their actions.

But because they may not have souls, nor be immortal in their natures, are animals, all animals, the less to be regarded as what they are, viz., our fellow-creatures, possessed of like feelings and passions as ourselves, though not perhaps to the same extent-beings who know the meaning of love, hatred, envy, jealousy, fear, terror, joy, sorrow, affectation, vanity, pride, and even ambition. Cruelty to the meanest of them is a crime, and wanton injury a sin.

From the blithe twittering birds that sing so sweetly in the young spring time, in copse and bower, in moor or field, to those less gifted creatures who are possessed merely of the simplest monotone as a means of expression, they all have languages of their own, and can communicate to each other joy, grief, love, hate, and terror, sufficient for their mutual understanding, imperfect as such power may be; sufficiently also to touch our human hearts. If not spiritual, they are at least sentient beings, and are placed subject to man, we will admit, but also under his protection; when such protection is required and can be given,

"faiblesse demande, noblesse oblige." Man is not isolated in creation, but stretches upwards through his spiritual powers-upwards to celestial regions and towards celestial companions, whilst by his animal organisation and animal life he is connected with all forms of created being down to the veriest molecule that moves; in each and all he is interested, and sees reflected in their lives some special power or quality of his own, superior often to what he himself possesses, always and for ever forming an object of interest and sympathy, not as being in connection with his own animal nature only, but also full of instruction to his high reaching soul; and we may fairly alter the wellknown saying of Terence into "Animal sum nihil animali a mé alienum puto." Nay, is not their very inferiority a perpetual and standing shame to our own shortcomings, our weaknesses, follies, and vices? To animals, one and all, man may go to school and learn wisdom; and yet with such lessons of life before him, man is still dirty, lazy, improvident, and stupid; puffed up with pride where he should be bowed low with humility, and unblushingly prefers his claim to immortal joys, whilst he neglects and despises the commonest decencies and duties of his mortal and animal life, examples of which are everywhere exhibited to his eyes in the habits of animals.

The happy birds are models of cleanliness, neatness, and cheerfulness, yet millions of men remain dirty, untidy, and grumbling; morning and night they carol forth joyous hymns of gratitude and praise, and are never tiring ministers in the great temple of nature; yet do men day after day, and night after night, neglect to offer up, and refuse one song of praise to their great and good Creator, and go wrangling and sulky through a miserable and dis

contented existence.

The poor dog, to whom man gives his scraps and leavings of food, is full of gratitude, affection, and fidelity for such common favours; while man, who from his Master receives all that he has, even life itself, regards the Giver of all good things with indifference, treats Him with ingratitude, returns Him no love, and is faithless in His service.

The very fish will come at the call of him who feeds them with a few crumbs of bread; but the souls of man in the ocean of the universe turn away from the voice of

their Keeper, refuse the bread of life He scatters over the waters before their very eyes, and are too wild and wilful to be tamed even by a Divine Hand.

Provident are the ants, and good store do they lay by for the bad season, yet men are still improvident, and through want of forethought and of prudence, day by day still sink by thousands into poverty and misery.

Politic order and a useful life are seen to perfection in the bees, which man keeps in hives on the garden plot before his house, yet within his own home shall you meet with disorder and strife, an idle master and idler children, leading lives useless and without aim, glad of any silly amusement by which they may kill the precious hours of their summer-day existence. But not the bees alone, all animated nature is at work, the meanest thing that lives, the very worm beneath our feet works and works hard to gain its own livelihood, and performs some useful task in the great workshop of Nature. Only man, great man! yawns and gapes, stretches out his arms and legs to feel sure he has such things, and with all natural and artificial means of action at his command, inquires languidly what on earth he can find to do! To lead an animal life is to lead a life of daily activity and usefulness, not to self alone but to others; however unconsciously animals perform such uses, that they do perform them is certain— they work for their daily food, live cleanlily and temperately, beget offspring, nourish them tenderly, and defend them to the death till they can shift for themselves, are contented, grow old in obedience to nature's laws and die without grumbling.

Can such men as are idle sensualists say as much? Do they even deserve to be said to vegetate? Why, the very trees and vegetables of the earth put them to shame; these also obtain their own living and perform a great purpose in Nature's scheme, spread beauty and pleasure around them, and for ever seek the light of heaven. No, such men do not vegetate; it were a libel on plants to say so; such men are weeds, and let them look to it, or their fate may be that of weeds, to be plucked up by the roots and perish in the fire of destruction for ever.

But to return to the senses of animals: there is one which has been remarked as giving evidence of imagina