liberties, and the most refined in their comforts. By referring to the languages before mentioned, this will be found to conform remarkably to the existing state of things; the Portuguese are the most imperfect in their expression of it, next the Spanish, then the Italians, then the Dutch, the French and the German. This latter nation approximates nearly schnurren is a very expressive word, but does not reach the perfection of purr, by which the superior freedom and civilization of the English are undeniably proved.

2. As many of my meditations were occupied by a favourite individual of my own gender, I was struck by a fact in his conduct which seemed to throw great light on the origin of society, and indeed accounts for the primary associations of mankind on very satisfactory grounds. Certain characteristic qualities pervade the different sexes of all animals. The individual in question, after passing his kittenhood, became remarkably disposed to roaming, deserted the house to wander in the fields, and so strong were his propensities to a savage life, that a little ill treatment or neglect at home, would, I think, have completely estranged him from domestic habits. Not so with the she-cat of the same litter; she always courted the protection of the house. What I think may be clearly deduced from this fact is, that women took the lead in the civilization of society, since men were strongly prone to lead a wild, wandering life, which the weakness and tenderness of the other sex led them to counteract; and as philosophers are generally agreed that society would gradually decline, and in all probability become finally extinct, if women were annihilated, it is extremely inter

esting to consider them as the first cause of society, as well as of its continuance, and to the existence of which they give all the attractions and embellishments it possesses.

3. To those who have studied the philosophy of sounds, and are familiar with the principles of vibrations, it cannot be necessary to state, that this modulation, which indeed speaks for itself, is produced only when the animal is in a state of contentment, approaching to pleasure, but probably not stronger than satisfaction. That it might be placed nevertheless beyond a doubt, I ascertained from numerous experiments, that cats, in the receiver of an air pump, only partially exhausted, or deprived for an unusual time of their food, or with their feet wet, or harassed with love, never made this noise; and I am thoroughly convinced that men in any of these situations would never feel in a state of complacency corresponding to the humour of cats when purring, or to abbreviate my expressions by the use of an epithet which has been already introduced with great felicity, they would not feel in a purring humour.

4. Though not immediately connected with the subject, there is a difference between the dog and cat highly worthy of remark. A dog who has been faithful to his master for years, and to whom he is under great obligations, may be cruelly beaten by him, yet will he crouch servilely at his feet and solicit his mercy; but a cat, after being treated for years with kindness, will, if you accidentally tread on its paw or tail, inflict instant vengeance with its talons. This indicates a proud sense of its rights, and a

dignified assertion of them, that presents something truly genuine.

5. The learned Lord Monboddo has supposed, that mankind originated from a band of monkies on the shores of the Mediterranean, who, having by some accident attained the use of a particular muscle of the thumb, gradually improved, wore off their tails, and became men. It is not my intention to discuss his lordship's ingenious theory, but merely to state, that from a great variety of observations, I am fully satisfied that cats, even if they should ever succeed in wearing off their tails, would never be transformed into men.

6. When cats wink, or keep one eye open, while the other is shut, a very common movement of their optical nerves, I have ascertained that it is owing to the great irritability of the iris of their eyes, affected by the rays of light striking too forcibly upon them; and that it is never with them a significant expression of humour, as it is with individuals among men.

The concatenation of my subject has now brought me to the catastrophe, which is the explanation, hitherto unattempted, of the mode in which the noise is made, and which I am enabled to state in the most categorical terms. The predisposition of the animal's feelings, occasioned by favourable circumstances, having placed it in a state of contentment; its satisfaction is evinced by a peculiar, stifling arrestation and audible emission of its breath, which in music is expressed by the term smozzicato; the vital or respirable gas being inhaled in the ordinary manner, and passing the regular orifices of the lungs, is

forced into a sort of spiral convolution in its passage along the epiglottis, and retained in the mouth by a contraction of the lips, that prevent its instantaneous escape, while a contraction of the costal muscles operating upon it with increased vehemence, it is forced, by a repercussion against the internal surface of the teeth and jaws, to move, in a state of compression and partial condensation, along the extremely rough surface of the tongue in a longitudinal direction, till checked by the newly issued respiration from the lungs, it escapes by an eddying movement out of the corners of the mouth, where it plays among the whiskers like the zephyr on the strings of the Eolian harp, but producing a sound incomparably more grateful. I flatter myself that this clear, concise and simple explanation will render this formerly abstruse subject familiar to the meanest capacity.

A DISSERTATION UPON

THINGS IN GENERAL,

AFTER THE MANNER OF SEVERAL AUTHORS.

From the Anthology, April, 1810.

If the importance of any topic, or the variety of details it involves, could ever deter any author from his purpose, the subject of this dissertation would produce that effect. But being animated and prepared for the task by a long course of previous studies, and convinced of its utility, I feel confident, if my readers are not slow in taking leave of a subject, and have sufficient elasticity to bound from one place to another in rather quick succession, that we may all of us be edified by its execution.

It will be fair however, in the outset, to caution all those folks who can boggle at any leap, not to mount if they cannot dash through any hedge or over any ditch, they will only fatigue themselves for nothing, and lose all the pleasure of the chase. If