Father Bougeant
A Philosophical Amusement upon the Language of Beasts
「1737」 Father Bougeant 「Guillaume Hyacinthe」, in A Philosophical Amusement upon the Language of Beasts 「archive.org」 「First Published in Paris 1737 as Amusement philosophique sur le language des bestes」 (London, 1739 「online at Animal Rights History, 2003」; London, 1742;「online at archive.org」).
You then ask me whether I in good earnest believe that Beasts speak? Why, Madam, I very seriously am of Opinion that Beasts do speak and understand each other every whit as well and sometimes better than we do.
__________
A
Philosophical Amusement
UPON THE
LANGUAGE
OF
BEASTS.
Written originally in French by Father Bougeant, a famous Jesuit ;
Now confined at La Fleche on Account of this Work.
LONDON: Printed for T. COOPER, at the Globe in
Paternoster Row. 1739 (Price One Shilling)
A
Philosophical Amusement
UPON THE
Language of BEASTS.
How insnaring you are, Madam, and how well you know the extent of your Power over me! I did but once drop a Word in one of Philosophical Conversation, that I was of Opinion that Beasts spoke and very well understood each other. Any body but you would have look’d upon this as one of those Expressions which we are apt sometimes to throw out without Proofs, and with no other Design but that of inlivening the Conversation. But know me very well, you say, and though the Proposition looks very much like a piece of pleasantry, you are pleased to say that I did not advance it at Ransom: nay, you will needs have me treat of it seriously, and give you account of the Reasons that persuaded me to it. Though I have the utmost Desire to please you, I don’t know whether I could in any other Circumstance prevail upon myself to obey you. For you know I have hardly any Leisure to bestow upon amusing Dissertations. By good Fortune I am at last got into the Country. I have left in Town the very Memory of the unpleasant Imployments which make you sometimes pity me. Now methinks I am here the Sovereign of whole Nature : in a delightful Abode, among a Circle of Amusements whose Variety removes Disgust, and which I share in common with a charming Set of Company. From this single Circumstance you easily will guess that I am at C****. Our Masters in Voluptuousness say, that a means to sharpen the Edge of Pleasures is now and then to interrupt the Chain of them by some trifling Imployment. What better Choice can I then make than to satisfy your Curiosity? Self-love, you see, is at the bottom of all we do, and it will be much less Merit than Pleasure for me to obey your Commands. But we make Allowances to each other, and if you are but satisfied with my Performance, I have a Notion that you will easily forgive my not having therein altogether neglected my own Amusement.
You then ask me whether I in good earnest believe that Beasts speak ? Why, Madam, I very seriously am of Opinion that Beasts do speak and understand each other every whit as well and sometimes better than we do. Now is your Curiosity satisfied? Not a Jot. You will needs know my Reasons for thinking so. If I was conversing with you, I would tell you that the Reason which persuades me that Beasts speak, is, that Mr. R. speaks: You would surely strengthen this Argument by the Instance of Mrs. H*, and that Buffoonery perhaps would set us both o’laughing. But whoever writes must have a regard for his Readers. Nor shall I tell you that the Serpent had of old a long and coherent Conversation with Eve, and that Balaam‘s Ass spoke. It would be more needless still here to alledge the Fable of the Horses of Achilles. You would certainly reply, that of these Events some are Supernatural and the other Fabulous, and that they of course are no Argument in the Order of Nature. Now I understand you: I am to fetch the Proofs of my Opinion from Nature itself. Well, but don’t you at the same time expect from me any wonderful Discoveries. You perhaps will be astonished to find that you already yourself believe every Circumstance of what I think on this Matter; and that I shall do nothing but unfold your own Thoughts to you, and let you into the Nature of intricate Sentiments which you have not sufficiently examined. But some Preliminaries must be previously established, and I am afraid the Accessory will not be shorter than the main Subject; which is a capital Fault, and against the Rules of exact Composition. But what of that, provided the whole amuses you! Have Beasts any Understanding? If they have, they speak. But how do they speak? These shall be the three Heads of this Dissertation.`
