Translations:Victor of Aveyron/83/en

Many persons see, in all these proceedings, only the common instinctive actions of an animal; as for myself, I confess, that I recognize in them the language of action, in all its simplicity; that primitive language of the human species, originally employed in the infancy of society, before the labor of many ages had arranged and established the system of speech and furnished to civilized man a fertile and sublime means of indefinite improvement, which calls forth his understanding even in his cradle, and of which he makes use all bis life without appreciating what he is utilizing it, and what he would be without its assistance if he were accidentally deprived of it, as in the case which at present occupies our attention. Undoubtedly, a day will arrive, when more multiplied wants make our young Victor feel the necessity of using new signs. The defective use which he has made of his first sounds, will, of necessity, much retard the approach of this epoch, but will not prevent its ultimate arrival. It will be the same thing, neither more nor less, than what happens to the child who at first lisps the word papa, without attaching to it any idea, goes on saying it, in all places, and on all occasions, then addresses it to every man that he sees; and it is not till after a multitude of reasonings, and even abstractions, that lie can make an exclusive and just application of it. y fifth object was to exercise, during some time, on those things which were connected with his physical wants, the most simple operations of his understanding; and afterward to direct the application of them to matters of instruction.