essays on life, art and science-第20章

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many　years　ago；　〃If　I　could　think　to　you　without　words　you　would
understand　me　better。〃　　But　surely　in　this　he　was　thinking　to　me；
and　without　words；　and　I　did　understand　him　better　。　。　。　　So　it　is
not　by　the　words　that　I　am　too　presumptuously　venturing　to　speak　to…
night　that　your　opinions　will　be　formed　or　modified。　　They　will　be
formed　or　modified；　if　either；　by　something　that　you　will　feel；　but
which　I　have　not　spoken；　to　the　full　as　much　as　by　anything　that　I
have　actually　uttered。　　You　may　say　that　this　borders　on　mysticism。
Perhaps　it　does；　but　their　really　is　some　mysticism　in　nature。

To　return；　however；　to　terra　firma。　　I　believe　I　am　right　in　saying
that　the　essence　of　language　lies　in　the　intentional　conveyance　of
ideas　from　one　living　being　to　another　through　the　instrumentality
of　arbitrary　tokens　or　symbols　agreed　upon；　and　understood　by　both
as　being　associated　with　the　particular　ideas　in　question。　　The
nature　of　the　symbol　chosen　is　a　matter　of　indifference；　it　may　be
anything　that　appeals　to　human　senses；　and　is　not　too　hot　or　too
heavy；　the　essence　of　the　matter　lies　in　a　mutual　covenant　that
whatever　it　is　it　shall　stand　invariably　for　the　same　thing；　or
nearly　so。

We　shall　see　this　more　easily　if　we　observe　the　differences　between
written　and　spoken　language。　　The　written　word　〃stone；〃　and　the
spoken　word；　are　each　of　them　symbols　arrived　at　in　the　first
instance　arbitrarily。　　They　are　neither　of　them　more　like　the　other
than　they　are　to　the　idea　of　a　stone　which　rises　before　our　minds；
when　we　either　see　or　hear　the　word；　or　than　this　idea　again　is　like
the　actual　stone　itself；　but　nevertheless　the　spoken　symbol　and　the
written　one　each　alike　convey　with　certainty　the　combination　of
ideas　to　which　we　have　agreed　to　attach　them。

The　written　symbol　is　formed　with　the　hand；　appeals　to　the　eye；
leaves　a　material　trace　as　long　as　paper　and　ink　last；　can　travel　as
far　as　paper　and　ink　can　travel；　and　can　be　imprinted　on　eye　after
eye　practically　ad　infinitum　both　as　regards　time　and　space。

The　spoken　symbol　is　formed　by　means　of　various　organs　in　or　about
the　mouth；　appeals　to　the　ear；　not　the　eye；　perishes　instantly
without　material　trace；　and　if　it　lives　at　all　does　so　only　in　the
minds　of　those　who　heard　it。　　The　range　of　its　action　is　no　wider
than　that　within　which　a　voice　can　be　heard；　and　every　time　a　fresh
impression　is　wanted　the　type　must　be　set　up　anew。

The　written　symbol　extends　infinitely；　as　regards　time　and　space；
the　range　within　which　one　mind　can　communicate　with　another；　it
gives　the　writer's　mind　a　life　limited　by　the　duration　of　ink；
paper；　and　readers；　as　against　that　of　his　flesh　and　blood　body。　　On
the　other　hand；　it　takes　longer　to　learn　the　rules　so　as　to　be　able
to　apply　them　with　ease　and　security；　and　even　then　they　cannot　be
applied　so　quickly　and　easily　as　those　attaching　to　spoken　symbols。
Moreover；　the　spoken　symbol　admits　of　a　hundred　quick　and　subtle
adjuncts　by　way　of　action；　tone　and　expression；　so　that　no　one　will
use　written　symbols　unless　either　for　the　special　advantages　of
permanence　and　travelling　power；　or　because　he　is　incapacitated　from
using　spoken　ones。　　This；　however；　is　hardly　to　the　point；　the　point
is　that　these　two　conventional　combinations　of　symbols；　that　are　as
unlike　one　another　as　the　Hallelujah　Chorus　is　to　St。　Paul's
Cathedral；　are　the　one　as　much　language　as　the　other；　and　we
therefore　inquire　what　this　very　patent　fact　reveals　to　us　about　the
more　essential　characteristics　of　language　itself。　　What　is　the
common　bond　that　unites　these　two　classes　of　symbols　that　seem　at
first　sight　to　have　nothing　in　common；　and　makes　the　one　raise　the
idea　of　language　in　our　minds　as　readily　as　the　other？　　The　bond
lies　in　the　fact　that　both　are　a　set　of　conventional　tokens　or
symbols；　agreed　upon　between　the　parties　to　whom　they　appeal　as
being　attached　invariably　to　the　same　ideas；　and　because　they　are
being　made　as　a　means　of　communion　between　one　mind　and　another；
for　a　memorandum　made　for　a　person's　own　later　use　is　nothing　but　a
communication　from　an　earlier　mind　to　a　later　and　modified　one；　it
is　therefore　in　reality　a　communication　from　one　mind　to　another　as
much　as　though　it　had　been　addressed　to　another　person。

We　see；　therefore；　that　the　nature　of　the　outward　and　visible　sign
to　which　the　inward　and　spiritual　idea　of　language　is　attached　does
not　matter。　　It　may　be　the　firing　of　a　gun；　it　may　be　an　old
semaphore　telegraph；　it　may　be　the　movements　of　a　needle；　a　look；　a
gesture；　the　breaking　of　a　twig　by　an　Indian　to　tell　some　one　that
he　has　passed　that　way：　　a　twig　broken　designedly　with　this　end　in
view　is　a　letter　addressed　to　whomsoever　it　may　concern；　as　much　as
though　it　had　been　written　out　in　full　on　bark　or　paper。　　It　does
not　matter　one　straw　what　it　is；　provided　it　is　agreed　upon　in
concert；　and　stuck　to。　　Just　as　the　lowest　forms　of　life
nevertheless　present　us　with　all　the　essential　characteristics　of
livingness；　and　are　as　much　alive　in　their　own　humble　way　as　the
most　highly　developed　organisms；　so　the　rudest　intentional　and
effectual　communication　between　two　minds　through　the
instrumentality　of　a　concerted　symbol　is　as　much　language　as　the
most　finished　oratory　of　Mr。　Gladstone。　　I　demur　therefore　to　the
assertion　that　the　lower　animals　have　no　language；　inasmuch　as　they
cannot　themselves　articulate　a　grammatical　sentence。　　I　do　not
indeed　pretend　that　when　the　cat　calls　upon　the　tiles　it　uses　what
it　consciously　and　introspectively　recognises　as　language；　it　says
what　it　has　to　say　without　introspection；　and　in　the　ordinary　course
of　business；　as　one　of　the　common　forms　of　courtship。　　It　no　more
knows　that　it　has　been　using　language　than　M。　Jourdain　knew　he　had
been　speaking　prose；　but　M。　Jourdain's　knowing　or　not　knowing　was
neither　here　nor　there。

Anything　which　can　be　made　to　hitch　on　invariably　to　a　definite　idea
that　can　carry　some　distancesay　an　inch　at　the　least；　and　which
can　be　repeated　at　pleasure；　can　be　pressed　into　the　service　of
language。　　Mrs。　Bentley；　wife　of　the　famous　Dr。　Bentley　of　Trinity
College；　Cambridge；　used　to　send　her　snuff…box　to　the　college
buttery　when　she　wanted　beer；　instead　of　a　written　order。　　If　the
snuff…box　came　the　beer　was　sent；　but　if　there　was　no　snuff…box
there　was　no　beer。　　Wherein　did　the　snuff…box　differ　more　from　a
written　order；　than　a　written　order　differs　from　a　spoken　one？　　The
snuff…box　was　for　the　time　being　language。　　It　sounds　strange　to　say
that　one　might　take　a　pinch　of　snuff　out　of　a　sentence；　but　if　the
servant　had　helped　him　or　herself　to　a　pinch　while　carrying　it　to
the　buttery　this　is　what　would　have　been　done；　for　if　a　snuff…box
can　say　〃Send　me　a　quart　of　beer；〃　so　efficiently　that　the　beer　is
sent；　it　is　impossible　to　say　that　it　is　not　a　bona　fide　sentence。
As　for　the　recipient　of　the　message；　the　butler　did　not　probably
translate　the　snuff…box　into　articulate　nouns　and　verbs；　as　soon　as
he　saw　it　he　just　went　down　into　the　cellar　and　drew　the　beer；　and
if　he　thought　at　all；　it　was　probably　about　something　else。　　Yet　he
must　have　been　thinking　without　words；　or　he　would　have　drawn　too
much　beer　or　too　little；　or　have　spilt　it　in　the　bringing　it　up；　and
we　may　be　sure　that　he　did　none　of　these　things。

You　will；　of　course；　observe　that　if　Mrs。　Bentley　had　sent　the
snuff…box　to　the　buttery　of　St。　John's　College　instead　of　Trinity；
it　would　not　have　been　language；　for　there　would　have　been　no
covenant　between　sayer　and　sayee　as　to　what　the　symbol　should
represent；　there　would　have　been　no　previously　established
association　of　ideas　in　the　mind　of　the　butler　of　St。　John's　between
beer　and　snuff…box；　the　connection　was　artificial；　arbitrary；　and　by
no　means　one　of　those　in　respect　of　which　an　impromptu　bargain　might
be　proposed　by　the　very　symbol　itself；　and　assented　to　without
previous　formality　by　the　person　to　whom　it　was　presented。　　More
briefly；　the　butler　of　St。　John's　would　not　have　been　able　to
understand　and　read　it　aright。　　It　would　have　been　a　dead　letter　to
hima　snuff…box　and　not　a　letter；　whereas　to　the　butler　of　Trinity
it　was　a　letter　and　not　a　snuff…box。

You　will　also　note　that　it　was　only　at　the　moment　when　he　was
looking　at　it　and　accepting　it　as　a　message　that　it　flashed　forth
from　snuff…box…hood　into　the　light　and　life　of　living　utterance。　　As
soon　as　it　had　kindled　the　butler　into　sending　a　single　quart　of
beer；　its　force　was　spent　until　Mrs。　Bentley　threw　her　soul　into　it
again　and　charged　it　anew　by　wanting　more　beer；　and　sending　it　down
accordingly。

Again；　take　the　ring　which　the　Earl　of　Essex　sent　to　Queen
Elizabeth；　but　which　the　queen　did　not　receive。　　This　was　intended
as　a　sentence；　but　failed　to　become　effectual　language　because　the
sensible　material　symbol　never　reached　those　sentient　organs　which
it　was　intended　to　affect。　　A　book；　again；　however　full　of　excellent
words　it　may　be；　is　not　language　when　it　is　merely　standing　on　a
bookshelf。　　It　speaks　to　no　one；　unless　when　being　actually　read；　or
quoted　from　by　an　act　of　memory。　　It　is　potential　language　as　a
lucifer…match　is　potential　fire；　but　it　is　no　more　language　till　it
is　in　contact　with　a　recipient　mind；　than　a　match　is　fire　till　it　is
struck；　and　is　being　consumed。

A　piece　of　music；　again；　without　any　words　at　all；　or　a　song　with
words　that　have　nothing　in　the　world　to　do　with　the　ideas　which　it
is　nevertheless　made　to　convey；　is　often　very　effectual　language。
Much　lying；　and　all　irony　depends　on　tampering　with　covenanted
symbols；　and　making　those　that　are　usually　associated　with　one　set
of　ideas　convey　by　a　sleight　of　mind　others　of　a　different　nature。
That　is　why　irony　is　intolerably　fatiguing　unless　very　sparingly
used。　　Take　the　song　which　Blondel　sang　under　the　window　of　King
Richard's　prison。　　There　was　not　one　syllable　in　it　to　say　that
Blondel　was　there；　and　was　going　to　help　the　king　to　get　out　of
prison。　　It　was　about　some　silly　love　affair；　but　it　was　a　letter
all　the　same；　and　the　king　made　language　of　what　would　otherwise
have　been　no　language；　by　guessing　the　meaning；　that　is　to　say　by
perceiving　that　he　was　expected　to　enter　then　and　there　into　a　new
covenant　as　to　the　meaning　of　the　symbols　that　were　presented　to
him；　understanding　what　this　covenant　was　to　be；　and　acquiescing　in
it。

On　the　other　hand；　no　ingenuity　can　torture　language　into　being　a
fit　word　to　use　in　connection　with　either　sounds　or　any　other
symbols　that　have　not　been　intended　to　convey　a　meaning；　or　again　in
connection　with　either　sounds　or　symbols　in　respect　of　which　there
has　been　no　covenant　between　sayer　and　sayee。　　When　we　hear　people
speaking　a　foreign　languagewe　will　say　Welshwe　feel　that　though
they　are　no　doubt　using　what　is　very　good　language　as　between
themselves；　there　is　no　language　whatever　as　far　as　we　are
concerned。　　We　call　it　lingo；　not　language。　　The　Chinese　letters　on
a　tea…chest　might　as　well　not　be　there；　for　all　that　they　say　to　us；
though　the　Chinese　find　them　very　much　to　the　purpose。　　They　are　a
covenant　to　which　we　have　been　no　partiesto　which　our　intelligence
has　affixed　no　signature。

We　have　already