Chapter 2
3. Conventional signs, on the other hand, are those which living beings
mutually exchange for the purpose of showing, as well as they can, the
feelings of their minds, or their perceptions, or their thoughts. Nor is there
any reason for giving a sign except the desire of drawing forth and conveying
into another's mind what the giver of the sign has in his own mind. We wish,
then, to consider and discuss this class of signs so far as men are concerned
with it, because even the signs which have been given us of God, and which are
contained in the Holy Scriptures, were made known to us through men—those,
namely, who wrote the Scriptures. The beasts, too, have certain signs among
themselves by which they make known the desires in their mind. For when the
poultry-cock has discovered food, he signals with his voice for the hen to run
to him, and the dove by cooing calls his mate, or is called by her in turn;
and many signs of the same kind are matters of common observation. Now whether
these signs, like the expression or the cry of a man in grief, follow the
movement of the mind instinctively and apart from any purpose, or whether they
are really used with the purpose of signification, is another question, and
does not pertain to the matter in hand. And this part of the subject I exclude
from the scope of this work as not necessary to my present object.
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