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than the hardest skin.

Befides cannot man build "himself a house, raise walls around him, enclose

himfelf in a tower &c. ?"

We

This reflection of Galen's fhews that God has not been lefs attentive to the fafety of man than to that of other animals. Expofed to fo many dangers, naked and deftitute of every fort of defence, what would have become of us had not the Creator endowed us with reafon, a gift fo precious, that it ferves us instead of all the arms beltowed on other animals. must not imagine however that even with this we are in a condition to refift all our enemies; they are in too great numbers, and are inceffantly laying fnares for our body and our foul. In this cafe we fhould be miferable indeed, did God forfake us; but will he do fo? Will he who leaves not without defence the vileft worm, will he fuffer man to become the prey of his cruel adverfaries? Affuredly not. He is too beneficent, and has given us too many marks of his kindness to allow us to entertain fuch a thought. Let us then cry out boldly with David, the Lord is a refuge in time of trouble for the oppreffed. Ps. xi. 9. This that holy man had often experienced, and accordingly he fays in another place," the Lord has been my defence, "and the rock of my refuge." Ps. xciv. 22. Let us therefore rely more on the powerful affiftance of our Creator than on our own itrength, being af fured that our truft fhall not be in vain. The eyes "of the Lord." fays the wife fon of Sirach" are on "thofe who love him; he is their mighty protection "and strong ftay, a defence from heat, and a cover "from the Sun at noon, a prefervation from ftumb"ling, and an help from follies. He raifeth up the foul, and lighteneth the eyes; he giveth health, life "and bleffing."

CHAP. XIII.

CHAP. XIII.

OF THE CARE WHICH INSECTS TAKE OF THEIR EGGS, AND THEIR YOUNG.

THE natural inftinct which determines the infect race to take care of their eggs and of their young is for remarkable, that I think proper to treat of it, in a Chapter apart. They are neither hatched like birds, nor fuckled like quadrupeds. The Sun alone by its heat brings them forth, and no footer do they quit the fhell, than they are in a capacity to chufe food and to eat it. The whole forefight of the mother is confined to the depofiting of her eggs in places where the heat of the Sun may eafily reach them, and where the young may at once find the food that is convenient for them; at least till they are in a condition to go in queft of it theinfelves. It is for this purpose they are fen choofing the places where their eggs may be protected from the inclemency of the weather. Some depofit in thefe places the things neceffary for their young; and fome carry them from one place to another, when they find them expofed to accidents.

The choice which infects make of the places in which they depofit their eggs, is as remarkable as the diverfities in their manner of lite. Each chufes for that end the fubftance which is the proper food of

the

the young infect. Such as live in the water lay their eggs in that element; but as there is a great difference in the quality of water, each chufes that which is moft fuited to its nature. Some depofit their eggs in pure water, as gnats; others in ftagnant pools, as the Tipula phalenoides, &c. while others prefer fluids compofed by art, fuch as beer, &c. Some depofit them under the furface of the earth, where they are defended from the injuries both of heat and cold. Some which live on plants and fruits, depofite theirs either within thefe, or on their furface. Hence we find them on the ftalk, and on the leaves of plants, fometimes on the trunks of trees, and under the bark, where they are defended from the heat of the Sun, and from rain; they are found alfo both in dry and green wood. Thofe which require a greater degree of heat to bring them forth or which feed on the fluids of other animals, lay their eggs on the body, and even within it, of thofe which are their proper food. For this reafon we find them in other infects, under the fcales of fishes, and in their flesh, on the feathers of birds, among the hairs of quadrupeds, in the noftrils, and in the flesh of animals.

In chufing a place, they are much determined by its furnishing them with food. Almost all of them chufe a fituation in which their young will not be incommoded by bad weather; but befides this, fome fix their eggs with a fort of gluten, which retains them, and prevents their being wafhed off by the rain. This glutinous matter fometimes becomes fo hard, that no external force can penetrate to the eggs and break them, Others, to fhun the cold, cover them with the hairs of their own body, or weave a web around them, and wrap them up as in a cloak. If any happen to depofit their eggs in places where the young cannot find food, they provide it them

felves, that nothing may be wanting after their exclufion. Many forts of ichneumons kill caterpillars and carry them to their nefts where they keep them with great care, that they may ferve for food to their young when hatched. The care of their brood with fome is carried to fuch a length that they carry their eggs always about with them, or at least, in cafe of danger, transport them from one place to another. Laftly, fome after having depofited their eggs in fafe places, defend them by various ways from the injuries of their enemies.

The inftinct which leads them to ufe fo many precautions, muft proceed either from the animal itfelf, or from fome other being eudowed with reafon and intelligence. It cannot come from the animal itfelf, which being devoid of the faculty of reafon, is incapable of thar forefight and wifdom, of which all thefe cares are the refult. Who then is the Being that directs them to make ufe of all thofe aftonishing precautions which I have detailed? The anfwer is cafy. We know of no being but God who is capable of it. It is he who hath taught them to lay their eggs in places the moft proper for their convenient and fafe exclufion; it is he who among fo many fituations equally proper, teaches them to choofe that where the young will find, at iffuing from the egg, the food moft convenient for them. Indeed who elfe but he could infpire them with fuch affectionate folicitude? Who could teach them to provide fuftenance to their young when the eggs are depofited in places where it is not to be found? From whom have they learnt that prudent practice of removing their eggs from a place where they are expofed to danger? To whom can fuch wonderful effects be attributed, if not to the Creator and Preferver of all things, whofe goodness is equal to his power and his infinite wifdom?

It is not among infects alone, that this parental care is to be feen. Quadrupeds are poffeffed of it in an equal degree. The ferocious lion, and implacable tyger, the ravenous wolf, and voracious dog, the venomous ferpent, and cruel dragon, love their young, provide for their neceffities, and never hurt them. The prophet Jeremiah feems to allude to this, when he fays that "the fea-monfters draw out the breaft, and give fuck to their young ones." LAMENT. iv. 3. Man is endowed with this instinct like animals. It is on this affection for our childdren that St Paul founds his argument when he fays "that no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherifheth it." EPH. v. 29. "Can`a woman forget her fucking child, fays Ifaiah, and not have compaffion on the fon of her womb?" CH. XLIX. 15.

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However natural this inftinct may appear, yet there are perfons to be found who feem to have left it entirely. They deprive their children of neceffaries, and cruelly ufe them, and take no care either of their foul or their body. This is not all: there are women who, that there may be no living witnefs of their iniquity, pitilefsly expofe the fruit of their womb, wthout caring whether they perith for want, are devoured by beafts, or are carried off by persons charitable enough to do fo. There are even fome, (can it be conceived without horror!) who are barbarous enough to imbrue their hands in the blood of their little innocents, formed in their womb, and nourished with their blood! The moft ravenous beaft is incapable of fuch cruelty nor is there any thing fimilar to be feen among infects, the vileft of

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