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into the parts they touch: others introduce it by means of their teeth; others get into the body by the mouth. The effects they produce on the human body, differ as much as the means by which they attack it are different. The poifon of fome affects the folids, that of others operates on the chyle; in others it interrupts the circulation of the humours, ftops up the pores, or caufes other diforders, but their venom, though different in different fpecies, has this in common, that it attacks the nervous and fibrous parts, and there causes violent contractions.

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The tarantula is an infect remarkable for the effects produced by its venom, on those who are bitten by it. One dances and leaps, another sheds tears; another fleeps inceffantly, another paffles the whole night, without clofing an eye: One perfon will tremble through his whole members, without being able to expectorate or perfpire; another will grow fond of a particular colour, and never find himself fatisfied with looking at it. One perfon will divert himfelf with leaping inceffantly, or in waving a fword; one will delight in looking at a glass of water, which another cannot endure. One perfon will take pleasure in a lamb decked with green, while his companion will be in an extacy at the fight of a bafon of water, in which he will repeatedly plunge his arm or his head. Some are fo elevated with pride, that they speak only in a high ftyle, while others finifh their gambols by whining and lamentation: laftly, fome fall on the ground, and fight with feet and hands, in a frightful manner.

It is common for infects to affociate together in prodigious numbers fo as to compofe immenfe armies, and to make all at once an irruption into a country, whither they bring famine and epidemic difeafes. I repeat it, that I am not of the opinion of those who maintain

maintain that the plague is owing to indifpofition in the human body, caufed by worms; yet I do not deny but that a vast quantity of infects may give rife to the plague or other fimilar difeafes. Hiftory is full of fuch relations, and, as able philofophers have found the thing probable, I confider it as very poffible. Indeed, when that innumerable multitude of enemies has perifhed and covered the earth with carcafes, it is natural to suppose that there will iffue from them certain volatile particles which being dif perfed through the air, enter into our bodies by refpiration, and disturb their economy.

CHA P. III.

OF THE INJURIES WHICH INSECTS CAUSE TO OTHER ANIMALS.

INSECTS do not only make war on other infects, as we fee those that are most useful to man,fuch as bees, preyed upon by wafps and hornets, but cattle are alfo exposed to their affaults. Inceffantly attacked by thefe infatiable creatures, the larger animals receive wounds from their fting, which penetrate to the blood. Some attach themselves to the orifice of the wound and fuck the liquor which diftils from it; others are not content with a fingle fting, but inflict-the wound feveral times. Such is that fort of fly whofe dart is ftrong enough to pierce the fkin of thefe animals. There it introduces its eggs, which caufe thofe ftrange Gg 2

tumours

tumours formerly fuppofed, by fuperftition, to be the effect of forcery.

Beafts likewife nourish in their bowels infects of feveral forts. Few people are ignorant that horfes which feed in meadows fwallow worms while they brouze the grass. These pretty much resemble the feed of a gourd, except that their body is interfected with rings by which they can fhorten or extend themselves they attach themselves ftrongly to the fuperior orifice of the ftomach of the animal, and move, only to mix with the aliment. Dogs, be fides these gourd-fhaped worms, have likewise another kind, which are fo flender, that a great number of them together have the appearance of a clue of thread. Cattle in general are very much affected by worms; they lofe their flefh, and often die in fpite of the most efficacious remedies. Another poifon concealed under the grass, is a fort of bug called Bupeftris by Pliny, which makes the body of the animal fwallowing it fwell till it burft. To avoid repetition, I fhall not here mention any thing of the diseases which leeches cause in animals when fwallowed with their drink; and I fhall conclude with obferving that the mortality in sheep, a circumftance fo interesting to the proprietor and to the fhepherd, and which too often deceives the vigilance of the one, and the fkill of the other, proceeds molt frequently from infects which devour the liver of thefe animals to fuch a degree, that the deftruction of that part neceffarily causes the death of the animal.

CHA P. IV.

CHA P. IV.

THE DEVASTATIONS MADE BY INSECTS ARE SO MANY MARKS OF THE POWER, THE JUSTICE, THE WISDOM, AND EVEN OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

Or all the reflections I have hitherto made, none have been aimed fo much at atheism as those I propofe to introduce in this chapter. I do not doubt but I fhall offend its partizans; but if they will for a little unloose the bandage with which they voluntarily blind themselves, and deign for a moment to hear me without prejudice, I do not defpair of fhewing them truths which they have hitherto been ignorant of. I know that truths are odious to them, and that with them obftinacy is set against reason ; however I fhall venture to speak to them in its favour. Those who acknowledge the Scripture as a book containing the facred depofit of the word of God are ftruck with admiration at the thought of the prodigious number of animals which the power of God collected in the ark. The infidel laughs at this and treats it as a fable: but he does not confider that things equally surprising happen every day under our eyes do we not fee for inftance, that certain kinds of infects, after having collected in myriads, fometimes pafs over feas, and caufe famine and defolation in diftant lands? What principle leads them thither?

Is it reafon or inftinct? Be it either the one or the other, I afk the atheift from whence they have received it? If he proceeds ftep by step it is impoffible but he muft remount to the fupreme caufe whence this principle, whatever it may be, originally derives its own existence, But let us go a little farther; these infects, notwithstanding their feeble conftitution, carry their depredations into a country affording but a moderate harvest, while they fpare another which promised them a much more abundant foil. What is the cause of this election? Is it determined by judgement, or by chance? Neither one nor the other can be attributed to infects, because they are incapable of judgement, and because they act only from a caufe determinate and neceffary. But once more, what is that caufe? It is that which hath bestowed existence on all beings vifible and invifible: it is God according to the man of reafon; it is chance. according to the atheift. I wifh much that one of thofe fublime geniufes who doubt of every thing, even of their own exiftence, would tell me what is chance. It is nothing but a name a word fignifying nothing, a term to cover ignorance, a chimerical being to which is attributed what belongs folely to the powerful Architect of the universe. Atheifts accufe us of weaknefs; but have we not greater reafon in this cafe to treat them as madmen, who adopt the doubtful for the probable, falfhood for truth, impoffibility for reality? Is it then degra. ding to acknowledge a God? Is it dangerous to ferve him? Is it difhonourable to humanity to believe that he is the creator of mankind? Is it to defpoil ourfelves of our rights to confefs that we are indebted to him for every thing? Is it to rank ourselves with the brutes to allow that it is he who has formed them? It is the province of reafon to answer thefe questions; and if I appeal to confcience I am mistaken, if it would not declare openly that the

o devoid of fenfe,

wounds

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