"iron heard in the houfe, while it was in building.' The Jews, to explain this paffage, have no hesitation. in faying, that the workmen employed a worm to fhape the stones, which infect, named Schamir, cut, and broke them in the places to which it was ap. plied. They add, that it was of the figure of a grain of barley, and that it was kept in a leaden box, because, had it reached any rocks, it would have cleft and destroyed them. No hiftorian, however, except those Rabbis, speaks of this prodigy. We have as much difficulty in believing another circumftançe they affure us of, namely, that, though in the promifed land, there were multitudes of flies, there were never any within the precincts of the temple, notwithstanding the number of animals facrificed there, that, on the contrary, in the Pagan facrifices, every thing was fo covered with infects, that the chief of their idols was called Beelzebub, that is to fay, the god of flies and gnats. Without waiting to enquire, how far the fire and fmoke might keep infects at a distance from the altar, I fhall only observe, that it is not to be believed, that the temple could be abfolutely free of them; the more, as the Scripture makes no mention of this, and the circumstance certainly deserved to be recorded, had it been true. As to the places of the Pagan facrifices, I believe, that flies would crowd to them from all parts, before the fire was put to the victims, becaufe, they would thus follow their natural inclination for the flesh of animals. The Rabbis likewife' introduce a number of marvellous adventures in the history of David; among others, that, upon occafion of his retreat to the cave of Adullam, God commanded a spider to hide the bottom of the cave with her web from Saul, who thus loft the opportunity of feizing his enemy. The manner, in which we know that David surprised Saul, when encamped on the hill of Hakila, has this additional circumstance, that Kk 2 David

David, in order to cut off the skirt of the robe, fet his foot between thofe of Abner, who was afleep by the fide of Saul; that Abner having turned himself at this moment, fo confined David, that he could not extricate himself, without awaking either the one or the other; that, in this perplexity, God difpatched a fly, which ftung Abner in the leg, and thus, not only extricated him, but gave him an opportunity of carrying off the king's halberd, and his cruife of

water.

In imitation of the Jews and Pagans, it would feem, that fome Chriftians have alfo attempted to introduce infects in aid of their religion. J. Baldus, in order to prove the real prefence in the Eucharist, relates, that a number of bees having found the hoft on the ground, paid it homage, and carried it, very refpectfully to their hive. Friar Baptifte, of Pifa, in his book conformitatum vita P. Francifci að vitam I. C. tells us, that a fpider having accidentally fallen into the chalice, while St Francis was faying mafs, that holy man chofe rather to fwallow the fpider, than, by throwing it away, to lofe one drop of the precious beverage; and he adds, O prodigy! that the spider afterwards came out of the bone of his leg, without doing him any harm. We likewise read, in Nieremberg, that, St Francis walking one day in a garden, faw a grafshopper, which immediately quitted the plant it fat on, and perched upon his hand; that he ordered it to fing the praises of God, and, that with a pretty loud voice, it immediately began a very fine pfalm!

CHAP. VIII.

CHAP. VIII.

OF THE ABUSE OF INSECTS IN JURISPRUDENCE.

REVENGE is fo fweet that however oppofite it may be to the laws of God and man, it is nevertheless very grateful to perfons who have not yet learnt to forgive their enemies. They continually lie in wait to difturb the repose of the person they hate, and it is of little importance to them in what way they attack him, provided they accomplish their purpose. This terrible paffion finds in nature but too many means of gratification; even infects have often been employed to minifter to its fury. There was a time when in Italy this horrid practice was fo fuccefsfully carried on by means of the poifon of a fpecies of hairy caterpillar that it was found neceffary to reftrain it by the fevereft laws. The great have not been lefs inclined to indulge this paffion than the common people; and power, and the confciousnefs of impunity have made them carry refentment to the utmoft. In 1126, Henry the young, furnamed the pofthumous, Margrave of Metz, &c. had no fooner vanquished the Margrave Conrad the great, than he refolved to tyrannize over a prince whom the fuccefs of one battle had put in his power. He committed him prifoner to the caftle of Kirchberg, fhut him up in an iron cage, and expofed him night and day to the ftings of flies and gnats. Sigefroi, Arch

bishop

bishop of Cologne acted in the fame cruel way to Adolphus Count of Berg. Tha: prelate was fo enflaved by paflion, that he forgot his duty to himself and his enemy; he feized his perfon, contrary to the faith of a folemn promife, and devoted him to be the food of infects; he ordered him to be rubbed over with honey, to be inclofed in a cage, and drawn after him as a part of his retinue, wherever he went. I remember to have fomewhere read that a cerain. Pagan Emperor, wifhing to refine on the punishments inflicted on the Chriftians, invented one of fingular cruelty. He buried the unhappy victim up to the neck in the earth, and leaving the head bare and rubbing the face with honey, abandoned him to the tormenting bites and ftings of innumerable infects.

The feverity of judges, or barbarity of jailors to their prisoners is a circumftance which I confider as an abuse of their power and confequently as a crime against the law. I speak of those criminals who are allowed to rot in their filth, and who for want of a little straw, are half eaten with vermin before their laft hour arrives. I may be told that malefactors worthy of death, are not to be exempted from the hardships of a prifon; but where do you find that they ought to be fubjected to two punishments at once? The fentence of a criminal is undoubtedly anticipated when the fhort interval between it and his death is rendered more cruel, and often lefs fupportable than the punishment itself. The confcience of judges fhould be interested in watching over the conduct of their officers, and in attending to the condition of the unhappy perfons whofe lives are in their hands.

We are enjoined by the laws to do no injury to any perfon, whether by hurting his perfon or his property. The injunction is general, and allows no ex

ception

ception, nor will admit any excufe, fo that lawfully we cannot harbour wafps to the prejudice of our neighbour's bees. This cafe appeared fo important to legislators, that they have wifely impofed on it the feverest penalties.

Suicide is another crime, condemned equally by divine and human laws. To give up a reasonable felf-love, to renounce our defire of life, and to make ourselves the hangman of our own bodies, is in my opinion the moft enormous abufe that can be made of reafon and free agency. This is the cafe of those who have been held up to our admiration for chufing rather to abridge their days by the empoisoned juice of fome vile infect or reptile, than to fupport a trifling distress or a tranfient pain.

However unlimited the power of a fovereign may be, he degrades his throne, and fullies his fceptre if he difputes the awards of justice, or hefitates between cruelty and mercy. When by means of poifon he gets rid of an innocent or pardonable fubject, he defcends from the height of glory to the loweft degree of abasement. It is in vain for him to fweeten the poifoned draught, that is lefs an act of clemency than a mark of perfidy, and a refinement of cruelty. In this he imitates the fenate of Athens, who being refolved to punifh Socrates, accused of Atheism, because he believed in one God only, prepared for him a drink agreeable to the taste, but fatal to life.

CHAP. IX.