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tions, all of them a known and intelligible, fubferviency to the use of the animal. Now, when the multitude of animals is confidered, the number of parts in each, their figure and fitness, the faculties depending upon them, the variety of species, the complexity of structure, the fuccefs, in fo many cafes, and felicity of the refult, we can never reflect, without the profoundest adoration, upon the character of that Being from whom all these things have proceeded: we cannot help acknowledging, what an exertion of benevolence creation was; of a benevolence, how minute in its care, how vaft in its comprehenfion.

When we appeal to the parts and faculties of animals, and to the limbs and fenfes of animals in particular, we ftate, I conceive, the proper medium of proof for the conclufion which we wish to establish. I will not fay, that the infenfible parts of nature are made folely for the fenfitive parts; but this I fay, that, when we confider the benevolence of the Deity, we can only confider it in relation to fenfitive Being. Without this reference, or referred to any thing elfe, the attribute has no object; the term has no meaning. Dead matter is nothing. The parts, therefore, especially the

limbs and fenfes, of animals, although they conftitute, in mafs and quantity, a small portion of the material creation, yet, fince they alone are inftruments of perception, they compose what may be called the whole of visible nature, estimated with a view to the difpofition of its author. Confequently, it is in these that we are to feck his character. It is by these that we are to prove, that the world was made with a benevolent defign.

Nor is the defign abortive. It is a happy world after all. The air, the earth, the water, teem with delighted existence. In a spring noon, or a fummer evening, on whichever fide I turn my eyes, myriads of happy beings crowd upon my view. "The infect youth are on the wing." Swarms of new-born flies are trying their pinions in the air. Their fportive motions, their wanton mazes, their gratuitous activity, their continual change of place without use or purpose, testify their joy, and the exultation which they feel in their lately discovered faculties. A bee amongst the flowers in fpring, is one of the cheerfulleft objects that can be looked upon. Its life appears to be all enjoyment: fo bufy, and fo pleased: yet it is only a fpecimen of infect

life, with which, by reafon of the animal being half domefticated, we happen to be better acquainted than we are with that of others. The whole winged infect tribe, it is probable, are equally intent upon their proper employments, and, under every variety of conftitution, gratified, and perhaps equally gratified, by the offices which the author of their nature has affigned to them. But the atmosphere is not the only scene of enjoyment for the infect race. Plants are covered with aphides, greedily fucking their juices, and conftantly, as it fhould feem, in the act of fucking. It cannot be doubted but that this is a ftate of intense gratification. What else should fix them so close to their operation, and fo long? Other fpecies are running about with an alacrity in their motions which carries with it every mark of pleasure. Large patches of ground are fometimes half covered with thefe brifk and fprightly natures. If we look to what the waters produce, fhoals of the fry of fifh frequent the margins of rivers, of lakes, and of the fea itself. These are so happy, that they know not what to do with themselves. Their attitudes, their vivacity; their leaps out of the water, their frolics in it, (which I have noticed a thousand times with equal attention

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and amusement,) all conduce to fhew their excefs of spirits, and are fimply the effects of that excess. Walking by the fea fide, in a calm evening, upon a fandy fhore, and with an ebbing tide, I have frequently remarked the appearance of a dark cloud, or, rather, very thick mift, hanging over the edge of the water, to the height, perhaps, of half a yard, and of the breadth of two or three yards, ftretching along the coaft as far as the eye could reach, and always retiring with the water. When this cloud came to be examined, it proved to be nothing elfe than fo much space, filled with young fhrimps, in the act of bounding into the air from the fhallow margin of the water, or from the wet fand. If any motion of a mute animal could express delight, it was this: if they had meant to make figns of their happiness, they could not have done it more intelligibly. Suppofe then, what I have no doubt of, each individual of this number to be in a state of pofitive enjoyment, what a fum, collectively, of gratification and pleasure have we here before our view?

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The young of all animals appear to me to receive pleasure fimply from the exercife of their limbs and bodily faculties, without re

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ference to any end to be attained, or any use to be answered by the exertion. A child, without knowing any thing of the use of language, is, in a high degree, delighted with being able to fpeak. Its inceffant repetition of the few articulate founds, or, perhaps, of the fingle word, which it has learnt to pronounce, proves this point clearly. Nor is it lefs pleased with its first successful endeavours to walk, or rather to run (which precedes walking), although entirely ignorant of the importance of the attainment to its future life: and even without applying it to any prefent purpose. A child is delighted with speaking, without having any thing to fay; and with walking, without knowing where to go. And, prior to both thefe, I am difpofed to believe, that the waking hours of infancy are agreeably taken up with the exercife of vifion, or, perhaps, more properly speaking, with learning to fee.

But it is not for youth alone, that the great Parent of creation hath provided. Happiness is found with the purring cat, no less than with the playful kitten; in the arm-chair of dozing age, as well as in either the sprightli nefs of the dance, or the animation of the chace. To novelty, to acuteness of sensation,

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