It cannot be accounted for by any properties in matter,' and at the fame time works after fo add a manner, that' one cannot think it the faculty of an intellectual being. For my own part, I look upon it as upon the principle of gravitation in bodies, which is not to be explained by any known qualities inherent in the bodies themfelves, nor from any laws of mechanifm, but according to the best notions of the greateft philofopers, is an immediate impreffion from the firft mover, and the divine energy acting in the creatures. L N° 121 A Thursday, July 19. -Jovis omnia plena. Virg. Ecl. 3. v. 6o.. SI was walking this morning in the great yard that belongs to my friend's country-houfe, I was wonderfully pleased to fee the different workings of instinct in a hen followed by a brood of ducks. The: young, upon the fight of a pond, immediately ran into it; while the ftep-mother, with all imaginable anxiety, hovered about the borders of it, to call them out of an element that appeared to her fo dangerous and deftructive. As the different principle which acted in these different animals cannot be termed reafon, fo when we call it inftinet, we mean fomething we have no knowledge of. To me, as I hinted in my laft paper, it seems the immediate direction of providence, and fuch an operation of the fupreme Being, as that which determines all the portions of matter to their proper centres. A modern philofpher, quoted by Monfieur Bayle in his learned. differtation on the fouls of brutes, delivers the fame: opinion, though in a bolder form of words, where he fays, Deus eft anima brutorum, God himfelf is the foul of brutes. Who can tell what to call that feeming fagacity in animals, which directs them to fuch food as is proper for them, and makes them naturally avoid whatever G-5 whatever is noxious or unwholfome? Tully has obferved, that a lamb no fooner falls from its mother, but immiediately and of his own accord applies itself to the teat. Dampier, in his travels, tells us, that when feamen are thrown upon any of the unknown coafts of America, they never venture upon the fruit of any tree, how tempting foever it may appear, unless they obferve that it is marked with the pecking of birds; but fall on without any fear or apprehenfion where the birds have been before them. But notwithstanding animals have nothing like the ufe of reason, we find in them all the lower parts of our nature, the paffions and fenfes in their greatest strength and perfection. And here it is worth our obfervation, that all beafts and birds of prey are wonderfully fubject to anger, malice, revenge, and all the other violent paffions that may animate them in fearch of their proper food as thofe that are incapable of defending themfelves, or annoying others, or whofe fafety lies chiefly in their flight, are fufpicious, fearful and apprehenfive of every thing they fee or hear; whilft others that are of affiftance and ufe to man, have their natures foftened with fomething mild and tractable, and by that means are qualified for a domeftick life. In this cafe the paffions generally correfpond with the make of the body. We do not find the fury of a lion in fo weak and defencelefs an animal as a lamb, nor the meeknefs of a lamb in a creature fo armed for battle and affault as the lion. In the fame manner, we find that particular ani, mals have a more or lefs exquifite fharpness and faga city in thofe particular fenfes, which moft turn to their advantage, and in which their safety and welfare is the moft concerned. Nor muft we here omit that great variety of arms with which nature has differently fortified the bodies of feveral kind of animals, fuch as claws, hoofs, and horns, teeth, and tufks, a tail, a fting, a trunk, or a proboftis. It is likewife obferved by naturalis, that it must be fome hidden principle diftinct from what we call reafon, which inftructs animals in the ufe of these their arms, and teaches them to manage them to the best advantage; because they naturally defend them felves with that part in which their ftrength lies, before the weapon be formed in it; as is remarkable in lambs, which though they are bred within doors, and never faw the actions of their own fpecies, pufh at thofe who approach them with their foreheads, before the first budding of a horn appears. I fhall add to these general obfervations an instance, which Mr. Locke has given us of providence even in the imperfections of a creature which feems the meanest and most defpicable in the whole animal world. We may, fays he, from the make of an oifter, or cockle, conclude, that it has not fo many nor so quick fenfes as a man, or feve ral other animals: Nor if it had, would it, in that state and incapacity of transferring it felf from one place to another, be bettered by them. What good would fight and bearing do to a creature that cannot move itself to, or from the object, wherein at a diftance it perceives good or evil? And would not quickness of fenfation be an inconvenience to an animal that must be still where chance has once placed it, and there receive the afflux of colder or warmer, clean or foul water, as it happens to come to it. I fhall add to this inftance out of Mr. Locke another out of the learned Dr. More, who cites it from Cardan, in relation to another animal which providence has left defective, but at the fame time has fhewn its wifdom in the formation of that organ in which it seems chiefy to have failed. What is more obvious and ordinary than a mole? and yet what more palpable argument of providence thar fee? The members of her body are fo exactly fitted to her nature and manner of life: For her dwelling being under ground where nothing is to be feen, nature has fo obfcurely fitted her with eyes, that naturalifts can hardly agree whether he have any fight at all or no. But for amends, what She is capable of for her defence and warning of danger, fhe has very eminently conferred upon her; for he is exceeding quick of hearing. And then her short tail and short legs, but broad fore feet armed with sharp claws, we fee by the event to what purpose they are, fhe fo fwiftly working herJelf under ground, and making her way fo faft in the earth as they that behold it cannot but admire it. Her legs therefore are short, that she need dig no more than will ferve the mere thickness of her body; and her fore-feet are broad G 6 that N° 121 that she may Scoop away much earth at a time; and little or no tail fhe bas, because fhe courfes it not on the ground, like the rat and mouse, of whofe kindred she is, but lives under the earth, and is fain to dig herself a dwelling there. And he making her way thro' fo thick an element, which will not yield eafily, as the air or the water, it had been dangerous to have drawn jo long a train behind her; for her enemy might fall upon her rear, and fetch her out, before fbe bad completed or got full poffeffion of her works. I cannot forbear mentioning Mr. Boyle's remark upon this last creature, who I remember fomewhere in his works obferves, that tho' the mole be not totally blind (as it is commonly thought) fhe has not fight enough to diftinguish particular objects. Her eye is faid to have but onc humour in it, which is fuppofed to give her the idea of light, but of nothing elfe, and is fo formed that this idea is probably painful to the animal. Whenever she. comes up into broad day fhe might be in danger of being taken, unless fhe were thus affected by a light ftriking upon her eye, and immediately warning her to bury herself in her proper element. More fight would be useless to her, as none at all might be fatal. I have only inftanced fuch animals as feem the moft imperfect works of nature; and if providence fhews tfelf even in the blemishes of these creatures, how much more does it discover itself in the feveral endowments which it has varioufly beftowed upon fuch creatures as are more or lefs finished and compleated in their feveral faculties, according to the condition of life in which they are pofted. I could with our Royal Society would compile a body of Natural Hiftory, the beft that could be gather'd together from books and obfervations. If the feveral writers among them took each his particular fpecies, and gave us a diftinct account of its original, birth and education; its policies, hoftilities and alliances, with the frame, and texture of its inward and outward parts, and particularly thofe that distinguish it from all other animals, with their peculiar aptitudes for the ftate of being in which providence has placed them, it would be one of the beft fervices their ftudies could do mankind, and not a little redound to the glory of the all: wife Contriver. It is true, fuch a Natural History, after all the dif quifitions of the learned, would be infinitely fhort and defective. Seas and, deferts hide millions of animals from our observation. Innumerable artifices and ftratagems are acted in the Howling Wilderness and in the Great Deep, that can never come to our knowledge. befides that there are infinitely more fpecies of creatures which are not to be feen without, 'nor indeed with the help of the finest glaffes, than of fuch as are bulky enough. for the naked eye to take hold of. However, from the confideration of fuch animals as lie within the compafs of our knowledge, we might eafily form a conclufion of the reft, that the fame variety of wisdom and goodness runs through the whole creation, and puts every crea ture in a condition to provide for its safety and fubfiftence in its proper station. Tully has given us an admirable sketch of natural hiftory, in his fecond book concerning the nature of the Gods; and that in a ftile fo raised by metaphors and defcriptions, that it lifts the fubject above raillery and ridicule, which frequently fall on fuch nice obfervations when they pass thro' the hands of an ordinary writer. L. N° 122 Friday, July 20.. Comes jucundus in via pro vehiculo eft. Publ. Syr. Frag. An agreeable companion upon the road is as good as a coach. A Man's first care fhould be to avoid the reproaches of his own heart; his next, to escape the cenfures of the world: If the laft interferes with the former, it ought to be entirely neglected; but otherwise there cannot be a greater fatisfaction to an honeft mind, than to fee those approbations which it gives itfelf feconded by the applauses of the publick: A man is more fure of his conduct, when the verdict which he paffes upon. his. own behaviour is thus warranted and confirmed by the opinion of all that know him.. My |