172 OF THE USE 



many bodies is hitherto unknown to us, yet we 

 have great reafon to believe, that all the bo- 

 dies in the univerfe, fome way or other, con- 

 tribute to our advantage. Hay\ which men 

 take fuch pains to colleft in the fummer, is 

 of no ufc to man immediately, but it is a com- 

 modity of the utmoft confequence to him me- 

 diately, as being the food of cattle of all forts, 

 without which we could not well fubfift. Thofe 

 minute infeds called tree lice^ that live upon 

 the branches of ti*ees, and plants, are looked 

 -upon as of no ufe to us. Thefe are devoured 

 hy flies ^ cochineals^ golden eyes^ &c. in their firft 

 ftate \ which alfo feem to be of no ufe to us, 

 but then many of the fmall birds feed upon 



of mens reach, which are puifued in the dofet with cafe, 

 and when ingenious are apt to ftrike the imaginations of 

 mankind, ftiould take place of die fober, and painful re- 

 fearches into nature, little minded by the generak'ty of peo- 

 ple, and therefore ^yirg out of the paths ot reputation. 

 Thus what was fo weil begun by Ariftotle and Theophra- 

 flus dropped at once for want of encoui agemcnt, ?nd never 

 raifed its head again, til) after the reftoration of learning ; 

 when Gefner, Bauhin, C^falpinus, &c. in imitation of 

 thofe firft mailers* began to revive this part of knowledge ; 

 and kindled up a fpark, which has never been totally ex- 

 tinguiflied fince, and has been raifed into a diiFufive light 

 by feveral naturaliils of the lall age, and particularly by the 

 excellent Linnaeus. 



them, 



