The Life of the Bee 



at once of their plan and material. Else- 

 where there are marked deviations, which 

 must be corrected ; gaps to be filled and 

 harmoniously joined to the rest, vast 

 surfaces that are unstable and will need 

 support. The enterprise is hopeful, but 

 full of hardship and danger. It would 

 seem to have been conceived by some 

 sovereign intelligence, that was able to 

 divine most of our desires, but has ex- 

 ecuted them clumsily, being hampered by 

 Its very vastness. We must disentangle, 

 therefore, what now is obscure, we must 

 develop the least intentions of the super- 

 natural donor ; we must build in a few 

 days what would ordinarily take us years ; 

 we must renounce organic habits, and 

 fundamentally alter our methods of labour. 

 It is certain that all the attention man 

 could devote would not be excessive for 

 the solution of the problems that would 

 arise, or for the turning to fullest account 

 378 



