STUDY XII. 7 



than thofe of the old man, who is frequently in- 

 firm, and haftening to diflblutioni whereas the 

 child is entering into life; but the child has never 

 offended ; he is innocent. This fentiment extends 

 even to animals, which, in many cafes, excite our 

 fympathy more than rational creatures do, from 

 this very confideration, that they are harmlefs. 

 This accounts for the idea of the good La Fon- 

 taine^ in defcribing the Deluge, in his fable of 

 Baucis and Philemon. 



Tout dlfparut fur l'heure. 



Les vieillards déploroient ces fevères deftins : 

 Les animaux périr ! Car encor les humains, 

 Tous avoient dû tomber fous les célèftes armes, 

 Baucis en répandit en fecret quelques larmes. 



AU difappear'd in that tremendous hour. 



Age felt the weight of Heaven's infulted power : 



On guilty Man the ftroke with jullice fell, 



But harmlefs brutes i — the fiercenefs who can tell 



Of wrath divine ? — At thought of this, fome tears 



Stole down the cheeks of Baucis 



Thus the fentiment of innocence develops, in 

 the heart of Man, a divine charaâier, which is that 

 of generofity. It bears, not on the calamity ab- 

 ftradedly confidered, but on a moral quality, 

 which it difcerns in the unfortunate being who is 

 the objeâ: of it. It derives increafe from the view 

 of innocence, and fometimes ftill more from that 

 of repentance. Man alone, of all animals, is fuf- 



B 4 ceptible 



