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Capacity for Pain in Insects. 195 
champion, who, although in himself a host, never dreamt, I suspect, of 
buckling on his armour in so weak a cause. They (Messrs. Kirby and 
Spence) say, “ But this inference that insects are not indued with the 
** same sense of pain as the higher orders of animals, is reduced to cer- 
“* tainty when we attend to the facts which insects every day present to 
“* us, proving that the very converse of our great poet’s conclusion, 
“‘ the poor beetle that we tread upon” 
** In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great 
‘© As when a giant dies,” o 
‘© must be regarded as nearer the truth.”’ Now, under correction, “ our 
‘* great poet’’ never for a moment intended to conclude, or to lead others 
to the conclusion, that insects are indued with as high a sense of pain as 
men. He spoke exclusively of the physical, or, to use his own word, 
“ corporal” pain of dying. He said, though in other words, ‘it is 
« 
« 
evident to your senses that the corporal pain is little or nothing to a 
* crushed insect; it would be no greater to a giant as suddenly anni- 
‘ hilated; therefore it is trifling in both cases, and all the extra suffering 
*< (the only real suffering in fact) of the man is mental.’’ His authority 
might therefore with propriety be used to prove that physical pain was 
much less severe in all animals than is generally supposed, (and which I 
have no doubt that it is,) but after reading the former part of the quotation, 
** Dar’st thou die? 
« The pain of death is most in apprehension, — 
** And the poor beetle,” &c. &c.* 
¥ 
* There are few instances of a more complete perversion of the meaning by 
a partial quotation of a sentence, than occurs in this passage of Shakspeare. 
The object of the fair pleader being to encourage her brother steadfastly to en- 
counter death, would scarcely have been forwarded by depicting that consum- 
_# mation as attended with great corporal sufferance, Yet such is the effect of the 
omission of the context. It is curious too to observe the zeal with whick. en- 
tomologists especially have again and again defended themselves against an 
assertion which reflects not upon them, and which ignorance alone could apply 
tothem, Naturalists and the vulgar alone have misunderstood the bearing 
of the passage: the commentators have seen it in its proper light, as explained 
above by Dr. Heineken; and Mr. Douce expressly remarks, ‘‘ The meaning is 
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