228 ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Book II. 



From animals that devour other animals, or devour the fruits of 

 the earth, as the locufts do, I thuik the argument will proceed, in 

 ibme degree, to the larger animals, which require a great deal of 

 food ; and we may conclude that they do not multiply very much ; 

 whereas the infeds, and the other fmall animals, multiply exceeding- 

 Iv, becaufe they are eafily maintained : But, if the larger animals 



were 



chapter upon locufts, p. 256. In which he fays, that, if the number of females was 

 to be equal to the number of males, only for ten years, they would deflroy the 

 whole vegetable kingdom. He fiys that, in the year 1754, 1755, 1756, and 1757, 

 they ravaged the province of Eflremidura ; and he adds, that, when they left that 

 province, and ravaged La Mancha, he is fure there were at lead txventy males to one 

 female. Another thing that prevents their defolating the countries where they are, 

 is, that the male goes into the water, and dies, immediately after copulation, and 

 the female after laying and depofiting her eggs. But all this notvvithftanding, they 

 commit dreadful ravages, both in Africa and the Southern Provinces of Spain. Al- 

 though they are at firfl only a creeping infe£l, they get wings at la(t, and fly in 

 clouds hiding the fun, as Milton defcribes the locufls in Egypt with that true he- 

 roic tone zm\ fpirit which diftinguifhes him from all the other Englifli poets. 



< A-s when the potent rod 



« Of Amron's (on, in Egypt's evil day, 



* Waved round the coaft, up called a pitchy cloud 



* Of locufts, warpingon the eaftern wind, 



* That o'er the impious realm of Pharaoh hung 



* Like night, and darkened all the land of Nile.'' 



1 cannot help obferving here, though ir be a digreflion from my fubje£l:, that It 

 raifes my ind'gnation exceedingly to fee ?n author, fuch as Milton, treated with fo 

 little ri-g^rd by fome who call themfclves critics; an author who, I think, is not only 

 the bo.ift of England, but of modern times, and to whom, m an age, fuch as this, 

 which cjh only glory in the memory of what we formerly were in genius and learn-" 

 ing, arts ;ind arms, we ought to eredt ftatues. We may apply to him what Quinti- 

 lian fays of Homer, whom he has imitated better than any other author : Magni efl 

 viri, Homeri virtutcs intcllcclu ccmple^li. But, in this age, I am afraid, there are 

 fcv/ that can comprehend the beauties of either. 



