320 ANT 1 EN T METAPHYSICS. Book IV. 



getting the noblefl: animal of tliis earth, man : From him he has de- 

 icended to the meaneft animals, fuch as flics and reptiles, the greateft 

 part of them contemptible, not only for their fize, but a great part 

 of them bred in filth, corruption, and even dung. Yet he has 

 fliown, that even to thefe extends the care of Providence, which 

 has provided every thing necefliiry for their prcfervation and main- 

 tenance ; fo that not only the race is continued, but the individuab 

 made as happy as their natures will permit, in conformity, how- 

 ever, to the general laws of Nature, to which they and every other 

 animal muft fubmit. 



In his account of infeils I think there is nothing more curious 

 than what he tells us of the cukx or gnat^ which pafTes through 

 three ftates : jfirjl it comes from the egg a worm ; then it is what he 

 calls an aureUa ; and lad of all it becomes a gnat. In its firft two 

 ftates it is a water animal, and in its laft it is a fly or animal of the 

 air *. The body of the gnat., fays he, is many times lefs than a 

 fmall grain of fand, fo that the lead drop of water can contain many 

 of them ; and yet its body is perfedly formed, containing every part 

 belonging to any animal ; and he fays it is ornamented too f . The 

 author adds that be has counted loo of them frifking about in a 

 drop of the green fcum of water, not bigger than a pin's head %. — 

 Such wonderful difcoveries we have made in Nature by our micro- 

 fcopes on earth, as well as by our telefcopes in the heavens. 



The antients knew no more of the fyftem of the univerfe than 

 \\'hat their naked eye could difcover in the heavens and earth; wliere- 

 as we, by the afliftance of our glalTes, may be faid to have diicover- 

 cd a new world in both. In the heavens, by means of the telefcope, 

 we have difcovered fo many new ftars, as muft give us an idea of 

 the extent of the univerfe, fuch as the antients could not have had j 



and; 



» P. 383 & 384. t r. 367 & 368- X I'- 368. 



