39G IETTE1X LXII. 



the universe, the self-existent author of all existence. 

 Our love of the Creator, cannot, however, be more 

 appropriately displayed than by the exercise of uni- 

 versal benevolence towards his creatures. This im- 

 portant moral truth I have every where endeavoured 

 to inculcate; and let it, my dear Sir, be impressed on 

 your mind, and kept in your memory, that 



" the poor beetle that we tread upon 



In corporal suffering feels a pang as grtat 

 As when a giant dies." 



This effusion of poetry speaks no other language 

 than that of accurate philosophy ; for there is every 

 reason to believe that the sensations of many of the 

 most diminutive insects are as exquisite, and conse- 

 quently, their sufferings as acute as those of larger 

 animals. The writhings of the poor wcrm, on which 

 ' we aecidently tread, evidently shew the pangs which 

 it feels, shock the heart that is endowed with sensibi- 

 lity and force it to lament the step which fortuitously 

 caused these sufferings. Horrible, however, to relate, 

 parents too frequently indulge their children in the 

 wanton sport of torturing poor insects in a manner Jit 

 which humanity must shudder, 



"What more advance can mortals make in sin, 

 So near perfection who with blood begin ? " 



DRYDEV, 



The supreme court of judicature at Athens, to its 

 eternal credit, punished' a boy for putting out the 

 yes of a poor bird that unfortunately fell into his sa- 

 vage hands; and parents arul masters should never 

 overlook an act of cruelty towards any thing that is en- 

 dowed with lite and sensation, however mean and con- 

 temptible it may seem. No creature is mean or 'insig- 

 nificant in the eyes of the universal Parent, the Cre- 

 ator of all beings : 



"With him no hi^h nor low, no great nor small, 

 He 1111s, he bounds, connects and equals all." 



Yes, my dear Sir, great and little, important and 

 mean, are relative terms, and distinctions of 'our own, 



