ANIMALS. 235 



body, are softer in women than in men, these parts must, of conse* 

 quence, require a longer time to come to that hardness which hastens 

 death. Women, therefore, ought to be a longer time in growing old 

 than men ; and this is actually the case. If we consult the tables 

 which have been drawn up respecting human life, we shall find, that, 

 after a certain age, they are more long-lived than men, all other cir 

 cumstances the same. A woman of sixty has a better chance than a 

 man of the same age to live till eighty. Upon the whole, we ma} 

 infer, that such persons as have been slow in coming up to maturity, 

 will also be slow in growing old ; and this holds as well with regard to 

 other animals as to man. 



The whole duration of the life of either vegetables or animals may 

 de, in some measure, determined from their manner of coming to ma- 

 turity. The tree, or the animal, which takes but a short time to in- 

 crease to its utmost pitch, perishes much sooner than such as are less 

 premature. In both, the increase upwards is first accomplished ; and 

 not till they have acquired their greatest degree of height do they 

 begin to spread in bulk. Man grows in stature till about the age of 

 seventeen ; but his body is not completely developed till about thirty. 

 Dogs, on the other hand, are at their utmost size in a year, and be- 

 come as bulky as they usually are in another. However, man, who 

 is so long in growing, continues to live fourscore, or a hundred years; 

 but the dog seldom above twelve or thirteen. In general, also, it may 

 be said, that large animals live longer than little ones, as they usually 

 take a longer time to grow. But in all animals, one thing is equally 

 certain, that they carry the causes of their own decay about them ; and 

 that their deaths are necessary and inevitable. The prospects which 

 some visionaries have formed of perpetuating life by remedies, have 

 been often enough proved false by their own example. Such unac- 

 countable schemes would, therefore, have died with them, had not 

 the love of life always augmented our credulity. 



When the body is naturally well formed, it is possible to lengthen 

 out the period of life for some years by management. Temperance 

 in diet is often found conducive to this end. The famous Cornaro, 

 who lived to above a hundred years, although his constitution was 

 naturally feeble, is a strong instance of the benefit of an abstemious 

 life. Moderation in the passions also may contribute to extend the 

 term of our existence. " Fontenelle, the celebrated writer, was natu- 

 rally of a very weak and delicate habit of body. He was affected by 

 the smallest irregularities; and had frequently suffered severe fits of 

 illness from the slightest causes. But the remarkable equality of his 

 temper, and his seeming want of passion, lengthened out his life to 

 above a hundred. It was remarkable of him, that nothing could vex 

 r make him uneasy; every occurrence seemed equally pleasing; and 

 JIG event, however unfortunate, seemed to come unexpected." How- 

 ever, the term of life can be prolonged but for a very little time by 

 any art we can use. We are told of men who have lived beyond the 

 ordinary duration of human existence; such as Parr, who lived to a 

 hundred and forty-four; and Jenkins to a hundred and sixty-five; yet 

 these men used no peculiar arts to prolong life ; on the contrary, it 

 nppears that these, as well as some others, remarkable for their Ion- 



