GOODNESS OF THE DEITY. 313 



from what it docs when rubbed upon the palm of the hand ? 

 This is a constitution which, so far as appears to me, can be 

 resolved into nothing but the pure benevolence of the Crea- 

 tor. Eating is necessary, but the pleasure attending it if- 

 not necessary ; and that this pleasure depends not only up( n 

 our being in possession of the sense of taste, which is differ- 

 ent from every other, but upon a particular state of the 

 organ in which it resides, a felicitous adaptation of the organ 

 to the object, will be confessed by any one who may happen 

 to have experienced that vitiation of taste which frequently 

 occurs in fevers, when every taste is irregular, and every 

 one bad. 



In mentioning the gratifications of the palate, it may be 

 said that we have made choice of a trifling example. I am 

 not of that opinion. They afford a share of enjoyment to 

 man ; but to brutes I believe that they are of very great 

 importance. A horse at liberty passes a great part of his 

 waking hours in eating. To the ox, the sheep, the deer, and 

 other ruminating animals, the pleasure is doubled. Their 

 whole time almost is divided between browsing upon their 

 pasture and chewing their cud. Whatever the pleasure be, 

 it is spread over a large portion of their existence. If there 

 be animals, such as the lupous fish, which swallow their 

 prey whole and at once, without any time, as it should seem, 

 for either drawing out or relishing the taste in the mouth, 

 is it an improbable conjecture, that the seat of taste with 

 them is in the stomach ; or at least, that a sense of pleasure, 

 whether it be taste or not, accompanies the dissohition of 

 the food in that receptacle, which dissolution in general is 

 carried on very slowly ? If this opinion be right, they are 

 more than repaid for the defect of palate. The feast laste 

 as long as the digestion. 



In seeking for argument, we need not stay to insist upon 

 the comparative importance of our exam^ple ; for the ob- 

 servation holds equally of all, or of three at least of the 

 other senses. The necessary purposes of hearing might havo 



Nat. T'acol. 14 



