aOODNESS OF THE DEITY. J15 



preternatural acuteness. An increased, no less than an im- 

 paired sensibility, induces a state of disease and suffering. 



The doctrine of a specific congruity between animal 

 senses and their objects, is strongly favored by what is ob- 

 served of insects in the election of their food. Some of these 

 will feed upon one kind of plant or animal, and upon no 

 other ; some caterpillars upon the cabbage alone, some upon 

 the black currant alone. The species of caterpillar which 

 eacs the vine, will starve upon the alder ; nor will that 

 which we find upon fennel touch the rose-bush. Some in- 

 sects confine themselves to two or three kinds of plants or 

 animals. Some, again, show so strong a preference, as to 

 afford reason to believe, that though they may be driven by 

 hunger to others, they are led by the pleasure of taste to a 

 few particular plants alone ; and all this, as it should seem, 

 independently of habit or imitation. 



But should we accept the third hypothesis, and even 

 carry it so far as to ascribe every thing which concerns the 

 question to habit — as in certain species, the human species 

 most particularly, there is reason to attribute something — 

 we have then before us an ^animal capacity, not less perhaps 

 to be admired than the native congruities which the othei 

 scheme adopts. It cannot be shown to result from anj 

 fixed necessity in nature, that what is frequently applied t( 

 the senses should of course become agreeable to them. It 

 is, so far as it subsists, a power of accommodation provided 

 in these senses by the Author of their structure, and forms 

 a part of their perfection. 



In whichever way we regard the senses, they appear to 

 be specific gifts, ministering not only to preservation, but to 

 pleasure. But what we usually call the senses, are probably 

 themselves far from being the only vehicles of enjoyment, or 

 the whole of our constitution which is calculated for the 

 same purpose. We have many internal sensations of the 

 most agreeable kind, hardly referable to any of the five 

 senses. Some physiologists have held that all secretion is 



