MAN'S RELATION TO ANIMALS. 411 



" Everything which surrounds us is full of the utterance of 

 one word completely expressive of its nature. This word is its 

 name, for God even now (could we but see it) is creating all 

 things, and giving a name to every work of his love, in its per- 

 fect adaptation to that for which it is designed. But man has 

 abused his power, and has become insensible to the real cha- 

 racter of the brute creation, still more so to that of inanimate 

 nature, because, in his selfishness, he is disposed to reduce them 

 to slavery. 



" We find the animal world either in a state of savage wild- 

 ness or enslaved submission. It is possible, that as the cha- 

 racter of man is changed they may attain a midway condition 

 removed from both. As the mind of man acknowledges its 

 dependence on the Divine Mind, brutes may add to their in- 

 stinct submission to human reason, preserving an unbroken 

 chain from our Father in heaven to the most inanimate parts 

 of creation. # # # Everything will seem to be conscious 

 of its use, and every man will become conscious of the use of 

 everything." 



But it is more in our province to illustrate than to argue. 

 Let us show, in conclusion, how two poetic minds Christian 

 men of different countries and differing creeds have thought 

 and written on this our reconciling speculation. A canine 

 favourite is the object whereon is made to hang with both poets 

 their sentiment and belief; but allowing continued existence to 

 the dog, we must not deny it (admitting the resemblance of 

 their forms of mind) to the ant or to the bee. Thus, our Southey, 

 on the death in old age, by drowning, of a faithful friend and 

 companion of his youth : 



' But fare thee well ! mine is no narrow creed, 

 And He who gave thee being did not frame 

 The mystery of life to be the sport 

 Of merciless man ! There is another world 

 For all that live and move a better one ! 

 Where the proud bipeds, who would fain confine 



