LECT. VL] GREEDINESS OF THE MOLE. 147 



There Nemesis followed them ; they became sand- 

 blind, for the eyes not being used, ceased to grow after 

 the time of birth. The thought of the Mole, when safety 

 was assured to him, was to revel in the enjoyments of 

 the table, and of all the fat and greasy citizens of the 

 field or forest, he is the fattest and the greediest ; his 

 appetite * is like that of Homer's heroes "a rage of 

 hunger." This sleek artful little hermit has slunk 

 away from the outer active world for the sake of safety 

 and creature comfort ; not for moral improvement, for 

 his temper is demoniacal. But if his temper is not 

 perfect, his structure is ; and if a second Paley should 

 arise to preach to us on natural theology, the Mole 

 in his garden would be the only text he would need to 

 take. The Mole, moreover, is an old friend of mine, 

 and much admired by me ; long ago, we spent our days 

 in the same field ; I above, he below ; but I used my 

 eyes, he neglected his ; he is still underground, but my 

 eyes still see the flocks, and herds, and human face 

 divine. Yet the Mole was not always a blind prisoner, 

 making elegant inner prisons with his own hands ; he is 

 the modified descendant of some ancient full-eyed type. 



And it was not the fault of any one particular parent, 

 much less of the present Mole himself, that he was 

 born blind ; the degradation arose gradually, through 

 the timidity of his progenitors, whose cowardice became 

 hereditary and intensified ; nature, however, avenged 

 herself on his family she never forgives a transgression. 



