Essays on Life 



slugs are not, and there must be millions of 

 slugs all the world over for every single turtle. 

 Of the two vanities, therefore, that of the slug 

 seems most substantial. 



In either case the creature thinks itself safe, 

 but is sure to be found out sooner or later; 

 nor is it easy to explain this mockery save by 

 reflecting that everything must have its meat 

 in due season, and that meat can only be 

 found for such a multitude of mouths by 

 giving everything as meat in due season to 

 something else. This is like the Kilkenny cats, 

 or robbing Peter to pay Paul; but it is the 

 way of the world, and as every animal must 

 contribute in kind to the picnic of the universe, 

 one does not see what better arrangement 

 could be made than the providing each race 

 with a hereditary fallacy, which shall in the 

 end get it into a scrape, but which shall 

 generally stand the wear and tear of life for 

 some time. " Do ut des " is the writing on all 

 flesh to him that eats it ; and no creature is 

 dearer to itself than it is to some other that 

 would devour it. 



Nor is there any statement or proposition 



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