312 Friends and Foes 



into court ; but they were not fairly treated, as the 

 advocate assigned to them was no longer living, and 

 judgment was given against them in these terms : 

 ' We, the Archbishop of Lausanne, condemn and ex- 

 communicate ye obnoxious worms and grubs, that 

 nothing shall be left of ye except such parts as can be 

 useful to man.' 



No steps seem to have been taken, however, to give 

 effect to the sentence, and the grubs obstinately 

 ignored it. 



But if the Council could have imported a few 

 hundreds of small birds, they would most likely have 

 been quickly rid of the plague ; for these, and these 

 alone, are the natural and most effectual provision for 

 keeping the numbers of grubs, caterpillars, and the 

 like within their proper limits. 



