36 BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



caterpillar state and emblem, in the human soul, of 

 some deadly sin yielded to during life, and which after- 

 wards becomes the gnawing " worm that dieth not." 

 For in this case, instead of the bright butterfly, there 

 issues forth from the chrysalis-shell only a swarm of 

 black, ill-favoured flies, like a troop of evil spirits coming 

 from their feast on a fallen soul. 



If a caterpillar were gifted with a foreknowledge of 

 his butterfly future, so far transcending his inglorious 

 present, we could imagine that he would be only im- 

 patient to get through his caterpillar duties, ^nd rejoice 

 to enter the chrysalis state as soon as he was fitted for 

 it. How short-sighted then would a caterpillar appear 

 who should endeavour, while in that shape, to emulate 

 the splendour of the butterfly by some wretched tem- 

 porary substitute, adding a few more, or brighter stripes 

 than nature had given it ; or, again, if one whose great 

 change was drawing near, should attempt to conceal its 

 visible approach by painting over the fading hues of 

 health, and plastering up the wrinkles of its outward 

 covering, so soon to be thrown off altogether ; instead of 

 striving for inward strength and beauty, which would 

 never decline, but be infinitely expanded in the but- 

 terfly and regarding the earthly beauty's wane as the 

 dawn of the celestial. 



With these and similar reflections before us (which 

 might be multiplied ad infinitum\ we shall no longer 

 look upon the caterpillar as a mere unsightly and 

 troublesome reptile, the chrysalis as an unintelligible 



