274 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
sharp-sighted Lewenhoek has discovered insects, through 
his microscope, each of which is a hundred million times 
smaller than a grain of sand...... . But far, very 
far, be it from any man to consider such a seemingly unim- 
portant creature unworthy of his observation, for it might 
serve to turn our thoughts back from it to its Almighty 
Creator. Is it not true that men admire much the buildings 
of princely houses and courts: men have the greatest esteem 
for their architects, and willingly concede to them art and 
ingenuity ; but sound reason proves to us that all the most 
glorious palaces of the whole world, nay, all works of art and 
science, made by man, are not at all to be compared to the 
construction of one such animal; for from them streams 
forth a wisdom and omnipotence, before which all man’s 
wisdom and power dwindles into a shadow....... Is 
it not, therefore, very becoming that a man should spend his 
leisure time, or, at any rate, some of it, in contemplation of 
the animal kingdom? Let a man, I say, fix his attention 
upon these wonders of the Highest Wisdom. But consider, 
that such a living speck of dust,—what do I say ?—that such 
a living being, many thousand times smaller than a speck of 
dust, is supplied with the utmost perfection, not only of the 
outward parts,—with their skins, joints, tendons, &c., and 
thus placed in the position of a being able to move quicker 
than many of the largest animals,—but also with everything 
that is necessary to the internal arrangement and the circula- 
tion of the fluids, without which no organized being can 
exist: and still the whole animal above named is a hundred 
thousand times smaller than a grain of sand; but think how 
many million times smaller than the animal must that be out 
of which it was made. Let us observe, also, in considering 
this amazing, this unspeakable smallness, that care is taken 
for the continuation of such (as it were) invisible creatures, 
and our thoughts must be silenced in amazement. What 
think you, worthy reader, are they not the works of art of a 
boundless omnipotence, conceptions of an unsearchable 
wisdom, proofs of an endless goodness? Do we not find in 
these trifling things a most convincing proof of the infinite 
greatness of Him who made them out of nothing? In short, 
do they not convince us of the truth that there is a God? 
Now, I ask whether the contemplation of such seemingly 
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