ON ZOOLOGY. 140 



mediate protection and support; and being endued 

 with capabilities only, he can make no advance 

 without the aid of instruction, nor afterwards 

 succeed but by his own industry, or by the as- 

 sistance of those with whom he associates. He 

 is also longer than any other animal before his 

 physical powers are fully developed ; and before 

 this be accomplished, he is liable to a variety of 

 diseases, which tend to destroy him at an early 

 period, or to lay the foundation for future mala- 

 dies, that ultimately deprive him of life, or expose 

 him to frequent suffering and pain for the remain- 

 der of his existence ; independently of the ordi- 

 nary casualties from sickness and accidents, to 

 which, through his whole course, he is unavoida- 

 bly exposed. And if to these drawbacks, we add 

 those mental afflictions to which, from a variety 

 of causes, he is so frequently liable, and from 

 which, all other animals are exempt; we shall 

 probably be ready to admit, that his superiority 

 in the creation, and the higher degree of enjoy- 

 ment of which he is susceptible, are very amply 

 balanced by the sufferings to which he is exposed, 

 and by the importance which he attaches to an 

 existence, of the possession of which, his con- 

 sciousness tells him, he cannot calculate for one 

 hour; or when deprived of it, whether still greater 

 sufferings may not await him, than those which 

 he has left behind. 



The brute species, on the contrary, are 



