242 APPENDIX. 



cannot help thinking myself, that those who spurn and 

 scoff at the minute ivorks of God, be they what they may, 

 while they affect an admiration of his great wonders, are 

 guilty of a species of impiety, and must be either liars, or 

 hypocrites, or fools. 



Men are perpetually wondering what can be the use of 

 bugs, and fleas, and wasps, and such kind of vermin, and 

 speak of them as absolute blots in the escutcheon of the 

 Almighty. The use of these little insects is surely to 

 teach man a perpetual lesson of humility. He is extremely 

 apt to fancy himself the only being of real importance in 

 this planet, and that every thing in it has been made for 

 his exclusive use and accommodation : whereas a very 

 little consideration must teach him that the said fleas, and 

 bugs, and wasps, &c. are intended to enjoy themselves in 

 their own way just as he does ; that is to say, without 

 greatly considering the convenience, comforts, or happi- 

 ness of other beings, I consider it as certain that bugs 

 were intended to prey upon man, as that man and the 

 other praedaceous mammalia were intended to destroy 

 the weaker animals. If a bug (I beg pardon a cimex 

 lectularius] could reason, it would probably suppose that 

 man was of no other use in the creation than to prepare 

 its habitation and supply its food , and would think that 

 no better evidence need be adduced to prove the immense 

 importance of a bug than that such bountiful provision 

 had been made for it, &c. 



If mere utility is to be made the standard of excellence, 

 what a large part of that of most of the sciences consists 



