166 BEETLES. 



Beetles are his special care ; 

 Beetles, shining in the sun, 

 Beetles, as they crawl or run, 



Beetles, beetles everywhere ! 



Beetles, huge as bats or birds, 

 Beetles, small as dust of earth, 

 Beetles, of Madeiran birth, 



Beetles, from the Cape de Verdes. 



Beetles, in Nilotic mud, 



Beetles, from the bright Azores, 

 Beetles new, on British shores, 



Beetles older than the flood ! 



Beetles! — does this trivial seem ? — 

 Yet philosophers may spend 

 All their lives from end to end, 



But shall not exhaust that theme. 



God in all His works is great. 

 Greatest in the smallest things ; 

 And the lowest creature brings 



Homage to His Highest State. 



Note these microscopic spots, 

 By our Wollaston defin'd, 

 Each a miracle of mind. 



One of God's forget-me-nots ! 



Yea,-^the meanest thing that crawls, 

 Vermin be it, if men will, — 

 As a marvel of deep skill 



Is praised in the Celestial Halls ! 



Then, high-hearted Wollaston, 

 Still work on in love and faith. 

 For to thee God surely saith, 



Servant, good and true, well-done ! 



Teignmouth, October 23rd, 1866. 



