92 ORIGIN OF SOCIETY. CAKTTO m. 



The fly of night illumes his airy way, 

 And seeks with lucid lamp his sleeping prey; 

 Fierce on his foe the poisoning serpent springs, 

 And insect armies dart their venom'd stings. 



? 



" Proud Man alone in wailing weakness born, 

 No horns protect him, and no plumes adorn; 

 No finer powers of nostril, ear, or eye, 

 Teach the young Reasoner to pursue or fly. 120 

 Nerved with fine touch above the bestial throngs, 

 The hand, first gift of Heaven! to man belongs; 



The fly of night, 1. 113. Lampyris noctiluca. Fire-fly. 



The hand, Jirst gift of Heaven, 1. 122. The human species in some 

 of their sensations are much inferior to animals, yet the accuracy of 

 the sense of touch, which they possess in so eminent a degree, gives 

 them a great superiority of understanding; as is well observed by 

 the ingenious Mr. Buffon. The extremities of other animals termi- 

 nate in horns, and hoofs, and claws, very unfit for the sensation of 

 touch; whilst the human hand is finely adapted to encompass its 

 object with this organ of sense. Those animals who have clavicles 

 or collar-bones, and thence use their fore-feet like hands, as cats, 

 squirrels, monkeys, are more ingenious than other quadrupeds, ex- 

 cept the elephant, who has a fine sense at the extremity of his pro- 

 boscis; and many insects from the possessing finer organs of touch 

 have greater ingenuity, as spiders, bees, wasps. 



