CARNIVORA. 
195 
to the weasels ; and certain weasels, again, to the 
seals and bears ; and these last to the herbivorous 
and granivorous races. Thus a pedigree as rational 
and perhaps not more presumptive than that on which 
a coronet or estate may depend, might be made out, 
connecting the different animals with a very few 
original progenitors, which went out from Noah’s 
ark. Such physical hypotheses are susceptible of 
corroboration, if not of actual proof, by human in- 
dustry and research ; and, if founded on truth, may 
perhaps, in time, be satisfactorily established. 
Conjectures on the intellectual, moral, or invisible 
works of the Creator are less capable of demonstra- 
tion ; and the moment they tend to oppugn the only 
certain knowledge we have of these subjects, which 
is derived from Scripture, they wander from truth 
to error, and lead to the miseries of a doubting 
mind, or the madness of infidelity. 
The most eminent writers, poetical and prosaic, 
have exercised their oratory in describing and eulo- 
gizing these highly useful and interesting animals. 
The subjugation and domestication of them by man 
may be called reason’s conquest of nature ; and it is 
the most complete, singular, and useful conquest, 
man has ever made. It is true, that, in the refined 
state of society in which we live, this is not so ap- 
parent : but a little observation on the state of suck 
of our fellow-creatures, as are yet beneath us in in- 
tellectual improvement, will probably satisfy us, that 
we owe, originally, much of our advance to, and pro- 
gress in civilization, to the powers of the dog ; and 
