172 OF THE USE 
many bodies is hitherto unknown to us, yet wo 
have great reafon to believe, that all the bo- 
dies in the univerfe, fome way or other, con- 
tribute to our advantage. Hay , which men 
take fuch pains to collect in the fummer, is 
of no ufe to man immediately, but it is a com- 
modity of the utmoft confequence to him me- 
diately, as being the food of cattle of all forts, 
without which we could not well fubfift. Thofe 
minute infe&s called tree lice , that live upon 
the branches of trees, and plants, are looked 
upon as of no ufe to us. Thefe are devoured 
by files , cochineals , golden eyes , &c. in their firit 
ftate ; which alfo feem to be of no ufe to us, 
but then many of the [mail birds feed upon 
of mens reach, which are purfued in the clofet with cafe, 
and when ingenious are apt to ftrike the imaginations of 
mankind, fhouid take place of die fober, and painful re- 
fearches into nature, little minded by the generality of peo- 
ple, and therefore lying out of the paths of reputation. 
Thus what was fo well begun by Ariftotle and Theophra- 
llus dropped at once for want of encouragement, and never 
raifed its head again, till after the reftoration of learning ; 
when Gefner, Bauhin, Caefalpinus, & c. in imitation of 
thofe firfl: mailers, began to revive this part of knowledge ; 
and kindled up a fpark, whkh has never been totally ex- 
tinguished fince, and has been raifed into a diftufive light 
by feveral naturalifts of the la£l age, and particularly by the 
excellent Linnaeus. 
them* 
