512 
MU. SPOONEU’S UEPI.Y TO MU. K4UKEEK. 
in which you are placed by your position. One of the writers 
whom you quote alludes only to the larger animals; but you, if I 
mistake not, contend that every animal body possessing life is fur¬ 
nished with an immortal soul. It is certainly impossible to draw 
the line of demarcation between one animal and another. If 
we admit it in one case we must admit it in all; yes, not only 
in every fowl that flies through the atmosphere—every fish that 
swims in the ocean—every reptile that crawls on the earth—but 
in every one of those countless beings that require the aid of a 
powerful microscope, even to bring them within the ken of human 
vision. A little water becomes stagnant, and in consequence of this 
thousands of living beings become instinct with life. Does each of 
them possess an immortal soul ? Our fruit trees become blighted 
in a single night, and are covered in the morning with myriads 
of living beings,—are they all the heirs of immortality! Your 
servant, at this period of the year, puts aside and forgets a little 
pastry; in a few days you examine it with a microscope, and you 
behold an immense number of beings who thus owe their existence 
to your servant’s forgetfulness : do you ascribe immortality to all 
these beings! You turn out your horse on the moors in your 
neighbourhood, and he comes up with the mange; but you must 
not repine, for thousands of living beings^ (immortal souls) are 
thereby brought into existence. If you should ever reach South¬ 
ampton, I trust you will find my house pretty free from their visit¬ 
ation ; but if you should take up your abode in some houses in the 
town, you may, perchance, be disturbed in the night by the pre¬ 
sence of some little insects whose very cognomen is offensive to 
ears polite. You well know that the peculiar character of these 
insects is to increase, if permitted, to an incredible extent. Would 
you have me believe that they are endowed with immortality! 
Are hugs to be our companions in Paradise! You perceive, Sir, 
into what difficulties you are led by your position. 
Towards the latter part of your letter you take us back into 
remote ages, and you tell us of the wonders unfolded by geolog 3 ^ 
As a lover of the science, I experienced both pleasure and satis¬ 
faction from the perusal of your excellent remarks, although they 
do not assist your argument in the slightest degree. Geology tells 
us that animals existed, in countless forms, ages and ages before 
the first man was fashioned by the hands of his Creator; but this 
science likewise teaches us that at this remote period the globe 
was unfitted for man’s existence. These animals enjo^^ed life, and 
then passed away, and the earth all the time was gradually pro¬ 
gressing for man’s abode: and if we refer to natural science, we 
find that the same improving process is still going on, and the jungle 
and prairie are gradually becoming the fertile plain. As man 
