620 
MU. KARKEEK’S REPLY TO MR. SPOONER 
as proven, finding it stated in Revelation;—not to mention other 
passages. We there hear it proclaimed of John the Baptist, that, 
of those that were born of women, there had not risen a greater; 
yet the least in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than “ he.” 
But you have compelled me to continue the subject, since I can¬ 
not allow you to defeat by a side-wind that which you could not 
accomplish by fair argument. I give you credit for being a good 
tactician, having done your best to make this principal position of 
mine appear as ridiculous as possible, by endeavouring to shew 
how absurd, and even degrading, must be the supposition that a 
microscopic being, or a Southampton bug, should possess an im¬ 
mortal spirit. 
Mr. Manthorp, too, in his beautifully written paper, carries out 
the same style of argument;—“ Are the flea,” he says, “ and 
‘ Creation’s last and loveliest ones,’ 
both, indeed, actuated by the same immaterial and eternal spirit ? 
Does the worm who crawled over Shakspeare’s tenement of clay 
actually have the same glorious course of immortality to run, as his 
godlike spirit which once dwelt there ?” 
I certainly give myself some little credit for having been the 
humble instrument in bringing Mr. Manthorp out,” this being, I 
believe, his first appearance in the pages of The VETERINARIAN; 
but, notwithstanding the talent which he has displayed, I was under 
the necessity of returning the flattering compliment which he paid 
me, that, in spite of the beauty of his arguments, “ still they are 
not convincing*.” 
But it appears that neither he nor yourself have exactly under¬ 
stood me, since I never claimed for the inferior animals the same 
degree of immaterial being or spirit as for man. The intel¬ 
lect which man possesses has, in addition to all that brutes can 
enjoy, so many greater powers and qualities which they have never 
exhibited, nor can be trained to acquire, that it would be absurd 
to attempt it. We are justified in deeming our soul to be superior 
to any other sentient and perceiving principle that has yet appeared 
in any of our terrestrial companions; and, if a comparison might 
be allowed, is entitled to be considered as much superior to the 
soul of an elephant, as the soul of an elephant is superior to a 
Southampton bug. 
Yet each is perfect in the station in which he is placed: the 
* It is impossible to consider the whole of Mr. Manthorp’s arguments in 
this paper, and I consider myself guilty of injustice no to reply to them in a 
separate article. Perhaps Mr. M. will consider some of the observations in 
this paper to bear on his opinions as well as those of Mr. Spooner’s, and he 
may consider them worth noticing : if so, I hope to hear from him again. 
