be formed in it; as is remarkable in Lambs, which tho' they are bred within Doors, and never faw the Actions of their own Species, pufh at those who approach them with their Foreheads, before the first budding of a Horn appears.

I fhall add to thefe general Obfervations, an Instance which Mr. Locke has given us of Providence, even in the Imperfections of a Creature which seems the meaneft and moft defpicable in the whole animal World. We may, fays he, from the make of an Oyfter, or Cockle, conclude, that it has not fo many nor fo quick Senfes as a Man, or feveral other Animals: Nor if it had would it in that State and Incapacity of transferring its felf from one Place to another, be bettered by them. What good would Sight and Hearing do to a Creature, that cannot move it felf to, or from the Object, wherein at a distance it perceives Good or Evil? And would not Quickness of Senfation be an Inconvenience to an Animal, that must be ftill where Chance has once placed it; and there receive the Afflux of colder or warmer, clean or foul Water, as it happens to come

to it?

But

I fhall add to this Inftance out of Mr. Locke, another out of the learned Dr. Moor, who cites it from Cardan, in relation to another Animal which Providence has left Defective, but at the fame time has fhewn its Wisdom in the Formation of that Organ in which it seems chiefly to have failed. What is more obvious and ordinary than a Mole? and yet what more palpable Argument of Providence than fhe? The Members of her Body are fo exactly fitted to her Nature and Manner of Life: For her Dwelling being under Ground where nothing is to be feen, Nature has fo obfcurely fitted her with Eyes, that Naturalifts can fcarce agree, whether he have any Sight at all or no. for amends, what he is capable of for her Defence and Warning of Danger, he has very eminently conferred upon her; for the is exceeding quick of Hearing. And then her fort Tail and Short Legs, but broad Fore-feet armed with fharp Claws, we see by the Event to what Purpose they are, she so swiftly working her felf under Ground, and making her way fo faft in the Earth, as they that behold it cannot but admire it. Her Legs therefore are fhort, that he need dig no more than will ferve the meer Thicknefs of her Body; and her Fore-feet are broad that she may coup away much Earth at a Time; and little or no Tail fhe has, becaufe fhe courfes it not on the Ground, like the Rat or Moufe, of whofe Kindred fhe is, but lives under the Earth, and is fain to

dig

dig her felf a Dwelling there. And she making her way thro Lo thick an Element, which will not yield eafily, as the Air or the Water, it had been dangerous to have drawn fo long a Train behind her; for her Enemy might fall upon her Rear, and fetch her out before she had compleated or got full Poffeffion of her

Works.

I cannot forbear mentioning Mr. Boyle's Remark upon this laft Creature, who, I remember, fomewhere in his Works obferves, that though the Mole be not totally blind (as it is commonly thought,) fhe has not Sight enough to diftinguish particular Objects. Her Eye is faid to have but one Humour in it, which is fuppos'd to give her the Idea of Light, but of nothing else, and is fo formed that this Idea is probably painful to the Animal. Whenever fhe comes up into broad Day fhe might be in Danger of being taken, unlefs fhe were thus affected by a Light ftriking upon her Eye and immediately warning her to bury her felf in her proper Element. More Sight would be useless to her, as none at all might be fatal.

I have only inftanced fuch Animals as feem the most imperfect Works of Nature; and if Providence fhews it felf even in the Blemishes of thefe Creatures, how much more does it discover it felf in the feveral Endowments which it has variously bestowed upon fuch Creatures as are more or lefs finished and compleated in their feveral Facul ties, according to the Condition of Life in which they are pofted?

I could with our Royal Society would compile a body of Natural Hiftory, the beft that could be gathered together from Books and Obfervacions. If the feveral Writers among them took each his particular Species, and gave us a diftinct Account of its Original, Birth, and Education; its Policies, Hoftilities and Alliances, with the Frame and Texture of its inward and outward Parts, and particularly those that diftinguish it from all other Animals, with their peculiar Aptitudes for the State of Being in which Providence has placed them, it would be one of the best Services their Studies could do Mankind, and not a little redound to the Glory of the All-wife Contriver.

It is true, fuch a Natural History, after all the Difquifitions of the Learned, would be infinitely Short and Defective. Seas and Defarts hide Millions of Animals from

our

N° 122. our Obfervation. Innumerable Artifices and Stratagems are acted in the Howling Wilderness and in the Great Deep, that can never come to our Knowledge. Befides that there are infinitely more Species of Creatures which are not to be feen without, nor indeed with the help of the finest Glalfes, than of fuch as are bulky enough for the naked Eye to take hold of. However, from the Confideration of fuch Animals as lie within the Compafs of our Knowledge, we might eafily form a Conclufion of the reft, that the fame Variety of Wisdom and Goodness runs through the whole Creation, and puts every Creature in a condition to provide for its Safety and Subfiftence in its proper Station.

2 Tully has given us an admirable Sketch of Natural Hiftory, in his fecond Book concerning the Nature of the Gods; and that in a Stile fo raifed by Metaphors and Defcriptions, that it lifts the Subject above Raillery and Ridicule, which frequently fall on fuch nice Obfervations, when they pafs through the Hands of an ordinary Writer.

N 122.

Friday, July 20,

Comes jucundus in via pro vehiculo eft.

A

Publ. Syr. Frag.

L

Man's first Care fhould be to avoid the Reproaches of

his own Heart; his next, to escape the Cenfures of the World: If the laft interferes with the former, it ought to be entirely neglected; but otherwise there cannot be a greater Satisfaction to an honeft Mind, than to fee thofe Approbations which it gives it felf feconded by the Applaufes of the Publick: A Man is more fure of his Conduct, when the Verdict which he passes upon his own Behaviour is thus warranted and confirmed by the Opinion of all that know him. :

MY worthy Friend Sir ROGER is one of those who is not only at Peace within himself, but beloved and esteemed by all about him. He receives a fuitable Tribute for his univerfal Benevolence to Mankind, in the Returns of Affection and Good-will, which are paid him by every one that lives within his Neighbourhood. I lately met with two or

three

three odd Inftances of that general Refpect which is fhewn to the good old Knight. He would needs carry Will. Wimble and my felf with him to the Country-Affizes: As we were upon the Road Will. Wimble joined a couple of plain Men who rid before us, and converfed with them for fome Time; during which my Friend Sir ROGER acquainted me with their Characters.

:

THE first of them, fays he, that has a Spaniel by his Side, is a Yeoman of about an hundred Pounds a Year, an honeft Man He is just within the Game Act, and qualified to kill an Hare or a Pheasant: He knocks down a Dinner with his Gun twice or thrice a Week; and by that Means lives much cheaper than those who have not fo good an Eftate as himself. He would be a good Neighbour if he did not destroy fo many Partridges: In fhort, he is a very fenfible Man; fhoots flying; and has been several Times Fore-man of the Petty-Jury.

THE other that rides along with him is Tom Touchy, a Fellow famous for taking the Law of every Body. There is not one in the Town where he lives that he has not fued at a Quarter-Seffions. The Rogue had once the Impudence to go to Law with the Widow. His Head is full of Cofts, Damages and Ejectments: He plagued a couple of honeft Gentlemen fo long for a Trefpafs in breaking one of his Hedges, till he was forced to fell the Ground it enclosed to defray the Charges of the Profecution: His Father left him fourfcore Pounds a Year; but he has taft and been cast so often, that he is not now worth thirty. I fuppofe he is going upon the old Business of the Willow-Tree.

AS Sir ROGER was giving me this Account of Tom Touchy, Will, Wimble and his two Companions ftopped fhort till we came up to them. After having paid their Refpects to Sir ROGER, Will. told him that Mr. Touchy and he must appeal to him upon a Dispute that arose between them. Will. it feems had been giving his Fellow-Travellers an Account of his angling one Day in fuch a Hole; when Tom Touchy, inftead of hearing out his Story, told him, that Mr. fuch an One,if he pleased,might take the Law of him for fishing in that Part of the River. My Friend Sir ROGER heard them both, upon a round Trot; and after having paused some Time told them, with an Air of a Man who would not give his Judgment rafhly, that much might be faid on both VOL. II.

H.

Sides.

Sides. They were neither of them diffatisfied with the Knight's Determination, because neither of them found himielf in the Wrong by it: Upon which we made the beft of our Way to the Affizes.

THE Court was fat before Sir ROGER came, but notwithstanding all the Juftices had taken their Places upon the Bench, they made Room for the old Knight at the Head of them; who for his Reputation in the Country took Occafion to whisper in the Judge's Ear, That he was glad his Lordfhip had met with so much good Weather in his Circuit. I was liftening to the Proceedings of the Court with much Attention, and infinitely pleafed with that great Appearance and Solemnity which fo properly accompanies fuch a publick Adminiftration of our Laws; when, after about an Hour's Sitting, I obferved to my great Surprize, in the midst of a Trial, that my Friend Sir ROGER was getting up to fpeak. I was in fome Pain for him, till I found he had acquitted himself of two or three Sentences, with a Look of much Bufinefs and great Intrepidity.

UPON his firft Rifing the Court was hushed, and a general Whisper ran among the Country-People that Sir RoGER was up. The Speech he made was fo little to the Purpose, that I fhall not trouble my Readers with an Account of it; and I believe was not fo much defigned by the Knight himself to inform the Court, as to give him a Figure in my Eye, and keep up his Credit in the Country.

I was highly delighted, when the Court rofe, to fee the Gentlemen of the Country gathering about my old Friend,. and ftriving who fhould compliment him moft; at the fame Time that the ordinary People gazed upon him at a Distance, not a little admiring his Courage, that was not afraid to fpeak to the Judge.

IN our Return home we met with a very odd Accident; which I cannot forbear relating, because it fhews how defirous all who know Sir ROGER are of giving him Marks of their Efteem. When we were arrived upon the Verge of his Eftate, we stopped at a little Inn to reft our felves and our Horfes. The Man of the Houfe had it feems been formerly a Servant in the Knight's Family, and to do Honour to his old Mafter, had fome Time fince, unknown to S. Rocan, put him up in a Sign-poft before the Door; fo that the Kaight's Head had hung cut upon the Road about a

Week