FOOTNOTES:
Principio cœlum, ac terras, camposque liquentes,
Lucentemque globum Lunæ, Titaniaque astra
Spiritus intùs alit, totamque infusa per artus
Mens agitat molem, & magno se corpore miscet.
Inde hominem, pecudumque genus, vitæque volantum,
Et quæ marmoreo fert monstra sub æquore pontus.
Igneus est illis vigor, & cœlestis origo
Seminibus.
Virgil. Æneid. L. 6. Carm. 724.
CHAP. I.
Of the five Senses in general.
The first Thing to be consider’d, in common to all the Sensitive Creatures, is, their Faculty of Seeing, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting and Feeling; and the Organs ministring to there five Senses, together with the exact Accommodation of those Senses, and their Organs, to the State and Make of every Tribe of Animals[a]. The Consideration of which Particulars alone, were there no other Demonstrations of God, is abundantly sufficient to evince the infinite Wisdom, Power and Goodness, of the great Creator. For, Who can but stand amaz’d at the Glories of these Works! At the admirable Artifice of them! And at their noble Use and Performances! For suppose an Animal, as such, had Breath and Life, and could move it self hither and thither; yet how could it know whither to go, what it was about, where to find its Food, how to avoid thousands of Dangers[], without Sight! How could Man, particularly, view the Glories of the Heavens, survey the Beauties of the Fields, and enjoy the Pleasure of beholding the noble Variety of diverting objects, that do, above us in the Heavens, and here in this lower World, present themselves to our View every where; how enjoy this, I say, without that admirable Sense of Sight[c]! How could also the Animal, without Smell and Taste, distinguish its Food, and discern between wholsome and unwholsome; besides the Pleasures of delightful Odours, and relishing Gusto’s! How, without that other Sense of Hearing, could it discern many Dangers that are at a Distance, understand the Mind of others, perceive the harmonious Sounds of Musick, and be delighted with the Melodies of the winged Choir, and all the rest of the Harmonies the Creator hath provided for the Delight and Pleasure of his Creatures! And lastly, How could Man, or any other Creature distinguish Pleasure from Pain, Health from Sickness, and consequently be able to keep their Body sound and entire, without the Sense of Feeling! Here, therefore, we have a glorious Oeconomy in every Animal, that commandeth Admiration, and deserveth our Contemplation: As will better appear by coming to Particulars, and distinctly considering the Provision which the Creator hath made for each of these Senses.