Thus that eminent Naturalist hath made his own, and my Excuse too; the Force and Verity whereof will farther appear, by what I shall say of these Animals which (as despicable as they have been, or perhaps may be thought) we shall find as exquisitely contrived, and curiously made for that Place and Station they bear in the World, as any other Part of the Animal World. For if we consider the innumerable Variety of their Species, the prodigious Numbers of Individuals, the Shape and Make of their little Bodies, and every Part thereof, their Motion, their Instincts, their regular Generation and Production; and, to name no more, the incomparable Beauty and Lustre of the Colours of many of them, what more admirable and more manifest Demonstration of the infinite Creator, than even this little contemned Branch of the Animal World? But let us take a short View of Particulars.
FOOTNOTES:
[a] In magnis siquidem corporibus, &c. Plin. Nat. Hist. L. 11. c. 2.
[] Ubi tot sensus collocavit in Culice? Et sunt alla dictu minora. Sed ubi Visum in eo prætendit: Ubi Gustatum applicavit? Ubi Odoratum inferuit? Ubi verò truculentam illam & portione maximam vocem ingeneravit? Quâ subtilitate Pennas adnexuit? prælongavit Pedum crura? Desposuit jejunam Caveam, utì Alvum? Avidam Sanguinis, & potissimum humani, sitim, accendit? Telum verò perfodiendo tergori, quo spiculavit ingenio? Atque ut capaci, cùm cerni non possit exilitas, ita reciprocâ geminavit arte, ut fodiendo acuminatum pariter sorbendoque fistulosum esset. Quos Teredini ad perforanda Robora cum sono teste dentes affixit? Potissimumque è ligno cibatum fecit: Sed turrigeros Elephantorum miramur humeros, Taurorumque colla, & truces in sublime jactus, Tigrium rapinas, Leonum jubas, cùm rerum natura nusquam magìs quàm in minimis, tota sit. Plin. ibid.
CHAP. II.
Of the Shape and Structure of Insects.
Let us begin with the Shape and Fabrick of their Bodies. Which although it be somewhat different from that of Birds, being particularly, for the most part, not so sharp before, to cut and make way through the Air, yet is better adapted to their manner of Life. For considering that there is little Necessity of long Flights, and that the Strength and Activity of their Wings doth much surpass the Resistance their Bodies meet with from the Air, there was no great Occasion their Bodies should be so sharpened before. But the Condition of their Food, and the Manner of gathering it, together with the great Necessity of accurate Vision by that admirable Provision made for them by the reticulated Cornea of their Eyes; these Things, I say, as they required a larger Room, so were a good Occasion for the Largeness of the Head, and its Amplitude before. But for the rest of their Body, all is well made, and nicely poised for their Flight, and every other of their Occasions.
And as their Shape; so the Fabrick and Make of their Bodies is no less accurate, admirable, and singular; not built throughout with Bones, and cover’d with Flesh and Skin, as in most other Animals; but cover’d with a curious Mail of a middle Nature[a], serving both as Skin and Bone too, for the Shape, as well as Strength and Guard of the Body, and as it were on Purpose to shew that the great Contriver of Nature is not bound up to one Way only.