Satisfaction; but likewife the manifeft Designs of the Creator and his Wifdom and Goodness, (even with respect to these Animalcula, that by reafon of their Smallness are almost invifible) will fhine forth as clear as the Sun.

SECT. XLI. The Eyes of a Beetle, and Convictions from thence.

FORAS MUCH as whole Books have been writ upon this Subject, I fhall only give an Inftance in the furprifing Structure of the Eyes of a Beetle, the like of which we also find in Flies. The great Creator, in the Formation of this Infect, thought fit to make the Eyes thereof immoveable, which in bigger Creatures can be turned to all Sides ; fhewing thereby, that he does every thing according to his good Pleafure, and will be bound to no Laws. Now it is certain, that these Beetles and Flies, not being able to turn their Eyes, can only fee that Way towards which the opening of their Eye is directed; but because the bountiful Preferver of all things does likewife extend his Goodness even to these moft contemptible Creatures, and that they may be aware both of the Birds, and other Perfecutors that prey upon 'em, and ufe them for Food; and that they may spy them not only before, but fide wife, and likewife behind, in order to their Preservation, he has been pleafed to cause their Eyes to ftand out of their Heads, with a Protuberance or Convexity, and bestowed upon 'em fuch a Figure in a manner as we find in Glaffes, which being ground with many and different Faces, do multiply the Object as many times as there are Superficies upon the Glafs; So that each of thefe little Planes or Superficies of the Eye do appear thro' a good Microfcope to be an exact Hexangular Figure, as we may fee in a Bee

a Beetle's Eye (Tab. XVIII. Fig. 2.) A BCD, and in that of a Fly (Fig. 3.) GEF. They that look upon it in this Table, must be pleafed to take notice, that it is reprefented here much greater than it really is, and fo as it appear'd through a good Microfcope; whereas otherwife each of 'em are fo small, that the Obferver, Mr. Leuwenhoek, having counted those that are in the Diameter of the Eye, juftly concludes, that the number contained in the Superficies thereof does amount at least to 8000.

From this Structure every one may infer, that these Infects by the means of fo many different and convex Superficies, are able to fee upwards, downwards, fidewife, before and behind, as if they had fo many Eyes, with as much Eafe, and perhaps more, than any other Creature that can turn one and the fame Eye every way.

་

One that is well verfed in Dioptricks, and understands the Nature of Vifion, might perhaps find this Defect in fuch a Structure; that in cafe thefe Infects muft fee like others, it would not be poffible if the Superficies were flat (as in the polifhed Glafs or Diamonds, to which they were compared) that the Rays paffing thro' them from a Point, could be collected in a Point at the Bottom of the Eye, which, as we have fhewn above, is required to a diftin&t Sight, and which is befides, the reason why the Eyes of Fishes must be rounder than thofe of other Creatures living in the Air. So that these Infects, according to the Laws of Vifion, might indeed have a confufed Senfation of Objects without them, but yet fee nothing diftin&tly thereof, unless each of the faid little Superficies were in themselves Convex. But can any one who juftly objects this Difficulty, obferve again upon farther Enquiry, without being amazed at the Wisdom of the great Creator, Tt 4

that

that each of these exceeding fmall Superficies are of a Convex and Globular Figure, to the end, that they may serve for a diftin& Sight to each of these little Animals, according to the exact Rules of Opticks, as thofe that examine them more nicely and attentively will find. But forafmuch as the globular Figure cannot be compleatly fhewn by the faid Microscopes, let any one take the Eye of one of thefe little Creatures, and obferve them nicely against the Light of a Candle, holding them at a little Distance from the Glafs, and he will then discover as many Images of the Flame of a Candle inverted, as there are Superficies in the Eye of a Fly, all incompaffing the middle Superficies upon which he looks as in a Right Line: Which burning Candles are fo exactly delineated, tho' all exceeding small, that as the Flame of the Candle itself moves upwards, the Picture of it will appear to do the fame every time, but inverted; juft after that manner, as one may fee thro' a round polished Glafs, the Picture of a remote Candle inverted upon a white Paper; or otherwife looking thro' a double Microscope; as likewife by keeping ones Eye behind the Focus of a round Glafs; in all which Cafes one fees the Obje& turned upfide down.

Now every Mathematician that is never fo little verfed in Opticks, knows that this cannot be done by a concave or flat Figure; and that, in order to fhew the exact Image of a luminous Objec inverted (which is here beyond Expectation every way diftina) a convex or a more protuberant Figure is only required; which cannot be doubted by any one that understands the Refractions of Light.

I must confefs, that for my own Part, I could not oftentimes fee and obferve without Emotion, a Providence operating with the wifest Views

even in the very smallest Things, and appearing not only fo vifibly, but fo adoreably too in these fmall Animals. And fince fuch a Figure would create trouble enough to the moft skillful Glafsgrinder, if he were to form a great and manageable Glafs like it, how impoffible would it be for any humane Art to extend itself so far, as to communicate fuch a Shape, and all the Properties belonging to Sight, to an almost invisible Animalculum. Now if thefe little Particles or Eyes were not tranfparent, there would be no Sight; if each of em were not round, there would be a Sight but confufed; if they were not difpofed in a convex Superficies, these Infects would not be able to fee round about 'em, because of the Immobility of their Eyes; if the Membranes thereof were not fupplyed with Humours proper for them, and fuch as must be conveyed thither by unconceivably little Weffels, the Sight would be ruined by Drynefs, as Experience teaches us when Eyes continue too long dry: Now all this is required, and all this is found in each of thefe Infects, and every one of these Circumftances is wonderful: Can we then fee them all concurring in fo fmall a Compafs, and coolly affirm, that it is all by Chance?

Now every one that has feen the curious Stru&ture of the Eyes of these fo fmall Animals, in the Obfervations of Mr. Leuwenhoek, or other Naturalists, or made the Experiment himself, may imagine, how overflowing the Wisdom of the Great Creator thereof is, who has vouchfafed to display fo much Skill and Contrivance to render Happy fo many thoufand Millions of fuch contemptible Infects (how much more then a rational Man) and to cause them to fee diftin&ly.

SECT.

SECT. XLII. Something concerning the beginning of Action in Beafts.

My Reader, muft not be furprised, that in this Contemplation of Animals, I have faid nothing of the Principle of the Actions in Beasts; concerning which, Philofophers differ fo much among themselves, fome of whom look upon Beafts to be no more then Clock-work, without either Senfe or Understanding; but others think that another Principle of their Actions must be allowed, to enable Beafts to act as we fee 'em.

The chief Reasons that have induced me to pafs over this Matter in filence are, that both these Parties agree in owning a GoD, how much foever they differ in other Sentiments; wherefore, fince we only write here for the Conviction of Atheists, we thought it unneceffary to engage ourfelves in this Subje&.

However, to say one Word about it to unhappy Infidels, how much foever we fee perform'd by Beafts, that may appear furprising to us, and how much foever they may feem to mimick the Actions of Men; this is certain, that we could never yet difcover any thing in them that was like any Sign or Character of the Knowledge of a Gon, or of his Service. Let then an Atheist learn from hence, that far from deferving the Title of a Strong. Mind, upon account of his deplorable Philofophy, the only Reward that he is like to receive for the Pains he takes therein (I fay it with Compaffion for his Blindness, and without Defign of the leaft farcaftical Reflection) is, that it ferves to diftinguifh him from a rational Creature, and in this Cafe, finks him down into the Condition of a Beaft, and yet without giving him this comfortable Affurance, that he is to expect nothing else after