AUGUST IX. CONTEMPLATION OF A MEADOW. DARK and majestic woods, where the firtree raises its stately head, where the tufted oaks spread their shade; ye rivers which roll your silver waves through the grey mountains, it is not you I now mean to praise: It is the verdure and enamel of the fields which are now the objects of my contemplation. How many beauties present themselves to the sight, and how varied are they! Millions of vegetables, millions of live creatures! Some flying from flower to flower, while others creep and crawl in the dark labyrinths of the tufted grass. All these insects, so infinitely varied in form and beauty, find food and happiness here. All inhabit this earth as we do and however contemptible they may be in our eyes, they are all perfect in their kind.How soft the murmur of the limpid stream, whose banks are covered with thick grass, intermixed with flowers, which, bending over the water, trace their image in it. Behold that forest of waving herbs! What a mild lustre the sun casts on those different shades of green. Those delicate plants, interwoven with the grass, thus mix their tender foliage, or else proudly raise their heads above their companions, and display flowers without perfume; whilst the humble violet grows on barren hills, exhaling its sweets around. Thus one often sees the useful virtuous man in poverty, whilst the rich and great are clothed in sumptuous habits, wasting in idleness the blessings of the earth. Winged insects pursue each other in the grass. Sometimes I lose sight of them in the verdure, and then again I see a swarm of them flying in the air, and sporting in the rays of the sun. What is that gaudy flower waving near the brook? How lively its colours! How beautiful! I draw near it, and laugh at my mistake: A butterfly flies off, and leaves the blade of grass which bent under its weight. In another place I perceive an insect clothed in a black cuirass, and adorned with bright wings. It comes buzzing to rest upon a blue-bell, perhaps by the side of its companion. What other buzzing is this I hear? Why do those flowers so bend their heads? It is a swarm of young bees. They have lightly flown from their distant home, and dispersed over the gardens and fields. They are now gathering sweet nectar from the flowers, in order to carry it to their cells. There is not an idle one amongst them. They fly from flower to flower; and, in seeking their stores, they conceal their velvet heads in the cup of the flower, or else with labour penetrate into those that are not yet unfolded, and which afterwards incloses the bee. There, on that high clover, is perched a butterfy. He shakes his gaudy wings, he settles the shining feathers which adorn his head, and seems proud of his charms. Beautiful butterfly! make the flower bend, which serves thee for a throne, and contemplate thy rich dress in the mirror of the water. Then wilt thou resemble a young beauty admiring herself in the glass which reflects her charms. Her clothes are less beautiful than thy wings, and her thoughts are as light as thee. Behold this little worm playing on the grass! No researches of luxury, no human art could imitate the green and gold which cover its wings, wherein all the colours of the rainbow are mixed. O how beautiful is nature! The grass and flowers grow luxurious; the trees are covered with foliage; the gentle zephyr salutes us; the flocks seek their pasture; the tender bleating lambs skip and rejoice in their existence; millions of points of grass rise up in this field, and to each point hangs a drop of dew. How many primroses with their trembling leaves are here! What harmony in the notes of the nightingale from yonder hill! Every thing expresses joy. Every thing inspires it. It reigns in the hills and dales, in woods, and in groves. O how beautiful is nature! Yes: Nature is beautiful even in the least of its productions! and whoever can be insensible to its charms becomes a prey to tumultuous desires, pursues false blessings, and deprives himself of the purest pleasures. Happy he whose innocent life passes away in the enjoyment of the beauties of nature! The whole creation smiles upon him, and joy attends him wherever he goes, and under whatever shade he reposes. Pleasure springs out of every source, exhales from each flower, and resounds in every grove. Happy he who takes pleasure in innocent delights His mind is serene as a calm summerday. His affections are gentle and pure as the perfume of the flowers around him. Happy he who, in the beauties of nature, traces the Creator, and devotes himself wholly to him! : AUGUST AUGUST X. MISCHIEF OCCASIONED BY ANIMALS. IT is grievous to see many productions of nature, and often some of the most beautiful of them, liable to be destroyed by animals. Summer can never pass over without perceiving (particularly among the vegetables) what mischief is done by the voracity of different sorts of birds, insects, &c. How many trees are destroyed, and fruits consumed, by worms and caterpillars! How many things necessary for our subsistence are we not deprived of by the insatiable sparrow, and the no less ravenous raven! How sad is it to see a field destroyed by rats and locusts! These and such like complaints are often made; and people fancy that certain animals exist only to torment mankind. There is some foundation for thesecomplaints, and it cannot be denied that insects cause much mischief. It is easier to exterminate wolves, lions, and other wild beasts, than to ex-tirpate insects, when they swarm over a whole country. At Peru, a sort of ant called chako is a real plague to the inhabitants. Their lives would even be in danger, if they did not use precautions to deliver themselves from these dreadful insects. It is well known what caterpillars do to fruit trees, and mice to the fields. But however real these inconveniences may be, they do not authorise such bitter complaints as we allow ourselves to make; complaints in which self-love has too great a part. We are pleased at observing that the creatures hurtful to us destroy one another. We think we have a right to take away the lives of animals, either for our L. 5 food, food, or for any other purpose; but cannot bear that they should take any thing from us. We expect they should serve for our subsistence, and will give up nothing to them. In reality, however, have we more right over the life of a gnat, than it has to a drop of our blood? Besides, in complaining of the voracity of animals, we do not consider that this plan of nature is not so disadvantageous as it appears. In order to be convinced of this, we have only to consider the animal kingdom in the whole. Such a species, which appears noxious, is, however, of real use; and it would be very dangerous to attempt to destroy the race of them. A few years ago, some inhabitants of the English colonies in America endeavoured to extirpate the jays, or jackdaws, because they fancied that these birds did much mischief to the corn; but in proportion as the number of jays diminished, the people were struck with the havock made by an enormous multitude of worms, caterpillars, and particularly the Maybugs. They soon ceased to persecute the jays.; and as soon as those multiplied again, they put an end to this plague which had been the consequence of their destruction. Some time ago a project was formed in Sweden to destroy the erows; but they were observed in time not only to fix on corn and plants, but also that they devoured the worms and caterpillars, which destroy the leaves or roots of vegetables. In North America they pursued the sparrow violently; but it happened from thence that the gnats increased to such a degree in the marshy countries, that they were obliged to leave a great deal of land uncultivated. Pheasant-hunting is so considerable in the isle of Porcido, that it occasioned the king of Naples to forbid the use of cats to the |