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itself perish, without answering any purpose of its creation.

In the instance of the common bees, this abundant progeny is thrown out for food for insects of many kinds; but in this of the humble bee, it is reserved within, for the peculiar sustenance of a new animal. The fly which has given occasion for these observations, enters the cells of this animal, but at an appointed time, at a period when all the young of the proper inhabitants of the nest, that could either support themselves, or be of use to the swarm, are arrived at their perfect state before these devouring worms are hatched. Those which they feed on, are such as the bees and wasps would have destroyed themselves; and such as, whenever it happens that these flies do not lay the foundation for their destruction, these creatures never fail leaving to perish of themselves, for want of a supply of suste

nance.

He who created millions of caterpillars for the food of birds, for one intended to produce its future butterfly; 'and ten millions of the young of every common fish, as sustenance for others, for one designed to grow to its maturity he who has always many ends in

view, of which we, who dispute his wisdom, scarce see one clearly; he has, in this instance also, provided, and has intentionally disposed, what we are blind enough to wonder that he suffers.

INSPECTOR, No. 26.

No. LXVI.

Me verò primùm dulces ante omnia Musæ,
Quarum sacra fero ingenti perculsus amore,
Accipiant.

VIRGIL.

Me first, ye muses! at whose hallow'd fane,
Led by pure love, I consecrate my strain,
Me deign accept!

SOTHEBY,

Sir,

I'm a giddy young girl, and, as you will guess, very fond of flights. My wings were hardly fledged before I began to flutter; and I am now so well plumed, that I am almost always on the wing, and am seldom to be seen but between heaven and earth. I know you are fond of flights yourself, or else you would not be so much admired by the ladies, or the wits at George's; and, therefore, I shall communicate one, which I take to be the highest that ever mortal wight arrived to. It was the last and most extravagant of all flights, the poetic, and that greatly sublimified by dream.

In the midst of Milton's Pandæmonium, thinking myself in Ranelagh, I fell into a profound sleep, and instantly, methought, a winged palfrey, much resembling the Pegasus of the

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ancients, appeared before me. I could rather have wished a pair of them to my chariot, that I might have taken the grand tour with Apollo, or at least have made a visit to Olympus; and I felt a considerable uneasiness, when I found, by his furniture, he had not been used to female riders. However, resolved not to lose so precious an opportunity, I threw myself astride my celestial pad, and ere I had well grasped the reins, I found myself out of the limits of the orbis magnus; and should certainly have forgot all earthly things, had not the galaxy brought to my mind the Opera-house in the Hay-market; Saturn's ring, the riband of Lord Littlewit; the horns of Venus, the diamond crescent of Lady Vermillion; and Jupiter's ,belts, Jack Bugle the fox-hunter.

I was now about entering into the vacuous regions of fancy, quite out of the attraction of gross matter. Here I was borne away with such an enthusiastic rapidity, that thought sickened in the pursuit, and reason grew delirious, unable to endure the stupendous volatility. The fixed stars appeared beneath me; time and place sunk to their dull orbs; the shore of nature vanished, and I immerged into an ocean more astonishing than chaos, and more profound than the abyss. I immediately quitted

these realms of nothing, where I found my steed often travelled, and descended again towards the scene of life and activity. I soon reached the confines of creation, where ten thousand celestial lamps illumined iny way to the solar system; which I had no sooner entered, than I discovered this opaque mansion of mortal men. Here, methought, I hovered awhile, to take a more distinct view of the mighty scene of horror and confusion.

The bright summit of heaven-propping Olym pus appeared next in view. I expected instantly the full assembly of the gods to ravish my sight; to see the cloud-compelling Sire snatch an ambrosial kiss from the Cyprian goddess; or Vulcan hobble over the ethereal pavement, with a golden goblet in his hand; or at least to have been transported with a solo from Apollo's harp; but to my infinite surprise and disappointment, I found this renowned seat of ancient gods, like those of many modern ones, quite abandoned: the ever-blooming groves and delightful bowers were cut down, the nectareous streams run dry, the cooling shades vanished, and the flower-enamelled lawns burnt up.

Mortified, beyond measure, with such a shocking reverse of my eager expectations, I gave

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