ten, and yet the living offspring is spared; and by that
nice distinction the progenies of those animals are saved from
destruction!

"Certior factus sum a viro rebus antiquissimis docto, quod legitur in
Berosi operibus homines ante diluvium mulierum puerperarum placentam
edidisse, quasi cibum delicatum in epulis luxuriosis; et quod hoc
nefandissimo crimine movebatur Deus diluvio submergere terrarum
incolas." ANON.

It may be finally concluded, that this affection from the parent to
the progeny existed before animals were divided into sexes, and
produced the beginning of sympathetic society, the source of which may
perhaps be thus well accounted for; whenever the glandular system is
stimulated into greater natural action within certain limits, an
addition of pleasure is produced along with the increased secretion;
this pleasure arising from the activity of the system is supposed to
constitute the happiness of existence, in contradistinction to the
ennui or taedium vitae; as shown in Zoonomia, Sect. XXXIII. 1.

Hence the secretion of nutritious juices occasioned by the stimulus of
an embryon or egg in the womb gives pleasure to the parent for a
length of time; whence by association a similar pleasure may be
occasioned to the parent by seeing and touching the egg or fetus after
its birth; and in lactescent animals an additional pleasure is
produced by the new secretion of milk, as well as by its emission into
the sucking lips of the infant. This appears to be one of the great
secrets of Nature, one of those fine, almost invisible cords, which
have bound one animal to another.

The females of lactiferous animals have thus a passion or inlet of
pleasure in their systems more than the males, from their power of
giving suck to their offspring; the want of the object of this
passion, either owing to the death of the progeny, or to the unnatural
fashion of their situation in life, not only deprives them of this
innocent and virtuous source of pleasure; but has occasioned diseases,
which have been fatal to many of them.

ADDITIONAL NOTES. X.

EVE FROM ADAM'S RIB.

Form'd a new sex, the mother of mankind.
CANTO II. l. 140.

The mosaic history of Paradise and of Adam and Eve has been thought by
some to be a sacred allegory, designed to teach obedience to divine
commands, and to account for the origin of evil, like Jotham's fable
of the trees; Judges ix. 8. or Nathan's fa