It is necessary to every living creature that it should have a nutritive principle in order that it may live and continue to live, from birth to death; for it is necessary to every thing generated that it should be capable of growth, development and decay, and as these cannot be carried on without nourishment, it is necessary to all reproductive and perishing beings that they should have a congenital nutritive function. But it is not necessary to all living beings that they should be sentient, nor can it be admitted that such as have simple or homogeneous bodies can have Touch, or that there can be an animal without Touch; neither can any beings be sentient but such as are receptive of form without the matter. It is necessary to an animal, however, that it should be sentient, if nature do nothing in vain—for all things in nature are for some end, or else they are accidents of things for some end; so that if there were any animal body fitted for progression without being sentient, it would perish, and could not attain to the end which is nature's design. How, in fact, is such a body to be nourished?
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Chapter XII.
