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NATURAL AFFECTION.
—:):(:—
⟨From⟩ the creatures of God let man learn wiſdom, and apply himſelf to the inſtruction they give.
(illegible text) to the deſart, my ſon; obſerve the young ſtork in ⟨the⟩ wilderneſs; let him ſpeak to thy heart. He ⟨beareſh⟩ on his wing his aged fire; he lodgeth him in ⟨ſafety⟩, and ſupplieth him with food.
AFFECTION is not merely confined to the rational part of creation, but is univerſal law of Nature; and, from the ⟨instance⟩ that follows, extends to a great degree the irrational creation alſo. Mr Bruce, deſcribing the manner of hunting the ⟨elemnant⟩ in Abyſſinia, mentions a ſingular ⟨instance⟩ of affection in a young one:
"There now remained but two ⟨elephants⟩ of thoſe that had been diſcovered, ⟨which⟩ were a ſhe one with a calf. The ⟨people⟩ having obſerved the place of her retreat ⟨thither⟩ we haſtily followed. She was very ⟨ſoon⟩ found, and as ſoon lamed; but when ⟨they⟩ came to wound her with the darts, as ⟨every⟩ one did in their turn, to our very great ⟨surpriſe⟩, the young one, which had been ⟨suffered⟩ to eſcape unheeded and unpurſued, ⟨came⟩ out from the thicket, apparently in ⟨great⟩ anger, running upon the horſes and ⟨men⟩ with all the violence it was maſter of.
