Excerpt from Agricultural Addresses Delivered at New Haven, Norwich, and Hartford

At his entrance into life, we see him among the smallest living existences, within the cognizance of our senses. In six weeks, at farthest, he completes his work; and by his humble and unobtrusive labors, contributes largely to the clothing of mankind, and creates, yearly, millions and millions of wealth. It would be curious to calculate the hands he employs, the months he feeds, the wheels he sets in motion, the ships he loads, and the vast riches to which his annual labors amount. This reads a striking lesson to the reflecting mind, on the immense results which spring from regular and combined, though minute and Often disdained labor. Nor are his changes the less striking to the thoughtful mind. Nature is full Of mysterious transformations which show that the power of death has its limi ts, and indicate the wonderful progress of animated existence. Having accomplished his appointed task he wraps himself in his silken shroud; but with him death is only a transient sleep. If left to himself he soon emerges from his tomb no longer a reptile but a winged Chrysalis, to enjoy another existence. In the curious transformations of this humble insect, man may see an instructive indication and testimony of the progress of being, and a proof that death is not annihilation. May we exult in the hopes gathered from such beautiful examples in nature, and confirmed by divine revelation, that with man also, death is only a translation into life; and that for him to burst these comments of the grave is not, like the silk worm, to pass rapidly through another form of being, but to enter upon an immortality.

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.