communicates them to others. Not to mention smaller instances of their
care, such as the concern they take of our pleasures, in confining men to
no certain season for the enjoying them, as they have done other animals.

"But Providence taketh care, not only of our bodies, but of our souls: it
hath pleased the great Author of all, not only to give man so many
advantages for the body, but (which is the greatest gift of all, and the
strongest proof of his care) he hath breathed into him an intelligent
soul, and that, too, the most excellent of all, for which of the other
animals has a soul that knows the being of the Deity, by whom so many
great and marvellous works are done? Is there any species but man that
serves and adores him? Which of the animals can, like him, protect
himself from hunger and thirst, from heat and cold? Which, like him, can
find remedies for diseases, can make use of his strength, and is as
capable of learning, that so perfectly retains the things he has seen, he
has heard, he has known? In a word, it is manifest that man is a god in
comparison with the other living species, considering the advantages he
naturally has over them, both of body and soul. For, if man had a body
like to that of an ox the subtilty of his understanding would avail him
nothing, because he would not be able to execute what he should project.
On the other hand, if that animal had a body like ours, yet, being devoid
of understanding, he would be no better than the rest of the brute
species. Thus the gods have at once united in your person the most
excellent structure of body and the greatest perfection of soul; and now
can you still say, after all, that they take no care of you? What would
you have them do to convince you of the contrary?" "I would have them,"
answered Aristodemus, "send on purpose to let me know expressly all that
I ought to do or not to do, in like manner as you say they do give you
notice." "What!" said Socrates, "when they pronounce any oracle to all
the Athenians, do you think they do not address themselves to you too,