Chapter XVII.
Of the diligence, industry, and devotion of the swallow towards its offspring. Of the impatience, dishonesty, and despair that are evident in a person's poverty and destitution.
56. We have in the avian offspring an example of devotion to our ancestral customs: let us now consider a great example of maternal diligence towards her children. The tiny swallow, with a small body but an exceptionally pious affection, builds nests more precious than gold, for she skillfully nests. For the nest is more precious than gold. For what is wiser than to enjoy the wandering liberty of flight and to entrust one's small children to the shelter of human dwellings, where no one can harm them? For it is also beautiful that, from the very first day of their birth, it becomes accustomed to human conversation and provides a safer place for its chicks from the attacks of hostile birds. Then, it is remarkable for the skill with which it builds its nests without any assistance. It selects hay with its beak and smears it with mud, so that it can glue them together. But because it cannot carry mud with its feet, it pours water onto the tops of its wings, so that the dust easily sticks to them and becomes a sticky mud with which it gradually gathers the hay or small twigs and makes them adhere. In this way, it constructs the entire structure of the nest, so that its chicks can move about within their little homes on the floor of the nest without stumbling, and no one can insert a foot through the cracks in the woven walls or let in the cold air.
57. But this duty of industry is almost common to many birds: that, however, is extraordinary, in which there is excellent care of piety, and of prudent understanding and knowledge, as well as a certain expertise in medical art; and if any of its young have had their eyes dug out or punctured, it has a certain method of healing, by which it can restore their sight by intercepting their use. Therefore, let no one complain of poverty, for having left empty his own dwelling. The swallow is a poor bird, which abounds in empty air industry. It builds, but does not spend: it raises roofs, and takes nothing away from its neighbor; neither need nor poverty compel it to harm others: neither does it despair in the serious weakness of its offspring. But we are afflicted by poverty, and vexed by the necessity of destitution, and many are driven by need to shame, compelled to crime. We also turn our intellect to frauds out of desire for profit, we prepare our emotions, and in the gravest passions we lose hope, and with a broken spirit we dissolve, inattentive and inert; when we should hope for divine mercy most, when human defenses have failed.