versal nature. "The eyes of all wait upon him, and he giveth them their meat in due season." The great Teacher and Redeemer of mankind hath assured us, that not a sparrow falleth to the ground without the notice of our heavenly Father. When we look into the Holy Scriptures, we immediately perceive that a harsh unfeeling treatment of the inferior tribes is condemned both by the particular precepts and the general principles there inculcated. "A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast; but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." Under the Mosaic economy several express and specific laws were laid down to ensure the mild treatment of those creatures which are made subject to man. On these passages of sacred writ, familiar to every one acquainted with his Bible, we shall not now dilate; we must, in a brief paper, confine our attention to two or three points, which ought to be rendered prominent.

There is in this country, which glories in its humanity, much wanton cruelty to animals, that cannot find one colourable plea or pretext for its defence. What can be said for those who make the infliction of suffering and death the matter of their sport and diversion? who incite and urge creatures to tear one another to pieces, and exult in the agonies they have caused? who fly to the horse-race, cock-fight, and bull-baiting, on the wings of holiday transport and delight? That such pleasure must have a direct tendency to harden the heart, and produce a ruthless ferocity of character, will scarcely be denied by any one who has considered the constitution of the human mind, and the connexion of certain causes and effects in the moral world.

Indeed, it seems strange that practices and pleasures which fix an indelible stain of disgrace upon the nation, should be tolerated in a Christian country. We exclaim against the barbarities of foreigners, while savages and demons in human shape at home, are chartered to seek their very diversions and delights in carnage and blood. How far this charge implicates the higher orders of society among us, may be judged by the failure of the late Lord Erskine's Bill, to engage the interference of the Legislature for checking and punishing these enormities. The preamble of that Bill had good reason to assert, "That the oppressive treatment of the inferior animals, is not only highly unjust and immoral, but most pernicious in its example, having an evident tendency to harden the heart against the natural feelings of humanity."

Cruelty to the brute creation is frequently practised under the plea of necessity, from the urgency of commercial concerns and engagements. No one will hesitate to allow, that extraordinary emergencies do sometimes require, even for the prevention or abatement of human suffering, that the beasts of burden or draught which we employ, should be urged to an exertion up to the last point of their power. A shipwreck, a fire, a flood, or any other dire catastrophe, will justify such extremities. But will even this plea excuse the hundredth part of the horrid cruelties which are daily witnessed on all our public roads? Who that is possessed of feeling, has not shuddered to see that noble and generous creature, the horse, whipped and pierced, after straining every muscle and nerve, to make still greater and greater efforts, till his physical strength

quite exhausted, he has sunk lifeless under the lash? Who has not heard post-masters talk of working up their cattle, viz. driving them to death, with all the cool calculation usually employed in estimating profit and loss? In the treatment of that fine and useful animal, which facilitates the conveyance of our properties and persons from place to place, and so essentially contributes both to the despatch of business and the enjoyment of pleasure, no country is more noted for rigour and harsh ness than Britain. On this head we might learn a valuable lesson even from the wild descendants of Ishmael. The Arabs never beat or mutilate their horses, or spur them to increase their speed, but in cases of absolute necessity; they treat them with gentleness and kindness, and so docile do they become, that they are said in a moment to leave their pasture at the call of the masters who require their service.

But cruelty to the inferior part of animated nature, frequently hides itself under another specious mask. The man of trade pleads the urgency of business; the man of study the interests of science. Redi informs us, that in making some experiments on vital motion, he made large openings in the skulls of several tortoises, and took out all the brains, yet found, though the sight was gone, they could still move, and were as alert as before. He even cut off the head of one tortoise, which lived twenty three days afterwards; and the head itself continued to snap the jaws more than a quarter of an hour after its separation from the body. He observed also, that having cut off the heads of some, and opening the bodies twelve days afterwards, the motion of the heart was still

perceptible.* The laborious occupation of the famous Spallanzaui, in grinding, boiling, roasting insects of various kinds, to ascertain how much they could endure before life was extinguished, are well known. I shall not tax any farther the reader's sensibility and patience, by laying disgusting details of this sort before him.

Have naturalists received a patent from the great Lord of all, to torture his creatures for the purpose of gratifying their curiosity, or building up the fabric of their fame? The very idea shocks the finest and best feelings of humanity. And as Dr. Goldsmith, in his History of Animated Nature, has remarked that scarcely any useful knowledge has ever been gained by all the barbarous experiments caprice has suggested or cruelty made, the dictates of reason corroborate the feelings of humanity.

But when the subject of this essay is insisted on, many persons begin to exclaim against a soft and sickly sensibility, a foolish and fastidious benevolence. We are then told, how Miss Tender shrieked and wept bitterly because she found a poor fly drowning in the cream-jug; how widow Finical made a feather-bed in a nice box, for her favourite Tom Cat, lest he should take cold; how Mr. Samuel Sensitive lost all patience and peace of mind for a whole week, because his man had driven Peggy at such a rate, that a circle of sweat was plainly visible under the dear poney's collar. After these whims and weaknesses are related, away with all silly fantastic schemes of benevolence. Other objectors forsooth, appeal to historians and travellers. They have read that the ancient Egyptians

* See Dr. Shaw's Zoology.

venerated certain creatures, and that the Hindoos at this day taste nothing which has ever had life, and they are afraid, if we so cautiously spare and indulge the lower animals, we shall at length fall down and worship them; and what a sad thing it would be, if the Essex calves now sent to the metropolis for food, should ever be set up like Apis as idols!

But when wit and sophistry have done their utmost to palliate the matter, a heavy charge of cruelty will remain against many among us. And what means can be employed to wipe away our reproach? The subject is treated with ridicule in the senate, and is rarely brought into the pulpit. Can nothing then be done? Yes, we can turn to the school and the nursery. Let parents and instructors direct their attention to this object. Cruelty towards the more feeble and inoffensive classes of the brute creation, usually manifests itself at a very early age. We see children who can hardly walk or speak, take pleasure in excruciating worms, flies, beetles, and other insects. When this odious propensity grows by indulgence into a habit, the difficulty of eradicating it is too well known. At Abo, in Finland, a dog that had been run over by a cart, crawled to the door of a tanner in the town; the man's son, a lad of fifteen, first stoned, and then poured a vessel of boiling water on the miserable animal. This act of diabolical cruelty was witnessed by one of the magistrates, who took care to have it punished. On the market-day, the youth was led forth, and thus addressed by the officer of justice. "Inhuman young man! because you did not assist the animal that implored your aid by its cries, and which received its being from the same God who gave you life; be

Let

cause you added to the torments of the agonizing beast, and murdered it, the council of this city has sentenced you to wear on your breast the name which you deserve, and to receive fifty stripes." He then hung a black board about his neck, with this inscription, "A savage and inhuman young man." An instance of equal barbarity took place near the place where I am writing, only yesterday, which has excited the attention of the town. A man and two boys seized a cat, cut off its tail, and the poor animal running home in blood, the compassionate owner shot it to end its misery. It is certainly right to stamp such conduct with emphatic marks of abhorrence and detestation. Let parents then crush the evil in the bud. them teach their offspring, both by precept and example, to shun every appearance of wanton cruelty. It will be easy to find fit occasion for telling them, that though some kind of noxious animals must be destroyed, and many which are domesticated may be put to death, because intended for human sustenance, we are not allowed to seek our pleasure in the infliction of pain. We ought never to abuse the power which is given us over animated nature; never to sport with the sufferings of fellowcreatures. Nor must a parent suffer those idle pleas and excuses which are often urged in defence or palliation of those acts of barbarity so commonly practised, to pass without notice or merited censure. Lessons on Natural History, which are peculiarly interesting to young people in general, may be accompanied with such remarks as are calculated to inspire the opening susceptible mind with sentiments of tenderness and humanity. But the best way, doubtless, of guarding youth

national hierarchy; and it may be expected that these objections will not be suffered to pass without reply by those able and learned men who have given their assent and consent to the system, and who have risen to the honours and emoluments which it has to bestow. Attacks and defences, objections against it, and arguments for it, will often employ the time, and exercise the talents of the men on each side.

The advocates of religious establishments in the Church of England have usually laid down principles, and pursued a course of reasoning so comprehensive as to include any establishments, whether heathen or christian, whether popish or protestant. This DR. BALGUY very frankly admits. "If," says he, in a charge to the clergy," it should be thought that I am here offering a defence of popery, it would only be too candid an interpretation, I mean to defend not popery only, but paganism itself. I mean to defend every established religion under heaven."* When HOOKER, surnamed the judicious, published his "Ecclesiastical Polity," the book was read and admired by Cardinal Allen and Dr. Stapleton, two celebrated English Papists, who recommended it to the Pope, and he admired it as much as they did. They would no doubt be much pleased, and perhaps a little surprised, to find him opposing Dissenters in the same way as they had opposed Protestants; and advancing those principles in support of the English Church, which would serve the Church of Rome. The character of WARBURTON'S "Alliance between Church and State," may be inferred from the men who have

• Quoted in Dr. Wilton's Review of the Articles, p. 192. N. S. NO. 61.

eulogized it. Bishop Horsley says, "it is one of the finest specimens that are to be found, perhaps in any language, of scientific reasoning applied to a political subject;' "* and a zealous Roman Catholic gentleman, who liked the work so well as to translate it into the French language, and to publish it with long quotations from Bossuet, told the author that his principles differed very little from those of the maintainers of the liberty of the Gallican Church. The book was very likely to please a zealous Catholic, and was a very proper one to be translated into French, or Spanish, or Italian, for it will defend any system which happens to be adopted and sanctioned by the rulers of the earth. When MILNER would plead for ecclesiastical establishments, in his History of the Church of Christ, the ground of his reasoning was equally broad, and in his eagerness to oppose Dissenters, seemed to forget that he was agreeing with Papists. The capital fault of these renowned polemics is, that they prove too much, and that their labours will vindicate what has been injurious to true religion, and what every Christian and every Protestant must condemn.

The late excellent Mr. Scott was more cautious and considerate, for he saw that error in their reasoning which fatally defeated its force. "I must impartially own," says he (page 16), "that establishments are often defended and even extolled, in an unscriptural manner. If no way of defending our establishment can be devised, which would not, if pro

* Review of the Case of Protestant Dissenters, published in 1787.

+ Steadman's Collection of Doddridge's Letters, p. 192. 2 B