Dr Drummond on Humanity/ to Animuhi. 181 



ever the happiness which he in vain had prayed for here. The 

 prisoner, chained in fetters, and languishing out his life in a 

 dungeon, lives in expectation, that should he not be restored to 

 freedom, death will at length strike off his bonds, and usher him 

 to eternal bliss. But what counterbalance to its misery has the 

 poor brute, whose life is one continued unbroken series of suffer- 

 ing? It has no heaven to look to, no bright anticipation of a 

 period when misery shall cease, and happiness be enjoyed. Its 

 life is its little all, and that the general tyrant renders a curse to 

 it while it lasts, or takes from it by an infliction of the severest 

 torments. But the lower animals are " the beasts which perish,'' 

 and, therefore, not to be cared for further than they can be use- 

 ful to us. I will not attempt to argue the question, whether 

 death annihilates them or not, but there are very wise men in 

 the world who think, that as much proof lies on the one side as 

 on the other ; and, at all events, a benevolent mind will pity 

 their suiFerings, and attempt to relieve them, whether they pe- 

 rish or not. 



I hope that what I have said respecting the exercise of hu- 

 manity to animals, will awaken your attention to that virtue. 

 Neither punishment, indeed, nor reward, are any where held 

 out as inducements to its practice ; but it is therefore not less a 

 virtue, and you will have the satisfaction, at any rate, of doing 

 good for its own sdke^ a thing, I fear, of not common occurrence 

 in the present constitution of things. The brutal sports, which 

 were formerly so frequent, especially bull-baiting, bear-baiting, 

 badger-hunting, and cock-fighting, have been greatly lessened, 

 which, I suppose, is owing to the more general diff^usion of use- 

 ful knowledge among all classes, especially the better. The 

 lower orders have not the same encom-agement in pursuing these 

 detestable sports from their superiors in wealth and consequence 

 as formerly, and hence their frequency has abated. The still 

 more brutal practice of prize-fighting, I am glad to see, is also 

 on the decrease ; and I entertain some hope of yet seeing the 

 time when one may express disapprobation of such inhuman 

 brutalities, without being considered either foolish or ridiculous. 



I exceedingly regret that so much more remains to be said on 

 the subject of this letter ; but it would be painful for you, as 

 well as me, to dwell any longer upon it: it appears but too plain,* 



