182 Dr Drummond on Humanity to Animals. 



that so much cruelty continuing still to be practised in this age 

 of civilization and knowledge, shows that something generally 

 and radically bad exists in the usual mode of forming the minds 

 of youth *. 



• The following uote, attached, along with many others characterised by 

 much learning and research, to a sermon by my brother, entitled, " Humanity 

 to Animals, the Christian's duty, a Discourse by William Hamilton Drum- 

 mond, D. D." published 1 830, may be introduced here with advantage. 



Many divines of distinguished reputation have advocated the cause of ani- 

 mals, but, strange to tell, not always with the approbation of their hearers. 

 In 1772, the Rev. James Granger preached a sermon on this subject, in the 

 parish church of Shiplake, in Oxfordshire. This sermon he published, for the 

 singular reason that it had offended all who heard it, as he himself informs 

 us in the following postscript : — " The foregoing discourse gave almost uni- 

 versal disgust to two considerable congregations. The mention of dogs and 

 horses was considered as a prostitution of the dignity of the pulpit, and a 

 proof of the author's growing insanity. * * « it is, with great humility, 

 submitted to the judgment and candour of the public, and particularly to the 

 cool consideration of those who were pleased to censure it, and by whose dis- 

 approbation, without any premeditated design of the author, it now sees the 

 light." It was dictated, he says, by his heart ; and, assuredly, it contains 

 nothing offensive to good feeling or good taste, to morality or religion, much 

 less to the dignity of the pulpit. It is prefaced by a dedication to T. B. Dray- 

 man, written in a strain of original caustic humour, on the principle, I sup- 

 pose, of Horace : — 



** ridiculum acri 

 Fortius et melius plerumque secat res." 



As some may be gratified, and others benefited, by its perusal, it is here 

 subjoined : — 



" Neighbour Tom, 



" Having seen thee exercise the lash with greater rage, and heard thee 

 swear, at the same time, more roundly and forcibly than I ever saw any of 

 thy brethren of the whip in London, I cannot help thinking that thou hast 

 the best right to this discourse. But I am afraid, Tom, that I shall in some 

 parts of it appear to thee to be as great a barbarian as thou seemest to me a 

 savage. If thou findest any hard words in it, come to my vicarage-house, 

 and I will endeavour to explain them to thee in as familiar language as thou 

 talkest to thy horses. For God's sake and thy own, have some compassion 

 upon those poor beasts, and especially to the fore-horse of thy team. He is 

 as sensible of blows as thou art, and ought not to have been so outrageously 

 punished for turning aside into a road to which he was long accustomed, when 

 thou wast fast asleep upon thy dray. If thou breakest any more whips upon 

 him, and repeatest thy horrid oaths, wishing thyself ' damned and doubly 

 damned,' if thou art not revenged of him, I shall take care that thou be 

 punished by a Justice of the Peace, as well as by thy own master in thi» 

 "world ; and give thee fair warning, that a worse punishment waits for thee 



