218 ON SPORTS And exercises. 



Question. If the question be asked, — *^ Whether all sports tlfw 



ether all piy^^ f,.Q^^ animal suiferine be entitled to equal condem- 



flictcd by man Tiation ?" The answer is decidedly in the negative. — ■ 



or animals are For. although perhaps none can be completely justified, 

 tobccondemn- /., . ,.,, !, ,.„, • ^. , c , 



^} yet there is still a wide dillerence m the degree of moral 



and physical evil resulting from their practice. That class 

 of diversions pursued for the benefit of health and exer- 

 cise, where the enjoyment of pleasure springs from the 

 exertion of our active faculties, must not be compared 

 with those depraved and cruel sporty, which merely con- 

 sist in the torture and destruction of the animal. In the 

 present state of society, active diversions become almost 

 necessary to the well being of the opulent and sedentary 

 classes of mankind. Man cannot be happy without oc- 

 casional active employment. He pines in the lap of ease 

 and pleasure, and requires the stimulus of animated exer- 

 Apology for tion. — Hunting in all stages of society has therefore 

 hunting. formed a principal share of the business and pleasure of 



man. But in this kingdom especially, a considerable por- 

 tion of its inhabitants devote part of their time to the ac- 

 tive and vigorous pursuits of the chace. And although 

 it may be urged in favour of this exercise, that it invigor- 

 ates the spirits, teaches men to despise enervating pleasure, 

 and inures them patiently to sustain hunger, cold and fa- 

 tigue ; yet it cannot be denied, that it has a tendency, 

 when too eagerly pursued, to blunt the sensibility, — to 

 render the manners rude and coarse, and thus to degrade 

 the dignity of the human character. The man of enlarged 

 understanding, liberal notions and elegant manners, may 

 occasionally call in the aid of the chace to relieve the fa- 

 tigue of sedentary employment, or renovate the powers 

 of nature, exhausted by mental exertion, without much 

 apparent injury to his manners or morals ;— -but /re- 

 qiiently to take pleasure in that, by which misery to 

 animals is inflicted, if not absolutely vicious, is yet of no 

 good tendency ; it conduces neither to form the gentleman 

 nor the man. 



If it be considered as too nice and fastidious a delicacy 



to impute blame to the practice of destroying animals for 



- the purpose of health, exercise and recreation, it may, 



however, be allowed to call in question the policy and 



iumanity 



