Popular Sports and P^.itrcises. 197 



nature, and contrary to the , principles of na- 

 tural religion, honour, justice and humanity. 

 Of all tl e cruel sports, hull-baiting, as gene^' 

 rally practised, is, perhaps, the least defensible. 

 It is not only a cruel, but a foolish and detests 

 able diversion. That the spectacle of two 

 animals endowed with courage, strength and 

 activity, exerting their antipathies to each 

 others destruction, upon fair and equal terras, 

 should excite our curiosity and animate onr 

 feelings, is reconcileable to the constitution 

 and nature of man ; but that any human being 

 should delight in beholding a noble and useful 

 animal tied to a stake, and deprived in a great 

 measure of the means of offence and defence, 

 and then worried and tormented by dogs and 

 men, is a sport so insipid, so unsportsman-like,* 



^ Throwing at cocks is another specimen of unmean- 

 ing brutality confined solely to our own country. After 

 \icing fanniliarized to the barbarous destruction of rlii» 

 ourageous bird in the cock-pit, it was only advaneinf^ 

 •ve step further in the progress of crueller, (o fasten this 

 mo.t gallant animal to a stake, in order to murder him 



piece-raeal. This detestable barbarity has declined 



M oir manners have becooie more polished and humane; 

 but the strong hand of tkit law was obliged (o interfere iti^ 

 many places to hasten its abolition. The cruel irea^ 

 inent of the animal face might well lead an ingenious -f*^ 



f Wenderborn, on t\ie character and manners of th<r 

 peupl« of Great Brittinv 



