110 



3Tr. Lawrence on 



iiionfs, tliat he may oJut liis infernal 

 soul witli the alluring- sight. Nature 

 has always produced miscreants, gift- 

 ing; them with the tneiis excrucians, 

 who can view tlie torture with curi- 

 osity and delight; but surely tiiey are 

 not to ho induli;cd. I cannot look 

 ui)ou roasting the living; goose, as 

 related by Dr. Kitchener, to be a fable. 

 Even if so, it serves to show the black 

 lieart o!" the inventor. 'J'he dissection 

 of living bodies, under whatever scicn- 

 tilic pretence, I hold to be an enormous 

 breach of justice and tiie moral law, 

 which oui^ht not to be tolerated. Its 

 l)retcnile(l scientific nses have been 

 infinitely over-rated, on which head I 

 refer to Mr. Carli.sie's book. Other- 

 wise, prove, that for an adequate advan- 

 t;ige, the most horrible cruelty and 

 injustice may be committed; and all 

 the tyrants, traitors, niurderers, felons, 

 swindlers, and rascals, that Eiirojic, 

 Africa, or India, have produced, shall 

 stand exonerateil, and tlieir characters 

 blanched as pure and wliiti; as snow. 



Alas, that I have to tell it in Gatli 

 and Askalon ! that party among- us, 

 which boasts so highly of their princi- 

 ples, as libarauv and philantliropists, 

 have not only become tiic opponents 

 of justice and compassion on the law, 

 towards objects most worthy of our 

 compassion, but even the advocates of 

 antiquated barbarous sports, under the 

 idea of their being necessary for the 

 recreation of the lower orders. A 

 recreation whieli inllamcs all the base 

 passions of humaii nature, fitliiigmeu 

 for blood and cruelty towards their 

 fellows, and fortiio perpetration of the 

 most enormous wickedness. After all, 

 tills is merely gratuitous, a pretence ; 

 for, in real fad, the aristocracy are far 

 more solicitous for the continuance of 

 the barbarous sports than the lower 

 peoi)le. I have been grieved and mor- 

 tilied to see the cohunns of thi; Morn- 

 ing Chronicle, so geiierally occupied 

 vitli sound pi lilical reasoning :;nd 

 patriotic instruction, occasionally dis- 

 graced and sullied witii infamous and 

 disgusting doggerel, purporting to 

 issue from thatheil oi'eruclticsajid hor- 

 rors, the Westminster pit! A certain 

 Medical Journal, also, for the scientific 

 principles and conduct of which I 

 liave ever entertained a very high and 

 sincere respect, 1 find under the inilu- 

 cncc, shall I say, of this mania, and 

 thence excited to atteuipt ridicule on 

 Mr. Martin's Bill. Does this opposi- 

 tion to the illustrious Iriih philanthro- 



Citidly to Animals. [March 1, 



pist arise from the cause, that he can- 

 not, or will not, pronounce the shibbo- 

 leth of a party ? that is to say, that he 

 is opposed in the cause of humanity, 

 merely bec:;use he belongs to an ad- 

 verse political faction. Men will 

 defend the grossest abuses, rather than 

 relinquish tlieir share, or risk the loss 

 of an interest or indulgence, b(;comc 

 habitual to them. The apprehension 

 of trouble and danger from nice dis- 

 tinctions, is raised by jealousy, as an 

 objection to legislating for beasts ; but 

 in what object of leiiislation are there 

 not the grounds of nice distinctions? 

 No man with a heart, if he retlcct, can 

 deny that some remedy is necessary, 

 and none oilier but the legal can be 

 elheient. 'J'here are no insuperable, 

 or even embarrassing, dilhculties in 

 this branch of morals. The benefit of 

 the old philosopiiical principle, ' Do as 

 you would be done unto,' might be, 

 without hesitation, imparted to brutes. 

 Both man and beast were born to 

 labour ; and, when the last necessity 

 shall arrive, unto the death. In fine, 

 when the reason is right, and the 

 heart willing, all difficulty in this case 

 of conscience, will v;inish. 

 Nuv. 2.5, 18-23. John Lawrence. 



For the BJonthlij Magazine. 

 On the employment and ASsociAriotJ 



of lUIlDS. 



What regal vestments can with them compare I 

 What kini; so sliininj; ! or what queen so lair ! 



THE 'fowls of the air' have had 

 many advocates in their praise ; 

 artists have lengthened tlieir memory 

 in beautiful hues, poets have pleaded 

 in descriptive language for their pre- 

 servation, and generous hands have 

 spread the sweet crumb in winter lor 

 tiiem. They have 'their exits and 

 their entrances ;' and, |)arodying our 

 great British poet, ' one bird jdays 

 many parts.' Tiiough birds lia\e the 

 range of life betwixt (bo visible earth 

 and heaven, what difficulties they en- 

 counter, how many enemies tliey avoid ! 

 'J'he ' game laws,' the sporting cock- 

 ney, the wary fowler, the lime-twig 

 urchin, the soothing bell, the night- 

 approaching clap-net ;* and, lastly, 

 the wire domestic cage. Those per- 

 sons 



* A ciisloni prevailed in the coimtry, 

 some years past, I'or a party lo go into the 

 woods to take birds in the following man- 

 ner : — One person took a torch, another a 

 paddle, a third a bell, and a feiirth the 



