504 



Animals. I much regret that I have 

 hcanl nothing more of it; for, altliough 

 this species of cruelty is not immediately 

 in connexion witii the cruelty of men 

 towards each oilier, I cannot refrain 

 from expressing my approhation of such 

 an establishment, as it would tend to 

 ecadicate that ferocity of heart, which 



Strictures on Pugilism. [Ju'y '> 



desperate feaUire of malignity. The 

 blessings of peace and of social order 

 are trampled under foot by it; the 

 chords of unanimify of feeling are re- 

 laxed in consequence ; and a subversion 

 of the powers of humanity to the sympa- 

 thy of man arc naturally the result of its 

 tendencies and bearings. There have 



so diso-racefully separates this class of been instances in which the life of the 

 individuals from the supporters of '■ ' ' '>>--.■ 



peaceable society. I would not desire 

 that the legislature should adopt any 

 other measures for the prevention of this 

 practice than those which are in exist- 

 ence; but merely suggest that the ma- 

 gistrates of the laud would rigidly 

 enforce the directions and penalties of 

 those Acts. However, waving all these 

 considerations, I will as.sert my firm 

 conviction, that it is only to the humane 

 and proper feelings of mankind that we 

 ought to appeal. Let every journal 

 which now so fully narrates those dis- 

 gusting spectacles, hold them up to the 

 notice of the country as objects of its 

 detestation,— as unfit scenes for a civi- 

 lized land, — as an odium upon the face 

 of society, — and as a practice more be- 

 coming a tribe of ferocious ignorant 

 savages, than a diversion for the amuse- 

 ment and gratification of Englishmen. 



From a cursory view of the habits 

 and manners of these amateurs of box- 

 ing repute, it would seem that its preva- 

 lence originated in ignorance and brutish 

 stupidity of mind. But such is not the 

 case: their lives are devoted to the per- 

 fection of the art, and Iheir subsistence 

 depends upon obtained victory. Neither 

 can many of the assembled thousands 

 who frequent these scenes be men visit- 

 ing them from mere curiosity and novel- 

 ty, as the immense bets which are 

 dependant upon the fate of the battle, 

 decidedly convince us that men of 

 rank and opulence are their principal 

 abettors. Thus it is sufficiently obvious, 

 that the practice of pugilism exists not 

 only in the lowest orders of society, but 

 is even patronized by men of authority 

 and of celebrity in the empire. The 

 worse the example, the more lament- 

 able the reflection: 



Stultitians patiiuiter opes. — Horace, 

 Besides the brutality and ferocity of 

 character which it unfolds, it cannot 

 but be supposed that pugilism is at- 

 tended with the worst species of depra- 

 vity and imbecility of mind. No man 

 of feeling can hesitate to pronounce it to 

 be the curse of society, and a most 



pugilist has yielded to the dreadful fury 

 of the contest. "He who wantonly 

 jiuts to death a fellow-creature, is guilty 

 of murder; and he who puts a fellow- 

 creature to death without knowing why, 

 is equally guilty : the cause may be 

 good, but, if he knows it not, he is a 

 murderer. No casuistry can save him 

 from the guilt of it." See an invaluable 

 collection of "Essays on various Sub- 

 jects," by the Rev. W. P. Scargill, 

 page 168, " On the Impolicy of War." 

 That pugilism is offensive to feelings 

 of delicacy, — that it is calculated to 

 increase the ebullitions of ])assion, 

 and opposed to the tranquillity of man, 

 — is too clear and obvious. To i)revent 

 this disgusting practice, it behoves 

 every man to hold it up to indignation 

 and scorn. For Great Britain to be the 

 theatre of these ferocious atrocities and 

 inhuman brutalities, is to cloud its na.. 

 tional character with the darkness and 

 besotted ignorance of a degenerate age. 

 To reflect that our fields in the nine- 

 teenth century are disgraced with such 

 spectacles, and that these notorious dis- 

 plays of boxing are for the diversion 

 and amusement of thousands of Britons, 

 is both lamcntaljle and ofTcnsive to the 

 high perfection of its arts, its literature, 

 and its generally-esteeuird purity and 

 refinement of manners. If its evils can- 

 not be altogether counteracted with 

 appeals to the feelings of men, it is to 

 be hoped that attempts to subvert its 

 streams from flowing into the channel 

 of society, will be in some degree effica- 

 cious, and thus protect the bosom of 

 every peaceable individual from further 

 and increased insult and disgust. As 

 long as society exists, let it be subjected 

 to the laws and government of society ; 

 and, as it is the confines of our happi- 

 ness, let us not brutalize its inmates 

 with displays of inhuman passions and 

 barbarous tumults. S. R. 



For the Monthly Magazine. 



MINOR POETS o/" IRELAND. 



[Two or three articles under this head 



having appeared in our miscellany, we 



solicit the continuation of such commn- 



nicatious 



