212 THE BJEE, OR Feb. 9, 



which you may infert or fuprefs according as you think 

 them acceptable to the public or not. 



The following fpeculation was fuggefted by an event, 

 which, though diftant in time, afFefts me ftill with a 

 fenfation, rather to be felt than defcribed. 



As I xva-i walking with a young lady from the New 

 Town to Leith, I faw a monfter who conducted a cart 

 heavily laden, of which, the horfe, preffed with his 

 burden, had fallen. The unfeeling wretch, with impla- 

 cable furjs lafhed the proftrate creature, or alternately 

 ftruck him with the handle of his whip, t>ll our fouls 

 were agonized with the profpe(ft. " Oh heaven !" 

 cried the lady, whofe frame Ihuddered in every nerve 

 with horror and compaffion, " why do you torment the 

 poor creature in fuch a manner?" The fellow, who to 

 infenfibility of heart added depravity of mind, gave 

 her fuch an anfwer as would be too brutal to repeat. 

 He continued his diabolical operation on the poor ani- 

 mal, who at laft, after much llruggle, and many a vain 

 eflFort, raifed his heavy burden, and recovered his itet. 



To me, unlefs I had feen it, it would hardly have 

 een conceivable that one living being ihould be thus 

 capable of tormenting another. 1 could not have ima- 

 gined that education and habit could have fuch dread- 

 ful eifefts upon a rational being. Predatory apinir.ls 

 indeed, with mfatiable voracity devour the victims whicli 

 they purfue ; but they are Simulated by the rage of 

 hunger, and probably unconfcious of the pain they 

 give: even boys *do not torment flies, reptiles, infects, 

 and birds, from a wanton pi-opcnfity of giving anguiili; 

 they are only amufcd by the llrange contorlions and un- 

 common attitudes 'into wiiich tlie creature is thrown by 

 what it fufFers ; yet this cruel cuftom loudly demands 

 fevere animadverfion from parents and tutors ; but 

 for a man endued with a rational foul, thus to harden 

 his herrt againft the fharp corapunftions of nature, is m 

 my view a degree of wickednels that is fcarce concei /.. 

 able. 



