I79I' LITERARY INTELLIGENCER. aij 



I am not even convinced that thofe phllofophers are 

 not deferving blame, who, for the fake of experiments^ 

 put poor animals to exceffive and agonizing pain ; im. 

 portant indeed fhould the objects aimed at be, which 

 fliould authorife fuch cruelties : and are the objefts of 

 refearch for which fuch experiments are made always 

 of great importance? Or, can the facl^ wanted be af- 

 certained in no other way? It is furely on thefe condi- 

 tions alone tbey fhould be tolerated.' We are told by 

 an ancient oriental fuge, " tlrat the merciful man will 

 be merciful to his bea^I ; but the tender mercies of the 

 wicked are cruelty." I am no Pythagorean ; yet my 

 foul abhors the gratuitous and wanton cruelty, daily 

 praclifed upon animals. 



If neceffity iLould extort from us the otherwife unna- 

 tural meafure of Imriing or even of killing them, let it 

 be done with a gentle hand, and a fompaiiionate heart. 



The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day. 

 Had he thy reafon, would he Ikip'and play ? 

 Pleas'd to the lalt, he crops the flow'ry food. 

 And licks the hand jail rais'd to fhed hi-s blood. 



Fopc''s F.Jfay on Man, Epill. I. 1. 77 — 80. 



Humanity is one of the mod pleafing and important 

 feelings of our nature. It enters into all our conduft ; 

 it is the mother and guardian of the virtues, which 

 without it would degenerate into felfifli habits or mer- 

 cenary collufions. 



Next therefore to piety towards heaven, let us cul- 

 tivate thefe precious fentiments ; let us beware of be- 

 coming fpetHiators in fcenes of cruelty, leil: by repeated 

 and horrid fpeftacles of this kind, we lofe the fympa- 

 ihetic fenfe v.hich vibrates at the pain of another. 

 When the natural horror of recent blood, even ftied by 

 animals, is leiTened or extinguilhcd in us, we foon 

 transfer the fame callous difpofit'on to fu.Terers in our 

 t'Wn fpecics ; and whfen any advantage of their peifons, 

 rtitnnc:., or reputations may be taken with impunity, 



