THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



state of savage nature comes into the world with 

 feelings adapted to the circumstances awaiting 

 him. Who is there that, in hunting, counts hard- 

 ships and perils as matters of complaint? Instead, 

 these seem in a curious sort of way to be part of 

 the pleasures of the chase. That is because man 

 is a hunting animal, and hardships and peril in 

 hunting are his natural circumstances. 



Otherwise it would be absurd that men whose 



means would purchase every luxury of life should 



gladly risk their lives, and toil more than any 



laborer would toil for pay, merely to kill other 



,' creatures. 



Even to see the joy of middle-aged gentlemen 

 fcctf*<ij of wealth in the midst of personal discomfort 

 4 when shooting partridges is a large lesson in the 

 meaning of " pain " to animals and men. While 

 they are after living quarry men are pure ani- 

 mals, and do not mind such bodily pain and hard- 

 ship as naturally belong to the pursuit. 



Suppose that in his hunting man has had the 

 misfortune to be worsted that, instead of bring- 

 ing home the lion's skin, he has lain helpless in 

 the grip of the lion. What happens then? 



Intolerable agony, you suppose, as the lion's 

 huge teeth crunch through bone and sinew, nerve 

 and flesh. Yet all those, Livingstone and others, 

 who have survived the ordeal, tell us that there is 



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