HUMANITY IN THEIB CHASTISEMENT 91 



to you : your intention of being present yourself the 

 first time a hound is flogged, to see how your new 

 whipper-in behaves himself, is a proof of benevolence, 

 which the Italian author of the most humane book 1 

 could not fail to commend you for. Huntsmen and 

 whippers-in are seldom so unlucky as to have your 

 feelings ; yet custom, which authorises them to flog 

 hounds unmercifully, does not do away the barbarity 

 of it. A gentleman seeing a girl skinning eels alive, 

 asked her "if it was not very cruel?" "Oh, not at 

 all, Sir," replied the girl ; "they be used to it /" 



1 Dei delitti e delle pene. 



