37 2 Life and Immortality. 



around the stake, and gloat upon the agonies which are 

 being borne by a fellow-creature. Similarly the African 

 savage inflicts the most excruciating sufferings upon the man 

 or woman accused of witchcraft, employing means too horri- 

 ble to be mentioned. But in all these cases the cruelty 

 seems to be in a great measure owing to obtuseness of per- 

 ception. Yet the savage who binds his victim to a stake, 

 and perforates the sensitive parts of his body with burning 

 pine-splinters, behaves very much like a child who amuses 

 itself by catching flies, pulling off their wings and legs, and 

 watching their unavailing efforts to escape. 



Many years ago cockchafers were publicly sold in Paris 

 for children to torture to death. The amusement consisted 

 in running a hooked pin through the insect's tail, fastening 

 a thread thereto, and watching the poor creature spin in the 

 air. After the poor beetle was too enfeebled to expand its 

 wings, it was slowly dismembered, the child being greatly 

 amused at its endeavors to crawl, as leg after leg was pulled 

 from the body. A similar custom, though in a more cruel 

 form, prevails in Italy, the creatures which are tortured by 

 way of sport being more capable of feeling pain than are 

 insects. Birds are employed in this country for the amuse- 

 ment of children. A string is tied to the leg of the bird, and 

 the unfortunate creature, after its powers of flight are ex- 

 hausted, is generally plucked alive and dismembered. The 

 idea of cruelty does not seem to enter at all in these prac- 

 tices, but they are done from the sheer incapacity of under- 

 standing that a bird or a beast can be a fellow-creature. 

 Italians are notorious for their cruel treatment of animals, 

 and if remonstrated with become very much astonished and 

 reply, " Non e Cristiano," that is to say, " It is not a Chris- 

 tian." Englishmen have little to boast of on this score. 

 Bear-baiting was abolished by the Puritans, not because it 

 gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the 

 spectators. Even at the present day, both in England and 

 in this country, there is a latent hankering after similar 



