ON THE RIGHTS OF BEASTS. J37 



which the fubfequent conduct of the adult will 

 not difgrace. Children muft be in action ; there 

 is a principle of enterprize in them, a conti- 

 nual defire to exercife their young and growing 

 energies : hence we fee them conftantly whip- 

 ping and beating poor dumb, animals. This 

 apparent cruelty arifes merely from our neglect 

 to teach them the proper ufe of animals, the 

 obligations impofed upon us by a common na- 

 ture refpecling them, and in our inattention to 

 furnifh children with harmlefs or ufeful objects 

 of playful purfuit. A little timely and well- 

 adapted pumfhment alfo, may have the effect 

 of pi eventing the growth of indifferent or cal- 

 lous difpofitions in children. A friend of mine 

 had a boy about four years of age, who was 

 obferved frequently to amufe himfelf by pulling 

 the legs from the bodies of flies ; the father 

 watched an opportunity, and having witnelfed 

 the fact., immediately, with a fudden jerk, tore 

 hairs enough from the boy's head, to caufe the 

 tears to (tart from both his eyes. The boy 

 fuddenly afked, " what that was for ?" By way 

 of anfwer, he was inftantly fhewed the writhing 

 and tortured body of the poor victim of his 

 wantonnefs; at the fame time it was explained 

 to him, that feeling was common to all the ani- 

 mal creation, and that the divine doctrine of 

 doing as you would be done unto, extended 

 even to flies. The reader may flyle this the 



arguinmtum 



