b ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPORTS. 



convey delightful fenfations to the fouls, and 

 convulfive agonies and dying groans, to feaft 

 the eyes of the beholders. Even women of 

 the mod exalted rank, and finifhed education 

 (fuch is the benumbing and lamentable effeft 

 of vicious habit) beheld with unconcern, or 

 with raptures, the gufhing wounds and death- 

 ftruck countenance of the expiring gladiator, 

 or the mangled carcafe of the wretch con- 

 demned to facrifice his life in a dreadful com- 

 bat with beafts ! 



But our more material bufinefs is with the 

 fports in vogue at the prefent day, and in our 

 own country ; particularly as they relate to the 

 brute creation : and the intent of this difquifi- 

 tion is, to determine how far fuch diverfions 

 are legitimate and allowable, how far confenta- 

 neous with reafon and humanity, or conducive 

 to general and individual ufe. Speculations 

 like thefe will, I fear, be little reliflied or at- 

 tended to by the majority of mankind. I (hall 

 on the one hand be accufed of attempting to 

 fplit hairs, and of vainly labouring to introduce 

 imprafticable refinements ; on the other, of 

 endeavouring to eflablifh principles of licence 

 totally incompatible with certain received ideas 

 of morality. On this head, all I have to fay is, 

 that I hope it may be poflible to fpeak, what 

 I fuppofe to be the truth, without giving 

 offence. 



In 



