ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPORTS. 7 



In the firfl place, I mufl: be bold to difallow 

 the neceffity of all breaches of juftice, either 

 in the ferious bufinefs, or the pleafures of life, 

 on the fcore of expediency, or of the indul- 

 gence of huTian weaknefs. It is the plea of 

 robbers and thieves ; at beft, that of a vicious 

 and treacherous indolence. The ufual pre- 

 tence of imprafticability I deny ; and were no 

 other profit to enfue from doing right, the 

 fenfe of having done fo, is a remuneration 

 amply fufficient to a well informed and gene- 

 rous mind. It muft be allowed, that the foun- 

 dations of truth have been obfcured, fome- 

 . times totally concealed by thofe ufelefs fuper- 

 {lru6tures which human weaknefs and human 

 fophiftry have fo painfully erefted. Adequate 

 knowledge of the moral fitnefs of things muft 

 depend on difcrimination, and a juft conception 

 of the philofophy of dilemma. Still, do6lrines 

 of this tendency need not, ought not, to be 

 looked upon as merely efoteric; were we ho- 

 neft, did we wifh to be underflood ; they might, 

 in no great lapfe of time, be rendered familiar 

 even to the vulgar comprehenfion. 



It has been obferved, that the manly exer- 

 cifes have declined among the lower claffes of 

 Englifhmen, fince the fuppreffion of the Book 

 of Sports, by the Prelbyterian Parliament. 

 Thofe fanatical reformers, whofe love of liber- 

 ty far exceeded their comprehenfion of its 



real 



