THE RURAL SOCRATES. 195 



'-^•pofreiTed foft and poliflied manners. As I found no 

 ' difficulty in beginning my convcriation, I aiked him what 



* principles he had lludied in his art. '' Good book^, 

 *' nature, and experience, (he replied) were the only 

 *' mailers of my anceftors ; I have no other ; and' the 

 *' fame fyfteni will pafs to our children." He then 



* opened a large cabinet, plain in itfelf, but rich by the 



* furniture it contained. I found in it the befl: books 



* in furgery, antient and modern ^ fkeietons, male and 

 ' female, of four or five different ages ; other fKeletons 

 ' taken to pieces and the parts thrown indilcriminately 

 ' together, in order to be united by an exercifc of fkill ; 

 ' and laftly, curious models to fl^ew the mufcular fyf- 

 ' tern. 



'' Here (faid he,) we teach what is nccelTary for the 

 *^ relief of our fellow creatures. We inllrucfl our chil- 

 " dren to read and to underhand what they read. Thofc 

 " of them who have the turn for it, know thefe bones 

 " and mufcles before they are ten years old ; and after 

 '^ feparating, can join them again. Here is a large 

 " prefs filled with bandages and ligatures proper for 

 " different cafes, with tickets to mark them. — Our 

 '' children are taught early alfo to j<. in practice to 

 *' theory ; and on mis occafion, the goats yon ice feed- 

 " ing and even our dogs are made the vic^tims. The 

 '' very a^^s of cruelty exercifed on thefe victims extin- 

 " guiihes however the prujciple of cruelty ; for we en- 

 *' courage oar children to feel for the cries of thefe ani- 

 " mals, and to cheriflithem under their futferings ; and 

 *^ they foon learn to heal their wounds*. Such are the 

 ^' leiTons I received ; fuch are thofe w.c teach ; and ihc 

 '• bleiTing of God has attended our endeavors." 



♦ Such pain (hoold only ht inflidled on aniirals, "where it is probable 

 vhat it will lead to a fuperior good eiibcr to ncen or the brute crea- 

 tion. EKperitnenta here without an ohjed, or iradc more dilhcflang 

 Csa is needful : ate crimes againft the God of nature, E. 



