THE HORSE. 305 



of the world could not proceed. But we are not 

 thence to take it for granted, that abstraction may be 

 lawfully concreted for the benefit of private interest, 

 of fraud, of monopoly ; far less for such a purpose, 

 which surely cannot be intended, as that of pandering 

 to the horrible, unnatural, and barbarous propensities 

 of the dregs and scum of human society. The abstract 

 principle of right, in order to its practicability and 

 preservation, must be left to moderate itself, which it 

 will invariably effect by its own natural, or the legiti- 

 mate necessity of the case, to which all men must 

 submit. 



Est modus in rebus ; sunt certi denique fines, 

 Quos ultra citraque nequit consistere rectum. 



But having formerly and elsewhere dilated to a 

 considerable extent, as above said, I must now con- 

 fine myself to a few strictures on the rationale, the 

 religious or binding part, and the morality of the sub- 

 ject. Is justice a simple and indivisible principle, 

 and equally due to animals burdened with the same 

 wants as ourselves, and endowed with similar feelings 

 and affections, as it is from rational man to his fellow 

 man ? is there any force or obligation in the beautiful 

 old Hebrew text, ' the merciful man is merciful to his 

 beast V It is probable that no one of the present day 

 will be hardy or hardened enough, to answer these 

 questions in the negative ; nevertheless, too many 

 there are in this great and glorious country, even of 

 the superior and educated classes, and amidst the 

 highest religious pretensions, who take a strange and 

 unnatural delight in witnessing the affrights and 



