MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 233 



propensity, however unaccountable, in almost all 

 men TO KILL, and the pleasurable excitement to 

 do so, is equally strong 1 in the poacher as in the 

 gentleman sportsman. This excitement, or an 

 extreme desire to exhilarate the spirits, and to 

 give them energy, as well as pleasure, pervades 

 more or less, the minds of all mankind, and 

 shows itself in every species of gambling, from 

 cock-fighting, dog and man fighting, hunting, 

 horse-racing, and even up to the acme of excite- 

 ment or excitement run mad that of horrid war. 

 I wish something more rational and better could 

 be contrived to whet the mind and to rouse its 

 energies ; for certain it is that " the heart that 

 nev.er tastes pleasure shuts up, grows stiff, and 

 incapable of enjoyment." The minds of men 

 ought therefore, to be unbent at certain times, 

 especially in some constitutions, to prevent their 

 becoming nerveless and hypochondriacal, the 

 worst of all diseases, in which the mind sees 

 everything with an obliquity of intellect, and 

 creates numberless cruel and imaginary evils 

 which continually surround and embarrass it. 

 Only let a man who cannot employ himself with 

 some hobby or other know that he is provided for, 

 and has nothing to do, and it will soon be seen 

 how ennui y with benumbing steps, will thrust 

 itself upon him, and what a stupid and unhappy 

 being he is. 



If I have reasoned correctly in the foregoing 

 observations, it is, then, desirable that sports and 

 pastimes should be resorted to, that might, in many 

 cases, turn out to public good. For this purpose, 

 I have often thought that small sums might be 

 subscribed and collected to be given as a prize to 



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