A PLEA FOR THE BEARS. 93 
plays were played, with Bull and Bear bait- 
ings, and prize-fightings, between the acts ; 
and the same spectators, with more or less 
modification, relished all the several exhibi- 
tions! Such is the human mind; such is 
the mixture of human affairs; such men 
have been our forefathers, and such will be 
our grandchildren !” 
** I observe, however, that attention was 
paid to the comforts and enjoyments of the 
Bears, in the respect of the fields and ponds?” 
‘** That is even the very point, in order to 
come to which, I have led myself and you 
into our history of Bear-baiting. It is, of 
course, a very gratifying consideration, that 
the English multitude, rich and poor, instead 
of being squeezed, as formerly, into foul 
and gloomy dens, called theatres, to find ‘ a 
good relief’ in seeing a poor Bear ‘ shake hiz 
earz twyse or thryse, with the blud and the 
slaver about hiz fiznamy,’ can now enjoy and 
feel enjoyment in the innocent view of the 
peaceable, unmolested condition of similar 
captives from mountain and forest, calmly 
placed before them, in fresh and freshening 
air, in the middle of shrubs, flowers, and 
