475 



between the truths of that holy volume, and the hypotheses of the 

 two prevailing religions in India, the allowed sublimity, as well as 

 the acknowledged puerility, of the Vedas must recede; the morality 

 and cruelty of the Koran must retire before the tome of divine 

 inspiration : " Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth ;" when the sun 

 arises, darkness flies ! On a superficial view, the doctrine of the 

 metempsychosis appears humane and beautiful; and, unlil the 

 scheme of Providence is more deeply investigated, the Pythago- 

 rean system captivates by a thousand tender suggestions. No 

 advocate for this innocent and merciful hypothesis, has more pathe- 

 tically appealed to humanity and compassion towards the brute 

 creation than Ovid. 



" Quam male consuescit, quam se parat ille cruori 

 " Impius humano ; vituli qui guttura cultro 

 " Rumpit, et immotas prcebet mugitibus aures ! 

 " Aut qui vagitus similes puerilibus hcedum 

 " Edentem jugulare potest !" Met. 15, 463. 



" What more advance can mortals make in sin 

 " So near perfection, who with blood begin? 

 " Deaf to the calf that lies beneath the knife, 

 " Looks up, and from her butcher begs her life : 

 " Deaf to the harmless kid, that, ere he dies, 

 " All methods to secure thy mercy tries; 

 " And imitates in vain the children's cries!" Dryden. 



Plutarch, in his life of Cato, justly as beautifully observes, that 

 if we kill an animal for our provision, we should do it with the 

 meltings of compassion, and without tormenting it. Let us consider 

 that it is in its own nature cruelty to put a living creature to death: 



