Insects. 1681 



A PROPOSED ACT OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE REMOVAL OF CER- 

 TAIN VULGAR PREJUDICES AND ABUSES RELATIVE TO THE 

 SUPPOSED CRUELTY EXERCISED TOWARDS THE INFERIOR 

 ANIMALS. {Published in the ' Ventnor Diamond,' No. I). 



"Whereas it hath been the custom for certain individuals to publish 



" books in order to induce children and others to treat animals tenderly, on 



" the supposition that they are sensible to pain and suffering : And whereas, 



" it has been proved by certain scientific persons, in a monthly periodical, 



" called ' The Zoologist,' that insects in particular are incapable of feeling 



" any pain whatever. Be it hereby Enacted, that as such works tend to 



" propagate a falsehood and induce the tender minds of the rising generation 



" to believe in what does not exist, it shall not be lawful to print and publish 



" such works ; and all persons so printing and publishing them shall be liable 



" to an action for misdemeanor. 



Whereas neither the ' Zoologist,' nor any correspondent thereof, has advocated the 



doctrine italicised by the ' Ventnor Diamond,' neither the Editor nor contributors feel 



called on to defend such doctrine. 



"And Whereas in the dramas of one WrLL. Shakspere it is stated 

 " that beetles, in particular, experience as great a degree of inconvenience and 

 " pain in being trod upon, as a full-grown giant would do under similar cir- 

 " cumstances, all printers and publishers shall be obliged to omit such pas- 

 " sage in any future editions of the dramas of the said Will. Shakspere, or 

 " passages of like import in future editions of any other works, the same being 

 " false ; seeing it has been reasonably and logically proved by said learned 

 " persons in said ' Zoologist,' that insects are incapable of suffering pain — and 

 " all printers and publishers neglecting to omit such passages shall likewise 

 " be liable to an action for misdemeanor. 

 Whereas Will. Shakspere was a poet and not a man of science, his opinion is not 

 admissible on either side ; but whereas Will. Shakspere's evidence, if taken entire, is 

 against the * Ventnor Diamond,' we opine that the Diamond is wrong in citing him. 

 In the sacred volume we find this passage, " There is no God," but it is preceded by 

 these words, " The fool hath said in his heart.'' So Will. Shakspere's remark 

 on the subject has a true meaning, although by cutting off the commencement it con- 

 veys a false one. 



" And Whereas it hath been the custom of children to pull the wings off 

 " from flies — the legs off daddy-long-legs, and especially to procure a certain 

 " insect called a cockchaffer, and having run a pin through it, to set it spinning 

 " on a table, or bench, or other suitable smooth surface, whereby it will fizz 

 " round like a teetotum in a manner pleasing to behold — And Whereas cer- 

 " tain tender-hearted parents have been in the habit of scolding, cuffing, flog- 

 " ging, pinching the ears of, pulling the hair of, slapping, or otherwise chas- 

 " tising and incommoding said children, on the plea of their being guilty of 

 " supposed cruelty, whereby much joyousness is prevented : Be it hereby En- 

 " acted, that, since it has been decided by the aforesaid learned persons, that 

 " such things as cockchaffers have no feeling, it shall not be lawful for such 

 " parents or others to punish, cuff, flog, pinch, pull hair, or otherwise iucom- 



