THE UNIVERSAL FAMILY PAPER FOR INTER-COMMUNICATIONS ON 



Ei 



Conducted by WILLIAM KIDD, of Hammersmith,— 



Author of the Familiar and Popular Essays on "Natural History;" "British Song 

 Birds;" " Birds op Passage ; " "Instinct and Reason;" " The Aviary," &c. 



"the OBJECT of our work is to make men WISER, without obliging them to turn over folios and 



QUARTOS.— TO FURNISH MATTER FOR THINKING AS WELL AS READING."— EVELYN. 



No. 41.— 1852. 



SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9. 



Price 3d. 



Or, in Monthly Parts, Price Is. Id. 



MElf,-AND BRUTES,— 



OR, 



THE HIGHER AND LOWER WORLDS. 



I cannot but believe, that a very good use might be 

 made of the fancy -which children naturally have for 

 Birds, Animals, and Insects. Yet one of the very first 

 pleasures we allow them is, — the license of inflicting 

 pain upon poor, innocent, inoffensive creatures. 

 Almost as soon as we are ourselves sensible what life 

 is, we make it our sport to destroy or trifle with that 

 of the Brute Creation. Thus, are all our Children bred 

 Up ! — Montaigne. 



Some surprise has been expressed 

 that we did not, whilst they were going for- 

 ward, notice the disgraceful and disgusting 

 acts of cruelty daily practised at Cremorne 

 Gardens, and elsewhere. 



We felt every disposition to raise our 

 voice in this matter, but we well knew how 

 vain would be the task. It is distressing 

 to be obliged to record — but such is the 

 fact — that we English are essentially a cruel 

 people. We rejoice, aye revel in the sight of 

 the horrible. We need not go far, we regret 

 to say, to prove this. Indeed, two instances 

 will be amply sufficient. 



When was there an execution of any re- 

 markably-atrocious criminal to take place, 

 without seats to witness it having been dis- 

 posed of at enormously high prices ? These 

 ranged from one guinea to five guineas each, 

 and were all " taken 11 immediately ! Were 

 they occupied by the lower orders? — No. By 

 people of uncivilised life, or the badly-educat- 

 ed ? No. By whom then ? By fashionably 

 dressed people of the highest standing in soci- 

 ety, and by loomen in particular. They slept 

 not, by reason of anticipation of " the treat ;" 

 and armed with powerful magnifying glasses, 

 they gazed with thrilling interest and delight 

 upon the last convulsive throes of the poor 

 wretches as they expiated their offences on 

 the scaffold. This feeling is still lively ; but 

 we rejoice to say that very few " opportuni- 

 ties" are now afforded for its — gratification. 

 The life of a fellow-creature, we have at last 

 learnt (thanks to our blessed little Queen), 

 mercifully to consider as something of 



" consequence." Our fashionable ladies must 

 now cease to anticipate amusement from the 

 human scaffold, and seek " excitement" else- 

 where. They have something though, let 

 us tell them, to answer for, in having set 

 such barbarous examples to the multitude. 

 They have done mischief — mischief, the 

 fruits of which will continue to be apparent 

 while the world lasts. " One" act, sometimes 

 involves in it consequences the most disas- 

 trous. 



The second evidence we would adduce of 

 the universal love for the barbarous — no 

 doubt distantly emanating from the human 

 scaffold — is the zeal shown by so many thou- 

 sands in rushing to the " Chamber of Hor- 

 rors," at MadameTussaud's Exhibition, in Ba- 

 ker-street. No sooner does a murderer of any 

 note come before the public, than he or she is 

 immediately "modelled" (by permission) in 

 wax;"the exact size of life" — wearing perhaps 

 " the' identical clothes" in which they were 

 " executed," and assigned a permanent place 

 in this "chamber." 



Every day, or nearly so, throughout the year, 

 do the proprietors of this attractive lounge 

 find it to their interest to advertise in all the 

 newspapers. They know, as well as we do, 

 the feelings of the public ; and on their 

 " weakness" they " live." The trap is dain- 

 tily bailed. The " real clothes," the " iden- 

 tical hat," and " walking stick" of the mur- 

 derer, are all dwelt upon con amore; and, 

 when it is added that the figure of the mur- 

 derer is "the size of life" — who could resist 

 giving his sixpence to see him? Let the very 

 many thousands who pay this sixpence, answer 

 the question. 



Now, let us ask, how under such circum- 

 stances can we expect society to be better 

 than it is ? Do not our domestic servants, 

 the governesses and teachers of our children — 

 aye, and all our household dependents of what- 

 ever grade, regularly attend here and delight 

 in it? How natural! More than this. Do 

 not our children accompany them? Of course 

 they do. Let the sceptical judge for them-- 



VOL. II. 



