108 
Lo the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AY has been remarked by fome author 
Jt that the Englifh nation is more ad- 
dicted to cruelty than any other enlightened 
people of Europe ; and though we muft 
naturally be reluétant in admitting a 
charge of fo difgraceful a nature, yet, a 
little attention to what is pafling around 
us; particularly in refpeét to our indiffe- 
rence to the fufferings of the brute crea- . 
tion, will J fear rather corroborate than 
refute the affertion. 
An attentive obferver cannot pafs thro” 
the ftreets, without frequently exclaiming 
againft the mhumanity of carters, coach- 
men, butchers, and others, who unfortu- 
nately have the fuperintendence of horfes, 
and other animals ; but as fuch imftances 
are too flagrant to require any comment 
here, I fhall. confine my remarks to two 
inftances of diabolical eruelty, which per- 
haps are not generally known. 
A gentleman of my acquaintance was 
eye-witnefs to an inftance of this horrid 
propenfity, near Buxton ; a fellow exhi- 
bited a bear which was tied toa ftake, 
with a fmall@length of chain allowed ; the 
bear was not however attacked by dogs, 
as ufual, but by. monfters in human fhape, 
who diverted themfelves by trundling a 
wheel-barrow at it—if this machine ftruck 
the animal, the bearward paid 6d. to him 
who twirled the barrow ; and if it miffed, 
(which was oftener the cafe, as the poor 
bear from woeful experience had acquired 
confiderable dexterity in avoiding the 
blow, ) then the bearward teceived 6d. It 
dees not appear that this daftardly game 
has any tendency to improve the courage 
of the champions engaged in it; but it 
feems very well calculated to promote the 
practice of deliberate murder ! 
The other inftance, which fell within 
my own obfervation, feems to me to com- 
bine more affociations of a kind difgrace-' 
ful to human nature, than any other I re- 
member ever to have heard of. 
As I paffed through a lane, a few days 
before laft Shrove Tuefday, I obferved a 
confiderable crowd in an adjoining field, 
enjoying fome game, in which a number 
of boys were bufily employed ; on a near- 
er approach, I faw ten or twelve boys, 
with their hands tied, purfuing a cock, the 
wings of which had been previoully clipped 
to retard its efeape; on inquiry,l learnt that 
this poor creature was to be the prize of 
him who could, carry it off toa certain 
part of the field, i# 47s tecib; this, unfor- 
Infiances of Cruelty to Animals. 
] ‘ 
(Sept. 1} 
tunately for the object of their purfuit, waé 
no very eafy tafk, and the fcene I witneffed 
in its’profecution was fuch, as furely was 
never equalled in the annals of brutality! 
and though it was with confiderable pain 
I viewed fuch a fight, yet a determination 
to acquaint myfelf with ctrcumftances, 
which would enable me to expofe fuch de- 
pravity, without exaggeration, compelled 
me to remain, 
The cock, as in moft {uch fports, had a 
little ftart allowed, when, on a fignal, all. 
its purfuers gave chace; the firft who 
came up with it, endeavoured to ftun it 
with his foot, and, if that failed, his next 
refource was to fall upon it with his body, 
full leng:h, in which pofition he contrived 
to fix his teeth in fome part, but the head 
was ulually preferred, 4s the animal could 
not very eafily retaliate in this fituation ! 
fometimes all thefe bloodhounds were down ° 
upon or near the poor cock at the fame 
time, one pulling it by the feet, another 
by the wings, and a third tugging at its 
head, till the weakef# pari gave way, 
and the /fronge/? teeth bore away the prize 
an triumph ! whilft the poor creature ftrug- 
gled fo violently, as at times, by its con- 
vulfions, to efcape for a moment the 2on-— 
fier’s jaws; but if the conqueror proved 
too ftrong to permit this momentary ef- 
cape, his triumph was of very fhort dura- 
tion, for by the rules of this game, the 
uafuccefsful followers were permitied to 
trip the heels of the hero who was thus 
bearing away the prize, which they gene- 
rally contrived to do, and before he could 
arrive at the goal, he was ufually over- 
thrown by his purfuers, who, falling up: 
on him and each other, with the wretche: 
animal in the mid& of them, refumed thi 
inhuman ftruggle ; and from the remair 
ing ftrength of the cock, when I could o 
ionger bear fuch a fight, and from the d- 
ficulty of accomplifhing their purpofe I 
fear this brutal bufinefs lafted. mch 
longer ; but my pain at beholding {ch 
barbarity was fomewhat alleviated by-he 
conviction that the poor bruifed eck 
would foon be asinfenfible as the furrond- 
ing wretches ; and I retired withthis 
impreffion, and the determination t¢ ule 
all my influence with the magiftras co 
have this abufe inveftigated. 
Who is there fo callous as to hrthe | 
plain unembellifned recital of fucharba- 
‘rity, without the utmoft indignaon ?— 
who can retire from fuch fcenes, at flat- 
ter himfelf he does his duty mely in 
faunning them, without endeavoung all, 
in his power to procure their to! aboli- 
4 tion ? 
+ 
