I know nothing more shocking, or horrid, than the profpect of one of their kitchins covered with blood, and filled with the cries of creatures expiring in tortures. It gives one an image of a Giant's den in a romance beftrew'd with the scattered heads and mangled limbs of those who were flain by his cruelty.

The excellent Plutarch (who has more ftrokes of good-nature in his writings than I remember in any author) cites a faying of Cato to this effect: "That 'tis no eafy talk to preach to the belly "which has no ears. Yet if (fays he) we are "afhamed to be fo out of fashion as not to of"fend, let us at leaft offend with fome difcre"tion and measure. If we kill an animal for "our provifion, let us do it with the meltings "of compaffion, and without tormenting it. Let us confider, that 'tis in its own nature cruelty to put a living creature to death; we "at least destroy a foul that has sense and per"ception." In the life of Cato the Cenfor, he takes occafion from the fevere difpofition of that man to difcourfe in this manner: "It ought "to be esteemed a happiness to mankind, that "our humanity has a wider fphere to exert it"felf in, than bare juftice. It is no more than "the obligation of our very birth to practise

equity to our own kind; but humanity may "be extended thro' the whole order of crea"tures, even to the meaneft: fuch actions "of charity are the over-flowings of a mild good nature on all below us. It is certainly the part of a well-natured man to take care of

"his horses and dogs, not only in expectation "of their labour while they are foals and "whelps, but even when their old age has made "them incapable of fervice."

History tells us of a wife and polite nation, that rejected a perfon of the firft quality, who ftood for a judiciary office, only because he had been obferved in his youth to take pleafure in tearing and murdering of birds. And of another, that expelled a man out of the fenate for dashing a bird against the ground which had taken fhelter in his bofom. Every one knows how remarkable the Turks are for their humanity in this kind. I remember an Arabian author, who has written a treatife to fhew, how far a man, supposed to have fubfifted in a defert ifland, without any instruction, or so much as the fight

of
any other man, may, by the pure light of
nature, attain the knowledge of philosophy and
virtue. One of the first things he makes him
observe is, that universal benevolence of nature
in the protection and prefervation of its crea-
tures. In imitation of which, the firft act of
virtue he thinks his self-taught philofopher would
of course fall into is, to relieve and affift all the
animals about him in their wants and diftreffes.
Ovid has fome very tender and pathetick
lines applicable to this occafion;

Quid meruiftis, oves, placidum pecus, inque tegendos
Natum homines, pleno quæ fertis in ubere nectar?
Mollia qua nobis veftras velamina lanas
Præbetis; vitaque magis quam morte juvatis,

Quid meruere boves, animal fine fraude dolifque,
Innocuum, fimplex, natum tolerare labores?
Immemor eft demum, nec frugum munere dignus,
Qui potuit, curvi dempto modo pondere aratri,
Ruricolam matare fuum-

Quam male confuevit, quam fe parat ille cruori
Impius humano, vituli qui guttura cultro
Rumpit, et immotas præbet mugitibus aures!
Aut qui vagitus fimiles puerilibus hædum
Edentem jugulare poteft!—

Perhaps that voice or cry fo nearly resembling the human, with which Providence has endued fo many different animals, might purposely be given them to move our pity, and prevent those cruelties we are too apt to inflict on our fellow

creatures.

There is a paffage in the book of Jonas, when God declares his unwillingness to destroy Nineveh, where, methinks, that compaffion of the Creator, which extends to the meaneft rank of his creatures, is expreffed with wonderful tendernefs Should I not spare Nineveh the great city, wherein are more than fixfcore thoufand perfons-And also much cattle ?"—And we have in Deuteronomy a precept of great good nature of this fort, with a bleffing in form annexed to it in those words: "If thou fhalt find "a bird's neft in the way, thou shalt not take "the dam with the young: But thou shalt in any wife let the dam go, that it may be well "with thee, and that thou may'st prolong thy days."

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To conclude, there is certainly a degree of gratitude owing to thofe animals that ferve us; as for fuch as are mortal or noxious, we have a right to destroy them; and for those that are neither of advantage or prejudice to us, the common enjoyment of life is what I cannot think we ought to deprive them of.

This whole matter with regard to each of these confiderations, is fet in a very agreeable light in one of the Perfian fables of Pilpay, with which I shall end this paper.

A traveller paffing through a thicket, and seeing a few sparks of a fire, which fome paffengers had kindled as they went that way before, made up to it. On a fudden the fparks caught hold of a bush, in the midst of which lay an adder, and fet it in flames. The adder intreated the traveller's affiftance, who tying a bag to the end of his staff, reached it, and drew him out: he then bid him go where he pleased, but never more be hurtful to men, fince he owed his life to a man's compaffion. The adder, however,

prepared to fting him, and when he expoftulated how unjust it was to retaliate good with evil, I. shall do no more (faid the adder) than what you men practise every day, whofe cuftom it is to requite benefits with ingratitude. If you can deny this truth, let us refer it to the first we meet. The man confented, and feeing a Tree, put the queftion to it, in what manner a good turn was to be recompenced? If you mean according to the ufage of Men (replied the Tree) By its contrary. I have been standing here these hundred

years to protect them from the fcorching fun, and in requital, they have cut down my branches, and are going to faw my body into planks. Upon this the Adder infulting the man, he appealed to a fecond evidence, which was granted, and immediately they met a Cow. The fame demand was made, and much the fame answer given, that among men it was certainly fo: I know it, faid the Cow, by woful experience; for I have served a man this long time with milk, butter, and cheese, and brought him befides a Calf every year but now I am old, he turns me into this pafture, with design to fell me to a butcher, who will shortly make an end of me. The traveller upon this stood confounded, but desired of courtefy one trial more, to be finally judged by the next beast they should meet. This happened to be the Fox, who upon hearing the story in all its circumstances, could not be perfuaded it was poffible for the adder to get into fo narrow a bag. The adder to convince him went in again; the Fox told the man he had now his enemy in his power, and with that he fastened the bag, and crushed him to pieces.

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