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tured I not, except the poor. Upon this fold profeffion, there paffed among men a merry tale, delectable enough to be rehearsed: How that, being overtaken with liquor one Saturday evening, I shaved the Prieft with Spanish blacking for fhoes instead of a wash-ball, and with lamp-black powdered his perriwig. But thefe were fayings of men delighting in their own conceits more than in the truth: For it is well known, that great was my care and skill in these my crafts; yea, I once had the honour of trimming Sir Thomas himself, without fetching blood. Furthermore, I was fought unto to geld the Lady Frances her spaniel, which was wont to go aftray: He was called Toby, that is to fay, Tobias. And, thirdly, I was intrusted with a gorgeous pair of fhoes of the faid Lady, to fet an heel-piece thereon; and I received such praise therefore, that it was faid all over the parish, I fhould be recommended unto the King to mend fhoes for his Majefty: whom God preferve! Amen.

MEMOIRS OF A P. CLERK. V. 4. p. 213.

CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

MONTAIGNE thinks it fome reflection upon human nature itself, that few people take delight in feeing beafts carefs or play together, but almoft every one is pleased to see them lacerate and worry one another. I am forry this temper is become almost a diftinguishing character of our own nation, from the obfervation which is made by foreigners of

our

our beloved paftimes, Bear-baiting, Cock-fighting, and the like. We fhould find it hard to vindicate the defroying of any thing that has life, merely out of wantonnefs: yet in this principle our children are bred up; and one of the first pleafures we allow them, is the licence of inflicting pain upon poor animals: almost as foon as we are fenfible what life is ourselves, we make it our fport to take it from other creatures. I cannot but believe a very good ufe might be made of the fancy which children have for birds and infects. Mr. Locke takes notice of a mother who permitted them to her children, but rewarded or punished them as they treated them well or ill. This was no other than entering them betimes into a daily exercise of humanity, and improving their very diverfion to a virtue.

I fancy, too, fome advantage might be taken of the common notion, that 'tis ominous or unlucky to deftroy fome forts of birds, as Swallows and Martins. This opinion might poffibly arise from the confidence these birds feem to put in us by building under our roofs; fo that it is a kind of violation of the laws of hofpitality to murder them. As for Robin-red-breafts in particular, it is not improbable they owe their fecurity to the old ballad of The children in the wood. However it be, I don't know, I say, why this prejudice, well improved and carried as far as it would go, might not be made to conduce to the preservation of

many

many innocent creatures, which are now expofed to all the wantonnefs of an ignorant barbarity.

There are other animals that have the misfor tune, for no manner of reafon, to be treated as common enemies, wherever found. The conceit that a Cat has nine lives has coft at least nine lives in ten of the whole race of them: fcarce a boy in the streets but has in this point outdone Hercules himself, who was famous for killing a monfter that had but three lives. Whether the unaccountable animofity against this ufeful domeftic may be any caufe of the general perfecution of Owls (who are a fort of feathered cats) or whether it be only an unreasonable pique the moderns have taken to a ferious countenance, I fhall not determine: though I am inclined to believe the former; fince I obferve the fole reafon alledged for the deftruction of Frogs is because they are like Toads. Yet, amidst all the misfortunes of thefe unfriended creatures, 'tis fome happiness that we have not yet taken a fancy to eat them: for fhould our countrymen refine upon the French never fo little, 'tis not to bę conceived to what unheard-of torments, owls, cats, and frogs, may be yet referved.

When we grow up to men, we have another fucceffion of Sanguinary fports; in particular, hunting. I dare not attack a diverfion which has fuch authority and cuftom to fupport it; but muft have leave to be of opinion, that the agitation of

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that exercife, with the example and number of the chafers, not a little contributes to refift thofe checks, which compaffion would naturally fuggeft in behalf of the animal purfued. Nor shall I fay, with Monfieur Fleury, that this fport is a remain of the Gothic barbarity; but I muft animadvert upon a certain custom yet in use with us, and barbarous enough to be derived from the Goths, or even the Scythians: I mean that favage compliment our huntsmen pafs upon Ladies of quality, who are prefent at the death of a Stag, when they put the knife in their hands to cut the throat of a helpless, trembling, and weeping creature.

Queftuque cruentus,

Atque Imploranti fimilis.

But if our fports are destructive, our gluttony is more fo, and in a more inhuman manner. Lobfters roafted alive, Pigs whipped to death, Fowls fewed up, are teftimonies of our outrageous luxury. Those who (as Seneca expreffes it) divide their lives betwixt an anxious confcience, and a naufeated ftomach, have a juft reward of their gluttony in the diseases it brings with it: for human favages, like other wild beafts, find fnares and poifon in the provifions of life, and are allured by their appetite to their deftruction. I know nothing more fhocking, or horrid, than the profpect of one of their kitchens covered with blood, and filled with the cries of the creatures expiring in tortures. It

gives one an image of a Giant's den, in a romance, beftrewed with the fcattered heads and mangled limbs of those who were flain by his cruelty.

THE GUARDIAN, V. 4. P. 248.

PASTORAL COMEDY.

I HAVE not attempted any thing of a Paftoral comedy, becaufe, I think, the tafte of our age will not relish a poem of that fort. People feek for what they call wit, on all fubjects, and in all places; not confidering that nature loves truth fo well, that it hardly ever admits of flourishing, Conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty; it is not only needlefs, but impairs what it would improve. There is a certain majefty in fimplicity, which is far above all the quaintnefs of wit: infomuch that the critics have excluded wit from the loftiest poetry, as well as the lowest, and forbid it to the Epic no less than the Paftoral. I' fhould certainly displease all those who are charmed" with Guarini and Bonarelli; and imitate Taffo not only in the fimplicity of his Thoughts, but in that of the Fable too. If furprifing difcoveries fhould have place in the story of a Paftoral comedy,' I believe it would be more agreeable to probability to make them the effects of chance than of defign; intrigue not being very confiftent with that inno-" cence, which ought to conftitute a fhepherd's' character. There is nothing in all the Aminta (as I remember) but happens by mere accident; unlefs it be the meeting of Aminta with Sylvia at the fountain,

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