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a mob of Christian savages, were indulging them. selves in the inhuman amusement of baiting a bull, the poor animal (which was, by nature, perfectly gen tle, but which had been privately baited in the morning, and goaded with sharp instruments, in order to render him furious enough for public exhibition), altho' tied down with ropes, in his agony and rage, baited as he was by dogs, and gored by monsters in the shape of men, burst from his tethers, to the great terror of his tormentors, and the no small danger of the inhabitants of the place. After this, the poor beast was doomed to become the victim of still greater barbarity. He was entangled again, with ropes, and, horrible to relate, his hoofs were cut off, and was again baited, defending himself upon his mangled bleeding stumps! The magistrates of Bury have repeatedly attempted to prevent such infernal proceedings, but the demons are sanctioned, it seems, by an act of Parliament. Surely such act is highly dis graceful to the period of the world in which we live, to the country in general, and to the character of the British nation."-Monthly Mag. vol. xii, p. 464.

Let it be recorded in the annals of infamy, that George Staverton, by will, dated May 15, 1661, gave the whole rent of his Stains-house, after two lives, to buy a bull for ever; which bull he gave to the poor of the parish and town of Workingham, Berks, being baited, and the offal, hide, and gift money to be sold, and given in stockings and shoes to poor children. It is thus that an affectation of charity is grafted upon base cruelty. What an insult, and perversion of understanding!

BADGER-BAITING is the concomitant sport of bull. baiting, and, if possible, is more brutal and abominable, since the animal has less power to defend itself.

men.

COCK-FIGHTING continues the sport of some of our highest, as well as lowest and meanest ranks of This cruel and savage diversion, which is derived from the Greeks and Romans, ranks with the prize-fighting of the latter; but the bloody scenes of an amphitheatre are not tolerated among Christians. The fathers of the church continually inveighed against the spectacles of the arena, and upbraided their adversaries with them. These were more shocking than a main of cocks, but the latter, however, has the very same tendency of infusing a similar ferocity and implacability in the dispositions of men. The cock is not only an useful animal, but stately in his figure, and beautiful in his plumage. His tenderness towards his brood is such, that, contrary to the hab. it of many other fowls, he will scratch and provide for them with an assiduity almost equal to that of the hen; and his generosity is so great, that, on finding a hoard of meat, he will call the hens together, and without touching one bit himself will relinquish the whole. This bird has been highly esteemed in some countries, and in others held sacred. It is true the Shrove Tuesday massacre is on the decline; and, it is hoped, will soon be in total disuse; but the cockpit still continues the reproach and disgrace of Englishmen, and of their religion; a religion which, if practiced as much as professed, would reduce them to the mildest, the most compassionate, the best of men. This barbarity has been dignified by it's abettors, with the title of "a royal diversion." It is certain the cock-pit at Whitehall was erected by a crowned head. There was another in Drury-lane, and another in Javlin-street. Cromwell had the honour of prohibiting them. The King of Denmark, when in England, in 1768, on having been invited to one of

these exhibitions, and after a formal oration addressed to him in their praise, retired with the utmost disgust.

This reproach and disgrace of Englishmen is aggravated by those species of fighting which are called the Battle-royal, and the Welsh-main, known no where else in the world; neither in China, Persia, Malacca, nor among the savage tribes of North America. In the former, an unlimitted number of cocks are pitted, and when they have slaughtered each other for the diversion of their generous and humane masters! the single surviving bird is accounted victor, and carries away the prize. The latter consists, we will suppose, of 16 pairs of cocks; of these the 16 conquerors are pitted a second time; the 8 conquerors of these are pitted a third time; the 4 conquerors a fourth time; and, lastly the two conquerors of these are pitted the fifth time; so that, incredible barbarity! thirty-one cocks must be most inhumanly murdered for the sport and pleasure, the noise and nonsense, the prophane cursing and swearing, of those who have the effrontery to call themselves, with all their bloody actions and inpieties, by the sacred name of Christians; nay, by what with many is a superior and distinct character, men of benevolence, morality and virtue!-See Encyclopæ. Perthensis.

"Are these your sovereign joys, creation's lords? is death a banquet for a godlike soul?"

This sport has received a severe, but very proper and commendable blow, from the resolution of the magistrates of many places, not to grant licences to those inn-keepers who encourage it. By this means bullbaiting in the township of Mitton near Stourport, in Worcestershire has been suppressed.

The tendency of this species of savage barbarity

may be most readily deduced from numerous instan ces of malignant passions engendered by this custom; of which the following fact, recorded in the obituary to the "Gentleman's Magazine" for April 1789, is an instance. Died, April 4, at Tottenham, John Ardesoif, esq. a young man of large fortune, who in the splendour of his carriages and horses, was rivalled by few country gentlemen. He was very fond of cock.fighting; and had a favourite cock, upon which he had won many profitable matches; but he lost his last bet, which so enraged him, that he had the bird tied to a spit and roasted before a large fire. The screams of the miserable animal were so affecting, that some gentlemen, who were present, attempted to interfere; which so enraged Mr. Ardesoif, that he seized a poker, and with the most furious vehemence - declared, he would kill the first man who interposed; but in the midst of his passionate asseverations, he fell dead upon the spot. Such, we are assured, were the circumstances which attended the death of this great pillar of humanity."

SHOOTING. That strange perverseness which induces man to form a principal amusement on the sufferings rather than the happiness of inoffensive animals, indicates a corrupt and vicious habit. Tho' goaded by no necessity, nor actuated by self-defence, he marks the fields with devastation, rejoices at spectacles of blood, smiles over the struggling expiring victim, and, exulting, cries, "what sport is this!” The first of September is a day licenced by the legislature for the commencement of destruction, and is announced too fatally by the thunder of the gun. Shooting is an expeditious death and has less of cruelty in it than the sports of the chase, when the stroke is effectual; but the most expert markman frequent

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ly maims without killing, rendering animals a long time miserable; one perhaps has a broken wing, another a shattered leg, and a third left with a broken bill to perish, or, half murdered, to linger out life. A person of unaffected sensibility is an enemy to cru. elty, in every shape, and will not carelessly destroy the well-being of the meanest insect. Man regulates his actions towards his fellow-men by laws and customs. Such laws ought to be observed between man and beast, and which are equally coercive, tho' the injured party has no power to appeal.

Persons, accounted goodnatured, will stand whole mornings, by the side of a bridge, shooting swallows, as they thread the arch, and flit past him; others will stand angling for hours together. Such persons should have been bred butchers. What humanity possesses that man, who can find amusement in des troying the happiness of innocent creatures, while sporting during their short summer, or skimming in the air or in the water?

On the coasts of Wales, and other places, where nature has formed rocky barriers against the ocean, sea fowls, of different kinds, frequent them. One whould have thought colonies like these might have been safe from annoy. They are useless when dead, and harmless when alive. It is not however uncommon, with certain savages, to divert themselves with shooting at these birds, as they fly to their nests or return with food for their young! It is not the man's virtue who will wantonly murder a sparrow, which prevents him from murdering a man, his forbearance is the result of effects produced by the penal statutes, those practical essays on morality!

ANGLING. Is the gentleman or lady fond of angling a station then must be taken beside the mur