"Yes," our Pastor replied, "but it was because slaves had souls that a Clarkson, a Wilberforce, and a Buxton went forth and prevailed with men for the emancipation of the slaves."

This seemed to be perfectly true; and the company, as well as his inquiring friend, appeared to be satisfied with his answer, and several voices proclaimed it to be an important and most interesting subject.

Such was the origin of the publication of the PENSCELLWOOD PAPERS: and thankful I am that my careless stroll into Penscellwood Church conducted me further into Penscellwood Rectory, and into its Pastor's study.

THE

SOULS AND FUTURE LIFE OF ANIMALS.

LETTER I.

"As this was always the common philosophy of the world, so we find it to be a supposition of Scripture which frequently attributes souls to beasts as well as to men, though of a much inferior nature."

ARCHBISHOP TILLOTSON, Serm. 122.

"There is another world

For all that live, and move-a better one!"

My ever dear Patroclus,

SOUTHEY.

You have truly given token of the humanity of your heart by the earnestness with which you have put your question concerning the Souls and Future Life of Animals. O, you have rejoiced me greatly and the study you are entering upon is so directly in harmony with your noble

nature, the creation of Divine grace. Our favourite and philosophic Coleridge well saith,

"He prayeth well who loveth well
Both man, and bird, and beast,"

and how beautifully and powerfully does he delineate the remorse of mind, and ever haunting sensation of evil in that inconsiderate and cruel man who shot the Albatross !

Now, since you so vehemently plead for my opinion on this not unimportant subject, and since I am conscious of having given some attention to it for years past, I feel I must at once state it to you, and then leave you to put on the armour of Achilles, and fight the battle out for the immortal brutes, even as your namesake bravely did, but with better success, and I trust with no such unpleasant result to yourself.

That the lower animals (for man is but an animal of a higher order) have souls, and that there is a future life in store for them, are thoughts so agreeable to reason and religion, that it seems to me incredible that man should even consider them as destitute of these blessings, and his unbelief in this matter can only be accounted for by the supposition that his

natural pride revolts against the idea of the brute creation being really placed in a position so near to himself; or, he feels afraid lest the elevation of animals to a spiritual life should be offensive in the eye of God, who has favoured man in so high a degree, even originally making him only a little lower than the angels. Indeed, Father Bougeant, (the Jesuit), in his extraordinary work, says, that if we grant animals a spirit, "men would differ from beasts only by the degrees of plus and minus, which would demolish the very foundations of all religion!" Strange, how men arguing stoutly in favour of a feeble theory will seek to place their adversaries under the anathema of the strongest accusation that can be advanced against the human mind!

But, when we know that the natural pride of man has revolted against the idea, even of vast masses of his fellow-creatures being in possession of immortal souls; when we know that the hope of eternal life was denied to slaves and the humbler sort of people; and that even to this day the treatment which captured slaves experience bears evidence of this belief being entertained and yet farther, that the cultivated and polished Hindoo cannot

tolerate the idea of the degraded Pariah being admitted to an equal Heaven-we may surely not be surprised that the brute creation should at once be denied that noble and honourable position which is largely taken away from man himself by the pride and contempt of his fellow man. But we may indeed be surprised that men, through want of reflection on the universal goodness and mercy of God, should be blinded to the plain arguments to be deduced therefrom in favour of the animal race, and, moreover, should read the page of Revelation so carelessly, as not to behold at a glance the worth and dignity of the brute creation in the regard of that Almighty One, who has curiously formed every animal, and watches over them throughout their lives with a peculiar and providential care. The Psalmist tells us the revealed truth, the lions roaring after their prey do seek their meat from God;-and oh, that the Son of God Himself should have spoken the gracious word that not one of the sparrows is forgotten before His Father! (Luke xii. 6.)

Now, perhaps, the foremost argument, apart from Scripture but in consonance with its abstract bearing, in favour of the enjoyment of an immortal soul by animals, is to be derived