paffion. And when the mind is thus warped and disposed to evil, a light argument will have great weight with it; and we ranfack and rack all nature in her weakest and tenderest parts, to extort from her, if poffible, any confeffion whereon to reft the appearance of an argument to defend or excuse our cruelty and oppreffion.

The Confcioufness of the Rank which as men we hold in the creation, and of the evidently fuperior powers of the mind of man, which juftly distinguish men from brutes, puff us up with fuch a fond conceit of our own dignity and merit, that to make any comparison between a man and a C 4 brute

brute is deemed as abfurd as it is odious, and hurtful to our Pride.

The mistaken Indulgence of Parents; and the various inftances of Sportive cruelty, in fome fhape or other daily, practised by men in all ranks of life; and the many barbarous Customs connived at, if not countenanced by perfons in high stations or in great authority, (whofe conduct in other points may be truly amiable and refpectable,) prejudice our minds to confider the brute animals as fenfelefs and infignificant creatures, made only for our pleasure and fport. And, when we reflect upon the moft shocking barbarities, and fee the brutal rage exercifed by the moft worthlefs of men, without controul

controul of Law, and without no tice or reproof from the Pulpit, we are almoft tempted to draw this inference, that Cruelty cannot be Sin.

And, poffibly, the Affectation of love or hatred according to the mode of the fashion; or, in other words, Vicious Tafte, which con fifts in making the love or hatred of others the standard of our own love and hatred;-that we must admire whatever our fuperiors admire, and condemn whatever they are pleased to condemn;-that true politeness is to have no thought, no foul, no fentiment of our own, but a graceful refignation of the plaineft dictates of truth and common fenfe to the follies and whims of others;-that the art of pleasing

is

is the art of flattery and bafe compliance; and that Singularity of fentiment or practice is the mark of a mean, a vulgar, and a churlifh foul; this affectation of compliance, this vicious tafte, and this Averfion to fingularity may poffibly lead us to fuppofe, that no diverfion can be cruel that has the fanction of Nobility; and that no dish can be unblessed that is ferved up at a Great man's table, though the kitchen is covered with blood, and filled with the cries of creatures expiring in tortures.

I am forry there fhould be any occafion to name Religion as in any respect contributing to this infenfibility and indifference as

The Guardian, Vol. I. N°. 61.

to

to the happiness or mifery of the inferior animals. I am well aware of ber delicacy and tenderness 44 and hope I fhall not be deemed rude or uncharitable, or as reAecting upon true Religion, when I declare it is not my intention to give offence to Chriftians of any denomination. Let me not then be mifunderstood, when I exprefs the concern of my foul if her facred garments have ever been polluted with blood, unlefs mifrepresented. But, upon enquiry, we fear it

is

L

too true, that there have been Profeffors of Religion, who thought they did GOD service, when they defaced his Image; and anathematized with the most

bitter imprecations, and per

fecuted,