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id Sports of Youth commonly cruel.—Divcrfons cf Manhood.death; and the hanging a dog or a cat coliefts ail the children in the neighbourhood as eagerly, as the execution of a criminal, or a fire, draws together •heir fathers and mothers. They will tie two cats together by the tails, and then throw them over a line, for the luxury of feeing them tear each others eyes our. They will tie a fir ing to a xat’s tail, pour fpirit of wine over it, fet fire to it, and betray the inoft rapturous joy at feeing the unhappy animal run about covered with flame till it expires under this refinement in barba rity. _ The moft agreeable fpnrts of youth have for their common objefi a delight felt at the fufFcrings of animals appropriated to our divctfi.a: thus barmlefs fowls and pigeons are fet up to be knocked down with ftscks; ducks ate hunted in ponds by dogs; an owl is tied on the back of a duck, and both thrown into the water; while this glory ©f the creation, with rhe fiamp of divinity on his mind, is worked up to ex-tafy. in contemplating their mutual dif-treffes I human ingenuity improves upon inftinflive animofky, and arms the bcelsof game-cocks with fteel fpurs, to jender their encounters more bloody and deftru£tive. How great is the joyful concourfe when two maftitfs or two men go to fighting; when the patient ox is hunted, beat, and maimed to madnefs, by drovers and the mob; when a bull or bear is to be baited for public amufemenr; or when a human jnonfier undertakes to eat a living cat!All this hurts the feelings of fpccula-tive individuals, who cannot help Ihud-dering at the miferv they are frequently obliged to be witncls to ; but which, to ihew the difference between cultivated and uncultivated minds, proves a fruitful fource of high gratification to the illiterate and vulgar bulk cf mankind. Hunting, (hooting, fiflung, and liorlc-lacing, are cruelties reduced to a fyf-tern, aie deemed manly fpurts, whole-fome exercife, and are rendered the more delicious the more ingenuity we caD exert to inflict pain ou the diltrcfftd fuojts to cur licentious powci, to heighten the cataftrophe jBy the tame fuffragc of their fellow* creatures kings are elevated to the ix-ercife of tyranny over the whole world of animated natuie. Their ferious bu-fmefs is the devaft2tion of countries, and the rcduftion of the human fpecies; their divcrfions are deftruion on a JmaJlcr lease, the purfuic aitd wamoa(laughter of animals. Hunting is hence dignified by the appellation of a royal fport \ and though an emperor could con-defccnd to amufe himfelf with flies, yet, even at this l'mafl game, the regal prerogative was exci ted, and their death was the objett of his imperial attention.Boxing, which is fctiing the moft worthlef; of the human fpecies to batter each other to mummy, to break jaws, to foice eye*balls out of their fockets, to flatten the nofe, or todalh each other on the ground with fuch dexterity as that they (hall never rife again, if not a royal fport, is at Icalt a princely entertainment, and manifefts the exalted tafie of its patrons!As to hunting indeed, in countries where the inhabitants are harrafted by feiocious animals, there mav be fome plea for converting the dcftruion of them into a fport, and a ted of courage to accelernte their extirpation; but in this ifland hunting lofes all dignity, and degenerates into mean cruelty, becaufe it includes cowardice, as we have none but the moft inoffenfive timid creatures to purfue. The fox is the worft animal we have, and is of courfc the lead exceptionable objeft of the chacc; but, even in this infiance, ourfportfmcn cannot afl'ume the vulgar merit of vermin-killers: for, though fome thanks might be due for dellroying them, yet what thanks are due to tbofe, who, when the end is accomplilhed on their eftaies, ftock the country with them again, re-gardlcfs of the welfare of their tenants, that they may renew their favage a-mufcmcr.tr 1 knew two hare-hunters, who, afpirmg to a fox-chace, turned out a bag-fox ; but they were reported to have firft heroically pared oft’ the (kin from the balls of his fect, to fecure them ft Ives from the difgrace of being thrown out -by him. It is with hcart-feit fatisfaction I can add, that thefe niifcrcanrs aftcruaids funk from the affluence in which they were left by their father, fo low, that one of them, from riding in his own chariot, became afterward the common driver of a hackney poft-chaifc *Horfc-racing has been promoted by royal encouragement for a commercial purpofc ; find is followed by the nobles of the land, and by profeftional (harpers, for the intancfi of all purpofes, that of picking the money out of each others pockets, according to a code of laws, which, as honctty has no concern with, arc called laws oj honour I This fportil
Newspaper Details
Gentlemans Magazine and Historical Chronicle
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jan 01, 1789
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
David L.
WI, USA 18 Jun 2017
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