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On a Classical Education.

HE faireft diamonds are rough till they are polish

TH ed, and the pureft gold must be run and washed,

and fifted in the ore. We are untaught by nature; and the finest qualities will grow wild and degenerate, if the mind is not formed by difcipline, and cultivated with an early care. In fome perfons, who have run up to men without a liberal education, we may obferve many great qualities darkened and eclipfed; their minds are crusted over like diamonds in the rock, they flash out fometimes into an irregular greatnefs of thought, in their actions an unguided force, and unmanaged virtue; fomething very great and very noble may be difcerned, but it looks cumbersome and aukward, and is alone of all things the worfe for being natural. Nature is undoubtedly the best mistress, and apteft scholar; but Nature herself must be civilized, or she will look favage, as fhe appears in the Indian princes, who are vested with a native majefty, a furprifing greatness and generosity of foul, and discover what we always regret, fine parts and excellent natural endowments without improvement. In thofe countries which we call barbarous, where art and politenefs are not understood, nature hath the greater advantage in this, that fimplicity of manners often fecures the innocence of the mind; and as virtue is not, so neither is vice, civilized and refined: But in these polițer parts of the world, where virtue excels by rules and discipline, vice alfo is more inftructed, and with us good qualities will not fpring up alone: Many hurtful weeds will rife with them, and choak them in their growth, unless removed by fome skilful hand; nor will the mind be brought to a juft perfection, without cherishing every hopeful feed, and repreffing every fuperfluous humour: The mind is like the body in this regard, which cannot fall into a decent and eafy carriage, unless it be fashioned in

time: An untaught behaviour is like the people that ufe it, truly ruftic, forced, and uncouth, and art must be applied to make it natural.

Knowledge will not be won without pains and application: Some parts of it are easier, fome more difficult of accefs: We muft proceed at once by fap and battery; and when the breach is practicable, you have nothing to do, but to prefs boldly on, and enter: It is troublefome and deep digging for pure waters, but when once you come to the fpring, they rife and meet you: The entrance into knowledge is oftentimes very narrow, dark, and tirefome, but the rooms are fpacious, and glorioufly furnifhed: The country is admirable, and every profpect entertaining.

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MAN

On Cruelty to inferior Animals.

AN is that link of the chain of universal existence by which spiritual and corporeal beings are united: As in the numbers and variety of the latter his inferiors are almost infinite, fo probably are those of the former his fuperiors; and as we fee that the lives and happiness of those below us are dependent on our wills, we may reasonably conclude, that our lives and happinefs are equally dependent on the wills of thofe above us; accountable, like ourselves, for the use of this power, to the Supreme Creator and Governor of all things. Should this analogy be well founded, how criminal will our account appear, when laid before that just and impartial Judge! How will man, that fanguinary tyrant, be able to excufe himself from the charge of those innumerable cruelties inflicted on the unoffending fubjects committed to his care, formed for his benefit, and placed under his authority by their common Father, whofe mercy is over all his works, and who expects that his authority should be exercised, not only with tenderness and mercy, but in conformity to the laws of juftice and gratitude!

But to what horrid deviations from these benevolent intentions are we daily witneffes! No fmall part of mankind derive their chief amusements from the deaths and fufferings of inferior animals; a much greater confider them only as engines of wood or iron, useful in their feveral occupations. The carman drives his horfe, and the carpenter his nail, by repeated blows; and fo long as these produce the defired effect, and they both go, they neither reflect nor care whether either of them have any fenfe of feeling. The butcher knocks down the stately ox with no more compaffion than the blacksmith hammers a horse-shoe; and plunges his knife into the throat of the innocent lamb with as little reluctance as the taylor fticks his peedle into the collar of a coat.

If there are fome few, who, formed in a fofter mould, view with pity the sufferings of these defencelefs creatures, there is fcarce one who entertains the leaft idea, that juftice or gratitude can be due to their merits or their fervices. The focial and friendly dog is hanged without remorse, if, by barking in defence of his master's perfon and property, he happens unknowingly to disturb his reft: The generous horse, who has carried his ungrateful mafter for many years with ease and safety, worn out with age and infirmities contracted in his fervice, is by him condemned to end his miferable days in a duft-cart, where the more he exerts his little remains of spirit, the more he is whipped, to fave his stupid driver the trouble of whipping fome other lefs obedient to the lafh. Sometimes, having been taught the practice of many unnatural and useless feats in a riding house, he is at laft turned out, and configned to the dominion of a hackney-coachman, by whom he is every day corrected for performing thofe tricks, which he had learned under fo long and fevere a discipline. The fluggish bear, in contradiction to his nature, is taught to dance, for the diversion of a malignant mob, by placing red-hot irons under his feet: And the majestic bull is tortured by every mode which malice can invent, for no offence, but that he is gentle, and unwilling to affail his diabolical tormentors. Thefe, with innumerable other acts of cruelty, injuftice, and ingratitude, are every day committed, not only with impunity, but without cenfure, and even without obfervation; but we may be affured that they cannot finally pass away unnoticed and unretaliated.

The laws of felf-defence undoubtedly juftify us in destroying those animals which would deftroy us, who injure our properties, or annoy our perfons; but not even these, whenever their situation incapacitates them from hurting us. I know of no right which we have to shoot at a bear on an inacceffible island of ice, or an eagle on the mountain's top; whofe lives cannot injure us, nor deaths procure us any benefit. We are unable

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to give life, and therefore ought not wantonly to take it away from the meanest insect, without fufficient reason; they all receive it from the fame benevolent hand as ourselves, and have therefore an equal right to enjoy it.

God has been pleased to create numberless animals intended for our fuftenance; and that they are fo intended, the agreeable flavour of their flesh to our palates, and the wholesome nutriment which it adminifters to our bodies, are fufficient proofs: Thefe, as they are formed for our use, propagated by our culture, and fed by our care, we have certainly a right to deprive of life, because it is given and preferved to them on that condition; but this fhould always be performed with all the tenderness and compaffion which fo difagreeable an office will permit; and no circumftances ought to be omitted, which can render their executions as quick and eafy as poffible. For this, Providence has wifely and benevolently provided, by forming them in such a manner, that their flesh becomes rancid and unpalatable by a painful and lingering death; and has thus compelled us to be merciful without compaffion, and cautious of their fuffering, for the fake of ourselves: But, if there be any whofe tastes are fo vitiated, and whofe hearts are so hardened, as to delight in fuch inhuman facrifices, and to partake of them without remorse, they fhould be looked upon as dæmons in human shape, and expect a retaliation of those tortures which they have inflicted on the innocent, for the gratification of their own depraved and unnatural appetites.

So violent are the paffions of anger and revenge in the human breast, that it is not wonderful that men fhould perfecute their real or imaginary enemies with cruelty and malevolence; but that there fhould exift in nature a being who can receive pleasure from giving pain, would be totally incredible, if we were not convinced, by melancholy experience, that there are not only many, but that this unaccountable difpofition is in some manner inherent in the nature of man; for, ás he cannot be taught by example, nor led to it by temp

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