we all love those who love us-do not the publicans the same? And so we are partial toward our own few domestic animals; while we look on the more alien and forbidding ones with contempt and unconcern. Henceforth let us enlarge the range of our affections, and learn to look with love and pity on the whole animal race; in like manner, as we are to look upon all men, whether Christian or Pagan, whether it be a Christian brother hymning in heavenly ecstasy his cantique spirituelle, or the Greenlander gulping his oil and offal in his heathen hut. "One more excellent end," writes Wesley," may, undoubtedly, be answered by the preceding observations, (on the souls and future life of animals). They may encourage us to imitate Him whose mercy is over all His works. They may soften our hearts towards the meaner creatures, knowing that the Lord eareth for them. It may enlarge our hearts towards those poor creatures, to reflect that, as vile as they appear in our eyes, not one of them is forgotten in the sight of our Father, which is in heaven. Through all the vanity to which they are now subjected, let us look to what God has prepared for them. Yea, let us habituate ourselves to look forward

beyond this

present scene of bondage, to the happy time when they will be delivered therefrom, into the liberty of the children of God !"

And to this end have I written this humble essay; and I pray that it may bring more writers into the field. It is no mere speculative subject, but incentive of very humane and intelligent practice. I have had more delight in writing on this matter, than on any other ever taken in hand; and I have only to regret that my ability to do it justice has fallen so far short of the wish. Let these be my last words to my indulgent readers, words from one who has given us many lessons of the best common sense on many subjects: "Cruelty to animals," writes Jones of Nayland, "is one of the distinguishing vices of the lowest and basest of the people. Wherever it is found, it is a certain mark of ignorance and meanness : intrinsic mark, which all the external advantages of wealth, splendour, and nobility cannot obliterate. It will consist neither with true learning nor with true civility: and religion disclaims and detests it as an insult upon the majesty and the goodness of God: who, having made the instincts of animals minister to the improvement of the mind as well as to the con

an

venience of the body, hath furnished us with a motive to mercy and compassion toward them. very strong and powerful, but too refined to have influence on the illiterate or irreligious."

What an argument is this, not for railing at that ignorance of our fellow-creatures which we have neglected to remove, but to exert ourselves to promote a liberal and humane education for all classes, for all have power over the inferior animals, until the multitude may be enabled to appreciate and adopt the sentiment of the admirable Southey,-himself a believer in the future existence of the animal creation,-and exclaim over every animal, as he did over one species:

"Mine is no narrow creed:

And HE who gave the being did not frame
The mystery of life to be the sport

Of merciless man. There is another world

For all that live and move-a better one!

Where the proud bipeds, who would fain confine
INFINITE GOODNESS to the little bounds,
Of their own charity, may envy thee."

Believe me, always,

Your sincere friend,

ACHILLES.

Penscellwood.

THE RETENTION OR ABOLITION

OF

CAPITAL PUNISHMENTS.

"Oh! what a lovely manhood had been thine,
When all the violent workings of thy youth
Had passed away, hadst thou been wisely spared.
Left to the slow and certain influences

Of silent feeling and maturer thought."

To you I beg leave (and the clergy will hail you into their company) to dedicate this brief Essay on the subject of Capital Punishments. I might have selected a higher name, even his humane Majesty of Sweden, but no one in whom exists more zeal and diligence in the cause of humanity, and legislative improvement. You, and such as you, are the junior

counsel and special pleaders, to whom is entrusted the laborious and critical duty of preparing and advising upon pleadings, and shaping them in the way in which they ought to be presented in court; while such men as Lord Stanley, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Lord John Russell, &c. &c., are the leading counsel, who are to clothe with grand and perspicuous eloquence your "opinions" and "arguments."

The Literary Gazette (no mean authority) has spoken highly of your Work,* and in such a way as to place yourself and your endeavours favourably before the public mind. In that Work you say: "I do hope that in every district of this country I shall find all pressing on to the good work. I call upon the nobles of our land; I call upon the dignitaries of our Church, and the clergy, whose especial province this is: I call upon the representatives of this mighty empire, as well as upon the magistracy of every county, to carry out this humane, this Christian-like work."

*

You must be gratified, Sir, to find, by the

Refuge and Employment for Prisoners. By Mr. Sheriff Laurie. See Literary Gazette for Feb. 21, 1846.