of men, it may be confidered as a pofitive good. But be this as it may, death to a brute is nothing terrible. He muft die once as well as we; and though it is of small moment, whether my beast is to die to-day or to-morrow; yet if I will not kill him till to-morrow, I ought not to put him to pain to-day: for, whilft he lives, he has a right to happiness, at least I have no right to make him miferable; and, when I kill him, I ought to difpatch him fuddenly, and with the leaft degree of pain. This is my opinion; and even if I fhould be mistaken, it appears to me to be falfe reafoning to fay, that becaufe I have permiffion to kill a brute, and cannot kill him without Futting him to fome degree of neceffary pain in the fort article of death, therefore I have permiffion to put him or any other brute to unneceffary pain in the long article of life. It is as fallacious as to fay, that becaufe the future happiness of a family may depend upon the prefent gentle correction of the child of it, now that he is in fault, therefore feverity and morofenefs are commendable and juftifiable in a parent. Or, in general, that, becaufe fome pain is a neceffary and unavoidable evil to promote fome good, therefore all pain is good and defirable. Which would be granting too much." In answer to the fecond and third pleas, that certain animals, are obnoxious &c. he replies. "It is true; fome animals are obnoxious to us, and have it in their power to hurt us. But very feldom do they exert that power; and well it is for us that they have not the malice nor revenge that is in man. It is obfervable (fays the ingenious writer of the Guardian, vol. i. No. 61) of thofe noxious animals, which have qualities moft powerful to injure us, that they naturally avoid mankind, and ⚫ never hurt us unlefs provoked, or neceflitated by hunger. But man, on the other hand, feeks out and purfues even the most inffenfive animals on purpose to perfecute and destroy them.' If this be the cafe, it appears, that mercy preponderates in the fcale of brutes. For one injury which we may poflibly receive from the creatures, we offer them a thoufand A horfe may now and then, when provoked, give a man an unlucky kick: but what is this to the blows, and cuts, and fpurs, which they receive every day and every hour from the brutal rage and unrelenting barbarity of men? The matter of wonder is that we do not oftener feel the effects of their power and refentment. If we confider the excruciating injuries of fered on our part to the brutes, and the patience on their part; how frequent our provocations, and how feldom their refentment; (and in fome cafes our weakness and their ftrength, our flownefs and their fwiftnefs), one would be almoft tempted to fuppofe, (reason to both alike allowed,) that the brutes had combined in one general scheme of benevolence to teach mankind leffons of mercy, and meeknefs, by their own forbearance and long-fuffering. But grant that there are fome fierce and formidable animals that are ftrangers to pity and compaffion. Does this juftify the fuppreflion of thefe amiable difpofitions in men? Becaufe a wolf will feize upon a map; Is a man therefore warranted to whip a pig to death? Or, because a ferpent will bite a man by the heel; is a man to tread upon every harmless earthworm 2 he he fees wriggling upon the ground? No. If fome offensive creatures do fometimes unprovokedly moleft us, let it be accounted but as a retaliation of the injuries we offer to those that are inoffenfive; (and thus even the dreadful hornet may be confidered but as the avenger of the fufferings of the feeble fly;) for cruelty and cowardice are * near of kin; and we exert our power moftly upon those creatures who can neither do us an injury, nor return an injury done. But fuppofe we happen to meet with noxious animals; let us prudently get out of their path. But what if I cannot avoid them? Why, then it is time enough to put myfelf in a pofture of defence! and for my own prefervation, I think it no more crime to defend myself from the beast or ferpent, than from a villainous man that should attack my person: and if, in the fray, I kill the beast, I cannot charge myfelf with malice or any intentional cruelty, provided I dispatch him as inftantaneously as poffible. If a wafp or a hornet comes into my room, I dread his weapon; but I hate him not: he is a beautiful infect; and I make no doubt was created for fome useful purpofe. I am forry I am neceffitated to kill him; but I will not clip him in pieces with my fciffors, if I can crush him under my foot: but if I cannot mafter him, unless I clip him; having so done; I dare not leave him in the pain of a lingering death for many hours together, but I finish the mortal work with all expedition. And in this, I hope, there is no cruelty; for cruelty in this cafe confifts in the unneceffary infliction and continuation of pain, and not in putting the creatures to inftant death, which is the period of all pain. Selfprefervation therefore (whether as in the former cafe for the fupport of nature in the article of food; or in the prefent cafe for the avoidance of pain and deftruction from the attacks of obnoxious animals) though it may juftify a man in putting a brute to inflant death, yet cannot warrant the leaft act of cruelty to any creature, however ferocious or favage it may be; much lefs can it justify the hunting out for fport and deftruction creatures of the tamer kind, whofe inability to defend themfelves, whose harmlefs nature, and whofe panting fears rather demand all our compaffion, and even our protection and attention. "Thirdly; It is alledged, that there are fome brutes of prey which wholly fubfift on the flesh of other brutes, and whofe lives are one continued courfe of rapine and bloodshed, "This likewife is true; and in the prefent ftate of nature, subject to mifery and decay, it feems to be the wife end and good appointment of the great Creator. Were there no beafts or birds of prey, we should every day be tormented with the fight of numbers of poor creatures dying by inches, (as we fay) and pining away through age or accidental infirmity. And, when dead upon the ground, (as men would hardly give themselves the trouble to bury them; or it would take up 100 much of our time to bury them all,) the unburied carcafes would by their stench create fuch a peftilence in the air, as would not only endanger our lives and health, but would likewife be extremely of fenfive Cowards are cruel; but the brave GAY. fenfive to us. To guard against these evils, it hath pleafed God to appoint that (in fome countries) lions, tygers, and eagles, (and, in other countries,) wolves, foxes, kites, ravens, and hawks fhould range the woods and fields in fearch of the unburied bodies, and thus become the living graves of the dead. And if, in the courfe of their range or flight, they efpy a beaft or bird worn out with age, or with a leg or wing by accident broken, or forfaken by his dam, unable to help himself, or any way rendered incapable of getting his own food; God, the father of mercies, hath ordained beafts and birds of prey to do that diftreffed creature the kindnefs to relieve him from his mifery, by putting him to death. A kindnefs which we dare not fhew to our ow fpecies. If thy father, thy brother or thy child should fuffer the utmost pains of a long and agonizing ficknefs, though his groans fhould pierce through thy heart, and with ftrong crying and tears he fhould beg thy relief, yet thou must be deaf unto him; he muft wait his appointed time till his change cometh, till he finks and is crushed with the weight of his mifery. But then, in all human affliction, whether our own or others, (not the punishment or effect of vice and debauchery,) we may comfort ourselves and them with the hope of a bleffed immortality, when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; awhen there shall be no more death, neither forrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Human hope is human fupport and comfort. But what hope is there to fupport and comfort the brutes under their affiction? They are incapable of bope, because they can neither reflect nor forefee. The prefent moment is as eternity to them. All their happiness is in this life only; they have neither thought nor hope of another. Therefore when they are miferable, their mifery is the more infupportable. And when they can no longer enjoy happinefs, death is welcome; and the more welcome, the fooner it comes; and fudden death more defirable than a lingering painful life. And whil the poor animal is thus kindly delivered from his pain by precipitated death, the creature that devours him has his degree of happiness therein, and will himself one day meet with the fame kind treatment from fome other beaft or bird, when he is no longer able to enjoy life. This is not cruelty but mercy: as much mercy, as it is to fhoot thy horfe or thy dog, when all his teeth are gone, and the happiness of his life is at an end." In justification of this laft inftance of mercy to the brutes, our reverend author cites the authority of Dr. Jofeph Priestley. But, notwithstanding the deference we pay to the opinions of that celebrated divine, we think, as moralifts, the point will admit of difpute. A cafuift might, on our author's and Dr. Priestley's own principles, very justly make a doubt whether we are proper judges of the happiness or unhappiness of brute animals. There may, for ought we know, nay we have reason to think there is, a fatisfaction, arifing from fimple perception and the mere consciousness of existence; of which we have no right nor reason to deprive any animal, on the prefumption of its being incapable of * Rev. xxi. 4. enjoyment. enjoyment. As men cannot judge of the resources of fatisfaction, and pleasure which frequently remain to each other, under appa. rent diftrefs and debility; how then can they judge of thofe refources in brutes? Add to this that there is a strange inconfiftency in the argument, which maintains we have a right to defroy an animal, to whom it would be unjuft in us to give the flightest pain. As to the defign of providence in creating beafts of prey to do the office of undertakers, as our author supposes, it is fanciful enough; but we conceive the Great Creator might have superior views in the formation of the brutes: of which while we are ignorant, it becomes us to be filent. In the mean time, we cannot help thinking, however justifiable mankind may politically be in rearing beafts for their convenience and deftroying them for food, the animals thus treated may with justice complain of men, in the words of Jacques, As mere ufurpers, tyrants and what's worse, In their affign'd and native dwelling place. On the whole, however, we recommend this differtation as an humane and religious performance, written in a proper stile, and well calculated to answer the laudable purpose, for which it appears practically defigned, ART. VIII. The Hiftory of Lady Anne Neville,* Sifter to the great Earl of Warwick: In which are interfperfed, Memoirs of that Nobleman, and the principal Characters of the Age in which she lived. 2 vols. 12mo. 6s. Cadell. This history is dedicated with propriety, to her grace the Du-` chefs of Kingston, and is prefaced by the following introduction, from which our readers will probably form a more just idea of * In favour of this publication, the editor of the Review has received the following card; which he can, by no means impute, however, to the ingenious author of the history; with whofe name the anonymous card-writer has doubtless taken an unjuftifiable liberty; which we wish to difcourage, and have, therefore, fent the original to our publisher, that the author, if he thinks it worth his while, may, by the hand-writing, have some clue to detect the forgery. "The Author of the Hiftory of Lady Anne Neville prefents his compliments to Dr. Kenrick, begs the favour of him to give his book a favourable character in his Review; he hopes to have this indulgence fhewn him in common with several other authors, of whose books Dr. Kenrick has made very handsome mention, though none of them poffeffed half the merit of Lady Anne Neville. He hopes this hint will not be disregarded, but, on the contrary, properly attended to." Tuesday, February 20. On the above card, the editor makes no other comment than that of afsuring the writer, whoever he be, that no private application whatever, has, or can have, any influence over the avowed impartiality, and determined refolution of the Reviewers, to give fuch an opinion of literary productions, as, on a candid perufal, fuck productions appear to deserve. the the entertainment here presented them, than we could otherwife . convey. 66 Lady Anne Neville, fifter to the great Earl of Warwick, whose memoirs I have attempted to write, was not more celebrated during the age in which fhe lived, for the elevation of her birth, than for her beauty, and the uncommon fhare of female accomplishments the was endowed with. The fingular incidents of her life-her noble fentiments-and the generous principles fhe feems to have been actuated by-feem to deferve the attention of the prefent age. I doubt not but they will afford a rational entertainment to thofe, whofe exalted minds can rife above the restraints of cuftom-to thofe who have magnanimity enough to own, that in particular infances, and on fome trying occafions, an exact conformity to laws and ufages may be dif penfed with, and can make proper allowances for the deviations of a heart formed by nature extremely fufceptible of tender impreffions. I mean not thofe tranfient ones, which beauty alone may kindle, and which are kept alive by fancy. That tie in which the heart has no fhare, formed perhaps by vanity, curiofity, or caprice, and eafily diffolvedI mean not that fomewhat, too often mifcalled love, but that tender fenfation, which is founded upon a fecret correfpondence of fentiment, and built on reciprocal efteem;thofe exquifitely refined feelings, which tend not only to the gratification of the pafiions, but fuch as the highest fenfual enjoyments cannot reach, and ferve only to promote an union of fouls, a fource of internal, heart-felt felicity, to which we are ready at any time to facrifice every other fatisfactionSuch was the paffion that filled the breast of my heroine, ennobled her mind, and raised her above her sex. "I expect not the approbation of thofe good fort of people, who calm and cold in fentiment, have either forgotten the heighday of the blood, or never felt its influence. And probably I fhall only excite the cenfures of those to whom nature has dealt out her favours with a fparing hand; and who, thereby fecure from temptations, have never deviated from the beaten track of life For fuch I write not. "The generous and humane will view with indulgence, frailties which were compenfated in fome meafure, by great goodnefs of heart, and rare accomplishments. They will recollect, that the age in which Lady Anne lived, was characterised by a propensity to arms and gallantry; and that the ladies were then taught to confider their approbation and fimiles as the reward of fuperior excellence. Let it alfo be observed, that the perfons who fucceffively engaged her heart, were of the highest rank-renowned for their valour-and poffeffed of every qualification that could render them agreeable. Supremely bleft are they to whose union both Cupid and Hymen have mutually affifted; but to ingenuous and liberal minds, these peculiar circumftances will be a fufficient vindication of my heroine; and teach my fair readers, while they blame her conduct, to drop the foftening tear to her diftrefs. "The defign of a particular history is to relate the actions of one perfon; but the elevated fituation of the lady whofe life I have written, makes her so connected with the general events of the reigns in which |