creature's labour is an injustice for which h account. I have therefore always esteeme a part of my duty, and it has always bee practice to be merciful to my beasts; and the same account I have declined any cru any of God's creatures, and as much as I prevented it in others as a tyranny. I have a red those sports that consist in torturing t and if any noxious creature must be destr or creatures for food must be taken, it has my practice to do it in a manner that may be the least torture or cruelty; ever rememb that though God has given us a dominion his creatures, yet it is under a law of justice, dence, and moderation, otherwise we shoul come tyrants and not lords over God's creat and therefore those things of this nature others have practised as recreations, I have a ed as sins."

Children should be early prohibited from menting insects, lest it should degenerate in sensibility, and they become inattentive to kind of suffering but their own. We find the supreme court of judicature at Athens thoug instance of this sort not below its cognizance punished a boy for putting out the eyes of a bird that had unhappily fallen into his ha And Mr. Locke informs us of a mother permitted her children to have birds and ins but rewarded or punished them as they tre them well or ill.

The following circumstance, it is said, oc red at Abo in Finland. A dog, who had been over by a carriage, crawled to the door of a ner in that town: the man's son a box of fit

age, first stoned, and then poured a vesiling water upon the miserable animal. of diabolical cruelty was witnessed by e magistrates, who thought such barbaerved to be publicly noticed. He therermed the other magistrates, who unaniagreed in condemning the boy to this ent. He was imprisoned till the followket day; then, in the presence of all the he was conducted to the place of execuan officer of justice, who read to him his e-" Inhuman young man, because you assist an animal who implored your assisy its cries, and who derives being from the od who gave you life; because you added torture of the agonizing beast, and murderhe council of this city have sentenced you r on your breast the name you deserve, and eive fifty stripes." He then hung a black round his neck, with this inscription, "A and inhuman young man ;" and, after ing upon him twenty-five stripes, he proceedInhuman young man, you have now felt a mall degree of the pain with which you torhelpless animal in its hour of death. As Fish for mercy from that God who created at live, learn humanity for the future." He executed the remainder of the sentence.

ere is no doubt but cruelties often exercised become so customary, as to render the heart sible. I was once (says a writer) passing gh Moorfields with a young lady aged about or ten years, born and educated in Portugal, n the Protestant faith; and, observing a large

concourse of people assembled around a pile faggots on fire, I expressed a curiosity to kn the cause. She very composedly answered, suppose that it is nothing more than that they going to burn a Jew." Fortunately it was no ot than roasting an ox upon some joyful occasi What rendered this singularity the more striki were the natural mildness and compassion of 1 young person's disposition.

THE CURATE RELIEVED.

A VIOLENT Welsh squire having taken c fence at a poor curate, who employed his leisu hours in mending clocks and watches, applied the bishop of St. Asaph, with a formal complai against him for impiously carrying on a trade contrary to the statute. His lordship having hear the complaint, told the squire he might depen upon it that the strictest justice should be done i the case; accordingly the mechanic divine wa sent for a few days after, when the bishop aske him "How he dared to disgrace his diocese b becoming a mender of clocks and watches?" Th other, with all humility answered, "To satisfy the wants of a wife and ten children." "That won' do with me," rejoined the prelate. "I'll inflic such a punishment upon you as shall make you leave off your pitiful trade, I promise you;" and immediately, calling in his secretary, ordered him to make out a presentation for the astonished cu rate to a living of at least one hundred and fifty pounds per annum.

CUSTOM, HABIT, &c.

ATEVER be the cause, says Lord Kames, stablished fact that we are much influenced om; it hath an effect upon our pleasures, ar actions, and even upon our thoughts and nts. Habit makes no figure during the viof youth; in middle age it gains ground; old age governs without controul. In that of life, generally speaking, we eat at a cerur, take exercise at a certain hour, go to a certain hour, all by the direction of hab, a particular seat, table, bed, comes to the al; and a habit in any of these cannot be coned without uneasiness.

he mind," says Mr. Cogan, "frequently aca strong and invincible attachment to whatas been familiar to it for any length of time. primarily introduced by accident or necesill inspire an affection for peculiarities which he reverse of intrinsic merit to recommend

once attended," says the last-mentioned au-"a prisoner of some distinction in one of sons of the metropolis, ill of a typhus fever, apartments were gloomy in the extreme, rrounded with horrors; yet this prisoner asme afterwards, that, upon his release, he 1 them with a degree of reluctance: cusad reconciled him to the twilight admitted gh the thick barred gate, to the filthy spots atches of his plastered walls, to the hardness. bed, and even to confinement: He had his

ly amused and interested in the anecdotes of t place.

"An officer of the municipality at Leyden so informed the author of an instance, which mar yet more strongly the force of habit. A poor w man, who had for some misdemeanor been se tenced to confinement for a certain number years, upon the expiration of the term, immed ately applied to him for re-admission. She urg that all her worldly comforts were fled, and h only wish was to be indulged in those imparte by habit. She moreover threatened, that, if th could not be granted as a favour, she would con mit some offence that should give her a title to b reinstated in the accustomed lodgings." Thu we see that custom is a catholicon for pain an distress.

The influence of custom is surprising also as t natural objects. What different ideas are forme in different nations concerning the beauty of th human shape and countenance! A fair complex ion is a shocking deformity upon the coast of Gui nea. Thick lips and flat nose are a beauty, I some nations, long ears that hang down upon th shoulders are the objects of universal admiration In China, if a lady's foot is so large as to be fit t walk upon, she is regarded as a monster of ugli ness. Some of the savage nations in North Ame rica tie four boards round the heads of their chil dren, and thus squeeze them, while the bones are tender and gristly, into a form that is almost square Europeans are astonished at the absurd barbarity of this practice; but when they condemn those savages, they do not reflect that the ladies in Eu. rope had, till within a few years, been endeavour.