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Animal Rights History Timeline » [1450-1660] Renaissance » Francis Quarles

Francis Quarles

Enchiridion

Death, Mercy

[1640] Francis Quarles, "Death" and "Mercy," in Enchiridion (1640; London, 1681; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks).

The Birds of the air die to sustain thee; the Beasts of the field die to nourish thee; the Fishes of the Sea die to feed thee. Our stomacks are their common Sepulcher. Good God ! with how many deaths are our poor lives patch'd up! How full of death is the miserable life of momentary man! (Death, 127)

Take no pleasure in the death of a creature; if it be harmless or useless, destroy it not: if useless or harmful destroy it mercifully: He that mercifully made his Creatures for thy sake, expects thy mercy upon them for his sake. Mercy turns her back to the unmerciful. (Mercy, 140)