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Animal Rights History Timeline » [1785-1837] Romantic Age » Joseph Strutt

Joseph Strutt

Sports and Pastimes of the People of England

Baiting of Animals

[1801] Joseph Strutt, "Baiting of Animals," in The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England; Including the Rural and Domestic Recreations, May Games, Mummeries, Shows, Processions, Pageants, & Pompous Spectacles From the Earliest Period to the Present Times (1801; London, 1867; Google Books: Online Library of Free eBooks).

If were well if these singularities were the only vulnerable parts of the national character of our ancestors; but it must be confessed that there are other pastimes which equally attracted their attention, and manifested a great degree of barbarism, which will admit of no just defence. Sir Richard Steele, reprobating the inhumanity of throwing at cocks, makes these pertinent observations: "Some French writers have represented this diversion of the common people much to our disadvantage, and imputed it to a natural fierceness and cruelty of temper, as they do some other entertainments peculiar to our nation; I mean those elegant diversions of bull-baiting, and prize-fighting, with like ingenious recreations of the bear-garden. I wish I knew how to answer this reproach which is cast upon us, and excuse the death of so many innocent cocks, bulls, dogs, and bears, as have been set together by the ears, or died an untimely death, only to make us sport." (liii-liv).

The ladies of the present day will probably be surprised to hear, that all, or the greater part of these barbarous recreation, were much frequented by the fair sex, and countenanced by those among them of the highest rank and most finished education, being brought by degrees, no doubt, to sacrifice their feelings to the prevalency of a vicious and vulgar fashion, which even the action of royalty, joined with that of ancient custom, cannot reconcile with decency or propriety. (lv).