Library of Animal Rights History » Animal Welfare-Animal Rights Activists-Advocates-Quotes Against Cruelty to Animals

Rev. Luke Booker

1762-1835

1785 | Luke Booker, Poems on Subjects Sacred, Moral and Entertaining (London, 1785).

1789 | Luke Booker, Miscellaneous Poems (London, 1789).

1785/1789? | Luke Booker, "Lines Written on Hearing Bull-Baiting Denominated Sport," "Humanity to Animals," and "For a Young Person Against Cruelty," quoted in A Scriptural and Moral Catechism, Designed to Inculcate the Love and Practice of Mercy, and to Expose the Exceeding Sinfulness of Cruelty to the Dumb Creation: To Which is Added an Address to the Ministers, Parents and Instructors of Youth and Christians in General by Abraham Smith [1st ed.? (London, 1833)] 3rd ed. (London, 1839); Online at Google Books.

Lines Written on Hearing Bull-Baiting Denominated Sport

So cruelly baited and tormented had been this poor animal, that torn by dogs, which are kept solely for this savage purpose, its ears, nose, and lips, seemed strings of bleeding flesh ! and yet, so inoffensive was its "nature, or so exhausted and broken was its spirit, that notwithstanding all the injurious treatment it had experienced, it was led along like a lamb, amid the continued provocation of its enemies; nay, even bearing one of them upon its back with unopposing gentleness and forbearance. And well it might be thus gentle and subdued, for I was informed by a pitying spectator, that for four successive days it had been thus tortured without mercy. Gracious God! are not these noted in thy book! doubtless they are; and man must account to his Maker for all such cruelties to the brute creation. For all these things God will bring him into judgment.

Around a pool one spring-tide day,
Where shoals of frogs were croaking,
A set of chaps began to slay
Them, all for fun and joking.

"Hold ! hold your hands, we do exhort,"
Loud cried the suffering creatures: "
What !" said the lads, " shall we our sport
Give o'er?" with laughing features."

Sport do you call it, naughty boys!
To pelt, and bruise, and slay us;
Oh, pray forbear such cruel joys,
And do no more dismay us."

Pray some of you to us jump in—
While, heedless of your moaning,
The rest again their sport begin,
By pelting you and stoning."

Not liking that, to Tipton wake
They ran with hearts contented;
Where soon was tether'd to a stake
A bull, to be tormented."

Oh, pray forbear, I do implore,"
The suff'rer bellow'd loud:"
Forbear ! while you so finely roar?"
Repli'd the gentle crowd. "

Why 'tis your roaring we delight
To hear, and see your nose
Torn into shreds, by many a bite,
While down the red blood flows."

Indeed ! good gen-tle-men ! pray change
Your lot with me, poor bull !
Nor if you bellow think it strange
While dogs your noses pull. "

Nor stranger think it, if at last,
(Such sports are not there given)
If gen-tle-men, ye all be cast.
In some place unlike heaven!"

For a Young Person, Against Cruelty

While in the dangerous paths of youth
With heedless steps I stray,
O grant me, Lord ! thy grace and truth,
To guide me on my way.

Their heav'nly influences impart,
Within my soul to shine;
To rule my will, amend my heart,
And keep me wholly thine.

Thou, who dost hear the ravens' cry,
When young within their nest;
Dost all thy creatures' wants supply,
And know'st when they're distress'd.

If, wantonly, I from the spray
Send lifeless to the ground,
One little bird — at my death-day,
It will a sin be found.

For Thou, who all things see'st, the deed
Would'st mark with angry look,
And bid my troubled conscience read
It noted in thy book.

Then soften, Lord, each heart of stone,
And make our natures kind;
That in no suffring creature's moan
We pleasure e'er may find.

But pitying every thing that lives,
O, gracious Lord ! may we,
Thankful for what thy mercy gives,
Meet pity, Lord, from thee

1793 | Luke Booker, "On Humanity to the Brute Creation," in Sermons on Various Subjects, Intended to Promote Christian Knowledge and Human Happiness [1st ed. London, 1793] 2nd ed. (London, 1794); Online at Google Books.

Sermons…Intended to Promote Christian Knowledge and Human Happiness

On Humanity to the Brute Creation

If, to those inferior Animals with which a kind Providence has stored the Creation for our use; which live to alleviate our toils, or die to satisfy our wants:—if, to these we can persuade men to extend all possible Kindness, and to forbear inflicting on them unnecessary Sufferings, we are fulfilling the Designs of God, who glorifies in the Happiness of his creatures.

Whatever has a tendancy to destroy this common Happiness, and to introduce unnecessary Pain and Misery into the universe: whatever occasions an avoidable Torment to any living creature of God's hand, is doubtless offensive to this Great and Good Being, "whose tender Mercies are over all his works."—Not only every act of Cruelty from man to man;—but every act of Cruelty from man to the brute creation, is "noted in that book" which will determine the fate of the human race.

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, but hast declared thy tender concern for even irrational creatures: teach us, we beseech thee, whom thou hast placed in the highest order of earthly beings, to follow thy Example in shewing Mercy and Pity, not only to each other, but also to those inferior creatures of thy hands, which thou hast graciously given for our use and enjoyment: Grant this for the sake of our merciful Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

1793-June | review of "Sermons on Various Subjects, Intended to Promote Christian Knowledge and Human Happiness, By the Rev. Luke Booker (London, 1793)," Critical Review: Or, Annals of Literature 8 (1793-Jun): 169-72.

1799 | Luke Booker, The Hop-Garden, A Didactic Poem (London, 1799); Online at Google Books.

The Hop Garden

Kindness to the Brute Creation Also Then Agreeable to the Will of Divine Providence

Nor, at this Season, shou'd or bird or beast,
Depriv'd of Nature's largess, be shut out
From thy benignant dole. The feathery tribe
That, sadly-silent, perch on rime-clad trees,—
Their plumes all ruffled—lo ! by hunger press'd,
They seek thy tutelage, and piteous crave
A timely pittance of unvalued crumbs.
This now supply: and, when the pow'r returns,
Their grateful warblings shall repay the boon.
Confine not to the red-breast and the wren
Thy winter-bounty: pensioners alike
Are birds of ev'ry wing,— the blackbird sweet
And thrush; tho' they, unbidden, make their fare
Thy blushing fruit. His ear, alas ! how surd,
Who prizes not such choristers; —who deems
No meet requital, for the tithe they claim,
Their dulcet symphonies!—Nor be denied
The felon sparrow, tho' he filch thy grain,
And pay no recompence in tuneful song.—
—While frowns all nature, let whate'er can feel
Feel Comfort from the Charity of man.
He wills it, who, at this inclement tide,
Benevolence brought down from highest heav'n,
And bade her dwell on earth with gentle Peace.

1824 | Luke Booker, Lectures on the Lord's Prayer: with Two Discourses on Interesting and Important Subjects ["On Suicide" and "On Humanity to Animals"] (London, 1824).

Lectures on the Lord's Prayer: with Two Discourses on Interesting and Important Subjects

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1833 | Abraham Smith, A Scriptural and Moral Catechism, Designed to Inculcate the Love and Practice of Mercy, and to Expose the Exceeding Sinfulness of Cruelty to the Dumb Creation: To Which is Added an Address to the Ministers, Parents and Instructors of Youth and Christians in General [1st ed.? (London, 1833)] 3rd ed. (London, 1839); Online at Google Books. And now my dear children, let me, in a language of a beautiful and pathetic address, once delivered by a clergyman, highly distinguished for his love to the rising generation, (the Rev. Dr. Booker) delivered by him by the youth of a congregation in London, when pleading the case of the dumb creation.

Spenser and the Tradition: English Poetry 1579-1830: A Gathering of Text, Biography and Criticism, compiled by David Hill Radcliffe, Virginia Tech, s.v. "Works, Rev. Luke Booker ".