Humanity Against Cruelty to Animals in Historical Literature, Timeline of Animal Rights History

Animal Rights History »»William Gilpin

1796 | Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen

Well, then, said the Dean, we will begin with such amusements as are riotous and cruel: and among these I should be inclined to assign the first rank to hunting. It is an unfeeling exercise, derived from our savage ancestors, who hunted at first for food and consigned the barbarous practice to their posterity for pastime. (William Gilpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

So opposite to the mild serenity which should characterise the clergyman [is] the cruelty exercised both on the animals that pursue, and the animals that are pursued—the horse pushed to the last extremity—the hound trained to the chase with savage barbarity—and the wretched fugitive agonising in the extremity of distress. (William Gilpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

I beseech you, siad the Dean, do not call in argument to defend a pastime which has no alliance with reason. Call it a wild passion—a brutal propensity ̶or any thing that indicates its nature. But to give it any connexion with reason, is making a union with black and white.—But is it manly, forsooth, to hunt.…To honor with the name of manliness the cruel practice of pursuing timid animals to put them to death merely for amusement, is, in my opion, perverting the meaning of words. (William Gilpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

I cordially allow no amusement to a clergyman that has any thing to do with shedding blood.—Besides, I think a peculiar cruelty attends this diversion [of shooting]. You many wound, and main, as well as kill. My heart, I am sure, would be strongly affected—indeed, even my conscience—if I should make a por animal miserable all the days of its life, for the sake of giving myself a momentary amusement. (William Galpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

Man regulates his actions towards his fellow-men by laws, and customs. But certainly there are laws also to be observed between man and beast, which are equally coercive, though the injured party has no power of appeal. I fully accede, said I, Sir, to your code of criminal law between man and beast. It is certainly power, not right, that we appeal to, in wantonly disposing of the lives of animals. (William Gilpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

I can have no conception of the humanity of a man who can find his amusement in destroying the happiness of a number of little innocent creatures, sporting themsleves, during their short summer, in skimming about the air; and without doing injury of any kind, pursuing only their own little happy excursions, and catching the food which Providence has allotted them.—But I have seen instances of enough of this kind of cruelty to remove all suprise. (William Gilpin, Three Dialogues on the Amusements of Clergymen [1796])

[William Gilpin] Three Dialogures on the Amusements of Clergyman [1st ed. London, 1796] (London, 1797); Digitized by Google, 2007).

The second edition above introduces the dialogues with a letter dated September 23, 1686 and suggests the work was a record of a conversation between Dr. Josiah Frampton, and Bishop Edward Stillingfleet, written Dr Josiah Frampton, in his own handwriting. A reveiw of the book, in Freemason's Magazine, May 1796, emphatically states that "this elegant tract, we can assoure our readers, is wirtten by Mr. Wilberforce." An 1822 posthumus edition of Gilpin's Sermons Preached to a Country Congregation, advertises the book as part of "A Catalogue of Mr. Gilpin's Works," printed for Cadell and Davies. The Bibliotheca Piscatoria, (Bibliotheca Piscatoria (London, 1883), reprints a leter from William Gilpin to his publishers, Messrs. Cadell and Davis, dated April 11, 1797 which states "As the subject is rather offensive, I don't care to put my name to it, though I find it is mentioned in one of the reviews. But it is one thing to own and another to be suspected. This work is considered to be that of William Gilpin.

Referenced in the Following Works

William Hamilton Drummond, The Rights of Animals, and Man's Obligation to Treat them with Humanity (Boston, 1838; Digitized by Google, 2007).

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