Matthew Hale
 1676 | Sir. Matthew Hale,
"Touching Thy Creatures,"in The Great Audit with the Account of the Good Steward, in Contemplations Moral and Divine ([First Edition: London, 1676] London, 1835; Digitized by Google, 2006).
When I considered the admirable powers of life and sense, which I saw in the Birds and Beasts, and that all the men in the world could not give the like Being to any thing, nor restore that life and sense which is once taken from them; when I considered how innocently and harmlesly the Fowls and Fish, and Sheep and Oxen take their Food, that thou the Lord of all hast given them, I have been apt to think that surely thou didst intend a more innocent kind of food to man, than such as must be taken with such detriment to those living part of thy Creation.
I have ever thought there was a certain degree of justice due from man to the creatures, as from man to man.
I have always esteemed it as part of my duty, and it hath been always my practice to be merciful to beast, and upon the same account I have esteemed it a breach of trust, and have accordingly declined any cruelty to any of thy creatures, and as much as I might, prevented it in others, as a tyranny, inconsistent with the trust and stewardship that thou hast committed to me.
Sir Matthew Hale, A Letter of Advice to His Grandchildren [offsite ebook], Matthew, Gabriel, Anne, Mary, and Fraces Hale (Boston, 1817).
The mischiefs and inconveniences, and publick scandals, and calamities, that proceed from this excess, are scarce to be numbered. 1. The God of heaven is herby dishonoured; the creatures that by his bounty are lent to us for our use, are basely abused in comtempt of him that sends them; and the faculties of our nature both most sordidly prostituted to the dishounour of our Maker, and the very debasement of human nature; and man, that was made after the image of God, is hereby degraded into a more ugly estate and spectacle than the basest of brutes. (Sir Matthew Hale, A Letter of Advice to His Grandchildren, "Concerning Eating, Drinking, and Sleeping, and Moderation Therein")
Touching the pursuing the harmless hare, one of the innocentest of all beasts, and for no other end than for the sport of it, when possibly she is delivered up to the maws of the hungry hounds, and all the prize is either the lip or scut of the hare for the huntsman's glory, this sport could never approve, nor would use, since I came to discretion. But though I condemn not all kind of hunting as absoultely unlawful, yet I shall never commend it to you as a recreation. (Matthew Hale, A Letter of Advice to His Grandchildren, "Concerning Recreation")
 Transcriber's Notes
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