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

Animal Rights History »»William Hogarth

1751-Feb-21 | Hogarth's engravings of the Four Stages of Cruelty [offsite link] are published in the London Evening Post. Below the Four Stages of Cruelty, Rev. James Townley moralizes the lesson:

Learn from this fair Example—You
Whom savage Sports delight,
How Cruelty disgusts the view,
While Pity charms the sight
(Rev. James Townley, Four Stages of Cruelty)

The Four Stages of Cruelty is another of Hogarth's narrative comic history cycyles, taking for its subject matter, this time, the wanton cruelty to animals and humans, which Hogarth saw all about him in mid-eighteenth century London. It follows the 'progress' of a young man, Tom Nero, who takes delight in various forms of extreme cruelty and ends up the victim of his own example. (The Literary Encyclopedia, s.v. "Four Stages of Cruelty")

1759 | In "The Cock-pit" , William Hogarth ridicules the English passion of cockfighing.

1763/1781 | Originally compiled about 1763 (The Literary Encyclopedia [offsite link])], Hogarth's own remarks on the Four Stages of Cruelty are included in the Biographical Anecdotes of William Hogarth, published in 1781.

The prints were engraved with the hope of, in some degree, correcting that barbarous treatment of animals, the very sight of which renders the streets of our metropolis so distressing to every feeling mind. If they have had this effect, and checked the progress of cruelty, I am more proud of having been their author, than I should be of having painted Raphael’s Cartoons. (William Hogarth, Biographical Anecdotes of William Hogarth, "Remarks on Four Stages of Cruelty")

As his works were compiled and printed into new editions, they continued to arouse impassed discussion and imploring comments.

Upon the whole, the moral tenor of this piece is to create in us a disgust of such vulgar entertainment, and an abhorrence of that merriment which disgraces the gentleman and degrades the man. (John Trusler, [Hogarth Moralized, (London, 1768), Works [1821], "The Cockpit")

The decineation of such scenes must shock every feeling heart, and their enumeration disgust every humane mind. I hope, for the honour of our nature and our nation, that they are not so frequently practised as when these prints were published. (John Ireland, [Hogarth Illustrated, (London, 1791)], Works, "The Cock-Pit"

Might it not have a tendency to check that barbarous spirit, which has more frequently its source in an early acquired habit arising from the prevalence of example rather than natural depravity, if every divine in Great Britain were to preach at least one sermon every twelve months on our univeral insensibility to the sufferings of the brute creation? (John Ireland, [Hogarth Illustrated, (London, 1791)], Works, "The Cockpit" )

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