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

Animal Rights History »» Ralph Beilby

1790 | A General History of Quadrupeds

The Brown Bear

The excessive cruelties practised upon this poor animal, in teaching it to walk erect, and regulate its motions to the sound of the flagelet, are such as make sensibility shudder. Its eyes are put out, and an iron rign being put through the cartilage of the nose to lead it by, it si kept from food, and beaten, till it yield obedience to the will of its savage tutors. Some of them are taught to perform by setting their feet upon hot iron plates, and then playing ot them whilst in this uneasy situation. It is truly shocking to every feeling mind to reflect, that such cruelties should be exercised upon any part of the brute creation by our fellow men. That they should be rewarded by numbers of unthinking people, who crowd around them to see the animal's rude attempts to imitate human actions, is not to be wondered at: but it is much to be wished, that the timely interference of the magistrate would prevent every exhibition of this kind, that, in Britian a least, we might not be reproached with tolerating practices so disgraceful to humanity. (Thomas Bewick and Ralph Beilby, A General History of Quadrupeds [1790], "The Brown Bear")

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Thomas Bewick and Ralph Beilby, A General History of Quadrupeds [1st editon, London, 1790] 3rd ed. (New Castle Upon Tyne, 1792; Digitized by Google, 2007).

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