animals, that, having once tafted blood, they are not to be withheld from the purfuit of game. To this we anfwer, that the paffion must have fome food; hunger will render it quite outrageous; and if we prohibit boxing-matches and bear-fights, the peace cannot last a twelvemonth. Such, from its having no vent, would, in fo fhort a fpace, be the accumulation of pugnacious matter in the nation.

MORE ABOUT IT.

MR. EDITOR,

[From the fame.]

ALTHOUGH your correfpondent Juvenculus has advanced fome things which may prepare the minds of the public for the difcuffion of the important topic which is foon to occupy our minds, yet I fee a ftronger light breaking through certain remarks of another correfpondent †, who treats briefly, yet ably, of the quantity of pugnacious matter adhering to the conftitution of Englishmen, and which muft be difpofed of one way or other. I foresee clearly, that the eloquent advocate who has undertaken to bellow the cause of bulls and of dogs, will lay his greatest stress upon this point; and indeed the ground is fo ftrong, that we cannot walk over it without being convinced of the danger of disbanding our paffions, and reducing our animofities to a peace--establishment.

Nor will this argument be unsupported by historical authority. To go no farther back than the last century, it is certain that bull-baiting always flourished moft during peace; and during peace, likewife, it was that boxing enjoyed its moft fplendid patronage. The glories of Slack and Broughton were most visible before the war which we ufually term the feven years'

* Page 148. + P. 151.
H 5

Mr. W-dh-m.

war

war-A check was unfortunately given to the enter tainments of Tottenham Court, though fupported by men of the highest rank in those days; and what was the confequence? France and Spain joined in the family compact, the caufe of all our fubfequent evils. After the peace of 1763, boxing and bull-baiting again revived; but the impertinence of the magiftracy interfering, British courage was fet to fleep, and the Americans embraced that opportunity to affert their independence. After a feries of misfortunes, that war ended in 1783; and that we might not be thought infenfible to all experience, and dead to every idea of prudence, boxing and bull-baiting were again revived, and the feats of Johnfon, Humphries, Mendoza, &c. promised to elevate Great Britain once more among the commanding and fovereign powers of the earth.

Encouraged by fuch a stock of bravery, the Minifter fancied that the revolution in France would afford a fine opportunity to spend it all in reducing that country to peace and loyalty but about the time he was meditating this great defign, it fo happened that one or two of the champions of the fift were killed, and the police took advantage of the prejudices of a small part (no doubt) of the public, and again "froze the genial current" of British bravery. Ill-fated hour! to ftop it at a time when it was arriving at its height of popularity, when every man was ftudying his wind and his bottom, and even the best performances of Shake. fpeare and Congreve were nothing unless supported by a Sparring fcene on one of our theatres !

But prejudice prevailed, and the confequence was foon felt at Dunkirk, Oftend, Holland, &c. Where, indeed, was it not felt? Can we wonder then, after this retrofpect of our failings and their true caufe, that an advocate fhould ftand forward at fuch a time as this, to fupport national courage, and legalize those fehools of fpirit and bravery, the stage and the fake?

If we confider the predominance of France, her vast acceffion of territory, and her internal refources, would it be wife to tame our people into infignificance? But, Mr. Editor, the thing is impracticable, if it were attempted. The policy of our war-minifters was to encourage animofity, and the whole object of the war has been to accumulate a vaft mafs of pugnacious matter, which, like our army and navy, cannot be difbanded without great rifk. The peace operated like a fudden attack of cold, driving this matter from the extremities; and every phyfician can tell you, that, if a bad humour is driven from the extremities, it will fall upon the bowels. Here, Sir, is the theory of that learned advocate who is foon to clench his logic at the enemies of bull-baiting and boxing; and I know from certain authority, that I am only anticipating fome of his ftrongeft arguments, which, although it may look a little like a breach of truft, will nevertheless affift the public in their meditations on this important

matter.

As far as I am able to collect the public opinion, we that are the friends of England and bull-dogs fhall be ably fupported-one thing is certain, bull-baiting will either be legalized, or it will not.-If it be not legalized, it is all over with us; we fhall become a province of France; our religion, our property, our liberty are gone. On the contrary, if it be legalized, let us have no half-meafures. Let the fcience be then cultivated in its highest perfection. Let us again fee bear-gardens, amphitheatres, and boxing-fchools, erected upon a large fcalé, and endowed with eminent patronage. Perhaps then the glory of our nation may again revive, and jacobinifm, republicanifm, French principles, fedition, anarchy, and every thing elfe that we have been fighting againft, will receive an irrecoverable and final knock-down blow. Let it no longer be difgraceful to appear with a black eye or a bloody nofe, and let it not be faid that bull-baiting exists only in idea, and that

St. Giles's and Hockley in the Hole are the only places where a war-minifter can look for support.

I am, Sir, your humble fervant,

A FRIEND TO SOCIAL Order.

THE APOSTATE; OR, NEGATIVE SUCCESS.

BY MR. BANNANTINE.

SAGE, for N-h's city the member,
A chopper of logic from June to December,
Who long unfufpected the patriot shamm'd,
Now tells his electors their Commerce be d—‹

Derry down, &c.

No fooner in office this patriot we faw,
Than a vigour he with'd to exert beyond law ;
At felons acquitted he'd jeeringly scoff,
And with apathy talk of the thousands kill'd off.

Derry down.

When millions of treasure were uselessly spent,
And oceans of blood we had cause to lament,
To thofe who fuch horrors indignantly watch'd,
He coolly remark'd, that we fcarcely were fcratch'd.

Derry down.

The profits of office still holding in view,
And refolv'd at all hazards the war to pursue,
When defeat on defeat did the country distress,
He affirm'd that, though negative, ftill we 'd fuccefs.
Derry down.
Now murderous battles and carnage are o'er,
And the horrors of war we no longer deplore;
-, eager for blood, in the Senate's regretting
Any stop should to boxing be put, or bull-baiting.
Derry down.

WE

EPIGRAM.

HILE St. Stephen's Affeinbly were deeply intent,
On the Bull-baiting Bill brought forward by D-;
Where Wm's experience was gravely relating
A fingular pleasure attendant on baiting;

Where

Where Gr-r declar'd that the animal's note
Was more tuneful to fome ears than Billington's throat;
Where Courtney, in Drollery's caufe ever hearty,
Inftead of a brute wifh'd to bait Bonaparte;
Sir Rd, of fympathy's foftnefs brimful,
Got up and declar'd, that "he felt as a bull;"

And the Question being put with due care and precifion,
The fact was agreed to without a divifion.

A

PETITION OF THE BULL-DOGS.
[From the Morning Chronicle.]

T.

Hockley in the Hole. VERY numerous meeting of the bull-dogs of this metropolis and neighbourhood, and deputies from other parts of the kingdom, was held, purfuant to notice in the newfpapers.

The following draft of a petition was fubmitted to the meeting, and carried without a diffentient voice:

To the Honourable the Commons of Great Bri-
tain and Ireland, in Parliament affembled, the
Petition of the Bull-dogs of this Empire
Humbly Sheweth,

That your petitioners have been informed that a motion is about to be made in your Honourable Houfe for the abolition of bull-baiting, which, if adopted, must be followed by the moft lamentable effects, if not with utter ruin, to the petitioners, their wives and families. That your petitioners are the more alarmed at the notice of this motion, as they are informed it is to be brought forward by the fame Gentleman who has already carried feveral measures highly oppreffive to the petitioners, their relations and dependants. That, on the partial representation of the faid Honourable Member, the petitioners have been fubjected to a grievous tax, which has very much abridged their comforts, and broken their fpirit. In the prefent inftance, however, the petitioners are fatisfied that,