University of Virginia Library

They who are disposed to ridicule the love, and attention which every good heart will give to kind, faithful, and grateful animals, must be unacquainted with the nature, and habits of those animals, when they are treated as it is our duty to treat them: and they must likewise ascribe to the prevailing human character infinitely more merit, and dignity, than it possesses. That there are many monsters of inhumanity amongst mankind, is demonstrated by the various, and horrible barbarities with which those very useful, and affectionate animals (if we deserve their affection) are tormented, and destroyed, which are of the species of the little creature, the loss of whose engaging qualities I deeply regret.