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199
VIVISECTION.
A PROTEST.
Ties soft and sweet as summer rains
Link the bright heavens and earth in one,
And both are bound by golden chains
To Him who sits upon the throne.
Link the bright heavens and earth in one,
And both are bound by golden chains
To Him who sits upon the throne.
There breathes a charity divine
Through all the ranks of things that be,
Which, touching them with grace benign,
Binds each to each in sympathy.
Through all the ranks of things that be,
Which, touching them with grace benign,
Binds each to each in sympathy.
To Man, vicegerent of this earth,
Lord of its creatures great and small,
Was given, by right of native worth,
Sovran dominion over all.
Lord of its creatures great and small,
Was given, by right of native worth,
Sovran dominion over all.
This lordship was a moral trust,
Made over by a gracious God;
His was a sceptre mild and just,
And not a hard and iron rod.
Made over by a gracious God;
His was a sceptre mild and just,
And not a hard and iron rod.
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'Twas his to shield from wrong and pain
The creatures subject to his will,
To exercise a gentle reign,
And not to torture, gash, or kill.
The creatures subject to his will,
To exercise a gentle reign,
And not to torture, gash, or kill.
How has the gold become so dim!
The most fine gold, how has it changed!
How fallen now is Man from him
Who once the bowers of Eden ranged!
The most fine gold, how has it changed!
How fallen now is Man from him
Who once the bowers of Eden ranged!
Now Science, from her heights serene,
Says for the interests of her cause
She must apply the torture keen,
And so discover Nature's laws.
Says for the interests of her cause
She must apply the torture keen,
And so discover Nature's laws.
She drains from living things the life,
And calmly looks upon their woe,
As 'neath the anguish of the knife
The red drops from the arteries flow.
And calmly looks upon their woe,
As 'neath the anguish of the knife
The red drops from the arteries flow.
She probes her dark remorseless way,
Regardless of the creatures' pain;
Her hand is swift to smite and slay,
If doubtful knowledge she but gain.
Regardless of the creatures' pain;
Her hand is swift to smite and slay,
If doubtful knowledge she but gain.
201
The mangled dog, with piteous cries,
Is held within a living death,
And fawning on his master dies,
Who counts each throbbing of his breath.
Is held within a living death,
And fawning on his master dies,
Who counts each throbbing of his breath.
For Science has her poisons dire,
Subtly instilled in opened veins,
Her scalpel and her knives and fire,
To cut the bone and scathe the reins.
Subtly instilled in opened veins,
Her scalpel and her knives and fire,
To cut the bone and scathe the reins.
She severs and lays bare the brain,
With cruel skill plucks out the eye;
Is blind to all the ghastly pain,
Is deaf to every moan and cry.
With cruel skill plucks out the eye;
Is blind to all the ghastly pain,
Is deaf to every moan and cry.
Thus she pursues her dreadful quest,
'Midst shuddering nerves that shrink and start,
Searches the chambers of the breast,
Divides the palpitating heart.
'Midst shuddering nerves that shrink and start,
Searches the chambers of the breast,
Divides the palpitating heart.
Like fierce Inquisitor of old,
She wrings her secrets out by pain;
And if aught still remains untold,
The rack must be applied again.
She wrings her secrets out by pain;
And if aught still remains untold,
The rack must be applied again.
The tender light that heralds day,
Men said was type of Science' dawn;
The brilliant noon, when splendour lay
On hill and meadow, stream and lawn,
Men said was type of Science' dawn;
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On hill and meadow, stream and lawn,
Was emblem of the blessèd reign
Which over all things she should hold,
And sin should pass, and wrong and pain,
While came again the age of gold.
Which over all things she should hold,
And sin should pass, and wrong and pain,
While came again the age of gold.
The day has come,—now shines the sun;
What lessons read we by its light?
“At all cost knowledge must be won;
For knowledge scorn the just and right.”
What lessons read we by its light?
“At all cost knowledge must be won;
For knowledge scorn the just and right.”
Granted that knowledge is a good,
A tree that bears most blessèd fruit;
Must it be watered with the blood
Of the poor helpless, shrinking brute?
A tree that bears most blessèd fruit;
Must it be watered with the blood
Of the poor helpless, shrinking brute?
What then? Hath Science come to this,
That 'tis her part to maim and kill,
Though deeming it her greatest bliss
To heal the sore and cure the ill?
That 'tis her part to maim and kill,
Though deeming it her greatest bliss
To heal the sore and cure the ill?
With trenchant anger shall she speak
Of those who loathe her cruel way,
Who stand between her and the weak
To save them from her horrid sway?
Of those who loathe her cruel way,
Who stand between her and the weak
To save them from her horrid sway?
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The Physiologist may frown—
What care we though he storm and brawl?
God on our work looks smiling down;
All things are His—He owns them all.
What care we though he storm and brawl?
God on our work looks smiling down;
All things are His—He owns them all.
This Science is no God divine,
At whose high altar we must bow;
A fetish rather, at whose shrine
Dark bloody rites are offered now.
At whose high altar we must bow;
A fetish rather, at whose shrine
Dark bloody rites are offered now.
And cruelty, you'll ever find,
Has swift revenges of its own;
It sears the conscience, dulls the mind,
And turns the human heart to stone.
Has swift revenges of its own;
It sears the conscience, dulls the mind,
And turns the human heart to stone.
God's mercy is o'er all His works—
'Tis part of His most loving plan;
He hates the sophistry that lurks
Behind the plea of good to man.
'Tis part of His most loving plan;
He hates the sophistry that lurks
Behind the plea of good to man.
I rise in Science' sacred name
To vindicate her noble cause,
All jealous for that well-earned fame
Which traces out great Nature's laws.
To vindicate her noble cause,
All jealous for that well-earned fame
Which traces out great Nature's laws.
True Science is both just and kind;
No joy to her to take the knife:
Her highest pleasure she doth find
In sheltering, not destroying, life.
No joy to her to take the knife:
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In sheltering, not destroying, life.
Oh, by the grace of Him who came
And bowed to earth the heavens down,
Whose heart with love was all aflame,
Who bore for us the thorny crown,—
And bowed to earth the heavens down,
Whose heart with love was all aflame,
Who bore for us the thorny crown,—
Who tells us that His loving care
Is over all from great to least,
Who paints the lily sweet and fair,
Feathers the bird, sinews the beast!
Is over all from great to least,
Who paints the lily sweet and fair,
Feathers the bird, sinews the beast!
Close to thy heart God's creatures lay;
He careth for the worm, the fly,
For insects born but for a day,
To live their little life and die.
He careth for the worm, the fly,
For insects born but for a day,
To live their little life and die.
Too long, O brothers! we have stood,
Careless, indifferent, apart,
While Science draws the welling blood
From out the living creature's heart.
Careless, indifferent, apart,
While Science draws the welling blood
From out the living creature's heart.
But now in Mercy's name we'll fight
'Gainst deeds so dark they shame the sun,
Till each dumb creature has its right,
And Love's great victory is won!
'Gainst deeds so dark they shame the sun,
Till each dumb creature has its right,
And Love's great victory is won!
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