now all animals have a passion
for scratching their back bones. They break down your gates and palings
to effect this. Look! there is my universal scratcher, a sharp-edged
pole, resting on a high and a low post, adapted to every height, from a
horse to a lamb. Even the Edinburgh Reviewer can take his turn. You have
no idea how popular it is. I have not had a gate broken since I put it
up. I have it in all my fields.'"

REV. AUGUSTUS TOPLADY ON THE FUTURE STATE OF ANIMALS.

The Rev. Josiah Bull, in the "Memorials of the Rev. William Bull of
Newport, Pagnel,"[280] the friend of Cowper, the poet, and the Rev. John
Newton, tells the following anecdote, in which a favourite theory of the
author of that exquisite hymn, "Rock of Ages Cleft for Me," is alluded
to, and somewhat comically illustrated by the author of the "Olney
Hymns:"--

"Mr Newton had been dining with Mr Bull, and they were quietly sitting
together, following after 'the things whereby they might edify one
another,' and that search aided by 'interposing puffs' of the fragrant
weed. It was in that old study I so well remember, ere it was renovated
to meet the demands of modern taste. A room some eighteen feet square,
with an arched roof, entirely surrounded with many a precious volume,
with large, old casement windows, and immense square chairs of fine
Spanish mahogany. There these good men were quietly enjoying their
_tete-a-tete_, when they were startled by a thundering knock at the
door; and in came Mr Ryland of Northampton, abruptly exclaiming, 'If you
wish to see Mr Toplady, you must go immediately with me to the "Swan."
He is on his way to London, and will not live long.' They all proceeded
to the inn, and there found the good man, emaciated with disease, and
evidently fast hastening to the grave. As they were talking together,
they were attracted by a great noise in the street, occasioned, as they
found on looking out, by a bull-baiting which was going on before the
house. Mr Toplady was touched by the cruelty of the scene, and
exclaimed, 'Who could bear to see that sight, if there were not to be
some compensation for these poor suffering animals in a future
state?'--'I certainly hope,' said my grandfather, 'that all the bulls
will go to heaven; but do you think this will be the case with all the
animal creation?'--'Yes, certainly,' replied Mr Toplady, with great
emphasis, 'all, all!'--'What!' rejoined Mr Newton, with some sarcasm in
his tone, 'do you