suppose, sir, there will be fleas in heaven? for I
have a special aversion to them.' Mr Toplady said nothing, but was
evidently hurt; and as they separated, Mr Newton said, 'How happy he
should be to see him at Olney, if God spared his life, and he were to
come that way again.' The reply Mr Toplady made was not very courteous;
but the good man was perhaps suffering from the irritation of disease,
and possibly annoyed by the ridicule cast upon a favourite theory."

RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM WINDHAM, M.P., ON THE FEELINGS OF A BAITED
BULL.

That great parliamentary orator, the Right Honourable William Windham,
lived before the days when humanity to animals was deemed a fit subject
for legislation.

In his speech against "the bill for preventing the practice of
bull-baiting" (April 18, 1800),[281] he refers to the introduction of
such a measure as follows--"In turning from the great interests of this
country, and of Europe, to discuss with equal solemnity such measures as
that which is now before us, the House appears to me to resemble Mr
Smirk, the auctioneer, in the play, who could hold forth just as
eloquently upon a ribbon as upon a Raphael." He speaks of bull-baiting
as being, "it must be confessed, at the expense of an animal which is
not by any means a party to the amusement; but then," he adds, "it
serves to cultivate the qualities of a certain species of dogs, which
affords as much pleasure to their owners as greyhounds do to others. It
is no small recommendation to bull-dogs that they are so much in repute
with the populace." In a second speech, May 24, 1802, he said that he
believed "the bull felt a satisfaction in the contest, not less so than
the hound did when he heard the sound of the horn that summoned him to
the chase. True it was that young bulls, or those which were never
baited before, showed reluctance to be tied to the stake; but those
bulls which, according to the language of the sport, were called _game
bulls_, who were used to baiting, approached the stake, and stood there
while preparing for the contest, with the utmost composure. If the bull
felt no pleasure, and was cruelly dealt with, surely the dogs had also
some claim to compassion; but the fact was that both seemed equally
arduous in the conflict; and the bull, like every other animal, while it
had the better side, did not dislike his situation--it would be
ridiculous to say he felt no pain--yet, when on such occasions he
exhibited no s