“This poor Ox, my Lord,” says he, “was taken from his friends and relations in the country, where he led a peaceful innocent life, and put under the care of a cruel and inhuman drover, who pricked him all the way to London, with a nail at the end of a pole; and when he was lame, and unable to walk so fast as the savage driver designed, he beat him about the legs, with a stick, with a great knob at the end of it, which still made him more lame. When he came to Smithfield, he stood, with his head tied on the rails, from 4 o’clock on Monday morning, till 8 on Monday night, which was sixteen hours, when the anguish he was in affected his head so much, that he lost his senses, and committed the act for which he stands indicted. Who is to blame, my Lord? It is true, the Man lost his life, but the innocent Ox is not to suffer for it: because from ill treatment the Ox had lost his senses, and therefore could not be accountable for his actions. Those are to blame, my Lord, who encourage drivers in such acts of inhumanity; and suffer a market for wild and mad beasts, to be held in the middle of a large and opulent city: do you think the queen of my hive would suffer us to bring home what we make boot upon? No, in order to prevent mischief and confusion, we prepare our meat before we are let into the city, and so would these people, had they half the sense they pretend to have!” [ Illustration: The Bear] Then the Judge interrogated several other witnesses, who corroborated the fact of the former, and the Bear, as counsel, cross-examined them, in a mild and friendly manner, so as not to confuse their evidence. [ Illustration: The Tiger] Then the Tiger arose, and having commanded silence, spoke as follows: “_Gentlemen of the Jury_, You hear what a distinct and clear evidence the Bee has given, in behalf of the prisoner, and you seem sensible of the truth of it. ’Tis amazing that mankind should complain of cruelty in animals, when their own minds are productive of such scenes of inhumanity: Are not the Ox and other creatures murdered for their emolument? Are not we hunted to death for their amusement, as well as the Stag and the Hare? Are not the Bees burnt, and their houses plundered for their use? What have you Mr. Horse, for carrying the boobies on your back, but stripes and ill treatment? And what have you, Mr. Ass, who are their nurse and doctor, but lashes and ill language? Man, the two legged Tiger man, is the most ungrateful of beasts.” [ Illustration: The Deer] [ Illustration: The Boys and the Mule]