Page:Hudibras - Volume 1 (Butler, Nash, Bohn; 1859).djvu/95

CANTO I.] The Indians fought for the truth Of th' elephant and monkey's tooth; And many, to defend that faith, Fought it out mordicus to death. But no beast ever was so slight, For man, as for his god, to fight; They have more wit, alas! and know Themselves and us better than so. But we, who only do infuse The rage in them like boutè-feus, 'Tis our example that instils In them th' infection of our ills. For, as some late philosophers Have well observed, beasts that converse With man take after him, as hogs Get pigs all the year, and bitches dogs. Just so, by our example, cattle Learn to give one another battle. We read, in Nero's time, the Heathen, When they destroy' d the Christian brethren, They sew'd them in the skins of bears, And then set dogs about their ears; From whence, no doubt, th' invention came Of this lewd antichristian game. To this, quoth Ralpho, Verily The point seems very plain to me; It is an antichristian game, Unlawful both in thing and name. First, for the name; the word bear-baiting Is carnal, and of man's creating;