Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-06-07
MIS- c E L L A N Y
From the Independent, Magazine g. Health Journal
PLUTARCH ON FLEsH.EATING.


what humor. with what soul or reason.
The first man with his mouth touched
and reached 10 his lips the
flesh OF dead animate; and having Sci
before people courses Of ghastly corpsesl
and ghosss, could give those parts the
names OF meat and vicluals that but a little
before lowed. creed, moved and saw,
how his sight could endure The bloody.
slaughtered. fayed and :nangled bodies
how his smell could bear their scent; and
how the very nastiness happened not 10
offend the taste. while it chewed the sores
of others and participated ofthe saps and
juices Of deadly wounds.
Eieeces did creep, flesh on the spits did below,
Bothraw aud roast ii
: This indeed is but fiction and fancy
but the fare itself is truly monstrous aud
prodigious, that mao should have a
stomachto creatures while they yet BEL
low. and that he should be giving direct
ions which ofihings yet alive aud speak
ing,.is fitlesl 10 make food OF, and order
ing the several manner of the season
ing and dressing them and serving them
up 10 tables. You ought rather. In my
opinion, to have inquired who first began
this practice, than who Of lale times. leli il
of. And truly as fJr those people who
FIRST yenlured upon eating Of flesh, il is.
very probJble that the whole reason of
their so doing, was scarcity and want OF
other food /; for it ism likely that
living together 10 lawless aud exlravaganl
Iusts. or their growing wanlon and ca.
PRECIOUS through The excessive variety Of
provisions then among them, brought
them 70 unsociabie pleasures as these
against nature. For we are nothing put
out of counlenance, either by the beau
teons gayely of the colours. or by the
eharmingness ofihe musical voices, or by
the rare sagacity o. the intellrcts, or By
the cleanness aud nealness Of diet, or.by
The rare discretion and prudence of these
poor unfortunate animals. but for the sake
Of some lillle moulhful of flesh, deprive
soul of the sunand light aud of that pro-
portion fife aud time it had been born
into the world 10 enjoy. Aud then we
fancy that the voices il uuers and screams
ioT.h 10 US are nothing else but certain in
arliculaie sounds and noises. and not the
several deprecations, enlrealies aud plead.
ings of each OF them. as il were saying
thus 10 Us. Il deprecate not thy necessity,
(if such there be) but Thy wanlonness
Kill me fol thy feeding. bul do moi take ine
of for thy better feeding" o horrible
crue1yl l. is truly an affecting sight to
see the very table Of rich people laid be-
fore them, who keep them cooks and ca
terers 10 furnish them with dead corpses
for their daily fare but il is yet more al
feeling TO see il taken away. for there is
more flesh left than was eaten. These
therefore were slain 10 no purpose. OH
ers there are that though they have abb
stained from what had been sci before
them, yet viii not suffer others TO cut or
slice what they themselves had rejected
and yet would no; abstain from them
while alive. Well, then, we understand
that that sort of men are used TO say, thai
ia eating of flesh they follow the Conduct
and direction Of nature. But that it is
not natural 20 mankind to feed on flesh,
we FIRST Of all demonstrate from The. very
ssaps and figure ofthe body. For hu-
mat body no ways resembles those that
were borne for ravenousuess; il hath no
hawk.bsIl no sharp talon; no roue hness
OF teeth; no such Strength of stomach, or
heat Of dig. siion as can be sufficient 10
convertor alier such heavy aud feshly
fare. Bui even from hence, that is The
smoolhness Of the tongue. and the slow.
ness Of The stomach TO digest. nature
seems 10 disdan all 2reience to fleshly
vicluals. Blu, if yOn will cCnied that
yourself was born TO On liz linatIon TO
such food, you have now a nina TO cal.
do youthen yourself kill what you wou.u
eat. Bot do il your own SELF without the
help OF chopplng knife, mailet or axe,
as wolves, bears, and lions do who kill
and ealai once. Rsnd an OK with your
teeth, worry hog with your morlh, lear
lamb or hare in pieces, aud fall on aud
eat il alive, as tLey do. But If you had
rather stay until what you cal is become
dead. and If you are loalh 10 force q soul
out OF Us body, why then do you against
nature eat an animal thiEgl Nay, tnere
Is nobody that is willing 70 eat even a
liieless and dead Thing as il is, bot lhev
boil Il. and roast il and alter i, by FIRE and
medicines. as il were changing and
quenching the slaughtered gore with
thousands OF sweet sauces. thar The palate,
being shereby deceived. may admit Of such
uncouih fare. Twas indeed a witty ex-
preston oil a Lacedemonian. who having
purchased small FISH in certain inn
delivered il 70 bis landlord to be dressed.
and as he demanded cheese and oil and
vinegar 70 make sauce. he replied, of i
bad had those would not have bought
tbs nsn: Bnt We are grown so wanlon
- our bloody luxury, that we have be-
ssowed upon flesh the name Of meat, and