The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-22
The HOG.

1t - W OUstINS uUW INV
bly, success awakens the spirit of envy and
detraction. There has been n striking illus
tration of this humiliating fact in the
onslaught which has been lately made
upon the good name Of the hog. No sooner
had the eminent philosopher, BAaBY, demon
strated the claims of that animal to the vene-
ration of the human race, than reports are
put in circulation prejudicial TO his standing
in society, and calculated to weaken the conf
dence Of the community in his character. We
have before at this moment infamous
attack upon the hog, in which the amazing
discovery is made that he was 4 prohibited
article TO the Jews on account of his filthy
habits, and that the terrible disease which
has lately visited the 'Teutonic members
of the hog family proceeds from their neglect
of personal cleanliness.
We ewarn those ungrateful persons who, hav-
ing lived upon this unclean beast all their days,
are now endeavorng to devour his reputa-
tion, that the author of "Bacon and Green's
still lives, and will be after them with sharp
stick. We are aware that it is an old fancy
that the filthy feeding and wallowng of the
swine in the mire was the cause of its prohibi.
tion TO the Hebrews. A venerable pundit,
erudite in theological lore, to whom we
3pplleu LOT ttllS us lIii SUCH 10
the opinion of MAINoSIDEs, which we were
sorry TO hear, never before having been aware
of anything derogatory to that well-known
and estimable gentleman. What is worse, our
learned friend assures us that MAIMoNIDEs is
not alone in this idea, but that others add TO
the above causes of the prohibition, its feeding
upon flesh, as, he says, VossIUs observes,
lib. III, de Orig. ct Progressu Idol, cap.
II, for which inquire in State Library.
To which reason VossIUs adds others, one Of
which, viz: that it was apt to breed the
leprosy is ingeniously treated of by PETRus
CUSAEUs in his Republ. Hebraeor, Qib.
H., cap. ult.) and more lately, only some
two hundred years ago, by another very
learned person, J. WAGESsEIK, Carmi-
mis- II. Lipmanni Confutatio, p. 566, or
thereabouts 1--WE lost our copy in the late fire. ]
But notwithstanding these familiar and
entertaining volumes, we incline to the opin-
ion of other equally erudite and fascinating
authors, who tell US that the Jews abhorred
the hog more than other of like forbidden
unclean creatures because the Gentiles used
1t in their sacrifices and mysteries of religion,
and because nothing was accounted more
delicious food among many great nations, who
(but for the adherence of this creature)
might have invited the Jews to their tables
and had such familiarity with them as might
have concluded in idolatry. PLTSY observes,
according to DONNIE SAMPSON, that no crea-
ture affords greater plenty of delicious dishes
at their tables than this. Mq,te aio er ami
mali numerOsior nlateria gdneG," &c. Old
man HOMER, relating how EuARUs enter
tanned ULYSSES (Odyss. XIV saith that he
killed a great hog of five years old, and that
only for five guests. Which was the greatest
hog of the six is not stated. The first sacri-
fees were of this creature, as appears by the
mysteries of CERES, in which SOW was
offered ARIsroPHASEs speaks Of them as
mystical swine"
1t was, then, because the hog was so fascina'
ting that he might have led the Jews into
idolatry, that he was prohibited to that tnation'
There may be another good reason why 1t
should be even now interdicted. The close
resemblance of the hog in some Of his leading
traits Of character to many of the human
family would make the eating Of him by snch
persons species Of cannibalism.