Hogarth's Four Stages of Cruelty

Links to images of the original drawings, now housed in the Hunterian Museum on Glasgow. (It is called the Hunterian Museum because it holds the collections of William Hunter, brother of John and uncle of Joanna Baillie).

First Stage of Cruelty

Second Stage of Cruelty

Cruelty in Perfection

Reward of Cruelty (click on the image for a larger view)

William Hogarth, self-portrait with his pug

Here is the text included on each print:

First Stage:

While various Scenes of sportive Woe, The Infant Race employ, And tortur'd Victims bleeding shew, The Tyrant in the Boy.

Behold! a Youth of gentler Heart, To spare the Creature's pain, O take, he cries—take all my Tart, But Tears and Tart are vain.

Learn from this fair Example—You Whom savage Sports delight, How Cruelty disgusts the view, While Pity charms the sight.

Second Stage:

The generous Steed in hoary Age, Subdu'd by Labour lies; And mourns a cruel Master's rage, While Nature Strength denies.

The tender Lamb o'er drove and faint, Amidst expiring Throws; Bleats forth it's innocent complaint And dies beneath the Blows.

Inhuman Wretch! say whence proceeds This coward Cruelty? What Int'rest springs from barb'rous deeds? What Joy from Misery?

Perfection: 

To lawless Love when once betray'd. Soon Crime to Crime succeeds: At length beguil'd to Theft, the Maid By her Beguiler bleeds.

Yet learn, seducing Man! nor Night, With all its sable Cloud, can screen the guilty Deed from sight; Foul Murder cries aloud.

The gaping Wounds and bloodstain'd steel, Now shock his trembling Soul: But Oh! what Pangs his Breast must feel, When Death his Knell shall toll.

Reward:

Behold the Villain's dire disgrace! Not Death itself can end. He finds no peaceful Burial-Place, His breathless Corse, no friend.

Torn from the Root, that wicked Tongue, Which daily swore and curst! Those Eyeballs from their Sockets wrung, That glow'd with lawless Lust!

His Heart expos'd to prying Eyes, To Pity has no claim; But, dreadful! from his Bones shall rise, His Monument of Shame.