In my first voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our people set about catching cod, and hauled up a great many.
Hitherto I had stuck to my resolution of not eating animal food, and on this occasion consider'd, with my master Tryon, the taking every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them had, or ever could do us any injury that might justify the slaughter.
All this seemed very reasonable.
But I had formerly been a great lover of fish, and, when this came hot out of the frying-pan, it smelt admirably well.
I balanc'd some time between principle and inclination, till I recollected that, when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs; then I thought I, "If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you."
So I din'd upon cod very heartily, and continued to eat with other people, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable diet.
A bit of background, Ben Franklin was in his late teens *I believe* at this time and was a vegetarian for a few years when this happened. I found this funny while reading his autobiography today.
Posted by Muddy at July 27, 2005 11:48 PM"then I thought I, "If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you."
That is quite funny....and a good point.:-D
Posted by: mrs. muddy at July 28, 2005 12:36 AM