ator ▁described ▁that ▁"... ▁with ▁the ▁sc ream ing ▁of ▁the ▁a pe , ▁beh old ing ▁the ▁curs ▁h anging ▁from ▁the ▁ears ▁and ▁neck ▁of ▁the ▁p ony , ▁is ▁very ▁laugh able ". ▁ ▁Att empt s ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁entertain ment ▁were ▁first ▁made ▁in ▁England ▁by ▁the ▁Pur it ans , ▁with ▁little ▁effect . ▁The ▁death s ▁of ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁spect ators , ▁when ▁a ▁stand ▁col lapsed ▁at ▁the ▁Paris ▁Gard ens ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁January ▁ 1 5 8 3 , ▁was ▁viewed ▁by ▁early ▁Pur it ans ▁as ▁a ▁sign ▁of ▁God ' s ▁anger , ▁though ▁not ▁primarily ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁cruel ty ▁but ▁because ▁the ▁bear - b ait ing ▁was ▁taking ▁place ▁on ▁a ▁Sunday . ▁ ▁One ▁bear ▁named ▁S ack erson ▁was ▁written ▁into ▁in ▁a ▁Shakespeare an ▁comedy ▁The ▁Mer ry ▁W ives ▁of ▁W inds or . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 th   century ▁" the ▁conscience ▁of ▁cultiv ated ▁people ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁touched ", ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁ 1 8 3 5 ▁that ▁b ait ing ▁was ▁prohib ited ▁by ▁Parliament ▁by ▁the ▁Cru el ty ▁to ▁Anim als ▁Act   1 8 3 5 . ▁The ▁ban ▁was ▁soon ▁extended ▁across ▁the ▁Empire . ▁ ▁Sweden ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁King ▁Frederick ▁I ▁of ▁Sweden ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁presented ▁with ▁a ▁" very ▁large ▁l ion " ▁from ▁the ▁Barb ary