man,

• If used ill in our dealings with one we naturally goelfewhere. Were it not worth your while then, juft to try how you may like the ufage of another Mafter, who gives you fair promiles at least to come to him? Surely, my friends, of all ftupidity in the world, his must be the greatest, who after robbing an houfe, runs to the thief-takers for protection. And "yet how are you more wife? You are all feeking comfort from one that has already betrayed you, applying to a more malicious being than any .. thief-taker of them all; for they only decoy and then hang you; but he de• coys and hangs, and what is wort • of all, will not let you loose after the hangman has done.'

When I had concluded, I received the compliment of my audience, fome of whom came and thook me by the hand, fwearing that I was a very honeft fellow, and that they defired my further acquaintance. I therefore promifed to repeat my lecture next day, and actually conceived fome hopes of making a reformation here; for it had ever been my opinion, that no man was paft the hour of amendment, every heart lying open to the fhafts of reproof, if the archer could but take a proper aim. When I had thus fatisfied my mind, I went back to my apartment, where my wife prepared a frugal meal, while Mr. Jenkinfon begged leave to add his dinner to ours, and partake of the pleafure, as he was kind enough to express it, of my converfation. He had not yet seen my family, for as they came to my apartment by a door in the narrow paffage already defcribed, by this means they avoided the common prifon. Jenkinfon at the first interview therefore feemed not a little ftruck with the beauty of my youngest daughter, which her penfive air contributed to heighten, and my little ones did not pafs unnoticed.

Alas, doctor,' cried he, thefe children are too handfome and too good for fuch a place as this!'

Why, Mr. Jenkinfon,' replied I, thank Heaven, my children are pretty tolerable in morals, and if they be good, it matters little for the rest.'

I fancy, Sir,' returned my fellow prifoner, that it must give you great comfort to have this little family "about you.'

A comfort, Mr. Jenkinfon,' replied I, yes, it is indeed a comfort, and I would not be without them for all the world; for they can make a dungeon feem a palace. There is but one way in this life of wounding my happiness, and that is by injuring them.'

I am afraid then, Sir,' cried he, that I am in fome measure culpable; for I think I fee here,' (looking at my fon Mofes) one that I have ‹ injured, and by whom I wish to be forgiven.'

My fon immediately recollected his voice and features, though he had before feen him in difguife, and taking him by the hand, with a finile forgave him. " Yet,' continued he, 'I can't help wondering at what you could fee in my face, to think me a proper mark for deception.'

C

My dear Sir,' returned the other, it was not your face, but your white ftockings and the black ribband in your hair, that allured me. But no difparagement to your parts, I have deceived wifer men than you in my time; and yet, with all my tricks, the blockheads have been too many for me at laft.'

'I fuppofe,' cried my fon, that the narrative of fuch a life as yours must be extremely instructive and amu'fing.'

Not much of either,' returned Mr. Jenkinfon. Thofe relations which defcribe the tricks and vices only of mankind, by increafing our fufpi'cion in life, retard our fuccefs.

The traveller that diftrufts every 'perfon he meets, and turns back upon he appearance of every man that looks like a robber, feldom arrives in time at his journey's end.

Indeed I think, from my own ex'perience, that the knowing one is the fillieft fellow under the fun. I was

humane, and had the pleasure of regarding myself as a legiflator, who had brought men from their native ferocity into friendship and obedience.

And it were highly to be wifhed, that legislative power would thus direct the law rather to reformation than feverity. That it would feem convinced that the work of eradicating crimes is not by making punishments familiar, but formidable. Then, inftead of our prefent prifons, which find or make men guilty, which inclofe wretches for the commiffion of one crime, and return them, if returned alive, fitted for the perpetration of thoufands; it were to be wifhed we had, as in other parts of Europe, places of penitence and folitude, where the accufed might be attended by fuch as could give them repentance if guilty, or new motives of virtue if innocent. And this, but not the increafing punishments, is the way to mend a ftate: nor can I avoid even questioning the validity of that right which focial combinations have affumed, of capitally punishing offences of a flight nature. In cafes of murder their right is obvious, as it is the duty of us all, from the law of felf-defence, to cut off that man who has fhewn a difregard for the life of another. Against fuch, all nature rifes in arms, but it is not fo against him who fteals my property. Natural law gives me no right to take away his life, as by that the horfe he fteals is as much his property as mine. If then I have any right, it muit be from a compact made between us, that he who deprives the other of his horfe fhall die. But this is a falfe compact; becaufe no man has a right to barter his life, no more than take it away, as it is not his own. And befide, the compact is inadequate, and would be fet afide even in a court of modern equity, as there is a great penalty for a trifling convenience, fince it is far better that two men fhould live, than one man fhould ride. But a compact that is falfe between two men, is equally fo between an hundred and an hundred thousand; for as ten millions of circles can never make a square, fo the united voice of myriads cannot lend the fmalleft foundation to falfehood. It is thus that reafon fpeaks, and untutored nature fays the fame thing. Savages, that are directed by natural

law alone, are very tender of the lives of each other; they feldom fhed blood but to retaliate former cruelty.

Our Saxon ancestors, fierce as they were in war, had but few executions in times of peace; and in all commencing governments that have the print of nature still ftrong upon them, fcarce any crime is held capital.

It is among the citizens of a refined community that penal laws, which are in the hands of the rich, are laid upon the poor. Government, while it grows older, feems to require the morofenefs of age; and as if our property were become dearer in proportion as it increased, as if the more enormous our wealth, the more extenfive our fears, all our poffeffions are paled up with new edicts every day, and hung round with gibbets to scare every invader.

I cannot tell whether it is from the number of our penal laws, or the licentioufnefs of our people, that this country

fhould fhew more convicts in a year, than half the dominions of Europe united. Perhaps it is owing to both; for they mutually produce each other. When by indifcriminate penal laws a nation beholds the same punishment affixed to diffimilar degrees of guilt, from perceiving no diftinction in the penalty, the people are led to lofe all fense of distinction in the crime, and this diftinction is the bulwark of all morality: thus the multitude of laws produce new vices, and new vices call for fresh restraints.

It were to be wished then that power, inftead of contriving new laws to punish vice, instead of drawing hard the cords of fociety till a convulfion come to burst them, instead of cutting away wretches as ufelefs, before we have tried their utility, instead of converting correction into vengeance, it were to be wished that we tried the restrictive arts of government, and made law the protector, but not the tyrant of the people. We should then find that creatures whofe fouls are held as drofs, only wanted the hand of a refiner; we should then find that wretches, now ftuck up for long tortures, left luxury fhould feel a momentary pang, might, if properly treated, ferve to finew the itate in times of danger; that as their faces are like ours, their hearts are fo too; that few minds are so base, as that perfeverance

K

I

Had now been confined more than a fortnight, but had not fince my arrival been visited by my dear Olivia, and I greatly longed to fee her. Having communicated my wishes to my wife, the next morning the poor girl entered my apartment, leaning on her fifter's arm. The change which I faw in her countenance ftruck me. The numberlefs graces that once refided there were now fled, and the hand of death feemed to have moulded every feature to alarm me. Her temples were funk, her forehead was tense, and a fatal palenefs fat upon her cheek.

I am glad to fee thee, my dear,' cried I; but why this dejection, Livy? I hope, my love, you have too great a regard for me, to permit disappointment thus to undermine a life which I prize as my own. Be chearful, child, and we yet may see happier days.'

6

You have ever, Sir,' replied the, been kind to me, and it adds to my pain, that I fhall never have an opportunity of flaring that happiness you promife. Happinefs, I fear, ❝ is no longer referved for me here; and I long to be rid of a place where I have only found diftrefs. Indeed, Sir, I wish you would make a proper fubmiffion to Mr. Thornhill; it may, in fome measure, induce him to pity you, and it will give me relief in dying.'

• Never, child,' replied I, never will I be brought to acknowledge my daughter a prostitute; for though the world may look upon your offence with fcorn, let it be mine to regard it as a mark of credulity, not of

guilt. My dear, I am no ways miferable in this place, however difmal it may feem, and be affured that while you continue to blefs me by living, he fhall never have my confent to make you more wretched by marrying another.'

After the departure of my daughter, my fellow prifoner, who was by at this interview, fenfibly enough expoftulated upon my obftinacy, in refusing a fubmiffion which promifed to give me freedom. He obferved, that the reft of my family was not to be facrificed to the peace of one child alone, and the the only one who had offended me. Befide,' added he, I don't

us.

Sir,' replied I, ' you are unacquainted with the man that oppresses I am very fenfible that no fubmiffion I can make could procure me liberty even for an hour. I am told that even in this very room a debtor of his, no later than last year, died for want. But though my fubmiffion and approbation could transfer me from hence to the most beautiful apartment he is poffeffed of; yet I would grant neither, as fomething whifpers me, that it would be giving a fanction to adultery. While my daughter lives, no other marriage of his fhall ever be legal in my eye. "Were she removed, indeed, I should be the bafeft of men, from any refentment of my own, to attempt 'putting asunder those who wish for an union. No, villain as he is, I fhould then with him married, to prevent the confequences of his future debaucheries. But now fhould I not be the most cruel of all fathers, to fign an inftrument which muft fend my child to the grave, merely to avoid a prifon myfelf; and thus to efcape one pang, break my child's

heart with a thoufand?'

He acquiefced in the juftice of this anfwer, but could not avoid obferving, that he feared my daughter's life was already too much wafted to keep me long a prifoner. However, continued he, though you refufe to fub

mit to the nephew, I hope you have no objections to laying your cafe ⚫ before