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soner, unless where he is unruly or has attempted an escape;" and, even in that case, the practice seems to be questionable-if we can trust to the memorable reply of Lord Chief Justice King to certain magistrates, who urged their necessity for safe custody "let them build their walls higher." Yet has this matter been left, all over the kingdom, as a thing altogether indifferent, to the pleasure of the jailor or local magistrates; and the practice accordingly has been the most capricious and irregular that can well be imagined.

"In Chelmsford, for example, and in Newgate, all accused or convicted of felony are ironed.At Bury, and at Norwich, all are without irons.-At Abingdon the untried are not ironed.-At Derby, none but the untried are ironed!-At Cold-bathfields, none but the untried, and those sent for reexamination, are ironed.-At Winchester, all before trial are ironed; and those sentenced to transportation after trial.-At Chester, those alone of bad character are ironed, whether tried or untried." pp. 68, 69.

But these are trifles. The truth of the case is forcibly and briefly stated in the following short sentences:

"You have no right to deprive a man sentenced to mere imprisonment of pure air, wholesome and sufficient food, and opportunities of exercise. You have no right to debar him from the craft on which his family depends, if it can be exercised in prison. You have no right to subject him to suffering from cold, by want of bed-clothing by night, or firing by day. And the reason is plain, you have taken him from his home, and have deprived him of the means of providing himself with the necessaries or com forts of life; and therefore you are bound to furnish him with moderate indeed, but suitable accommo

dation.

"You have, for the same reason, no right to ruin his habits, by compelling him to be idle, his morals, by compelling him to mix with a promiscuous assemblage of hardened and convicted criminals, or his health by forcing him at night into a damp unventilated cell, with such crowds of companions, as very speedily render the air foul and putrid, or to make him sleep in close contact with the victims of contagious and loathsome disease, or amidst the noxious effluvia of dirt and corruption. In short, no Judge ever condemned a man to be half starved with cold by day, or half suffocated with heat by night. Who ever heard of a criminal being sentenced to Rheumatism, or Typhus fever? Corruption of morals and contamination of mind are not the remedies which the law in its wisdom has thought proper to adopt."'*

mitted, that in that quarter some alteration might be desirable, though, in his apprehen sion, it was altogether impracticable. Though by no means inclined to adopt the whole of the worthy Alderman's opinions, we may safely say, that we should have been much disposed to agree with him in thinking the subjects of those observations pretty nearly incorrigible; and certainly should not have hesitated to pronounce the change which has actually been made upon them altogether im possible. Mrs. Fry, however, knew better of what both she and they were capable; and, strong in the spirit of compassionate love, and of that charity that hopeth all things, and be lieveth all things, set herself earnestly and humbly to that arduous and revolting task, in which her endeavours have been so singularly blessed and effectual. This heroic and affec tionate woman is the wife, we understand, of a respectable banker in London; and both she and her husband belong to the Society of Friends-that exemplary sect, which is the first to begin and the last to abandon every scheme for the practical amendment of their fellow-creatures-and who have carried into

all their schemes of reformation a spirit of practical wisdom, of magnanimous patience, and merciful indulgence, which puts to shame the rashness, harshness, and precipitation of sapient ministers, and presumptuous politicians. We should like to lay the whole account of her splendid campaign before our readers; but our limits will no longer admit of it. However, we shall do what we can; and, at all events, no longer withhold them from a part at least of this heart-stirring narrative.

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"About four years ago, Mrs. Fry was induced to visit Newgate, by the representations of its statə made by some persons of the Society of Friends. She found the female side in a situation which no language can describe. Nearly three hundred women, sent there for every gradation of crime, some untried, and some under sentence of death, were crowded together in the two wards and two cells, which are now appropriated to the untried, and which are found quite inadequate to contain even this diminished number with any tolerable convenience. Here they saw their friends, and kept their multitudes of children; and they had no other place for cooking, washing, eating, and sleeping.

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They all slept on the floor; at times one hundred and twenty in one ward, without so much as a mat for bedding; and many of them were very The abuses in Newgate, that great recepta- spirits; and her ears were offended by the most She saw them openly drinking nearly naked, cle of guilt and misery, constructed to hold terrible imprecations. Every thing was filthy to about four hundred and eighty prisoners, but excess, and the smell was quite disgusting. Every generally containing, of late years, from eight one, even the Governor, was reluctant to go hundred to twelve hundred, are eloquently watch in the office, telling her that his presence amongst them. He persuaded her to leave her set forth in the publication before us, though would not prevent its being torn from her! She we have no longer left ourselves room to spe- saw enough to convince her that every thing bad cify them. It may be sufficient, however, to was going on. In short, in giving me this account, observe, that the state of the Women's wards she repeatedly said- All I tell thee is a faint picwas universally allowed to be by far the ture of the reality; the filth, the closeness of the worst; and that even Alderman Atkins ad-rooms, the ferocious manners and expressions of the women towards each other, and the abandoned wickedness which every thing bespoke, are quite indescribable.'"-pp. 117-119.

I do not now reprint the detailed statements which formed the bulk of this paper, as originally published and retain only the account of the marvellous reformation effected in Newgate, by the heroic labours of Mrs. Fry and her sisters of charity of which I think it a duty to omit nothing that may help to perpetuate the remembrance.

the instruction of about seventy children, who Her design, at this time, was confined to were wandering about in this scene of horror and for whom even the most abandoned o.

consisted of the wife of a clergyman, and eleven (female) members of the Society of Friends. They professed their willingness to suspend every other selves to Newgate; and in truth, they have perengagement and avocation, and to devote themformed their promise. With no interval of relaxation, and with but few intermissions from the call of other and more imperious duties, they have since lived amongst the prisoners."

their wretched mothers thanked her with tears of gratitude for her benevolent intentions! while several of the younger women flocked about her, and entreated, with the most pathetic eagerness, to be admitted to her intended school. She now applied to the Governor, and had an interview with the two Sheriffs and the Ordinary, who received her with the most cordial approbation; but fairly Even this astonishing progress could not intimated to her "their persuasion that her correct the incredulity of men of benevolence efforts would be utterly fruitless." After some and knowledge of the world. The Reverend investigation, it was officially reported, that Ordinary, though filled with admiration for there was no vacant spot in which the school the exertions of this intrepid and devoted could be established; and an ordinary philan- band, fairly told Mrs. F. that her designs, like thropist would probably have retired disheart- many others for the improvement of that ened from the undertaking, Mrs. Fry, how-wretched mansion, "would inevitably fail." ever, mildly requested to be admitted once more alone among the women, that she might conduct the search for herself. Difficulties always disappear before the energy of real zeal and benevolence: an empty cell was immediately discovered, and the school was to be opened the very day after.

The Governor encouraged her to go on-but confessed to his friends, that "he could not see even the possibility of her success." But the wisdom of this world is foolishness, and its fears but snares to entangle our feet in the career of our duty. Mrs. F. saw with other eyes, and felt with another heart. She went "The next day she commenced the school, in again to the Sheriffs and the Governor;-near company with a young lady, who then visited a one hundred of the women were brought beprison for the first time, and who since gave me a fore them, and, with much solemnity and earvery interesting description of her feelings upon that occasion. The railing was crowded with half naked nestness, engaged to give the strictest obedi women, struggling together for the front situa-ence to all the regulations of their heroic benetions with the most boisterous violence, and begging factress. A set of rules was accordingly with the utmost vociferation. She felt as if she was promulgated, which we have not room here to going into a den of wild beasts; and she well recol-transcribe; but they imported the sacrifice of fects quite shuddering when the door closed upon all their darling and much cherished vices;her, and she was locked in, with such a herd of

novel and desperate companions. This day, how. drinking, gaming, card-playing, novel reading, ever, the school surpassed their utmost expectations: were entirely prohibited-and regular appli their only pain arose from the numerous and press-cation to work engaged for in every quarter, ing applications made by young women, who longed to be taught and employed. The narrowness of the room rendered it then impossible to yield to these requests: But they tempted these ladies to project

a school for the employment of the tried women, for teaching them to read and to work."

For the space of one month these benevolent their unhappy flock; at the end of that short women laboured in private in the midst of time they invited the Corporation of London to satisfy themselves, by inspection, of the effect of their pious exertions.

"In compliance with this appointment, the Lord Mayor, the Sheriffs, and several of the Aldermen, attended. The prisoners were assembled together; and it being requested that no alteration in their usual practice might take place, one of the ladies read a chapter in the Bible, and then the females proceeded to their various avocations. Their atten tion during the time of reading, their orderly and sober deportment, their decent dress, the absence of every thing like tumult, noise, or contention, the obedience, and the respect shown by them, and the cheerfulness visible in their countenances and manners, conspired to excite the astonishment and admiration of their visitors.

"When this intention was mentioned to the friends of these ladies, it appeared at first so vision. ary and unpromising, that it met with very slender encouragement: they were told that the certain consequence of introducing work would be, that it would be stolen; that though such an experiment might be reasonable enough, if made in the country. among women who had been accustomed to hard labour, it was quite hopeless, when tried upon those who had been so long habituated to vice and idleness. In short, it was predicted, and by many too, whose wisdom and benevolence added weight to their opinions, that those who had set at defiance the law of the land, with all its terrors, would very speedily revolt from an authority which had nothing to enforce it; and nothing more to recommend it than its simplicity and gentleness. But the noble Many of these knew Newgate; had visited it zeal of these unassuming women was not to be so a few months before, and had not forgotten the repressed; and feeling that their design was in- painful impressions made by a scene, exhibiting, tended for the good and the happiness of others, perhaps, the very utmost limits of misery and guilt. they trusted that it would receive the guidance and-They now saw, what, without exaggeration, may protection of Him who often is pleased to accomplish the highest purposes by the most feeble instru

ments.

"With these impressions, they had the boldness to declare, that if a committee could be found who would share the labour, and a matron who would engage never to leave the prison, day or night, they would undertake to try the experiment, that is, they would themselves find employment for the women, procure the necessary money, till the city could be induced to relieve them, and be answerLle for the safety of the property committed into the hands of the prisoners,

The committee immediately presented itself; it

be called a transformation. Riot, licentiousness, and filth, exchanged for order, sobriety, and com parative neatness in the chamber, the apparel, and the persons of the prisoners. They saw no more an assemblage of abandoned and shameless crea tures, half-naked and half-drunk, rather demanding, than requesting charity. The prison no more resounded with obscenity, and imprecations, and li centious songs; and to use the coarse, but the just, expression of one who knew the prison well, this hell upon earth,' already exhibited the appearance of an industrious manufactory, or a well regulated family.

The magistrates, to evince their se; ex of the

importance of the alterations which had been ef- a Bible in her life, which was received with so ma fected, immediately adopted the whole plan as a part interest and satisfaction, or one, which she thin of the system of Newgate; empowered the ladies more likely to do good. It is remarkable, that the to punish the refractory by short confinement, un-girl, from her conduct in her preceding prison, dertook part of the expense of the matron, and in court, came to Newgate with the worst of chr louded the ladies with thanks and benedictions." acters."-p. 134. pp. 130, 131.

The change, indeed, pervaded every de partment of the female division. Those wh were marched off for transportation, instead of breaking the windows and furniture, and going off, according to immemorial usage, with drunken songs and intolerable disorder, took "A year, says Mr. Buxton, has now elapsed a serious and tender leave of their compa since the operations in Newgate began; and those ions, and expressed the utmost gratitude to most competent to judge, the late Lord Mayor and their benefactors, from whom they parted the present, the late Sheriffs and the present, the with tears. Stealing has also been entirely late Governor and the present, various Grand Juries, the Chairman of the Police Committee, the suppressed; and, while upwards of twenty Ordinary, and the officers of the prison, have all thousand articles of dress have been manideclared their satisfaction, mixed with astonish-factured, not one has been lost or purloined ment, at the alteration which has taken place in the within the precincts of the prison!

We can add nothing to this touching and elevating statement. The story of a glorious victory gives us a less powerful or proud emotion-and thanks and benedictions appear to us never to have been so richly deserved.

conduct of the females.

"It is true, and the Ladies' Committee are anxious that it should not be concealed, that some of the rules have been occasionally broken. Spirits, they fear, have more than once been introduced; and it was discovered at one period, when many of the ladies were absent, that card-playing had been resumed. But, though truth compels them to acknowledge these deviations, they have been of a very limited extent. I could find but one lady who

heard an oath, and there had not been above half a

dozen instances of intoxication; and the ladies feel justified in stating, that the rules have generally been observed. The ladies themselves have been treated with uniform respect and gratitude."

pp. 132, 133.

We have nothing more to say; and would not willingly weaken the effect of this im pressive statement by any observations of ours. Let us hear no more of the difficulty of regulating provincial prisons, when the prostitute felons of London have been thus easily reformed and converted. Let us never again be told of the impossibility of repressing drunkenness and profligacy, or introducing habits of industry in small establishments, when this great crater of vice and corruption has been thus stilled and purified. And, above all, let there be an end of the pitiful apology of the want of funds, or means, or agents, to effect those easier improvements, when wo men from the middle ranks of life-when quiet unassuming matrons, unaccustomed to business, or to any but domestic exertions, have, without funds, without agents, without aid or encouragement of any description, trusted themselves within the very centre of infection and despair; and, by opening their hearts only, and not their purses, have effect

At the close of a Session, many of the reformed prisoners were dismissed, and many new ones were received-and, under their auspices, card-playing was again introduced. One of the ladies, however, went among them alone, and earnestly and affectionately explained to them the pernicious consequences of this practice; and represented to them how much she would be gratified, if, even from regard to her, they would agree to re-ed, by the mere force of kindness. gentleness,

nounce it.

"Soon after she retired to the ladies' room, one of the prisoners came to her, and expressed, in a manner which indicated real feeling, her sorrow for having broken the rules of so kind a friend, and gave her a pack of cards: four others did the same. Having burnt the cards in their presence, she felt bound to remunerate them for their value, and to mark her sense of their ready obedience by some small present. A few days afterwards, she called the first to her, and telling her intention, produced a neat muslin handkerchief. To her surprise, the girl looked disappointed; and, on being asked the reason, confessed she had hoped that Mrs.

would have given her a Bible with her own name written in it! which she should value beyond any thing else, and always keep and read. Such a request, made in such a manner, could not be refused; and the lady assures me that she never gave

and compassion, a labour, the like to which has smoothed the way and insured success does not remain to be performed, and which to all similar labours. We cannot Enry the happiness which Mrs. Fry must enjoy from the consciousness of her own great achieve ments; but there is no happiness or honour of which we should be so proud to be par takers: And we seem to relieve our own hearts of their share of national gratitude, in thus placing on her simple and modest brow, that truly Civic Crown, which far outshines power-and can only be outshone itself, b the laurels of conquest, or the coronals of those wreaths of imperishable glory which await the champions of Faith and Charity in a higher state of existence.

(April, 1806.)

Memoirs of Richard Cumberland: written by himself. Containing an Account of his Life and Writings, interspersed with Anecdotes and Characters of the most distinguished Persons of his Time with whom he had Intercourse or Connection. 4to. pp. 533. London: 1806.*

WE certainly have no wish for the death however, to let authors tell their own story, of Mr. Cumberland; on the contrary, we hope as an apology for telling that of all their ache will live long enough to make a large sup-quaintances; and can easily forgive them for plement to these memoirs: But he has em- grouping and assorting their anecdotes of their barrassed us a little by publishing this volume contemporaries, according to the chronology, in his lifetime. We are extremely unwilling and incidents of their own lives. This is but to say any thing that may hurt the feelings indulging the painter of a great gallery of of a man of distinguished talents, who is draw-worthies with a panel for his own portrait; ing to the end of his career, and imagines that and though it will probably be the least like he has hitherto been ill used by the world: of the whole collection, it would be hard to but he has shown, in this publication, such an grudge him this little gratification. appetite for praise, and such a jealousy of censure, that we are afraid we cannot do our duty conscientiously, without giving him of fence. The truth is, that the book has rather disappointed us. We expected it to be extremely amusing; and it is not. There is too much of the first part of the title in it, and too little of the last. Of the life and writings of Richard Cumberland, we hear more than enough; but of the distinguished persons with whom he lived, we have many fewer characters and anecdotes than we could have wished. We are the more inclined to regret this, both because the general style of Mr. Cumberland's compositions has convinced us, that no one could have exhibited characters and anecdotes in a more engaging manner, and because, from what he has put into this book, we actually see that he had excellent opportunities for collecting, and still better talents for relating them. The anecdotes and characters which we have, are given in a very pleasing and animated manner, and form the chief merit of the publication: But they do not occupy one tenth part of it; and the rest is filled with details that do not often interest, and observations that do not always amuse.

Authors, we think, should not, generally, be encouraged to write their own lives. The genius of Rousseau, his enthusiasm, and the novelty of his plan, have rendered the Confessions, in some respects, the most interesting of books. But a writer, who is in full possession of his senses, who has lived in the world like the men and women who compose it, and whose vanity aims only at the praise of great talents and accomplishments, must not hope to write a book like the Confessions: and is scarcely to be trusted with the delineation of his own character or the narrative of his own adventures. We have no objection,

I reprint part of this paper-for the sake chiefly of the anecdotes of Bentley, Bubb Dodington, Soame Jenyns, and a few others, which I think remarkable and very much, also, for the lively and graphic account of the impression of Garrick's new style of acting, as compared with that of Quin and the old schools-which is as good and as curious as Colley Cibber's admirable sketches of Betterton and Booth.

Life has often been compared to a journey; and the simile seems to hold better in nothing than in the identity of the rules by which those who write their travels, and those who write their lives, should be governed. When a man returns from visiting any celebrated region, we expect to hear much more of the remarkable things and persons he has seen, than of his own personal transactions; and are naturally disappointed if, after saying that he lived much with illustrious statesmen or heroes, he chooses rather to tell us of his own travelling equipage, or of his cookery and servants, than to give us any account of the character and conversation of those distinguished persons. In the same manner, when at the close of a long life, spent in circles of literary and political celebrity, an author sits down to give the world an account of his retrospections, it is reasonable to stipulate that he should talk less of himself than of his as sociates; and natural to complain, if he tells long stories of his schoolmasters and grandmothers, while he passes over some of the most illustrious of his companions with a bare mention of their names.

Mr. Cumberland has offended a little in this way. He has also composed these memoirs, we think, in too diffuse, rambling, and careless a style. There is evidently no selection or method in his narrative and unweighed remarks, and fatiguing apologies and protestations, are tediously interwoven with it, in the genuine style of good-natured but irrepres sible loquacity. The whole composition, indeed, has not only too much the air of conversation: It has sometimes an unfortunate resemblance to the conversation of a professed talker; and we meet with many passages in which the author appears to work himself up to an artificial vivacity, and to give a certain air of smartness to his expression, by the introduction of cant phrases, odd metaphors, and a sort of practised and theatrical originality. The work, however, is well worth looking over, and contains many more amusing passages than we can afford to extract on the present occasion.

Mr. Cumberland was born in 1732; and he has a very natural pride in 1 'ating that his

paternal great-grandfather was the learned and most exemplary Bishop Cumberland, author of the treatise De Legibus Natura; and that his maternal grandfather was the celebrated Dr. Richard Bentley. Of the last of these distinguished persons he has given, from the distinct recollection of his childhood, a much more amiable and engaging representation than has hitherto been made public. Instead of the haughty and morose critic and controversialist, we here learn, with pleasure, that he was as remarkable for mildness and kind affections in private life, as for profound erudition and sagacity as an author. Mr. Cumberland has collected a number of little anecdotes that seem to be quite conclusive upon this head; but we rather insert the following general testimony:

--

amptonshire at the birth of his son. He w to school, first at Bury St. Edmunds, and afe wards at Westminster. But the most valua part of his early education was that for whe he was indebted to the taste and intelligen of his mother. We insert with pleasure the following amiable paragraph :—

"It was in these intervals from school that my mother began to form both my taste and my ex for poetry, by employing me every evening to read to her, of which art she was a very able mistres Our readings were, with very few exceptions, o she both admired and understood in the true spirt fined to the chosen plays of Shakespeare, whom and sense of the author. With all her father's critical acumen, she could trace, and teach mea unravel, all the meanders of his metaphor, and point out where it illuminated, or where it only loaded and obscured the meaning. These wen happy hours and interesting lectures to me; whit my beloved father, ever placid and complacent, sale beside us, and took part in our amusement; his voice was never heard but in the tone of apprebation; his countenance never marked but with the natural traces of his indelible and hereditary benevolence."

"I had a sister somewhat older than myself. Had there been any of that sternness in my grandfather, which is so falsely imputed to him, it may well be supposed we should have been awed into silence in his presence, to which we were admitted every day. Nothing can be further from the truth; he was the unwearied patron and promoter of all The effect of these readings was, that the our childish sports and sallies; at all times ready to detach himself from any topic of conversation to young author, at twelve years of age, protake an interest and bear his part in our amuse-duced a sort of drama, called "Shakespeare ments. The eager curiosity natural to our age, and in the Shades," composed almost entirely of the questions it gave birth to, so teasing to many passages from that great writer, strung to parents, he, on the contrary, attended to and encouraged, as the claims of infant reason, never to gether and assorted with no despicable inbe evaded or abused; strongly recommending, that genuity. But it is more to the purpose to to all such inquiries answers should be given ac- observe that, at this early period of his life, he cording to the strictest truth, and information dealt first saw Garrick, in the character of Lothario; to us in the clearest terms, as a sacred duty never and has left this animated account of the im to be departed from. I have broken in upon him many a time in his hours of study, when he would pression which the scene made upon his put his book aside, ring his hand-bell for his servant, and be led to his shelves to take down a picture-book for my amusement! I do not say that his good-nature always gained its object, as the pictures which his books generally supplied me with were anatomical drawings of dissected bodies, very little calculated to communicate delight; but he had nothing better to produce; and surely such an effort on his part, however unsuccessful, was no feature of a cynic; a cynic should be made of sterner stuff.'

"Once, and only once, I recollect his giving me a gentle rebuke for making a most outrageous noise in the room over his library, and disturbing him in his studies: I had no apprehension of anger from him, and confidently answered that I could not help it, as I had been at battledore and shuttlecock with Master Gooch, the Bishop of Ely's son. 'And I have been at this sport with his father,' he replied; But thine has been the more amusing game; so there's no harm done.' "'

He also mentions, that when his adversary Collins had fallen into poverty in his latter days, Bentley, apprehending that he was in some measure responsible for his loss of repution, contrived to administer to his necessities in a way not less creditable to his delicacy than to his liberality.

The youngest daughter of this illustrious scholar, the Phoebe of Byron's pastoral, and herself a woman of extraordinary accomplishments, was the mother of Mr. Cumberland. His father, who appears also to have been a man of the most blameless and amiable dispositions, and to have united, in a very exemplary way, the characters of a clergyman and a gentlemen, was Rector of Stanwick in North

mind:

"I have the spectacle even now, as it were, be fore my eyes. Quin presented himself, upon the rising of the curtain, in a green velvet coat, embroidered down the seams, an enormous full-bottomed periwig, rolled stockings, and high heeled square-toed shoes: With very little variation of cadence, and in deep full tone, accompanied by a sawing kind of action, which had more of the senste than of the stage in it, he rolled out his heroics with an air of dignified indifference, that seemed to disdain the plaudits that were bestowed upon him. Mrs. Cibber, in a key high pitched, but sweet withal, sung, or rather recitatived, Rowe's harmonious strains, something in the manner of the Improvi satori: It was so extremely wanting in contrast, that, though it did not wound the ear, it wearied it: when she had once recited two or three speeches, I could anticipate the manner of every succeeding one. It was like a long old legendary ballad of innumerable stanzas, every one of which is sung to the same tune, eternally chiming in the ear without variation or relief. Mrs. Pritchard was an actress of a different cast, had more nature, and of course more change of tone, and variety both of action and expression. In my opinion, the comparison was decidedly in her favour. But when, after long and eager expectation, I first beheld little Garrick, then young and light, and alive in every muscle and in every feature, come bounding on the stage, and pointing at the wittol Altamont and heavy. paced Horatio-heavens, what a transition!seemed as if a whole century had been stepped over in the transition of a single scene! Old things were done away; and a new order at once brought forward, bright and luminous, and clearly destined to dispel the barbarisms and bigotry of a tasteless age, too long attached to the prejudices of custom, and superstitiously devoted to the illusions of im posing declamation. This heaven-born actor was

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