ner:

Retire with me, O rafh unthinking mortal, from the vain allurements of a deceitful world, and learn that pleasure was not defigned the portion of human life. Man was born to mourn and to be wretched: this is the condition of all below the ftars; and whoever endeavours to oppofe it, acts in contradiction to the will of Heaven. Fly then from the fatal enchantments of youth and focial delight, and here confecrate the folitary hours to lamentation and woe. Mifery is the duty of all fublunary beings; and every enjoyment is an offence to the Deity, who is to be worshipped only by the mortification of every fenfe of pleasure, and the everlasting exercise of fighs and tears.'

This melancholy picture of life quite funk my fpirits, and feemed to annihilate every principle of joy within me. I threw myfelf beneath a blafted yew, where the winds blew cold and difmal round my head, and dreadful apprehenfions chilled my heart. Here I refolved to lie till the hand of death, which I impatiently invoked, fhould put an end to the miseries of a life fo deplorably wretched. In this fad fituation, I fpied on one hand of me a deep muddy river, whofe heavy waves rolled on in flow fullen murmurs. Here I determined to plunge, and was just upon the brink, when I found myfelf fuddenly drawn back. I turned about, and was furprised by the fight of the loveliest object I had ever beheld. The most engaging charms of youth and beauty appeared in all her form: effulgent glories fparkled in her eyes, and their awful fplendours were foftened by the gentleft looks of compaffion and peace. At her approach, the frightful spectre, who had before tormented me, vanithed away, and with her all the borrors fhe had caufed. The gloomy

clouds brightened into cheerful funfhine, and the whole region looked gay and blooming as the garden of Eden. I was quite tranfported at this unexpected change, and reviving pleafure began to glad my thoughts, when, with a look of inexpreffible fweetness, my beauteous deliverer thus uttered her divine instructions:

My name is Religion. I am the offspring of Truth and Love, and the parent of Benevolence, Hope and Joy. That monster from whose power I have freed you is called Superstition : fhe is the child of Difcontent, and her followers are Fear and Sorrow. Thus différent as we are, fhe has often the infolence to affume my name and character, and feduces unhappy mortals to think us the fame, till fhe at length drives them to the borders of Despair, that dreadful abyfs into which you were just going to fink.

Look round and furvey the various beauties of the globe, which Heaven has deftined for the feat of the human race, and confider whether a world thus exquifitely framed could be meant for the abode of mifery and pain. For what end has the lavish hand of Providence diffufed fuch innumerable objects of delight, but that all might rejoice in the privilege of exiftence, and be fitted with gratitude to the beneficent author of it? Thus to enjoy the bleffings he has fent, is virtue and obedience; and to reject them merely as means of pleafure, is pitiable ignorance or abfurd perverfenefs. Infinite goodness is the fource of created exiftence. The proper tendency of every rational being, from the higheft order of raptured feraphs, to the meanest rank of men, is to rife inceflantly from lower degrees of happinefs to higher. They have each faculties affigned them for various orders of delight.'

What!' cried I, is this the lauguage of Religion? Does the lead her votaries through flowery paths, and bid them pafs an unlaborious life? Where are the painful toils of virtue, the mortifications of penitents, the

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felf

and grateful alacrity. Return from the contracted views of folitude to the proper duties of a relative and dependent being. Religion is not confined to cells and clofets, nor reftrained to fullen retirement. Thefe are the gloomy doctrines of Superftition, by which he endeavours to break thofe chains of benevolence and focial affection, that link the welfare of every particular with that of the whole. Remember that the greatest

honour you can pay to the author of your Being is by fuch a cheerful behaviour, as difcovers a mind fatisfied with his difpenfations.'

Here my preceptrefs paufed; and I was going to exprefs my acknowledgements for her difcourfe, when a ring of bells from the neighbouring village, and a new-rifen fun darting his beams through my windows, awaked me.

LETTER VI.

Gloucester, Sept. 1792.

DEAR SIR,

ALTHOUGH I am none of thofe,

according to Juvenal,

Quos mire afficiunt infcripta ergaftula,

carcer

• Rufticus,'

yet not to take particular notice of the county jail of Gloucefter, would be unpardonable on many accounts. I need not repeat to you what has been so often written and talked ofthe bad ftate of the jails in this kingdom, and especially the improper management of the prifoners. All good and thinking men have regret ted, that a prison fhould fo far fail of the purposes which it was intended to ferve, as to become the nursery, inftead of the punishment, of vice, and that many hundred, at leaft in the metropolis, have been fent to jail almost in a flate of innocence, who have been difmiffed hardened villains. In the beft ftate of the old way of managing prifoners, it was found that confinement had no proper effect upon their minds; for as it confifted fimply of the privation of liberty, they could eafly fall upon means to continue their wickedness, and, by affociating together, confirm each other in every nefarious practice.

The first man who ftept forward to

correct the abufes of prifons, and to ren

der them what they ought to be in every humane and well regulated government, was the late John Howard, furnamed the benevolent; of his labours it is impoffible to fpeak in higher or better terms than those used by Mr. Burke. Howard vifited all Europe, not to furvey the fumptuoufnefs of palaces, or the statelineis of temples; not to make accurate measurements of the remains of ancient grandeur, nor to form an epitome of modern art-but to dive into the depths of dungeons; to plunge into the infection of hofpitals; to furvey the manfions of forrow and pain; to take the gauge and dimenfions of milery, depreffion, and contempt; to remember the forgotten; to attend to the neglected; to visit the forfaken; and to compare and collate, for the purpose of remedying, the diftrefles of all men in all countries.' A worthy baronet of this county, fir G. O. Faul, dutinguished himself foon after the publication of the first volume of Howard's works, in promoting the fcheme of a hofpital on the principles laid down by that ufeful writer. He had many obflacles to contend with, and many prejudices to conquer. The fupport, however, of his brother juftices enabled him to bring the matter to a fuccefful iffue ; and I had the honour of furveying this prifon to-day, with more pleasure than I have ever received in survey

ing the manfions of rank and grandeur, because I am convinced that while it continues to be regulated upon its prefent plan, it will eminently contribute to reform the wicked, and to restore to fociety many valuable members, who would otherwife have been wholly loft. The great fault of all prifons, except the few that have been built upon the plan of the Gloucefter county jail, is, that the prifoners of all degrees of wickedness are allowed to affociate together; and while this continues to be the cafe, it is impoffible to expect that their confinement will have any other than the very worst effect upon them. In this prifon, no two prifoners of any defcription whatever are allowed to be in the fame room, or to fee each other, unless at the hours of labour, and that only regulated by the degree of their behaviour.

The building was begun in 1783, and completed in about four years. It is divided into courts and wards, with galleries, &c. and is provided with above three hundred cells, each a neat oblong room, with a bed, and other decent apparatus. The whole has indeed fo much of a clean and wholefome airy appearance, that a stranger would perhaps at first miftake it for a manufactory of fome kind. The architect employed on this occafion was the late Mr. Blackburn, whofe judgement in this fpecies of architecture obtained him a diftinguished name. It coft nearly forty thousand pounds, a fum which frightened the people of the county, before they learned that the affeff. ment was very low. That you may have fome idea of the good to be expected from a jail regulated on the plan of the prefent, I fhall give you a few outlines of it. The prifoners are divided into four claffes or degrees of criminality.

The first, and greatest degree, are confined in dark cells, without communication with any perfon, except the chaplain, furgeon, or magiftrates, when infpecting the state of the pri

On

fon, and the keeper, who is to fee him at least once every day, direct the cell to be cleaned, and relieve all other wants conducive to health. The Second degree are confined in the light cells, with a like feclufion from fociety. Thefe two degrees are directed merely as punishments for refractory prifoners, and to enforce the difcipline of the prifon. The third degree-the prifoner confined to his own cell in this degree, is to be taken into the airing ground for fo many hours in every day, as the divisions of the court will admit; only one prifoner of a clafs is to be in any court at one and the fame time. Sundays, and other occafions of religious exercise, the prifoner is removed fingly to the chapel; and provided his or her behaviour be orderly and decent, he or she may, on Sundays, be allowed to air in the courts in the fociety of his or her class. Prifoners of the fourth degree are to be confined to their cells at all times, except during divine fervice, and the time allotted for meals, when they may affociate with others of the clafs in the day room, or airing grounds, You will perceive at once, my dear fir, the utility of thus claffifying the degrees of confinement according to the behaviour of the prifoners.

The governor, as he is called, of the jail, is allowed a falary of zool. per annum, but no fees of any defcription, except only the taxed allow, ance for extra-bedding permitted by the rules, and fuch fhare of the profits of labour as may be allowed by the magiftrates. He is not permitted to ftrike any of the prifoners, unless in felf-defence, but is requested to command with temper and firmness, and act without partiality. The turnkeys and affiftants are fined for fwearing, and the money paid to the prifoner's box; for drunkennefs they forf it their places, and are not allowed to accept money, or perquifite of any kind. A task-mafter, or manufacturer, is alfo appointed with a falary of 50l. per annum. He acts

as

as affiftant to the governor, and enforces and fuperintends the labour of the prifoners, and is enjoined to encourage industry among the debtors and prifoners of other defcriptions, who are inclined to work; for whoever in this prison is inclined to work, will be employed, and a part of the profits, as I fhall mention hereafter, is referved for their ufe. He is alfo to keep a lift of the tools delivered to the prifoners, and take them from them at leaving off work, that they may be properly fecured in the night. The duty of the chaplain is well calculated to aid the effect of folitary confinement. He is to read prayers every Wednesday and Friday morning at regulated hours, and preach a fermon every Sunday, Christmas Day, and Good Friday. He is frequently to fee all the prisoners, without the governor, or other officer, being prefent, to enquire into their fituation, and obferve the ftate of the cells. He is alfo to attend any prifoner who may defire his fpiritual advice and affiftance. Books of moral and religious inftruction are provided and left with him, which he diftributes at his difcretion, among the prifoners confined in folitude, when he thinks that any of them may be in a fate of mind to be benefited by fuch inftructions; and it is left to his difcretion to adminifter the facrament at fuch times, and to fuch perfons as he fhall think proper. As this prifon was fet on foot by men of liberal minds, and for the moft liberal purposes, it cannot be fuppofed that there fhould be a deviation from this in the article of religion. Accordingly, it is a rule here that, although the chaplain be the only minifter of the church of England permitted to vifit any prifoner, yet if any prifoner declares himself of any other religious perfuafion, he may be vifited by a minifter of that perfuafion.

I have been the more particular in detailing the duties of the chaplain, because I know that they are either overlooked or performed in the most

flovenly manner in moft prifons; and becaufe, in a prifon conftituted as this is, it is of the utmoft confequence that they be performed fedulously. The gentlemen of the county of Gloucester were fo ftrongly impreffed with this, that they paid a very ferious attention to the matter when they came to appoint offices to their jail. I have before me an addrefs of fir G. O. Paul to his fellow-juftices, from which I fhall tranfcribe a paffage on this fubject. I know not whether the ftile or the fentiment be most excellent. Speaking of the chaplain, he fays:

I greatly fear, that the emolument it is in our power to give, and the fervice required, compared, we cannot have great choice of candidates who will devote themselves to the fituation; yet I venture to fuggeft, that where the circumstances of an application fhall be fuch as not to enfure an efficient fervice, it will be your duty not to make any appointment. From the nature of the applications already made to me, I am apprehenfive the fituation is confidered as a beneficial finecure, the object of patronage and private favour with the bench. In juftice to ourfelves, as well as to thofe clergymen who may otherwife give themfelves trouble on a mistaken idea, it feems neceffary that we should declare, that in our appointment of chaplains, we fhall by no means confider the fituation as a favour conferred: - duly given, and duly accepted, the public will remain more obliged than obliging by the appointment. In any other light, (as an individual magiftrate) I fhall not only refift the idea of patronage, but (before my determination can be prefumed to have a perfonal direction) I defire to be underfood, that should I, at any future time, perceive that any clergyman had accepted the fituation of chaplain with any other view, than that of fulfilling a duty (honourable to himfelf) with attention to the prifoners, let him poffefs what fupport he may)

I will,