voices in the prefent day, and with an unanimity that never, was feen before, demand a total abolition of the power of arbitrary imprisonment by any human being. And though it may happen that laws for this pu pole will not be enacted in every ftate at the prefent t me; yet the examples that have been given in a neighbouring country, of the danger of making a wanton use of this power, will ferve to overawe thofe monarchs, who may fill claim a right to exercife it, from daring to exercise that right in the manner it has hitherto been exercifed. Bleffed be the fpirit which hath abolished fuch an intolerable evil!

Every man, when he reflects seriously on this fubject, must be fenfible of the evils that acrue from this fource; but it is not at all times that man is difpofed to reflect feriously on any subject, nor it is at all times that he can form a lively image of what he has never had an opportunity of obferving. He is therefore under obliga tions to thofe who take the trouble off his hands.. The following picture, drawn by the masterly pencil of Sterne, when he is difpofed to turn his thoughts on this fubject, will have its effect.

The Captive.

The bird in his cage purfued me into my room; I fat down close by my table, and leaning my head upon my hand, I began to figure to myself the miferies of confinément; I was in a right frame for it; and fo I gave full fcope to my imaginations.

I was going to begin with the millions of my fellow creatures born to no inheritance but flavery; but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it near me, and that the multitude of the fad group in it did but diftract me.

I took a fingle captive; and having first shut him

up in a dungeon, I then looked through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture,

"I beheld his body half wafted away with long exer pectation and confinement, and felt what kind of fick.

nefs of the heart it was which arifes from hope deferred. Upon looking nearer, I faw him pale and feverish. In thirty years, the western breeze had not once fanned his blood. He had feen no fun, no moon, in all that time; nor had the voice of friend or kinfman breathed through his lattice, his children

"But here my heart began to bleed; and I was forced to go on with another part of my portrait.

"He was fitting upon the the ground upon a little ftraw in the fartheft corner of his dungeon, which was alternately his chair and bed. A little calendar of small fticks were laid at the head, notched all over with the difmal days and nights he had paffed there. He had one of these little fticks in his hand; and, with a rusty nail, he was etching another day of mifery to add to the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door; then caft it down; fhook his head, and went on with his work of affliction. I heard his chains upon his legs, as he turred his body, to lay his little ftick upon the bundle. He gave a deep figh. I faw the iron enter into his foul. I burst into tears. I could not fuftain the picture of confinement which my fancy had drawn."

Think not however that this is a mere fancy picture, which has no reality in exiftence. Could the horrid walls, of those gloomy manfions allotted for the confinement of human beings in every part of the world, be now caft down, and the miferable objects they contain be laid open to the view, what human being could bear to look at it? The heart of the most savage tyrant would be melted at the fight; and the millions of miferable beings who are there, now at this very mo. ment dying in the agonies of mifery, and thofe who figh at the diftant profpect of that only termination of their wretchednefs, would freeze up his foul with horror. Yet the man who could not bear the fight for one mos ment, can, without one painful effort, order hundreds from his fight to be fut up in thefe dreary manfions

for ever; and the next moment, forgetting them entirely, indulge himself in every excess of sensual grati_fication... 08 99. *

And doft thou not, my gentle reader, whoever thou part, in some measure participate in his guilt, if thou never spendeft a thought on the miseries of those whe are fhut up from their families and friends in the manfions of forrow, provided in every town for the punishvment of the guilty? would to God I could fay of the aguilty alone! but I must add, for the deftruction of the unfortunate. The beneficent Howard acquired that senthusiasm of philanthropy for which he was fo remarkably distinguished, merely by vifiting these unfortunate manfions. Nor could any one whofe foul was not grown callous in iniquity, have done as he did, without having felt a fenfation of the fame kind that animated him. It is merely because the miferable objects are not feen, that they are not attended to; and it is because they are not attended to, alone, that some method is not adopted for freeing them from the intolerable diftreffes under which they groan; and that a, practice is tolerated in Europe which is the opprobrium of thofe who call themselves a civilized people.

But I have dwelt perhaps too long on this melancholy fubject. I therefore relinquish it for the prefent. O that it were in my power to fuggeft a means of alleviating this evil! for to prevent it entirely, I fear, is impoffible. That the evil may be diminished, is certainly in our power; an attempt to do it deferves to be received with favour. In the hope that it will be fo by my readers in general, I fhall perhaps venture, on an early occafion, to fuggeft fome hints calculated for that purpose.

A.

G. Andisson

Anecdote of M. de Sallo, the first Inventor of Periodical performances.

In the year 1692, when Paris was afflicted with a long and a fevere famine, M. de Sallo, returning from a fummer's evening walk, with only a little foot-boy, was accofted by a man, who prefented his piftol, and in a manner far from the refolutenefs of a hardened robber, afked him for his money. M. de Sallo obferving that he came to the wrong man, and that he could get little from him, added, “ I have only three pistoles about me, which are not worth a fcuffle; fo, much good may do with them; but let me tell you, you are in a bad way."

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The man took them, and without asking him for more, walked off with an air of dejection and terror.

The fellow was no fooner gone, than M. de Sallo ordered the boy to follow him, to fee where he went, and to give him an account of every thing. The lad obeyed; followed him through feveral obfcure ftreets, and at length faw him enter a baker's fhop, where he obferved him change one of the piftoles, and buy a large brown loaf. With this purchase he went a few doors farther, and entering an alley, ascended a pair of ftairs. The boy crept up after him to the fourth story, where he faw him go into a room, that had no light but what it received from the moon, and peeping through a crevice, he perceived him throw it on the floor, and burst into tears, faying, "There; eat your fill; that's the dearest loaf I ever bought; I have robbed a gentleman of three piftoles; let us husband them well, and let me have no more teazings; for foon or late these doings must bring me to the gallows; and all to fatisfy your clamours.” His lamentations were anfwered by thofe of the whole family; and his wife, having at length calmed the agony of his mind, took up the loaf,

and, cutting it, gave four pieces to four poor ftarving children.

The boy having thus happily performed his commiffion, returned home, and gave his master an account of every thing he had feen and heard. M. de Sallo, who was much moved, ordered the boy to call him at five in the morning. This humane gentleman arose at the time appointed, and taking the boy with him to fhew him the way, enquired in the neighbourhood the character of a man who lived in fuch a garret, with a wife and four children; when he was told that he was a very industrious good kind of man; that he was a fhoe-maker, and a neat workman, but was overburthened with a family, and had a hard ftruggle to live in fuch bad times.

Satisfied with this account, M. de Sallo afcended to the fhoe-maker's garret; and knocking at the door, it was opened by the poor man himself, who, knowing. him at first fight to be the perfon he had robbed the evening before, fell at his feet, and implored his mercy, pleading the extreme diftrefs of his family, and begging that he would forgive his firft crime. M. de Sallo defired him to make no noife; for he had no intention. to hurt him. "You have a good character among your neighbours, faid he, but muft, expect that your "life will foon be cut fhort, if you are now fo wicked

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as to continue the freedom you took with me. Hold "your hand, here are thirty piftoles to buy leather; hufband it well, and fet your children a commend"able example. To put you out of farther tempta"tions to commit fuch ruinous and fatal actions I will encourage your industry; I hear you are a neat workman, and you fhall take measure of me, and of "this boy, for two pair of fhoes each, and he shall call upon you for them." The whole family appeared ftruck with joy, amazement, and gratitude. M de Sallo departed, greatly moved, and witha mind filled with fatisfaction, at having faved a man and per