and diftinctions lead, but to acts of barbarity and perfecütion, which would difgrace the most fanguinary annals of the Goths and Vandals. We in one place hear of a noble Prince and General dying gloriously of a wound received in defence of his Country, and while his affectionate and forrowful Attendants humbly implored of his Conqueror, that their Mafter might be interred among a long feries of his Ancestors, the requeft was refufed with mean, infulting, and farcaftic malice. In another page, we read of a Queen, graced with every fe Minine attribute, which was wont to foften even the fero cious brows of Tyrants themfelves, a fugitive from her home, her family, her husband, purfued with unrelenting and vindictive threats, far more alarming than a thoufand deaths. But let us turn from thefe waftes, where human blood has not yet ceased to flow, where the enfanguined Laurel of Victory quickens in one vaft folitude, where no flowers perfume and no rofes blow, to the ftill fertile and ftill happy plains of our Country-that is, happy in themfelves; for a generous fympathy in the misfortunes of others is the pride of true valour, and the characteristic of Englifhmen. Let us unite in imploring that gracious Providence, which has hitherto preferved us a free, a great, and enlightened people, to preferve us fo ftill. Thoufands and tens of thousands of her fons affemble with patriotic courage round their Country's Banners, determined to die or to preferve them from the unhallowed touch of Foreign Mifcreants. Thoufands yet remain who, under fuch protection, with confidence and zeal, and hope and delight, wander among the bowers which environ the Temple of Apollo and the Mufes, and from time to time produce fruits of undiminifhed fragrance and perfection. Be it our boaft that, with undeviating firmnefs, we have purfued one and the fame path; we have extended the Ægis with which we have been entrufted, as a fhelter beneath which the Advocates of true Piety, of Loyalty, of Patriotifm, of Learning, and of every ingenuous Art, might exhibit their labours with fafety and with honour. Thus we fhall act to the laft; and truft that when we fail from that Final Caufe which can alone fufpend or reftrain our exertions, we hall deliver over our mantle to fome worthy Succeffor, animated with the fame fear of God, love of our King, and devotion to our Country. Dec. 31, 1806. S. URBAN: 36 29,10 fair [mo. fair AVERAGE PRICES of CORN, from the Returns ending January 18, 1806. Surrey 74 035 033 Hertford 67 741 6 Effex 2,30 840 8 Kent MARITIME COUNTIES. Wheat Rye Barley Oats Beans d. s. d. s. d. 044 07 S. d. s. d. s. 044 70 636 8000 65 600 031 2 Cambrid. 62 6 Norfolk 62 67 4 37 832 922 043 1 Leicester 74 644 3 York 4 Durham 68 300 25 048 9 Wilts 042 240 Nottingh. 78 449 Derby 78 10 00 0,40 4.28 849 Stafford 80 9:00 627 2:51 4 Cumberl. 72 959 Salop 83 551 042 325 648 o Weftmor. 77 1059 Hereford 81 751 239 11 Lancafter 71 1000 048 227 Worcest. 84 400 040 829 646 5 Chefter 72 200 046 424 Warwick 81 600 040 629 353 1 Flint 71 73 800 033 827 4 55 o Denbigh 81 Berks 74 8:00 031 228 741 11 Anglefea 00 Oxford 72 700 033 126 41 11 Carnarvon 79 Bucks 70 100 030 926 842 11 Merionet. 89 10'00 046 Brecon 94 457 747 224 000 o Cardigan 80 800 033 Montgo. 84 9000046 522 400 o Pembroke 66 600 036 Radnor 87 1000 043 523 900 o Carmarth. 90 500 036 818 800 Glamorg. 92 400 041 9/21 400 0 Glouceft. 85 1100 039 10 25 652. 10 Somerfet 82 5 00 039 925 143 1 Monmo. 80 200 041 800 0.00€ Devon 86 800 037 124 6100 Cornwall 85 10 00 036 824 200 74 700 033 1036 100 0 Hants 72 0100 032 131 438 AVERAGE PRICES, by which Exportation and Bounty are to be regulated. (3) THE GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE, For JANUARY, 1806. LETTER XXVII. ON PRISONS. Sambrook Court, Mr. URBAN, January 24. "It is pleafant to fee great works in "their feminal ftate, pregnant with latent "poffibilities of excellence *." T ly HE more attentivey I confider the communications of Neild, the more highly do I eftimate their utility. They not only exhibit the fite and internat ftructure and management of prifons, but likewife the means of augmenting their advantages, and of obviating their inconveniences; they enable the magiftrate and the manager to promote objects of utility the moft eafily attainable, and elicit plans of reformation the moft beneficial; they contain leffons of inftruction to all ranks of the community, and convey an invaluable legacy to pofterity †. In the fubfequent hiftories of the prifons of Morpeth, and Newcastle, little of novelty is prefented, except that at the latter a court compofed of the prifoners is held, that takes cognizance of any mitbehaviour among themselves; which, pro-. bably, tends to promote order and prevent immorality; and, by exercifing the mind in ufeful inveftigation, and the judgment in acts of jurifprudence, Vice may be feen in its own repulfive deformity, and Virtue in its attractive graces; for * Johnfon's Poets, vol. 1. p. 176.. I may now add, that in order to ren der thefe Prifon Letters more useful to the community, ter on the here will foon appear a let of promoting the fecuity, healt, and morals of prifeners. "when it is prefent men take example of it, and when it is gone they defire it.". not The contemplation of great and ufeful events from little caufes & is always gratifying. The first productions of Neild fcarcely excited attention, for certainly they were not luminous; they did n blaze and dazzle the fight, but they poffeffed the fteady warmth of embers, whofe latent heat is diffufive and permanent: if he did not delight the eye, he pierced the heart, and gradually convinced the under ftanding, and gave fervency to the mind. In no place to which he has extended his vifits, has more good refulted in a fhort fpace of time than in Norwich. The magiftrates can now affemble in the parlour of the gaol without danger of fuffocation, in confequence of the fewer having been repaired; and the fevere punishments introduced in the workhouse have been generally reprobated, and totally abolished; yet, here has ingratitude attempted to cancel obligation,. as if to fee" the higheft minds le"velled with the meaneft, might produce fome folace to the con 6 Wifdóm, iv. 2.. § Monf. Richer wrote a volume of great events from little caufes. See likewife Turner's Providence, and Wanley's Wonders of the little World, or 4000 Stories of Man. Sir Chriftopher Wren ufed to tell his friends with great pleasure, "That whilft he was building St. Paul's, "he told one of the workmen to bring "him a piece of ftone for fome purpofe "or other. The workman brought him. "an old grave-ftone, on which was in"fcribed RESURGAM and that he "accepted it as a lucky omen." "fcioufnefs phalanx of his benevolent connections. Then, as Dante remarks, might they have "Guardar l'un l'autro, come alver fi 66 quata." Inferno, c. xvi. 78, sciousness of weakness, and fome "mortification to the pride of wif"dom: but, let it be remembered, "that minds are not levelled in "their powers but when they are "firft levelled in their defires*" Under this fentiment, however, I do not include the remarks of John Gurney (Gent. Mag, for December laft, p. 1124), a man who is incapable of doing a mean action, and whofe motives of conduct, I am perfuaded, alone refult from a confcioufnels of duty. As John Gurney's qualification muft, in many refpeets, have hence been derived from verbal information, his letter would have remained unnoticed had not his amiable character excited a claim to regard; for the different appear ance of the workhoufe at the time he vifited it, could not detract from He has communicated his re- the evidence of what Neild really marks on Neild's narrative refpect- faw, and candidly related; and from ing the workhoufe of Norwich, which the Mayor of Norwich, the with the appearance of ingenuity, only competent perfon to determine and his diffent with that of can- the facts, has never diffented. Į dour: he introduces himself, how well remember the obfervations ever, to the notice of the publick made to me by Howard on a fimilar in a manner neither calculated to occafion; that, "unlefs he entered. have gained a juft information, nor "unawares into fuch receptacles of hence to excite conviction; Hav-diftrefs, he could never acquire ing qualified myself to give the "accurate information." Here it precife information," he obferves, would be too tedious to relate the on the charges brought by James whole converfation that took place Neild, efq. against the Guardians between him and the Minifter de"of of our Poor, the puted workhouse." Thefe charges of to inom the Empress of Ruffia the ftate of the Poor having been máde and publifhed feveral weeks prior to the qualification alluded to, it prefumes upon giving what it is impoffible to give, precife information upon what, in many refpects, only previously exifted. Every perfon, however, who eftimates the character of John Gurney with the high respect that I think it an honour to own from perfonal acquaintance, muft regret that he had not fooner qualified himself to examine and remove the evils refulting from parochial mifmanagement; for, Hoc maximè officii eft (apud ર Tullium) ut quifque maximè opus indigeat, ita ei potiffimum opitulari t." To have thus aided Neild, would not have derogated From the refpectability of his private character, nor the venerable 66 *Johnfon's Poets, vol. II. p. 26. It is a principal point of duty to aflift another moff, when he stands moft in need of affiftance. him and in the mean time, to give orders to the keepers of the prifons to be prepared to receive him. "I did not come to St. Petersburg," faid Howard, "to vifit courts," (he did not go to court) "but prifons; and "if if the keepers are previously in"formed of my coming, I fhall not "acquire the information I want." If the difcriminating eye of Howard could not depend upon what might be prefented, were the knowledge of his vifits anticipated but a fingle hour, it is no degradation of the character of John Gurney to conclude that he could not be enabled to give that precife information, and clear elucidation which he prefumes him felf qualified to convey; however fair his teftimony might have been, independently of the bias which might determine his opinion of the conduct of his own townfmen, and, |