bỳ thát thẻ húrfe hè fteals is ás much hís pr perty ás mine. If then I have any right, ít múlt be from à cómpact made between ús, that he who deprives the other óf hís hórfe fhall die. But this is à falfe cómpact; because nò mán hás à rìght to bárter his life, nò mòre thán to take ít away, ás ít ís nót his own. 'And befide, the compact is inadequate, and would be fet afìde èven ín à court of módem équity, as there ís à great pénalty for à very trifling convenience, fínce ít ís fár bétter that two men fhould live, thán that óne mán fhould ride. Bút à cómpact that is falfe between twỏ mén, ís èqually fò between án húndred, ór án hundred thoufand; fór ás tén millions of círcles cán néver make à fquare, fò the united voice of myriads cannot lénd the smallest four dation to falfchood. 'It is thus that reafon fpeaks, and untutored nature fáys the fame thing. Sávages that are directed by nátural law alone áre véry ténder of the lives of each óther, they féldom fhéd blood bút tó retáliate former cruelty.

'Our Saxon r) áncestors, fierce as they wére ín war, hád bút few executions ín tìmes

r) Nachdem die Römifchen Legionen Britannien verlassen hatten, baten die Engländer, um fich vor den Einfal len der, unter dem Namen der Picken und Scoten bekannten, nordlichen Bewohner diefer Insel zu schützen, die Angel-Sachfen um Hülfe (449 nach Chrifti Ge burt).. Diefe kamen auch unter der Anführung des Hengift und Horfa nach Britannien, und leisteten den Einwohnern Beiftand. Da es ihnen aber auf diefer Infel beffer gefiel, als in ihrem Vaterlande, so befchlof fen fie, nachdem fie fich noch durch mehrere ihrer Landsleute verstärkt hatten, zu bleiben. Nun flohen viele Britten, theils nach Bretagne, theils nach Wallis; die Sachfen bemachtigten fich indeffen des grofsten Theils

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f peace; and in all commencing governments. that have the print óf nature ftill ftróng upón hém, fcarce any crime is héld cápital.

It is among the citizens óf à refined comnunity that penal laws, which are in the mands of the rich, áre laid upon the poor. Government, while it grows older, Teems to cquire the moròfenefs of age; and ás if our roperty were become dearer ín propòrtion ás tincrcafed, ás if the more enórinous óur

alth, the more exténfive our fears, áll óur offeffions are paled up with new édicts every lay and húng round with gibbets to fcare very invader.

I cannot tell whether it is from the umber of our pènal laws, úr the licentioufnefs f our people, that this country fhould fhew nore convicts in a year, thán hálf the domi ons of Europe united $). Perhaps it is owing both; for they mutually produce each other. When by indifcriminate penal laws à nation eholds the fame púnifhment t) affixed to dif milar degrees of guilt, from perceiving no iftinction in the penalty, the people are led lofe áll fénfe of diftinction in the crime,

diefes Landes, und stifteten die bekannte Heptarchie, welche in der Folge (827) Egbert in Einen Staat ver- . einigte.

$) Ich glaube (fagt Wendeborn in feiner mehrmals angeführten Schrift, Theil II. S. 44), dafs der Gefanguiffe in keinem Lande mehr und dafs fie so voll find, als in England. Der Verbrecher ift immer eine unglaubliche Menge, und die Zahl derer, welche Schulden wegen ihrer Freiheit beraubt find, ist fast unglaublich. t) So hat in England jeder den Galgen verwirkt, wenn er dem andern so viel stiehlt, als fich der Werth eines Strickes zum Henken beläuft, d. h. dreizehn Pence.

ánd this diftinction is the bulwark óf áll ́mo. rálity: thús the multitude of laws produce new vices, ánd new vices call fór fréfh restraints.

'It wére to be wifhed then thát power, inftead of contriving new laws to púnifh vice,.t inftéad of drawing hárd thẻ córds óf fociety till à convúlfion cóme to búrst thẻm, instead of cutting away wretches ás ùfelefs, before wi have tried their utility, instead of converting correction into vengeance; it were to be wifhed that we tried the reftríctive árts of góvernement, and made law the protector, bút not the tyrant of the people. We fhould then find that creatures, whofe fòuls áre held ás drófs, 1 only wanted the hand óf à refiner; wè fhould then find that wretches, nów stúck up fór lóng tortures, léft lúxury fhould feel à mòmentary páng, might if properly treated, férve to finew the ftate in times of danger; thát, as their faces áre like ours, their hearts áre fò too; thát few minds áre fò base as thát perfeverance cannot amend; thát à mán mày feè his láft crime with but dying fór ít; and thát véry little blood will férve to cement our fecurity,

Happiness and mífery are rather the refult of prudence than of virtue in this life. Temporal evils or felicities being regarded by heaven ás things merely in themselves trifling and unworthy its càre in the diftribution.

'I hád nów been confined more than à fortnight, bút hád nót fince my arrival been vílited by my dear Olivia, and I greatly lónged to feè hér, Háving communicated my wifes

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to my wife the next morning the poor girl entered my apártment, leaning on her filter's arm. The change which I faw in her cóuntenance ftruck me. The numberless gràces that once refided there were nów fléd, and the hand óf death feemed to have moulded every feature to alarm mè. Hér témples were funk, her forehead was ténfe, and à fàtal pàlenefs fate upón hér cheek,

د,

"I am glad to fee thee, my dear," crìéd I; but why this dejection, Lívy? 'I hope, my love, you have too great à regard for me permit difappointment thús to undermine à life, which I prize ás my own. Bè chèarful, child, and wè yet may see happier days."

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"You have ever, Sír" replied fhè, „been kind to me, and ít ádds to my pain, that 'I fhall never have an opportunity of fharing that happiness you prómife. Happiness, I fear, is no longer referved for me here, and I lóng o be rid of a place where I have only found liftrefs. Indeed, Sir, I wifh you would make a proper fubmillion to Mr. Thornhill; ít mày, in fome méafure induce him to píty you, and it will give me relief ín dying.“

Néver, child," replied I, „, never will I be brought to acknowledge my daughter à próftitute; for though the world may look apón your offence with fcórn, léd ít be mine régard ít ás à márk of credulity, nót óf

guilt.

My dear, I am no way míferable ín this place, however difmal ít mày feem, and be affured that while you contínue to blefs me by living, hè fháll never have my consent to you more wretched by márrying another.“ 'After the departure of my daughter, my ellow prífoner, who was by át thís ínterview,

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fénfibly enough expóftulated upón my óbftinacy, in refùfing à fubmiffion, which promifed to give me freedom. Hè obférved, that the rélt of my family was not tỏ bé fácrificed to the peace of one child alone, ánd fhe the only one who had offended me. ,,Befide," ádded

hè, „I dòn't know if ít bè júft thús to obstruct the union of mán ánd wife, which you do át préfent, by refùfing to confént to à mátch" which you cannot hinder, bút mày render unhappy."

,,Sir," replied I,,,you are unacquainted with the man that oppréffes ús. 'I ám véry fénfible that no fubmiffion I cán make could procure mè liberty even fór án hour. 'I ám told that even in this very room à débtor of hís, no later than lift year, died fór want. Bút though my fubmiffion and approbation could transfer me from hence to the most beautiful apártment he is poffeffed óf; yet I would gránt neither; ás fómething whifpers me, that it would be giving à fánction to adultery. While my daughter lives, no other marriage of his fhall ever be légal ín my eye. Were fhè removed, indeed, 'I fhould be the bafsest of mén, fróm ány reféntinent of my own, to attempt putting afúnder thòfe who wifh fór á ùnion. Nò, villain ás hè ís, I fhould then wifh hím márried, to prevent the confequences óf his fúture debaucheries. Bút nów Thould I not be the mòft cruel óf áll fáthers, to fign án 'Inftrument which múlt fénd my child to the grave, merely to avoìd à prífon myself; ánd thús to efcape óne páng, break my child's heart with a thoufand?"

He acquiéfced in the juftice of this answer, bút could not avoid obférving, that he feared