perceptible difference from it; it would only fill the space which it before occupied in the waters. Let any person put a quantity of compressed snow into a vessel, and note the exact height of it; when the snow is melted, he will find the water of the same height as the snow was. As for ice, it is well known that when dissolved it lays in less compass than in its frozen state. St. Pierre's theory of the tides, therefore, must fall, and that of Newton stands unshaken.

TO BE CONTINUED.

LIFE

OF

MR. JOHN HOWARD,

CONTINUED.

MR. R. Howard's son was by him intended for the ministry, amongst the Protestant Dissenters; but every prospect which parental partiality might have formed was blasted by the visitation of Providence, for the unhappy youth was deranged, and his father consigned him to the care of Dr. Arnold, who kept a house for the reception of lunatics, at Leicester: but the young man never recovered his senses.

1

Whether this circumstance took place before or after Mr. Howard had entered upon that eager career of benevolence, to which the remainder of his life was dedicated, we cannot certainly say; but it is probable that it happened a little before. The private affections of his heart had now no longer any claim upon his attention; and, naturally as the thoughtless and vicious part of mankind fly from sorrow to dissipation and noisy pleasure, so do the pious and benevolent endeavour to lose the remembrance of private anguish in exertions for the public good. In the year 1773, he was named as sheriff for the county of Bedford. The circumstance of his being a dissenter would are excused him from so troublesome an office, if he had chosen to have pleaded it; but he wished to serve the office, as it would enable him to know the state of the prisons and prisoners in the county. On this occasion there were some scruples in his mind relative to the safety of discharging the office without conforming to the established communion, which he could not conscientiously do. But having consulted some friends of eminence in the law, he thought there was not so much danger of the penalty for nonconformity being inflicted upon him, as to deter him from his benevolent design; accordingly he served the office, in doing which the case of prisoners came immediately before him.

A sense of duty induced him personally to visit the county jail, where he observed such abuses and scenes of calamity as he had before no conception of; and he soon exerted himself in order to a reform.

With a view to obtain precedents for certain regulations which he purposed, he went to inspect the prisons in some neighbouring counties;

but finding in them equal room for complaint and commiseration, he determined to visit the principal prisons in England. The further he proceeded, the more shocking were the scenes presented to his view; which induced him to resolve upon exerting himself to the utmost to procure a general reform in those horrid places of confinement; considering it as of the utmost importance, not only to the wretched objects themselves, but to the community at large.

He had three objects in view in his attention to the prisons in England -first, to put a stop to that dreadful distemper called the jail-fever, which raged so shockingly in many of the prisons as to render them in the last degree loathsome and dangerous; a distemper by which more had been taken off than by the hands of the executioner; and which, in several instances, had been communicated from the prisons to the courts ef justice, and had proved fatal to the inagistrates and judges, and to multitudes of people who attended the trials, as well as to the families of discharged felons and debtors.

The second object was to remedy the cruel practice of detaining prisoners after acquittal for fees, and other oppressive demands of that nature. To effect this, he applied to the justices to assign to the jailer and others certain salaries in lieu of fees; but as no precedent for this could be produced, they did not think themselves authorized for such a step.

But the third and grand object was, to introduce an entire reform of morals in our prisons, where he had found the most flagrant vices sto prevail in such a degree that they were actually become seminaries of the most atrocious wickedness and villany, and the most formidable nuisance to the community, in consequence of the promiscuous intercourse of prisoners of both sexes, and of all ages and descriptions, whereby the young and less experienced were initiated by old and hardened sinners into all the arts and mysteries of iniquity; so that, instead of being reformned by their confinement which should be the chief end of punishment-those who were discharged became tenfold more injurious to society than before...

Upon this subject he was examined before the House of Commons, in 1774, when he had the honour of their thanks for his labours. This encouraged him to proceed in his design; in pursuance of which he re-visited all the prisons in the kingdom, together with the principal houses of correction. He also, in 1775, enlarged his circuit, by going into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, where he found the same need of reformation.

In order to the attainment of the great objects which were before him, Mr. Howard spared no pains or expence, and cheerfully exposed himself to much inconvenience and hazard, particularly from that malignant distemper of which he saw many dying in the most loathsome dungeons, into which, none, who were not obliged, besides himself, would venture. The only precautions which he used to preserve bimself from infection were never to enter an hospital ar prison before breakfast, and in an offensive room never to draw his breath deeply, to smell to vinegar while he was in those places, and to change his apparel

afterwards; the two last of which, after habit had rendered him less timid, he intirely omitted. It was his usual answer, when he was interrogated how he could venture to expose himself to such dangers, That, next to the free goodness and mercy of God, temperance and cleanliness were his preservatives; and that trusting in divine providence, and believing himself in the way of his duty, he visited the noxious cells, and, while thus employed, he feared no evil. The piety of this sentiment commands our reverence; but how inscrutable are the ways of Providence! humanity and conscious rectitude cannot always preserve the good man from the influence of tainted vapours. Howard, the ornament of human nature, the truest friend of society, fell, at last, a. prey to disease, while in the exercise of philanthropy.

Soon after he had been examined by the House of Commons, Mr. Popham, member for Taunton, brought in a bill for the relief of prisoners, who should be acquitted-respecting their fees, and another bill for preserving the health of prisoners, and preventing the jail distemper; both of which passed that session. This gave Mr. Howard more satisfaction than the thanks of the house which he had before received, as it promised permanent relief to the unhappy objects of his compassion. But as acts of parliament were then usually printed in black letter, which many persons in country places could not read, he had these two bills printed in the roman character at his own expence, and sent them to the keeper of every county jail in England*. "By these acts (says he) the tear was wiped from many eyes, and the legislature had for them the blessing of those that were ready to perish."

Through his

Thus he had the pleasure to see that his laudable endeavours were crowned with success, particularly in regard to the healthiness of prisons, some of which were rebuilt under his inspection. interposition also, better provision has been made for the instruction of prisoners, by the introduction of Bibles, and other pious books, into their cells, and a more constant attendance of clergymen. The jailers, likewise, have, by act of parliament, been rendered incapable of selling strong liquors, which had been the source of much drunkenness and disorder.

Mr. Howard, in visiting the prisons, frequently found that the jailers, conscious of negligence and improper conduct, endeavoured, by artifice, to prevent him from prosecuting his inquiry. For this purpose they would pretend the utmost willingness to accompany him, but at the same time hint a fear of danger from the fever anong the prisoners. But he was not to be thus intimidated; he always proceeded, and generally found that the discovery of the filthy and neglected state of the prison was, in fact, the object of their apprehensions.-Frequently, indeed, the cells and habitations thus investigated were

Acts of Parliament are now printed in Roman, except the first words of every clause-and whereas provided always and be it enacted, &c. which are in black.

t

sufficiently offensive to have deterred any one from entering who was not stimulated by the powerful motive of philanthropic sympathy; and Mr. Howard himself found, that, after such visits, his cloaths so far imbibed the noxious effluvia, that he was not able to endure a post-chaise, unless all the windows were down. This circumstance induced him to travel at all hours, and in all weathers, on horseback.

In the year 1775, the magistrates of Glasgow, in the most respectful manner, presented him with the freedom of their city. The same honour was afterwards conferred upon him by the city of Edinburgh, the town of Liverpool, and many other corporations. We mention this to shew the attention which his benevolent pursuits had gained among the principal characters of these towns and cities.

With true Christian philanthropy he considered every man of every nation, people, and tongue, as a brother; knowing that God had made of one blood all the nations of the earth, and that his tender mercy was over all his works. He determined, therefore, to visit other countries; accordingly, in 1776, he travelled into France, Flanders, Holland, Germany, and Switzerland.

In all his expensive and hazardous journeys, he denied himself the usual gratifications of travellers, and, that he might not be in the least diverted from his grand object, he declined the honours which were offered him by persons of the first distinction: many of whom were eager to shew their respect to this citizen of the world, and also to share in his labours of love. To him the inspection of a jail, or an hospital, was more grateful than all the entertainments of the palace. With what astonishment and gratitude he was received by the wretched inhabitants of those mansions may easily be imagined, since, while he made observations on their situation, he meditated their relief; and many distressed prisoners abroad, as well as at home, partook of his bounty, and some were liberated by it.

One trait in his character ought not to be unnoticed, as it shews the disposition of his mind in a strong light; we mean his honesty of speech, which was such as often hordered upon bluntness. He was never sparing of advice, or reproof, where he saw occasion: and that even to persons of highest rank and influence, if he thought the miseries of their fellow men might be alleviated thereby.

As he courted the favour of none, neither did he fear the frown of any; but, with a manly freedom, and a Christian fortitude, he spoke his mind even to princes; particularly to Joseph, the late Emperor of Germany, and to the Grand Master of Malta; the latter, indeed, was offended at his freedom; but the former professed his esteem and reverence for him, and took iminediate steps to better the unhappy condition of prisoners in his extensive dominions.

While he was in Holland, the friendly interference of Sir Joseph Yorke, by procuring every assistance which could facilitate the inquiry in which he was engaged, reflected great honour on that respected ambassador. At Hamburgh, also, the friendship of the senator Voght procured him every advantage of introduction and information, which VOL. IV. Ee

could be desired in visiting the prisons of that commercial and oppulent city.

Mr. Howard indeed, did not confine his observations to prisons only; the hospitals and charitable institutions of various denominations were also the objects of his care: in short, to do good to the miserable and friendless part of human nature, was the business of his life, and he' seemed to live only to gratify the ardent desire of his soul to go about and do good.

On his return from his first foreign tour, in 17,7, he published his State of Prisons in England and Wales, with Preliminary Observations, and an Account of some foreign Prisons. This he dedicated to the House of Commons, in gratitude, as himself expresses it, for the encouragement" which they had given to the design, and for the honour which they had conferred on the author. Mr. Howard stated a very dishonourable truth in this piece, namely, that he had found the rights of nature, and the grand object of moral reformation, to be less attended to in the prisons of England than in almost any other country which he had visited.

TO BE CONTINUED.

མ་་་

LETTER VI.

TO MR. VIDLER,

CONTAINING

AN EXAMINATION OF HIS SYSTEM, & HIS ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT OF IT.

HAVE certainly to beg your pardon for having inisunderstood you with respect to the doctrine of annihilation. I did not observe how you opposed the idea of endless punishment on the one hand, and annihilation on the other. In this matter I submit to your correction, and readily acquit you of all those absurdities which would have followed the admission of that principle. Other parts of that letter, however, you have but little touched, and some of them are entirely passed over.

As to your conjectures about my motives, both you and your friends might have been as well employed in something else. I can truly say, that I never wrote a line in my life with a view to "raise a dust" that might obscure the truth; and it is difficult to suppose that any person, unless he himself had been in the habit of doing so, would have thought of imputing it to another.

لليل

t

'It is my desire to understand you, and not to wrest any of your words to a meaning which they do not fairly include. I have endeavoured to collect your sentiments as well as I am able. The amount of your first maxim, in p. 330, appears to me to be this That if God created men, and placed them in circumstances which he certainly foreknew would issue in their fall and ruin, he willed this their fall and ruin; and