Mr. URBAN,

T

LETTER XIV. ON PRISONS, Sambrook Court, Dec. 28, HAT idlenefs is the parent of vice is not lefs certain than that induftry begets morality; ***** and, confequently, that one of the most powerful means of preventing the former is by promoting the latter; and it is more particularly requifite, where vicious habits have been long contracted, to exercife conftant energy, in order to fubftitute induftry for idleness, and to turn the vicious to the practice of virtue. But the management of the Prifons and Bridewells, as defcribed in the fubfequent letter, - appears to be diametrically oppofite to true policy and established experience. The punishment of confinement feems to be inflicted for the fake of confinement, and not of reformation. Can any incarcerated being emerge from chambers too dark to admit of feeing how to work, were even the inducements to labour promoted, and re-enter the world with the leaft propenfity to induftry? Independently of the danger of fuffocation from the french condensed in a moift rom of a few yards in dimenfion, with air-holes as big as piftol-balls, the light requifite for the purposes of labour is excluded. But if they are contracted where they fhould be enlarged, they are ample enough where they thould be clofed to ad mit the prifoner's head through, and fuch quantities of intoxicating liquors, as to endanger the fafety of the gaoler from their inebriating effects on the uninformed prifoner. To complete the triumph of im

morality, we read, "no religious attention; no chaplain (except in Peterborough gaol); no employ❤ ment, and the rooms too dark to admit of any; the act for the prefervation of health, and the claufes against spirituous liquors (Spalding bridewell excepted), not hung up!"

Thefe painful repetitions may fa tigue and difguft; but the difguft that ought to be excited, in the breaft of every man who enjoys the comforts of life, should be against the infliction of ufelefs confinement, and the neglect of moral inftru&tion. Can any Chriftian, can any man, view the degraded state of a fellow-creature, as faithfully recorded in thefe pages, without a thrill of commiferation bordering on remorfe, when he reflects that these facts are established, and he has not exerted a finger to remove them? Is apathy to human woe no degradation of his own character? What prefent means of relief are afforded for the confolation of the imprifoned object, or future pro fpects of reward for the promotion of moral and religious reformation are ever prefented?

"He looks around

Far fome to fuccour, to fupport, fome friend Whofe fympathizing eye might beam upon him,

And with a moment's glance of pity cheer His defolated fpirit. All around is vacant horror, folitary, dark.

CUMBERLAND'S Calvary, b. IV. 1. 58. True religion owns an active principle; and the exertion which mifery claims for its removal is an individual duty, not to be transferred in order to infure our own ease, and beget oblivion to another's woe, after the manner of the temporizing Felix to Paul when his prifoner:

Go thy way for this time; when

I have a convenient feafon I will call for thee."

Should the calm and perfuafive expoftulations of that patriot and friend of the friendlefs, who fo inceffantly endangers his own life to alleviate that of the prifoner, roufe attention, and excite energy in the Magiftrates and others not to protract the convenient feafon, the time employed in thefe letters will not be regretted by

JOHN COAKLEY LETTSOM.

To Dr. LETTSOM.

Lincoln, Aug.

12, 1802.

My dear Friend, YOU have fo ftrongly impefled my mind, that pure air is one of the greatelt fources of health, and, in an impure ftate, the most pernicious to every human being, that it has become the first object of my attention. It is much to be regretted (as will appear by the fubfequent account) that, where circumftances have prevented many old gaols from being re-built, no regard has been paid to improve their ventilation; hay, that prifoners are fuffered to flop with rags or fraw the very fcanty admiflion of air which the old fyftem of imprisonment allowed. Hence it is that their cells are more offenfive in winter than in fummer; and that, on opening the doors of their different wards, the patrid ficam is almoti fufficient to frike a perfon down.

each an iron-grating over the door. The boards on which prifoners fleep are raifed two feet above the floor, which would otherwife be very damp, there being no fire-place. The Soke allows ftraw, two blankets, and a rug, to each prifoner. As there is only one court, the two prifoners (a man and a woman) were together in it when I was there. Allowance to felons, 6d. a day. Surgeon, Mr. Beetham makes a bill. Chaplain, the Rev. John Weddred (as vicar of St. John the Baptift), to thofe under fentence of death, the court having the power of life and death. Debtors have a fpacious good room up-fairs, and, if the keeper furnifhes a bed, pay 2s. 4d. per week each. They have no allowance. No employment provided for any. The gaol very clean. Number of prifoners, Aug. 9, 1802, two, viz. one man and one woman. My remarks on this gaol, as well as the wretched bridewel! I ain about to deferibe, I fent to the Noble Marquis whofe property it is; and to this I was encouraged by the philan thropic character he bears.

PETERBOROUGH Bridewell, for the Soke, as above, has on the groundfloor a room about 7 yards long and 7 feet wide, formerly a work-fhop, which opens into a narrow flip, or court (9 feet 4 inches wide), not fecure, and the prifoners (always locked up) have not the ufe of it. No neceflary. No water acceffible to the prifoners. Neither the act for the prefervation of health, nor the claufes againfi fpirituous liquors, hung up. The two fleeping. rooms, 9 feet by 6, clote and ill venti.

bedfieads, two blankets, and a rug, to each prifoner. No employment, the gaol being too dark to admit of any. When a perfon is committed to hard labour, he beats hemp in a dirty room which leads to the prifon. No religious attention. If a furgeon is wanted, Mr. Beetham attends. The keeper, John White (a penfioner); falary, 81. and commitment fee, 3s. 6d. Allowance, 6d. a day. The whole prifon muft be more unhealthy, and is not much cleaner, than a pig-ity; it did not appear.

* Peterborough gaol has no regular chaplain, nor religious attentions; but, when a prifoner is under fentence of death, the vicar of St. John the Baptift (whoever he may be) is required to attend thera.

to have been whitewashed for many years. Prifoners, Aug. 9, 802, three STAMFORD Tovm Gaol. Charles Rogers, keeper; falary, 311. (of which 21. is paid by a rate, and 71. by the Corporation treafurer) for gaol and bridewell, This prifon, built at the town-hall, has one good room for debtors in the keeper's houfe. I was glad to be informed none had been committed here for ten years. A finall court-yard for all defeription of prifoners, the ufe of which is now per nitted, the walls being railed of fuf ficient height to be fecure. Water is Lid on by a pipe, for which the gaoler pays 10s. a year. For criminals there are two offenfive unhealthy cells, 10 feet by 8, and 74 high; the only light or air which is admitted is through a niche in the wall, 2 feet in length and 5 inches in width, and an aperture in each door about 8 inches fquare. The bridewell-room is 16 feet by 8, and has only one fmall window, 2 feet by I foot 8 inches; a perforated door, and in each room a neceflary Allowance to debtors, none; to felons, 8d. a day. No chaplain. If a furgeon is wanted, oue is feut by the Mayor. No employment, and the Bridewell-room too dark to admit of any. The act for the prefervation of health, and the claufes againft fpirituous liquors, not hung up. There is a table of fees, settled Aug. 29, 1729, hung up, and which I tranfcribed for their fingularity. They are not figned; and, having been long la difufe, would exceed the limits of my paper, and the perufal your patience. Gaoler pays window and all other taxes. Prisoner, Aug. 10, 1802, One.

FOLKINGHAM House of Correction. John Speight, keeper; falary, 501. No fees. Surgeon, Mr. Headley; makes a bill. No chaplain or religious attention. Allowance, 10lbs. of bread per week, and 2s. per week for oatmeal and falt, each prifoner. The oatmeal is boiled with crumbs of bread into porridge, and given to them twice a day in tin pans which hold one quart each. No employ. Men and women have each a feparate court-yard, but can fee and converfe with each other through an aperture in the door a foot fuare. This prifon is under the keeper's houfe, and confifts of four fleepingcells, about 10 feet fquare and 6 feet high, which open into a day-room with a fireplace, 19 feet by 9, and 6 feet

high. Three of the cells have iron gratings in each door, about a foot fquare, for light and ventilation; the fourth, called the dungeon, is totally dark, having no light nor air but what is admitted by means of four fmall holes perforated through the door about the fize of a piftol-ball. The day-room has three iron-grated and giazed windows; the floors are boarded, and not damp now. The county finds ftraw on the floor with a rug to each, and firing to the day-rooms. The women have two rooms, about 8 feet fquare and 6 feet high; the front-room has a fire place and a glazed window. Prifoners, Aug. 10, 1802, two men, three women, one of them with a child at her breaft.

"Samuel Abbot, Clerk of the Peace." And for every vagrant half the fum, 23. Sd. paid by the chief conftable.

Allowance, 6d. a day. When the prifoners work they have three-fourths of the profit, the turnkey the remainder. The county allows flraw on boarded floors, two blankets, and a rug, to each prifoner. If the keeper furnishes a bed, he receives 4d. a night from each, if one, or if two fleep together. Surgeon, Mr. Vyfe; falary, 121. No chaplain. Claufes against fpirituous liquors confpicuoufly hung up, as is also the act for preserving the health of prifoners, neatly painted on a fmall board. The afcent to this prifon is by 12 tteps, and the doors open into a boarded lobby. The eight upper rooms (the work room being divided, into two) are 13 feet by 10: chimneys in two of them; airy, and well ventilated. The eight under rooms vanlied, 12} feet by 91, and 7 feet high. The entrance to four is by a trap-door from the uper rooms. The doors of the other four open into the court, in which there is a pump, but not being fecure the pri foners have no access to it. The Court of Requests for the hundred of Elloe fend their prifoners here, and the cofis of execution, together with 6d. a mile for conveying the defendant to prifon, fometimes exceeds the original debt.

are

This prifon was very clean, and excel-, leut rules for its government painted and fixed up. Prifoners, Auguli 11, 182, four. Amongst them was Mary Allam (a lunatick), who had been contined, there 24 years.

BOSTON Town Gaol. This is allo the Bridewell. William Vaux, keeper; falary, 811. for gaol and bridewell ; fees on difcharge, 2s. 6d. No chaplain, or any religious attentions. bargeon, when wanted, is ordered by the Mayor.

This wretched gaol feems to have heen made under the arches of an old manaftery, on the ground-floor of which are two damp offenfive rooms, 14 feet fquare, with a privy. The iron-grated window is wide enough to admit the prifoners' heads through; and, when I was there, they were converting with people in the firect. The keeper told me they had liquor brought to them at all hours of the night, fo that his life was in danger from their frequent intoxication. Over the felons' rooms are two for women (one the bed-room, 9 feet 8 inches by 6 feet 4 inches,) quite ciole, the aperture in the door being ftopped up, Allowance, 4d. a day; firaw nu plank bedsteads, two blankets, and a rug. Adjoining are two rooms for debtors who are fent hither from the Court of Roquefts, No thorough air. The

debtor who was confined here com

Hdies of the late Edward AVING juft read some anceWortley Montagu in your very ufeful and entertaining Mifcellany vol. LXXIV. p. 1590), I take the liberty to add a few particulars, equally authentic, of that moft eccentric character. Being at Venice in the Autumn of 1775, in attend◄ ance upon a certain royal perfonage, I became acquainted with Mr. Montagu, by the circumfiance of his paying his duty to H. R. H. along with other diftinguished English Travellers. In his appearance and manners he feemed a complete Turk. He wore the yellow turban as a Prince of the Turkith empire, and thewed me his diploma of dignity, figued by the Grand Signior, with the imperial feal affixed by a ribbon. On vifiting him, I always found him fitting upon a carpet in the manner of the Turks, generally with a long pipe in one hand, and with the other ftroking down his long beard, which reached to his girdle. There was a certain brilliancy in his eyes, for which he was partly indebted to the Eaftern cuftom of tinging the edges of the eye-lids with black, by drawing between them a fmall bit of thin deal dipped in the powder, a little box of which he always carried about with him, and bad frequent recourfe to. In perfon he was rather low, thin, and fwarthy, but had the mein of a man of fashion. A mute conftantly attended him, ftanding in a corner of the room with his At times hands acrofs his breaft. up fome loofe manuhe would take feript fheets, a parcel of which was always lying by hip, and write in