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24
read thus far
Dates
Having the honour to be known to a gentleman who was intimate
with an old crony if the first cousin of a particular friend of the
mistress of the head footman in the family of the great man on whom such
graces depended, I had the good fortune to be able to make interest
once, and get admission, for a few minutes, into that celebrated
academy. I speak not out of vanity; still less out of a desire to censure,
when in truth there is no ground for it. The case is, as you cannot but
perceive, that, without some such arrangements as above to prevent the
pupils being at home to every body, no such Academy ever could have
been carried on. I had not, to be sure, as it happened, any friend there
at the time, to whom I wished to get an holiday: but how could the
master have known that, if I had not been fortunate enough to have formed
the chain of connections which recommended me to his confidence? You
saw, in my pamphlet, what I said on the subject at the time. A worthy
friend of mine, whom I need not mention to you, took me to task for
speaking so favourably. He had tasted the bread, and found it mouldy,
and I don't know what besides, which I have forgot. I told him
what was very true, that at the time that I published I knew nothing
of these complaints, and that what I said was the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth, as far as it then appeared
to me. I had no magic ring for making prison-doors fly open. The
master had had a week's notice. I had neither authority nor experience,
to examine and cross examine. The place was clean; the
people more so than could be expected. The master treated me with great
civility, and some very good bread, which he assured one was his
pupils' fare, and which I edified upon as such, seeing no reason to
to suspect the contrary. Some were living: others dying; whom, like the
Levite, I contented myself with looking upon at a distance. I had no
stomach for encountering Jailors and Jail. : the business, I
knew, was in better hands than mine.
I mention these particulars, that you may see, in a stronger
and stronger point of view, the importance of publicity in prison management,
and consequently of that plan which alone can render it practicable.
At present what purity of conduct can exempt a Jailor from the reproach of
guilt? In the case I have mentioned my evidence, you see, true as it was, was worth
nothing: and the evidence of Socrates would have been worth no more. On
the other hand, when no guilt can exist but it may be seen, he in whom no
fault has been found may be concluded to have none. The profession, thus
protected from unjust censure, would rise in the scale of estimation. And the
motive to guilt could no longer exist, which is grounded on despair of the
reputation of due to innocence.
Letter 13th
Understanding thus much of his situation, my Contractor, I think, notwithstanding
checks you have seen, I think my Contractor will hardly think it necessary
to ask me, what he is to do to persuade his boarders to set to work.
Having them under this regimen, what better security he can wish for of the
working and that to their utmost, I can hardly conceive: at any
rate he has much better security than he can have for the industry.
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Identifier: | JB/550/220/002 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 550.
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