ANTICIPATION.

(WRITTEN IN SICKNESS.)

BY MRS. CRAWFORD.

WHEN with the silent spheres,
I sit in sweet communion,
While mem'ry pictures years
Of love's unbroken union;
I think when earth has shed

Its last bright sunshine o'er me,
How sweet with thee to tread
That starry path before me!

Though earth has been as heaven,
With such to live as thee,
It well may be forgiven,

To dream of what must be:
And in that dream of sorrow,

Of parting hard to brave,
Faith's golden lamp to borrow,
To light the sunless grave!

Oh! yes, there is above us,

A brighter home than this,
Where those who purely love us
Shall join our souls in bliss!
I have an inward feeling,

A holy whisp'ring sweet,
O'er heart and spirit stealing,

That tells me we shall meet!

THE LIFE, OPINIONS, AND PENSILE
ADVENTURES OF JOHN KETCH.*
WITH RECOLLECTIONS OF HIS CONTEM-
PORARIES DURING THE LAST
THREE REIGNS.

EDITED BY THE AUTHOR OF 66 OLD BAILEY
EXPERIENCE."

"O grief beyond all other griefs, when fate
First leaves the young heart lone and desolate
In the wide world without that only tie
For which it lov'd to live or feared to die."
"Necessity is a hard taskmaster."

for now, from the suddenness of the sensa tions of respect with which she inspired me, and the influence her manner and look had over me. It may well be said, that knowledge is the acquisition of new ideas, but all ideas are not alike, hence the different degrees of knowledge found among men, and their diversity of opinions. After the visita tion of this lady, I was a different man, and never from that period performed my business with any satisfaction-she revolutionized all my ideas; I acquired a more elevated notion of the effects of innocence upon human nature, and the deteriorating, demoralizing influence of low and grovelling sentiments, brought on by vice.

It was in reality the first time I had ever been in the company of a truly chaste, and virtuous, and beautiful being, and I bitterly cursed that fate, which had cast me among the most degraded of mortals, and placed me in the hateful situation to perform the work of tyranny and hypocrisy. While these reflections were passing in the mind, my wife had placed the lady upon a chair, where I heard her in the sweetest voice of anxious inquiry, asking, "What does he say? Will it be done? Oh! do go and use your influence; tell him he shall have my fortune when I am of age, and evermore my prayers. Oh! speak for me-speak for me!"

Even my wife, who, upon every similar occasion, where a female was interested for the life of a man, like all her sex, put the worst construction upon the affair, and suspected every one's character, now seemed overcome, and at a loss how to act. The lady, I saw, was not yet undeceived as to my inability to serve her; I was unwilling to keep her in suspense, yet wanted resolution to destroy the only hope to which she clung; for it seems she had abandoned all hopes of mercy from the crown, as it is the fashion to call pardons, even when innocence is made as apparent as the crown itself upon the king's head.

"Madam," said I, "if you will please to return home, you may be assured all which I can perform upon this melancholy occasion shall be done."

"Bless you-bless you!" she exclaimed. to the lowest of mortals, more genuine and "Oh! it is then true that the Almighty grants correct feelings of right and wrong, than to those who rule, and affect airs of superiority."

“OH! then you admit 'tis possible, but only improbable! You want more money? You shall have it. Stay," she said, placing her right hand upon the spot where the heart is supposed to beat, (which, by the way, I could do not deceive yourself; all ranks are liable I interrupted her, and continued, “ Madam, distinctly hear, like the beating of the sea to error; mankind is a blundering species, to against the bow of a vessel, when the ear, as make the best of us, but the greatest mischiefs we lie in the berth, is on a level with the wa- result from the arrogance and conceit of a ter's edge,) "but it cannot be yet-you will few, who, while grasping after false honors, take my word-yes, you will, I see it in your looks-0 thank you-thank you! On my knees I thank you!" and down this divine creature sank to the earth, while I retreated, feeling as if should she, by chance or design, touch me, that I should dissolve or melt into air. I was again entranced, looking upon her as ethereal matter, which I can only account

* Continued from P. 121.

forget that they are built of the same materials and passions as are the multitude. All vision conceives to be a substance. We are pursue some shadow, which their deceptive all constantly worshipping some idol, and almost invariably enslaved by some prepossession; we are animated, dejected, desponding, pursuing, avoiding, admiring, and despising in turns, alternately blissful and wretched. The whole of man's life is a scene of contra

rieties, in which we are every hour wander--false principles of every kind, engendered ing, under the infatuation of acquiring wis- by the influence of money. The current of dom. Too many of those who rise to power, opinion ever runs parallel to the current of and have control over the actions of others, wealth, or if they occasionally diverge, and pervert the little judgment they possess, by a form a reaction, they very soon are seen again false estimate of their own value. The pro- jogging side by side. The effects of estimabability however is, that we are in most mat- tion, or a name, are in themselves very extraters all wrong-God only knows who is in the ordinary, seldom or never in any case being right, if any one. Upon the present occasion regulated by the truth; still more extraordiit is enough for me to say, that I am pene-nary are the effects of money in this country; trated with a conviction that this young man it procures an estimation for virtue and wisis innocent of the crime for which he is condemned to suffer. I will entirely devote this night to a consideration of what can, under all the circumstances, be done : in the interim, allow me to return this purse, (which I at the same time put into her bag ;) please to leave a direction where my wife may see you, and depend on it she will so manage to communicate, as not to betray your secrets."

Thus saying, I hastily retreated from the scene, leaving the lady to be disposed of by my wife, who, I understood, after some arrangement for a meeting, sent her home in a coach, like Niobe, shedding tears as it were rain.

In proceeding along the street I called to mind the lines of the poet

"Each wanton judge new penal statutes draws, Laws grind the poor, and rich men rule the

laws."

dom. A rich man in England is a Solon, an Alexander, and a Socrates by prescription. Religion, laws and morals, all bow down and worship, or follow in the wake of wealth; the oracles of truth are all put to silence, by its influence, and the united natural understandings of twenty millions of persons are rendered subservient and brought to say ay or no at the dictation of this all-ruling power.

den, and all but devoured; it is as much as we shall be able to accomplish to fetch his bones out. Poor young lady! how strangely has thy presence taken off that coat of mail which covered up my heart, made me look into myself, and almost transmogrified me into a being of sentiment! I wish I could serve thee, if it were only to express my gratitude, though I know not whether I shall be more happy henceforth for it."

With these thoughts engaging the mind, I found myself at the door of Newgate, when I asked myself the question, what I came there for? Was I, single handed, to take the prison by storm, and bring out the prisoner from the cell, whom, by the way, I did not personally know? Was I to offer bribes to the turnkeys, or work by means more subtle? The futility of all, or any of these courses, now became apparent, convincing me that I had but followed the example of my betters, viz., made an ambiguous promise, to avoid the importuYes! rich men rule the law; those between nity of an applicant for favors, which our feelwhom there is no reciprocity of feeling, pre-ings or our interests will not permit us boldly sume to judge of that which regards the hap- to refuse! piness of each. Had this young man not been "Ah! said I sighing, "he is in the lion's poor, thought I, his plain tale of truth would have been believed; but, as it was shown he was needy, and had been in great distress, guilt was forthwith implied. If we were to seek for the cause why this spirit is so strongly infused, not only into the laws, but is always apparent in their administration, we should find it to be, because the majority of the wealthy members of the community (especially those become so since the year ninety) know that, when they were poor, they How long I might have gone on internally knew no bonds of principle. In other words, soliloquizing, I cannot tell, but here I was inthey obtained their own money by crooked terrupted by one of the turnkeys of the pri courses, and feel that if they were turned son, who addressed me, and asked if I had back into society to begin anew, they should heard that the report was come down, and again tread the same path, as far as opportu- that there was to be a very heavy day next nity would allow. Thus, drawing upon their week; adding, that there was such a scene own experience, the first article in their creed inside, as the oldest man in the gaol never beis, that all poor men are dishonest men. This fore witnessed: "a mother," continued he, feeling, I say, conjoined with a preternatural "two sisters, and a lovely betrothed girl for a selfishness, and a tenaciousness of that which wife, is too much for a man that is going to die they call the rights of property, has hunted to look upon. The governor is very angry at my lady Justice out of the land, or occasioned our letting in the last lady-she that passed her to take covert in some hiding-place. It you just now. I don't know what he will do was well written upon a statue of justice be- with them all. Hammond is gone for the docfore a court-housetor, for I hear they are all in fits down at the cells."

"Time out of mind has this poor lady been Waiting outside in hopes to be let in."

And equally apposite was the reply

I now learnt that the meeting of the council had been anticipated, and preceded by an interview with the Secretary of State, the four "I have still greater reason to complain, ladies having been introduced to him at the I entered long ago, but can't get out again." request of a member of the House, who took How much of all that the human heart en- an interest in the affair, accompanied by the dures may not be traced to the false morals | faithful servant, who never deserted them;

and who, like Fauntleroy's dog, possessed case nothing in your consideration? Are the such feelings of attachment that he could pine to death in their cause.

From this servant I had the particulars of the interview, which I will give verbatim. I must premise, that the then secretary had been frequently in the habit of publicly censuring the humanity and good feeling of his predecessor-condemning what he called his weakness, and that this was the first trial of what he was also pleased to denominate his firmness.

feelings and the disgrace of a mother, with other relatives near and dear, nothing? those who are innocent and susceptible in a high degree of the frowns of a wicked and illiberal world, nothing? Oh, sir, pause ere you shed innocent blood; remember that the day is not far distant when you will be called to meet him face to face; when you may hear his innocence proclaimed by angels and affirmed by your God."

66

Madam," rejoined the secretary, “I did "When satire and censure encircled his throne, intimidated; it is useless to bandy words. I not grant this interview to be threatened or I fear'd for your safety, I fear'd for my own." thought you might have some new facts to lay He held that legislation was never suffi- before the Council which meets this day; as ciently active in repressing the wickedness of it now appears you have none, we had better mankind; and was stoically apathetic in his part;" making an essay to move towards the office, when the vicious laws of our ancestors door. Here, however, he, in a manner, found were proposed to be assimilated to the times his retreat intercepted by the movement of the and the new relations of society. He receiv- two daughters and the other young lady. ed the four female suppliants seated at his Beauty in distress is thought to be (and I beoffice-table, as if engaged on indifferent af-lieve it) the most soul-stirring power in nafairs of the state; on their introduction by the gentleman who had, with much entreaty obtained permission to do so, the secretary slightly inclined his head, without apparently suspending the business about which he affected to be employed. Keeping them for a few minutes standing, he said, "Mrs. I know the object of your visit-it is a painful and distressing affair, but you must be aware I have a duty to perform, which must be exercised without respect to persons. Have you any new facts, are you prepared with any fresh evidence? If not, you will waste your own time, and only distress the feelings of all present, by prolonging this interview: where are your documents?"

"Documents, sir!" iterated the afflicted mother, "I have vouchers of his character from infancy!"

"Character, that will not do: I must have affidavits to disprove the evidence, or I cannot interfere with the course of the law. So, madam, our conference breaks up." Making, at the same time an essay to withdraw.

ture. The three females before the secretary were all young, remarkably handsome, and we must suppose that the feelings of agony they possessed and there exhibited were seen with all the full force of reality, were inartificial, and true in the fullest sense of the word to nature, being of a genuine and unfeigned type.

There is an Irish character in some play which I have seen, who never could, however enormous or preposterous, refuse any request made by a female; it was, therefore, his uniform practice to interrupt every lady that addressed him with these words: "I hope, madam, you won't ask anything of me that's impossible; by Jasus, if you do, I can't refuse; so plase to be careful." The secretary of state looked at the three graces in tribulation as if he would say, "Ladies, don't ask me anything that is reasonable or consistent; if you do, I shall be sure to refuse you." The timid creatures in grief gave him one look, but seeing in legible characters upon his countenance obduracy and hardness of heart, they turned away, now wringing their hands, then wiping their eyes, and occasionally sighing in a manner so audible yet so touchingly pathetic, The secretary coolly drew himself up, and that stoics and sages must have been induced assuming an air of great importance, answer- to turn aside the current of the law. For ed, "I will not be rude enough to suppose any effect, however, they had upon the secreeither of you think otherwise; but I must tell tary, their sighs might have been given to the you, that you want experience, and cannot be winds and their tears shed upon some sequestsupposed to know these matters so well as I ered spot upon the sea-side: but the wounddo. I will not keep you in suspense: I posi-ed pride of a mother, strong in the conscioustively cannot, nor will not interfere with the due course of the law as matters now stand; if you have any new evidence, any new facts, I will hear them. Let this be at once understood to prevent mistakes."

"He is innocent! he is innocent! by heavens he is innocent!" simultaneously exclaimed all four of the ladies.

"But, sir," asked the mother with astonishing self-possession, "let us, for the sake of meeting your peculiar views on this subject, suppose my son a guilty being;-is previous character nothing? first crime nothing? not to mentiou the doubt that must be admitted by the most rigid stickler of the law of evidence to circumvent this case? is a doubtful

ness of her son's innocence, was not so easily subdued by the hauteur of the man or the hollow consequence with which office invested him.

"Sir," said she, assuming the dignity of Mrs. Siddons as Queen Katharine upon her trial, "are you a real and tangible being, and is it given to you to save or to kill? Have you a heart, a mind, and a judgment like other human creatures-God's behests for our guidance here upon earth? And if you are possessed of these attributes, how is it that you cannot see that there is no ignominy resting

upon my son? The world acquits him, and the thread of my story to explain his characthe odium falls upon your accursed laws-ter. The unfortunate mother who last part. upon your blundering magistracy:-it is ed with him had been tolerably well-informyourself who will be ignominous in the eyes ed of his peculiar, dogged obstinacy, but unof posterity. Ye may condemn and slay, but happily upon this occasion took the very ye cannot make the innocent guilty, although course to turn the weakness against herself, you do thereby add to your own manifold or otherwise it is thought her son would have crimes. I was forewarned and apprised of been saved. It is remarkable, that throughyour contumacious nature, and the pluming out the period of this secretary holding office with which your vanity decorates your cha- no condemned culprit was respited after senracter, viz. firmness-yes, firmness in travel-tence of death was passed, excepting those ling the direct path of error. See how thick- convicts who had no friends to solicit the faly your temples are loaded with the honor of vor. If any influential persons, or any numhaving committed more blunders than any of ber of persons, or the public at large, (as in your predecessors, and that, too, upon ques- such a case as Doctor Dodd's,) applied for a tions of life and death. Who would not envy commutation, it was never granted: it was of so great, such a happy man? why, the demon no consequence, whatever might be the meof dullness and stolidity himself would scarce- rits of the case, if, by interference, the conly make a boast of such firmness. Yours is demned party was brought into notice, this the pride of Momus: you are vain of the cap secretary lost sight of every principle of justand bells, which distinguish you from men to ice, and uniformly opposed himself against whom sense is granted. I tell ye, sir, (and the respite of the unhappy supplicant for ye shall not deceive either me or the world mercy. Having entered office with a promwith the usual canting pretext, that it is the ise to himself to be firm, he was ever lookact of the king or the council, for I am but ing out for cases in which he might exhibit too well informed that the responsibility is and indulge his vanity in this his favorite and your own, and that you pride yourself in tak-pettier virtue; he did not reflect that, whening it upon your own shoulders,)-I tell ye, ever these cases occurred, he was opposing sir, that if you hang my son, you are, under his judgment against many others who were the sanction of a vile law, a foul murderer; better informed upon the nature of the quesand as such, I will proclaim you in the streets tions and the merits of particular cases than until I am called from this wicked world: himself. Upon these occasions, whenever when there, at the judgment-seat of all, I will there is a diversity of opinions, we must supimpeach you and sue for vengeance. Girls, pose the case to be involved in some doubt, dry up your tears; reserve them to moisten either as regards guilt, or the policy, or the those prayers you must offer to God for retri- expediency, under the circumstances, of takbution, and to invoke the aid of those who, ing life. In all such cases, however, our sehaving the impress of men, will conduct them-cretary rejected and totally disregarded the selves as such. Disgrace not yourselves by judgment of his contemporaries, arrogantly bedding them to a deliberate and confirmed assuming to himself a right, for the exercise of nicide: the beasts of the forest possess as of which he was in no way fitter, either by diny touches of humanity as the official mauine we now address. Gracious Heavens!" ee then exclaimed, throwing her arms and yes upwards," but thy purposes are all-wise; it is our duty to pray for the vilest, the hardest of hearts: enlighten, O God! and pardon him: teach him to deal with thy creatures more mercifully and justly for the time to come."*

experience or education, if I may not affirm, that by the latter he was disqualified even to give any opinion upon the subject: hence it is that such a vast number of old offenders, who were condemned for the heaviest crimes, under his administration so frequently escaped, as there were no persons to interfere on their behalf and provoke the secretary to oppose them; and as some must be spared the The secretary all this time was, or affected worst escaped, whilst a first offender, coming to be, collecting his papers, as if preparing to out of the walks of respectable life, whom the attend the council; when the lady made a public thought deserving of mercy, was sure pause, fearing he should be compelled to hear to be selected by the headstrong secretary to other matters of reproach, he‍hastily rang suffer, and establish what he considered his the bell, when as the attendant entered he strongest point, while, in truth, he was maksaid, "Show these ladies the way from the ing a display of his weakness. It is, howoffice," and himself escaped through a side-ever, a most horrible consideration to reflect door without waiting for a reply. When the that any one man should possess such a powparty reached the street, they procured a coach, and proceeded to Newgate, there to await the decision of the council and the arrival of the recorder with the report.

er: many have left others to exercise it, while many secretaries have blundered on in ignorance of what they were about; some few have, if error it may be called, erred on the As probably there is no man now alive side of mercy. Cavillers will say, the secrewho saw and noticed so much of this secreta-tary is merely the organ of the office, and that ry's movements as myself, I must interrupt

the decisions do not solely rest with him: in theory this is true, but in practice false. I have had too much to do with the system not to know how it works, although my office is one, perhaps, justly execrated. I hope, how.

ever, for any share I have had in the mis- sion, I remember when the report came down takes, to make some amends by writing free- we were all surprised at the respite of several ly my real and genuine sentiments regarding desperate housebreakers and highway robthat which I have seen and known to be true; bers; out of thirty-six condemned, five were it may, I pray, all tend ultimately to teach ordered for execution; three for forgery, all our posterity to steer clear through the rocks first offenders-this we understood-their and shoals which have hitherto wrecked the crime was, passing bad notes, never then parnames of so many of our penal code statute le-doned, lest the bank should founder; to use gislators.

My recollections are written long after the events themselves have passed away, and my opinions upon many occasions are not precisely such as they were when the events occurred. I once thought as a young man. I now write as an old one: I aim at principles, not at men; it is for this reason I should be sorry to throw any odium upon an individual, whether secretary or judge. The same motive has induced me to deal more generally with facts than I at first intended. Such a secretary, however, as above described did hold office for a long period, much to the hindrance of that which I and many others thought was justice. At the period to which I allude, I have known the city authorities assemble four, five, or six together at Newgate, when the life of an individual was thought to be in danger, which they thought ought to be spared. A consultation would be held "Shall we all wait upon the secretary, or shall the sheriffs themselves take up the man's

case, or

a sailor's term, she was at that period laboring hard in her course. A fourth was for a nameless offence: of him we said nothing; but when the recorder's clerk informed us, that the fifth was a man who had cut a nobleman's trunk from behind his carriage, although he did not succeed in obtaining it, we looked with surprise at each other.

"Pray," said I to a Dissenting minister who stood by, "can you possibly divine why this man should be ordered for execution?"

"Yes," said the man of God in a confident tone of voice; "don't you know that the gentleman's carriage he attempted to rob contained some despatches? it was on the road to Dover."

"Well, but," said I, "the man did not want the despatches, nor did he, I dare say, know they were there, therefore that cannot aggravate his offence."

True," rejoined the parson; "but then it was a carriage he attempted to rob, and a carriage with a nobleman in it. Think of "Gentlemen," the ordinary would say, per- that! The circumstance too of the des fectly alive to the temper of his man, "if you patches being so nearly lost, made a parawish to save the man's life, your only course graph in the newspapers, and placed the afis to affect perfect indifference regarding him, fair more before the public, calling for the --know nothing about him; but if any of you exhibition of a certain person's firmness. are imprudent enough to address the secreta- Besides," continued he, "don't you know ry upon the subject, depend on it the man's that to rob a member belonging to an Engfate will be scaled. No matter, gentlemen, lish aristocratical family, is an aggravation how strong are the reasons you can show why of the simple offence in a tenfold degree, the sentence should be mitigated, whatever the selection of the person on whom it. you do will be deemed an interference, and committed? If thieves will break in a. then, out of sheer opposition, he will be left steal, they must be taught that, to work b for execution. I admit that this is a bad state neath the shoulders, they must confine thei of things for us to witness here we who know depredations to any of the classes exclusive when there are palliating circumstances or of those who are included among the priviproofs of innocence, yet know, if urged, will leged order-those who have most to lose, inevitably hasten the man's ascent to the scaf- and whose persons are sacred in proportion fold. Unless I am sent for, I never mean to as they are rich. Did you never notice what go to the secretary's office again: it is use- a run through the newspapers an account of less,-it is worse, it does mischief. There he a robbery committed at a great man's house sits wrapped up in his own thick cloak of opi- has? Always headed-A most daring robnion; the more you endeavor to make him bery, Audacious outrage.'-'Every hope is throw it off, the closer he draws it round him, entertained that the villains will be shortly and therefore it is that I will never again apprehended and receive condign punishhasten the death of a fellow-creature by waiting upon him. I can liken him to nothing but a hedgehog, the moment you touch him he rolls himself up and points his armor in every direction."

ment.'-'Lady Elizabeth, who was so much alarmed when she heard of the robbery, while staying at her brother's seat in Devonshire, is, we are happy to hear, pronounced by her physicians to be out of danger.' You I remember these were the very words of may take my word for it, although I am Doctor F-when I was called upon to see a termed an heterodox preacher, that, whenprisoner and give my opinion as to his pre-ever a new law is to be made, and also whenvious life, and ascertain whether I knew him. ever the powers that be decide upon quesGenius and will combined is power, or the tions of life and death, that the personal prosymbol of it, but when will and power unite without genius, "it is a sorry sight" and works most monstrous mischief. Upon one occa

nouns we and our are the logical pegs upon which the arguments rest. These are the levers that move the affairs of the world;