remained there until the men left work, and then repaired to Mr. Aikin's house, to go through with him any sheets which might have been composed during the day; or, if there were nothing upon which he wished to consult him, would spend an hour with some other friend, or return to his lodgings, where he took his tea or coffee, in lieu of supper; and at his usual hour retired to bed. He did not do this, however, without closing the day with family prayer; a duty which he never neglected, though there was but one, and that one his domestic, to join him in it; always declaring, that where he had a tent, God should have an altar." 1

In this manner some weeks were spent, and by the month of April, 1777, the book was ready to be issued. It was published as a large quarto volume, and Howard insisted on fixing the price at so low a rate that, according to Aikin, “had every copy been sold he would still have presented the public with all the plates, and great part of the printing." 1 Copies were also distributed by him with lavish profusion to "all the principal persons in the kingdom, and all his particular friends"; and thus, for the first time, the public was made aware of the state of things which existed in every town and county gaol throughout the kingdom. Nothing could be more matter of fact than the book. There is a studious avoidance of every appearance of exaggeration. No attempt is made to draw harrowing pictures of the horrors which Howard himself had witnessed, or of the sufferings of the unfortunate prisoners immured in the dungeons he had visited. The bare facts spoke for themselves. He contented himself with the driest possible enumeration of such particulars as he deemed material. After a brief Introduction, and an account of the foreign prisons he had visited, he takes the several counties of England separately. Details are given in a tabular form of every gaol and bridewell; the nature of the accommodation, the number of prisoners confined in them, the names of the officials, the salary (if any) of gaoler, surgeon, and chaplain; the allowance of food for the prisoners, and the fees exacted from them. A specimen, taken at random, will best show the plan on which the work is arranged, and the various allusions in it will, it is hoped, be easily understood from the general description of the state of things which Howard revealed, to which a separate chapter must be devoted.

Surgeon, Mr. HARPER. (Salary, none; he makes a bill.)

Remarks. This gaol, built about 1772, is in a close part of the city. I was shewn a fine spot which some gentlemen very judiciously preferred. It has eight lodging-rooms for master's side debtors, and the common ward. Women-felons have only one room, and that without a fireplace. The men have a day-room. To their dungeons there is a descent of twelve steps to a passage only 4 feet wide; the four dungeons are about 9 feet by 6; at the upper corner of each, a little window, 11 inches by 7. All are very damp, dirty, and offensive: we went down with torches. Only one court for all prisoners. No straw; no infirmary; no bath. Rooms might be made for criminals in the area where the old county hall stood; in which case the horrid dungeons need not be used, and the sexes might be separated. Neither clauses against spirituous liquors, nor the Act for preserving the health of prisoners, are hung up.

One of the felons, James Ward, received his majesty's pardon, on condition of his going to sea. Mr. Francis Waters, clerk of the assize, wrote in the letter which enclosed the pardon (which was dated August 25, 1781): 'The Secretary of State's fee is £1, 7s. and my fee £1, 1s., which you'll take care to receive on the back of the pardon from the officer who receives him.' As no officer would take him on condition of paying this, together with 19s. 4d., the gaoler's and underSheriff's fees, I found the poor wretch in May 1782, languishing in prison on his pound of bread a day.

COVENTRY.

A TABLE OF DEBTORS' FEES

As settled by his Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the city of Coventry, at the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace held at the said city, the 12th day of January 1778, according to an Act of Parliament, the 32George the II., for the relief of debtors.

Every prisoner that lies on the keeper's side, if he has a bed to himself pays by the week Those prisoners on the keeper's side, and have

a bed between two, pay each by the week If on the common side, each prisoner weekly . To the gaoler for discharging every prisoner

6

6

I

0 13 4

2

4

I

I

committed or detained in his custody To the turnkey on every such discharge To the under-Sheriff for every discharge For receiving and entering every declaration. For a copy of each warrant against each prisoner o For every certificate of the cause of a prisoner being detained in prison in order for being discharged

03