The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 200: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Te | shockiogls prominent. Ob !. onr's indeed are blood- thirety—atrocious—and sanguinasy laws; and' they ‘Mecessanly render all theiz adminisiratens, agente, “There ladie,” said Min Soper, “you sem the 'anllery whese we pats the; vimen; and thats the ' gallery for the men. Thoy’re separated you | cee vy—mornla afore everything. In, this here ound: pas,” he continued, pointing to the enclosure. which we have siready noticed, “the gajlows’ birds sits. .Qp them Sundays when there’a. a condemned:sermon, tia place ia quite crowded: with, all your fine lords ang: ladies from tie Vest Kid, and with the faiilies. ofthe City authorities: Jeord bless: ye, maiam,” he. added, tuming, towarda: Mrx Brace, “ it’s as good: as @ play to;the fashionable folk; but I often thinks to. myself; thinks I, ‘ Whaia precious. cruel and. heart te be. sure !’”. The millines nade. no:reply:: but she. doubtices thought thar the man: was-not far wrong.;—otherwise | she would perhaps: have taken the.trouble to express her dissent.from his observation: “Now: well: wisit: the vimen’s room,” eaid Mr. Seper;. andshe aceardingly led the way into the wing tenanted by the femade prisoners: The moment the door of: that compartment wae thrown open, the earsof Mrs. Brace and Harriet-were saluted by licentious songs, obscene jests; and terrible imprecatiens; and they drew back, shuddering from head:to foot. “ Lord, this is nothing, I can assure ye, ladies,” ex- claimed the man: then raising his voice to the highest pitch of: its. gruff intonatian, he vociferated, “ Now, then, you wmen, hold your jaw, wili’ee?}—or else I) tell the puv’ner and: stop: your. meat at dinner-time The females-held their-peace for a short interval : Tintrit was not through respect’ for. Mr. Soper's com- mesd) ner in dread.of lis menaca ‘Their curiesity waseuddenty excited ‘by the arrival of visitors. Aind now what a revolting spectacle met the eyes. of: Mra Braee: and the lady's-maid! In a. large aleng- one side.of- which the beds were apartment; | seranged ‘Tike. shelves, three. desp, and-‘reminding ore | ‘ofthe bertls-in aship’s catin, anumber of -hideous- eoking- women were. assemblek 8 The. air: was. bet. ‘and fetide . the beds. were- all in disorder, dirty, and thisesable. Some of the females.were evidently in a ‘state bordering upon intoxication; cyen. at:that early: hewur ie the forenoon; and their. ffushed counte~- nanees were rendered more disgusting by the tangted, raatted, or dishevelled atate of their hair—thbeir.torn, léoee, negligent, and filthy apparek—their bold: looks '—and:the. air of savage ferocity aad hardened sm \ whieh. their features, ' Having: indulged in a good long stare at the visitors, some of the most daring of these wretches strrounded Mrs. Brace and-Harriet; demanding money; and the miftiner, with a. sickening sensation at the heart, ' hastened te distribute some small silver cons amongst ithen. ‘Phey expressed their pleasure in character- | istic terms of revolting -coarseness}—and Soper con- ducted Mrs. Brace and the maid ‘isto at atijoining ward, “Them’s the: misdéemeanant vimen that you've just seq,” he obecrved, as he closed the huge deéor of: the first apartment. “N ow you're going te wisit the fe- toate febone.” ‘ Again were the eare of-the visitors saluted with ‘libidinons songs, obscene jeats, and horrid oaths apthey } entered the second ward; and again were those voices | extingimahad fos a few minutes by the presence of the miliner and her abigail. The ocenpants of this room were not so uniformly revolting. as those in the formes;—and yet they were @ worse class of criminals, so fay as the shades of ini | quity anr defined: But the misdemeanants were | chiefly: drunken wretches who had committed savage | agaaults—brothel-keepers—the lowest description of prostitutes—and. old charwomen and wasterwomen | who had' been. committed for illegally pawning: whereas the female felons consisted of the dashing woman ofthe town who had’ perpetrated’ a robbery — the servant who had stolen in her master’s dwelling- house—the young creature who had murdered her | illegitimate, child—the well-dreased shop-lifter—the | poor searnstress who had: disposed of the materials | given her to make up-—the lady who had: robbed her furnished lodgings—the starving mother who had: thieved a loaf for her famishing children—the receiver of stolen goode—the female swindler—and the old: bawd:in. whose house some iniquitous deed had beet’ committed. For in Newgate, up to this very hour, no attempt at classification—beyond the mere divi- sion of the. misdemeanants. and’ the felons—has ever been made ;—and'thus the novice in crime herds with those who have grown gray in iniquity ! Is not this infamous?—is it not shocking in the extreme? Amd: then the Legislature afficts to won- der that ‘crime.should: beupon the increase! How can it- be otherwise?) What effort is made to reform the offender ?— what: wholesome scheme is adopted to re- claim and restore him to society?) None—none;— and nine-tenths of the wretched beings who crowd the felons’ gaols, the hulke, and the penal settlements, and whe ascend: the accursed scaffold; are not- so much the victims.of their own misdeeds, as of that: atrocious: apathy and:atominable neglect which are exhibited by.those who have the power of: reforming and. ameliorating the condition of' prison diseipline. The poor and the ignorant in this wretched enslaved! country are made poor-and ept ignorant by the ras- cally and detestable oligarchy ;—and' when John Bull: boasts of: the freedom and excellence of’ his institu-- tions, he is-a prejudiced, bigotted, narrow-minded; and: besotted fool Qh! my Heart bleeds when I! and think of the wrongs which the mélHons endure at the: lands of the, ftw>: and there ard times when I feet’ aswamed, degraded and Hurmilfated at having been’ born an Englishman, afd wish to God that L'was # Frenchman or an American! For at thie moment true freedom exists only in the United States:and in FPrance;—and ‘it is a loathsome |: mockery, a foul lie, and a burning shame to vaunt! even the enjoyment of: a shadow of liberty in Eng- Jand ' Again in the female faiens’ ward was Mts. Brace’s. purse opened ;—and, having dispensed some money amongst seciety’s poor outcasts there, she followed Seper, who led the way to the quadrangle occupied by the males,—Harriet: keeping close behind her mistresa: ' Inthe misdémeanants’ apartment, a sad spectacle of daaman demoralisation and abasement met the eyes of the visiters. Old men-—young men—and boys were wasting their tire in gaming, singing flask:songs, relating anecdotes of vilfany or debauchery, exchang- ing ribald jeste, wrestling, or sparring. The ward was in the utmoet diserder, and filthy to a degree. The | OONRANA atteilo) S COMM