the vicar of wakefield-第30部分

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ce；　and　have　lived　ever　since；　my　head　throbbing　with　schemes　to　deceive；　and　my　heart　palpitating　with　fears　of　detection。

'I　used　often　to　laugh　at　your　honest　simple　neighbour　Flamborough；　and　one　way　or　another　generally　cheated　him　once　a　year。　Yet　still　the　honest　man　went　forward　without　suspicion；　and　grew　rich；　while　I　still　continued　tricksy　and　cunning；　and　was　poor；　without　the　consolation　of　being　honest。

'However；'　continued　he；　'let　me　know　your　case；　and　what　has　brought　you　here；　perhaps　though　I　have　not　skill　to　avoid　a　gaol　myself；　I　may　extricate　my　friends。'

In　compliance　with　his　curiosity；　I　informed　him　of　the　whole　train　of　accidents　and　follies　that　had　plunged　me　into　my　present　troubles；　and　my　utter　inability　to　get　free。

After　hearing　my　story；　and　pausing　some　minutes；　he　slapt　his　forehead；　as　if　he　had　hit　upon　something　material；　and　took　his　leave；　saying　he　would　try　what　could　be　done。



CHAPTER　27

The　same　subject　continued


The　next　morning　I　communicated　to　my　wife　and　children　the　scheme　I　had　planned　of　reforming　the　prisoners；　which　they　received　with　universal　disapprobation；　alledging　the　impossibility　and　impropriety　of　it；　adding；　that　my　endeavours　would　no　way　contribute　to　their　amendment；　but　might　probably　disgrace　my　calling。

'Excuse　me；'　returned　I；　'these　people；　however　fallen；　are　still　men；　and　that　is　a　very　good　title　to　my　affections。　Good　council　rejected　returns　to　enrich　the　giver's　bosom；　and　though　the　instruction　I　communicate　may　not　mend　them；　yet　it　will　assuredly　mend　myself。　If　these　wretches；　my　children；　were　princes；　there　would　be　thousands　ready　to　offer　their　ministry；　but；　in　my　opinion；　the　heart　that　is　buried　in　a　dungeon　is　as　precious　as　that　seated　upon　a　throne。　Yes；　my　treasures；　if　I　can　mend　them　I　will；　perhaps　they　will　not　all　despise　me。　Perhaps　I　may　catch　up　even　one　from　the　gulph；　and；　that　will　be　great　gain；　for　is　there　upon　earth　a　gem　so　precious　as　the　human　soul？'

Thus　saying；　I　left　them；　and　descended　to　the　common　prison；　where　I　found　the　prisoners　very　merry；　expecting　my　arrival；　and　each　prepared　with　some　gaol　trick　to　play　upon　the　doctor。　Thus；　as　I　was　going　to　begin；　one　turned　my　wig　awry；　as　if　by　accident；　and　then　asked　my　pardon。　A　second；　who　stood　at　some　distance；　had　a　knack　of　spitting　through　his　teeth；　which　fell　in　showers　upon　my　book。　A　third　would　cry　amen　in　such　an　affected　tone　as　gave　the　rest　great　delight。　A　fourth　had　slily　picked　my　pocket　of　my　spectacles。　But　there　was　one　whose　trick　gave　more　universal　pleasure　than　all　the　rest；　for　observing　the　manner　in　which　I　had　disposed　my　books　on　the　table　before　me；　he　very　dextrously　displaced　one　of　them；　and　put　an　obscene　jest…book　of　his　own　in　the　place。　However　I　took　no　notice　of　all　that　this　mischievous　groupe　of　little　beings　could　do；　but　went　on；　perfectly　sensible　that　what　was　ridiculous　in　my　attempt；　would　excite　mirth　only　the　first　or　second　time；　while　what　was　serious　would　be　permanent。　My　design　succeeded；　and　in　less　than　six　days　some　were　penitent；　and　all　attentive。

It　was　now　that　I　applauded　my　perseverance　and　address；　at　thus　giving　sensibility　to　wretches　divested　of　every　moral　feeling；　and　now　began　to　think　of　doing　them　temporal　services　also；　by　rendering　their　situation　somewhat　more　comfortable。　Their　time　had　hitherto　been　divided　between　famine　and　excess；　tumultous　riot　and　bitter　repining。　Their　only　employment　was　quarrelling　among　each　other；　playing　at　cribbage；　and　cutting　tobacco　stoppers。　From　this　last　mode　of　idle　industry　I　took　the　hint　of　setting　such　as　chose　to　work　at　cutting　pegs　for　tobacconists　and　shoemakers；　the　proper　wood　being　bought　by　a　general　subscription；　and　when　manufactured；　sold　by　my　appointment；　so　that　each　earned　something　every　day：　a　trifle　indeed；　but　sufficient　to　maintain　him。

I　did　not　stop　here；　but　instituted　fines　for　the　punishment　of　immorality；　and　rewards　for　peculiar　industry。　Thus　in　less　than　a　fortnight　I　had　formed　them　into　something　social　and　humane；　and　had　the　pleasure　of　regarding　myself　as　a　legislator；　who　had　brought　men　from　their　native　ferocity　into　friendship　and　obedience。

And　it　were　highly　to　be　wished；　that　legislative　power　would　thus　direct　the　law　rather　to　reformation　than　severity。　That　it　would　seem　convinced　that　the　work　of　eradicating　crimes　is　not　by　making　punishments　familiar；　but　formidable。　Then　instead　of　our　present　prisons；　which　find　or　make　men　guilty；　which　enclose　wretches　for　the　commission　of　one　crime；　and　return　them；　if　returned　alive；　fitted　for　the　perpetration　of　thousands；　we　should　see；　as　in　other　parts　of　Europe；　places　of　penitence　and　solitude；　where　the　accused　might　be　attended　by　such　as　could　give　them　repentance　if　guilty；　or　new　motives　to　virtue　if　innocent。　And　this；　but　not　the　increasing　punishments；　is　the　way　to　mend　a　state：　nor　can　I　avoid　even　questioning　the　validity　of　that　right　which　social　combinations　have　assumed　of　capitally　punishing　offences　of　a　slight　nature。　In　cases　of　murder　their　right　is　obvious；　as　it　is　the　duty　of　us　all；　from　the　law　of　self…defence；　to　cut　off　that　man　who　has　shewn　a　disregard　for　the　life　of　another。　Against　such；　all　nature　arises　in　arms；　but　it　is　not　so　against　him　who　steals　my　property。　Natural　law　gives　me　no　right　to　take　away　his　life；　as　by　that　the　horse　he　steals　is　as　much　his　property　as　mine。　If　then　I　have　any　right；　it　must　be　from　a　compact　made　between　us；　that　he　who　deprives　the　other　of　his　horse　shall　die。　But　this　is　a　false　compact；　because　no　man　has　a　right　to　barter　his　life；　no　more　than　to　take　it　away；　as　it　is　not　his　own。　And　beside；　the　compact　is　inadequate；　and　would　be　set　aside　even　in　a　court　of　modern　equity；　as　there　is　a　great　penalty　for　a　very　trifling　convenience；　since　it　is　far　better　that　two　men　should　live；　than　that　one　man　should　ride。　But　a　compact　that　is　false　between　two　men；　is　equally　so　between　an　hundred；　or　an　hundred　thousand；　for　as　ten　millions　of　circles　can　never　make　a　square；　so　the　united　voice　of　myriads　cannot　lend　the　smallest　foundation　to　falsehood。　It　is　thus　that　reason　speaks；　and　untutored　nature　says　the　same　thing。　Savages　that　are　directed　by　natural　law　alone　are　very　tender　of　the　lives　of　each　other；　they　seldom　shed　blood　but　to　retaliate　former　cruelty。

Our　Saxon　ancestors；　fierce　as　they　were　in　war；　had　but　few　executions　in　times　of　peace；　and　in　all　commencing　governments　that　have　the　print　of　nature　still　strong　upon　them；　scarce　any　crime　is　held　capital。

It　is　among　the　citizens　of　a　refined　community　that　penal　laws；　which　are　in　the　hands　of　the　rich；　are　laid　upon　the　poor。　Government；　while　it　grows　older；　seems　to　acquire　the　moroseness　of　age；　and　as　if　our　property　were　become　dearer　in　proportion　as　it　increased；　as　if　the　more　enormous　our　wealth；　the　more　extensive　our　fears；　all　our　possessions　are　paled　up　with　new　edicts　every　day；　and　hung　round　with　gibbets　to　scare　every　invader。

I　cannot　tell　whether　it　is　from　the　number　of　our　penal　laws；　or　the　licentiousness　of　our　people；　that　this　country　should　shew　more　convicts　in　a　year；　than　half　the　dominions　of　Europe　united。　Perhaps　it　is　owing　to　both；　for　they　mutually　produce　each　other。　When　by　indiscriminate　penal　laws　a　nation　beholds　the　same　punishment　affixed　to　dissimilar　degrees　of　guilt；　from　perceiving　no　distinction　in　the　penalty；　the　people　are　led　to　lose　all　sense　of　distinction　in　the　crime；　and　this　distinction　is　the　bulwark　of　all　morality：　thus　the　multitude　of　laws　produce　new　vices；　and　new　vices　call　for　fresh　restraints。

It　were　to　be　wished　then　that　power；　instead　a　contriving　new　laws　to　punish　vice；　instead　of　drawing　hard　the　cards　of　society　till　a　convulsion　come　to　burst　them；　instead　of　cutting　away　wretches　as　useless；　before　we　have　tried　their　utility；　instead　of　converting　correction　into　vengeance；　it　were　to　be　wished　that　we　tried　the　restrictive　arts　of　government；　and　made　law　the　protector；　but　not　the　tyrant　of　the　people。　We　should　then　find　that　creatures；　whose　souls　are　held　as　dross；　only　wanted　the　hand　of　a　refiner；　we　should　then　find　that　wretches；　now　stuck　up　for　long　tortures；　lest　luxury　should　feel　a　momentary　pang；　might；　if　properly　treated；　serve　to　sinew　the　state　in　times　of　danger；　that；　as　their　faces　are　like　ours；　their　hearts　are　so　too；　that　few　minds　are　so　base　as　that　perseverance　cannot　amend；　that　a　man　may　see　his　last　crime　without　dying　for　it；　and　that　very　little　blood　will　serve　to　cement　our　security。



CHAPTER　28

Happiness　and　misery　rather　the　result　of　prudence　than　of　virtue　in　this　life。　Temporal　evils　or　felicities　being　regarded　by　heaven　as　things　merely　in　themselves　trifling　and　unworthy　its　care　in　the　distribution


I　had　now　been　confined　more　than　a　fortnight；　but　had　not　since　my　arrival　been　visited　by　my　dear　Olivia；　and　I　greatly　longed　to　see　her。　Having　communicated　my　wishes　to　my　wife；　the　next　morning　the　poor　girl　entered　my　apartment；　leaning　on　her　sister's　arm。　The　change　which　I　saw　in　her　countenance　struck　me。　The　numberles