John Howard was born at Hackney, in 1726. His father, who was a London tradesman, dying when his son was young, left him to the care of guardians, who apprenticed him to a wholesale grocer. His constitution being weak, and finding that his property would procure him independence, he bought out his indentures, and quitted the cares of business. In 1752 he married a lady much older than himself, but without any interested motives, for he presented her small fortune to her sister. They lived only three years together, in much happiness; and he sincerely mourned her death. He married, and became a widower a second time.

An extraordinary incident is sometimes rendered by providence an instrument of directing a man to a pursuit in which he may be useful to his fellowcreatures. Howard, on a voyage to Lisbon, in 1756, was taken prisoner by a French privateer; and the pain and inconvenience he suffered on this occasion, are supposed to have awakened his sympathy for those unhappy persons who are subjected to the privations and wants of imprisonment. These benevolent feelings were confirmed by his appointment, in 1773, to the office of sheriff; which, as he has said himself, "brought the distress of prisoners more immediately under his notice." He thereupon formed the design of visiting all the places of confinement in England. He completed his inspection of the British prisons ; and the results of his labours were communicated to the House of Commons, of which honourable body he received the unanimous thanks.

Howard's views of doing good to mankind were not restricted to his own country. Between the years 1775 and 1787 he travelled to visit the places of confinement in Europe; three times through France, four through Germany, five through Holland, twice through Italy, once in Spain and Portugal, and also through the Northern States and Turkey. He regarded a considerable accession of property, which was, during this period, bequeathed to him by his sister, as the gift of heaven for the promotion of his humane de

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signs, and he applied it accordingly. He published several works on the subject of his labours. wonderful exertions had procured him such a reputation, that a large subscription was raised to erect a statue to his honour. His modesty and real greatness of mind interfered to prevent the completion of this purpose.

In a work which he published on Lazarettos, he declared his intention of revisiting the countries of the East, to examine the distresses, and to relieve the necessities of those suffering under infectious disorders. With a truly Christian fortitude, and noble contempt of danger, he left this solemn and affecting declaration of his motive:- "I am not insensible," said he, "of the dangers that must attend such a journey. Trusting, however, in the protection of that kind Providence which has hitherto preserved me, I calmly and cheerfully commit myself to the disposal of unerring wisdom. Should it please God to cut off my life in the prosecution of this design, let not my conduct be uncandidly imputed to rashness or enthusiasm, but to a serious, deliberate conviction that I am pursuing the path of duty, and to a sincere desire of being made an instrument of more extensive usefulness to my fellow-creatures than could be expected in the narrower circle of a retired life." These forebodings of his fate were realized. John Howard terminated his glorious career in the performance of an habitual act of charity. In visiting a sick person at Cherson, who had a malignant epidemic fever, he caught the distemper, and died January 20, 1790.

It may naturally be imagined that this great martyr to benevolence must have made many pecuniary sacrifices to accomplish his design of mitigating the pressure of affliction. His fortune, though considerable, was not immense. He did not, therefore, spare from his superfluities alone. He practised the most rigid self-denial; he did not. mix in any convivial society; he at one time lived only on potatoes, and at another time on bread and tea. He was a striking example of decision of character; and he manifested

how much good may be effected by individual exertion, systematically and strenuously directed towards a favourite end.

The memory of Howard was cherished by his countrymen with peculiar honours. A statue has been erected to him in St. Paul's Cathedral, on the base of which is inscribed a sketch of his life, concluding with the following words;-"He trod an open but unfrequented path to immortality, in the ardent and unremitted exercise of Christian charity. May this tribute to his fame excite an emulation of his truly glorious achievements."

The noble example of Howard has indeed called up a corresponding spirit of benevolent emulation in Great Britain. The attention which this great man paid to the miseries of imprisonment, produced the effect of rendering odious many of the unnecessary severities which were found in the cells of crime and wretchedness. But there was little of systematic cooperation in making the punishment of a criminal conduce to his moral improvement. It is only within a few years that a proper attention has been paid to the management of prisons, so as to render them correctives of evil dispositions, rather than nurseries of vice. But a great deal still remains to be done. A society is now in active operation for the improvement of prison discipline and the reformation of juvenile offenders: and their labours have been attended with the most encouraging success. To furnish some idea of the necessity for these exertions, and the extensive benefits which are likely to be produced by them, we extract the following from some resolutions published at a very recent meeting of this laudable society:

"That it appears by returns which have recently been laid before parliament, that of 519 gaols and houses of correction in the united kingdom, and to which, in the year 1818, upwards of 107,000 persons were committed, 23 only of these prisons are divided, as required by law, for the classification of offenders; 59 have no division whatever to separate male from

female prisoners; 136 have merely one division; and that in 73 prisons only has employment of any description been introduced. That this meeting feels deeply impressed with the conviction, that the defective construction and discipline of many of the gaols and houses of correction are productive of much crime and misery; that, as the great end of all punishment is the prevention of crime, this object is best attainable by measures which, while they operate to deter, are calculated to reform the offender; that experience has satisfactorily demonstrated the beneficial effects of salutary arrangements in prison discipline, by which humane treatment, constant inspection, moral and religious instruction, judicious classification, and well-regulated labour, seldom fail, under the divine blessing, to reclaim the most guilty and soften the most obdurate; that the general adoption of an improved and enlightened system, in the construction and management of public prisons, would very essentially contribute to the diminution of crime, and the welfare of the community.

"That this meeting laments to observe the continued increase of youthful criminals in the metropolis and its vicinity, to an extent most deeply affecting the public security; that, by a personal inquiry which this society has made into the cases of 2,000 juvenile depredators, there is reason to believe, that in the cities of London and Westminster and the borough of Southwark, there are upwards of 8,000 boys who derive subsistence by the daily perpetration of offences; that, although some of the circumstances which operate as incitements to juvenile delinquency are difficult of removal, yet there is one cause which admits of specific remedy, and the effects of which are deeply injurious, the defective discipline of the gaols; that, crowded as these prisons are with felons, of every degree in guilt, the youth committed on suspicion only, or convicted of his first offence, is necessarily compelled to mix with characters the most atrocious, among whom, if innocent, he must soon be corrupted, and, if guilty, hardened in iniquity; that this meet

ing is therefore decidedly of opinion, that no means for the diminution of juvenile delinquency will be so efficacious as the erection of a prison for youthful offenders in the metropolis, to be conducted on an enlightened system of discipline; a measure which this meeting is happy to observe has received the sanction and recommendation of the gaol committee of the house of lords."

It is such associations of men of all parties in the divine duty of diminishing crime and relieving affliction, that constitute the peculiar pride and happiness of our country. It is to be remarked, that these munificent institutions in general owe their origin to some highly-gifted individual, like Howard; and in remarking this, we must adopt a sentiment expressed at the late meeting of that society whose labours we have just noticed, by that eloquent advocate of every plan of Christian charity, Mr. Wilberforce,-"that one of the highest pleasures derived from being called an Englishman, arises from the consciousness that a full opportunity is afforded for the exercise of our faculties, both for the glory of God and for the benefit of our fellow-creatures."

K.

JONAS HANWAY.

THE history of our country, and that of the last century in particular, presents us several most eminent examples of men who have devoted their fortunes and their talents to the business of improving the condition of their fellow-creatures. It is the duty of the statesman to promote, as far as laws can operate, the advance of national happiness and prosperity; but a magnificent system of policy may sometimes be diverted from its proper ends, or its effects may not be realised during a period when they may be distinctly traced to the comprehensive plan from which they proceeded. Fortunately, in Great Britain the watch