pocket money I enjoyed was from his bounty. He was a fine handsome man, though of middle size, and a first-rate scholar.

Towards the conclusion of 1809, Robert Bloomfield, the poet, paid a visit to Mr. Pollard ;- and to do him honor several of the boys had pieces from his poems to learn, with the view of reciting them before him. I acquired by heart his Highland Drover returning from England,' and was delighted when I was told it was to be recited before him; and I did recite it before him. I have since thought how much more effective I could have delivered it, had I then the Scottish idiom I have since acquired. But it was a bold stroke for an English agricultural laborer and poor shoemaker to attempt a description of Scottish scenery and manners, and one part I remember amused Mr. Pollard amazingly, and on my reciting the poem to him (Mr. P.) before I was ushered into the poet's presence, he smilingly exclaimed as I uttered,

'Perhaps some huge rock in the dusk she may see,

And will say in her fondness, "That, surely is he!"'

'Rather gigantic, that; don't you think so?'

I did think so, when Mr. P. pointed it out, but I had not noticed it before.

The Poet was a small man, about five feet five inches in height, and exceedingly modest in his demeanor. When I had finished the poem, he advanced towards me purse in hand, but I caught the eye of Mr. Pollard, and refused the proffered gratuity; and after his departure I found I had done right, for Mr. Pollard observed, 'You would see I did not wish you to accept any present from Mr. Bloomfield. Poets are a generous, but a poor race; and Bloomfield is one of the poorest of them, and I am sure has nothing to spare out of his slender purse.'

About this time an incident occurred of a most painful nature, which has made a serious impression upon me, and convinced me not only of the cruelty, but impolicy

of making boys confess crime under the smartings of the lash.

A boy of wealthy parents had received a present of a rich cake, which he had carefully deposited in his box, and which he indulged himself in eating, when, as he thought, none of the boys were near. But he was mistaken. There were others as cunning as himself, and on one occasion he had been enjoying his cake by himself, and was suddenly called away without locking his box the result was, his cake was pounced upon and devoured, so that on his return the remains of the cake had vanished. He set up a howl, and then went to the master and laid his grievance before him,

It chanced that one of the youngest boys in the school was in the Lusorium on his return, and he was immediately charged with the theft. He denied it; declared that he knew not that the boy had a cake, and if he had known it he would not have touched it. He protested his innocence of the crime. However, after Mr. Pollard had been informed, he said he would soon discover the thief. We were all assembled in the play room, and the poor boy (innocent as he was afterwards proved to be) was first submitted to the lash. He bore it for some time, crying bitterly while smarting under the lash, but protesting his innocence. But as Mr. Pollard continued to flog on, his fortitude gave way under the pain, and, at length, he acknowledged he had eaten the cake, upon which Mr. Pollard first gave him half-a-dozen additional lashes for his lies, and then made him pay out of his own pocket-money for the damage he had done. He was branded both as a liar and a thief.

And yet this boy was innocent! but this was not discovered until six months after the occurrence; when another boy was detected in an act similar to the one for which the poor boy had suffered, and during punishment confessed that it was he who had purloined the cake. Mr. Pollard was furious, punished him without mercy, and appeared to me to be even resolved to punish the poor

little boy who had previously suffered, because he had not sufficient courage to persist in the truth. Frightened, the poor little fellow, with tears in his eyes, exclaimed, 'O, sir, don't flog me-indeed, indeed, sir, I could not bear the pain. I was obliged to say I took the cake, but I really did not. O, sir, don't flog me!'

Mr. Pollard was moved, but cautioned him 'never again to tell a falsehood, whatever pain he might suffer.' Alas! alas! such advice to a child of ten years of age might be considered good; but how shall we view it when it proceeds from a man whose powers of reflection ought to have taught him better? A child accused of a petty theft, protesting his innocence, but his weak sense of truth unable to contend against the unmerciful lash.

I am reminded here of a case of murder on the Continent in days when the rack was in full force. A man had been convicted on circumstantial evidence, and had actually endured the torture of the rack, protesting his innocence. The authorities, however, were convinced he was guilty, and hit upon a scheme to make him confess. They dressed up an executioner, as nearly as they could devise, in the costume of the devil, surrounding the eyes with a glare of red paint, and covering the whole person with phosphorus, so that a bluish flame appeared to invest him. They then entered the cell of the prisoner at midnight, and one of the conspirators in a hollow voice reproached the prisoner for his obduracy in not confessing. The terrified wretch, who had borne the horrors of the rack, sunk under the terrors of the imaginary visit from hell, and groaned out a confession that he was guilty. This was enough. He was executed. In twelve months, the real murderer was detected in another crime, made confession, with such minute particulars of the crime for which the other had suffered, as left no doubt of the innocence of the poor wretch who had been terrified into confession of a lie. What becomes of extorted confessions with these cases before us? Alas! how many an

Third Period:

FROM FOURTEEN TILL EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.

1810 To 1814.

'Observe persons whose heads are very prominent on the sides," and flattened at the top, and you will always find them false, artful, perfidious, venal, vacillating, and hypocritical. Such persons make you feel at home with them, that they may unexpectedly lay their plots against you, and the more easily work your ruin.'

GALL.

'Artful and hypocritical man constantly endeavors to control the expression of his countenance and motions: he is impenetrable, he dissembles bad offices, smiles upon his enemies, checks his temper, disguises his passions, belies his character, speaks and acts contrary to his sentiments; all these are but refinements of the single vice, falsehood.'

THE COURTIER OF LA BRUYERE.

I HAD not been apprenticed a week to Mr. Fleming before I discovered a vast difference both in him and in the treatment I received. I feel confident my brothers never could have known the real character of this man, or they never would have placed me in such keeping, or under such training. All they could have known of him must have been during seasons of festivity, when the passions were in a comparative state of quietude, and a plausible appearance of good nature predominated. I can truly say he was one of the worst characters I ever knew, and ignorant to a degree that was perfectly amazing to me. He could neither read nor write, was a most profane swearer, and a vile drunkard; but withal he had great plausibility, so that he could and did impose upon almost all with whom