The Sun.
London, England, 1815-12-04 00:00:00

c.;vil.)

-4 .I.—arncy through Spain, in the Years 1796 and 1787, .tic.
&c. "fliril Edition, By JOSEPH Tc)IVNSEND , A. M. Ilector
of l'ews:;y,, it 2 Vols.4* Lir igivan, Horst, het's,
Orme, ;aid Bro'Wn: and Sherwood, Neely, and Jones.

11
aving bad occasion to notice this work in the
leading observations in TNE SUN of Saturday, we
have been induced to place it next on our Review
List, in which we acknowledge to have a long
ar-
rear to bring up. At present, however, we shall
not attempt to draw any general character of the
publication, further than to say, that it is written in
' that desultory and entertaining style which mixes
much information with light and amusing read-
ing. The extract to which we shall now confine
ourselves, affords a fair specimen of this, and may,
we think, be appropriately introduced with 'refer-
ence to the subject which led us to it in our last
number. The*Adulteries of our times are unhappily
too common to meet with the abhorrence due to
crime, too high to be repressed bycontetupt,and too
fashionable to be shamed by ridicule. The pulpit
denoitnc6 them in vain ; the more" Myles-
sive Stage recommends them, in the penitence, and
tears, and returning felicity of its Mrs. Hollers._
What remedy is. there then to- be found for this
growing evil It is beyond the Divine—it defies
the satirist—it barters with time -Lawyer, giv-
Jug and receiving rights and reputation. in all
the to.rms under which it may be presented to our
detestation, the most detestable is that which it
'ass'umes in the painting of the advocate hired to
`defend it in a Court of Justice, or, in the phrase
more -agreeable to the profession, feed to plead in
mitigation of damages. How shocking to the
sense of mankind, (not to speak of their Vir(tie),
to bear 'the naive of,Love prostituted as an apo-
logy for all but incest, and the most frivolouS ex- •
cties otiereilin justification of the deepest guilt—
,
of' the desertion of numerous children by their
abandoned mothers ; of the violation of the
marriage-bed by the dearest friends and .the
nearest relatives ; of the most unrestrained in-
dulgence in the grossest sensuality and lust, heed-
less of human wretchedness, and fearless of Di-
vine vengeance. But this is a subject too painful
to pursue further—if the Ordinances of God and

the Laws of Man fail to deter from the vice, 'a
humble labourer in a diurnal publication must not
hope to do more than put on record a fruitless
expression oil sorrow for titese examples of de-
pravity 50 degrading to humatinaturc.

• But to return to and conclude wiih Mr. TowNs-
END leaving it to our Itt'adCrS to apply the les-
son, and imagine whethei British Ladies who dis-
grace their rank merit .the fate of these high-
blooded Dames of Spain, we extract for -their
peruSal the Author's account of an Institution pe-
culiar, we believe, to Barcelona :
.
" There is one house of correction, which is
too rrtuarkable to be passed over in silence. It
enibraces two objects ; the. first is the reforma-
tion of prostitutes and female thieves ; the se-
,
Cowl,' the correction' of women who fail in their
obligation to their husbands, and of those who
either neglect or disgrace their families. The
house for these purposes being divided into dis-
tinct portions, without any commtmication be-
tween theta, the one is called real casa de galera,
and the other real cos. ade arreccion. For each of
those, who are shut up in the former, the King
allotvs seven deniers to purchase eighteen ounces
of bread, and nine deniers, which is nearly one
penny sterling, to procure meat. The tund for
this arises from fines; .but to aid this fund, the
women are obliged to work as long as they can
see. By their labour they earn about fire shit-
hugs a month, half of which-they have for them-
selves, whilst, of the other half, the Alcayde, or
Governor, haS one-tenth, to stimulate his atten-
tion' to his':duty. These women, working thus
from light to light, would earn much more, were
it not for the multitude of holidays. The ladies,
Who deserve more .severe correction than their
husbands, fathers or other relatives .can properly
adniinister, are confined by the magistrates, for a
term proportioned to their offences, in this royal
mansion, or easa real de'Correccion. The rela-
tion, at whose snit they are taken into custody,
pays three sucldos, or four•pence halfpenny per
gay, for their maintenance; and with this scanty
provision they roust be contented. Here they are
compelled to work, and the produce of their la-
hour is deposited for them, till the time of their
'confinement 'is expired. .The whole of the budd-
ing contain five hundred women ; but, at
present, there arc only one hundred and thirteen.
• Among tlivse are .some Ladies of conditioß, who
are supposed- to be visiting sonic distant friends.
• Here they receive bodily correction, when it is
judged necessary for their reformation. This es-
' iablishmeut is. under the direction and govern-
ment of the regente de la audienci, assisted by the
• E,,,0 senior ernninalJudges, w ith the Alcayde and
iii*aettrndants. ,One of .these Judges conducted
me through the several apartments, and irom him
li ••!'•c.c, eiecu.my 'Among other parti,
cl;.l.`s,:tie told me, that they had then under dis-
faNlijoit, accused of drunkenuass,
t) bc.ty, invtide/,, in fi,:e.,.cotduet,, As she
, ‘k:ir pa: aesusiag was her brother.-
" •