Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1849-03-30
Extracts from lIacaulay's History Of
England.

III one TttDcCtt ~ HluoA bI aehfhtte AhaA
the progress of civilization has diminished
the physical comforts of portion Of the
poorest class Il has already been mention
ed that before the Revolution many thou
sands Of square miles, now incosed and
cultivated, were marsh, forest aud heath.
OF this wild land much was by Law common,
and much Of what was not common 10y law
was worth so little than the proprietors SUI
fered i, 10 be common in fact In such a
tract squatters aud irespassers were tolera-
ted TO an extent now unknown. The peas
ant who dwelt there could, at little or no
charge, procure occasionally some palatable
addition to his hard fare, and provide him
self with fuel for the winter. He kept a
flock Of geese OH what is now an orchard
with apple blossoms. He shared wild fowl
on the fen which has long since been drain
ed and divided into corn fields and turnips.
He cut tori among the furzc bushes on the
moor which is now meadow bright with
clover and renowned for butter and cheese
The progress OF agriculture and the increase
Of population necessarily deprived him of
these privileges. But against this advantage
long list Of disadvantages is to be set of
OF the blessings which civilization aud PHI
losophy bring with them, large proportion
is common in all ranks, and would, If with
drawn. be missed as painfully by the laborer
| as by the peer. The market place which
the rustic can now reach with his cart in an
hour, was a hundred and sixty years ago,
DAYS Journey from him. The street which
! now affords to the ar:izan, during the whole
night, secure and convenient lighted walk,
was, a hundred and sixty years ago, SO dark
after sunset, that he would not have been
able to see his hand so III paved that he
would have run constant risk OF breaking
his neck; aud so i'll watched that he would
have been in imminent danger Of being
knocked down aud pundered Of his small
earnings. Every bricklayer who falls from
scaffold, every sweeper Of crossing who
is run over by carriage. now may have his
wounds dressed and his limbs set with a skill
such as, hundred and sixty years ago. all
the wealth Of great lord like Ormond, or
of merchant prince like Clayton, could not
have purchased. Some frightful diseases
have been extirpated by science. and some
have been banished by police. The term Of
human life has been heightened over the
whole kingdom, and especially in the towns.
The year 1866 was not accounted sickly ;
yet in the year 1856 more than one in TWEEN
iy-three Of the inhabitants e Of ,ss off ,bs
sft~1. -. r------s -.-iy ---~ 'shaoHaht VI '"e
capital in forty dies annually. The differ
ence in salubrity between the London
Of the nineteenth century aud the London
Of the seventeenth century, is Tar greater
r than the difference between London in an
ordinary season and London in the chol.
+ era.
Still more important is the benefit which
all orders OF society, aud especially the low
er orders, have derived from the modifying
| influence Of civilization on the nationa
/ character The ground work of that clarac-
y ter has indeed been the same through many
generations, in the sense in which the ground
: work Of the character OF an individual may
1 be said TO be the same when he is rude and
: .hourh,,css school-boy and when he is re
1 fined and accomplished man. Ills pleasing
' 10 reflect tina, the public mind Of England
!. has sofiened while il has ripened, and tina
i we have, in the course Of ages. become
e not only a wiser, but also kinder people
c There is scarcely page OF the history OF
vi lighter literature OF the seventeenth centur,
G which does not contain some proof that ou
ancestors we're less humane than their pos
n teri,y The discipline Of workshops, o
# schools, of private families, though not NOR
S efficient than at present. was infinitely harsh
II err. Masters well born and bred, were il
!, the habit of beating their servants. Peda
l. gogues knew no way OF imparling know
b edge but BY beating their pupils. Husband
= Of decent station, were not ashamed 10 bea
" their wives. The implacabilily OF hosiil
factions was such as we can scarcely con
10 ceiye. Wings were disposed TO murmu
is because Stafford was suffered TO die wi,hou
n seeing his bowels burned before his face
G. As little mercy was shown by the populac
er to sufferers OF a humber rank. IL an OF
Id fender was put into the plllory, it was we
st il he escaped with life from the shower {
lg brick bats and paving stones. IL he wa
Of tied to the carts tail, the crowd presse
e, round him. imporing the hangman TO Civ
n II the fellow we'll, and make him how
Of Gentlemen arranged parties Of pleasure
to Bridewell on court days, for the purpose {
I'd seeing the wretched woman who beat hem
ee there whipped. A man pressed TO death f
I'd coming, excited less sympathy than is no
Is felt for gallant horse or an over driven o
n Fights, compared with which boxin
Ia match is refined, humane spectacle, wei
re dWOuR tue ldfOtllc uiNcF5lOuo OF diaiBS pa
i'll of the town. Multitudes assembled 10 81
he gladators hack each other 10 pieces vii
deadly weapons, and shouted with delig
bis when one of the combatants lost ing
,m or an eye. The prisons were seminary
re, Of every crime and OF every disease.
III the assizes, the lean aud yellow culprl
an brought with them from their cells 10 q
dock an atmosphere Of stencil and pes
or. lence which sometimes avenged them sign
=. ly on bench. bar, and jury. But ON all Il
&c misery society looked with profound ind
-. ference Nowhere could be found that Sc
r,a' sitiyc and restless compassion which has,
,u' our time, extended powerful protection
az az the factory child, to the Hindoo widow,
{" the negro slave, which prizes into the stor
and water casks Of every emigrnnt shl
niu which wnces at every lash laid on the ba'
w, y. of drunken soldier, which will not suii
" the thief in the hulks TO be I'll fed or oy
va, worked, and which has repeatedly endea
~, ~, ored to save the life even OF the murder'
,ell II istruc thai compassion, like all other ie
Ter ~. -..uk. a. H. nndar the oovernmenf