The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-08-12
NO. 1913.
ICoPYRIGHT SECURED
GREENWOOD LEAVES FROM OVER THE SEA.
LONDON, JulN ID, 1852.


neasantly, by attending, ON Monday night a
iuu,cal party at the house of Mr.. Holland, n
member of Parliament, where | heard some
brilliant playing and exquisite singing, and
where met some very interesting people, chief
among whom were my host and hostess |
must not forget to tell YOU of portrait of the
latter. Ly Schoeffer 1t was a glorious picture,
and 80 strangely like our sweet friend R,
Sc the Lady Una, that the sight of it made me
both sad and sorrowful one of those chance
Lkenesses, more startlingly perfect than any
portraltnre =, ~
Mfr Justice T,lllourd as ! believe this is the
HIGHER title The poet is IL most kindly, quiet
pnpretendng man. and conyerses agreeably
though with occasional wanderings OF thought,
and lapses int sort of ejaeulatory dreami-
ness.
On Wednesday, with my good friend MIR.
B,npock for ciceronc visited Newgate and
81 Bartholomew = Hospital. There were com
uarativcly few criminals in the prison, but they
we're hard, heaven-fOrgotten looking creatures.
think never saw human eyes which had so
lost every ray of the primal soul-lght, seeming
Ia give out only deathly, pestilential CLEAN
from moral vileness and corruption-iaces into
tbe IRON hoof of Satan himself My very soul
shnddered and sickened at the sight of beings
seemingly 50 helpless, hopeless, and redemp-
,;onlass vet dared not despair, remembering
,Lat stood on ground hallowed by the labors
or Elizabeth Fry remembering what wonders
orrenentance and redemption she had all singly
and silently wrought, with her holy faith her
,,atont endurancc. and that perfect love
which castcth out fear.
Newgate is black, gloomy place, dark
oned as bv the thick shadows of innumera-
Lln miseries and crimes, and terrible in the
array of chains and bolts and ponderOus iron
doors-where narrow stone stairways and moi
sonc cells and long, low, chill passages, fill
one with shivering horror. Yet this was built
under the direction of Howard. Surely in
nothing is the progress the enlightenment and
the lrniencv Of the age more marked than in
prison construction and discipline. Thank
Heaven for the token
Our guide showed us into a sort of gallery,
high-waled and paved with dark stone-a
damp, shiny, dismal, lonesome place, from
which shrank back instinctvely, with a
nameless dread a chill horror, which seemed
to come up from the black pavement, and creep
through my very bones. 1t was the place
where the criminals hanged at Newgate are
buried. On the wall their initials are rudely
cut SO that friends if they leave any, may
know on which of those ponderous hag-stones
to shed the bitter tears of their shame, the
desoate tears of their SORROW. From visions
Of hurried burial scenes, where bodies, borne
uurple-iaced from the near scatfold were
thrust into this prison charnel-house, shut
down into the blackness of darkness, with the
shades of shame and crime keeping an eter-
nal watch above and not word of pious pity
nor a sculptured prayer, not even Il chubby
cheruh-lace to exercise demons-my mind
went back Il few centuries, to the gorgeous flu
neral obseques of sceptred robbers and crown
ed murderers, who with slow religious state
aud regal pomp, were laid to rest in Westmin-
ster Abbey, under grand canopies, costly monu-
mental cihgies heraldic signs holy texts, and
royal layishment of praise.
The guide told us that criminals on trial for
murder were conducted to and from the court
through this awful passage. T. What were the
trial by fire to this !" remarked my friend
What were treading on burning plough
shares to walking over the bones of murder
crs :" The thought was fearfully suggestive,
and with Il sensation Of horror | can never
forget, hurried from the spot.
The courts were in Session In one which
we visited II China man was brought up in evil
denrc and he took the oath by solemnly break
ing saucer. II typical, in many cases IN
honcstcr than the Christian form.
From Newgatc we went to the noble old
hospital have mentioned. where | was COM
fortcd by seeing the poor and suffering the
homeless and friendless skilfully treated and
tcnderly cared for.
We afterwards visited the new Holloway
Prison. and the Pentonvile Model Prison, both
OF which strike me ~ most admiralty con-
structed and the latter, which alone is Occu-
pied very wisely and mercifully managed
After Newgate, these buildings have lofty,
airy, AN elegant, and almost cheerful look
The health and comfort of the cOnvicts are
here studied to degree quite alarming to GER
tain adhercnts of the old system, who cry out
that all such prison reforms are setting pre-
MUM ON vice as though, even baths, warm
blankets, wholesome soup and bread, were
compensatons for the forfeited freedom While
rcmarking everywhere in these institutions the
perfection of order and discipline | was yet
more deeply impressed by the kindly feeling,
the humane sentiments, expressed by the Off
GERS and left the prison walls more hopeful
Tor the criminal and for society than ! en-
tered
On Thursday evening dined with Mr.. and
Mrs. Dickens. and small but brilliant party
at the pleasant house of the novelist, in Tavis-
tock square Mr.. Dickens is all ! looked to
see, in person. manner, and conversation. He
Is rather slight, with a fine symmetrical head,
spIredly borne, and eyes bcaming alike with
genius and humor Yet for all the power
and beauty of those eyes their changes seem
ed to me to be from light to light. ! saw in
them no profound, pathetic depths and there
was around them no tragic shado&ing. But ]
was foolish to look for these on such an occa-
Son- when they were very properly left in the
authors study with pens ink, and blotting-
PAPER and the last written pages of " Bleak
Rouse" Mrs Dickens is a very charming
l'r'oh-in character and manner truly gen.
"e"omdn and such Of the children AZ ! saw
%e"ied worthy to hand down to coming years
cue "ea'.y Oh the mother and the name of the
ia'ner mr Dickens looks in admirable health
ana Splrl's and good for at least twenty more
charming serials That should he furnish to
'he world yet more than that number of his
Wlhltaplc fonanccs, they would be rs fresh
ana attractive As those which had gone before,
nave no doubt from the confirmed impres.
e'"h nave OF the exhaustlessness of his ge.
husband OF the infnteness of variety in Eng.
n'n character OF phases in English life.
Wr' p,'kenSS style of living is elegant and
'a'','u'' but IN no respect ostentatious, or out
VI character with his profession, or principles
livery '""'' "o'' ~
N'A' me, at table, sat Walter Savage Ian
u"-l glorious old man, full of fine poetic
S'""sit and generous enthusiasm for liberty.
oPl.SIte' sat Charles Kemble, and his daugh-
er Adelaide, Madame Sartoris At the other
1,'u o' the table were Herr Devrient, the great
uIriiian actor, Barry Cornwall and his wife.
laughter of Mrs. Basil Montague
oo In'Iie' hrmb]c Is a grand-looking old man,
n. n