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the animal and vegetable world might be considered as food: to the lover of animal food, the idea of clean and unclean animals should be considered a farce-every thing that contains flesh and blood is adapted for food, from an insect, or even an animalcule to an elephant. And in different countries, all kinds are used, not excepting human flesh. It is the same in the vegetable world: it abounds with roots, and herbs, and fruits, not commonly used, but well qualified for food. Why would not the crop of hay or grass which feeds cattle, answer the same purpose with man?-It is custom only that rejects it. The preservation of life is the first law of nature; and if it became a necessity, I would graze in the fields with the sheep, the horse, and the ox. I am as fond as any man of the elegancies of life-I am fond of luxuries even. I could wish every man to enjoy as much of it as would make him happy, but it would be always well to possess a mind prepared to meet its reverses. A mind that is not to be damped, because it has been deprived of a few pleasures, that were not altogether essential to health and happiness. I have thrown out those few observations, because I consider that Englishmen stand in need of the virtues of the primitive Grecians and Romans, to recover their liberties; and not only their virtues, but their valour and their resignation also, R. CARLILE.

Dorchester Gaol, May 22, 1820,

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

To Mr. T. R. B. Potts, we beg leave to observe, that his second letter was received and sent to town for insertion, in the 13th num ber of the second volume, but was rejected by the same timidity of the friends of Mrs. Carlile, of which the Editor has lately had so much cause to complain. It was not returned to the Editor. When the observations on Mr. P's former letter were made, the Editor did not apply the term philosopher to himself: he could not, because he knew that it was most important to occupy this publication partly in theological discussion.

OBSERVATIONS ON THE SENTENCE OF MESSRS.

HUNT, JOHNSON, AND OTHERS.

Our Judges have now thrown off the mask and shown themselves in their true characters. They no longer wish even to delude with fair pretence. Scroggs and Jefferies are about to be excelled in villainy if not already. Mr. Hunt sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment in Ilchester gaol! What has he done? Attended a public meeting, called together by a legal public requisition, for a consideration of the best means to alleviate the public distress, which meeting was murderously and illegally dispersed by the edge of the sabre, to the loss of many lives, the mutilation of hundreds, and the great risk of all who were present. Those murders have not yet been enquired into! And all those who were the proper persons to give evidence on the occasion are dungeoned! What next?

Mr. Hunt has conducted himself with great firmness and ability throughout the whole of this proceeding and I might add manliness, if we could but obliterate those two or three fulsome compliments which he paid to the Judges. I should like the opportunity just at this moment to ask Mr. Hunt his opinion of those he so lately termed the "four wise dispensers of the law." Surely his confidence in the wisdom and justice of the judges can have left him no ground for complaint even. The newspapers tell us that Mr. Hunt went to Ilchester under an escort of cavalry. He might well be called "Harry the Ninth," as no men in the country but the King and Mr. Hunt have an escort of cavalry to attend them when they go abroad. Mr. Hunt might be considered what I heard the Cornish people call Percival, when he was shot by Bellingham: “the next man to the King." It is rather singular, that the expiration of the period of Mr. Hunt's imprisonment will take place on the day before mine; Mr. Hunt's on the 15th, mine on the 16th of November 1822. What will be the state of the boroughmonger's government at that time. It is very difficult to say how long it will linger, how many heads must be decapitated, and how many new Bastiles built before that

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It appears that the officers of the King's Bench Prison have been making a public exhibition of Mr. Johnson and Healy through the streets of London with handcuffs on them just like deserters from a regiment of hired assassins. We are

not told whether Mr. Hunt had the honour to be handcuffed, in addition to his cavalry escort. I had the honour to be handcuffed all the way to Dorchester. Those little things fill me with an importance of myself, that I should have never otherwise felt. I consider myself one of the quietest fellows in the world, except in print, but when I see so much fuss made about me by attorney-generals, lord mayors, judges, magistrates, and tipstaves, with their bullies, I begin to ask, whether I have not mistaken myself, instead of their mistaking what I really am.

Sir Charles Wolseley might consider that he has got off very well. I expected from the poverty and avarice of the boroughmongers that they would have imposed an enormous fine on him and Mr. Hunt, but fortunately for them there is none, therefore, no' fear of their being imprisoned for life. Harrison altogether has a most enormous punishment, he should have preached the gospel according to custom and to English law, then he might have preached for ever with impunity but for a priest to attempt to open the eyes of the people the crime is unpardonable monstrous, Priests will forgive all who offend against their heavenly master, but an offence against themselves and their earthly master, is worse than the sin against the Holy Ghost; to spare the bodies of such men would be certain destruction to the soul. No, no, Mr. Harrison, you should have kept in the open road and not have shewn the people into the new road to heaven.

Mr. Knight, it appears, has irons enough on him already, therefore, the merciful lawyers did not bring him up with Messrs. Hunt and others, for judgment. Poor and honest John Knight! what injuries hast thou received in the cause of Reform!-How many winters more art thou doomed to spend as a felon !-Thy Bible deity is no protector to innocence in thy case John Knight. When shall misery cease, humanity reign, and innocence walk unmolested?-When a nation is virtuous enough to be free-when he that has food can feel for him that has none-when men shall learn to prefer death to a life of misery-then, and then only, can men be happy by the enjoyment of the fruit of their labours: not until then can the soil be freed from priests and tyrants.

Dorchester Gaol, May 22, 1820.

R. CARLILE.

Subscriptions, we understand, are about to be opened for the relief of all those who suffer by imprisonment, and

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the families of those who are put to death in the cause of civil and religious liberty. It would be well to see this matter. taken up as it has been in France. The boroughmongers would soon begin to hesitate as to further persecution. Something of this kind is become absolutely necessary, we speak not for ourselves: we are so far in a thriving condition, and feel no disposition to plead poverty, whilst it does not exist. "There are hundreds in our prisons who merit public attention, even of all ranks in society.

EDITOR,

CORRESPONDENCE

BETWEEN MR. CARLILE

AND THE KEEPER OF DORCHESTER GAOL.

Saturday Evening, May 20, 1820.

SIR, I understand by Thomas (the Turnkey) that a parcel has arrived for me this day, and that you refuse to let me have it until it has been opened. I should be very happy to open it in your presence, but I must protest against it, as a most unmanly action, if any correspondence that passes between myself and family be pryed into in my absence. I am, Sir, Your's respectfully,

Mr. Andrews, Keeper of Dorchester Gaol.

R. CARLILE.

Sunday Morning, May 21, 1820.

SIR, I cannot help thinking, that it will answer every honest purpose you can have in view, with respect to my parcel, if you come into my room and see its contents on its first opening, or allow me to come where you are and open it. I am not aware of what it contains, with the exception of what I receive weekly, namely, one of each of the Political and Theological pamphlets published in Loudon weekly, which have never gone beyond my own sight, as I regularly return them on the following Monday. I am in expectation of a writing desk, and a few articles of wearing apparel. I beg leave to add, that such communications as pass between me and my family through the weekly parcel, are written on a loose piece of paper, and thrown loose into the parcel, frequently without seal or wafer. I would put it to your feelings as a married man and a father of a family, to say, how you would like a note written to you by Mrs. Andrews, read first by any other person, even though she were no fur

ther distant than with her friends at Winterbourne. I cannot help thinking that there is some less honourable motive, than a sense of public duty, in view. I am, Sir, Your's respectfully,

Mr. Andrews, Keeper of Dorchester Gaol.

R. CARLILE.

The above correspondence has originated in consequence of an order received from London by the keeper of this Gaol, that nothing shall be admitted into the Gaol to me without being first examined, and on the other hand, that nothing shall go out but on the same conditions. Ever since I have been in this prison, I have regularly, every week, exchanged a parcel with Mrs. Carlile, in which I have received and returned the various weekly publications in London, and such other books as I stood in need of. On Saturday last I was much surprised and disappointed in not receiving my parcel as usual, and on enquiring, received an answer as described in the first letter to the keeper. The answer of the keeper to the first applica-tion was, that he had received orders to let nothing come into me without the examination of the magistrates, that there were two parcels arrived for me, and that it was probable I might get them some time the following week, if one of the visiting magistrates (who is an M. P.) should return from London. I felt annoyed and indignant at the treatment, and on the Sunday morning addressed the second Letter to the keeper, who immediately came into my room, evidently impressed with the contents of the letter. He observed, that what he had done was no act of his own; he had followed the instructions of the magistrates, but would immediately saddle his horse and go off to Dr. England, who is the Archdeacon of Dorset, and a visiting magistrate, and lay the whole correspondence before him. He returned to me in a few hours with a written instruction from the Doctor, that he was to open the parcels in my presence, and on the other hand to see the contents of all parcels I might make up to send out, and with a verbal addition, that in case I received any wearing apparel with pockets in it, the keeper should carefully examine them. A small parcel was first opened, which had laid in the prison near a week, without my knowing it, and lo! the dreadful contents of it were, a box of foreign fruit, brought to Dor-` chester by the hand of a lady travelling into Devonshire from London. The keeper blushed, and put it aside. The second, which was a larger parcel, was opened with as

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