THE BAGSTEtt CASE. 137 



We remember what is said by Dr. Johnson, on the confinement of the 

 unfortunate Christopher Smart. 



" I did not think he ought to be shut up. His infirmities were not noxious 

 to society. He insisted on people praying with him, and I 'd as lief pray with 

 Kit Smart, as any one else. Another charge was, that he did not love clean 

 linen, and I have no passion for it." 



There has been nothing in the evidence upon this case that would 

 lead any reasonable man to a belief, that Miss Bagster is a whit less 

 intelligent than one out of six young ladies, who are taught ignorance, 

 or something worse than ignorance, at boarding-schools ; and we should 

 indeed marvel, if an understanding, like that of this young lady, having 

 imbibed the pernicious poison of boarding-school morality, under the care 

 of such a mother, and the superintendance of a superannuated and sancti- 

 fied alderman ; we should marvel, we say, if such an understanding, 

 or, indeed, any mind, however strong, could have withstood such a 

 triple junction of wicked laxity, mischievous waywardness, and de- 

 plorable folly. 



But the very steps adopted by the young lady, which have given rise 

 to these proceedings, are, perhaps, the best evidence of her perfect 

 sanity; and afford sufficient proof of her ability to manage her own 

 affairs. Surrounded, as she was, on all sides by a herd of greedy 

 suitors, athirst after her property countenanced by her mother, and 

 not restrained by a superfluous modesty 'the girl acted wisely, we 

 think, in making an election out of a choice of evils ; and her marriage 

 to Mr. Newton, we conceive, ought to have silenced the rest effectually. 

 But no such thing. Far from resting quietly in the grave of their 

 hopes, these perturbed spirits, summoned like the nuns in a recently 

 celebrated opera, came dancing into court in the most fantastic manner, 

 as witnesses, to prove that, in their opinion, the intended victim was 

 incompetent to the management of her own money a pretty satisfac- 

 tory reason why they wished to have the handling of it themselves ! 

 These were hardly the parties to be listened to with much attention or 

 respect. This gang of disconsolates had, of course, a vivid recollection 

 of Miss Bagster's infirmities ; all her failings and weaknesses were 



" Set in a note-book, learu'd and conn'd by rote," 



and recited to the court with all the " rooted malice of a friend." 



We hope to see, ere long, the mode of conducting such commissions 

 (if such there must be) altered very materially. Here are a set of 

 people met together, to inquire whether a certain person is fit to have 

 the care of her own money; and (as is well said by the " Examiner") 

 conclude by leaving her without any money to take, or be taken care 

 of! These disinterested gentry occupy about ten times as much time 

 as there can be any earthly occasion for, in devising chinks and chasms 

 of evidence, through which the property, just caught, may slip silently 

 into their own pockets. Here are a counsel and a mad-doctor disputing 

 metaphysically, at the rate of a guinea a minute, in a style, compared 

 with which, the controversy carried on between Thaumast and Panurge, 

 by signs and face-making, was clear and satisfactory. Surely this de- 

 testable mockery, and perversion of justice, equity, and common sense, 

 must be forthwith put an end to. 



