MONHTLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 591 



one for stealing, and the other for receiving part of a loaf of bread, 

 value three-pence ! The " crime" was thus : One of the prisoners, 

 aged eighteen, was an in-door servant, and, returning from work, had 

 his dinner in the kitchen. Part of the loaf, of which he had parta- 

 ken, he gave to a fellow out-door labourer, which being seen by 

 Elliot, the master, he immediately gave them both into custody, and 

 the magistrates actually committed both to the tread-mill for three 

 months ! 



This is one of the hardest cases we have read of for some time a 

 case alike disgraceful to the prosecutor, and disreputable to the au- 

 thorities. A poor fellow is branded as a thief for an act most credit- 

 able to his nature that of sharing his meal with one poorer than 

 himself; and with his accomplice in " crime" is sent to a place from 

 whence he can never return an honest man. If any one wished to 

 select a case of magisterial oppression, here is one to his hand ; one 

 which exemplifies the care with which the morals and comforts of 

 the poorer classes are considered by county magistrates. Doubtless 

 it was dinner-time when these poor fellows were brought up, and it 

 behoved the " judges" to be quick in their decision. The tread-mill 

 was the shorter road to the turtle, and the months of the reverend 

 magi were watering for the fat haunch from Goodwood Park. What 

 was the good or evil of the after-life of these unfortunate men, in 

 comparison with the culinary glories of mine host of the White 

 Hart ? When was the clamour of a clerical paunch ever quieted by 

 the cries of the miserable ? However, thanks to the increasing in- 

 telligence of the country, the glories of the " Great Unpaid" are fast 

 fading away. The law still sanctions their oppressions, but their 

 moral power is defunct. The great wealth and limited intelligence 

 of these men make them forget themselves ; but we hope yet to see 

 the day when the arrogance of the greedy landholder is checked by 

 an equitable property-tax, and free trade in corn, and the overgrown 

 wealth of a pampered hierarchy equalized by Act of Parliament. 



MONTHLY REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND ART. 



MENTAL CULTURE ; OR THE MEANS OP DEVELOPING THE HUMAN 

 FACULTIES. BY J. L. LEVISON. 



" WHAT a piece of work is man !" exclaims the philosophic 

 Hamlet, filled with admiration of that goodly compound, of which 

 we ourselves are a right worthy specimen ; and well indeed might 

 he say so, if the " piece of work" continually made of him, happened 

 to be present, at that moment, to his mental vision. Shakspeare, 

 however, was little aware of the high perfection to which we were to 

 be brought at a later day, when he put these words into the mouth 

 of the noble Dane ; indeed, we have every reason to believe, that his 

 organ of vaticination (by whatever phrenological term it may be 



