STUDY VII. 113 



His relations, diûionoured in the public eftima- 

 tion, abandon their home, and become vaga- 

 bonds. His fillers give themfelves up to profli- 

 tution. 



Thefe efFedls of the fear, which the hangman 

 imprefles on the lower orders, are confidered as 

 prejudices which are falutary to them. But they 

 produce, as far as I am able to judge, unfpeakable 

 mifchief. The vulgar extend them to anions the 

 moft indifferent, and convert them into a bitter 

 aggravation of mifery. Of this I witnefTed an in- 

 ftance on board a veffel, in which I was a paffen- 

 ger, on my return from the Ifle of France. I ob- 

 ferved that not one of the failors would eat in 

 company with the cook of the (hip; they hardly 

 deigned even to fpeak to him. I enquired the 

 reafon of this at the Captain. He told me, that 

 being at Pegu, about fix months before, he had 

 left this man on fhore, to take charge of a ware- 

 houfe which the people of the country had lent 

 him. When night came on, thefe people locked 

 the door of it, and carried home the key with 

 them. The flore-keeper being on the infide, and 

 not having it in his power to go out to difburthen 

 nature, was under theneceffity of eafing himfelf in 

 a corner. Unfortunately, this warehouie was like- 

 wife a church. In the morning the proprietors 

 came and opened the door ; but obferving that 



VOL. II. I the 



