268 WISHES. 



her withered front : by some she is told that she is ugly and old, but she 

 will not believe what they say ; mark her mincing step. Pounce I would 

 so on her at once, she cannot shelter herself from exposure. I would puff 

 off her paint, disarrange her curly locks, and fill her with such alarms, 

 that she should imagine from her inmost soul she were inflated with gas 

 and ready to be wafted through the blue expanse of heaven. Then would 

 I slvly let down my pinions and the rain falls ; a few have carried out a 

 precautionary umbrella, they lift them, and in a moment I would rush ou 

 them with a bound of glee, and whisk them from their hands ; then 

 what beauteous confusion — what jollity — what diversion ! 



" Risum teneatis amici 1" 



I was musing, the other evening, and contemplating like many other 

 wise men who deal in politics, upon the many measures intended to have 

 been made the law of the land, and, amidst other lucubrations which came 

 into my wayward, wicked fancy, I had determined to address a letter to 

 His Majesty's Attorney-General, for his real opinion on the subject of the 

 Abolishing' Imprisonment for Debt Bill. From one newspaper I learn, 

 that to abolish imprisonment for debt would be subverting one of the 

 bulwarks of our constitution ; from another, I learn that it is a most benefi- 

 cial measure, and will be the means of establishing the credit of this great 

 commercial nation. In this great predicament, and diversity of opinion, 

 what could I do but wish that I could see the interior of some prison ? 

 No sooner wished than done, and I find myself in the situation I 

 wished. I fancied myself in the interior of a large building, surrounded 

 on every side with high walls, and from which an escape is hopeless ; 

 I pass the grim threshold, and the turnkeys who keep the gates, and 

 at once mine ears are astounded with the sounds of revelry and 

 mirth ; and I enter a room in which all the best and most merry of 

 the inmates are assembled on some convivial meeting. Hark to their 

 mirth — " Pass the bottle, and let us drown all our cares in the bowl." 

 " Give us another song, and let us bid defiance to all our creditors." 

 " Let us be merry whilst we may." Are these the objects of the bill ? 

 are these to whom mercy shall be shown ? These, I said, are they who 

 squander all they possess, and allow their creditors to starve, and per- 

 chance be ruined. I then wished to see the objects of real distress, 

 and I was ushered to a room in which the honest debtor, after striving all 

 that was in his power to pay each just demand upon him is immured, and 

 around him are his family ; every thing which can be sold, has been either 

 pawned or parted with ; his bed is gone ; and starvation stares him in 

 the face ; his friends have deserted him, aud, " deserted in his utmost need 

 by those his former bour,ty fed" — deserted and exposed, he lies without 

 one fried to close his eyes. What shall we do for succour ? To whom 

 can we apply for aid ? His wife consoles, his children look up to him 

 for sustenance; who shall describe his agony ? who paint the inward feel- 

 ings of his breast ? Is there no help ? no friendly hand to administer to 

 his want ? no kind friend to console his wounded spirit ? None ! there is 

 no hope, no prospect of a remedy to end his evils, but that which will pay 

 the great debt of nature. Unlamented, untolled, and forgotten, he sinks 

 down, and perishes—" of the world forgetful, by the world forgot." But 



