Mr, 'turner on Crimes and Pumjhments. 327 



his own expedations, and to general probability, 

 the punift-innent Ihould, in the end, fall upon 

 him, he does not fo much confider it as the juft 

 recompence of his crimes, as lament his misfor- 

 tune, it being marked out as the victim of an 

 ■unjuft and unreafonably fevere inftitution. 



li^rther, the feverity of punifhment retards 

 its execution, even in the cafe of thofe who 

 aft u ally fuffer. 



Nulla unquam de morte hominis cunftatio longa eft, 



is a wife fentiment of the poet, * which may 

 be extended to all fevere inftitutions, and oucrht 

 to have its due infiuence, as long as they con- 

 tinue in force : though, if ic were merely on 

 this account, all fuch inftitutions ftand greatly 

 in need of a reform. For the minds of the com- 

 mon people cannot eafily, at fuch a diftance of 

 time, conned the punifliment with the adion 

 that has occafioned it, and are tempted to con- 

 fider an execution, when it takes place long after 

 the offence committed by the fufferer, rather in 

 the light of a cruel and terrible exhibition, than 

 as the juft confequence of a particular violation 

 of the laws of fociety. f « 



Thefe obfervations are intended to have a par- 

 ticular reference to capital punifhments, which, 

 however defended by fome politicians, appear 



• Juvenal. 

 t ElackHone, B. IV. C. 31. Vol. IV. p. 397. 



Y 4 to 



