1791. LITERARy INTELLIOENCER. 215 



voices In the prefent day, and with an unanimity that 

 never was feen before, demand a total abolition of the 

 power of arbitrary imprifonment by any human being. 

 And though it may happen that laws for this purpofe 

 will not be enacted in every Hate at the prefent time ; 

 yet the examples that have been given in a neighbour- 

 ing country, of the danger of making a wanton ufe of 

 this power, will ferve to overawe thofe monarchs who 

 may ftill claim a right to exercife it, from daring to 

 exercife that right in the manner it has hitherto been 

 exerclfed. Bleired be the fpirit which hath abolillied 

 fuch an intolerable evil ! 



Every man, when he reflecls ferioufly on this fubjeft, 

 muft be fenfible of the evils that accrue from this fource; 

 but it is not at all times that man is difpofed to reflect 

 ferioufly on any fubjeft, nor is it at all times that he can 

 form a lively Image of what he has never had an op- 

 portunity of obferving. He is therefore under obliga- 

 tions to thofe who take the trouble off his hands. 

 The following piclure, drawn by the mafterly pencil 

 of Sterne, when he is difpofed to turn his thoughts on 

 this fubjeft, will have its effeft. 

 'the Captive. 



" The bird in his cage purfued me into my room ; I 

 fat down clofe by my table, and, leaning my head upon my 

 hand, 1 began to figure to myfclf the miferies of con- 

 finement ; I was in a right frame for it ; and fo I gave 

 full fcope to my imaginations. 



" I was going to begin vv-ith the millions of my fel- 

 low creatures born to no inheritance but llavery ; but 

 finding, however afFeding the piflure was, that 1 could 

 not bring it near me, and that the multitude of the fad 

 group in it did but diftraft me, 



" 1 took a fmgle captive ; and having firft ftiut him 

 up in a dungeon, I then looked through the twilight 

 of his grated door, to take his pifture. 



" 1 beheld his body lialf walled away with long ex- 

 peOaiion and confini^nient, and felt wbat kind of fick- 



