Major semple lisle; 170 



dearer to me than life ; and that to be thus torn 

 Irom them, without even an Adieu ! was the fe« 

 vereft blow they could inflid. 



The pretext, and it is a mere pretext y for thefe 

 fudden removals, is, that the convids are riot- 

 ous and diforderly when about to be fent off; 

 this is true in the crouded part of the prifon, 

 where the poor wretches are, ivithoui a momenVs 

 warnings azvaked out of their Jleep i?i the dead of 

 nighty and hurried off. They then are apt to 

 break the iQw trifling utenfils they have got, and 

 to make much noife ; but when they have had 

 previous notice, I have fcen them go away 

 peaceably and quietly, without making any dif- 

 turbance. But this did not even furnifh a rea- 

 fon in. my cale, as I was neither in a crouded 

 part of the prifon, nor had any communication 

 • whatever with thofc under fuch fentences as my- 

 ftU, Befides, the llierifFs ought to have con- 

 fidered, that though I was all fubmiffion to the 

 fentenceof the law, I was not to be intimidated, 

 and that it was poflible to drive even men of 

 the mildeit temper to ads of madnefs by unne- 

 ceflary feverity. Of this they would have been 

 fatisfied, had they been prefent when their man- 

 date was announced to me. 



I {hould by no means have itlt the lead re- 

 fentment againfl the fherifFs, for having in my 

 turn fent me away, but that turn had palTed for 



N 3 twelve 



