even to speak of this fortress, and he who once entered its gloomy portal, very rarely quitted it. Being resolved not to leave Paris without some glimpse of this dark world, Howard one day presented himself at the outer gate, rang the bell, and, on its being opened by the officer in charge, boldly stepped in, passed the sentry, walked coolly through a file of guards, and advanced as far as the great drawbridge of the inner court. While he was contemplating the dismal structure, an officer ran towards him, agitated and surprised at the apparition of a stranger in the place. Howard perceiving that his manner was threatening and suspicious, thought it prudent to retreat, repassing the guard, who were mute with astonishment, at this strange temerity. This adventure did not diminish his interest in the Bastile. With difficulty he procured a pamphlet written on the subject, by one who had been confined there, and which was interdicted by the Government. This he translated and published in England. It was read in every country in Europe, and gave horrible details of the sufferings of those, confined in this huge fortress. The French Government never forgave this offence. On the whole Howard saw much to admire in French provincial prisons, as compared with those of England. The common prisons were generally clean and fresh, they had no gaol distemper, there were no irons used, and there was food in abundance. From Paris he proceeded to Brussels, and thence to Ghent, where the Maison de la Force, a prison built by the States of Austrian Flanders, was then regarded as the model prison of Europe, offering the most striking contrasts to the arrangements of English prisons. The convicts were properly lodged, fed, clothed, instructed, worked. Order and cleanliness prevailed; there was no drunkenness, no irons, no riot, no starvation. The philanthropist next proceeded to Holland, which at that period was far in advance of the rest of Europe, in all that related to the law and administration, of penal science. In the whole of Amsterdam there had not been a single execution for ten years; and, at the period of Howard's visit to that city, there were only six delinquents confined in the gaols, and only eighteen debtors. In the north of Germany, he found that the prisons had but few tenants, and their condition was on the whole satisfactory; but in several towns, and notably in Osnaburg and Hanover, of which George III. was then sovereign, the execrable practice of torturing prisoners, was still kept up. This was in the year 1774-only a hundred years ago! In almost every country which Howard visited, he had found the prisoners employed. This was the greatest contrast to the usage in England. Hard work, in fact, was the chief correctional agent in operation abroad. In England, confinement was considered enough. On the Continent, the prisoners were for the greater part employed in cleansing the streets, repairing the highways, cutting stone, etc., all which labour was useful to the state, while it inured the culprit to habits of industry. Howard, on landing at Dover, inspected the gaol at that port, which he found in as miserable a condition as those already described in his notes. He then retired to Cardington to enjoy a short repose after his travels, only quitting it once to pay a visit to Chelmsford, where the gaol fever had been raging with great fury. He had now collected a mass of materials for his work, such as no human being had ever gathered on the same subject, the result of unwearied toil, time, devotion, and expense. But he was not satisfied yet, there were still many gaols, bridewells, and houses of correction, which he had overlooked, and which must be included in his account; for this purpose he resolved to make another complete tour of the country. From November 1775 to May 1776, was spent in this manner. His influence now had made itself felt; no neglect could escape his vigilance; petty tyrants learned to quail before an eye as stern as it was mild. In many prisons where his suggestions had been carried out, there was great improvement. So conscious was he of the advantages derived from this revision of his former observations, that he resolved to make another journey over the Continent, and to visit the gaols of countries he had not yet seen, before committing his work to the press. He started at once, arriving in Paris in June 1776. Horrors met him in the prisons at Lyons, but in |