vantage to substitute a mean and shameful punishment, degrading the
deed and the committer of the deed, and leaving the general compassion
to expend itself upon the only theme at present quite forgotten in the
history, that is to say, the murdered person.

I do not give you this as an outline of the paper, which I think I could
make attractive. It is merely an exposition of the inferences to which
its whole philosophy must tend.

Always faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. Thompson.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _17th October, 1845._

MY DEAR THOMPSON,

Roche has not returned; and from what I hear of your movements, I fear I
cannot answer for his being here in time for you.

I enclose you, lest I should forget it, the letter to the Peschiere
agent. He is the Marquis Pallavicini's man of business, and speaks the
most abominable Genoese ever heard. He is a rascal of course; but a
more reliable villain, in his way, than the rest of his kind.

You recollect what I told you of the Swiss banker's wife, the English
lady? If you would like Christiana[26] to have a friend at Genoa in the
person of a most affectionate and excellent little woman, and if you
would like to have a resource in the most elegant and comfortable family
there, I need not say that I shall be delighted to give you a letter to
those who would die to serve me.

Always yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. H. P. Smith.]

DEVONSHIRE TERRACE, _4th November, 1845._

MY DEAR SMITH,

My chickens and their little aunt will be delighted to do honour to the
Lord Mayor on the ninth. So should I be, but I am hard at it, grinding
my teeth.

I came down with Thompson the other day, hoping to see you. You are
keeping it up, however, in some holiday region, and your glass-case
looked like a large pantry, out of which some giant had stolen the meat.

Best regards to Mrs. Smith from all of us. Kate quite hearty, and the
baby, like Goldsmith's bear, "in a concatenation" accordingly.

Always, my dear Smith, faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mr. Macvey Napier.]

_November 10th, 1845._

MY DEAR SIR,

I write to you in great haste. I most bitterly regret the being obliged
to disappoint and inconvenience you (as I fear I shall do), but I find
it w