of the Court, and the visitors, which cannot fail to prove
interesting. This, however, must be done with caution, for suspicion is
ever active, and jealousy constantly awake within these walls; and as
I mean to give you sketches of individual characters, rather than a
general view of ~49~~ the society with which I am now in association, a
little discretion may be well made use of."

"Now let us analyse, but not too loud,
If wise, the composition of this crowd;
Made up from native soil and foreign clime,
Of waste and folly, accident and crime.
Here join the Speculator and the Fool,
Greybeards, and youngsters rather tit for school,
(At least for any school but this alone,
Where College vices in the shade are thrown.)
Of pugilists, of haberdashers, jugglers,
Horse jockeys, swindlers, Bond Street beaux, and smugglers,
By hollow friendship some in prison thrown,
By others' follies some--more by their own."

By this time they had traversed round the open walk of the prison, and
on arriving at the place of entrance--

"Do you observe that small building on the right? it is called the State
House, and contains the largest and most convenient rooms; it is usually
devoted to the accommodation of such as are best enabled to pay; and
there are persons residing here, who live as well, and in as dashing
a style as those without the walls, or at least pay as much for their
living. On the left hand you may also perceive the chapel, for the
spiritual wants of those confined are not to be forgotten."

"There, in the centre, is the chapel door,
With ever changing notices spread o'er:
Whatever doctrines may within be taught,
With words of peace that door is rarely fraught:
For there, mid notices of beds for hire,
Of concerts in the state-house by desire,
Some ill-spelt scrawl demands the mighty debt
Of half a crown, with a ferocious threat;
Some traitorous agent is denounced; some spy,
That blabb'd of gin, is hung in effigy;
Here angry fools proclaim the petty jar,
And clumsy pasquinades provoke to war."

By this time they had reached the door of the Chapel, which, by the
various placards pasted against it, fully confirmed the description of
Merrywell.

Bob, casting his eyes around him, discov