gination, once perverted, seems to exercise itself in the invention of all monstrous, horrible, and ineffable crimes. It is recorded of a depraved courtesan, that she declared "she could not enjoy innocent pleasures:"-the juvenile delinquents could in many cases add, that they cannot enjoy ordinary vices without superadding mysteries of iniquity such as language would fail to describe. We dare not publish any one of the anecdotes which we have collected; but we may state as the general result, that, contrary to previous expectation, the exercise of diabolical ingenuity was in direct proportion to general ignorance, and that wherever there was anything like an ap proach to education, there was a corresponding degree of refinement even in vicious excesses. This had not been anticipated, but it might have been; for the missionaries in the South Seas found the excesses of licentiousness and sensuality more diversified and more aggravated in proportion to the amount of ignorance and barbarism. It must also be added, that a taste for music, for dancing or even for theatricals, were found in some degree to check brutal excesses of crime. This is, of course, not an invariable rule; but the exceptions were not numerous. A police inspector assured us, that "in the assemblies where there was most fun there was least vice;" those most to be dreaded were such as met in silence, in darkness, and in secrecy. We know from old experience that there is often most guilt where there is least appearance of it; and that the "pestilence which walketh in darkness" is more perilous than "the arrow which flieth at noon-day." Hence a possibility suggests itself, that legislation against suspicious appearances has been carried to rather too great a length, and that moral disease may in some cases have been driven inwards from the surface to fasten itself upon the system. Gray has led many persons into error by speaking of

"The short and simple annals of the poor."

Their histories are longer and far more complicated than those of the rich; and those who have legislated on their notions of brevity and simplicity have done incalculable mischief. One very important error was abridging amusements, which were deemed capable of being perverted. Not long ago, there was a disposition to make war upon music in public houses: it was forgotten that the tap-room is, in the majority of instances, the only parlour or drawing-room which the poor man has to enjoy. There are multitudes who can only afford to rent a room, or part of a room, for themselves and families: -enjoyment of any kind at home is to them a physical impossibility. To the public house such people will go, and must go, however uncomfortable law may make it. On such men music had a moral influence; it supplied an excitement, which would otherwise have been sought in intoxication. It was said that the music attracted persons who would otherwise have gone home with their earnings. In some cases perhaps it did; but in the majority of instances it only transferred customers from the house which had not music to that which had. Nobody seems to have thought of those who, properly speaking, had no home to go to; yet these, after all, were the class most affected by legislation; for any publican will tell you, that for one housekeeper that enters his tap-room there are at least twenty lodgers.

Intoxication was so notoriously checked by the introduction of musical entertainments, that we have found upon investigation, there were publicans who gratified their customers by applying for music licences, while they took effectual measures secretly to insure their own defeat; and it is pretty generally known that several who have them would rather be without them. It was said that children frequented these places, and were thus brought on the road to ruin. It is perfectly true that mechanics and labourers sometimes took their children to hear the music, and allowed them to share their beer,— just as on a Sunday in summer they take them to some of the rural alehouses in the suburbs. But this habit was useful to the parents, and not injurious to the children. Reverence for his offspring prevented the father from degrading himself into a beast; and the children generally were more interested by the intellectual treat than by the physical enjoyment.

The moral influence of music is not less remarkable among the higher ranks of society than among the lower. To its influence must chiefly be attributed the decline of hard drinking, which was so fashionable a vice in a former generation. "There will be no more glorious claret-parties at Kill-'em-all House," said an old Connaught gentleman; "for Tom has bought his wife a piano!" A clergyman of this country made a similar observation respecting a gin drinking baronet :-" He is grown quite sober, I assure you, since his daugh ter began to have concerts in the evening. David's harp chased away blue devils from Saul, and Louisa's harp has conjured blue ruin from Sir Samuel."

In examining the condition of society, many people are apt to mistake brutality for blunt honesty, and to regard affectations of refinement among the poor as suspicious, and even dangerous appear. ances. But to strip vice of its grossness is a great step towards virtue; the desire of refinement even in sensual pleasure is itself a triumph, however small, of man's moral nature over his animality. The showman that taught his bear to dance only to genteel tunes was a public benefactor; for he suggested to his audience a desire for better music and better dancing.

We have endeavoured to show that a considerable portion of juvenile delinquency must be attributed to two great deficiencies in the economy of the poor,-the want of domestic accommodations, and the want of innocent amusements. Whatever success the nonsense of socialism has obtained must in a great degree be attributed to its undertaking to supply those wants. The socialists open common halls for conversation, music, dancing, and other recreations; and that these pleasures must be very attractive, is proved by their submitting to such severe inflictions as Robert Owen's interminable lectures. The poor man finds a comfortable place in which he can sit down, and means of relaxation for mind and body. Few of us know the real value of such luxuries, and we are therefore unable to appreciate the power of a system which presents itself with such recommendations. Some well-meaning people propose to take the field against the Owenites with tracts and hymn books. We do not undervalue these weapons; but we should recommend, in addition, a couple of fiddles, a magic lantern, and the universal favourites Punch and Judy. People weep into nonsense, and laugh into good sense ;-hence Bentley's

Miscellany has effected more for the moral improvement of society than all the treatises published by the Society for the Confusion of Useful Knowledge.

We have in this country somewhere about two millions of societies for the relief and improvement of the lower orders; we have not one single institution for promoting the recreations and increasing the innocent pleasures of the poor, though such a one is sadly wanted, and would do more to promote mutual good feeling between the extremes of society than all the rest put together. The progress of brick and mortar has swept away their former means of enjoyment. In the reign of James the First, the popular pastimes were thus enumerated :

"Man, I dare challenge thee to THROW THE SLEDGE,
To jump or LEAPE over ditch or hedge,

To WRESTLE, play at STOOLEBALL, or to RUNNE,
TO PITCHE THE BARRE, or to SHOOTE OFF a gunne,
To play at LOGgete, nine-holes, or TEN PINNES:
To try it out at FOOTEBALL by the shinnes;
At TICKSTAFFE, IRISH NODDIE, MAW AND RUFFE;
At HOT COCKLES, LEAP-FROG, or BLINDMAN-BUFFE;
To drink half-pots, or deal at the whole can;
To play at HARE, or PEN-AND-INK-HORN, SIR JAN;
To dance the MORRIS, play at BARLEY-BREAKE,
At all exploytes a man can think or speake;

At SHOVE-GROATE, VENTER POYNTE, or CROOS AND PYLE,

At BESHREW HIM THAT'S LAST AT YONDER style,

At LEAPING O'ER A MIDSUMMER BONFIRE,

Or at the drawing dun out of the mire.

At any these, or all these presently,

Wagge but your finger, I am for you, I !"

Here is a goodly collection of sports which the rich have taken from the poor, and given nothing in return. We could not, were we so inclined, restore the old English pastimes; but we may and ought to provide substitutes, especially as our course of legislation has sadly interfered with the amusements which the poor have invented for themselves. Genuine philanthropy is cheerful, and even merry. Sour, pharisaic, lecture-giving charity has nothing of phi lanthropy about it. At best, it is but a way of showing that one is better than one's neighbours, and the cost it involves is a tax unwillingly paid by vanity. We insist that the best way to make this a moral world is to make it a merry world. John Wesley added greatly to the popularity of Methodism, by adapting his hymns to favourite airs. He said that "he would not have the devil have all the good tunes." We cannot see any reason why Satan should con. tinue his monopoly of anything that is good, more especially good humour, which is every day becoming a rarer, and therefore a more precious commodity. As a mere matter of taste, we prefer the variety of the dance to the monotony of the tread-mill; and should rather visit a musical academy than a penitentiary. Others may differ from us,-" de gustibus et disgustibus non est disputandum;" but we think that amateurs of melancholy should keep the luxury to themselves.

Many have undertaken to plead for the rising generation; but we think that our plea is most likely to be sanctioned by our clients. Give to youth opportunities of recreation and enjoyment: every

thing added to the pleasures of innocence is just so much gained from the attractions of vice. Juvenile delinquency must abound, so long as delinquency alone furnishes exercise for the active faculties of youth. If any one doubts this fact, let him go through some of the lanes, courts, and alleys of this Metropolis; let him enter any one of the human hives where the lower classes of operatives and labourers reside; let him watch the children hour after hour, and day after day; let him investigate their little histories, and he will find that the greatest sources of youthful depravity are the want of a home, and the want of innocent recreation. It may seem incongruous to ask grave divines to assist in contriving amusements and diffusing pleasure; but the first miracle wrought by the great author of Christianity was designed to promote festivity; and the earliest Christian prelates did not disdain to superintend the pastimes of their flocks. We have hitherto tried nothing but "preachee and floggee" for the suppression of vice, and juvenile delinquency remains as bad as ever. Let us try a different set of experiments, and endeavour to make the world better by rendering it happier; let us form an association for the suppression of stupidity, and the promotion of innocent enjoyment. Games will beat gaming, music conquer drinking, picking steps be more popular than picking pockets; and finally, Robern Owen will be driven from the field by the only antagonist worthy to encounter him, the formidable Joe Miller.

This is not mere theory; the experiment has been tried in Manchester, and its success has surpassed the expectations of those who ventured on the innovation. In the Lyceums, for less than twopence a week, the operative can have the use of a "Temperance news-room; instruction not merely in the three r's (reading, writing, and a-rithmetic,) but also in vocal and instrumental music, and in dancing. Conversaziones, or, as they are called, "tea-parties," are occasionally given, the price of a ticket is sixpence, but admission is restricted to members of the institution. The entertainment is diversified by gossiping lectures, music of a very high order, and occasionally a dance, in which there is as much of propriety and decorum as could be found in the most fashionable ball-room within the seas of Britain. All are clean and neatly dressed, but none are dressed above their station. The distinction of ranks is the more rigidly observed by its seeming to be utterly forgotten; there are no airs of condescension on one side, there is no appearance of intrusion on the other; the rich and the poor meet together with a feeling of mutual interest in each other's welfare, and exhibit a proof of the aphorism that enlightened self-interest is genuine philanthropy.

The system is likely to be extended by providing gymnasiums for youth. It was not enough for philanthropists to remove children from the factory; they should have found some other place where they could be sent with safety. At present it is known that children are sent to work in the coal-mines, until they are of sufficient age for admission into the factory. And this must not be ascribed to any absence of parental fondness, or to a mere desire of getting money. It is a perplexing problem in a large town to keep children out of harm's way. They cannot be kept in the crowded lodgings which we have attempted to portray, where four or five families are

crowded into a single room. They do not feel the inconvenience at night; at least one such nest, when examined, revealed but a single cause of complaint, "We families as sleep in the corners, sir, get on very well, but the gemman as has the middle of the room has inconvenienced us by taking a lodger." When the factory bill deprived the children of work, it did not give them play, and it consequently left them no alternative but mischief. Efforts have been made in some places to correct this error of blundering humanity; but the evil is general, and so must the remedy be, or it will be wholly ineffectual. Now there happens to be just at this moment a great amount of mock and of genuine philanthropy going astray in the world. We propose, as a test to distinguish the real from the counterfeit, asking each of the professors of humanity how far they are willing to contribute to the amusements of the people; for they are demonstrably among the essential elements of human happiness. It is not enough to relieve physical want, it is also necessary to satisfy moral craving; sympathy must be superadded to generosity; you must increase the joys as well as relieve the sorrows. The good Samaritan pours not only oil but wine into the wounds of suffering humanity; the priest and Levite pass by on the other side.