When he would be solemn, he is silly; when tender, ludicrous; when pathetic, contemptible. He shrieks and hoots in a vile falsetto at one moment, and gives a nasal twang-as Jerusalem-to terminations at another; he is never natural, never easy, and throughout gives you the notion of a man who plays a part and plays it badly. When asked at the door whether I would go to the reserved seats, I modestly answered that I should prefer paying as little as possible, which at once made the money-changer regard me as a low person, and resulted in my having a white ticket given me in exchange for my shilling; which ticket having been handed to a theatrical-looking check-taker reading a Sunday newspaper, I took my seat at the end of the gallery, in full view of the platform, and with ample opportunity for observing the demeanour of the people assembled. These last were not particularly attentive, nor particularly interested, nor particularly amused. If one may venture to translate their prevailing expression, I would say that an ardent wish to get away unobserved struggled for mastery with a pensive reflection as to how little they were getting for their money. Every now and then when the word "Mary" was shouted out by the writhing, wriggling figure on the platform, there was a flickering hope of something exciting, and once two shop-lads ventured on a hiss. These were the only breaks in the monotony; and as an old gentleman was sleepily nodding in convenient proximity to the shop-boys aforesaid, I am not even sure that their solitary sibilation can be attributed to unadulterated theological zeal.

The room was very hot, and after the first few minutes' curiosity was over, it was weary work enough. Not a church or chapel in the kingdom but the chances of hearing a more interesting discourse would have been at least equal; and after we were released, and in a stern spirit of self-examination asked what each had brought away, the mechanic's speech about the naked toes stood forth sharp and clear; and it was felt that, placed in a regular pulpit, divested of man-millinery, and with a pair of honest curate-bluchers thrust upon his feet, the "father" would have but little chance of "drawing," and would, in theatrical parlance, have to play to very bad business indeed. It is scarcely necessary to speak of his personal appearance or attire, for you may see his photograph, vestments, properties, and all in the first shopwindow you pass; and may remark that, either from a subtle sense of humour, or in impudent violation of the laws of natural selection, he is generally placed in juxtaposition with the least-decorous portraits of "the beautiful, the daring Menken." A black-serge gown, a crimson-silk shoulder-scarf lined with green, and not unlike those worn by Odd Fellows, Foresters, Druids, and other convivial benefactors to society; a pair of sandals, a couple of crucifixes, and beads to match; a bristly shaven crown with a narrow fringe of black hair, like the darkened brim of an inverted and dirty basin; expressive, but wild and shifty, brown eyes, a swarthy skin, high-cheek bones and hollow cheeks, a vacillating waver

ing mouth, and great ungainliness of attitude: such are the externals I remember best. Mental weakness and personal effeminacy, forcible feebleness and impotent wailings, seemed to be the characteristics of this young man. The allegation of rebellious brethren, that he treats himself to meat three times a-day, while prescribing a course of dustlicking and asceticism for those over whom he rules, I hold to be untrue. Were this so, his appearance would be a libel on the butchers of Norwich, and an insult to animal food; and I prefer to think of him practising His little rites and petty ceremonies, his forms and penances, in a feeble pottering way, but with as much heart and earnestness as his temperament allows. The uninteresting sermon wound up with a clumsily-worded appeal for money. A monastery-chapel was the plea; the smallness of the sum required (12007.) the supporting argument; and the vast original cost of Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, and Ely Cathedral was strangely enough given as a reason for supplementing what had been paid for entrance, with voluntary contributions at the door!

Directly the Doxology was given out, the congregation began to rapidly melt away; whereupon the "father" astutely left the platform, and, coming to the head of the stairs, stood plate in hand, showed his wrappings, trinkets, and toes to the departing multitude, and mutely asked for help. The bibulous Protestant and the sardonic mechanic had both left the pavement when I reached it; but an unwholesomelooking young man gave each of us an abusive tract, from which we learnt that our souls were endangered because of our having listened to the mariolatry of the poor gentleman within; and so I went on my way, pondering on the disappointment I had experienced, and the halfludicrous, half-melancholy spectacle I had seen.

Deeply impressed with the value of honest earnest exhortation, fully and reverently believing in the great truths and abiding consolations of religion, and thoroughly alive to the fact that apparently strange instruments are used for the compassing of great ends, I am, I hope, never deterred by "the world's dread laugh" from gauging and estimating for myself. Had I found Mr. Lyne touching the hearts of the sinners assembled to hear him, had I heard the gospel of mercy, and love preached to the suffering and the sad, this article would never have been written, or would have been written in a very different spirit.

But it must be remembered that this follower of Christ charges a fixed sum for his lessons, and appears, as every one knows, in a dress sufficiently unconventional to attract the idle and thoughtless. To criticise his performance is of course the right of every one paying his shilling or half-crown; and it is only unfortunate that criticism, as it seems to me, to be honest, must be severely condemnatory. Even if we grant earnestness and honesty, these virtues are not enough to condone absurdity, folly, and daringly exceptional ministrations. As in matters of less import, much can be forgiven to genius and success;

but where neither the one nor the other is perceptible, we have a right to exclaim against the mockery of all we hold sacred.

It would be giving to this parodist of obsolete forms an importance wholly disproportionate to his real calibre, were one to enter into any examination of the doctrine he puts forth, or to make any protest against the romanising tendencies of which he stands accused. He is too weak to be dangerous; and it was only when speculating upon the characters and private history of the hundreds assembled, that it became possible to think of him as possessing power for good or ill. Then, indeed, when one thought of the hidden hopes and secret fears; of the blunders, woes, failures, and shortcomings; of the heart-problems, perplexities, temptations, and weakness; of the trials, disappointments, and anxieties summed-up in every human life,-it became grievous to reflect that the promptings of curiosity had been so unskilfully dealt with; and that in place of softened chastened feelings finding expression, we heard no word of sympathy for the speaker, no respect for his teachings, but were compelled to note that the outspoken merriment of the many was only contrasted with the thoughtful indignation of the few.

Calcraft's Calling.

FEW questions of law and public policy have remained so long in the region of debate as the question of the wisdom of capital punishment. Not in England alone, but in every country in the world able to lay claim to any degree of civilisation, there have ever been staunch opponents of the death-penalty. In old Rome it was for a time abolished. In semibarbarous Russia the licentious Catharine could boast that it was not inflicted. In Tuscany, in milder times, it was dispensed with, to the advantage of the State. In Germany there has been a gradual approxi mation to its entire cessation. In many of the American States it has been superseded by imprisonment for life. In England the number of crimes for the perpetration of which it is imposed has been largely reduced, and now it is practically abolished for every thing but murder. But its necessity, under any circumstances, and its justice are questioned not merely in England, but all over the world where men are in any degree removed from barbarism. Romilly, Mackintosh, Sidney Taylor, fought the battle of its abolition in years gone by, when our criminal code was truly one of blood; and they did but hold up to the more enlightened consideration of men arguments which had been prepared for them ages before. In late years, Mr. Ewart, Lord Brougham, Mr. Bright, Mr. Gilpin, and other earnest men, have made the matter a parliamentary question. There have been at longer or shorter intervals debates in the House of Lords and the House of Commons-now upon a motion for the abolition of the death-penalty, now upon a proposal for a committee of inquiry into its expediency, and now upon the question whether public or private executions are best calculated to bring about the results the law has in view. In 1864, Mr. Ewart brought forward a motion for inquiry. After some official fencing, the motion was practically agreed to, though not in the form in which it was at first proposed. Instead of a select committee, a royal commission was appointed. The commission was very fairly constituted, and has been engaged almost ever since its appointment in taking evidence. Among the numerous witnesses examined by it, however, there was one conspicuous by his absence. Few men have had more and better opportunities of seeing the effects of the law in operation than Mr. Alfred Hutchinson Dymond. He was for many years the secretary and lecturer of the Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment. In that capacity, he had not merely to examine into all the arguments in favour of and against the death-penalty, but he had also to take part in numerous attempts to procure reprieves for persons who had been left by the judges for execution; and he thus naturally became ac

quainted with many details which cast a strong light upon the question of the desirability of continuing Calcraft as the highest exponent of the law's wisdom. That a man so well informed on the subject should not have been called before the commissioners may well be thought strange. One good result has come from it, however. Mr. Dymond has published a small volume,* in which he has collected a mass of facts,-most of them having come under his own observation,-bearing with great weight upon the subject intrusted to the commissioners for inquiry. It will not be uninteresting briefly to glance over the statements of Mr. Dymond, and to notice how they touch the arguments of those who still believe in the necessity of retaining the death-penalty in our criminal code.

Those who support the retention of capital punishment in our statute-book do so on the grounds of Right, Justice, and Expediency. There are some, indeed, who add to these principles arguments based upon texts of Scripture. They believe that the Mosaic dispensation is still in full force, and on the strength of an isolated passage they declare Calcraft's calling to be a divine institution. There are few things, probably, which might not be justified by sentences of Holy Scripture torn from the context, and given without explanation. A curious instance of the danger of this kind of argument is given in Mr. Boyle's delightful book, Adventures among the Dyaks of Borneo. An old piratical Rajah in Borneo having taken a number of prisoners in one of his expeditions, crucified them, instead of putting them to death in the usual way with the kris. He was expostulated with on his cruelty, and told that such atrocity was contrary to the spirit of the traditions of the people. His excuse was ready: "It is the English practice; they persuaded me to read their sacred books, and in them I found an account of it." Very similar replies, so far as the spirit is concerned, might be made to those who justify hanging by the quotation of the text, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood by man shall his blood be shed." There are few atrocities which might not be justified and excused if this sentence were held to be law. It is needless here to point out that the Christian dispensation set aside that given through Moses, or that, so far as the passage quoted is concerned, its verbal correctness as a translation from the original has been disputed by many learned linguists. Enough that those who are the chief supporters of the death-penalty no longer rely upon scriptural arguments to justify the faith which is in them. They have, in truth, been routed over and over again in this respect by their opponents, and would be more obtuse than they have credit for being, if they were longer to lean on so weak a staff.

The arguments which really have weight, and deserve careful con

The Law on its Trial; or Personal Recollections of the Death-Penalty and its Opponents. By Alfred H. Dymond. London: A. W. Bennett, Bishopsgate Without.