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recall　this　curious　fantasy　of　the　mind。　　That；　having　beheld　that

execution；　and　having　left　those　two　forms　dangling　on　the　top　of

the　entrance　gateway　…　the　man's；　a　limp；　loose　suit　of　clothes　as

if　the　man　had　gone　out　of　them；　the　woman's；　a　fine　shape；　so

elaborately　corseted　and　artfully　dressed；　that　it　was　quite

unchanged　in　its　trim　appearance　as　it　slowly　swung　from　side　to

side　…　I　never　could；　by　my　uttermost　efforts；　for　some　weeks；

present　the　outside　of　that　prison　to　myself　（which　the　terrible

impression　I　had　received　continually　obliged　me　to　do）　without

presenting　it　with　the　two　figures　still　hanging　in　the　morning

air。　　Until；　strolling　past　the　gloomy　place　one　night；　when　the

street　was　deserted　and　quiet；　and　actually　seeing　that　the　bodies

were　not　there；　my　fancy　was　persuaded；　as　it　were；　to　take　them

down　and　bury　them　within　the　precincts　of　the　jail；　where　they

have　lain　ever　since。



The　balloon　ascents　of　last　season。　　Let　me　reckon　them　up。　　There

were　the　horse；　the　bull；　the　parachute；　…　and　the　tumbler　hanging

on　…　chiefly　by　his　toes；　I　believe　…　below　the　car。　　Very　wrong；

indeed；　and　decidedly　to　be　stopped。　　But；　in　connexion　with　these

and　similar　dangerous　exhibitions；　it　strikes　me　that　that　portion

of　the　public　whom　they　entertain；　is　unjustly　reproached。　　Their

pleasure　is　in　the　difficulty　overcome。　　They　are　a　public　of　great

faith；　and　are　quite　confident　that　the　gentleman　will　not　fall　off

the　horse；　or　the　lady　off　the　bull　or　out　of　the　parachute；　and

that　the　tumbler　has　a　firm　hold　with　his　toes。　　They　do　not　go　to

see　the　adventurer　vanquished；　but　triumphant。　　There　is　no

parallel　in　public　combats　between　men　and　beasts；　because　nobody

can　answer　for　the　particular　beast　…　unless　it　were　always　the

same　beast；　in　which　case　it　would　be　a　mere　stage…show；　which　the

same　public　would　go　in　the　same　state　of　mind　to　see；　entirely

believing　in　the　brute　being　beforehand　safely　subdued　by　the　man。

That　they　are　not　accustomed　to　calculate　hazards　and　dangers　with

any　nicety；　we　may　know　from　their　rash　exposure　of　themselves　in

overcrowded　steamboats；　and　unsafe　conveyances　and　places　of　all

kinds。　　And　I　cannot　help　thinking　that　instead　of　railing；　and

attributing　savage　motives　to　a　people　naturally　well　disposed　and

humane；　it　is　better　to　teach　them；　and　lead　them　argumentatively

and　reasonably　…　for　they　are　very　reasonable；　if　you　will　discuss

a　matter　with　them　…　to　more　considerate　and　wise　conclusions。



This　is　a　disagreeable　intrusion！　　Here　is　a　man　with　his　throat

cut；　dashing　towards　me　as　I　lie　awake！　　A　recollection　of　an　old

story　of　a　kinsman　of　mine；　who；　going　home　one　foggy　winter　night

to　Hampstead；　when　London　was　much　smaller　and　the　road　lonesome；

suddenly　encountered　such　a　figure　rushing　past　him；　and　presently

two　keepers　from　a　madhouse　in　pursuit。　　A　very　unpleasant　creature

indeed；　to　come　into　my　mind　unbidden；　as　I　lie　awake。



…　The　balloon　ascents　of　last　season。　　I　must　return　to　the

balloons。　　Why　did　the　bleeding　man　start　out　of　them？　　Never　mind；

if　I　inquire；　he　will　be　back　again。　　The　balloons。　　This

particular　public　have　inherently　a　great　pleasure　in　the

contemplation　of　physical　difficulties　overcome；　mainly；　as　I　take

it；　because　the　lives　of　a　large　majority　of　them　are　exceedingly

monotonous　and　real；　and　further；　are　a　struggle　against　continual

difficulties；　and　further　still；　because　anything　in　the　form　of

accidental　injury；　or　any　kind　of　illness　or　disability　is　so　very

serious　in　their　own　sphere。　　I　will　explain　this　seeming　paradox

of　mine。　　Take　the　case　of　a　Christmas　Pantomime。　　Surely　nobody

supposes　that　the　young　mother　in　the　pit　who　falls　into　fits　of

laughter　when　the　baby　is　boiled　or　sat　upon；　would　be　at　all

diverted　by　such　an　occurrence　off　the　stage。　　Nor　is　the　decent

workman　in　the　gallery；　who　is　transported　beyond　the　ignorant

present　by　the　delight　with　which　he　sees　a　stout　gentleman　pushed

out　of　a　two　pair　of　stairs　window；　to　be　slandered　by　the

suspicion　that　he　would　be　in　the　least　entertained　by　such　a

spectacle　in　any　street　in　London；　Paris；　or　New　York。　　It　always

appears　to　me　that　the　secret　of　this　enjoyment　lies　in　the

temporary　superiority　to　the　common　hazards　and　mischances　of　life；

in　seeing　casualties；　attended　when　they　really　occur　with　bodily

and　mental　suffering；　tears；　and　poverty；　happen　through　a　very

rough　sort　of　poetry　without　the　least　harm　being　done　to　any　one　…

the　pretence　of　distress　in　a　pantomime　being　so　broadly　humorous

as　to　be　no　pretence　at　all。　　Much　as　in　the　comic　fiction　I　can

understand　the　mother　with　a　very　vulnerable　baby　at　home；　greatly

relishing　the　invulnerable　baby　on　the　stage；　so　in　the　Cremorne

reality　I　can　understand　the　mason　who　is　always　liable　to　fall　off

a　scaffold　in　his　working　jacket　and　to　be　carried　to　the　hospital；

having　an　infinite　admiration　of　the　radiant　personage　in　spangles

who　goes　into　the　clouds　upon　a　bull；　or　upside　down；　and　who；　he

takes　it　for　granted　…　not　reflecting　upon　the　thing　…　has；　by

uncommon　skill　and　dexterity；　conquered　such　mischances　as　those　to

which　he　and　his　acquaintance　are　continually　exposed。



I　wish　the　Morgue　in　Paris　would　not　come　here　as　I　lie　awake；　with

its　ghastly　beds；　and　the　swollen　saturated　clothes　hanging　up；　and

the　water　dripping；　dripping　all　day　long；　upon　that　other　swollen

saturated　something　in　the　corner；　like　a　heap　of　crushed　over…ripe

figs　that　I　have　seen　in　Italy！　　And　this　detestable　Morgue　comes

back　again　at　the　head　of　a　procession　of　forgotten　ghost　stories。

This　will　never　do。　　I　must　think　of　something　else　as　I　lie　awake；

or；　like　that　sagacious　animal　in　the　United　States　who　recognised

the　colonel　who　was　such　a　dead　shot；　I　am　a　gone　'Coon。　　What

shall　I　think　of？　　The　late　brutal　assaults。　　Very　good　subject。

The　late　brutal　assaults。



（Though　whether；　supposing　I　should　see；　here　before　me　as　I　lie

awake；　the　awful　phantom　described　in　one　of　those　ghost　stories；

who；　with　a　head…dress　of　shroud；　was　always　seen　looking　in

through　a　certain　glass　door　at　a　certain　dead　hour　…　whether；　in

such　a　case　it　would　be　the　least　consolation　to　me　to　know　on

philosophical　grounds　that　it　was　merely　my　imagination；　is　a

question　I　can't　help　asking　myself　by　the　way。）



The　late　brutal　assaults。　　I　strongly　question　the　expediency　of

advocating　the　revival　of　whipping　for　those　crimes。　　It　is　a

natural　and　generous　impulse　to　be　indignant　at　the　perpetration　of

inconceivable　brutality；　but　I　doubt　the　whipping　panacea　gravely。

Not　in　the　least　regard　or　pity　for　the　criminal；　whom　I　hold　in

far　lower　estimation　than　a　mad　wolf；　but　in　consideration　for　the

general　tone　and　feeling；　which　is　very　much　improved　since　the

whipping　times。　　It　is　bad　for　a　people　to　be　familiarised　with

such　punishments。　　When　the　whip　went　out　of　Bridewell；　and　ceased

to　be　flourished　at　the　carts　tail　and　at　the　whipping…post；　it

began　to　fade　out　of　madhouses；　and　workhouses；　and　schools　and

families；　and　to　give　place　to　a　better　system　everywhere；　than

cruel　driving。　　It　would　be　hasty；　because　a　few　brutes　may　be

inadequately　punished；　to　revive；　in　any　aspect；　what；　in　so　many

aspects；　society　is　hardly　yet　happily　rid　of。　　The　whip　is　a　very

contagious　kind　of　thing；　and　difficult　to　confine　within　one　set

of　bounds。　　Utterly　abolish　punishment　by　fine　…　a　barbarous

device；　quite　as　much　out　of　date　as　wager　by　battle；　but

particularly　connected　in　the　vulgar　mind　with　this　class　of

offence　…　at　least　quadruple　the　term　of　imprisonment　for

aggravated　assaults　…　and　above　all　let　us；　in　such　cases；　have　no

Pet　Prisoning；　vain　glorifying；　strong　soup；　and　roasted　meats；　but

hard　work；　and　one　unchanging　and　uncompromising　dietary　of　bread

and　water；　well　or　ill；　and　we　shall　do　much　better　than　by　going

down　into　the　dark　to　grope　for　the　whip　among　the　rusty　fragments

of　the　rack；　and　the　branding　iron；　and　the　chains　and　gibbet　from

the　public　roads；　and　the　weights　that　pressed　men　to　death　in　the

cells　of　Newgate。



I　had　proceeded　thus　far；　when　I　found　I　had　been　lying　awake　so

long　that　the　very　dead　began　to　wake　too；　and　to　crowd　into　my

thoughts　most　sorrowfully。　　Therefore；　I　resolved　to　lie　awake　no

more；　but　to　get　up　and　go　out　for　a　night　walk　…　which　resolution

was　an　acceptable　relief　to　me；　as　I　dare　say　it　may　prove　now　to　a

great　many　more。







THE　GHOST　OF　ART







I　AM　a　bachelor；　residing　in　rather　a　dreary　set　of　chambers　in　the

Temple。　　They　are　situated　in　a　square　court　of　high　houses；　which

would　be　a　complete　well；　but　for　the　want　of　water　and　the　absence

of　a　bucket。　　I　live　at　the　top　of　the　house；　among　the　tiles　and

sparrows。　　Like　the　little　man　in　the　nursery…story；　I　live　by

myself；　and　all　the　bread　and　cheese　I　get　…　which　is　not　much　…　I

put　upon　a　shelf。　　I　need　scarcely　add；　perhaps；　that　I　am　in　love；

and　that　the　father　of　my　charming　Julia　objects　to　our　union。



I　mention　these　little　particulars　as　I　might　deliver　a　letter　of

introduction。　　The　reader　is　now　acquainted　with　me；　and　perhaps

will　condescend　to　listen　to　my　narrative。



I　am　naturally　of　a　dreamy　turn　of　mind；　and　my　abundant　leisure　…

for　I　am　called　to　the　Bar　…　coupled　with　much　lonely　listening　to

the　twittering　of　sparrows；　and　the　pattering　of　rain；　has

encouraged　that　disposition。　　In　my　'top　set'　I　hear　the　wind　howl

on　a　winter　night；　when　the　man　on　the　ground　floor　believes　it　is

perfectly　still　weather。　　The　dim　lamps　with　which　our　Honourable

Society　（supposed　to　be　as　yet　unconscious　of　the　new　discovery

called　Gas）　make　the　horrors　of　the　staircase　visible；　deepen　the

gloom　which　generally　settles　on　my　soul　when　I　go　home　at　night。



I　am　in　the　Law；　but　not　of　it。　　I　can't