2

There were few families in the wide middle class who did not feel the cost of postage a heavy item in their expenditure; and if the young people sent letters home only once a fortnight, the amount at the year's end was a rather serious matter. But it was the vast multitude of the lower orders who suffered like the crusading families of old,3 and the geographical discoverers of all times. When once their families parted off from home, it was a separation almost like that of death.

HARRIET MARTINEAU," Thirty Years' Peace."

A SPECIMEN OF IRONY.

TO HIS HIGHNESS OLIVER CROMWELL.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HIGHNESS,-How I have spent some hours of the leisure your Highness has been pleased to give me, this following paper will give your Highness an account 6 How you will

please to interpret it, I cannot tell; but I can with confidence say, my intention in it is, to procure your Highness that justice nobody yet does you, and to let the people see, the longer they defer it, the greater injury they do both themselves and you.10 To your Highness justly belongs the honour of dying for the people; and it cannot choose but bell an unspeakable

1 Who did not feel, etc......expenditure, pour qui les frais de poste ne fussent une lourde dépense-2 once a fortnight, une fois tous les quinze jours 3 like, etc......of old, comme jadis les familles des croisés the geographical discoverers, les explorateurs géographes.

5 Has been pleased, a daigné-6 will give your Highness an account, en instruira votre Altesse 7 I cannot tell, c'est ce que j'ignore-my intention in it, le motif qui me l'a inspiré- does, rend-10 the greater, etc......and you, plus grand est le tort qu'ils se font à eux-mêmes et à vous-11 it cannot choose but be, ce doit nécessairement être.

you

consolation to1 in the last moments of your life, to consider2 with how much benefit to the world you are like to leave it. It is then only, my Lord, the titles you now usurp will be truly yours. You will then be indeed the deliverer of your country, and free it from a bondage little inferior to that from which Moses delivered his. You will then be that true reformer which you would now be thought; religion shall be then restored, liberty asserted, and parliament have those privileges they have sought for. We shall then hope that other laws will have place3 besides those of the sword, and that justice shall be otherwise defined than the will and pleasure of the strongest; and we shall then hope men will keep oaths again, and not have the necessity of being false and perfidious to preserve themselves, and be like their ruler. All this we hope from your Highness's happy expiration, who are the true father of your country; for while you live we can call nothing ours, and it is from your death that we hope for our inheritances. Let this consideration arm and fortify your Highness's mind against the fears of death, and the terrors of your evil conscience, that the good you will do by your death, will somewhat balance the evils of your life. And if, in the black catalogue of high malefactors,8 few can be found that have lived more to the affliction and disturbance of man

6

1 To, pour-2 to consider, que de songer-3 with how much, etc......to leave it, quel grand service vous rendrez vraisemblablement au monde en le quittant- which you would now be thought, que vous voulez que l'on voie maintenant en vous-5 will have place, seront reconnues we can call nothing ours, il n'y a rien que nous puissions regarder comme nous appartenant that, à savoir, que-" of high malefactors, des grands criminels.

2

kind1 than your Highness has done; yet your greatest enemies will not deny, that there are likewise as few that have expired more to the universal benefit of mankind than your Highness is like to do.3 To hasten this great good is the chief end of my writing this paper; and if it have the effects I hope it will, your Highness will quickly be out of the reach of men's malice, and your enemies will only be able to wound you in your memory, which strokes you will not feel.6

That your Highness may be speedily in this security, is the universal wish of your grateful country this is the desire and prayer of the good and of the bad, and, it may be, is the only thing wherein all sects and factions do agree in their devotion, and it is our only common prayer! But among all that put in their request and supplication for your Highness's speedy deliverance from all earthly troubles, none is more assiduous nor more fervent than he,10 that, with the rest of the nation, hath the honour to be (may it please your Highness), Your Highness's present slave and vassal,

The Author of "Killing no Murder."

Few can be found, etc......mankind, on en trouve peu dont l'existence ait plus affligé et troublé le genre humain-2 than......has done, que ne l'a fait......3 will not deny, etc......is like to do, ne nieront pas qu'il n'y en ait également peu qui par leur mort aient rendu un plus grand service au genre humain tout entier que ne le fera probablement votre Altesse of my writing, qui m'a fait écrire-5 out of the reach, hors de la portée 6 will only, etc......not feel, en seront réduits à infliger à votre mémoire des blessures que vous ne ressentirez point-7 may be speedily in, puisse jouir promptement de-8 is the only thing, etc...... do agree, c'est le seul point sur lequel toutes les sectes et factions soient unies- all that put in, tous ceux qui émettent -10 he, celui.

THE EXECUTION OF BISHOP FISHER AND OF SIR THOMAS MORE (A.D. 1535).

2

Mercy was not to be hoped for.1 It does not seem to have been sought. He (Fisher) was past eighty.3 The earth on the edge of the grave was already crumbling under his feet, and death had little to make it fearful. When the last morning dawned,5 he dressed himself carefully-as he said, for his marriage day. The distance to Tower Hill was short. He was able to walk, and he tottered out of the prison-gates, holding in his hand a closed volume of the New Testament. The crowd flocked about him, and he was heard to pray that, as this book had been his best comfort and companion, so in that hour it might give him some1o especial strength, and speak to him as from his Lord. Then opening it at a venture, he read, "This is life eternal, to 12 know Thee, the only true God, and 13 Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." It was the answer to his prayer; and he continued to repeat the words as he was led forward. On the scaffold he chaunted the Te Deum, and then,14 after a few prayers, he knelt down and meekly laid his head upon a pillow where neither care 15 nor fear nor sickness would ever vex it more.16

10

4

1 Mercy, etc......hoped for, il n'y avait pas de grâce à espérer-2 to have been sought, qu'elle ait été demandée-3 he was past eighty, il avait plus de quatre-vingts ans- had little to make it fearful, n'avait guère de quoi l'effrayer when the last morning dawned, quand le dernier jour fut arrivé-6 he was able to, il était en état de 7 and he, etc......gates, il franchit d'un pas tremblant les portes de la prison8 flocked about, se pressa autour de— so in that hour it might, il pût également à cette heure-10 some, une-11 as from, comme de la part de-12 this is......to, c'est la......que de 13 and, ainsi que-14 and then, puis-15 care, soucis-16 would ever vex it more, ne la tourmenteraient jamais plus.

Many a spectacle of sorrow had been witnessed1 on that tragic spot, but never one more sad than this. Let us close our lips, and pass by and not speak of it. When a nation is in the throes of revolution, wild spirits are abroad in3 the storm, and poor human nature presses blindly forward with the burden which is laid upon it,5 tossing aside the obstacles in its path with a recklessness which, in calmer hours, it would fear to think of.7

6

Sir Thomas More followed; his fortunes linked in death as in life to those of his friend. He was left to the last, in the hope, perhaps, that the example might produce an effect which persuasion could not.9 But the example worked to far other purpose.10 From More's high-tempered nature, such terrors fell harmless, as from enchanted armour. Death to 12 him was but passing 13 from one country to another; and he had all along anticipated that his prison was 11 the anti-chamber of the scaffold..

At length sufficient evidence was obtained, and the High Commission sat again in Westminster Hall,15 to try the most illustrious prisoner who ever listened to his sentence there.16 He walked from 17 the Tower

1 Many a, etc......witnessed, il s'était passé bien des scènes de douleur -2 and not speak of it, sans mot dire-3 wild spirits are abroad in, des esprits déréglés se mêlent à-4 presses......forward, se presse......en avant-5 which is laid upon it, dont elle est chargée-6 in its path, qui se trouvent sur son chemin-7 which in......it would fear to think of, dont la seule pensée, à des......, la ferait frémir-8 he was left to the last, on le laissa jusqu'au dernier moment-9 which......could not, que n'avait pu produire... 10 worked to far other purpose, eut un tout autre résultat 11 from, etc......as from, sur la nature fortement trempée de More de telles terreurs tombèrent impuissantes, comme sur— 12 to, pour-13 was but passing, n'était que le passage-14 and he, etc. ....was, et il avait dès le commencement regardé sa prison comme— 15 sat again in W. Hall, siégea de nouveau dans la Grande Salle de W. -16 who ever listened to......there, qui eût jamais écouté......dans cette enceinte-17 he walked from, il s'y rendit à pied de.