pent in prosecuting their inquiry through the Gate House, Fleet, and
Marshalsea; the next day they allotted to the King's Bench, where they
understood there was a great variety of prisoners. There they proposed
to make a minute scrutiny, by the help of Mr. Norton, the deputy-marshal,
who was Mr. Clarke's intimate friend, and had nothing at all of the
jailor, either in his appearance or in his disposition, which was
remarkably humane and benevolent towards all his fellow-creatures.

The knight having bespoke dinner at a tavern in the Borough, was,
together with Captain Crowe, conducted to the prison of the King's Bench,
which is situated in St. George's Fields, about a mile from the end of
Westminster Bridge, and appears like a neat little regular town,
consisting of one street, surrounded by a very high wall, including an
open piece of ground, which may be termed a garden, where the prisoners
take the air, and amuse themselves with a variety of diversions. Except
the entrance, where the turnkeys keep watch and ward, there is nothing in
the place that looks like a jail, or bears the least colour of restraint.
The street is crowded with passengers. Tradesmen of all kinds here
exercise their different professions. Hawkers of all sorts are admitted
to call and vend their wares as in any open street of London. Here are
butchers' stands, chandlers' shops, a surgery, a tap-house, well
frequented, and a public kitchen, in which provisions are dressed for all
the prisoners gratis, at the expense of the publican. Here the voice of
misery never complains; and, indeed, little else is to be heard but the
sounds of mirth and jollity.

At the farther end of the street, on the right hand, is a little paved
court, leading to a separate building, consisting of twelve large
apartments, called state rooms, well furnished and fitted up for the
reception of the better sort of Crown prisoners; and, on the other side
of the street, facing a separate division of ground, called the common
side, is a range of rooms occupied by prisoners of the lowest order, who
share the profits of a begging-box, and are maintained by this practice,
and some established funds of charity. We ought also to observe, that
the jail is provided with a neat chapel, in which a clergyman, in
consideration of a certain salary, performs divine service every Sunday.

Our adventurer, having searched the books, and perused the description of
all the female prisoners wh