upon the
multitude who witness the spectacle of an execution. This is their
favourite and most frequent theme. They seem to overlook the much more
powerful effect produced on the imagination of that far greater
multitude who never behold, or are likely to behold, an execution. It is
curious to observe how pertinaciously a certain class of reasoners will
dwell on the picture which a crowd presents at a public execution;--much
like a crowd, we may be sure, at any other public spectacle. Whatever
the object which gathers together a mob of the lowest class, they will
soon begin to relieve the tedium of expectation by coarse jests,
drunkenness, and brawling. Yet these descriptive logicians are never
weary of painting to us the grotesque and disgusting scenes which the
mass of spectators exhibit on these occasions, as if this were quite
decisive of the question. That ragged children, who have never thought
of death at all, play their usual pranks at the foot of the
gallows--that pickpockets ply their trade in this as in every other
gaping crowd--what has all this to do with the impression produced on
the mind of every man and woman throughout the kingdom, by the knowledge
that if he, through sudden passion, or the instigations of cupidity,
take the life of a fellow-creature, he shall be--not a spectator at such
an exhibition--but that solitary crawling wretch who, after having spent
his days and nights in agony and fear, is thrust forward, bound and
pinioned, to be hanged up there like a dog before the scoffing or
yelling multitude?

We willingly concede that a public execution is not an edifying
spectacle. The coarse minds who can endure, and who court it, are the
last to whom such a spectacle should be presented. And, although the
punishment might lose some portion of its terrors, we should prefer that
the execution should take place in a more private manner; in the
court-yard, for instance, of the prison, and before a selected number of
witnesses, partly consisting of official persons, as the sheriffs and
magistrates, and partly of a certain number of persons who might be
taken from the several jury lists--the option being given to them either
to accept or decline this melancholy office. This would be a sufficient
publicity to ensure an impartial administration of the laws. The only
doubt that remains is, whether it would be sufficient to prevent the
spread of false rumours, and absurd suspicions, amongst the people. It