Wesley Corpus

1. Every part of it, above stairs and below, even the pit, whercin the felons are confined at night, is as clean and sweet as a gentle man’s house; it being now a rule, that every prisoner wash and clean his apartment throughly twice a weck. 2. Here is no fighting or brawling. If anythinks himself ill used, the cause is immediately referred to the Keeper, who hears the contending parties face to face, and decides the affair at once. 3. The usual grounds of quarrelling are removed. For it is very rarely that any one cheats or wrongs another, as being sure, if anything of this kind is discovered, to be committed to a closer confinement. 4. Here is no drunkenness suffered, 34 REv. J. wesley’s [Jan. 1761. however advantageous it might be to the Keeper, as well as the tapster : 5. Nor any whoredom; the women prisoners being marrowly observed, and kept separate from the men: Nor is any woman of the town now admitted, no, not at any price. 6. All possible care is taken to prevent idleness: Those who are willing to work at their callings are provided with tools and materials, partly by the Keeper, who gives them credit at a very moderate profit, partly by the alms occasion ally given, which are divided with the utmost prudence and impartiality. Accordingly, at this time, among others, a shoemaker, a tailor, a brazier, and a coachmaker are working at their several trades. 7. Only on the Lord’s day they neither work nor play, but dress themselves as clean as they can, to attend the public Service in the chapel, at which every person under the roof is present. None is excused unless sick; in which case he is provided, gratis, both with advice and medicines. 8. And in order to assist them in things of the greatest concern, (besides a sermon every Sunday and Thurs day,) they have a large Bible chained on one side of the chapel, which any of the prisoners may read. By the blessing of God on these regulations the prison now has a new face: Nothing offends either the eye or ear; and the whole has the appearance of a quiet, serious family. And does not the Keeper of Newgate deserve to be remembered full as well as the Man of Ross? May the Lord remember him in that day!