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Life of Thomas Eddy

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connected with the nature of the punishment to which the convicts are sentenced. By the great attention paid to cleanliness in every part of the prison, they have shown their opinion of its importance in aiding reformation. Its benign influence on the physical character, though well understood by many, is not duly estimated by the bulk of mankind. Though its effect on bodily health be more obvious, its less striking but equally certain effect on the mind has been no where more fully experienced than in this prison. It is found to soften the temper, meliorate the disposition, and to produce a regard to temper-ance, order, and industry; and, by exciting more agreeable and tranquil sensations, to render men sus-ceptible of good impressions, and thereby conduce to their future amendment.* * Count RUMFORD, in his Essays, speaking of the good effects produced on the mendicants in the House of Industry at Munich, by cleanliness, says, that virtue never dwelt long with filth and nastiness; nor do I believe there ever was a person scrupulously attentive to cleanliness, who was a consummate villain. In the winter, those of the convicts who have appeared to be most meritorious, are allowed, with the approbation of the keeper, to be taught reading, writing, and arithmetic. Teachers are selected from such of them as are competent, and twenty are per-mitted to meet together daily with one of the keep-ers, and to receive instruction for about two hours in the evening. This is considered as a privilege, and conferred on those only, who, by a peaceable, indus-trious, and regular course of conduct, have shown a disposition towards reformation. It is a further requi-site for an admission into this school, that the personshould have performed labour above his task to the value of four shillings a week, which is to pay for the implements of writing, light, and fuel. Care is taken, as far as possible, to separate the less vicious from the more hardened and daring offen-ders. About twenty-two of the most obdurate crimi-nals are kept confined and at work in separate