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force; but however this may be, it stands to reason that no man should be
allowed to be unlucky to more than a very moderate extent."

Then, turning to the prisoner, the judge continued:--"You have suffered a
great loss. Nature attaches a severe penalty to such offences, and human
law must emphasise the decrees of nature. But for the recommendation of
the jury I should have given you six months' hard labour. I will,
however, commute your sentence to one of three months, with the option of
a fine of twenty-five per cent. of the money you have received from the
insurance company."

The prisoner thanked the judge, and said that as he had no one to look
after his children if he was sent to prison, he would embrace the option
mercifully permitted him by his lordship, and pay the sum he had named.
He was then removed from the dock.

The next case was that of a youth barely arrived at man's estate, who was
charged with having been swindled out of large property during his
minority by his guardian, who was also one of his nearest relations. His
father had been long dead, and it was for this reason that his offence
came on for trial in the Personal Bereavement Court. The lad, who was
undefended, pleaded that he was young, inexperienced, greatly in awe of
his guardian, and without independent professional advice. "Young man,"
said the judge sternly, "do not talk nonsense. People have no right to
be young, inexperienced, greatly in awe of their guardians, and without
independent professional advice. If by such indiscretions they outrage
the moral sense of their friends, they must expect to suffer
accordingly." He then ordered the prisoner to apologise to his guardian,
and to receive twelve strokes with a cat-of-nine-tails.

But I shall perhaps best convey to the reader an idea of the entire
perversion of thought which exists among this extraordinary people, by
describing the public trial of a man who was accused of pulmonary
consumption--an offence which was punished with death until quite
recently. It did not occur till I had been some months in the country,
and I am deviating from chronological order in giving it here; but I had
perhaps better do so in order that I may exhaust this subject before
proceeding to others. Moreover I should never come to an end were I to
keep to a strictly narrative form, and detail the infinite absurdities
with which I daily came in contact.

The prisoner was placed in the dock, and the jury were sworn much as in
Europe; almost all our own modes of procedure were reproduced, even to
the requiring the prisoner to plead guilty or not guilty. He pleaded not
guilty, and the case proceeded. The evidence for the prosecution was
very strong; but I must do the court the justice to observe that the
trial was absolutely impartial. Counsel for the prisoner was allowed to
urge everything that could be said in his defence: the line taken was
that the prisoner was simulating consumption in order to defraud an

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