of　the　powerful　and　active…minded；　sunk　in　egoistic　scepticisms；　busied　in　chase　of　lucre；　pleasure；　and　mere　vulgar　objects；　looking　with　indifference　on　the　world's　woes；　and　passing　carelessly　by　on　the　other　side；　and　the　select　minority；　of　whom　better　might　have　been　expected；　bending　all　their　strength　to　cure　them　by　methods　which　can　only　make　bad　worse；　and　in　the　end　render　cure　hopeless。　A　blind　loquacious　pruriency　of　indiscriminate　Philanthropism　substituting　itself；　with　much　self…laudation；　for　the　silent　divinely　awful　sense　of　Right　and　Wrong；testifying　too　clearly　that　here　is　no　longer　a　divine　sense　of　Right　and　Wrong；　that；　in　the　smoke　of　this　universal；　and　alas　inevitable　and　indispensable　revolutionary　fire；　and　burning　up　of　worn…out　rags　of　which　the　world　is　full；　our　life…atmosphere　has　（for　the　time）　become　one　vile　London　fog；　and　the　eternal　loadstars　are　gone　out　for　us！　Gone　out；yet　very　visible　if　you　can　get　above　the　fog；　still　there　in　their　place；　and　quite　the　same　as　they　always　were！　　To　whoever　does　still　know　of　loadstars；　the　proceedings；　which　expand　themselves　daily；　of　these　sublime　philanthropic　associations；　and　〃universal　sluggard…and…scoundrel　protection…societies；〃　are　a　perpetual　affliction。　　With　their　emancipations　and　abolition　principles；　and　reigns　of　brotherhood　and　new　methods　of　love；　they　have　done　great　things　in　the　White　and　in　the　Black　World；　during　late　years；　and　are　preparing　for　greater。
  In　the　interest　of　human　reform；　if　there　is　ever　to　be　any　reform；　and　return　to　prosperity　or　to　the　possibility　of　prospering；　it　is　urgent　that　the　nonsense　of　all　this　（and　it　is　mostly　nonsense；　but　not　quite）　should　be　sent　about　its　business　straightway；　and　forbidden　to　deceive　the　well…meaning　souls　among　us　any　more。　　Reform；　if　we　will　understand　that　divine　word；　cannot　begin　till　then。　　One　day；　I　do　know；　this；　as　is　the　doom　of　all　nonsense；　will　be　drummed　out　of　the　world；　with　due　placard　stuck　on　its　back；　and　the　populace　flinging　dead　cats　at　it：　　but　whether　soon　or　not；　is　by　no　means　so　certain。　　I　rather　guess；　_not_　at　present；　not　quite　soon。　　Fraternity；　in　other　countries；　has　gone　on；　till　it　found　itself　unexpectedly　manipulating　guillotines　by　its　chosen　Robespierres；　and　become　a　fraternity　like　Cain's。　　Much　to　its　amazement！　　For　in　fact　it　is　not　all　nonsense；　there　is　an　infinitesimal　fraction　of　sense　in　it　withal；　which　is　so　difficult　to　disengage；which　must　be　disengaged；　and　laid　hold　of；　before　Fraternity　can　vanish。
  But　to　our　subject；the　Model　Prison；　and　the　strange　theory　of　life　now　in　action　there。　　That；　for　the　present；　is　my　share　in　the　wide　adventure　of　Philanthropism；　the　world's　share；　and　how　and　when　it　is　to　be　liquidated　and　ended；　rests　with　the　Supreme　Destinies。
  Several　months　ago；　some　friends　took　me　with　them　to　see　one　of　the　London　Prisons；　a　Prison　of　the　exemplary　or　model　kind。　　An　immense　circuit　of　buildings；　cut　out；　girt　with　a　high　ring…wall；　from　the　lanes　and　streets　of　the　quarter；　which　is　a　dim　and　crowded　one。　　Gateway　as　to　a　fortified　place；　then　a　spacious　court；　like　the　square　of　a　city；　broad　staircases；　passages　to　interior　courts；　fronts　of　stately　architecture　all　round。　　It　lodges　some　thousand　or　twelve　hundred　prisoners；　besides　the　officers　of　the　establishment。　　Surely　one　of　the　most　perfect　buildings；　within　the　compass　of　London。　　We　looked　at　the　apartments；　sleeping…cells；　dining…rooms；　working…rooms；　general　courts　or　special　and　private：　excellent　all；　the　ne…plus…ultra　of　human　care　and　ingenuity；　in　my　life　I　never　saw　so　clean　a　building；　probably　no　Duke　in　England　lives　in　a　mansion　of　such　perfect　and　thorough　cleanness。
  The　bread；　the　cocoa；　soup；　meat；　all　the　various　sorts　of　food；　in　their　respective　cooking…places；　we　tasted：　　found　them　of　excellence　superlative。　　The　prisoners　sat　at　work；　light　work；　picking　oakum；　and　the　like；　in　airy　apartments　with　glass　roofs；　of　agreeable　temperature　and　perfect　ventilation；　silent；　or　at　least　conversing　only　by　secret　signs：　others　were　out；　taking　their　hour　of　promenade　in　clean　flagged　courts：　methodic　composure；　cleanliness；　peace；　substantial　wholesome　comfort　reigned　everywhere　supreme。　　The　women　in　other　apartments；　some　notable　murderesses　among　them；　all　in　the　like　state　of　methodic　composure　and　substantial　wholesome　comfort；　sat　sewing：　　in　long　ranges　of　wash…houses；　drying…houses　and　whatever　pertains　to　the　getting…up　of　clean　linen；　were　certain　others；　with　all　conceivable　mechanical　furtherances；　not　too　arduously　working。　　The　notable　murderesses　were；　though　with　great　precautions　of　privacy；　pointed　out　to　us；　and　we　were　requested　not　to　look　openly　at　them；　or　seem　to　notice　them　at　all；　as　it　was　found　to　〃cherish　their　vanity〃　when　visitors　looked　at　them。　　Schools　too　were　there；　intelligent　teachers　of　both　sexes；　studiously　instructing　the　still　ignorant　of　these　thieves。
  From　an　inner　upper　room　or　gallery；　we　looked　down　into　a　range　of　private　courts；　where　certain　Chartist　Notabilities　were　undergoing　their　term。　Chartist　Notability　First　struck　me　very　much；　I　had　seen　him　about　a　year　before；　by　involuntary　accident　and　much　to　my　disgust；　magnetizing　a　silly　young　person；　and　had　noted　well　the　unlovely　voracious　look　of　him；　his　thick　oily　skin；　his　heavy　dull…burning　eyes；　his　greedy　mouth；　the　dusky　potent　insatiable　animalism　that　looked　out　of　every　feature　of　him：　　a　fellow　adequate　to　animal…magnetize　most　things；　I　did　suppose；and　here　was　the　post　I　now　found　him　arrived　at。　　Next　neighbor　to　him　was　Notability　Second；　a　philosophic　or　literary　Chartist；　walking　rapidly　to　and　fro　in　his　private　court；　a　clean；　high…walled　place；　the　world　and　its　cares　quite　excluded；　for　some　months　to　come：　　master　of　his　own　time　and　spiritual　resources　to；　as　I　supposed；　a　really　enviable　extent。　　What　〃literary　man〃　to　an　equal　extent！　　I　fancied　I；　for　my　own　part；　so　left　with　paper　and　ink；　and　all　taxes　and　botherations　shut　out　from　me；　could　have　written　such　a　Book　as　no　reader　will　here　ever　get　of　me。　　Never；　O　reader；　never　here　in　a　mere　house　with　taxes　and　botherations。　　Here；　alas；　one　has　to　snatch　one's　poor　Book；　bit　by　bit；　as　from　a　conflagration；　and　to　think　and　live；　comparatively；　as　if　the　house　were　not　one's　own；　but　mainly　the　world's　and　the　devil's。　　Notability　Second　might　have　filled　one　with　envy。
  The　Captain　of　the　place；　a　gentleman　of　ancient　Military　or　Royal…Navy　habits；　was　one　of　the　most　perfect　governors；　professionally　and　by　nature　zealous　for　cleanliness；　punctuality；　good　order　of　every　kind；　a　humane　heart　and　yet　a　strong　one；　soft　of　speech　and　manner；　yet　with　an　inflexible　rigor　of　command；　so　far　as　his　limits　went：　　〃iron　hand　in　a　velvet　glove；〃　as　Napoleon　defined　it。　　A　man　of　real　worth；　challenging　at　once　love　and　respect：　　the　light　of　those　mild　bright　eyes　seemed　to　permeate　the　place　as　with　an　all…pervading　vigilance；　and　kindly　yet　victorious　illumination；　in　the　soft　definite　voice　it　was　as　if　Nature　herself　were　promulgating　her　orders；　gentlest　mildest　orders；　which　however；　in　the　end；　there　would　be　no　disobeying；　which　in　the　end　there　would　be　no　living　without　fulfilment　of。　　A　true　〃aristos；〃　and　commander　of　men。　　A　man　worthy　to　have　commanded　and　guided　forward；　in　good　ways；　twelve　hundred　of　the　best　common…people　in　London　or　the　world：　　he　was　here；　for　many　years　past；　giving　all　his　care　and　faculty　to　command；　and　guide　forward　in　such　ways　as　there　were；　twelve　hundred　of　the　worst。　　I　looked　with　considerable　admiration　on　this　gentleman；　and　with　considerable　astonishment；　the　reverse　of　admiration；　on　the　work　he　had　here　been　set　upon。
  This　excellent　Captain　was　too　old　a　Commander　to　complain　of　anything；　indeed　he　struggled　visibly　the　other　way；　to　find　in　his　own　mind　that　all　here　was　best；　but　I　could　sufficiently　discern　that；　in　his　natural　instincts；　if　not　mounting　up　to　the　region　of　his　thoughts；　there　was　a　continual　protest　going　on　against　much　of　it；　that　nature　and　all　his　inarticulate　persuasion　（however　much　forbidden　to　articulate　itself）　taught　him　the　futility　and　unfeasibility　of　the　system　followed　here。　　The　Visiting　Magistrates；　he　gently　regretted　rather　than　complained；　had　lately　taken　his　tread…wheel　from　him；　men　were　just　now　pulling　it　down；　and　how　he　was　henceforth　to　enforce　discipline　on　these　bad　subjects；　was　much　a　difficulty　with　him。　　〃They　cared　for　nothing　but　the　tread…wheel；　and　for　having　their　rations　cut　short：〃　　of　the　two　sole　penalties；　hard　work　and　occasional　hunger；　there　remained　now　only　one；　and　that　by　no　means　the　better　one；　as　he　thought。　　The　〃sympathy〃　of　visitors；　too；　their　〃pity〃　for　his　interesting　scoundrel…subjects；　though　he　tried　to　like　it；　was　evidently　no　joy　to　this　practical　mind。　　Pity；　yes：　　but　pity　for　the　scoundrel…species？　　For　those　who　will　not　have　pity　on　themselves；　and　will　force　the　Universe　and　the　Laws　of　Nature　to　have　no　〃pity　on〃　them？　　Meseems　I　could　discover　fitter　objects　of　pity！
  In　fact　it　was　too　clear；　this　excellent　man　had　got　a　field　for　his　faculties　which；　in　several　respect