Hunt, Henry, 1773-1835; Social reformers -- Great Britain -- Biography
as much as any man in England; but then I have been always surrounded with
my family and friends; I have never, before now, known what it was to have
seven or eight hours of a day exclusively to myself. I am locked up in
solitary confinement in my dungeon every night, at six o'clock, without my
having the power to go to any one, and without any one having the power to
come to me, excepting the turnkey, which, thank God! never happens now
after locking-up time, though it used to be the case very frequently when
I first came here. It is considered a violation of the rules to go near a
prisoner, unless upon a great emergency, after he is locked up; but it was
not deemed any violation of rules for the turnkey to be constantly coming
to my dungeon, and, with an authoritative rattling of the lock of the
door, marching in to say that Mr. Bridle, the gaoler, wanted a newspaper,
&c. &c. However, that is all at an end, and I am never interrupted. I can
sit down with a book or a pen at six o'clock, almost with a certainty of
not being interrupted by any living creature, for six, seven, or eight
hours at a time. My keepers think this the greatest punishment that can be
inflicted upon me; but, on the contrary, I contrive to turn their malice
to advantage, and make this the most valuable time of my life. Few men can
boast such a luxury. I really enjoy it beyond description. No thanks to my
persecutors; and I should not be surprised if, when they read this, which
I know they all will, if they were to devise some means to deprive me of
this comfort of retirement. I have made them feel, and I will continue to
make them feel, that though I expose their petty tyranny, and their little
acts of meanness towards me, yet, that my mind is above the reach of their
vindictive malice. I understand that some of them are praying for the
suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, that they may have me delivered over
to their power; that I may be left to their unrestrained will, to inflict
torture upon me in secret--well! and what then? I will laugh at their
torture, and make them painfully conscious of their own insignificance,
even while they stand over me and inflict it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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