disinterment, and no more expecting an indictment for felony than one for high treason, neglected, for some days, to inform me that it was necessary I should plead to so serious a matter in person. A general exclamation of surprise and merriment attended its relation; except in some persons, who conceived it too serious a piece of malice to be met in any other way than by indignant deprecation. For my own part, I was content: I felt assured of the view which an enlightened judge would take of the subject; that he would overrule so ridiculous a complaint, as that a medical man, of no bad character, had stolen some old rags of a few pence value, for the purpose of using or selling them: and in this _intent_ only, as is manifest to common sense, consists the essence of felony. Sir, you are acquainted with the judgment of the Court of King’s Bench, as, doubtless, my prosecutors are also. Can I not easily imagine, or rather, may I not positively infer, the poignant chagrin of those personages, upon finding that I had been more leniently dealt with than they had hoped. Will they deny that _imprisonment_ was the doom which their best wishes had assigned me; and will they, after six months’ persecution, pretend, that there was the slightest leniency in their inclinations? Not that I mean to say that my sentence was light: much the contrary. I lament it, not only on my own account, but from a consideration of the baneful effect which it _may_ have upon those numerous and ardent minds, who are either prosecuting, or about to prosecute, their important studies. But, _nil desperandum_: nothing, Sir, no prejudices, no misguided and self-injuring prosecutors, and (pardon me if I say) no magisterial interference, can check the ardour of anatomical students, any more than bigotry, pride, or timidity, (whichever be the motive of its opponents,) can shut that broad gate, which is opening, and will be opened wide, for the diffusion of universal knowledge. It is cheering to reflect, that in the very teeth of this conviction and sentence, and only a few days subsequent to the latter, when it must have been fresh in mind, and doubtless had been seriously pondered over both by teacher and pupils, Dr. Birkbeck, in a course of Anatomical Lectures which he was then delivering to the Mechanics of London, having arrived at the precise point whereat my difficulties arose, proposed to his class to exhibit to them the muscles upon the recent subject: by which alone, as he explained to them, they can be properly shewn. He referred to the prejudices which prevail against practical Anatomy, and professing an inclination to indulge them, should they be paramount to the general desire of knowledge, he promised, rather than disgust his audience, to continue his course (in a very imperfect manner certainly, but as well as he could) by the aid of plates, diagrams, &c. Dr. B. left it with his large audience to determine the point, when they, with an honourable