" HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF."
[TO THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR-1
Srn,—It was recently necessary to transfer over forty conscientious objectors from a military camp near one town to a civil prison in another. From one who was present I learn that the military authorities, who understood their men and had acted kindly towards them, asked if they would undertake not to try to escape, as otherwise a strong guard would be sent with them. The men of course gave the assurance, and they marched off under no physical restraint with an unarmed escort of four or five only. According to my informant, a " tremendous impression " was made by this procession of men, occasionally singing hymns, going practically unguarded from one prison to another. This incident recalls a story in the autobiography of Thomas Ellwood, Milton's Quaker secretary. After explaining that the removal of the Quaker prisoners from Newgate to Bridewell had been ordered, Ellwood continues :-
" The sheriff then bidding us farewell, the porter of Bridewell came to us, and told us we knew our way to Bridewell without him and he could trust us ; therefore he would not stay nor go with us, but left us to take our own time, so we wore in before bed-time. . . . So we took our bundles on our shoulders, and walked two and two abreast through the Old Bailey into Fleet Street, and so to Old Bridcwell. And it being about the middle of the afternoon, and the streets pretty full of people, both the shopkeepers at their doors, and passengers in the way would stop us, and ask us what we were, and whither we were going ; and when we told them we were prisoners going from one prison to another, from Newgate to Bridewell, • What I ' said they, ' without a keeper ? " No,' said we, ' for our word which we have given is our keeper.' Some thereupon would advise us not to go to prison but to go home. But we told them we could not do so ; we could suffer for our testimony, but we could not fly from it. I do not remember we bad any abuse offered us, but were greatly pitied by the people."
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