The case of this unfortunate woman, and the cruel state of the law in regard to females, then attracted attention.  On the 10th of May, 1790, Sir Benjamin Hammett, in his place in the House of Commons, called the attention of that House to the then state of the law.  He mentioned that it had been his official duty to attend on the melancholy occasion of the burning of the female in the preceding year (it is understood he was then one of the sheriffs of London), he moved for leave to bring in a bill to alter the law, which he characterised as—­

    “One of the savage remains of Norman policy, disgracing our
    statute book, as the practice did the common law.”

He noticed that the sheriff who did not execute the sentence of burning alive was liable to a prosecution; but he thanked Heaven there was not a man in England who would carry such a sentence into effect.  He obtained leave to bring in a bill for altering this cruel law; and in that session the Act 30 G. III. c. 48. was passed—­

    “For discontinuing the judgment which has been required by law
    to be given against women convicted of certain crimes, and
    substituting another judgment in lieu thereof.”

A debt of gratitude is due to the memory of Sir Benjamin Hammett, for his exertions, at that period, in the cause of humanity.  Thank God, we now live in times when the law is less cruel, and more chary of human life.

OCTOGENARIUS.

* * * * *

A NOTE ON MORGANATIC MARRIAGES.

Grimm (Deutsche Rechts Alterthumer, vol. ii., p. 417.), after a long dissertation, in which it appears that the money paid by the bridegroom to the wife’s relations (I believe subsequently also to the wife herself) had every form of a purchase, possibly derived also from some symbolic customs common to all northern tribes, offers the following as the origin of this word “morganatic:”—­

“Es gab aber im Alterthum noch einen erlaubten Ausweg fuer die Verbindung vorneluner Maenner mit geringen (freien und selbst unfreien) Frauen, den Concubinat, der ohne feierliches Verloebniss, ohne Brautgabe und Mitgift eingegangen wurde, mithin keine wahre und volle Ehe, dennoch ein rechtmaessiges Verhaeltniss war.

“Da jedoch die Kirche ein solches Verhaeltniss missbilligte durch keine Einsegnung weihte, so wurde es allmaehlich unerlaubt und verboten als Ausnahme aber bis auf die neueste Zeit fuer Fuersten zugelassen—­ja durch Trauung an die linke Hand gefeiert.  Die Benennung Morganatische Ehe,—­Matrimonium ad Morganaticam (11.  Feud. 29.), ruehrt daher, dass den Concubinen eine Morgangabe (woraus im Mittelalter die Lombarden ‘Morganatica’ machten)—­bewilligt zu werden pflegte—­es waren Ehen auf blosse Morgengabe.  Den Beweis liefern Urkunden, die Morganatica fuer Morgengabe auch in Fallen gebrauchen wo von wahrer Ehe die Rede ist.” (See Heinecius, Antiq. 3. 157, 158.)

The case now stands thus: