Guillotine

.—an instrument of most rare and humane invention, lessening and shortening the pains of death to condemned criminals; so called after the name of the inventor, who is said himself to have died under its axe.

As it is the custom to decapitate, and not to hang Kings, there should be a guillotine in all monarchial states, that in case of accident, their majesties might not be exposed to suffer long and unnecessary torture. The unfortunate Duke of Monmouth received four strokes from the executioner, before his head was severed from his body. With the guillotine such mistakes are impossible; the business is at once effected; as the machine falls, so sure is the head to be that instant taken off. But notwithstanding its easy and immediate operation, it strikes terror into the coward and guilty breat. Mr. P-wis the Alarmist, member for the county of N-th-mpt-n, has declared, that he had rather see arbitrary power established in England, than that a guillotine should make its appearance in the country. Noevertheless, several first-rate mechanics are reported to be at work, in order that the people may not be disapppointed, supposing it should enter into their heads, that they had occasion for one. To the French we are indebted for this discovery; and Europe ere long promises to borrow all their modern political improvement from that nation.