From the above table we discover that pluralism is the rule, and a single living the exception, in the church.

Church Fees on Burials, Marriages, Christenings,&c.

500,000

ALLEGORIES FROM VOLTAIRE.

No. 2.-DOGMAS.

On the 18th of February, in the year 1763 of the vulgar era, the sun entering the sign of the fishes, I was transported to heaven, as all my friends can bear witness. The mare Borac, of Mahomet, was not my steed, neither was the fiery chariot of Elijah my carriage. I was not carried on the elephant of Somonocodom, the Siamese; on the horse of St. George, the patron of England; nor on St. Anthony's pig. I avow with frankness that my journey was made I know not how.

It will easily be believed that I was dazzled; but it will not so easily be believed that I saw the judgment of the dead. And who were the judges? they were-do not be displeased at it-all those who have done good to man. Confucius, Solon, Socrates, Titus, Antonins, Epictetus, Charon, De Thou, Chancellor de l'Hôpital, and all the great men who, having taught and practised the virtues that God requires, seemed to be the only persons possessing the right of pronouncing his decrees.

I shall not describe on what thrones they were seated, nor how many celestial beings were prostrated before the eternal architect of all worlds, nor what a crowd of the inhabitants of these innumerable worlds appeared before the judges. I shall not even give an account of several little interesting peculiarities which were exceedingly striking.

I remarked that every spirit who pleaded his cause, and displayed his specious pretensions, had beside him all the witnesses of his actions. For example, when Cardinal Lorraine boasted of having caused some of his opinions to be adopted by the council of Trent, and demanded eternal life as the price of his orthodoxy, there immediately appeared around him twenty ladies of the court, all bearing on their foreheads the number of their interviews with the cardinal. I also saw those who had concerted with him the foundations of the infamous league. All the accomplices of his wicked designs surrounded him.

Over against Cardinal Lorraine was John Calvin, who boasted, in his gross patois, of having trampled upon the papal idol after others had overthrown it. I have written against painting and sculpture,' said he ;' 'I have made it apparent that good works are of no avail, and I have proved that it is diabolical to dance a minuet. Send away Cardinal Lorraine quickly, and place me by the side of St. Paul.'

As he spoke there appeared by his side a lighted pile: a dreadful spectre, wearing round his neck a Spanish frill, arose half burnt from the midst of the flames, with dreadful shrieks, Monster,' cried he; 'execrable monster, tremble! recognise that Servetus, whom thou causedest to perish by the most cruel torments, because he had disputed with thee on the manner in which three persons can form one substance.' Then all the judges com

manded that Cardinal Lorraine should be thrown into the abyss, but that Calvin should be punished still more rigorously.

I saw a prodigious crowd of spirits, each of which said, 'I have believed, I have believed!' but on their forehead it was written, 'I have acted,' and they were condemned.

The Jesuit Le Tellier appeared boldly with the bull Unigenitus in his hand. But there suddenly arose at his side a heap, consisting of two thousand lettres-de-cachet. A Jansenist set fire to them, and Le Tellier was burnt to a cinder; while the Jansenist who had no less caballed than the Jesuit had his share of the flames.

A

I saw approach, from right to left, troops of fakirs, talapoins, bonzes, and black, white, and grey monks, who all imagined that to make their court to the Supreme Being, they must either sing, scourge themselves, or walk quite naked. 'What good have you done to men?' was the query. dead silence succeeded to this question. No one dared to answer; and they were all conducted to the mad-houses of the universe, the largest buildings imaginable.

'One cried out that he believed in the metamorphosis of Xaca, another in those of Somonocodom. 'Bacchus stopped the sun and moon!' said this one - The gods resuscitated Pelops!' said the other- Here is a bull in cœna Domini!' said a new comer-and the officer of the court exclaimed, To Bedlam, to Bedlam!'

When all these causes were gone through, I heard this proclamation:— 'By the Eternal Creator, Preserver, Rewarder, Revenger, Forgiver, &c., be it known to all the inhabitants of the hundred thousand millions of world that it hath pleased us to form, that we never judge any sinners in reference to their own shallow ideas, but only as to their actions. Such is our JUSTICE.'

I own that this was the first time I ever heard such an edict; all those which I had read, on the little grain of dust on which I was born, ended with these words: 'Such is our PLEASURE.'

THEOLOGY.-Theology is an enchanted wood; a wilderness of error--a region of eternal mists, amidst which you may wander for years and ages without ever seeing the pure clear light of day. It is a wllderness where millions lose their way, where millions lose their comfort, where millions lose their reason and their lives. They are to be pitied who are still wander. ing in this wilderness. They have reason to be infinitely thankful who have escaped beyond its bounds, and got into the realms of nature and of truth. -The People, No. 123.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC PRESS.

(From the New Work Edited by G. J. Harney, The Friend of the People.)

DOWN WITH THE TYRANTS: WITH HINTS WHAT TO DO

WITH THEM.

THERE'S a title that I think entitles me to contribute another article to The Friend of the People, even if the circumstance under which I write did not. Mr. Harney is not yet sufficiently recovered to resume his usual duties as Editor, though happily able to commence; therefore I beg to offer him a short paper by way of further assistance. Called down to Norwich to lecture, I write from that place and from Diss, where I conclude my paper, or I should gladly make it longer. As some associations among the Chartists have nominated me to serve on the Executive, I embrace this opportunity to explain the grounds of my constant adhesion to their movement. I have been a Chartist since 1832, eight years before the Old Guards' were christened.

In good truth, I am more of a Chartist than many who bear that name. They say down with the tyrants, meaning Class rulers only; I say down with all tyrants, whether set up by others or kept up by ourselves.

Ignorance is a tyrant: it makes us impotent: it hides from us our power: it prevents us getting improvement: it makes us make war on our friends by blinding us from seeing who they really are: it keeps us from seeing the opportunities that lie at our feet, whereby we might emancipate ourselves half as fast again as we do-Ignorance therefore is a tyrant, and I say 'Down with that Tyrant !'

Prejudice is a Tyrant. It prevents us working with each other: it prevents us working with many who might and would help us well: it makes us work in only one way, and what is worse, suspect all who would work in a different way, although for the same end. Therefore Prejudice is a pernicious Tyrant, and I say 'Down with that Tyrant.'

Supineness is also a Tyrant. It makes us talk about subscriptions and never pay them; it makes us talk about meetings, and hardly ever go to them: it makes us proud of our Democratic papers, but does not make us take them in: it makes us expect our leaders to stand by us, but never makes us think of standing by them: it sends us to our assemblies with unshorn chins, dirty faces, and dirty clothes, whereby we look like black slaves, when we at least might have the credit of looking like white ones. Supine. ness is therefore a Tyrant, and I say 'Down with that Tyrant!'

Indignation is a Tyrant: because a man who is merely indignant is not good for much. So many think that if they are indignant at wrong, that is nough. It is not enough. I know as well as any Chartist in the land, that

the working classes have reason enough to be indignant. As I have said elsewhere: Brightly shines the light of history on national progress. Improvements, inventions, extension of commerce, and energy of production, reflect rays of prosperity over the extent of the nation, and in the glare of projecting riches few look below, where the dark shade of humbler destiny is ob scured. Grandly and nobly uprears the stalwart structure of our manufacturing greatness; but let us not be blind to the dreary fate of many thousands, who waste their days in unnoted, unavailing anxieties. In bare garrets, in cold, dirty, comfortless courts, in suffocating mills, in filthy, sooty, greasy shops, how many sink into the grave, uncheered even by a better prospect for their unhappy offspring? Let those who are scandalised at the stern, unsocial, antagonistic creed of the poor, remember in what a harsh and hopeless school they have been reared! When the Falcon saw a poor Fowl escape anxiously from the hands of one who had endeavoured to catch it, he reproached it with ingratitude. During the day,' said the Falcon, the men nourish you with grains during the night they concede you shelter where you can roost unexposed to the inclemency of the weather: yet in spite of all these cares when they endeavour to catch you, you endeavour to flee from them. This is what I never do. A savage bird of prey as I am, and under no obligations to them, I assume tameness when they seek to caress me, and even eat out of their hands.' All that is very true which you say,' rejoined the Fowl, but you comprehend not the reason which makes me flee. You have never seen a Falcon on the spit, but I have seen thousands of Fowls there!' We therefore have all of us reason enough to be indignant I know, for we are all on the Spit of Tyranny. But it is no good being indignant. It is not enough to hate Tyranny, we must put it down; and I am so resolved to put it down that I can't find time to vent my indignation. Now many Chartists waste half their time in venting their indignation. Indignation therefore delays redress.-Indignation therefore is a Tyrant, and I say 'Down with that Tyrant also!'

Class legislators are Tyrants, who ought to be put down. But how? One way is to knock them down, and that is the only mode many people think of. But that's not the only way-besides it's a wasteful way. It's not a good way, because if you knock them down they sometimes get up again, as they have done in France. The fact is, it's a worn out way. Any savage can take that way. We have found out other ways, and I think better ways. When a builder finds an old house good for nothing he of course removes it, but he never thinks of knocking' it down. That would be a great waste. He takes it to pieces-and uses up the materials for some new fabric. That's the way I would serve all tyrannies. I would not knock them down. I would take them to pieces-then they can never get together

*People's Review.