frankly resign fathers, relations, countrymen, and country itself, to follow the fortunes of a hero of the black tribe.

P. 354. Things are stubborn, and will not be as we fancy them, but as they stand in nature. Now whether the writer be a poet, a philosopher, or of whatever kind, he is in truth no other than a copyist after nature. His style may be differently suited to the different times he lives in, or to the different humour of his age or nation; his manner, his dress, his colouring may vary. But if his drawing be incorrect, or his design contrary to nature; his piece will be found ridiculous, when it comes thoroughly to be examined. For Nature will not be mocked. The prepossession against her can never be very lasting. Her decrees and instincts are powerful. She has a strong party abroad, and as strong a one within ourselves; and when any slight is put upon her, she can soon turn the reproach, and make large reprisals on the taste and judgment of her antagonists.

It may be thought, perhaps, notwithstanding the particular advice we have given, in relation to the forming of a taste in characters and manners, that we are still defective in our performance, whilst we are silent on supernatural cases, and bring not into our consideration the manners and characters delivered to us in holy writ. But this objection will soon vanish, when we consider, that there can be no rules given by human wit, to that which was never humanly conceived, but divinely dictated, and inspired!

For this reason, it would be in vain for any poet, or ingenious author, to form his characters, after the models of our sacred penmen. And whatever certain critics may have advanced concerning the structure of a heroic poem of this kind; I will be bold to prophecy, that the success will never be answerable to expectation.

It must be owned, that in our sacred history we have both leaders, conquerors, founders of nations, deliverers and patriots, who in a human sense, are no way behind the chief of those so much celebrated by the ancients. There is nothing in the story of Æneas, which is not equalled or exceeded by a Joshua or a Moses. But, as illustrious as are the acts of these sacred chiefs, it would be hard to copy them in just heroic. It would be hard to give to many of them that graceful air, which is necessary to render them naturally pleasing to mankind, according to the idea men have of heroism and generosity.

Notwithstanding the pious endeavours which, as devout Christians, we may have used in order to separate ourselves from the interests of mere heathens, and Infidels; notwithstanding the true pains we may have taken, to arm our hearts in behalf of a chosen people, against their neighbouring nations, of a false religion, and worship; there will be still found such a partiality remaining in us, towards creatures of the same make and figure

with ourselves, as will hinder us from viewing with satisfaction the punishments inflicted by human hands on such aliens and idolaters.

In mere poetry, and the pieces of wit and literature, there is a liberty of thought and easiness of humour indulged to us, in which, perhaps, we are not so well able to contemplate the divine judgments, and see clearly into the justice of those ways, which are declared to be so far from our ways, and above our highest thoughts or understandings. In such a situation of mind, we can hardly endure to see heathens treated as heathens, and the faithful made the executioners of the divine wrath.

There is a certain perverse humanity in us, which inwardly resists the divine commission, though ever so plainly revealed. The wit of the best poet is not sufficient to reconcile us to the campaigns of a Joshua, or the retreat of a Moses, by the assistance of an Egyptian loan. Nor will it be possible, by the muses' art, to make that royal hero appear amiable in human eyes, who found such favour in the eye of Heaven. Such are mere human hearts, that they can hardly find the least sympathy with that only one which had the character of being after the pattern of the Almighty's!

It is apparent, therefore, that the manners, actions, and characters of sacred wit, are in no wise the proper subject of other authors than divines themselves. They are matters incomprehensible in philosophy: they are above the pitch of the human historian, the politician, or the moralist; and are too sacred to be submitted to the poet's fancy, when inspired by no other spirit than that of his profane mistresses, the muses.

I should be unwilling to examine vigorously the performance of our great poet, who sung so piously the fall of man. The war in heaven, and the catastrophe of that original pair from whom the generations of mankind were propagated, are matters so abstrusely revealed, and with such a resemblance of mytho logy, that they can more easily bear what figurative construction or fantastic turn the poet may think fit to give them. But should he venture further into the lives and characters of the patriarchs, the holy matrons, heroes, and heroines of the chosen seedshould he employ the sacred machine, the exhibitions and interventions of divinity, according to holy writ, to support the action of this piece, he would soon find the weakness of his pretended orthodox muse, and prove how little those divine patterns were capable of human imitation, or of being raised to any other majesty or sublimity, than that in which they originally appear.. (To be continued.)

Printed and Published by Richard Carlile, 62, Fleet-street, where all Communications, post paid, or free of expence, are requested to be left.

The Lion.

No. 2. VOL. 4.] LONDON, Friday, July 10, 1829. [PRICE 6d.

Manchester, July 5, 1829.

WE left Leeds for Bradford, on Monday, June 29, and reached the latter place at noon. We soon perceived, that the walls of the town were placarded to the following effect:

“ TO THE INHABITANTS OF BRADFORD.

"The Rev. Robert Taylor, B. A., of St. John's College, Cambridge, formerly a Minister of the Established Church, and Mr. Richard Carlile, of London, respectfully announce, that they' have engaged the school-room of Mr. Field, at Dudley-hill, near Bradford, and that, on Monday evening, the 29th of June instant, Mr. Taylor will deliver a lecture on the historical merits of the Christian religion.

"Instant criticism will be allowed, and discussion by competent persons giving their names, is invited.

"Doors open at seven, and the lecture to commence in half an hour afterwards.-Admission one shilling.

"Leeds, June 27, 1829."

In conjunction with this bill, we found the announcement of a district Church Missionary meeting, to be held in Bierley Chapel, which was the nearest to our place of meeting at Dudley-hill, to begin before our business by an hour, and to be attended by a Rev. Mr. Sawyer, an East Indian Missionary. So, here was a Christian Missionary come to Dudley-hill, to tell the folks to send the gospel to the poor Hindoos ; and the Infidel Missionaries, to tell them, that the poor Hindoos were in possession of this gospel 1400 years before it was called Christian. Strange affair!

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62, Fleet Street. No. 2. Vol. 4.

D

We dined, on that day, in the commercial room of the Sun Inn, Bradford, with a group of travellers. Mr. Taylor, happening to be at the head of the table, was, as soon as wine was called for, declared the president of the company. The conversation was generally agreeable; and the sentiments of the president called

for.

He pronounced "universal benevolence" and some few generalizations of that kind, which were apparently pleasing to the company. After the dinner, a brewer of Leeds introduced a Mr. Horsefall of Bradford, a wine and spirit merchant, to take wine with him. Mr. Horsefall was not long at table, before he began with:-"We have got the Infidels at Bradford-Taylor and Carlile. I think the best thing that could be done with them would be to send them to the tread-mill."-" So I think," said the Leeds brewer.-"They got themselves neatly lectured at Leeds," continued he, " by a Mr. Hesealton, who keeps the South-market. He made them look very silly; and the papers too, have set them down in good style."

Mr. Taylor could scarcely contain himself, and did say a softening word, about the Infidels appearing in the apostolic character; but I looked a request that he would not take up the subject and it had its effect: it was dropped. The offensiveness with which the subject was introduced by the Bradford wine-merchant, was such, that excluded all pleasant conversation on that head, so we' thought it best to turn it, and let it proceed pleasantly on some other. Little were we suspected of being the proscribed Infidels! In the eye of Mr. Horsefall and the Leeds brewer, we appeared as good a pair of Christians, as they had ever met with: and this circumstance might afford them a lesson, by which they may for the future hold the character of Infidelity in better estimation. We had here a practical proof of the mischief, which such men as Hesealton commit as infidel hypocrites. He was, by these people, supposed to have been a very good Christian, when, in reality, he was an Infidel, and the first man in Leeds, as a stranger, who gave me his hand and a welcome, and who encouraged our efforts, until he found himself entangled by the presence of the Mayor and some other town officers We passed our day very well at the Sun Inn, and found ourselves, though incog., most welcome visitors.

One of the travellers, who dined with us, stated that the shopkeepers of Bradford were not now doing one-fourth the amount of business that they were doing a year ago. We were sceptical as to so great a change; but since we have conversed with the shopkeepers of Manchester, our scepticism is removed; for here we find a declaration that not one-sixth the amount of business is doing that was doing last year. Whether it be the cause or not, I cannot divine; but that universally assigned is the withdrawal of the one pound notes, and yet the dirty offensive paper money is too common here. The fact of the great decay of general business is certain.

The school-room which we were to occupy on Dudley-hill belonged to the Methodists; but Mr. Field, the renter, in spite of the remonstrance of the trustees, was determined that we should have the use of it. The key was demanded of him by some of the trustees. One of them came to the door to inquire whether we intended to have any singing with our lecture; but they did not succeed in interrupting us.

After dinner, we surveyed the town of Bradford, and walked leisurely up Dudley-hill, which is an ascent of two miles; noticing as we passed, the evidently reckless habit of procreation among the labouring people, in spite of destitution and the absence of ordinary animal comforts. In this and many parts of

Yorkshire and Lancashire, indeed, almost throughout England, are seen children with as little prospect of intellectual and usefully social cultivation as a litter of pigs. They appear te be born for disease and misery, as pigs are bred for the knife. This excessive child-getting is a relic or sign of brutality in the human character, and one of the main causes of its degradation, slavery, and want. It is a crime of a higher degree than child murder. It is that sheer animal propensity which is at variance with the happiness desirable in social life; and which in all other cases is so much declaimed against and discouraged. Sexual intercourse without marriage is declared a sin by gospel, and an offence by law; but after marriage, the worst part of the brute animal seems to be encouraged, and the Christian man claims the right to treat his wife with as much vulgarity, indifference, and cold-bloodedness, as he treats any other chamber utensil. This should not be. English marriage is a war with love, and slavery is legalized on the part of the woman, where mutual love should reign in equality and be guided by all the socially prudential considerations, as to offspring and the means of bringing them reputably and respectably into the social circle. I begin to think of lecturing on this allimportant subject, through the country, if the wretches will bear the holding up of such a mirror before their brutal and vicious habits.

We were early enough on the bill to go to Bexley Chapel and see and hear what was to be done by our brother Missionary, had the business commenced at the time announced; but at that time, very few persons were present, and there was no prospect of business within the time of our appointment; so we returned to Mr. Field's school-room.

Our congregation of payers for admittance consisted of about one hundred persons. Mr. Taylor made an oration to them, with which they seemed highly pleased. At the close of the oration, two well-dressed men came in and began to throw themselves about with airs of consequence. One of them was a surgeon of Bradford, of the name of George Beaumont, and an occasional religious speech-maker, a qualification for which he appeared to