in　these　kingdoms　the　day　for　practising　its　atrocities　is　gone　by。
  It　is　at　present　almost　below　contempt；　and　is　obliged　to　sue　for
  grace　IN　FORMA　PAUPERIS。'
  'Very　true；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'but　let　it　once　obtain
  emancipation；　and　it　will　cast　its　slough；　put　on　its　fine　clothes；
  and　make　converts　by　thousands。　　'What　a　fine　Church！'　they'll　say；
  'with　what　authority　it　speaks！　no　doubts；　no　hesitation；　no
  sticking　at　trifles。　　What　a　contrast　to　the　sleepy　English　Church！
  They'll　go　over　to　it　by　millions；　till　it　preponderates　here　over
  every　other；　when　it　will　of　course　be　voted　the　dominant　one；　and
  then　…　and　then　…　'　and　here　the　man　in　black　drank　a　considerable
  quantity　of　gin　and　water。
  'What　then？'　said　I。
  'What　then？'　said　the　man　in　black；　'why　she　will　be　true　to
  herself。　　Let　Dissenters；　whether　they　be　Church　of　England；　as
  perhaps　they　may　still　call　themselves；　Methodist；　or　Presbyterian；
  presume　to　grumble；　and　there　shall　be　bruising　of　lips　in　pulpits；
  tying　up　to　whipping…posts；　cutting　off　ears　and　noses　…　he！　he！
  the　farce　of　King　Log　has　been　acted　long　enough；　the　time　for
  Queen　Stork's　tragedy　is　drawing　nigh'；　and　the　man　in　black　sipped
  his　gin　and　water　in　a　very　exulting　manner。
  'And　this　is　the　Church　which；　according　to　your　assertion　in　the
  public…house；　never　persecutes？'
  'I　have　already　given　you　an　answer；'　said　the　man　in　black。　　'With
  respect　to　the　matter　of　the　public…house；　it　is　one　of　the　happy
  privileges　of　those　who　belong　to　my　Church　to　deny　in　the　public…
  house　what　they　admit　in　the　dingle；　we　have　high　warranty　for　such
  double　speaking。　　Did　not　the　foundation　stone　of　our　Church；　Saint
  Peter；　deny　in　the　public…house　what　he　had　previously　professed　in
  the　valley？'
  'And　do　you　think；'　said　I；　'that　the　people　of　England；　who　have
  shown　aversion　to　anything　in　the　shape　of　intolerance；　will　permit
  such　barbarities　as　you　have　described？'
  'Let　them　become　Papists；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'only　let　the
  majority　become　Papists；　and　you　will　see。'
  'They　will　never　become　so；'　said　I；　'the　good　sense　of　the　people
  of　England　will　never　permit　them　to　commit　such　an　absurdity。'
  'The　good　sense　of　the　people　of　England！'　said　the　man　in　black；
  filling　himself　another　glass。
  'Yes；'　said　I；　'the　good　sense　of　not　only　the　upper；　but　the
  middle　and　lower　classes。'
  'And　of　what　description　of　people　are　the　upper　class？'　said　the
  man　in　black；　putting　a　lump　of　sugar　into　his　gin　and　water。
  'Very　fine　people；'　said　I；　'monstrously　fine　people；　so；　at　least；
  they　are　generally　believed　to　be。'
  'He！　he！'　said　the　man　in　black；　'only　those　think　them　so　who
  don't　know　them。　　The　male　part　of　the　upper　class　are　in　youth　a
  set　of　heartless　profligates；　in　old　age；　a　parcel　of　poor；
  shaking；　nervous　paillards。　　The　female　part；　worthy　to　be　the
  sisters　and　wives　of　such　wretches　…　unmarried；　full　of　cold　vice；
  kept　under　by　vanity　and　ambition；　but　which；　after　marriage；　they
  seek　not　to　restrain；　in　old　age；　abandoned　to　vapours　and　horrors；
  do　you　think　that　such　beings　will　afford　any　obstacle　to　the
  progress　of　the　Church　in　these　regions；　as　soon　as　her　movements
  are　unfettered？'
  'I　cannot　give　an　opinion；　I　know　nothing　of　them；　except　from　a
  distance。　　But　what　think　you　of　the　middle　classes？'
  'Their　chief　characteristic；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'is　a　rage　for
  grandeur　and　gentility；　and　that　same　rage　makes　us　quite　sure　of
  them　in　the　long　run。　　Everything　that's　lofty　meets　their
  unqualified　approbation；　whilst　everything　humble；　or；　as　they　call
  it；　〃low；〃　is　scouted　by　them。　　They　begin　to　have　a　vague　idea
  that　the　religion　which　they　have　hitherto　professed　is　low；　at　any
  rate；　that　it　is　not　the　religion　of　the　mighty　ones　of　the　earth；
  of　the　great　kings　and　emperors　whose　shoes　they　have　a　vast
  inclination　to　kiss；　nor　was　used　by　the　grand　personages　of　whom
  they　have　read　in　their　novels　and　romances；　their　Ivanhoes；　their
  Marmions；　and　their　Ladies　of　the　Lake。'
  'Do　you　think　that　the　writings　of　Scott　have　had　any　influence　in
  modifying　their　religious　opinions？'
  'Most　certainly　I　do；'　said　the　man　in　black。　　'The　writings　of
  that　man　have　made　them　greater　fools　than　they　were　before。　　All
  their　conversation　now　is　about　gallant　knights；　princesses；　and
  cavaliers；　with　which　his　pages　are　stuffed　…　all　of　whom　were
  Papists；　or　very　High　Church；　which　is　nearly　the　same　thing；　and
  they　are　beginning　to　think　that　the　religion　of　such　nice　sweet…
  scented　gentry　must　be　something　very　superfine。　　Why；　I　know　at
  Birmingham　the　daughter　of　an　ironmonger；　who　screeches　to　the
  piano　the　Lady　of　the　Lake's　hymn　to　the　Virgin　Mary；　always　weeps
  when　Mary　Queen　of　Scots　is　mentioned；　and　fasts　on　the　anniversary
  of　the　death　of　that　very　wise　martyr；　Charles　the　First。　　Why；　I
  would　engage　to　convert　such　an　idiot　to　popery　in　a　week；　were　it
  worth　my　trouble。　　O　Cavaliere　Gualtiero；　avete　fatto　molto　in
  favore　della　Santa　Sede！'
  'If　he　has；'　said　I；　'he　has　done　it　unwittingly；　I　never　heard
  before　that　he　was　a　favourer　of　the　popish　delusion。'
  'Only　in　theory；'　said　the　man　in　black。　　'Trust　any　of　the　clan
  Mac…Sycophant　for　interfering　openly　and　boldly　in　favour　of　any
  cause　on　which　the　sun　does　not　shine　benignantly。　　Popery　is　at
  present；　as　you　say；　suing　for　grace　in　these　regions　IN　FORMA
  PAUPERIS；　but　let　royalty　once　take　it　up；　let　old　gouty　George
  once　patronise　it；　and　I　would　consent　to　drink　puddle…water　if；
  the　very　next　time　the　canny　Scot　was　admitted　to　the　royal
  symposium；　he　did　not　say；　〃By　my　faith；　yere　Majesty；　I　have
  always　thought；　at　the　bottom　of　my　heart；　that　popery；　as　ill…
  scrapit　tongues　ca'　it；　was　a　very　grand　religion；　I　shall　be　proud
  to　follow　your　Majesty's　example　in　adopting　it。〃'
  'I　doubt　not；'　said　I；　'that　both　gouty　George　and　his　devoted
  servant　will　be　mouldering　in　their　tombs　long　before　Royalty　in
  England　thinks　about　adopting　popery。'
  'We　can　wait；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'in　these　days　of　rampant
  gentility；　there　will　be　no　want　of　kings　nor　of　Scots　about　them。'
  'But　not　Walters；'　said　I。
  'Our　work　has　been　already　tolerably　well　done　by　one；'　said　the
  man　in　black；　'but　if　we　wanted　literature；　we　should　never　lack　in
  these　regions　hosts　of　literary　men　of　some　kind　or　other　to
  eulogise　us；　provided　our　religion　were　in　the　fashion；　and　our
  popish　nobles　chose　…　and　they　always　do　our　bidding　…　to　admit　the
  canaille　to　their　tables　…　their　kitchen　tables。　　As　for　literature
  in　general；'　said　he；　'the　Santa　Sede　is　not　particularly　partial
  to　it；　it　may　be　employed　both　ways。　　In　Italy；　in　particular；　it
  has　discovered　that　literary　men　are　not　always　disposed　to　be
  lickspittles。'
  'For　example；　Dante；'　said　I。
  'Yes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'a　dangerous　personage；　that　poem　of
  his　cuts　both　ways；　and　then　there　was　Pulci；　that　MORGANTE　of　his
  cuts　both　ways；　or　rather　one　way；　and　that　sheer　against　us；　and
  then　there　was　Aretino；　who　dealt　so　hard　with　the　POVERI　FRATI；
  all　writers；　at　least　Italian　ones；　are　not　lickspittles。　　And　then
  in　Spain；　…　'tis　true；　Lope　de　Vega　and　Calderon　were　most
  inordinate　lickspittles；　the　PRINCIPE　CONSTANTE　of　the　last　is　a
  curiosity　in　its　way；　and　then　the　MARY　STUART　of　Lope；　I　think　I
  shall　recommend　the　perusal　of　that　work　to　the　Birmingham
  ironmonger's　daughter　…　she　has　been　lately　thinking　of　adding　〃a
  slight　knowledge　of　the　magneeficent　language　of　the　Peninsula〃　to
  the　rest　of　her　accomplishments；　he！　he！　he！　　But　then　there　was
  Cervantes；　starving；　but　straight；　he　deals　us　some　hard　knocks　in
  that　second　part　of　his　QUIXOTE。　　Then　there　were　some　of　the
  writers　of　the　picaresque　novels。　　No；　all　literary　men　are　not
  lickspittles；　whether　in　Italy　or　Spain；　or；　indeed；　upon　the
  Continent；　it　is　only　in　England　that　all　…　'
  'Come；'　said　I；　'Mind　what　you　are　about　to　say　of　English　literary
  men。'
  'Why　should　I　mind？'　said　the　man　in　black；　'there　are　no　literary
  men　here。　　I　have　heard　of　literary　men　living　in　garrets；　but　not
  in　dingles；　whatever　philologists　may　do；　I　may；　therefore；　speak
  out　freely。　　It　is　only　in　England　that　literary　men　are　invariably
  lickspittles；　on　which　account；　perhaps；　they　are　so　despised；　even
  by　those　who　benefit　by　their　dirty　services。　　Look　at　your
  fashionable　novel…writers；　he！　he！　…　and；　above　all；　at　your
  newspaper　editors；　ho！　ho！'
  'You　will；　of　course；　except　the　editors　of　the　…　from　your　censure
  of　the　last　class？'　said　I。
  'Them！'　said　the　man　in　black；　'why；　they　might　serve　as　models　in
  the　dirty　trade　to　all　the　rest　who　practise　it。　　See　how　they
  bepraise　their　patrons；　the　grand