the　dirty　trade　to　all　the　rest　who　practise　it。　　See　how　they
  bepraise　their　patrons；　the　grand　Whig　nobility；　who　hope；　by
  raising　the　cry　of　liberalism　and　by　putting　themselves　at　the　head
  of　the　populace；　to　come　into　power　shortly。　　I　don't　wish　to　be
  hard；　at　present；　upon　those　Whigs；'　he　continued；　'for　they　are
  playing　our　game；　but　a　time　will　come　when；　not　wanting　them；　we
  will　kick　them　to　a　considerable　distance：　　and　then；　when
  toleration　is　no　longer　the　cry；　and　the　Whigs　are　no　longer　backed
  by　the　populace；　see　whether　the　editors　of　the　…　will　stand　by
  them；　they　will　prove　themselves　as　expert　lickspittles　of
  despotism　as　of　liberalism。　　Don't　think　they　will　always　bespatter
  the　Tories　and　Austria。'
  'Well；'　said　I；　'I　am　sorry　to　find　that　you　entertain　so　low　an
  opinion　of　the　spirit　of　English　literary　men；　we　will　now　return；
  if　you　please；　to　the　subject　of　the　middle　classes；　I　think　your
  strictures　upon　them　in　general　are　rather　too　sweeping　…　they　are
  not　altogether　the　foolish　people　which　you　have　described。　　Look；
  for　example；　at　that　very　powerful　and　numerous　body　the
  Dissenters；　the　descendants　of　those　sturdy　Patriots　who　hurled
  Charles　the　Simple　from　his　throne。'
  'There　are　some　sturdy　fellows　amongst　them；　I　do　not　deny；'　said
  the　man　in　black；　'especially　amongst　the　preachers；　clever　withal
  …　two　or　three　of　that　class　nearly　drove　Mr。　Platitude　mad；　as
  perhaps　you　are　aware；　but　they　are　not　very　numerous；　and　the　old
  sturdy　sort　of　preachers　are　fast　dropping　off；　and；　as　we　observe
  with　pleasure；　are　generally　succeeded　by　frothy　coxcombs；　whom　it
  would　not　be　very　difficult　to　gain　over。　　But　what　we　most　rely
  upon　as　an　instrument　to　bring　the　Dissenters　over　to　us　is　the
  mania　for　gentility；　which　amongst　them　has　of　late　become　as
  great；　and　more　ridiculous　than　amongst　the　middle　classes
  belonging　to　the　Church　of　England。　　All　the　plain　and　simple
  fashions　of　their　forefathers　they　are　either　about　to　abandon；　or
  have　already　done　so。　　Look　at　the　most　part　of　their　chapels　…　no
  longer　modest　brick　edifices；　situated　in　quiet　and　retired
  streets；　but　lunatic…looking　erections；　in　what　the　simpletons　call
  the　modern　Gothic　taste；　of　Portland　stone；　with　a　cross　upon　the
  top；　and　the　site　generally　the　most　conspicuous　that　can　be　found。
  And　look　at　the　manner　in　which　they　educate　their　children　…　I
  mean　those　that　are　wealthy。　　They　do　not　even　wish　them　to　be
  Dissenters　…　〃the　sweet　dears　shall　enjoy　the　advantages　of　good
  society；　of　which　their　parents　were　debarred。〃　　So　the　girls　are
  sent　to　tip…top　boarding…schools；　where　amongst　other　trash　they
  read　ROKEBY；　and　are　taught　to　sing　snatches　from　that　high…flying
  ditty；　the　〃Cavalier〃　…
  'Would　you　match　the　base　Skippon；　and　Massey；　and　Brown；
  With　the　barons　of　England；　who　fight　for　the　crown？　…
  he！　he！　their　own　names。　　Whilst　the　lads　are　sent　to　those　hotbeds
  of　pride　and　folly　…　colleges；　whence　they　return　with　a　greater
  contempt　for　everything　〃low；〃　and　especially　for　their　own
  pedigree；　than　they　went　with。　　I　tell　you；　friend；　the　children　of
  Dissenters；　if　not　their　parents；　are　going　over　to　the　Church；　as
  you　call　it；　and　the　Church　is　going　over　to　Rome。'
  'I　do　not　see　the　justice　of　that　latter　assertion　at　all；'　said　I；
  'some　of　the　Dissenters'　children　may　be　coming　over　to　the　Church
  of　England；　and　yet　the　Church　of　England　be　very　far　from　going
  over　to　Rome。'
  'In　the　high　road　for　it；　I　assure　you；'　said　the　man　in　black；
  'part　of　it　is　going　to　abandon；　the　rest　to　lose　their
  prerogative；　and　when　a　Church　no　longer　retains　its　prerogative；
  it　speedily　loses　its　own　respect；　and　that　of　others。'
  'Well；'　said　I；　'if　the　higher　classes　have　all　the　vices　and
  follies　which　you　represent；　on　which　point　I　can　say　nothing；　as　I
  have　never　mixed　with　them；　and　even　supposing　the　middle　classes
  are　the　foolish　beings　you　would　fain　make　them；　and　which　I　do　not
  believe　them　as　a　body　to　be；　you　would　still　find　some　resistance
  amongst　the　lower　classes：　　I　have　a　considerable　respect　for　their
  good　sense　and　independence　of　character；　but　pray　let　me　hear　your
  opinion　of　them。'
  'As　for　the　lower　classes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　believe　them
  to　be　the　most　brutal　wretches　in　the　world；　the　most　addicted　to
  foul　feeding；　foul　language；　and　foul　vices　of　every　kind；　wretches
  who　have　neither　love　for　country；　religion；　nor　anything　save
  their　own　vile　selves。　　You　surely　do　not　think　that　they　would
  oppose　a　change　of　religion！　why；　there　is　not　one　of　them　but
  would　hurrah　for　the　Pope；　or　Mahomet；　for　the　sake　of　a　hearty
  gorge　and　a　drunken　bout；　like　those　which　they　are　treated　with　at
  election　contests。'
  'Has　your　church　any　followers　amongst　them？'　said　I。
  'Wherever　there　happens　to　be　a　Romish　family　of　considerable
  possessions；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'our　church　is　sure　to　have
  followers　of　the　lower　class；　who　have　come　over　in　the　hope　of
  getting　something　in　the　shape　of　dole　or　donation。　　As；　however；
  the　Romish　is　not　yet　the　dominant　religion；　and　the　clergy　of　the
  English　establishment　have　some　patronage　to　bestow；　the　churches
  are　not　quite　deserted　by　the　lower　classes；　yet；　were　the　Romish
  to　become　the　established　religion；　they　would；　to　a　certainty；　all
  go　over　to　it；　you　can　scarcely　imagine　what　a　self…interested　set
  they　are　…　for　example；　the　landlord　of　that　public…house　in　which
  I　first　met　you；　having　lost　a　sum　of　money　upon　a　cock…fight；　and
  his　affairs　in　consequence　being　in　a　bad　condition；　is　on　the　eve
  of　coming　over　to　us；　in　the　hope　that　two　old　Popish　females　of
  property；　whom　I　confess；　will　advance　a　sum　of　money　to　set　him　up
  again　in　the　world。'
  'And　what　could　have　put　such　an　idea　into　the　poor　fellow's　head？'
  said　I。
  'Oh；　he　and　I　have　had　some　conversation　upon　the　state　of　his
  affairs；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'I　think　he　might　make　a　rather
  useful　convert　in　these　parts；　provided　things　take　a　certain　turn；
  as　they　doubtless　will。　　It　is　no　bad　thing　to　have　a　fighting
  fellow；　who　keeps　a　public…house；　belonging　to　one's　religion。　　He
  has　been　occasionally　employed　as　a　bully　at　elections　by　the　Tory
  party；　and　he　may　serve　us　in　the　same　capacity。　　The　fellow　comes
  of　a　good　stock；　I　heard　him　say　that　his　father　headed　the　High
  Church　mob　who　sacked　and　burnt　Priestley's　house　at　Birmingham；
  towards　the　end　of　the　last　century。'
  'A　disgraceful　affair；'　said　I。
  'What　do　you　mean　by　a　disgraceful　affair？'　said　the　man　in　black。
  'I　assure　you　that　nothing　has　occurred　for　the　last　fifty　years
  which　has　given　the　High　Church　party　so　much　credit　in　the　eyes　of
  Rome　as　that；　…　we　did　not　imagine　that　the　fellows　had　so　much
  energy。　　Had　they　followed　up　that　affair　by　twenty　others　of　a
  similar　kind；　they　would　by　this　time　have　had　everything　in　their
  own　power；　but　they　did　not；　and；　as　a　necessary　consequence；　they
  are　reduced　to　almost　nothing。'
  'I　suppose；'　said　I；　'that　your　Church　would　have　acted　very
  differently　in　its　place。'
  'It　has　always　done　so；'　said　the　man　in　black；　coolly　sipping。
  'Our　Church　has　always　armed　the　brute　population　against　the
  genius　and　intellect　of　a　country；　provided　that　same　intellect　and
  genius　were　not　willing　to　become　its　instruments　and　eulogists；
  and　provided　we　once　obtain　a　firm　hold　here　again；　we　would　not
  fail　to　do　so。　　We　would　occasionally　stuff　the　beastly　rabble　with
  horseflesh　and　bitter　ale；　and　then　halloo　them　on　against　all
  those　who　were　obnoxious　to　us。'
  'Horseflesh　and　bitter　ale！'　I　replied。
  'Yes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'horseflesh　and　bitter　ale　…　the
  favourite　delicacies　of　their　Saxon　ancestors；　who　were　always
  ready　to　do　our　bidding　after　a　liberal　allowance　of　such　cheer。
  There　is　a　tradition　in　our　Church；　that　before　the　Northumbrian
  rabble；　at　the　instigation　of　Austin；　attacked　and　massacred　the
  presbyterian　monks　of　Bangor；　they　had　been　allowed　a　good　gorge　of
  horseflesh　and　bitter　ale。　　He！　he！　he！'　continued　the　man　in
  black；　'what　a　fine　spectacle　to　see　such　a　mob；　headed　by　a　fellow
  like　our　friend　the　landlord；　sack　the　house　of　another　Priestley！'
  'Then　you　don't　deny　that　we　have　had　a　Priestley；'　said　I；　'and
  admit　the　possibility　of　our　having　another？　　You　were　lately
  observing　that　all　English　literary　men　were　sycophants？'
  'Lickspittles；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'yes；　I　admit　that　you　have
  had　a　Priestley；　but　he　was　a　Dissenter　of　the　old　class；　you　have
  had　him；　and　perhaps　may　have　another。'
  'Perhaps　we　may；'　said　I。　　'But　with　respect　to　the　lower　classes；
  have　you　mixed　much　with　them？'
  'I　have　mixed　with　all　classes；'　said　the　man　in　black；　'a