the only effectual remedy for this disease, and I anticipate the pleasure of seeing it in this Island in full operation within a few years, perhaps months.

Dorchester Gaol, Dec. 18, 1820.

STOCKPORT UNION.

R. CARLILE.

To the Reformers of Great Britain.

"THESE are the Times to TRY Men's Souls;" and many of you must be aware that the people of Stockport have been tried almost to their utmost exertion. It is known to the great Body of Reformers, that since the beginning of September, 1818, we have been contending with difficulties which would have proved insurmonntable to those less attached to the sacred cause in which we were embarked. Had we not been animated with a spark of light from the pure essence of Freedom, we could not have so far struggled through the various persecutions and prosecutions we have had to contend with. It is not, however, our object to raise obstacles, but to overcome them; and we have overcome them hitherto without having applied for assistance elsewhere. Our funds are now unfortunately exhausted: we have allowed those three persecuted friends, Messrs. Bagguley, Drummond, and Johnson, 10s. per Week each for nearly fifteen Months, besides these, we have, in conjunction with the town of Macclesfield, nine others to look after. These twelve cases are more than we can sustain without soliciting subscriptions from other places, to enable us to continue our support to those oppressed individuals who are suffering in the general cause.

We therefore humbly hope, that you will exert yourselves in behalf of these unfortunate individuals; our funds are exhausted, and we are necessarily deeply involved in debt; should the Reformers of other places withhold their support on the present occasion, those unfortunate men who are now imprisoned, must depend solely on common jail allowance for subsistence; and the others who are under persecution be deprived of the means of procuring an honest trial.

I am, Gentlemen,

(On behalf of the Committee,)

Yours, respectfully,

Union Rooms, London Place, WM. PERRY, Secretary. Stockport, Nov. 11, 1819.

N. B. All communications to be addressed to Mr. WM. PERRY, London Place, Stockport.

ST. PETER'S HOLIDAY.

'TIS said, that ST. PETER was so tir'd of late,
By the numerous crowds that assail'd Heaven's gate,
He petition'd one day for a few hours grace,
And a SAINT was deputed to stand in his place:
But strict charge was giv'n, that while PETER was gone,
He'd examine the guests, ere he usher'd them on.

He had scarce got the Keys, and had taken his stand,
But a knocking announced more Mortals at hand.

**Qui frappe a la Porte? who's dat come from de Earth?' For the SAINT, you must know, was a FRENCHMAN by birth: "I'm a TURK," cried out one, with a brow quite severe; "And am anxious to know if our PROPHET be here!" Ah! no matter for dat,' said the Saint, take your place With MAHOMET's sons, on the left side dat space: But, who's dis dat so steadily marches dis way, It must be a QUAKER; speak, art thou von?'"Yea: "I am come, friend, to dwell in thy bless'd habitation: • Vell, dere, vid de Quakers, go take up dy station.' Next a JEW" Mister SAINT, O, I hope you'll prove kind, "But I've been forc'd to leave all my monish behind: "I had sav'd you Von Guinea, but, strange to relate!

"It slipt from my hand ere I enter'd your gate!"

Ah! N'importe! Monsieur JEW, here be no need ofde bribe, Dere, you go and shit down vid de ISRAELITE tribe.'

At this moment such knocks at the Portal were given, The thundering echoes resounded thro' Heaven! "Blood and Oons!" cried a voice, "can't you open the door? "We are press'd at the heels by a hundred or more; "Know that we two are ENGLISH-tho', Honey, by birth "I am IRISH, but that's just the same, Joy, on earth""Come, dispatch," said the ENGLISHMAN, "men of my kind "Surely claim more respect than these fellows behind:" Hold! Monsieur ANGLOIS, vat Religion are you? "What Religion! why, damme, there's but one that's true, "And that's mine-I'm a PROTESTANT."-" Arrah," says "But one right Religion,-your pardon in that; [PAT,

+ Who knocks at the gate.

+ No matter.

"You forget mine-the CATHOLIC-tho,' by the bye, "They are both of'em right-and I'll tell you for why: "My Sisters were PROTESTANTS, after my Mother;

"But Dad, being CATHOLIC, bred I so, and my Brother; "And, therefore, d'ye see, its as clear as the light, "That these two Religions are both of 'em right." Vell, Monsieur HIBERNIAN, if you think fit, 'You turn to the right, vid de CATHOLICS sit: · And you, Sir ANGLOIS, who think all others wrong, 'You, go, take your place, vid de PROTESTANT throng.' Now numbers flock'd in, each a different name, Which the SAINT singled out, and dispos'd of the same: Thus, like birds of a feather, the different religions Were sorted, then ROOSTED together, like Pigeons!

6

But, hold, who comes yonder, vid front quite elate, And enters vid-out e'en one knock at de gate?'

""Tis I," said a Mortal, with diguified tone:

66

Of vat Country? vat Faith? by vat Name are you known?" My Country's confin'd to no spot upon earth;

"My Name's of no note, but I MAN am by birth;

"I thought, spoke, and acted, as if GOD look'd on; "And my CREED-to hold neighbours and self all as one; "But, as to RELIGION, why, in truth, Sir, I've none!"

6

Your hand,' cried the SAINT, you're de first of your kind, To whom I could candidly open my mind;

''Twas Priestcraft and Kingcraft first form'd all Religions, And Ignorance and Folly support Superstitions:

'Come in-you're not sway'd by de follies of these

'No Religion, you say!-so be quite at your ease"Walk about, or stand up, or sit down where you please!!

FREEDOM.

THE Courtier, who lives on his patrons frail smile,
His vices must flatter!-Oh, office most vile!
What weak mortal's lot more degraded can be
Than that of the hireling, who dares not live free!

By life's worst of ills shall my bosom be rent,
Ere chains, although gilded, to wear I'll consent;
Fortune's gay baubles, it enslav'd, I'd resign,
In lieu of the gew-gaws would Freedom be mine.

MOST stories have been credited without examination, and such belief is a prejudice. Fabius Pictor relates, that, several ages before him, a vestal virgin, of the city of Alba, going with her pitcher to draw water, was ravished, and brought into the world Romulus and Remus; and that these twins were suckled by a she-wolf, &c. This fable the Roman people greedily swallowed, without examining, whether, at that time, vestal virgins were known in Latium; whether it was likely that a king's daughter should go out of her convent, with a pitcher in her hand; and whether it was agreeable to nature that a she-wolf, so far from eating two infants, should suckle them? The prejudice took root.

A monk wrote that Clovis, being in great danger at the battle of Tolbiac, made a vow, if he escaped safe, to turn Christian: but is it natural, in such an exigency, to apply to a foreign deity? Is it not in extremities that our native religion acts with the greatest force? What Christian, in a battle against the Turks, would not call on the Blessed Virgin, rather than on Mahomet? It is added, that a dove brought a phial in its bill for anointing Clovis; and that an angel brought the oriflamme, or banner, to be carried before him. All such tales prejudice readily credits; but they who are acquainted with human nature well know that both the usurpers Clovis and Rollo turned Christians that they might more safely rule Christians, as the Turks, on becoming masters of Constantinople, turned Mussulmens to ingratiate themselves with Mussulmens.

RELIGIOUS PREJUDICES.

Ir your nurse has told you that Ceres presides over grain; or that Vishnou and Xaca have several times become men; or that Sagmoncodom came upon earth and cut down a forest; or that Odin expects you in his hall towards Jutland; or that Mahomet, or some other, has made a journey into heaven; lastly, if your governor afterwards inculcates into your brain the traces made in it by your nurse, you will never get rid of them. Should your judgment attempt to efface these prejudices, your acquaintance, and especially the female part, will charge you with impiety; then the dervise, lest his income may suffer curtailment, will accuse you to the cadi, who will do his best to have you impaled, for he would have all under him block heads, thinking that they make the tamest subjects: and thus things will go on till your acquaintance, the dervise, and the cadi, shall perceive that folly does no good, and that persecution is abominable.

Printed by M. A. CARLILE, 55, Fleet Street.

No. 18, Vol. 4.] LONDON, FRIDAY, Dec. 29, 1820. [PRICE 6d.

I FEEL that I should not do justice to you or to my own feelings, were I to drop this publication without giving you fair notice of it, and without taking my leave of you (for a time, I hope) under this title, in a becoming and respectful manner. Several causes have combined to induce me to discontinue" The Republican." The first and most important is the want of vendors; and here I find myself in this dilemma, that under its present style I cannot expect that the vendor will expose himself to imprisonment to retail a few copies, and if i adapt my style to the safety of the vendor, I shall defeat my object, and disgrace my title. This of itself is sufficient to induce me to withdraw it, and this is my principal motive for so doing; but there are other collateral causes, which I should consider but secondary, if I thought its continuation of any real importance at this moment. One of them (and a most powerful one it is) is, that the Attorney-General, or his employers, have come to the resolution to arrest every person who serves in my shop, and by their new laws to bind them by their recognizances to good behaviour, which implies, that if you serve again in the shop, your recognizances shall be forfeited. This is a persecution that no tradesman can stand against, without a corresponding support from the public, and even then it would be extremely awkward to put a stranger in the shop to serve every week. This threat has actually been put in practice, for last week Mrs. Carlile was arrested, and bound down not to serve again, or to good behaviour, which is just the same; and, by the time this goes to press, I shall expect to hear that my sister and a person in the shop are brought under the same restraint. At this rate I should want a new shopman every week, and two housekeepers as bail for him. There is one thing I am happy to hear, and that is, that Mrs. Carlile has uniformly refused to pay any fees; for the Vol. IV. No. 18.

Printed by M. A. CARLILE, 55, Fleet Street.