which wives and children are experiencing I am, Mr. Nott, your obedient Servant, Mr. Nott, "When you hear this great bell call Your humble servant, JOHN TROT. Almighty God; and so for his wickedness was cast sorry they kept us waiting so long; and our gracious "Rubbing and scrubbing from morning to night, Oh dear me, he'll never be white!" to beat my old fashioned notions ont of my head. tub of water, and was very busy scrubbing him Now, though if they dared to lay a finger upon me with a pail brush; and underneath the sign against my will, I think they'd find they mistook was written the following couplet :their man; yet I can't bear quarrelling and conI understand that you are a very sensible person, tending, and so I got out of their party as soon as I able and willing to give advice; and I am so con- could. But to be sure things must be come to a fused with the din, and stunned with the noise and bad pass, before a man would be scoffed at for bustle of your great city, that really I need a friend's saying what his wise fathers, and the word of God Now to my mind this aptly represents the chacounsel. I was brought up far away in the country, itself said before him. So excuse the liberty Iracter of the attempts which modern politicians and (meaning no disrespect) I can't help wishing I take, and allow me to ask you a question. Ever were well back again; but we can't always have since I've been here, I've heard a great deal about are making to remove moral evil, and bring our own way: indeed, I have been so hindered in reform; every body has told me there's going to society to a state of purity, by means of mere my little affairs by the stop of all business,-every be a reform, and indeed I am very glad of it; legislative enactments; or by new political body is so taken up with parliament matters! and for I sadly want to settle my business, and I systems, such as Owen's, founded upon "phiI have been so cheated, and so overreached when believe if things go on as bad as they are now, I losophy falsely so called," but discarding the I have set about it, that I had made up my mind must give it up. I don't exactly understand it, to throw it up altogether, and go home with the loss. but I hear that all the Commons' House of Parlia- religion of the Bible. All such politico-moral The truth is that from Sunday morning to Saturday ment wished for a reform very much, and well quackery goes upon the principle that moral night—my head is all in a whirl. The wickedness they might, for they must know all the wickedness evil is only a stain, hardly skin-deep,-somethat I hear and see, makes me quite unhappy. For that the common people are doing. I suppose the thing outside human nature that can be rubbed I am sorry to observe that Sunday, which is so reason they are called Commons House of Parlia quiet a day down at F, is but little better ment is, because they give the sense of what the off by the brush and soap-suds of philosophy kept here than another day. There's an old rhyme in common people want. Well! sure enough they and legislation; but if these system makers my country written round our great church bell, are right now, and I wish them good luck for how could be brought to believe the Bible, it would can the blessing of God rest on a sinful nation teach them that the evil is rather more than unless it will reform? It stands to reason that skin deep: that "from within out of the heart But here are all your coachmen at their stands, reform must be a desirable thing, and I can't help of man" proceed all manner of evils; and that never heeding when the bells call them to worship wondering why the Lords were so much against it God, and just when all the folks at home are setting as it is said they were. Only being such very high consequently the remedy, to be effectual must out across the ploughed fields, or down the common gentlemen, I dare say they were unwilling to be applied at the root, i. e. in the heart (this is to church-here are your smart Bristol people believe that there was so much wickedness, swear: the true radical reform!) Let the heart of looking like gentlemen and ladies, (though by their ing and drunkenness, perjury, and cheating, and talk and manners, I take it, they are only shop. stealing, as we who live amongst it know there is, man be changed so as to love that which is boys and servant maids,) whisking away in gigs and to be reformed. But at last they have given con- good, and hate that which is sinful, and then cars, or rowing away in the gay boats on the river, sent; and the king has given consent; and every we shall see John Trot's Reform Bill in action. as if they had no precious souls to think about. body seems very glad ; and I hear about “glorious Then I need not tell you Mr. Nott, how people reformation." And that puts me in mind of a great by human enactments, it may be useful to lop Though, however, we cannot eradicate evil buy and sell on a Sunday. I am sure if you chance book of grandmother's that lies in the casement to pass over the bridge, (the bridge I mean that window at home-(Oh how glad I shall be to see off some of the boughs and branches, and not slides backwards and forwards so curiously near the jessamine and the old pear tree that grows let them luxuriate in unrestrained liberty; and College Green,) you must be hurt to see what outside!) Well, that book was all about reformers therefore Job begs to observe in answer to marketing and chaffering goes on there. Then and reformation; and there was a picture of good some of John Trot's enquiries, that the extowards afternoon, what numbers of people throng men burning in the fire for their holy faith; and to those lowest of the low public houses-the beer there was the history of Archbishop Cranmer, who isting laws, if they were but enforced, would shops—such drink and gambling! Yes! Mr. Nott, was so sorry for the false paper he had signed, that suffice to remove many of the evils he mentions. gambling, if your magistrates don't know it, I do; he held his hand into the fire till it dropped off, Especially as respects the "huckstering and and that amongst children not above nine or ten saying, whilst he did it, that unworthy hand!" chaffering" to which he alludes, the penalties years of age. Their fathers and mothers mightn't Oh? Mr. Nott, it will be a glorious reformation if know it, but I do. But, dear me! if their parents we all turn penitents like him. And there is the are sufficient to restrain these violations of the should happen to care for them, they don't care for history of another who said over and over again, sacred day. The offenders should be first their fathers and mothers; for such a place for "None but Christ! none but Christ!" Oh! if calmly and kindly reasoned with, and admosetting aside all authority, for despising rulers, this new reformation that is to be, makes every one nished; and if incorrigible, it might be desiraand speaking evil of dignities, I never heard of. cast away his idols-pride and setting up of self-ble to have a few of them fined; which can be They have the spirit of Satan among them sure and infidelity, and drunkenness, and idleness, and done by any one who will lay an information enough; for he, you know Mr. Nott, in the very makes every sinner amongst us say and mean beginning of all mischief, set himself up against "None but Christ;" I am sure the Lords will be before a magistrate, of his having seen the party sell goods on the Sabbath. Morcover able honseholder in New York, was acenstomed to the radico-infidel crew. Cobbett's scull may "goods exposed to sale on a Sunday are for- carry refreshments to him. On one occasion he serve for their punch bowl; and they may stir asked her if she had ever read his ' Age of Reason?' feited to the poor, &c. on conviction before a She said she had. He desired to know her opinion the sparkling goblet with a bone from the very justice of the peace, who may order the penalties of the book. After some hesitation she told him art that wielded the pen which wrote the and forfeitures to be levied by distress."* that she thought it the most dangerous book she" Age of Reason" and the "Rights of Man;" These are cases in which it is not only not dis-had ever seen; that the more she read, the more and whilst they quaff the contents of the grim graceful, but highly honourable, to turn in-e found her mind estranged from all good; and that from a conviction of its evil tendency, she goblet, they may drink "to the immortal mehad burned it. To which Paine replied, that hemory of Thomas Paine." wished all its readers had been as wise as she; adding, "If ever the devil had an agent on earth have been one. former; because it tends to the welfare, temporal and spiritual, of the parties punished; for sure I am that there is nothing gained even for this world, by the profanation of God's holy day such wages of iniquity are earned only to be "put into a bag with holes." Whilst on the other hand, "the blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it." -Prov. x. 22. J. N. Tomlin's Law Dictionary, article Sunday. THE LIFE OF THOMAS PAINE. [Concluded.] We now approach that period in Paine's history when the measure of his iniquities being filled up, he was summoned to his account. And an awful summons he felt it to be. and another benevolent person were with him, one This toast is alleged to have been actually drunk with enthusiasm at some of the most accredited public dinners of the radico-infidel party both in London, and in some provincial towns. The honours paid to Paine's memory by the radical party; the unqualified praises bestowed by them upon both the man and his writings; and the pains which they take at this day to disseminate his publications in the cheapest forms amongst the labouring classes, irresistibly lead to the conclusion that the jacobin and the radical factions have been engendered by the same principles; and therefore in the horrors perpetrated by the one we bebold, as in a glass, those which are meditated by the other.' Mrs. Bonneville, the unhappy woman whom he Paine died on the eighth of June, 1809, aged 72; That the perusal of this brief memoir of a He had been very anxions about the fate of his wretch whose whole life was devoted to unpoor wretched body after death; and feeling assur- ceasing efforts to promote the temporal and Notwithstanding the vain boasts and empty pre-ed, that neither the Episcopal nor Presbyterian eternal misery of his species, should fill the tensions, which through pride and obstinacy he churches would receive it into their burial grounds, mind of the benevolent reader with horror and maintained at intervals nearly to the last, it seems he had applied to the Society of Friends, to grant evident that he met death with terror and conster-him the boon. Their refusal is said to have deeply disgust is most natural;-but let it lead to nation. He was nursed in his last illness by Mrs. affected him. still more salutary impressions. Let those who Hedden, a very worthy and pions woman, who did Though, however, Christians did not, and could are happily possessed by better principles, her best also to serve him as a spiritual counsellor. not, without gross inconsistency offer a receptacle not take the praise to themselves, but render Daring the first three or four days, his conduct was in their burying place for the bones of this avowed it to HIM who made them to differ. And let tolerable, except that he grew outrageons when-infidel, they did not disturb them. It was reserved ever Madame Bonneville (the partner of his guilt) for other hands to violate the dread precincts of not those, who are at present free from the entered the room. About the fifth day, his lan- the grave, and to drag forth to the light of day, the contamination of infidelity, be self-confident. guage to Mrs. Hedden was so bad, that she resolv-loathsome relies of the wretch who had dared to The poison is subtle, and human nature is ed immediately to quit the house; but sensible disown his maker. The man who did this, and who predisposed to receive the infection. Let then how necessary she was to his comfort, he made glories in having done it, is William Cobbett, concessions which induced her to remain. Often he would for a long time together exclaim, "O Lord help me! O Christ help me!" About a fortnight before his death, he was visited by Mr. Milledallar, a Presbyterian clergyman, who exhorted him to repentance; but Paine grew angry, desired that he might not be disturbed by Popish stuff, and ordered him to quit the room. . In addition to the extracts given in Job Nott, XIII, from the testimony of Dr. Manley, a respectable physician, who attended Paine in his last illness, the following particulars are selected : Cobbett, on his visit to America, robbed the all those who are not called by station or office grave of these miserable remains, and brought them to the open defence of the truth, and who with him to England, as a rallying point for sedi- wish to keep themselves pure, shun the dangetion and impiety. "We will honour." he says, rous influence of such society, and such books, his name, his remains, and his memory, in ali sorts of ways."-"The day will come, when they as tend to ensnare the mind. Especially let will be honoured by the people, more than anything all, of every grade and in every station, hold dead or alive.”—The tomb of this noble of nature fast to the oracles of truth, and take them as will be an object of pilgrimage with the people."* a light unto their feet, and a lamp unto their To what particular purpose the bones of path. Thomas Paine are being now applied by Cobbett And let the friends of religion and of order, and his crew we know not. It is said that not rest satisfied with cherishing sound princithe Scandinavian warriors were wont, in former ples themselves, but let them use their best Mr. Paine professed to be above the fear of days, to pledge each other to deeds of blood by efforts (according to their condition in life) to death; and a great part of his conversation was drinking out of A SCULL! Possibly the leaders disseminate those principles ;-to "shine as principally directed to give the impression that he of sedition and infidelity in England may make lights in the world, holding forth the word of was perfectly willing to leave the world; and yet a similar use of Cobbett's scull; that scull in truth." Whilst the devil's agents are so active, some parts of his conduct are with difficulty reconcileable with this belief."For my own part I which more diabolical devices have been con- oh! let not the servants of God be listless and believe, that had not Thomas Paine been such a cocted than perhaps ever lodged in any other supine! Remember it was "whilst men slept," distinguished infidel, he wonld have left clearer cranium, Possibly in the midnight orgies of that the enemy sowed tares. Alas! the evidences of a change of opinion." Evidences of a change of opinion (though we fear equally celebrated writer, in reference to Paine a little before" It is high time to awake out of sleep." Let Contrast this language of William Cobbett with that of an friends of truth bave been too long slumbering. not of heart) more distinct than those which Dr. his death. "How Tom gets a living now, or what brothel he Manley witnessed, were actually given by Paine, inhabits, I know not, nor does it much signify. He has dones up and be doing! all the mischief he can in the world, and whether his carcase is in the course of his last illness. There were at at last to the suffered to rot in the earth, or to be dried in the air, times relentings of that hardihood which he strain-is of very little consequence. Whenever or wherever he breathes ed every nerve to maintain, even to the last; and on more than one occasion remorse of conscience broke out into utterance, in expressions of awful warning to some of those who were witnesses of his dying agonies and ill-concealed terrors.' A young woman who became afterwards a respect his last, he will excite neither sorrow nor compassion; no Bristol: Printed and Published by J. & W. RICHARDSON, No. 6, Clare-Street, to whose care all communications may be addressed, post paid; also sold by J. NORTON, Corn Street, BARRY, High Street, and J. CHILCOTT, Wine Street; Mrs. BINNS, Bath; Mr. WHITE, Cheltenham; and Mr. BEROSE, Derby. Bristol Job Nott; No. XXX.] OR, LABOURING MAN'S FRIEND. LOYAL ADDRESS TO THE KING. THURSDAY, JULY 5, 1832. opportunity of uniting in the said loyal address, because, as the atrocious attempt Job Nott feels assured that he has expressed was made by a man in a low station of life. the sentiments of his friends and customers it is the more important that the affecgenerally, and indeed of the great body of the lionate attachment of the humbler classes loyal operatives, &c. of Bristol, in the following Address. TO THE King's Most Excellent Majesty. The humble and dutiful Address of a numerous body of your Majesty's loyal subjects,-tradesmen, operatives, and others of the City of Bristol. of the community to your Majesty's per- Under these circumstances, we, your May it please your Majesty to accept our heartfelt congratulations upon your And whilst we rejoice in the deliverance Majesty's recent happy deliverance from of your Majesty from such imminent danger, the treasonable assault of a miserable, de- we would not forget to offer up our grateJuded being, who dared to attempt a deed, ful acknowledgments to HIM by whom which, had it been perpetrated, would have kings reign, and who hath so manifestly and plunged the whole nation into the deepest signally interposed, on the late occasion, the shield of his Almighty protection, to defend your Majesty's sacred head. sorrow. Let it not be deemed presumptuous in us, your Majesty's humble servants, thus to offer to your Majesty the affectionate tribute of our heartfelt congratulations. [Price 1d. GOD SAVE THE KING! 1. God save Britannia's king! 2. God save our king, and shed 'Oil yet more pure- 3. Now from the highest heaven 4. So shall our hearts rejoice, Thy praise we'll sing ; When thou from all that harms- By Thy encircling arins Hast saved our King. A CONTRAST. Permit us also, most gracious Sovereign, to express our heartfelt hope, that a nation's acknowledgments to Almighty God for this Your Majesty will surely pardon this mercy will not be confined to the mere freedom on the part of a numerous body of homage of the lip; but that from your Mayour Majesty's most devoted servants, when jesty and the Nobles of your Majesty's we humbly state, that having abstained court and council, down to the meanest of from any attempt to obtrude ourselves into your Majesty's subjects, there will be an the Guildhall on the late occasion, when open and avowed recognition of the authothe great people of our city met to address rity of God in all possible ways, and espeyour Majesty, lest we should be thought too cially by an increased reverence for his Holy bold, and occupy the place of our betters; Day, to the devout observance of which so expecting nevertheless that an opportunity many national as well as personal blessings After all that my cousin Nehemiah has said would be afforded us of affixing our un-are annexed in the sacred scriptures, and to in honour of spiders, I must own, for my part, worthy names to the said address, after it which observance consequently it was your that I don't like spiders-aud as for Mrs. had been agreed to; we have been disup- Majesty's first public act, upon your acces-Nott, she has got a perfect horror of 'em ; so pointed of this privilege, the address sion to the throne, to admonish and exhort having, with a view to save time, been your subjects. signed by the President in behalf of those Signed on behalf of the thousands whose only who were present at the Meeting; sentiments the above Address expresses, and consequently we have been precluded by your Majesty's most humble and most from the high gratification of offering the devoted Subject and Servant, warm effusions of our loyal hearts at the you'll easily imagine what were her feelings when, happening to go into the maid's room, she saw four desperate large cob webs hanging in the corners of the windows,-"What's this, Betty?" said she, "bring the sweeping brush directly." "Dear ma'am," says Betty, you wont have them pretty creatures disturbed!" "What dy'e mean," says Mrs. Nott, "not disturb the spiders?-nasty creatures! The Labouring Man's Friend. away with 'em directly!"-with that Mrs. Nott seized the brush, and four of the finest JOB NOTT, ing been thus inadvertently deprived of the BRISTOL, June 29, 1832. sure * specimens of spider architecture in the world so for some days, when it relapses into its former for what he gets by violence he is presently were demolished in a twinkle. "Dear ma'am," lethargy; at the conclusion of which it once more expelled from by some stronger spoiler; so cried Betty," sure you haven't read that pretty quits its covering, and having continued feeding for that there is no security of property amongst some time longer, at length it renounces all feasting paper of Mr. Nehemiah's about the spiders. and society, and prepares for a retirement by the whole tribe. He is, moreover, destitute of I've had quite a love for spiders ever since, and building itself a silken cell of an admirable structure all natural affection-more cruel than the wolf I've been nursing and tiddling them for Mr. and beauty. or the viper, for he preys upon his own species Nehemiah's sake.' I laughed heartily when "The beginning of this curious work looks like spider destroying spider, so that there is confusion, being only a sort of down or flue to keep my wife told me the story at tea-time, "Well, off the rain; the Creator having fitted them to work nothing of friendly social sympathy amongst dame," said I, "I shouldn't wonder if you upon trees in the open air, though we now bring them the race; that honour which is said to be hear more of this in the next number." up in the house. This is the insect's first day's em- amongst thieves, is wanting amongst spiders, "Poh! Mr. Nott," says she, "to be sure you ployment. On the second it forms its ball or cone, for one spider can't trust another. This is one wont write about Betty and her cobwebs!"almost covering itself over with silk; the third day it "Indeed I will," said I. is quite hid, and the rest of the operation becomes great reason why they have never succeeded in "Well," says she, invisible; but it continues spinning for several business, when they have attempted it. Spiders "I never did know such a man as you Mr. days, till the cone is brought to perfection; and are very good spinners, and might have most of Nott, I believe you'ld write upon a broomstick then folding itself in a sort of shell formed of a the silk trade to themselves if they could but if you had nothing else to write upon." matter, it takes its repose. Having remained in been brought together in factories, there has less delicate silk, intermixed with a glutinous live peaceably; but whenever they have Perhaps I might, Mrs. Nott," said I, "but at this state fifteen days or three weeks, it is conpresent I propose to treat of a softer subject, verted into a perfect butterfly, which forces its been such squabbling and fighting amongst Mrs. Nott; and as you are the softest of your way out at the small end of the cone-that being them, and such biting and devouring of one sex, I'll e'en dedicate it to you the subject the rest of the covering. not so strongly cemented nor so exactly closed as another, as has been the ruin of the whole conshall be SILK." "But what has that to do "In order to wind off the silk, the down is whole silk trade has been left in the hands of cern, and the consequence has been that the with spiders and cobwebs, Mr. Nott?" "Why, cleared away in the first place, and the cones my dear," said I, "you can't have forgotten thrown into warm water, where they are stirred their more peaceable competitors. The disthat as cobweb is produced by an insect, so is about with small twigs bound together and cut like position of the spider is most malignant; he silk-and as cousin Neh. has taken up the brushes, by which means the ends of the silk being is a fit emblem of a backbiter and traducer, disengaged are apt to catch on the twigs, and so cause of the spider, I mean to back the silk- are drawn out and fastened to the reel; eight, ten, sucking poison where nobler insects find worm against him, and mind if I don't beat or twelve of them being joined together, according honey. And yet this odious, base, malicious him! So down I sit, and copy out the as they would make a weaker or stronger thread. creature is ambitious and aspiring, and obfollowing history of An ingenious person having measured the silk drawn trudes himself into high places; he thinks no from one of these balls, it was found to be a great place too good for him, no elevation above him; deal more than 300 yards, and yet weighed but two he is audacious enough to obtrude even into grains and a half." THE SILK-WORM." But to servant, a harmless neighbour, and in all re- most "This insect, trom a small egg about the size of a pin's head, becomes a pretty large worm or Now here we have two operatives brought the king's palace-a circumstance mentioned maggot of a whitish colour, inclining to yellow. before us of very different character-both of in scripture; but not, I take it, as any mark of In this state it feeds upon mulberry leaves till being them most clever artists, but one employing his approval, except as regards his skill, for come to maturity, it winds itself up in a silken bag or case, about the size and shape of a pigeon's egg, powers only to do mischief, or at best to ad to weave the spider's web, is in scripture and is metamorphosed into a chrysalis. Thus it vance his own selfish ends, the other labouring assigned to the same characters who hatch remains without any signs of life or motion, till to promote the welfare, not only of his own *At the beginning of the last century, a Frenchat length it awakes to become a butterfly, after class, but of society at large, the one a man named M. Bon, made experiments with a view making itself a passage out of its silken sepulchre or in plain words, eating its way out of its bag. nuisance to his superiors, a curse to his equals, spiders, by preparing and manufacturing the bags to ascertain the practicability of obtaining silk from It dies at last, having by its eggs laid the foundation and a tormentor and destroyer of his inferiors, with which those insects envelope their eggs. His of another generation, which the warmth of the the other a quiet subject, a most profitable attempts were so successful, that it is said, "By ensuing summer brings to life. "There are two methods of bringing up these these means he had a silk of a particular ash colour curious insects, viz. either by letting them rove at full which was easily spun ; and the thread was stronger and finer than that of common silk. Of this he had liberty on the mulberry trees, which nourish them, stockings and gloves made, and found that three as is practised in China and other hot countries; The spider is an idle scoundrel who never ounces of it would make a pair of stockings for the or else (as is customary in Europe) by keeping works if he can do without it, and when he largest man, whereas those of common silk weigh them in rooms furnished for that purpose with a does labour, he employs his skill in framing seven or eight ounces." Here then were sort of hurdles made of osier twigs, which are fixed in horizontal ranges, one above another; and under devices to deceive, cheat, entangle and destroy seemed to bid fair to engross the whole European flattering prospects for the spider tribe, and they every range there is a floor, which like the bottom the unwary. He is a sneaking hypocrite who, trade to themselves; but the project fell to the of a cage, may be drawn out at pleasure. Over when a poor wretch has been caught in his ground; and mark the cause of the failure-it was these hurdles are strewed mulberry leaves, upon toils, pretends to come and help him out, and in a great measure owing to the vicious quarrelsome which the insects feed, and they are supplied with fresh leaves every morning. seems to coax him, and almost caress him till dispositon of these operatives-the historian thus pro"The worms are hatched in boxes lined with he has got firm hold of him, and then whips "From M. Bon's experiments it was at first suplinen or paper, over which it is usual to spread his poisonous sting into him! posed that great advantage might have been made some soft mulberry leaves; and from thence, when He is a swaggering, bullying, dastardly of these insects; but M. Reaumur, who was appointed they have gained a little strength, they are removed coward, that pounces upon the weak and de- by the Royal Academy of Sciences to make a farther "When the silk-worm leaves its little egg it is fenceless; but if an enemy present himself inquiry into this manufacture, has left no hopes of its perfectly black, but its head is of a more shining at all able to cope with him, turns tail and runs of the spiders (he observes) renders them unfit to be black than the body. In a few days it assumes a for his life! He is as destitute of common bred and kept together; for having distributed whitish or an ash grey colour; after which its coat sullies and becomes ragged, at which time the honesty as he is of true courage; when reduced four or five thousand into different cells, fifty in animal casts it off and appears in a new dress. As to any straits he makes no scruple to relieve some, a hundred or two in others, where they were it gets larger it grows whiter, but a little inclining to himself at the expense of his neighbour, invadfed with flies and the bloody ends of young feathersgreen; till ceasing to feed, and sleeping for almost two days, it puts off its skin a second time, and appears in its third dress: its colour, head, and whole form being so much changed, that one would to the ranges of hurdles above mentioned. Lake it for another animal. "It now begins to eat again, and continues to do ing the rightful property of his more prosperous ceeds. ever turning to any account. The natural fierceness the large spiders ate the little ones, so that in a short time they were almost every one destroyed. "It is therefore impossible to establish these creatures into a community." What a striking comment upon Gal. v. 15. "If be not destroyed one of another" ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye cockatrice eggs! Elate and buoyed up by writers. He it is whom the Carliles, Hether- of light through inconceivable space, the division the flimsy emantion of his own self-conceit-the ingtons, and others of that poisonous tribe, of light into the beautiful colours of the rainbow, reptile scales the heavens, and often meets the style their "great master Paine," and after him and the wonderful revolutions of the planets and due reward of his audacious enterprize from an they copy, as painters are wont to study the other heavenly bodies. Far less did Voltaire reunlooked-for enemy, the swallow, whose clutches works of Raffaelle, Michael Angelo, Sir Joshua semble our distinguished English philosopher in he might have escaped if he had only recollected Reynolds, and other " great masters" of their his great humility, which made him deeply conthat it does not become reptiles to be aeronauts! art. I don't doubt that some of Paine's imita- scious of his own littleness while surveying the Now contrast with this the character and tors have gone as great lengths as he did in wonderful works of God with comprehensive habits of the silk-worm. At least equal in awful profaneness, in sedition, treason, and and powerful mind, and willing to sit with the ability with the spider, it does not on that coarse ribaldry; but as they came after him, lowly and teachable spirit of a child, to learn account aim at things above its station; and copied after him, and for the most part the truths of revelation in the school of Christ. but sedulously applies itself to its proper had less ability than he was gifted with, to Voltaire was acquainted with Newton's wonwork-so industrious is it that it neglects its Paine belongs the signal demerit and infamy derful discoveries, but they were not the subjects food to prosecute its labour, and so unam- of being the "master" of the English school of in which the more superficial Frenchman was bitious, that when concealed from all observa- blasphemous and seditious writers. fitted to excel. Voltaire was not a sound and tion (except the eye of Him who seeth It may seem strange that they should take deep thinker, but specious, plausible, and brilin secret) it still plies its useful toil. pride in acknowledging as their chief a being liant. He turned his agile mind to every kind Grateful to the hand that feeds it, the silk-so profligate, so besotted, so utterly loathsome of light and amusing literature. He wrote hisworm, is contented to live upon the simplest and contemptible as Paine; but it is a charac- tory, poetry, plays, and romances; he ridiculed and meanest food, though, at the same time, teristic of the desperately wicked to glory in with the liveliest wit and keenest satire, the it is contributing to clothe its master with their shame. The professed followers and artful follies, and vices, and virtues of mankind. But purple, or to fill his purse with treasure. Em-flatterers of notoriously irreligious and profli- with all this extent and variety of human learnployed in a handicraft that ministers to the gate men, seldom, however, dare to vindicate ing, he remained wilfully and profoundly ignopomp of kings, it is contented to ply its useful their gross vices. They more commonly observe rant of the holy scriptures, which are able to trade in the privacy of the mulberry branch, or a studied silence respecting those parts of their make us wise unto salvation, through faith in the quietude of some lowly shed! Give it character which loudly condemn their principles, which is in Christ Jesus, and never opened his its peaceful retreat and it asks no more; it and like the tail of the rattle snake sound an Bible but as a profane scoffer. Against rehas no ambition to frequent the courts of kings, alarm, that plainly discovers the venomous ligion, its ministers, the company of true and would be the last to obtrude itself there serpent. What is less revolting, they gloss believers, and the adorable Saviour, this preunwelcomed. Whilst it is thus humble in over; what is naturally amiable, they exalt. If sumptuous mortal dared to draw those poisoned respect of superiors, it is inoffensive to its the man possessed talent, they praise his abuse arrows of infidelity that could only glance from equals. It has no venom, no weapons! In- of it; and this last is their most successful me- the "thick bosses of Jehovah's bucklers" into offensive itself it fears no attacks from others thod of patching up a bad character. hearts unprotected by the shield of faith, and -where all are industrious there is peace-and which should finally and eternally pierce through the happy tribes of the mulberry tree need no his own wretched soul. Macerone to give them "defensive" or offensive instructions. To fill up its little span of life usefully and profitably, and then to burst its shell and wing its flight to brighter regions, and bask in the sunshine of a smiling heaven, is the brief but happy history of the silk-worm! "There now, Mrs. Nott," said I, as I put down my pen and read the above to her," I said we should make something on't." "Ah! but," says Mrs. N., "if you don't take care perhaps hose people will think that you mean it all against them." "People, my dear," says I, "what people? surely one may write a bit of natural history without asking leave of any body." Now the greater the measure of talent and genius that any man is endowed with, the greater is his guilt, if he abuse these noble gifts, which Voltaire was born near Paris in the year his Creator has bestowed, in order that he may 1694. His father was in the profession of the glorify Him, and promote the present and eternal law, and his mother was of a noble family. He happiness of his fellow creatures. It is the very was bred to his father's profession, but having height of impiety, ingratitude, and crime, to given very early proofs of great talent as an pervert the use of reason by profaning God's author, he soon quitted the dry study of the holy name, and denying his revelation, and his law and betook himself to his favourite pursuits. very existence; by contriving ingenious false- Voltaire's abilities were of the class most suited hoods to excuse unbelief, and deceive the igno- to the taste of the gay, luxurions, and frivolous rant and unwary to their utter and everlasting society of Paris. His lively and brilliant fancy, destruction. Men are disposed to envy the his ready wit, his powers of ridicule, his pleapossession of intellectual power, and almost to sant conversation, and his eloquence as a writer worship it; but when so abused, it is the brought him quickly into notice; so that his sogreatest curse of the human race. The serpent ciety was eagerly sought after by persons of diswas more subtile than any beast of the field; tinction. In the year 1717, having indulged and if great abilities and unbelief, wickedly his satirical turn, and expressed his liberal "Ah! but Mr. Nott," says she," perhaps employed to deceive and destroy mankind are opinions in a severe attack on the government, what's said about silk-worms may be taken to to be considered worthy of praise, it is in Satan, he was imprisoned in the bastile. It is much mean the honest, industrious part of society; the prince of darkness and father of lies, that to be wished that a more effectual method for and what is said about spiders may be taken these powers and principles exist together in checking seditious and blasphemous publications to mean the idle, radical fellows that you some-the highest measure, and are wielded with the could be adopted than the imprisonment of the times talk about." Well my dear," said I, most destructive energy. authors. Other criminals are kept from mis-. "I can't help what people may take it to mean; Voltaire, the great leader of the infidels of chief, at least while they are in gaol; but this all I know is, I mean no harm, and so I hope France, was a man of far superior talent and class of offenders find it to be the best place they wont put any wrong construction upon it." more extensive and varied learning than Paine. for carrying on their studies. Their hatred Voltaire was not, indeed, distinguished by the and malice seem to gather tenfold vigour in a profound and solid wisdom of our own Sir Isaac Newton, who was able to penetrate more thoroughly than any other man had done, the great laws which regulate the material universe; to explain the ebbings and flowings of the ocean, the rushing of the winds, the instant travelling 66 THE LIFE OF VOLTAIRE. Several preceding numbers have contained a history of the life of Thomas Paine, the chief of the English school of infidel and treasonable See "The Spider-an Aeronaut" in Job Nott, No. XXVIII. dungeon, in whose dark corner they busy themselves like spiders in weaving fresh webs of sedition to catch the unwary. Voltaire's pen was not idle during his imprisonment, but he employed it to more advantage than is usual with the low political writers |