church, whereof as a national edifice, this Bishop is one of the pillars, will of course share the fate of their leader in brimstone and feathers at all which tirade, they, the Reformed, very unceremoniously snap their fingers, and slap their breech, not regarding it three straws.

"And here I will take an opportunity of shewing you, how completely the word 'blasphemy,' which in the present day it is the fashion to abuse, is most strictly a relative term. I have before explained the terms 'abstract,' and 'relative.' If a man, whether Jew, Christian, or Mahometan, were fool enough to bestride a minaret, by way of playing at weathercocks; to clap his bottom on a pinnacle of a Turkish Mosque, and bellow in the ears of the disciples of the Koran, 'I assert that Mahomet was an impostor, the divinity of Islamism is a farce;' he would infallibly be dislodged from his post in quick time, and experience the pressure of a very tight uncomfortable neckcloth, called the "bowstring,' for his pains and yet in this metropolis, where instead of mosques we see churches, any drunken reprobate might make the exclamation with impunity from the windows of Temple Bar: in one case he would be deemed a 'blasphemer,' in the other, the crowd would only

grin and cry, 'Is'nt it funny?' The real difference would be the locus in quo.'

"But to go a little further; suppose, just as the mutes were going to throttle him, with all the graceful ease long habit gives, he was to gain time enough to say, 'Heark'e, you blackguards, my compliments to your master, and its all very well; but, nevertheless, depend on it the time will come, when all the inhabitants of this land, of all the earth, will have their eyes opened to their true interests; when all that is false and bad in society and religion, will by the common consent of knowledge, be gradually done away; and all that is true to Nature, and therefore practicable and good, retained, beloved, and honoured, as part of existence. And that this, the unjust fate of me, and the like of thousands more, who have and who will dare to stand forth boldly in the cause of truth, will not retard, but accelerate this change and consummation.' Think you, the sable ministers of vengeance would heed one word, or if their hearts did wince at his dying words, they would allow such secret misgiving to pass the 'barrier of their teeth,' as old Homer, so aptly styles it? Surely not. They would be well aware, that in that case their own precious necks would be in the high road for silk.

"I could draw inferences closer home, but wise as a 'child of this generation,' shall refrain from doing so; because, although we are not yet come to the bowstring, I should stand a reasonable chance of whetting my grinders against cold iron for a few years more or less, in default of prompt payment of a good swinging sum, as a mulct for contumacy.

"With all this, however, I am happy in being able to report, that with all good men, the word 'blasphemy' is fast falling into disrepute, becoming obsolete. Men of even common reflection know it to be strictly a 'relative,' that man from difference of constitution and shades of intellectual conception, will never be brought to one mode of religious faith: that truth can hardly be elicited from hearing only one side of any question: that she must in the end prevail, and come forth from her ordeal in the furnace of scientific enquiry; brighter from proof, which will skim from her the dross of superstition.

"Now we'll go and hear some good music."

LETTER X.

WE emerged from the street through a gateway

into an open space where soldiers were drawn up in martial array: between their ranks marched a body of musicians richly clothed, breathing such thrilling sounds from the windinstruments they carried, raising at intervals, such a fearful clash, that I felt the blood curl back on my heart, and insensibly began to quicken my pace. L- saw my emotion, and smiled his sweetest: "Steady!" he said, "the parade is but just begun, we are in good time; they will be stationary presently, and enable us to hear the blending better; I like to see you so moved at what I can safely pronounce to be 'excellent.' Well does my old favourite, Shakspeare, say,

"The man that hath no music in himself,

Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds,

Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils :

The motions of his spirit are dull as night,

And his affections dark as Erebus ;

Let no such man be trusted."

"Meaning, that one so full of apathy could not be deemed a man of sensibility, of fine

feeling. Happily, such cold spirits are few; almost every one is more or less affected at musical sounds, according to his own peculiar temperament, of the circumstances under which they are heard, and not unfrequently much more so at a second hearing, from the association of ideas between the melody, and the impression made by occurrences attending the first. For my own part 'I'm never merry when I hear sweet music.' Now listen attentively; they are going to play a Piece in their best style."

At once there poured forth a stream of melody so rich and soft, qualities of tone so exquisitely blended, that I scarce dared breathe, for fear of losing a particle of the sound which absorbed my very soul: presently a strain was predominant which overwhelmed me with a delightful melancholy; my head involuntarily drooped: L-- said, “Where are you? the wailing of the bassoons has caught you. Next, a sound more cheerful, but still softer, came waving as if to fan and refresh ; I felt relieved from the oppression of sadness: "You are better now," said L- "the horns have done wonders:" and now a sweep, tremulous yet strong, swept the ear: I could have sprung from earth in buoyancy: "That," said he, "was the flash of the tromboni trumpet