more sincerely wishes you success than myself. Every one who is alive to the great struggle which has existed betwixt light and darkness ever since light came into the world,' and all who know what a a grievous darkness popery is, must bid you God speed, and must rejoice in the talent you have so successfully put forth in exposing the man of sin; for my own part, I feel a great interest in your enterprise, and when, by any slip, a door is opened for an irruption of the enemy, I feel as great a regret, and as strong a desire to repair it, as if committed by myself. This must be my excuse for troubling you just now, to remark, that in various cases of late, when you are instancing from the writings of others, the pernicious effects of the popish tenets, you do not seem to have been careful enough in selecting, to avoid narrating cases, which are in reality not credible, and which are therefore easily perverted into an attack on the essential truths you are defending. You too well know the nature of popish controversialists, to render it necessary for me to waste words on the unfairness of their dealings; honest argument is out of the question; they lay hold of some unguarded expression, or some accidental misstatement, and by harping on that, they endeavour to shake those substantial truths that they cannot otherwise touch. Now in some of your late extracts, it appears to me, that this advantage has been given them, I think, needlessly, because there is no want of the best authenticated proofs of the unrelenting and ferocious spirit of the popish superstition; and there is no need of exaggeration to make us shudder at them. Thus, in your one hundred and sixteenth number, in speaking of the evil consequences of the celibacy of the Romish priests, you mention very gravely and very shortly, that the skulls of six thousand children had been found in a fishpond. Now, had the author, from whom you quote, merely said, that, as a consequence of that most pernicious tenet, infanticide was common, and that in such a pond many bodies of infants had been found; nay, had he gone further, and said that to the amount of sixty had been found, the thing was credible; and for my own part, extraordinary as the thing appears now-a-days, I believe that in a populous neighbourhood at the period alluded to, the thing may have happened; but when it is dryly said, that in such a pond six thousand children's skulls were found, the thing is utterly incredible, being repugnant to nature, to common sense, and to the very chemical properties of matter; the person who can seriously think of it, and then say he fully believes it, ought to find nothing incredible in transubstantiation. It is just one of those cases, by the dissecting and dilating upon which, a Papist would attempt to baffle the solid sense and sound argument of the Protestant; and therefore it was that I felt so much regret when I met with it. Supposing that, in the neighbourhood of Glasgow, a pond should be set apart for the deposition of the heads of murdered infants; suppose also popery reigning in full supremacy; suppose further, that every popish priest and shaveling within the bills of mortality had annually five bastards, which is a tolerable allowance; suppose that there was nothing either unnatural or disgraceful in the girls bringing the children's heads regularly to the pond, but that they would do it as unconcernedly as with eggs to market; still it can easily be shown that the number your author mentions could not by possibility be accumulated. The allowing, therefore, so monstrous an absurdity to appear in the Protestant, allows the enemies of truth to turn your main arguments

against yourself, for there is no fable in all the legends of popery that exceeds this. I know not how it can be now remedied; should it seem an error of the press, and for 6000 read 60, I should be well pleased.

"In your one hundred and twenty-fifth number, you mention about the garrison of Carcassone marching nine miles under ground. I meant to have made some remarks on the unguarded way you had made your extract on this subject, but I see my paper is nearly out, and I find my time will not permit it; besides, I do not know how you may take a communication of this sort; I hope you will not think it frivolous, for I can assure you the effect is not so, and whilst you bear the more noble and weighty task in hand, of enforcing essential truth, I trust you will excuse a friend of yourself and your cause, for endeavouring to put you on your guard in points which, perhaps, you may esteem superficial, but which, I am seriously persuaded, have a strong bearing on the general result of your endeavour in 'enforcing the cause of truth.'

"With every wish for your success, yours, &c.

66

W. A. C."

I feel very much obliged to this writer, for his very judicious observations; and I should be unworthy of his good opinion, if it were possible that I could take such a communication otherwise than in good part. My object in writing is neither literary fame nor pecuniary profit; but solely to serve the cause of truth by opposing error; and, therefore, I rank among my friends and auxiliaries, all who do me the favour of pointing out any mistake into which I have fallen in my own arguments or statements; or any misstatement or mistake of others, to which I may inadvertently give currency.

The statement that six thousand heads of murdered infants, the fruits of illicit intercourse, were found in a fishpond, is given by the author of "Letters on Clerical Celibacy," on the authority of Balæus, Acta Rom. Pont. p. 46. I recollect to have seen the same statement in an old folio in my possession, in which the reason for draining the pond is given; but I cannot at present find the passage. I do however agree with my correspondent, that the thing is incredible; and I would probably have said so at the time, in a note, had I subjected the statement to a process of calculation. The author of the Letters on Celibacy, gives the number in words; so it can be no error of the press arising from the addition of a figure or two; but it is probable that some earlier writer may have given it in figures, and that by mistake a cypher has been added, turning six hundred into six thousand; for I see no occasion to go so low as sixty.

But while I perfectly agree with my correspondent, that the story of six thousand is incredible, I am by no means prepared to say it is physically impossible, unless I am made acquainted with the population of Rome at the time; and unless I have it ascertained how long the decomposition of infants' bones requires. Suppose it were to require ten years in a marshy place, not exposed to the weather, six hundred a year for that period would make up the number. This I admit is incredible; but I am not convinced that it is impossible; considering the population and the profligacy of that city at the period referred to, or at any period before it was pillaged, and the monasteries broken up, by the French under Bonaparte. And now that some of the monasteries are restored,

and the rooks have returned to their nests, as John Knox would have said, the thing is not impossible, if the statement of a late traveller may be depended on. I refer to an American work, entitled, "The Political State of Italy, by Theodore Lyman, Jun." printed in Boston, N. E. in 1820. Speaking of Rome, this writer says, "In the great hospital of Spirito Santo, there were exposed during 1817, at the wheel, male children, 516, female 497, total 1013; at board in the country 1735 = 2748. Of these restored to parents, male 60, female 70 = 130; died in the hospital 419, at board 550, total 969; being nearly one in every three." "The children in this hospital," adds Mr. Lyman, "are illegitimate, or destitute ones. They are put in the night upon a hollow wheel, near which is hung a bell, and whenever this bell is rung, an attendant comes, turns the wheel, and receives the child. They are maintained till twelve years of age; a letter is often placed with the child, so that it may be recognised at a future time. This institution would afford much less encouragement to vice, if children were only received in broad day light, and after proper examination of the situation of parents." Page 103.

At this time the population of Rome was only 131,256, considerably under the present population of Glasgow, and not half of what it must have been in the days of Rome's glory and greatest profligacy. In 1817, the number of male ecclesiastics in Rome, was 2899, and of nuns only 1303. Before the reformation the latter must have been a great deal more numerous, and perhaps also the former. But I shall take the population of that year for my datum; and I think I can show by it, that however incredible the above statement may be, it is by no means impossible. There were 1013 children exposed in Rome, and for the most part abandoned, in the course of one year, only four years ago; that is, nearly three every night, upon an average. Now make the supposition that instead of exposing them in the hospital wheel, or that there were no such asylum for them, and that the unnatural mothers had thrown them into the lake or pond, the incredible number of six thousand would have accumulated in less than six years. This is, indeed, a most horrible supposition; but there is nothing impossible in it; for it is only supposing a greater degree of depravity in these females than that which leads to the abandonment of their offspring. Nay, if child murder be possible in one instance, it is not physically impossible in any number of instances in proportion to the population of a city or district. I hope, therefore, my correspondent will be convinced that one may believe the statement, monstrous as it is, without imitating the absurdity of those who believe in transubstantiation.

W. A. C. makes a supposition with regard to popish priests and shavelings, which, if applied to those in Rome, would produce a monstrous result indeed,-no fewer than 14,495 illegitimate children annually! If this were the case, I am sure he himself would see nothing even incredible in the statement on which he animadverts. He has not considered the state of the population of Rome, where the proportion of ecclesiastics is a hundred to one of the number of clergy necessary for the service of a Protestant city like Glasgow. The nuns, according to Mr. Lyman's statement, were comparatively few in 1817; but that was only three years after the restoration of the ancient order. In a subsequent statement, he gives a list of seventy-seven nunneries in the

city alone; and in 1819, the number of nuns had increased to 1463. No doubt there is a farther increase by this time; and they will continue to increase until all the houses be as full as they were before the French invasion. It is needless to dilate on such a subject, or to point out the horrible immoralities that must be the consequence of such a state of things. Luxury, idleness, and celibacy, on a large scale, are enough to qualify the world for another deluge; and because of these things, I have no doubt, the wrath of God will, by and by, come upon Rome to the uttermost.

With regard to the statement relating to the garrison of Carcassone, it is given by Jones in his History of the Waldenses, and it does not appear to me incredible. Many greater works have been effected in our own day than digging an excavation of nine miles, arching it over, and then using it as a subterraneous passage.

Upon the whole, I am perfectly aware of the truth and propriety of my correspondent's remarks. Papists cannot meet an opponent with fair argument; and they seldom attempt it. It is their constant practice to draw away the mind from facts and principles, and to fix it on some trifle that is really or apparently incredible or absurd; but which is of no importance in relation to the general question in dispute. When they cannot find real absurdities and things incredible, they will feign them, and endeavour to make their own inventions appear the arguments and statements of their opponents. Their whole system is built on falsehood, of which there cannot be a better evidence than the manner in which they constantly try to defend it.

They will no doubt attempt to find a flaw in Mr. Lyman's statement too. They will say, it is impossible in the nature of things, supposing all the nuns to be as bad as possible, that 1303 of them could produce 1013 children annually. And this objection will startle some persons; and they will disbelieve the whole story; but let it be observed, the author does not confine his statement to priests and nuns; nor does he speak of them at all as particularly implicated. He regards the convents with much respect and tenderness; and he indeed speaks of the system in such a manner as makes me believe that he belongs to the church of Rome. He does not so much as hint a suspicion that the ecclesiastics of either sex have any hand in filling the hospital wheel with three children every night. It is the general profligacy of manners in Rome that he brings to view; and the reader is left to make his own remarks, and draw his own conclusion, with regard to the influence which clerical celibacy may have had in producing that profligacy.

Persons acquainted with the history of Rome, and with human nature, will find no difficulty in drawing conclusions from clerical celibacy to general profligacy of manners; and such persons will regard with real concern, and serious apprehension, the introduction of the monastic system among ourselves, at least among our neighbours in Ireland. Several attempts have been made of late to make celibacy popular in that kingdom, by pompous representations of the ridiculous solemnity of foolish young girls taking the veil, as if this were a most meritorious act, and worthy of the admiration of angels and men. The following has appeared in several newspapers, in the present month.

(From the Connaught Journal.)

PRESENTATION CONVENT, GALWAY.

"Miss Joyce, daughter of Walter Joyce, Esq., of Mervieu, was received to-day (Monday week) amongst the pious and exemplary sisterhood of the Presentation Convent. Scarcely have we ever witnessed a scene more sublimely imposing. The young and promising daughter of one of our most respectable and esteemed citizens presenting herself at the altar of her God,-in the abandonment of every earthly consideration,—in the sacrifice of every thing that could bespeak permanency to social life and to social happiness,-in the dedication of her exalted talents-of her young and innocent loveliness-of the world's promise and the world's hopes,-must, indeed, be capable of awakening in the breasts of all a generous and a dignified association, whilst it affords a high and important colouring to the completion of Her future existence, and her ultimate destiny.

..

"At half-past nine, the O gloriosa virginum' was sung from the higher choir, in the masterly accompaniment of select musical performers. The procession then began to move from the vestry, through the lower choir, to the chapel, in the following order:

The Thuriferere,

The Acolytes,

The Master of the Ceremonies, Rev. Mr. DALY.

The Sub-Deacon, Rev. Mr. GILL.

Deacon, Rev. Mr. O'DONNELL.

The High Priest, Rev. Mr. FINN.

The Celebrant, Very Rev. Warden FFRENCH, and his Trainbearer.

The very Rev. Warden Ffrench having been conducted to his faldastorium, under a rich canopy, the high priest and his officiating ministers retired to their places at the gospel side of the altar.

"And now all was breathless expectation: the young postulent appeared in the attendance of the reverend mother and her assistant, robed in all the gaudy extravagance of fashionable splendour, and beaming in the glows of youthful modesty, which taught us to believe, that had she remained in the world she forsook, she would have moved the attraction of every heart, 'the leading star of every eye.'

ries.

The very reverend celebrant was then conducted to the platform of the altar, and the postulant and her attendants having genuflected, the ceremony of reception began with the preparatory prayers and responsoWhen the novice was seated, and the celebrant reconducted to the faldastorium, high mass commenced with peculiar dignity, and with a strict precision in all the various ceremonies, which always render the Catholic service sublime. After the gospel, the Rev. Mr. Daly delivered an excellent sermon, addressed peculiarly to the novice, and prefaced by a text admirably pertinent to the subject he handled:Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear; thou shalt leave thy people, and thy father's house, for the king hath greatly desired thy beauty; and he is the Lord thy God.'-Psal. xlv.

46

After mass the novice retired, whilst the clerical choir chanted in full tone, the psalm, In exitu Israel de Egypto." At the conclusion of the psalm she appeared disrobed of her worldly habiliments, and