dox; or, perhaps, that it was useless to enlarge on the
abominations of Babylon to a Protestant peer and a Protestant parson;
but, on this occasion, he occupied himself with the temporal iniquities
of the Roman Catholics. The trial of O'Connell and his fellow-prisoners
had come to an end, and he and they, with one exception, had just.
commenced their period of imprisonment. The one exception was a
clergyman, who had been acquitted. He had in some way been connected
with Mr O'Joscelyn's parish; and, as the parish priest and most of his
flock were hot Repealers, there was a good deal of excitement on the
occasion,--rejoicings at the priest's acquittal, and howlings,
yellings, and murmurings at the condemnation of the others.

"We've fallen on frightful days, Mr Armstrong," said Mr O'Joscelyn:
"frightful, lawless, dangerous days."

"We must take them as we find them, Mr O'Joscelyn."

"Doubtless, Mr Armstrong, doubtless; and I acknowledge His infinite
wisdom, who, for His own purposes, now allows sedition to rear her head
unchecked, and falsehood to sit in the high places. They are indeed
dangerous days, when the sympathy of government is always with the evil
doers, and the religion of the state is deserted by the crown."

"Why, God bless me! Mr O'Joscelyn!--the queen hasn't turned Papist, and
the Repealers are all in prison, or soon will be there."

"I don't mean the queen. I believe she is very good. I believe she is a
sincere Protestant, God bless her;" and Mr O'Joscelyn, in his loyalty,
drank a glass of port wine; "but I mean her advisers. They do not dare
protect the Protestant faith: they do not dare secure the tranquillity
of the country."

"Are not O'Connell and the whole set under conviction at this moment?
I'm no politician myself, but the only question seems to be, whether
they haven't gone a step too far?"

"Why did they let that priest escape them?" said Mr O'Joscelyn.

"I suppose he was not guilty;" said Mr Armstrong; "at any rate, you had
a staunch Protestant jury."

"I tell you the priests are at the head of it all. O'Connell would be
nothing without them; he is only their creature. The truth is, the
government did not dare to frame an indictment that would really lead
to the punishment of a priest. The government is truckling to the false
hierarchy of Rome. Look at Oxford,--a Jesuitical seminary, devoted to
the secret propagation of Romish falsehood.--Go into the churches of
England, and watch the