e circular about Mr. Bradlaugh,
full of the most brazen falsehoods and the grossest defamation; and
containing, as it did, garbled extracts from Mr. Bradlaugh's writings,
and artfully-manipulated quotations from books he had never written or
published, it undoubtedly did him a serious injury. The new circular was
worthy of the author of the first. It was addressed "To the Members
of the House of Commons," and was "for private circulation only." The
indignant butcher, for that is his trade, wished "to submit to their
notice the horrible blasphemies that are appended, and quoted from a new
weekly publication issued from the office where Mr. Bradlaugh's weekly
journal, the _National Reformer_, is published. The paper is entitled
the _Freethinker_, and is edited by G. W. Foote, one of Mr. Bradlaugh's
prominent supporters, and one of his right hand men at the Hall of
Science." The Commons of England were also requested to notice that
"Dr. Aveling, who for some years has been one of Mr. Bradlaugh's chief
helpers, is another contributor to this disgraceful product of Atheism."
In conclusion, they were called upon to "devise means to stay this
hideous prostitution of the liberty of the Press, by making these
shameless blasphemers amenable to the existing law."

It is a curious thing that such a fervid champion of religion should
always attack unbelievers with private circulars. Yet this is the policy
that Henry Varley has always pursued. He is a religious bravo, who lurks
in the dark, and strikes at Freethinkers with a poisoned dagger. More
than once he has flooded Northampton with the foulest libels on Mr.
Bradlaugh, invariably issued without the printer's name, in open
violation of the law. He is liable for a fine of five pounds for
every copy circulated, but the action must be initiated by the
Attorney-General, and our Christian Government refuses to punish when
the offence is committed by one of their own creed, and the sufferer is
only an Atheist.

Varley's circular served its evil purpose, for soon after Parliament
assembled in February, Mr. C. K. Freshfield, member for Dover, asked
the Home Secretary whether the Government intended to prosecute the
_Freethinker_.

Sir William Harcourt gave the following reply:

"I am sorry to say my attention has been called to a paper
bearing the title of the _Freethinker_, published in Northampton,
and I agree that nothing can be more pernicious to the minds of