relations. Historical Christianity still holds
to her old text, of marriage being a sacrament, and therefore
indissoluble. The founder of Comtism developing this dogma, urges that
after the death of either husband or wife the duty of the survivor is
not to re-marry. Great Britain and many of the American States have
conceded greater freedom in divorce, so as to carry out in a large
measure the arguments of Shelley, while the theory of what is termed
the "sovereignty of the individual" is propounded by the leaders of
the free love party, as a cure for the present and former
difficulties.

Whatever may be the outcome of the present widespread discussions I
know not, but I have belief in the supreme intelligence and in
humanity, and am certain that neither the home nor the race will
suffer, but that out of all this agitation will come more refined
sentiment and truer morality.

I must now conclude. It has been said that there are two things in
which the professors of all theologies have agreed-"To persecute all
other sects, and plunder their own." Shelley, who subscribed to no
theology, was persecuted by them during his entire life, but he ever
forgave his persecutors, who he was confident acted through ignorance
of his real motives, and he tells us:

"I have thought to appeal to something in common and
unburden my inmost soul to them. I have found my language
misunderstood, like one in a distant and savage land. The
more opportunities they have afforded me for experience, the
wider has appeared the interval between us, and to a greater
distance have the points of sympathy been withdrawn. With a
spirit ill-fitted to sustain such proof, trembling and
feeble through its tenderness, I have everywhere sought
sympathy, and have found only repulse and disappointment."

Do _we_ misunderstand him? I think not, and William Howitt, a
representative of the people, shall answer for them: "For liberty of
every kind he was ready to die. For knowledge, and truth, and
kindness, he desired only to live. He was a rare instance of the union
of the finest moral nature and the finest genius. If he erred, the
world took ample revenge upon him for it, while he conferred in return
his amplest blessing on the world. It was long a species of heresy to
mention his name in society; that is passing fast away. It was next
said that he never could become popular, and therefore the mischief he
could do