a few
months ago at San Miguel, Panama, where popular preachers were forced
by the ecclesiastical powers to foment rebellion by violently
denouncing the State authorities, who had refused to allow a pastoral
of the Christian Bishop of San Salvador, hostile to the laws, to be
read in the churches. Having been put into a state of frenzy by one
Palacios, a canon of the cathedral, a fanatic mob revolted, liberated
prisoners, murdered generals in command, massacred numbers of the best
citizens, set fire to the city with kerosene, and destroyed over one
million dollars' worth of property. After this theological revolt had
been put down, passports, couched in the following terms, and sealed
with the seal of the bishopric, were found on the bodies of some of
these holy murderers;

"PETER.--Open to the bearer the gates of heaven, who has died for religion.

(Signed), GEORGE, Bishop of San Salvador."

Similar attempts were made by the Christian hierarchy in Brazil
against the Masonic body; but, fortunately, the emperor, a liberal and
an enlightened savant, crushed the attempt under foot, and
unmistakably proved, to the satisfaction of humanity, that he was not
to be transformed into a nineteenth century Charles the Ninth or
Philip the Second, and act the cat's paw for Pio Nono, ex-carbonari
and recusant mason, to wreak his vengeance on the brethren whom he had
betrayed.]

To those who will look down the ages, I would ask, is this picture
overdrawn? and further, to remember that in Shelley's own words:

"Eleven millions of men, women and children have been killed
in battle, butchered in their sleep, burned to death at
public festivals of sacrifice, poisoned, tortured,
assassinated and pillaged in the spirit of the religion of
peace, and for the glory of the most merciful God."

Is it amazing that he should have written such a "highly wrought and
admirably sustained" tragedy as the "Cenci," founded on facts, and
which has been deemed by competent critics the first since
Shakspeare--that he should have brought forward, with vivid
delineation, the crimes of the priesthood--and that he should have
made us remember the terrors of the bloody wars on heretics and
heathen, in words such as these:

"Yes! I have seen God's worshippers unsheathe
The sword of His revenge, when grace descended,
Confirming all unnatural impulses,
To sanctify their desolating deeds;
And fran