e of fresco that used
to adorn a church at Stratford-on-Avon, the place where Shakespeare
lived, and there was a picture representing the morning of the
resurrection and people were getting out of their graves and devils
were grabbing them by their heels. And there was an immense monster,
with jaws open so wide that a man could walk down its throat, and the
flames were issuing therefrom, and there were devils driving people in
droves down the throat of this monster; and there was an immense kettle
in which they had put these men, and the fire was being stirred under
it, and hot pitch was being poured on top, and little devils were
setting it on fire and then on the walls there were hundreds hung up by
their tongues to hooks and nails; and then the saved--there were some
five or six saved--upon the horizon, and they had a most self-satisfied
grin of "I told you so."

At the risk of being tiresome, I have said that I have to show the
direction of the human mind in slavery, the effects of widespread
ignorance, and the result of fear. I want to convince you that every
form of slavery, physical or mental, is a viper that will finally fill
with poison the breast of any man alive. I want to show you that there
should be republicanism in the domain of thought as well as in civil
government. The first step toward progress is for man to cease to be
the slave of the creatures of his creation. Men found at last that the
event is more valuable than the prophecy, especially if it never comes
to pass. They found that diseases were not produced by spirits; that
they could not be cured by frightening them away. They found that
death was as natural as life. They began to study the anatomy and
chemistry of the human body, and they found that all was natural, and
the conjurer and the sorcerer were dismissed, and the physician and
surgeon were employed. They learned that being born under a star or
planet had nothing to do with their luck; the astrologer was discharged
and the astronomer took his place. They found that the world had swept
through the constellation for millions of ages. They found that
diseases were produced as easily as grass, and were not sent as
punishment on men for failing to believe a creed. They found that man,
through intelligence, could take advantage of the affairs of nature;
that he could make the waves, the winds, the flames, and the lightnings
slaves at his bidding to administer to his wants; they foun