expect to reap from so doing. Some of which the pagan world has produced have In that land those events were accomplished to modern history its form and colour; an borated, the impress of which may still b opinions, the institutions, and the creeds of too, empire has left her ineffaceable traces, a footsteps. There is, all will admit, a pecu pleasure in visiting such spots: nor is there profit also. One's taste may be corrected, strengthened, by seeing the master-pieces New trains of thought may be suggested, of information opened, by the sight of men wholly new. But more than this,-I believ lessons to be learned there, which it was en one's while going there to learn, touching the politico-religious system of which Italy has seat and centre. I had previously been at to make myself acquainted with this system and wished to have an opportunity of studyin upon the government of the country, and the people, as respects their trade, industry, kno religion, and general happiness. All I shall s ing pages will have a bearing, more or less d main point. It is impossible to disjoin the present of thes the past; nor can the solemn and painful enig exhibit be unriddled but by a reference to the not the immediate, but the remote past. The doubt, in the saying of the old moralist, that moments what they had acquired in years; but applicable rather to the accelerated speed with eared in Italy the ced upon rt her glorious new sources dof manners hat there were atically worth rking of that Ong been the e little pains ts principles, : in its effects dition of the edge, liberty n the follow t, upon this >untries from which they ast, and that is truth, no ions lose in e remark is ich the last stages of a nation's ruin are accomplished, than to the slow and imperceptible progress which usually marks its commencement. Unless when cut off by the sudden stroke of war, it requires five centuries at least to consummate the fall of a great people. One must pass, therefore, over those hideous abuses which are the immediate harbingers of national disaster, and which exclusively engross the attention of ordinary inquirers, and go back to those remote ages, and those minute and apparently insignificant causes, amid which national declension, unsuspected often by the nation itself, takes its rise. The destiny of modern Europe was sealed so long ago as A. D. 606, when the Bishop of Rome was made head of the universal Church by the edict of a man stained with the double guilt of usurpation and murder. Religion is the parent of liberty. The rise of tyrants can be prevented in no other way but by maintaining the supremacy of God and conscience; and in the early corruptions of the gospel, the seeds were sown of those frightful despotisms which have since arisen, and of those tremendous convulsions which are now rending society. The evil principle implanted in the European commonwealth in the seventh century appeared to lie dormant for ages; but all the while it was busily at work beneath those imposing imperial structures which arose in the middle ages. It had not been cast out of the body politic; it was still there, operating with noiseless but resistless energy and terrible strength; and while monarchs were busily engaged founding empires and consolidating their rule, it was preparing to signalize, at a future day, the superiority of its own power by the sudden and irretrievable overthrow of theirs. Thus society had come to resemble the lofty mountain, whose crown of white snows and robe of fresh verdure but conceal those hidden fires which are smouldering within its bowels. Under the appearance of robust health, a expect to reap from so doing. Some of which the pagan world has produced have In that land those events were accomplishe to modern history its form and colour; ar borated, the impress of which may still opinions, the institutions, and the creeds of too, empire has left her ineffaceable traces, footsteps. There is, all will admit, a pec pleasure in visiting such spots: nor is ther profit also. One's taste may be corrected, strengthened, by seeing the master-pieces New trains of thought may be suggested of information opened, by the sight of m wholly new. But more than this,-I beli lessons to be learned there, which it was one's while going there to learn, touching politico-religious system of which Italy ha seat and centre. I had previously been to make myself acquainted with this syste and wished to have an opportunity of stu upon the government of the country, and people, as respects their trade, industry, religion, and general happiness. All I sh ing pages will have a bearing, more or l main point. It is impossible to disjoin the present of the past; nor can the solemn and painfu exhibit be unriddled but by a reference t not the immediate, but the remote past. doubt, in the saying of the old moralist, moments what they had acquired in years applicable rather to the accelerated speed stages of a nation's ruin are accomplished, than to the slow and imperceptible progress which usually marks its commencement. Unless when cut off by the sudden stroke of war, it requires five centuries at least to consummate the fall of a great people. One must pass, therefore, over those hideous abuses which are the immediate harbingers of national disaster, and which exclusively engross the attention of ordinary inquirers, and go back to those remote ages, and those minute and apparently insignificant causes, amid which national declension, unsuspected often by the nation itself, takes its rise. The destiny of modern Europe was sealed so long ago as A. D. 606, when the Bishop of Rome was made head of the universal Church by the edict of a man stained with the double guilt of usurpation and murder. Religion is the parent of liberty. The rise of tyrants can be prevented in no other way but by maintaining the supremacy of God and conscience; and in the early corruptions of the gospel, the seeds were sown of those frightful despotisms which have since arisen, and of those tremendous convulsions which are now rending society. The evil principle implanted in the European commonwealth in the seventh century appeared to lie dormant for ages; but all the while it was busily at work beneath those imposing imperial structures which arose in the middle ages. It had not been cast out of the body politic; it was still there, operating with noiseless but resistless energy and terrible strength; and while monarchs were busily engaged founding empires and consolidating their rule, it was preparing to signalize, at a future day, the superiority of its own power by the sudden and irretrievable overthrow of theirs. Thus society had come to resemble the lofty mountain, whose crown of white snows and robe of fresh verdure but conceal those hidden fires which are smouldering within its bowels. Under the appearance of robust health, a moral cancer was all the while preying upd ciety, eating out by slow degrees the fai obedience of the world. The ground at thrones and hierarchies came tumbling do Europe of our day. What is the Papacy cancer, of most deadly virulency, which course, and done its work upon the nation The European community, from head to f sore. Soundness in it there is none. TH wriggling mass of corruption and suffering. of tyrannies and perjuries, of lies and blo crimes abominable and unnatural,-of p socialist ravings, and atheistic blasphemi mendicants, the curses, groans, and shrieks demoniac laughter of tyrants, commingle Faugh! the spectacle is too horrible to effluvia is too fetid to be endured. Wha the carcase? We cannot dwell in its would be impossible long to inhabit the its stench were enough to pollute and po of our planet. It must be buried or bu allowed to remain on the surface of the ea a plague, which would infect, not a world It is in this direction that we are to seek here, if we are able to receive it, thirty ge to impart to us their dear-bought experie have cost the world so much are surely w But I do not mean to treat my reade tory, instead of chapters on travel. quisition on the influence of religion and one might compose without stirring from hi I intend to write. It is a real journey w |