ebts, bonds, contracts, obligations of all kinds, in like
manner were absolved by the comet, and Creation itself left to open a
new score in, it is to be hoped, a less blotted book.

Considered as a reform, our possible event must be viewed with great
interest. The patriot's heart is broken, in the ordinary current of
things, by the passive resistance he meets with from the great, inert
mass of prejudice and contrary interest. His most generous views are
thwarted by thousands of accidents which there was no foreseeing when
he put the affair down on paper. Tories hate and scandalise him;
despots put him in prison; he only can bequeath his scheme to be
wrought out by the happy man of a happier age. Here, however, comes me
in a besom which sweeps all the old peccant institutions away at one
whisk. Church and state are severed, and for ever. The Holy Alliance
against the liberties of mankind is broken up--the pomp and corruption
of courts is annihilated--bribery and bigotry are no more. What a
clean sweep!--how hopeless reaction! Surely the most extravagant views
of the Destructives must be gratified and contented at last.

If the event shall ever happen, it cannot be doubted that the present
Mankind will leave many interesting memorials of themselves and their
progress for the examination of a new race, should such ever arise.
When the geologist of the after-world begins his work--who can tell
how many hundreds of thousands of years hence?--he will find, over all
our stratification and palaeontology, a DRIFT containing the remains of
the ancient human species--here a _tibia_ of a stockbroker, there the
skull of a poet--here a lady's dressing-case in a fossilised state,
there a gentleman's box of cigars: besides all these odds and ends,
there will doubtless be ruins of temples, fortresses, ships,
gin-palaces, and other pertinents of an active, passionate humanity,
the purposes of which will form most curious matter of speculation for
the more angelic species then at last come upon the earth. Nothing in
writing or print will have survived to convey an idea of the state of
our knowledge, or of the attainments of our great writers; but it is
possible that a few inscriptions may be disinterred, and that through
these some glimpses may be obtained of our history, though of a most
detached and confused nature. Probably, the most puzzling thing of all
will be our warlike implements and munitions; for to one who never
thought of h