d so mild disposed, and 'No offense,'
he says; 'speak out without reserve.' 'Then, sir,' said I, 'this is what
I think of human nature. I believe that it was full of every sort of
goodness, and that men were naturally well disposed to one another, till
the Devil got that great idea of his. Men are born to worship their
Creator, and to supply the wants of their neighbors, but then comes in
the deceiving fiery monster, with a pocketful of money, and says, quite
disinterested, 'Gentlemen and Ladies, it's of no use asking you to
venerate me; you don't do it, and you oughtn't to; but the most
convenient and proper thing is for every individual to worship only just
his self. You see the result of this,' says the old sinner; 'by paying
sacrifice to your own images, you just change things from the right-hand
pocket to the left, or if you go abroad, as you must do, in search of
offerings, all the fish comes to your own net, and all the fat into your
own belly. You smoke your own incense, and if you chance to be remiss in
your devotions, you may make peace and atonement any way you please.
Then,' says the great brimstone beast--I beg your pardon, sir, excuse my
liberty of speech--'if any body remark you are my servants, you can
laugh, and tell them you are no such fools. As for any formulary of
religion, follow in that the fashion of your country--'

"The cinder gentleman, Mrs. Pittis, my dear, rolled about in the fire,
quite at his ease, and said, 'Very good, Phil. And what else have you to
say of human nature?' by which you will see that he had discrimination
enough to perceive the value of my observations. 'The result is, sir,' I
says to him then, 'that the whole human race is a-dancing and
a-trumpeting in corners, every man singing hymns in honor of his self.
And the old enemy capers up and down the country and the town, rejoicing
at the outcry which he hears from every lip in his honor. A friend is
rarer than a phoenix; for no man can serve two images, and each sticks
firmly by his own.'

"'Have you no charity yourself this Christmas, Mr. Spruce?' inquired the
king, after he had called to his two imps that they should put fresh
coals upon the bed, and rake it up. 'When I was a young man, sir,' said
I, 'no one could have started in the world with a stronger faith in
human goodness. But I've seen my error. All the ways of human nature are
humbug, sir; as for my fellow-creatures, I've been very much deceived in
'em. That's all