ys stigmatised with impiety whatever crossed their
interests; that they hindered all public instruction, to exercise the
monopoly of science; that finally, at all times and in all places, they
had found the secret of living in peace in the midst of the anarchy they
created, in safety under the despotism that they favored, in idleness
amidst the industry they preached, and in abundance while surrounded
with scarcity; and all this by carrying on the singular trade of selling
words and gestures to credulous people, who purchase them as commodities
of the greatest value.*

* A curious work would be the comparative history of the
agnuses of the pope and the pastils of the grand Lama. It
would be worth while to extend this idea to religions
ceremonies in general, and to confront column by column, the
analogous or contrasting points of faith and superstitious
practices in all nations. There is one more species of
superstition which it would be equally salutary to cure,
blind veneration for the great; and for this purpose it
would be alone sufficient to write a minute detail of the
private life of kings and princes. No work could be so
philosophical as this; and accordingly we have seen what a
general outcry was excited among kings and the panders of
kings, when the Anecdotes of the Court of Berlin first
appeared. What would be the alarm were the public put in
possession of the sequel of this work? Were the people
fairly acquainted with all the absurdities of this species
of idol, they would no longer be exposed to covet their
specious pleasures of which the plausible and hollow
appearance disturbs their peace, and hinders them from
enjoying the much more solid happiness of their own
condition.

Then the different nations, in a transport of fury, were going to
tear in pieces the men who had thus abused them; but the legislator,
arresting this movement of violence, addressed the chiefs and doctors:

"What!" said he, "instructors of nations, is it thus that you have
deceived them?"

And the terrified priests replied.

"O legislator! we are men. The people are so superstitious! they have
themselves encouraged these errors."*

* Consider in this view the Brabanters.

And the kings said:

"O legislator! the people are so servile and so ignorant! they
prostrated themselves before the yoke, which we scarcely d