, but in
these kingdoms the day for practising its atrocities is gone by. It is
at present almost below contempt, and is obliged to sue for grace _in
forma pauperis_."

"Very true," said the man in black, "but let it once obtain emancipation,
and it will cast its slough, put on its fine clothes, and make converts
by thousands. 'What a fine church,' they'll say; 'with what authority it
speaks--no doubts, no hesitation, no sticking at trifles.' What a
contrast to the sleepy English Church! they'll go over to it by millions,
till it preponderates here over every other, when it will of course be
voted the dominant one; and then--and then--" and here the man in black
drank a considerable quantity of gin and water.

"What then?" said I.

"What then?" said the man in black, "why, she will be true to herself.
Let Dissenters, whether they be Church of England, as perhaps they may
still call themselves, Methodist or Presbyterian, presume to grumble, and
there shall be bruising of lips in pulpits, tying up to whipping-posts,
cutting off ears and noses--he! he! the farce of King Log has been acted
long enough; the time for Queen Stork's tragedy is drawing nigh;" and the
man in black sipped his gin and water in a very exulting manner.

"And this is the church which, according to your assertion in the public-
house, never persecutes?"

"I have already given you an answer," said the man in black, "with
respect to the matter of the public-house; it is one of the happy
privileges of those who belong to my church to deny in the public-house
what they admit in the dingle; we have high warranty for such double
speaking. Did not the foundation stone of our church, Saint Peter, deny
in the public-house what he had previously professed in the valley?"

"And do you think," said I, "that the people of England, who have shown
aversion to anything in the shape of intolerance, will permit such
barbarities as you have described?"

"Let them become Papists," said the man in black; "only let the majority
become Papists, and you will see."

"They will never become so," said I; "the good sense of the people of
England will never permit them to commit such an absurdity."

"The good sense of the people of England?" said the man in black, filling
himself another glass.

"Yes," said I; "the good sense of not only the upper, but the middle and
lower classes."

"And of what description of people are the upper class?" said the man in
black,