nce
itself elected and eligible in this manner? Surely such a Parliament
promulgates strange horoscopes of itself. What is to become of a
Parliament elected or eligible in this manner? Unless Belial and
Beelzebub have got possession of the throne of this Universe, such
Parliament is preparing itself for new Reform-bills. We shall have to
try it by Chartism, or any conceivable _ism_, rather than put-up with
this! There is already in England 'religion' enough to get six hundred
and fifty-eight Consulting Men brought together who do _not_ begin
work with a lie in their mouth. Our poor old Parliament, thousands of
years old, is still good for something, for several things;--though
many are beginning to ask, with ominous anxiety, in these days: For
what thing? But for whatever thing and things Parliament be good,
indisputably it must start with other than a lie in its mouth! On the
whole, a Parliament working with a lie in its mouth, will have to take
itself away. To no Parliament or thing, that one has heard of, did
this Universe ever long yield harbour on that footing. At all hours of
the day and night, some Chartism is advancing, some armed Cromwell is
advancing, to apprise such Parliament: "Ye are no Parliament. In the
name of God,--go!"

In sad truth, once more, how is our whole existence, in these present
days, built on Cant, Speciosity, Falsehood, Dilettantism; with this
one serious Veracity in it: Mammonism! Dig down where you will,
through the Parliament-floor or elsewhere, how infallibly do you, at
spade's depth below the service, come upon this universal _Liars_-rock
substratum! Much else is ornamental; true on barrel-heads, in pulpits,
hustings, Parliamentary benches; but this is forever true and truest:
"Money does bring money's worth; Put money in your purse." Here, if
nowhere else, is the human soul still in thorough earnest; sincere
with a prophet's sincerity: and 'the Hell of the English,' as
Sauerteig said, 'is the infinite terror of Not getting on, especially
of Not making money.' With results!

To many persons the horoscope of Parliament is more interesting than
to me: but surely all men with souls must admit that sending members
to Parliament by bribery is an infamous solecism; an act entirely
immoral, which no man can have to do with more or less, but he will
soil his fingers more or less. No Carlton Clubs, Reform Clubs, nor any
sort of clubs or creatures, or of accredited opinions or practices,
can