dear sir; I hope you would not class such a set as the
Dissenters with Catholics?"

"Perhaps it would be unjust," said my host, "though to which of the two
parties is another thing; but permit me to ask you a question: Does it
not smack somewhat of paradox to talk of Catholics, whilst you admit
there are Dissenters? If there are Dissenters, how should there be
Catholics?"

"It is not my fault that there are Dissenters," said the Reverend Mr.
Platitude; "if I had my will I would neither admit there were any, nor
permit any to be."

"Of course you would admit there were such as long as they existed; but
how would you get rid of them?"

"I would have the Church exert its authority."

"What do you mean by exerting its authority?"

"I would not have the Church bear the sword in vain."

"What, the sword of St. Peter? You remember what the founder of the
religion which you profess said about the sword, 'He who striketh with
it--' I think those who have called themselves the Church have had
enough of the sword. Two can play with the sword, Mr. Platitude. The
Church of Rome tried the sword with the Lutherans: how did it fare with
the Church of Rome? The Church of England tried the sword, Mr.
Platitude, with the Puritans: how did it fare with Laud and Charles?"

"Oh, as for the Church of England," said Mr. Platitude, "I have little to
say. Thank God I left all my Church of England prejudices in Italy. Had
the Church of England known its true interests, it would long ago have
sought a reconciliation with its illustrious mother. If the Church of
England had not been in some degree a schismatic church, it would not
have fared so ill at the time of which you are speaking; the rest of the
Church would have come to its assistance. The Irish would have helped
it, so would the French, so would the Portuguese. Disunion has always
been the bane of the Church."

Once more I fell into a reverie. My mind now reverted to the past;
methought I was in a small comfortable room wainscoted with oak; I was
seated on one side of a fireplace, close by a table on which were wine
and fruit; on the other side of the fire sat a man in a plain suit of
brown, with the hair combed back from his somewhat high forehead; he had
a pipe in his mouth, which for some time he smoked gravely and placidly,
without saying a word; at length, after drawing at the pipe for some time
rather vigorously, he removed it from his mouth, and emitting an
ac