of the eye here and a curl of the lip
there, which have seemed to denote a power almost divine.
There have been marvels on the canvas so beautiful that
one approaches the work of remodelling it with awe.
But not only is the picture imperfect,--a thing of
snatches,--but with years it becomes less and still less
like its original.

The necessity for remodelling it is imperative, and we
shall be cowards if we decline the work. But let us be
specially careful to retain as much as possible of those
lines which we all acknowledge to be so faithfully
representative of our nation. To give to a bare numerical
majority of the people that power which the numerical
majority has in the United States, would not be to
achieve representation. The nation as it now exists would
not be known by such a portrait;--but neither can it
now be known by that which exists. It seems to me that
they who are adverse to change, looking back with an
unmeasured respect on what our old Parliaments have done
for us, ignore the majestic growth of the English people,
and forget the present in their worship of the past. They
think that we must be what we were,--at any rate, what
we were thirty years since. They have not, perhaps, gone
into the houses of artisans, or, if there, they have not
looked into the breasts of the men. With population vice
has increased, and these politicians, with ears but
no eyes, hear of drunkenness and sin and ignorance.
And then they declare to themselves that this wicked,
half-barbarous, idle people should be controlled and not
represented. A wicked, half-barbarous, idle people may be
controlled;--but not a people thoughtful, educated, and
industrious. We must look to it that we do not endeavour
to carry our control beyond the wickedness and the
barbarity, and that we be ready to submit to control from
thoughtfulness and industry.

I hope we shall find you helping at the good work early
in the spring.

Yours, always faithfully,

JOSHUA MONK.

Phineas was up in London before the end of January, but did not find
there many of those whom he wished to see. Mr. Low was there, and to
him he showed Mr. Monk's letter, thinking that it must be convincing
even to Mr. Low. This he did in Mrs. Low's drawing-room, knowing that
Mrs. Low would also condescend to discuss politics on an occasion.
He had dined with the