he way of the
profession when tackled. They are so used to speaking from the "coward's
castle," _not_ under correction, that they lose their heads when taken
to task.

Mrs. Bonner appends a note to the correspondence, remarking on "the
obviously loose reminiscences of Sir Isaac Holden," which Mr. Rees
had "materially altered," and denying the possibility of any such
conversation between Sir Isaac Holden and her father.

As to the private correspondence, surely the conversation (if it
occurred) was "of a private nature," yet Mr. Rees had no scruple in
retailing it from the pulpit. Mrs. Bonner adds that her demerits are
beside the point, which is, "Did Mr. Bradlaugh weaken in his Atheism?"
to which she answers emphatically "No." She nursed him in his last
illness, and her testimony is authoritative. Respect for her father's
memory justifies her in printing this correspondence, and we are glad
that she has done so, for it nails down another wretched fiction to the
counter of truth.

FREDERIC HARRISON ON ATHEISM. *

* January 13,1889.

Mr. Frank Harris, the editor of the _Fortnightly Review_, must be a sly
humorist. In the current number of his magazine he has published two
articles as opposite to each other as Balaam's blessing on Israel
was opposite to the curse besought by the King of Moab. Mr. Frederic
Harrison pitches into Agnosticism with his usual vigor, and holds out
Positivism as the only system which can satisfy the sceptic and the
religionist. Mr. W. H. Mallock, on the other hand, makes a trenchant
attack on Positivism; and the readers of both articles will learn how
much may be said against anything, or at least anything in the shape of
a system. Mr. Herbert Spencer, in the name of the Unknowable, proffers
his Agnosticism, and Mr. Harrison says "Bosh." Mr. Harrison, in the name
of Positivism, proffers his Religion of Humanity, and Mr. Mallock says
"Moonshine." Mr. Spencer is a man of genius, and Mr. Harrison and Mr.
Mallock are men of remarkable talent. Yet, shuffle them how you will,
any two of them are ready to damn what the third blesses. What does this
show? Why, that systems are all arbitrary, and suited to a certain order
of minds in a certain stage of development; and that system-mongers are
like spiders, who spin their webs out of their own bowels.

Mr. Harrison's definition of Agnosticism shows it to be merely Atheism
in disguise. Milton said that new presbyter was but old priest writ