tionable butter,) formed into flat cakes, and baked upon the griddle. Well, suppose all things disposed for to-morrow's feast;-suppose Phaddhy himself to have butchered the fowl, because Katty, who was not able to bear the sight of blood, had not the heart to kill "the crathurs:" and imagine to yourself one of the servant men taking his red-hot tongs out of the fire, and squeezing a large lump of hog's- lard, placed in a grisset, or Kam, on the hearth, to grease all their brogues; then see in your mind's-eye those two fine, fresh-looking girls, slily taking their old rusty fork out of the fire, and going to a bit of threecornered looking-glass, pasted into a board, or, perhaps, to a pail of water, there to curl up their rich flowing locks, that had hitherto never known a curl but such as nature gave them; now suppose all this, yet there is room, if not for fancy, at least for truth. On one side of the hob sit two striplings, "thryin one another in their catechise," that they may be able to answer, with some credit, tomorrow. On the other hob sits Briny, hard at his syntax, with the Fibula Esopii, as he called it, placed open at a particular passage, on the seat under him, with a hope that, when Father Philemy will examine him, the book may open at his favourite fable of the "gallus gallinaceus,--a dung-hill cock." Phaddhy himself is obliged to fast this day, there being one day of his penance yet unperformed, since the last time he was at his duty, which was, as aforesaid, about five years; and Katty, now that every thing is cleaned up and ready, kneels down in a corner, to go over her beads, rocking herself in a placid silence, that is only broken by an occasional imprecation againt the cat, when it attempts the abduction of one of the dead fowl.

The next morning they were up before the sun, who rubbed his eyes, and protested he must have overslept himself on seeing such a merry column of smoke dancing over Phaddyh's chimney. A large wooden dish was placed upon the threshold of the kitchen door, filled with water, in which, with a trencher of oatmeal for soap, they successively scrubbed their faces and hands to some purpose. In a short time afterwards, Phaddhy and the sons were cased, stiff and awkward, in their new suits, with the tops of their fingers just peeping over the sleeve cuffs. The horses in the stable were turned out to the fields, being obliged to make room for their betters, that were soon expected under the Reverend bodies of Father Philemy and his curate; whilst about half a bushel of oats was left in the manger, to regale them on their arrival. Little Risthard Maguire was sent down to the five-acres, with the pigs, for the purpose of keeping them from about the house, they not being supposed fit company at a set-dinner; a roaring turf-fire, which blazed two yards up the chimney, had been put down; on this was placed a large pot, filled with water for the tea, because they had no kettle. By this time the morning was tolerably advanced, and the neighbours were beginning to arrive in twos and threes, to wipe out old scores. Katty had sent several of the gorsoons "to see if they could see any sight of the clargy," but hitherto their Reverences had not made their appearance. At length,

As

after several fruitless embassies of this description, Father Con was seen jogging along, on his easy-going nag, engaged in the perusal of his office, previous to his commencing the duties of the day. soon as his approach was announced, a chair was immediately placed for him in a room off the kitchen, the parlour, such as it was, having been reserved for Father Philemy himself, as the place of greater honour. This was an arrangement, however, which went against the grain of Phaddhy, who, had he got his will, would have established Father Con in the most comfortable apartment of the house, but that old vagabond, human nature, is the same under all circumstances; or, as Katty would have (in her own phraseology) expressed it, "still the ould cut;" for even there the influence of rank and elevation was sufficient to throw merit into the shade; and the parlour seat was allotted to Father Philemy, merely because he was the Parish Priest, although it was well known that he could not say mass in half the time that Father Con could,throw a sledge, or shoulder-stone, within a perch of him,-nor scarcely clear a street-channel, whilst the latter could jump oneand-twenty feet, at a running leap. But these are rubs which men of merit must occasionally bear; and when exposed to them, they must only rest satisfied in the consciousness of their own deserts.

From the moment that Father Con became visible, the conversation of those who were collected in Phaddhy's, dropped gradually, as he approached the house, into a silence which was only broken by an occasional short observation, made by one or two of those who were in habits of the greatest familiarity with the priest; but when they heard the noise of his horses feet near the door, the silence became general and uninterupted.

There can scarcely be a greater contrast in any thing, than that presented by the beginning of a station day and its close. In the morning, the faces of those who are about to confess present an expression in which terror, awe, guilt, and veneration, may be easily traced; but in the evening all is mirth and jollity. Before confession every man's memory is employed in running over the catalogue of crimes, as they are to be found in the prayer-books, under the ten commandments, the seven deadly sins, the Commandments of the Church! the four sins that cry to heaven for vengeance, and the seven sins against the Holy Ghost. How is it possible, therefore, that a man, who is thus engaged in endeavouring to recollect his individual offences, can possibly feel sincere sorrow, or the fear of God? According to the constitution of the human mind, it is impossible. But, in fact, confession is, in every sense, pernicious, for if it excite a sensation like sorrow, it must necessarily be artificial, since it is only produced by the duty which renders it imperative to confess; it is, therefore, not even voluntary, but only the result of that duty, and passes away with the occasion which produces it. It is not God, then, but the priest, whom the penitent fears, because it is under his palpable eye that he must kneel down, and into his living ear, of flesh and blood, that he must pour the secrets of his heart, and relate his sins, one by one, whether of thought,

word, deed, or omission. Oh! it is a disgusting, abominable, and revolting rite, and fit only for the worshippers of Moloch or of Venus, But when we think of the other sex being compelled to cast aside the veil of natural modesty, under the gaze of a sinful man, contrary to the silent precept, the unchangeable instinct, which God himself has implanted in the soul of woman, it becomes an abomination, so gross and flagrant, that it is surprising an enlightened system of legislature should not look upon it as a fit matter for consideration. It is, in fact, in direct violation of the liberty of the subject, and, in every point of view, contrary to the natural freedom which the British Constitution contemplates, as the right and privilege of all who live under it. It may be said, in reply to this, that it is a religious rite, and that every British subject is protected in the exercise of his religion; but, if the church of Rome, or any other church, adopt a wily, political manœuvre, that involves freedom of action and of conscience, and encroaches upon the liberty of the subject, clothing it with the name of religion, it is neither the cloak nor the name which ought to be considered, but the natural and evident injustice of the thing itself. But it is false to say that the Roman Catholic peasantry go spontaneously to comply with this unnatural rite,-in many instances, it is true, they do; but they generally approach it with terror, and the most unequivocal reluctance, and nothing but the strange and superstitious belief, that the priests can absolve them from the guilt of their individual sins, how black and enormous soever they may be, induces them to go at all. This doctrine is, indeed, the fang which Popery sinks into the souls of her degraded followers, and by which she holds them under controul. Roman Catholic priests, too, are in the habit of saying that the Bible, on account of many passages in it, is a book unfit to be put into the hands of the young of both sexes; but let a man open any of their devotional manuals, at that part which is denominated "Instructions for Confession," and he will see with disgust and horror the catalogue it presents to the young eye! Oh! how many inlets does it open, in the very fervour of youth, to an imagination naturally depraved and evil, at a time, too, when the prospect of individual forgiveness is immediately before it! tainly, certainly, this is indeed the mystery of iniquity that promotes spiritual wickedness in high places.

Cer

When Father Con arrived, Phaddhy and Katty were instantly at the door to welcome him. "Musha, kead milliah failtha ghud!" Father Con, avourneen! to our house, said Katty, dropping him a low curtsey, and spreading her new brown quilted petticoat as far out on each side of her as it would go,-musha, an' id's you that's welcome from my heart out." "I thank you," said honest Con, who, as he knew not her name, did not pretend to know it. “Well, Father Con," said Phaddhy, "this is the first time you have ever come to us this-a-way; but, plaise God, it wont be the last, I hope." "I hope not, Phaddhy," said Father Con, who, notwithstanding his simplicity of character, loved a good dinner in the very core of his heart; "I hope not, indeed, Phaddhy," he continued, adding the indeed, by way of varying the compliment; but throwing his eye at

the same time about the premises, to see what point he might set his temper to during the remainder of the day; for it is right to inform our readers, that a priest's temper, at a station, generally rises or falls, according to the prospect of his cheer. Here, however, a little vista, or pantry, jutting out from the kitchen, and left ostentatiously open, presented him with a view which made his very nose curl with kindness. What it contained we do not pretend to say, having not seen it ourselves; we judge, therefore, only by its effects upon his physiognomy. He was now determined to raise himself into the very ether of urbanity and jest; -" Why, Phaddhy," he says, "this is a very fine house you've got over you;" throwing his eye in a rather malaprop manner to a wooden prop which supported one of the rafters that was broken. 66 Why, then, your Reverence, it would not be a bad one," Phaddy replied, " if it had a new roof and new side-walls; and I intend to get both next summer, if God spares me till then." "Then upon my word, if it had new sidewalls, a new roof, and new gavels too, (replied Father Con, totally unconscious, honest man, that if it had these it wouldn't be the same house,) it would sartinly look a grate dale the better of it;and do you intend to get them next summer, Phaddhy?" "If God spares me, Sir." "Are all these fine garsoons' your's, Phaddhy?" Why so Katty says, your Reverence," replied Phaddhy, with a good-humoured laugh." Haven't you one of them for the Church, Phaddhy?" "Yes, yer Reverence, there's one of them that I hope will live to have the robes upon 'im, if he's spared;- come over, Briney, an' spake to Father Con:'--he's not very far in his latin, yet, Sir, but his masther tells me that he hasn't the likes of 'im in the school, for brightness;- Briney, will ye come over, Isay;come over, sarrah, an' spake to the gentleman, an' him wants to shake hands wud ye;-come up, man, what are ye afeard iv?' sure Father Con's not goin' to examine ye now." "No, no, Briney," said Father Con, "I'm not about to examine you, at present." "He's a little dashed, yer Reverence, bekase he thought you war goin' to put him through some of his latin," said the father, bringing him up like a culprit to Father Con, who shook hands with him, and, after a few questions as to the books he read, and his progress, dismissed him.

66

"But, Father Con, wud submission," said Katty, "where's Father Philemy from iz? sure we expected 'im along wud ye, an' he wouldn't go for to dissappoint iz?" "Oh, you needn't fear that. Katty," replied Father Con; "he'll be here presently,-before breakfast I'll engage for him, at any rate, but he had a touch of a heddick this morning, and wasn't able to rise as early as I was."

During this conversation a little crowd collected about the door of the room in which he was to hear the confessions, each struggling and fighting to get the first turn; but here, as in the more important concerns of this world, the weakest went to the wall. He now went into the room, and, taking Katty herself first, as he knew she must receive the sacrament before breakfast, the door was closed upon them, and

he gave her absolution;-and thus he continued to confess and absolve them, one by one, until breakfast.

But as I have already trespassed, Mr. Editor, too long upon your pages, I must defer an account of the breakfast and dinner until another number. WILTON.

(To be continued.)

REVIEW.

The Life and Opinions of John de Wycliffe, D.D.-Illustrated principally from his Unpublished Manuscripts; with a Preliminary View of the Papal System, and of the State of the Protestant Doctrine in Europe till the commencement of the Fourteenth Century. By Robert Vaughan. Octavo.- LondonHoldsworth, and Hatchard & Son.-1828.

(Concluded from Vol. VII. p. 352.)

We have hitherto attempted, after Mr. Vaughan, to trace some of the steps by which, gradually and almost imperceptibly, the ecclesiastical authority managed to raise itself above the judicial and civil power; and the means by which the Papal See, constituting itself the source of power, contrived to arrogate and to possess a greater share of despotism and a more wide-spread influence, than ever the wildest stretch of Oriental imagination had dared to assume. In truth, when we read the history of the middle ages, and contemplate the power claimed by the Pontiffs, and the submission yielded to his commands--when we see that power guaranteed by visible and invisible sanctions, and that round every individual there were placed hundreds of the implicit slaves of the ecclesiastical monarch, ready to enforce obedience, or to report, and draw down vengeance for contumacy-we seem rather to survey the scene and the operations of a magician's spells, than the sober narration of historical facts. Working in his cave of darkness, where, too like the sorcerers of old, his weakness was most perceptible, he spoke the word of power, and from one end of Christendom to the other that word was obeyed. So artfully had the Pontiff entwined the interests of princes and potentates with his claims, that temporal power was dependant on his will; and although he may have sometimes excited, when it served his purpose, the subject against the prince, it was only to rivet still closer the chains of spiritual and temporal subjection. The inauguration of monarchs was sanctioned by the solemn services of religion, and as the sanction of Papal authority could only be nullified by the power from whence it was derived, the spiritual sovereign, the source and centre of earthly authority, was insulted* when any of his vassal kings suffered degradation.

*The history of Magna Charta affords," says Mr. Vaughan, a sufficient proof of the above statements, and its fate, as a document favourable to popular rights, was not singular. Matthew Paris records the wrath of Innocent the third