wonderful still. One thing, however, is evident, that the existence of a national council, and of the Holy Inquisition, are incompatible. While the Inquisition exists-no council; and if ever the council be again called into existenceno Inquisition: a short time may shew, what the event, to last for ages, will be.

Dr. Ruiz undertakes to prove that the Inquisition is contrary to the honour of God, to the well being of men, and to the promotion of piety. He says, the office of InquisitorGeneral is not enumerated by St. Paul among church officers; he says too, in the time of Arius it was unknown; and in no time can it be necessary. He says, that he could defend many, or most of the tenets of his church; but he never could defend the Inquisition. When he was in America, he used to meet at the house of Dr. Franklin, with eminent American literati :

Young as I then was," says he, "I was able to convince many of the supremacy which the Bishop of Rome obtains, by divine right, over the whole church-a supremacy of jurisdiction and not merely of honour-but I confess that when, all in a body, they beset me on the establishment of the Inquisition, I had not a word to say.”

"Discussions of this nature," he tells us also, "took place in the house of George Washington, but he was never able to ascertain to what sect that celebrated General belonged. The philosopher Franklin, however, was suspected to be an Arminian. On the challenge of Franklin, to give a publick proof of his sincerity, he preached in the Catholick Church of Philadelphia against the Inquisition. His sermon was translated into English; it was then preached throughout the provinces of New-York and Maryland; and so satisfied were the auditors that the Inquisition was the work of human policy and despotism, that many of the Anglo-Arminians changed their faith and became good Catholicks. Since that time, the Doctor tells us, no less than five Bishopricks have been established in places, where, had the Inquisition extended its baneful authority, there would not have been one."

If this be true, whatever the Romish Church may gain in Spain by patronizing the Inquisition, she loses much more elsewhere. And she loses it too, among people whose influence and example would be ten times more ex

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tensive than those of the Spaniards. For, if we inquire what sort of people these Spaniards are? the answer will be little to their credit, as men and as Christians.

Are they thinking men? No:-They are enveloped in voluptuousness and indifference. Are they active men? No:-They enjoy the activity of others-amusements, frivolity, diversions, which delude the mind, without invigorating the body. They have talents it is true; but they do not use them. They have minds, but they rust in idleness. In short they are-but let their countryman Jovellanos say what they are, and then the wonder will cease that they are still under the yoke, the horrid yoke, of the tyrannick Inquisition. "It is certainly," he continues, "a great satisfaction to set out on a journey quite unconcerned, and to proceed on the road until you meet a guard stationed for collecting the toll; to arrive pierced with cold and wet, at an inn, and there to have to look for a dinner from the monopolizers of wine and oil, meat, salt, and other necessa ries of life; to lead your horse to a manger, and in addition to a payment for straw, to have to pay likewise for the right of tying him there; to procure a fanega of barley and to go to the corregidor to have it measured; to purchase a pellego of wine, and to pay the price of a permit to take it out of the town; not at all to know whether you shall sleep in your own bed or a gaol, because the alcalde has the power of making you pass a miserable night there, without assigning any reason. Bull-feasts are the links of our society; the food of our patriotism; the seminaries of our political manners. These feasts, which characterize us among all the nations of the earth, embrace as many agreeable and instructive objects, as it is possible to desire; they temper our excessive parsimony, enlighten our tender anderstandings, sweeten our humane inclinations, divert our laborious application, and prepare us for generous and magnanimous actions. The arts and sciences combine to render them perfect, and they materially assist in improving the arts and sciences; they procure even for the lower order, the blessings of ease and diversion, and prevent the evils of toil and labour; they encourage hospitals, which, (to the honour of modern nations be it related) they not only supply with medicines for the relief of the sick, but also with sick for the consumption of the medicines, which are

the two indispensable requisites to their prosperity; they mortify the body with fatigue and patience under inconvenience, and fortify the mind by the most dreadful tragick

scenes.

Who, accustomed in cold blood to see a man suspended on the horns of a bull, his entrails falling through an immense wound, and his blood overflowing the whole place; a wounded horse that has thrown his rider, writhing and struggling in the agonies of death; a troop of affrighted bull-fighters, flying from an enraged animal, pierced with darts; the tumultuous shouting of an innumerable multitude, mingled with the harsh grating sounds of warlike instruments augmenting the confusion; who, I say, after this would be moved at a battle or a defeat! Who will not conceive sublime ideas of our nobles, eager to patronise these barbarous spectacles; to honour the bull-fighters; to reward desperation and madness; and to vie with each other, in protecting the most villainous characters in the republick? who would not be delighted with the numerous assemblage of both sexes, crowded together, without reserve; tavernkeepers and grandees; barbers and dukes; courtezans and matrons; laymen and clergy-where luxury, profligacy, shamelessness, libertinism, stupidity, and, in short, every vice which disgraces human nature, hold their court?

"There the licentious fop inflames the incautious damsel, by indecent words and gestures; there the base husband places his wife by the side of her gallant; there the cowardly bully musters up all his insolence; there the smutty blacksmith utters words even more indecent than himself, and the impudent fishwoman makes a boast of her effrontery; there the pressure, noise, heat, and dust, joined with the aromatick sweets of tobacco, wine and garlick, are sufficient to cause a suffocation.

"Who will not acknowledge the innumerable benefits of these feasts? Were it not for them, the tailor, iron-monger, and shoemaker would pass their Mondays in the vulgar labour of their trades; mothers would not have a plea for leaving their houses and children to the neglect of some hireling; in it they would lose a most barbarous market of modesty; physicians, a most fruitful seminary for diseases; husbands, a scene of their own iniquity and dishonour; wives, an opportunity of improving themselves in prodi Vol. III. Ne. 7.

gality and extravagance; ecclesiasticks, an excuse for spending among sinners the price of their sins; philosophers, a most perfect compendium of human weakness; magistrates, the sure means of destroying all idea of civil liberty; tradesmen, the consolation of beholding the death of animals which, if living, would find them constant employment; and the whole kingdom the advantage of seeing the most fruitful lands (which should be exclusively appropriated to diversion and amusement) laid out in pasture.

"O magnificent feasts! O useful feasts! O delectable feasts! O pious feasts! O feasts, which are the most perfect crown of our wisdom! Strangers abominate you, because they know you not; but Spaniards prize you, for they alone can appreciate your value !

"If Rome lived contented with bread and arms,' Madrid feels quite satisfied with bread and bulls !'

"O happy Spaniards, who, content with your own estate, envy not that of others! who, accustomed to govern nobody, obey all! Pursue these enlightened maxims-despise (as you have hitherto done) the idle babling of envious strangers-abhor their turbulent maxims, condemn their free opinions-prohibit all their books, which have not passed the 'holy table'—and sleep in peace, lulled by the hisses that deride you!"

FROM THE LITERARY PANORAMA.

Switzerland.

THE Bishoprick of Basle which is now united to the Canton of Berne, contains 62,000 inhabitants.

Excommunication of Mice! ! !

A ceremony which, perhaps, might have been very good in the fifteenth century, but which one is astonished to find in an enlightened age, has been performed this week in the Catholick districts about Basle. A solemn malediction and excommunication has been pronounced against the mice guilty of committing depredations in the fields.

As it is scarcely possible that our readers should form any idea of this ceremony, we annex an account of it from one who had been a party to such doings! The arguments of the country people one one side, and of the priests on the other, deserve attention; as do, also, the facts narrated. We had indulged a hope that all such nonsensical farces, having been abolished by the French, would have slept the sleep of death. If these and similar customs be revived, the time is not far off that may teach Popery more effectual lessons.

"An observance in the church of Rome, which is most ridiculous,—is the exorcising of Rats, Caterpillars, Flies, and all other insects, between the feasts of Easter and Ascension. I, myself, have assisted very often, both in France and Italy, in performing this ceremony; herein I can say, that I have been among the number of fools; true it is—it was for our advantage; for we were well paid for our pains. We go from one farm to another, from one country-house to another, and almost upon every piece of ground we repeat our exorcisms. We bespeak all these little insects, no otherwise than if they were reasonable creatures, and make use of the name of God to adjure them."

"Adjuro vos per Deum Sanctum, per Deum vivum; per Deum Omnipotentem, etc.

“I adjure you by the Holy God, by the Living God, by the Almighty God, to depart these grounds, and to get you gone to desert and waste places, where you may not be in a condition of hurting any one, nor the fruits of the earth."

(If this be not to take the name of God in vain, I don't know what is.) Besides, all this was nothing, but mere labour in vain; because there was not so much as one poor worm or caterpillar, that offered to budge from its place, for all this pother. When we were quite tired with exorcising, we went to refresh ourselves in the first farm that was next to us, where the good country people did not fail to set before us the best they had. We found some amongst them though, that were no fools; they told us, Sirs, if we did not take pains to rid our trees of the caterpillars, your exorcisms would stand us in poor stead. We reproved them for their want of faith, which rendered the pains we took unprofitable to them. The most part of the peasants, by way of acknowledgment for these exorcisms, send all their first fruits to the priests that have officiated in them, so that we had always the first fruit of every season.'