offers from distant parts. We have two from Glasgow, one of which, a man near fifty years old, offers to pay his expences to London, and keep himself a month in waiting. I have not a doubt that, if Mr. George Maule, or Mr. Anybody-else, had gone on arresting as fast as I could put hands in the shop, that my supplies would have been found inexhaustible, so long as there was room in a Gaol to cram another. Martyrdom is a thing that is contagious; and each one who suffers may be said to call forth two to fill his place. I should have gloried in a perpetual Sessions at the Old Bailey for even the pains of a prison are pleasureable, under such circumstances. I thank you for this subscription; and since the prosecutions have been renewed, I deem it wise to encourage all the subscriptions, that friends or foes may deem me worthy to be entrusted with. Yours, improving both in health and spirits, TO MESSRS. HASSELL AND CAMPION, NEWGATE PRISON. GENTLEMEN, July 18, 1824. For the clear and manly defence made by you, before a prejudiced tribunal, I feel myself much in your debt, and avail myself with pleasure of the opportunity of transmitting you the small sum of five shillings each, by an estimable old friend. To alleviate, as far as we can individually, your dreadful confinement, is a duty, every liberal thinker owes to the cause of virtue; and I hasten to proffer that sympathy and esteem your exemplary conduct so well merits. Immediately my harvest is got in, I hope for the pleasure of taking by the hand two friends, whose zeal and ability in the furtherance of good principles has awakened in my mind respect and esteem. Believe me, Gentlemen, Yours, in friendship, W. WALLER. Elverton, near Feversham, Kent. Richard Hassell and William Campion return Mr. Wal ler their thanks. DORCHE TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL. Portsea, July 28, 1824. MOST VALUED FRIEND AND FELLOW CITIZEN, To convice you, that your friends and admirers at Portsea have not forgotten you, they once more send you their mites, not with a view of paying your fines, but to enable you to bear up against the priests and their supporters, who in the shape of legislators are your cruel persecutors. We look forward eagerly for the time when you shall conquer them all. Be assured, that while you continue to exist, we (though few in number) will not forget you. We regard with abhorrence the many persecutions heaped upon your noble minded assistants. Our hearts are so warm, and our admiration of those men so great that, if our situations would permit, we would willingly volunteer one by one, to come and replace them, as fast as they are taken from their posts. You know our unalterable sentiments from our former communications; therefore we say no more at present, but subscribe ourselves your sincere friends in the same cause and principles. THE PORTSEA SUBSCRIBERS. s. d. A well wisher to the publishers of the writings of Messrs. 20 0 S. S., a Female Republican and Deist, and may the exer- B., an old Friend to Mr. Carlile, and an Enemy to his R. P., a young Female under twenty S. P., mother to the above, more than sixty J. T., an old Subscriber to Mr. Carlile W. M., a Friend to Free Enquiry W. R., a Mathematician Joseph Mouland, who had the pleasure of shaking hands T. Mouland, an Admirer of the manly conduct of Mr. J. R., a Friend to the cause of Truth M. R., a Female Republican Mrs. Greenfield, an Enemy to Priestcraft R. W., a Friend to the Cause A mite from a Blacksmith, who fain would be smiting, I wish to see the time when the filthy Black Slugs will W. F., an Admirer of the principles of Mr. Paine S. S. once a Religionist, but now a Materialist B. M., an Enemy to the sect of Clogherites J. L., a Friend to Truth W. P., having read Palmers Principles of Nature, Paine and Mirabaud, and still a firm believer in Christianity, but an Enemy to Persecution A Chance Customer Y. Z., an Admirer of Paine and Palmer I Note. Thanks to my Portsea Friends. I see they cannot forget the Bishop of Clogher, nor be contented to support such things. Mr. Nobbs of Norwich writes me by date of July 26th as follows: "a Parson in our neighbourhood has just decamped for Clogherism with a labourer. went through the town (Loddon) the morning after, and was informed that the man's wife caught them together; and although the man has confessed the whole, no steps are taken to apprehend him." This Clogherism is evidently a clerical propensity, and seems to be the only distinguishing mark of the Holy Spirit which they assure us calls and animates them; for they swear that neither tithes nor filthy lucre call them, or occupy their minds as a stimulus to priestcraft. R. C. SIR, TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN. I WAS much gratified by reading in the Republican, (No. 1, Vol. X.) that a number of individuals, determining to thwart the persecuting spirit of your Christian enemies, have entered into a subscription for the payment of your next quarter's rent. Enclosed, you will receive one pound, which I wish to be added to the said subscription. I wish one of your respectable London friends would engage to act as treasurer, and receive subscriptions in future for this purpose; as, I doubt not, that, by this means, the rent and taxes of your House and Shop in Fleet Street, would be regularly paid for. I will engage to pay twentyfive shillings per quarter, for this purpose, provided others will come forward on the same occasion. While you continue to keep open a public shop for the sale of your publications, I feel confident you will never want shopmen to sell; and as to their being prosecuted, it must of necessity tend to your advantage, and to the encrease of your business, rather than to your injury. A more effectual method of bringing both you and your publications into notice, your enemies could not possibly adopt. The prosecutions which took place, now near thirty years since, for selling the Age of Reason first brought that work into my notice; and had it not been for that circumstance, it is probable, that, to this day, I should never have examined the authenticity of the scriptures, or the merits of the Christian religion; but I was soon convinced of the fallacy of both, on reading that invincible work. I had, however, for years, ceased to pay any further attention to the subject, till the prosecutions of yourself and family took place. This renewed the subject in my mind; and I have since, not only read all the publications that have issued from your shop, but have circulated, and caused them to be circulated, as far, and even further, than prudence would have dictated, my circumstances in life being considered. This, Sir, I will continue to do, as long as a single person lies in prison, for holding opinions, for which he is only accountable to his maker. Go on, then, ye prosecutors of religious opinions! go on, ye Bible Societies! you are hastening the downfall of Christianity, far more rapidly than Carlile and all his advocates could possibly effect, if they were let alone. The Church of Rome never permit ted the laity to read the scriptures; and by this and other such like means, they kept the people in ignorance of their crafty and knavish practices. But the blind policy of the Protestant church, issues Bibles into the hands of the public, by which means every one has an opportunity of examining and exposing its contradictions and absurdities; and the minds of the people are split into some hundreds of sects, each sect accusing all the others of being heretics: and it is only within these few years, that many begin to perceive, that all religions are heresies, or rather idolatries. I am glad to find that a Reverend Gentlemen (Mr. Taylor) has had so much manly resolution and honesty, as not to consent to wear the mask of hypocrisy; but openly to avow his disbelief in Christianity. If that Gentlemen will engage to make a literal translation of the Bible, as is mentioned in the Republican, for which I understand his classical attainments eminently fit him, he will confer a great obligation on the public, and I should hope a considerable source of profit to himself. That there are many clergymen of the established church who disbelieved Christianity, is a thing which I cannot in the least doubt. What man of sober reflection can believe, that a just God damned all mankind, because Eve eat an apple? and that he begat a son, of the body of a woman, which son he caused to be put to an ignominious death, for the purpose of reconciling himself to mankind? Such stuff is only fit for a parcel of enthusiastic dotards: reason and common sense scout such idolatry. I give the greater part of the clergy credit for having more sense than to believe in such rigmarole. It is the nine millions a year that causes them to sing Hallelujahs to the Son of a Carpenter. I do not however wish any man to throw aside his Christiunity, unless by a candid and free examination of the subject, he finds sufficient reason to do so. All I wish for, is a free investigation of all religious systems; and then let every man keep to that he likes best; at least, so far as he continues to be a peaceable member of society. But to force unreasonable creeds down the throats of the people, and to tax mankind for the support of those creeds, is what human nature must ever be disgusted with. We have daily experience of the baneful effects of such a system in Ireland. I was well pleased with the defences of such of your shopmen as defended themselves on their late trials, particularly those of Messrs. Campion, Hassell, and Clarke. They took up the subject on right principles, by shewing, that the scrip |