esteemed in part the effect of some such disorder, yet did he regain his liberty. When he found himself pretty well, as he thought, he fell a writing to great men, and to his old friends, and insisted on the truth of his notions, and pretended that the reports of his disorders arose only from the inability the learned were under to confute them. Nay, at length he wrote several pamphlets to prove that following the literal sense of the Old Testament was no better than antichristianism, though, in the mean time, he sometimes insinuated that Jesus Christ's own miracles were uo other than allegorical miracles, and not real facts; and exposed those miracles, taken in the literal sense, after such a manner, and with such a mixture of wit and scoffing, as if he in earnest intended to abuse and oppose the Christian religion, which design, however, he utterly denied, and seemed to wonder that any should impute such a thing to him; and about the same time he wrote a pamphlet against some of the unbelievers which was by no means a contemptible one.”

He was first deprived of his fellowship, though it seems to have been all he had for his support:" and though," says Whiston, "I did all I could to save it for him, by writing to the college on his behalf; but the clamour ran so high against him there that no intercession could prevail for him." See what the high running of said clamour produced next-no doubt, its legitimate consummation! "After this," continues the same honest reporter," the government fell upon him"-a good expression"and had him indicted in Westminster-hall for blasphemy and profaneness, at which time I went to sir Philip York, the then attorney-general, but now lord-chancellor, and gave him an account of poor Mr. Woolston, and how he came into his allegorical notions, and told him that their common lawyers would not know what such an allegorical cause could mean, offering to come myself into the court and explain it to them in case they proceeded, but still rather desiring they would not proceed any further against him. He promised he would not proceed, unless the then secretary of state, the lord Townshend, sent him an order so to do." The following fact lets in the necessary light upon the real movers in the business. Whiston continues, "I then went to Dr. Clarke, to persuade him to go with me to the lord Townshend, but he refused, alleging that the report would then go abroad that the king supported blasphemy."

(To be continued.)

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 62, Fleet Street.-All Correspondences for "The Republican," to be left at the place of publication.

No. 19. Vol. 14.] LONDON, Friday, Nov. 17, 1826. [Price 6d.

DEATH OF RICHARD HASSELL.

A TASK, as untimely as it is painful, has devolved upon me, to announce to the readers of "The Republican," and to the late readers of "The Newgate Magazine," the death of Richard Hassell, of that R. H. whose articles in those publications gave promise of a bright and useful man. At the age of twenty-five, that extinction, which makes life scarcely worth the casual, painful and conditional endurance, has erased from among us this excellent young man. His first was his last illness. He completed his two years imprisonment and quitted Newgate in June last; but little injured in health by the confinement; and after a visit to his friends in Dorsetshire, he returned to town in July, apparently in perfect health. His employment from that time to the time of his illness was in the printing-office, reading proofsheets, learning the art of typographical composition, and translating Dumarsais' Essay on Prejudices. During his imprison-' ment, he had acquired a knowledge of the French language, so as to be able to translate well: and arrangements were making to give him an opportunity to edit a newspaper. Nurture for his genius was abundantly supplied, and many friends, who knew him, were looking forward to a rich harvest.

Hassell was one of those village geniuses which rise above the elod-like brains of surrounding human beings, and continue to rise by reflections on the imperfections of others. His chief employment to the age of 22 was that of a carter to his father, who, though well able to afford it, had not given his son a common country school education. A horse and cart was entrusted to him as soon as he was able to direct it, and he long endured this life, much against his soaring disposition, until he visited me in Dorchester Gaol. There are some circumstances connected with that visit worthy of mention since Hassell has ceased to live.

He was known to the Gaoler, and on presenting himself at the Gaol Gate, was asked what he wanted of Carlile. His answer was prompt, honest, and simple-to ask him about the truth of the old religion! The Magistrates and Gaoler, at the end of three years, had ceased to turn away my visitors and Richard Hassell

Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 62, Fleet-street.

was admitted. I found him particularly intelligent for an unschooled young man of that neighbourhood, and that he had well digested such philosophical principles as the " Examiner" newspaper had afforded him. He avowed his thirst for knowledge, and I pledged him my utmost assistance. After a little acquaintance with my history and object, he expressed a strong desire to be employed in my shop for the purpose of a prosecution, which employment was promised him as soon as an opportunity should offer. A year elapsed without any prosecutions, he grew impatient to visit London and talked about setting out to embrace in town any kind of employment that might present itself. While preparing to act upon this reolution, the prosecutions of 1824 came on, and he hastened to make one of the number. He was in town but a few days before a prison enclosed him, and, at his trial, made a smart and original defence, which was published verbatim in "The Morning Chronicle," subsequently in "The Republican," and in the regular report of the trial. His sentence was two years imprisonment in Newgate, which he bore with manly fortitude, thinking of nothing but self improvement, and how he could make bimself most publicly useful.

His articles in "The Republican," and in "The Newgate Magazine," shew the progressive state of his mind; and it has been observed of him by a competent judge, that he touched no subject without reasoning on it so as to shew its foundation. His essay on "The Immortality of the Soul," in an early Number of "The Newgate Magazine," was a masterpiece of the kind, and so far attracted attention as to sell off the whole edition. He had wit, beyond what he indulged, and some for making verses in rhyme; but his great quality was a clear style of metaphorical comparison and reasoning upon the most profound subjects. He had acquired a good knowledge of mathematics, and was a frequent correspondent in "The Mechanic's Magazine." In which, if, I mistake not, he projected a new method of taking the measurement of elevations by a new mode of mathematical calculation.

To sum up all that can be stated of Richard Hassell, it can be truly said, that he gave great promise of becoming a great man. His death was so far sudden, that though he had been confined to his bed several weeks, no one thought of his life being in danger, and, to me, the communication was a shock, as, at my last visit, I left him with an assurance that he was recovering. There was nothing apparently alarming in his illness. After the first visit, I found him cheerful and free from pain, though debilitated. A relapse of his fever came upon him on Tuesday the 7th instant, he became delirious and died on the Wednesday at midnight, or early in the morning of the 9th. Thus I have lost a friend, for whose advancement in knowledge and in life, I felt a great interest, and with reference to his past and late prospective utility, as a public writer, all mankind will share that loss.

He was buried on Monday the 13th inst. by his sister and her friends, in St. Clement Danes' Church Yard in the Strand, and thus made to form a part of that evil, which he lately so well exposed, as to lead to the probable immediate notice of the subject. by the legislature-the improper burial of dead bodies in the centre of a city. Alas! for Richard Hassell.

RICHARD CARLILE.

November 16, 1826.

THE GODS; OR, THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS.
(In a Letter to a Friend in the Country.)

DEAR FRIEND,

Tollington Park, Oct. 9, 1826. I SEE clearly by the increased energy evinced in your letters, that your prejudices are rapidly dying away, and that your mind is become sufficiently strong and enlightened not to be shocked at the discussion of any subject, even though it should be on the existence of God. I therefore feel assured that I may, without fear of giving offence, submit to your consideration the conclusions which I have come to on that all-important subject.

Do not mistake me. Do not imagine that I wish to persuade myself that there is no God. Oh no! believe me, my friend, I have the most sincere desire to believe that there is one, feeling, from the distress and misery by which we are every way surrounded, that England never stood more in need of a just, wise, and beneficent God, than at the present moment.

I now address myself to my enquiries, and should I be able to discover a God, powerful, wise, and benevolent enough to restore my poor, starving countrymen to prosperity, peace, and happiness, by bringing about a more equal distribution of the necessaries and comforts of life, no person in the world would rejoice more than myself.

When a ship is sent out from any country to seek undiscovered seas, and to explore unknown regions, the person who is appointed to direct her course, though he should never arrive at the object of his search, seldom fails to make such discoveries as may gratify the curiosity of his countrymen, which is one of the main objects of his mission. If he do not discover a new continent, he stumbles on a valuable island; and should he fail in this, by circumnavigating the globe, crossing and re-crossing the different oceans on its surface, and having intercourse with the people of various countries, he is enabled to add something to the sciences, and, by a narrative of his observations, to amuse and instruct mankind. So I have launched my little bark, not to circumnavigate the literary world, to cross and re-cross its oceans of con

troversy, nor to examine and re-examine the mountains of evidence, the accumulation of a hundred ages, which has been adduced to prove the existence of God: but to endeavour to discover by the most simple means who and what that God is.

To trace out, also, in as clear and concise a manner as possible, some of the great revolutions that have taken place in the religious world, from the reign of Jupiter down to that of Jesus. In this bold attempt, although I may not be so happy as to come to a satisfactory conclusion about the first grand object of my enquiry, I may, like the circumnavigator in the foregoing supposed case of discovery, in my search after truth, make such discoveries as may afford materials for thinking, and open a field for speculation, wherein superior genius may exert its powers with greater

success.

The name of Jupiter, the supreme Deity of the Pagau world, and more particularly the principal object of worship in the ancient states of Greece, is universally known; and that bright and beautiful planet which graces and adorns the solar system, will prevent its ever being forgotten: but from whom he descended, and of what materials he was composed, are not so generally known; I will, therefore, to make the thing as clear as possible, endeavour to trace out his origin, by giving him a regular genealogy.

Jupiter was the son of Saturn, who proved himself more like a monster than a God, by wishing to devour all his male children; but in doing which, he was prevented by his son Jupiter, who deposed him for his monstrosity, and sent him packing into Italy, where he taught men husbandry.

Saturn was the son of Cœlum, who was castrated by his son Saturn, for what purpose I know not.

Cœlum was the son of Ether, the most ancient of all the Gods, who was air. And the Latin phrase, Pater Ethereus, of the ancients, meant, no doubt, FATHER AIR, in the same manner as we say Mother Earth!

Here, then, we have discovered, that the origin of the most ancient of the Gods was nothing more or less than the air we breathe personified, which personification was exalted to a God. Thus, an ideal object, created by poetical inspiration, furnished the design, sculptural ingenuity copied it on marble or brass, and lo! the invisible God became visible, and the trade of the priest commenced. Nothing now was wanted but a suitable place from which the Almighty Thunderer might observe and regulate the affairs of the world. To accomplish this object, the brain of the poet was again set to work; a Heaven was created, a throne was erected, and Mount Olympus, in Thessaly, the highest and most beautiful mountain in the world, became the residence of the Gods!

It was here, during the siege of Troy, that the great imperator