conduct be acceptable in the sight of the most high, (what?) Lord Chancellor I perceived that while I was commenting on the conduct of the said Lord Chancellor, you were busily employed in biting holes in your black kid gloves. Did you think the portrait resembled yourself? You were mistaken, my good Sir, you are as intolerant as the Keeper of Lunatics; but you are a very stultus compared with that legal Dray Horse. You were pleased to tell my erudite Jury, that they "were to receive the law from you." I told them the contrary, I tell you the same-of what use are Juries, if they are to receive the dictum of a Judge as to a prisoner's guilt or innocence. I asserted then, and I now reiterate my words, that "Jurors are to decide both upon law and fact." It is true, that the Judge is bound to explain the laws; but the Jury are to form their judgment of his correctness in the interpretation: and had not my Jury been composed of absolute two legged asses, they would have laughed at your thread-bare authorities so ludicrously interspersed with hums and hahs, and would have acquitted your humble servant. But, Sir, they were plentifully provided with a sovereign remedy against any unpleasant sensations arising from the vulgar truth. They stared and grinned horribly at Barnard's eloquence and queer phiz. They were in raptures with the disinterestedness of the Witness. But the defendant, vulgar wretch! he merely spoke plain language, and beside that he was not supporting religion as by law established. No, the democratical wretch, he had the hardihood to resist the law.-Quite awful, is it not friend Knowlys? Nay, prythee straighten thy band, I see you are angry; well, I will not to be too severe at present. But I must remark on your personal observations, in your charge. You said that "the defendant had evidently received a liberal education; but that his vanity was not less conspicuous." Very true, friend Knowlys, and what will shock you still more is, that I have the vanity to imagine that this epistle will call forth from your learned lips sundry pshaws and pishes. You are a Christian Recorder, and may venture on a Christian damn or two. In conclusion, Friend Knowlys, I am at present inclined to take supper, so till next week I bid you adieu. Yours, &c., W. HALEY. P.S. If you are at any time annoyed by the vapours, vulgarly called blue devils--prythee come and see us in Newgate: it will do your heart good. But should you wish to stop a night, bring a bed with you, friend Knowlys, for these Christian door mats and heathen beetles are terrible foes to " tired nature's sweet restorer balmy sleep," and they scrub us so confoundedly; that my shoulders are as bare as thine own jaws. TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL. 25, Calls Leeds, July 21, 1824, of nobody knows what. CITIZEN CARLILE, WITH the permission of Thomas Steel, and for the satisfaction of the subscribers, I have embodied in the present subscription list, a list of the names of those friends who subscribed the sum of £1. 2s. 8d.- which I forwarded to you in February last. I hope you will not think it troublesome to publish the list, as it is the only guarantee to prevent fraud, or jealousy from taking root; and in my opinion, the publication of names has stimulated numbers to add their names to the list, who would otherwise have contented themselves with talking about it, and condemning the robberies to which you have been subjected, without ever thinking it possible for a few humble mechanics to do anything worth an effort towards assisting you. I am glad that fear has operated upon that junto of Materialists in disguise (the Government) so far as to cause them them to restore the brave heroine, Mrs. Wright, to the bosom of her family. Alas! how few of her countrywomen have attained to such honour, and how very few there are of her own sex, who have even thought her worthy of notice. I know not whether we are to calculate that the Christicoles have made her worse by one hundred pounds in her health, or that their hopes of destroying you are reduced from one hundred to nothing in a few months time; but take which side they please, they disgrace themselves and strengthen our course, every time they interfere. I am sure, if it were not for the ruinous expence attending prosecutions, it would be policy to solicit rather than to seek to shun them. Can you tell us how it happens, that blasphemy only affects Government in certain places, and at particular times of the year? I sometimes think it is become a vegetable, flourishing most in the spring; and then it is odd, that it grows nowhere but in large towns! O, inconsistency! to believe in an infinite, omnipotent booby, that is either too idle or too ignorant to defend himself! I suppose they have not considered, that if their God be infinite, there is not a second thing in the world! Away with such trickery and fraud. Avaunt! Ye Church and State physicians! your deeds are known, you may leave the stage, and I hope 'ere long you will have to take lawyer craft, and nearly the whole of medical craft, with you. With the exception of wounds, broken bones and midwifery, we have very few disorders but those which we bring upon ourselves. We only want free discussion, and I'll warrant that we either learn to prevent the disease or find out the remedy without learning either Greek or Latin; every thing will soon be as plain as that " acqua fontana," means spring water. I have anxiously expected, ever since you published the treatise on crude mercury, that some one who had been afflicted, would have been experimenting upon it, and publishing the result; but I fear that the prejudice in favour of doctorcraft has prevented numbers from taking it, as easy as they take a sermon, if it had been in as common use. However, as I wish, through the medium of the Republican, to make a little further enquiry about it, I must beg leave (as the Methodists say) to tell my experience. Being in good health, I took it for experiment only, and after taking it several days, in small quantities without perceiving any difference, I enquired of others who were taking it. I found that small quantities operated as a purge, I then increased the quantity to half an ounce. This I took at four o'clock in the afternoon, and at eleven at night I was purged; but not violently. I had not the least painful or unpleasant sensation, except the smell, which was worse than any thing I ever experienced. This I considered as a sign that it had done its work better, as well as easier than common. 1 have also observed, that small globules of mercury have been voided ten days, after I have ceased to take it. Last Priest's day, I took an ounce in the morning, and was not purged with it. On Monday forenoon, I voided the mercury alone and involuntarily as I was from home, I could not ascertain how much, if any was wasted, though a great deal was lost with walking above a mile, with it in my shoes and small clothes, I got above half an ounce gathered up again into a cup. A person who was present asked, what I would do with it, I told him that so long as it did not offend my body, either by smell or appearance, and as my soul (if I had one) was too stupid to signify its dissent, I should now take it to please him; so I swallowed it again. I do not see there can be much learned from such a story as this, I only wish to convince those who are prejudiced against it, that they may play with it to a great extent, (for any thing I know to any extent) without danger. There are many of your friends here, who state that they are more nimble and healthy from taking it. One in particular, Charles Button, states, that he had a large fistula, he could not get rid of for several years, and he has entirely cured himself, in a short time, by taking crude mercury. But, notwithstanding this, I am of opinion, that we do not receive half the benefit from it, by swallowing it as a metal, as we should do, if it was prepared in pills, as mentioned in the statement you published. I very much wish that either you or some of your medical friends would give us some instructions on the subject of making it into pills; and also your opinion of its use in case of dropsy. When you have learned all you can on the subject, it would be as well to publish the whole in a separate pamphlet, and let us have a few striking placards on the subject, and a catalogue of your publications on the envelope. I have no doubt but it would be well read, and excite curiosity in the readers, to enquire after your other publications. It is of no advantage how many books you publish, nor how many we who are of your own opinion buy, unless we can get them generally read. The progress of knowledge will be very slow; I am for making quicksilver force a passage for your other works if possible. You will perceive by the enclosure, that my circumstances have enabled me to redeem a pledge that I have promised to you a considerable time. I am the more satisfied that I have been able to do it at this time, when assistance it so necessary. I wish we were able to do anything like our duty, to either you, or the brave fellows who have gone through their work in so able a manner before the Mock Juries that have been called to pronounce them Guilty. Such men deserve and ought to have the support of every man who professes liberality for any thing but the profession's sake. I was well pleased with the acuteness of Clarke's defence; I think the Recorder must have taken him for a walking Bible, and intends probably to honour him with a place in the Museum, or he would never have sent him to Newgate to be bound in iron, with stone linings. Hoping that both his, and the other able defences will be generally read, and the men supported throughout their tedious confinement. I remain, fellow Citizen, yours truly, JOHN SMITHSON. TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL. CITIZEN CARLILE, Leeds, July 21, 1824. In the name of the Republicans of Leeds, I transmit to you the following sums (according to the annexed list) which you are desired to accept as an acknowledgement of your services in the cause of free discussion, and as a proof of what would be done in your behalf, if our abilities to support you were either equal to our inclinations, or to the merits of the brave phalanx of blasphemers, who have so ably defended our cause in the late prosecutions. And though the sentences passed upon them are severe, we are glad that that they have shewn themselves worthy of the task they have undertaken. Hoping that the day is not far distant, when you, with the numerous host of friends, who have thrown in their mites to assist you, will see the full consummation of their wishes, in the establishment of free discussion. 1 remain, on behalf of the subscribers, Yours, &c., THOMAS STEEL. Subscriptions received by John Smithson, forwarded in Feb. last. 0 James Longbottom John Holden, a travelling Glass Blower 0 3 1 0 Mr. Briggs W. Thorp George Sheard 1 0 Eli Lambert W. Hampson David, not the man after God's own heart Subscriptioas received by Thomas Steel, forwarded July 21. Mr. Ross CITIZEN SMITHSON, Dorchester Gaol, July 25, 1824 I SHALL Very Soon publish such a list of cures lately performed by crude mercury, as to beat all the Quack Doctors as effectually as we have beaten the Priests: and as to miracles, those attributed to Jesus Christ and his apostles, or all |