k new an instance of a Bible being purchased as a new book, unless as a school book, or in Nos. since they have been introduced in that shape; and an exception in myself, in 1819, when I bought a dozen for the Jury and one for myself. All individual and fair interest in this book has ceased, since its publication has been free. When the publication was prosecuted, when persons were fined, imprisoned, and burnt for it, then the excitement to get and read it was universal. Now it is every where enforced, and cried up as a good book, merely, because, there are some thousands of rich salaries depending upon its being approved to a certain degree: and, because, our tyrants know well, that it is a quagmire to the understanding, in which, whilst an ignorant man remains, he cannot gain a spark of knowledge; he has not sense enough to examine the abuses of Government, by which he is oppressed. These are the two principal grounds of Bible Societies: but these societies can do no harm, if they do not carry the Bible in one hand and the sword and faggot in the other.

First then, I deem it a paramount point, to bring into the English language, and into the shops of such booksellers as will sell them, every book and pamphlet that has been written against the Christian religion in particular, and against all religion in general: and to improve upon and to add to them as far as we can. In a variety of books of this kind, though some will value some more than others, there is enough of bigotry and ignorance in this country to render the most trivial of such books useful: what will not suit the taste of one, meets that of another. I now read publications which I published four and five years ago with a very different degree of interest to what I then felt; but I recollect, that others may feel the same degree of interest for the same publications as I then felt. It is a matter of knowledge, in which we can only advance by slow degrees and paius-taking. Every thing of the kind is good and useful, that shakes any kind of prejudices; but I hold it to be a duty to keep advancing, and to stop no where, whilst any degree of prejudice and superstition remains untouched.

Second. As we have much of bigoted and base power to contend with, I look upon it to be a matter essential to rapid progress, that each individual, who dares to think, and to say what he thinks, to make himself useful, as far as prodence will permit, in obtaining suitable books for new reasoners, for persons who are willing to examine, but fear to go to buy the books; and to lend to others, who will read

books as a loan, but will not buy until they understand them, until they feel their value. Though it may be useful for our friends, in their several neighbourhoods, to hold meetings for discussion periodically, I cannot but think, that they will do much more good in paying all possible attention to persons of opposite opinions, and to endeavour to excite them to enquiry. It is here, that each individual becomes a useful labourer: and this line of conduct goes far to prevent those paltry squabbles which arise out of a too frequent meeting of large numbers of the same persons. They do very little good to one another by such meetings, too often occurring and if they wrangle, they do mischief. Therefore, I recommend a principle, which I shall certainly adopt, if set at liberty, to associate more with enemies, or persons of opposite opinions, than with friends and persons of the same sentiment; because, I am sure that it is there that I can be most useful.

Third. Plans for extending the sale of the Republican and other publications have been submitted to me; but experience has taught me, that some of them will not advance the object desired. Advertisements are very expensive-and to me of very little service. I can never feel the benefit of any of them. Catalogues, when given away, are viewed but as waste paper, and destroyed as such as soon as wanted: they also form a great expence for a great circulation, and are to me but little benefit. One of the recommendations made, I shall adopt, which is contained in the following letter; as I think it will be doubly useful, by heading it with the objectionable Bible texts.

TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL. SIR, London, March 4, 1824. I THINK it would be the means of increasing the sale of your works, and of making the grosser parts of the Bible more known, if you would print a quantity of small bills, on common paper, containing the whole of your penny references except the last paragraph, instead of which I would recommend the following: "After having perused and attentively considered the above chapters, the pious Christian is particularly recommended to peruse with attention the following valuable works, The Doubts of Infidels,' price 1s. The Age of Reason,' price 4s. Principles of Nature, price 2s. -and The Republican,' a weekly publication, price 6d.

I am not acquainted with the expence of paper and printing; but if such bills could be printed and sold wholesale, by the hundred, at the lowest possible rate; a number of your friends would,

I have no doubt, purchace and distribute them; for example, I walk about town a great deal, how easy it would be for me to take a pocketful of these bills, and, without neglecting my business, as I walked along, I could give some away and throw others into shops, or in the evening, if I could spare time, I might attend a Methodist Chapel, and give others of them away to some of the poor deluded Methodists. For myself, I must own, that I could not distribute them publicly, for private reasons; but many of your friends would perhaps distribute them publicly; but supposing no one would distribute them publicly, if only twenty persons in different parts of London were to distribute privately, in the way I have mentioned, or in any other way they may think better, the advertising of your publications would be greatly increased, and I hope the sale increased in proportion.

I do not think that it could be termed an advertisement, liable to pay duty as advertisements in Newspapers, but if you think it would be so termed, I think leaving out the price of the works would obviate that.

However, I leave the above suggestions for your consideration, merely adding, that the bills should, I think, not be more than half the size of one of your penny references, if smaller the better. I should like to hear your opinion on this subject, but I hardly think this letter is important enough to occupy so much room in your Republican: but that I leave to you.

If you approve of what I have here recommended, and print, I will take five shilling's worth of bills to make a beginning.

Hoping you are well, and begging you to be as careful as possible in respect to what you eat and drink,

I remain yours respectfully,

E. R.

I have instructed the printer to prepare such a bill, and I shall send them forth, rather under than above the cost price; that price shall be stated; and it will be expected, that in no place, nor by any person, shall any profit be made of them. We have sold the Bible Texts for a penny; but by printing large numbers, on common paper, and to have no profit in the concern, they will not cost the distributor above a farthing a piece: that is, Bible References and Catalogue together. An addition has been made to the texts, which, I believe, has left nothing obscene in the Bible unreferred to. It has been also recommended, that the Republican be published with a cover for advertisements. Some subscribers say, that they are compelled to be so profane as to break up their Bibles to make covers to keep the Nos. of the Republican clean, until they can bind them up. At present, I shall be likely to lose a pound per week by such a change;

but I will see to it within a few weeks, at least, with the beginning of a new volume.

Another matter, at which I am surprised, and which shows the mischievous force of fear on one hand, and that of superstition on the other is, that most booksellers are as much afraid to sell" The Moralist" as "The Republican," in an open manner: and many have positively refused to sell a copy of it. Now, whoever has read this little work, as far as it has gone, must see, that a work more inoffensive, more chaste, more truly useful in effect as a Moralist to all, never appeared from the press. I can only give a pledge, that it will never discuss any of those matters of opinion on which mankind disagree: and consequently, that no danger will accrue to any seller unless from some bad person in power, who may persecute the seller of this good thing because my Dame is to it. What is really bad, is never prosecuted, nor the person persecuted. The Judges are ever ready to make a compromise with a vender of obscenity; but not with a vender of philosophical books that undermine the fraud called religion. They know their business well; better than some of we reformers know ours.

I believe, that I have said every thing necessary on this occasion: and these little statements, explanations, reports of progress, and exhortations, are at all times useful. My opponents begin to cry out that I am making a large fortune, and that this is all I aim at-so says the Extinguisher of Stokesley, the Christian Shepherd of Huddersfield, and many others. I ACKNOWLEDGE, THAT I AIM AT A LARGE FORTUNE. I shall never think it too large, if fairly and usefully accumulated; for, I am sure, that, as I am now engaged, I cannot do good to myself, without, at the same time, doing good to those from whom my good comes. those, who know most of my private affairs, know, that I have not yet made the bag to put this large fortune in. Every one may mark my progress. When they see me printing new things rapidly, as I could do in 1819, then they may conclude, that I am prosperous: for, I have resolved to hoard nothing but books whilst any good ones remain unprinted. Respectfully yours,

RICHARD CARLILE.

ON POLITICAL SUPERSTITION.

FROM BARLOW'S ADVICE TO THE PRIVILEGED ORDERS.

But

THERE is another consideration from which we may argue the

total extinction of wars, as a necessary consequence of establishing Government on the representative wisdom of the people. We are sensible that superstition is a blemish of human nature, by no means confined with subjects connected with religion. Political superstition is almost as strong as religious; and it is quite as universally used as an instrument of tyranny. To enumerate the variety of ways in which this instrument operates on the mind, would be more difficult than to form a general idea of the result of its operations. In monarchies, it induces men to spill their blood for a particular family, or for a particular branch of that family who happens to have been born first, or last; or to have been taught to repeat a certain creed, in preference to other creeds. But the effect which I am going chiefly to notice, is that which respects the territorial of a government. For a man in Portugal or Spain to prefer belonging to one of those nations rather than the other, is as much superstition, as to prefer the house of Braganza to that of Bourbon, or Mary the second of England to her brother. All these subjects of preference stand upon the same footing as the turban and the hat, the cross-and the crescent, or the lily and the rose.

The boundaries of nations have been fixed for the accommodation of the government, without the least regard to the convenience of the people. Kings and ministers, who make a profitable trade of governing, are interested in extending the limits of their dominion as far as possible. They have a property in the people, and in the territory that they cover. The country and its inhabitants are to them a farm stocked with sheep. When they call up these sheep to be sheared, they teach them to know their names, to follow their master, and avoid a stranger. By this unaccountable imposition it is, that men are led from one extravagant folly to another, to adore their king, to boast of their nation, and to wish for conquest-circumstances equally ridiculous in themselves, and equally incompatible with that rational estimation of things, which arises from the science of liberty.

Mrs. Wright acknowledges the receipt of 7s. 3d., and W Tunbridge of 10s. 9d. from a few friends in Leeds.

Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 84, Fleet Street.-All Correspondences for "The Republican" to be left at the place of publication.