her moral degeneracy, when the domination of the tribunes, urged on by a factious populace and its aspiring associates, paved the way for her destruction, and thus verified the predictions of Scipio Africanus. Such a course would test their sincerity as patriots, and not the mere hypocritical assertors of freedom, only worthy of being assigned over to marked contempt. Whether the liberties of a great people become lost to them, by the absence of sterling merit, deficiency of honour and principle, or from an ill-judged impunity on the part of the people themselves towards their managers, those who assume the direction of state affairs, are equally responsible for the consequences to their country.

With those who imagine the progress of human events to be directed by a species of fatalism, rather than dependent, under God, upon the contingencies of social life, its laws, necessities, and morals; and fully capable of being regulated by a wise and discreet policy, the interests of a nation approaching its ruin, present only a contracted scene for contemplation; but, whenever a concatenation of unfavourable circumstances, both within the Senate and without, arising from the loss of public virtue in the State, contributing to that end, is not met by corresponding ability-by an inflexible promptitude of moral purpose, on the part of that body which holds the reins of government, the equilibrium of power (la balance de la liberté), the subject becomes entitled to grave consideration, if not to melancholy reflection. We must not yet despair, although Voltaire's brilliant, set in new foil, should sparkle in the land, and, dazzling short-sighted individuals, even be prized where it should be most disowned; and which, alas! is too much the case with others who clamour most loudly for reform-cherchez le bijou-vous le trouverez partout! Hence the attempts to dismantle the Church, non obstante the

sacred obligation of an oath1. Hence the desire, as in revolutionary France, to despoil the hereditary nobility of the land -to destroy its State utility-to establish the left-handed. equality of civil rights-to give to pedantic utilitarianism, the places and offices occupied by religion and rational philosophy. "Depression of the nobility," says Bacon, "may make a king more absolute, but less secure ;-the masterpiece of superstition is with the people; and in all superstitions wise men follow fools, as is commonly the case in ill purgings, when the people

... “I, A. B., do swear, that I will defend, to the utmost of my power, the settlement of property within this realm, as established by the laws; and I do hereby disclaim, disavow, and solemnly abjure any intention to subvert the present Church Establishment, as settled by law, within this realm; and I do solemnly swear, that I never will exercise any privilege to which I am or may become entitled, to disturb or weaken the Protestant Religion or Protestant Government in the United Kingdom. And I do solemnly, in the presence of God, profess, testify, and declare, that I do make this declaration, and every part thereof, in the plain and ordinary sense of the words of this oath, without any evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation whatever. So help me God."-Form of oath taken by Roman Catholic Members in the House of Commons.-Vide Act of Parliament, cap. 7, sec. 2, 10 Geo. 4.

Motion of Lord J. Russell, March 30, 1835:-"That this House resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, in order to consider the present state of the Church Establishment in Ireland, with the view of applying any surplus of the revenues, not required for the spiritual cure of its members, to the general education of all classes of the people, without distinction of religious persuasion." Thirty-four Roman Catholic members voted for the preceding, creating the actual majority against the Protestant Church. O pudor! Opietas!

In addition to the decree of the Council of Lateran, before noticed, p. 448, by further decrees of Popes Gregory the Ninth and Innocent the Third, "All oaths taken contrary to the interests of the holy Roman Church," are declared perjuries, and not to be considered as oaths." An oath is the only security to the Protestant Church at present existing, under the "Roman Catholic Civil Disabilities Relief Bill."-See APPENDIX, at the end.

act the chief physician." Such were the views of that mastermind, whose opinions, thus elucidated, show the error to be decisive, where the conclusion is drawn from the assumed possession of knowledge without the exercise of its accompanying advantages.

The members of the retired cabinet, with their Right Honourable Chief, may well feel proud, under the puny attacks of individual calumniators, though sustained by high morality'. To the former, in the words of an address from the gentry and inhabitants of Builth, in Wales, "belong the congratulations due to a triumph of the purest kind,-numerical force, shamelessly arrayed against force of argument-falsehood against facts-personal malice against public virtue; which may achieve a disgraceful victory, but the triumph remains with the vanquished!" To Sir Robert Peel, individually, (ex debito justitia,) without reference to party feeling, the tribute of learning and the homage of genius, will descend, in its unbiassed judgment, to posterity; and, supported by truth, deserves to be recorded, were it only for its classic elegance and lofty sentiment, expressed in the conclusion of the address of the Heads and Members of Trinity College, Dublin :-" You fall but with the ruin of our Constitution and our Monarchy;" and, only equalled, by one of the greatest statesmen of modern times, may, adopting his quotation from the Roman senator, repeat, "Cæteris semper bene gestæ, mihi uni conservatæ, reipublicæ gratulationem decrevistis!" "You can only be conquered, when the rank, the property, the intellect, and the religion of Britain, are overborne by ignorance, by numbers, and by infidelity!"

1 The unprincipled nature of the opposition to the conservative ministry of Sir Robert Peel, was manifested from the first vote, on the question of the Speakership, to that which occasioned its resignation,-engendered in personal rancour; and under the mask of "vindicating a great public principle," perpetrating, in the words of Lord Stanley, "gross injustice!" On a découvert la moralité !

Political distinctions and differences have ever, since the organization of society assumed a systematic form, been multifarious and contradictory; and in proportion as states became civilized, and human intelligence progressed by aid of learning, the conflicting influences of opinion have prevailed, in proportion to the real emergencies, the necessities, or the imaginary wants of mankind; but the opposition of the present age, has principally arisen from a vain predilection in favour of the doctrine of abstract rights, and an overweening partiality or apostate inclination towards irreligion and modern philosophy, as opposed to the pure influences of religion and genuine morality. It now becomes the duty of the Christian legislator, to be doubly on his guard, lest by conceding to the specious sophistry of sceptics, on the one hand, or the rude voice of clamour, on the other, in favour of untried theories, he may barter the safeguards which are essential to the repose of the State, and the fabric of society itself in these kingdoms, under established law; whilst it is his bounden duty, and should be his inclination, deliberating for a nation of freemen, to assist with due precaution, in adapting the elasticity of our justly prized Constitution, to the exigencies of the times, and the altered condition of the people, ever keeping in view those great, and wise, and vital principles, on which the faith and monarchy of his country have been laid down, for the equal assurance, the mutual benefit, and the independent protection of all classes of its citizens.

In conclusion,-the momentous circumstances of the times, including recent parliamentary events, having occasioned the extension of this chapter far beyond the limits originally intended, an apology is tendered, grounded on the importance of the occasion; for the Author, any more than the public, and probably many of the Peers, did not contemplate, under late arrangements, the prompt necessity for an enlarged dis

play of his very humble services, in vindication of the House of Lords, upon constitutional grounds; but rendered indispensable, by the proceedings of a factious party in the other House. As a commoner, and a member of the British community, he claims an excuse, upon public grounds, for attempting a task so onerous, impelled by a sense of Christian duty, and he feels, that the grave magnitude of the subject will aid his appeal. Every Christian Englishman, should have a vicegerent ruling within his own bosom, for conscience seldom slumbers without peril. There is a stage in revolutionary proceedings, at which it becomes every honest man to pause— to reflect to make up his mind—utrum horum mavis accipe, when placed between Religion and Infidelity, the Gospel Kingdom of Christ upon earth, and the arbitrary rule of an infallible Papal Church. In joining the standard of Order, he possesses the proud satisfaction, that however humble the advocacy-however inadequate the persuasive weapons he brings to the conflict, he has enlisted on the side of Truth— enrolled under the standard of Him, of whom the Psalmist emphatically says, "THE LORD of Hosts is with us—THE GOD OF JACOB is our refuge,”—the measure of faith and of hope, which is the stay of the Christian Protestant, and the citadel of his Church!