Mr. Castledcn on Pope Joan. 



S#2 



those more intcirsted, arc disposed to 

 admit. To be stirc, the aiiUiorities of 

 R. C. are numerous, but none tiie better 

 for tliat. How nunicrous and niip;l)ty 

 were tlie aulhorities aj^ainst Luther, that 

 worthy friar, a name as hateful to the 

 Holy Sec as that of Pope Joan, — the 

 beast, as lie used to be designated by 

 sneceedlnj popes; yet was that intrepid 

 Reformer triumph^mt, and exposed to 

 everlasting shame liiat corrupted and 

 eorruptino: church. 



But it is time to brings forward my 

 •nameless' clergyman of the CInirch of 

 England, as R. C. is again pleased to 

 write. If he think I am forging, I do 

 assure iiim, and your numerous readers, 

 he is in error; but, should he be uneasy, 

 and very angry again, as he reads the 

 following, I can only say, let him be 

 angry. 



It has been confidently asserted, says 

 my worthy clcrg>nian, by some modern 

 members of the Romish Church, that the 

 story concerning Pope Joan is a mere 

 fiction, invented by Protestants toblaeken 

 the infallible church: in opposition to 

 this insinuation, I here insert the fol- 

 lowing :— 



*' 1st. The said Mrs. Joan, who called 

 herself John VIIJ. wasaucccssor in the 

 popedom to Leo W. who died A. D. 

 855, and siic herself was sncceeded by 

 Benedict III, 



"2iid. Not only do many grave Ro- 

 man Catholic historians assert the f:ict, 

 but the fact itself has also excrcisfd llie 

 wits of more tlian a few ingenious poets 

 ef tliat communion. Witness the fol- 

 lowing' epigrannnalic verse: 



Papa pater patrum pcpcrit papissa 

 papelluiii. 



Not to mention the lines of Manluan, 

 who was himself a Carmelite friar, and 

 who represents Pope Joan and her lover 

 hanging in the antechamber of hell ; 

 Hie penricbiU adhuc, sexuni nientita 



virilein 

 Foemina, ciii triplici Phrygiam diademate 



mitrum 

 Siuspendcbat apex, et pontiticalis adulter. 



"3diy. The statue of this she pope 

 remained in the cathedral church ot' ^51- 

 enna so low down as until about tlie 

 year 1G77, wlien it was demolished, in or- 

 der to stifle all memory of an iucidcnt so 

 disastrous and disboriorable to the holy 



As to the series of successors in the 

 •hnrch of Rome, I beg leave tt) refer 

 ■R. C. and ;.ll likc-miudcd, to the Rus- 

 iian Rrtislhoop. If he be dispo.'U'd to 

 •pen an account with them jii tiicBc Uis- 



[Oct. 1, 



astrouK times for trade and commerce? 

 he will, notwithstanding, have plenty of 

 business. 



Laying cinim, Mr. Editor, to your 

 known impartiality in the cause of truth 

 and justice, 1 beg an early insertion of 

 the above. M. Castledun. 



Woburn; Aug. 5, 1S16. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIK, 



TITHE being taken from produce 

 ariuing chiefly from labour, most 

 materially aH'ccts the poor. It operates' 

 to their disadvantage two ways: — lirst, 

 by discouraging cultivation, as the de- 

 mand of tithes is on the produce of land, 

 and not on laud itself; and, consequently, 

 it abridges the calls for agricultural la- 

 bour. Secondly, by lessening the value 

 of wages in proportion as it increases ti.e 

 price of provisions ; which must be the 

 consequenceof withholding labour in the 

 cu!li\ation of land, and this will con- 

 tinue to be the case as long as the occu- 

 ])ier does not receive a benefit equal to 

 the risk and exponce of applying labour. 

 As population increases, the burden be- 

 comes more oppressive, !)ecause a 

 greater sup')5y of provisions is requisite, 

 and the n<'<;cssity of cultivation is mora 

 urgent. Labour is the means of pro- 

 curing from land more than the natural 

 produce, which, in general, is not mora 

 than about ouc-fiflh of what is procured 

 from it when in a state of cultivation. 

 Thus, through the increase of popula- 

 ti(Mi, the claim of tithc-holders is en- 

 larged at the expence of the consumer. 



Our manufactories are greatly affected 

 by tithes: tlien prosperity is dependant 

 on connnerce, whicli can only be sup- 

 ported as we are able to stand in compe- 

 tition with other nations. Tithes aro 

 abolished in America, and, in a great 

 measure, tliroughout Enropc, this coun- 

 try and Ireland excepted ; so that they 

 will operate as an obstacle to our send- 

 ing manufactured goods to foreign mar- 

 kets on terms equal to those of other na- 

 tions. Our country, is, therefore, in 

 danger of losing its reputation as the 

 iiist eommcrcial nation. 



AVcro the depressing effects of tithes 

 removed, iiuiustry would, in all proba- 

 bility, receive such a stimulus, as to bo 

 the means of procurhig an abundant 

 supply of provisions, and of keeping up 

 a regular one on moderate terms. The 

 reniDval of them would, wc may hope, 

 also tend to lessen the alarm m Inch has 

 so generally sjircad over t!ic nation from 

 tiic rapid incjcase of tlie j.-oor's rate. 

 Rent 



