126 
came the high-priests, assisted by the new 
moral and political system which they 
contrived to graft on it. Were you not 
inerely herdsman to the King of Alba, who 
was himself but a pigmy potentate, before 
you became chieftain of all the banditti in 
Latium, and patched together that eyvrie 
of plunder, which, at length became the 
metropolis and queen of the world. St. 
Peter in his life-time, indeed, made no 
great figure ; but the day will come when 
emperors shall hold the stirrup for his suac- 
cessors, and queens shall kiss their feet 
kneeling. 
Quirinus.—What may not he live to see 
who is immortal! 
Apollo.—Time, indeed, is requisite, and 
not alittle sleight to bring the art of fish- 
ing men to this pass; but the fish which 
they catch are not all of them among the 
wisest, 
Quirinus.— Nevertheless we are, and 
are to remain, abolished, 
Several gods.—Rathee no immortality 
than survive such events, 
Jupiter.—My dear sons, uncles, ne- 
phews, and cousins, jointly and severally, 
I see that you receive this little revolution, 
—whose approach I have long been 
calmly observing,—more tragically than it 
deserves. Sit down once more in your 
places, and let us talk of these things over 
a glass of nectar, without distemper and 
without prejudice, Every thing in nature 
has its period: all is changeable; and, so 
are also the opinions of mankind, ‘Vbey 
alter with circumstances ; and, were we to 
reflect what a difference fifty. years make 
between the grandson and his forefather, 
it would really not astonish us. that the 
world, in one or two millenniums, should 
gradually seem to acquire a new face. 
For, at bottom, it is but seeming: it re- 
mains, though) under other masks and 
names, the same comedy still. ‘Ihe weak 
people below have displayed their super- 
stition upon us; and, if any among you 
are flattered by it, you are wrong. Why, 
should we grudge to hear that mankind 
are growing wiser. By heaven, it is not 
too soon. As yet, however, this may not 
he expected. ‘They indeed always flatter 
themseives that the last folly they find 
out will be the, Jast they shall commit. 
Hope of better times is the eternal chimera 
by which they haveever been deceived,and 
ever will be; because they will not disco- 
ver, that not the times, but their own in- 
curable folly, is the cause of their, ill-be- 
ing. Itis once for all their lot to enjoy 
nothing purely; but when they get tired 
of one folly, as children of a tattered doll, 
they change it away, for another, with 
which they, often fare worse than with 
their first. his time, indeed, there is 
some appearance of their gaining by the 
exchange; but I know them too well not 
to foresee, that in this wise they cannot be 
The German Student, No, XX1X. 
Sept. 1, 
bettered. For, if Wisdom herself were to 
descend, and visibly to dwell among men, 
they would not cease to trick her out witl: 
feathers and tinsel, with gaudes and bells, 
until they, made her like unto Folly. Be- 
lieve me, ye gods, the trinmphal song 
which they are at this moment raising for 
the glorious victory they have won over 
our defenceless images, is a croak omi- 
nous of evil to posterity. They think to 
better their condition, and are flying from 
the shower to the sleet. They are tired of 
us, and, will have nothing todo with us: 
so much the worse for them; we need 
them not. If their priests proclaim that 
we are impure and’ evil spirits, and that 
an ever-burning sulphur-pool is. our man- 
sion, what matters it to me or you? How 
can it signify to us what the half-reasoning 
children of earth think concerning us, 
what relation they suppose to exist be- 
tween us, and. whether they besmoak us 
with a disgusting mixture of sacrifice and 
frankincense, or with the brimstone of 
hell. Neither mounts up to our abode. 
They misapprehend us, you will say, since 
they withdraw from our service ; did they 
comprehend us better when they served 
us? What these poor folks call their reli- 
gion, is their affair, not ours. Only they 
have to gain or to lose by conducting 
themselves reasonably or unreasonably. 
And) their posterity, when they. feel the 
etiects of the unwise decrees of their Va- 
lentinians, their Gratians, their Theodo- 
siuses, will, have cause enough to regret 
the rash innovations, which heap on their 
giddy heads.a flood of new and intolerable 
evils; of which the world, so long asit 
was attached to the ancient faith, or su- 
perstition, hadi no idea. It were other- 
wise if, by the new institutions, they were 
to he benefited. Which of us could or 
would, take that amiss at their hands? 
Quite the contrary: they resemble a man 
who, to expel a trifling disorder, with 
which he might have grown. as. old as 
Tithon, biings on himself ten others. They 
raise, for instance, a great outery against 
our priests, because they. entertained the 
people,—who are and: must, be-credulons 
everywhere,—with illusions, from which, 
however, the state, as well as themselves, 
derived advantages. Will their priests 
conduct themselves better? At this very 
moment they are laying the foundation of 
a superstition which will be useful to none 
bunt themselves; which, instead of giving 
stability.to. the political constitution, will 
confuse and: undermine ail civie duties ; 
a snperstition which, like lead in-the head, 
will suppress and exclude everysound idea 
of natural and moral things, and, under 
pretence of: a:chimerical. perfection, will 
in every man. kill: humanity at the bud, 
When. we have said: the worst of the su- 
perstition that has hitherto prevailed, it 
must be acknowledged that itis far more 
humane, 
