1828.] The Dangers of England and Ireland. 227 
Next comes in this gallery of diplomacy, the lawyer. This slave was 
one of the most open-mouthed of the assailants of Canning, a man whose 
faults were worth all their virtues, and whose abilities threw all their 
pert and pettifogging souls to a distance immeasureable. Canning was 
of their own school, but he scorned them down through all their degrees 
of littleness; he used them, but he used them as tools ; his sneer was at 
their service, and undisguised contempt was their perpetual portion. 
The lawyer, once vehement and voluminous to the full extent of his 
brief, has suddenly discovered, like the minister and the parson, that all 
his protestations of last year were good for nothing but to be protested 
against this year: and sheltering himself under the public conception 
ofa lawyer’s integrity, has declared that he acted only—in a professional 
way. 
Next shines out the solemn and heavenward physiognomy of the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer. What, and is he gone too? The fervent 
saint who was sent to Ireland to keep the little viceroy’s papist propen- 
sities in order? the depository of the anti-catholic conscience of the 
Cabinet ? the orator who always lost his breath, and deprived the world 
of the half of his harangue, when the subject was that “ abhorred 
anomaly the attempt to bring in papists to domineer over the British 
Legislature?” Ay, he is gone. Conversion has been wrought upon 
the protestant-pagan. His belief is now sterling, and long may he 
live, to be an example. 
Herries, that staunch friend of the constitution too, has discovered his 
mistake, and fills a place in the cabinet collection of portraits: a collec- 
tion, which we defy the world to equal. One picture is still unfmished, 
the fiercest and subtlest physiognomy of them all: a face of the most 
daring and remorseless ambition, busied in the most’ tremendous game 
that can be played by man. The player is evidently in the last stage 
of desperation, and determined to make one throw which will either 
extinguish him finally, or place him beyond the reach of chance for 
ever. But the picture, though urged on with a furious rapidity, may 
_ never be finished ; and some future wanderer through the halls of state, 
"may find an empty frame, and a fatal inscription. 
\ But a few weeks will now conclude all, and we shall either see 
England driven to extremities which no man of sense and feeling can 
anticipate without horror, or this mean, incompetent, and apostate 
ministry cast out, in the midst of an universal uproar of triumph from 
a rescued people. But we call upon our country to reflect upon the 
‘utter ruin which those few weeks may bring, for as sure as there is a 
Providence above us, so sure shall we be slaves, if papists are suffered to 
set foot within the Legislature. Popery hates protestantism with a 
yerfect hatred, denounces it as damnable, declares every protestant, at the 
resent hour, in a state of damnation, declares that every protestant is 
ally a rebel to the Pope, declares that all oaths to heretics are but 
porary and capable 6f being dispensed with by command of the 
urch, and finally declares that it is fitting to destroy the body for the 
zood of the"soul, and make proselytes by fire and sword. 
_ What dependence is it possible to place on men who hold those ini- 
jtous tenets, and who have followed them up in all times and places, 
ere they had the means, by the most cruel, persevering, and horrid 
flictions? They refuse the bible to the people ; they are at this hour 
ing bibles abroad, and burning them at the foot of the crucifix—at 
2 a 
-“ 
