The Merry Past 



Tuileries, and signed, without discussion or observa- 

 tion, the clause which but the preceding day he had 

 so strenuously opposed. Bonaparte, who knew noth- 

 ing of the transactions of the intervening night, was 

 completely astonished at this sudden change, and, 

 though aware of the subtlety of Fouche, could not 

 divine by what means he had thus instantaneously 

 attained his end. The latter thought it expedient 

 to let his master into the secret, for the trick was too 

 clever to be buried in oblivion. 



Modern Puritanism is in some respects a feeble echo 

 from the days of those joyless stalwarts the Round- 

 heads, though the modern Barebones hardly possesses 

 the solidity of character of Cromwell's men. Love of 

 Social Reform is in all probability, in the case of a 

 large number of its latter-day advocates, merely a 

 pose, with others a not unlucrative profession, and 

 with yet others a pastime. 



Meanwhile, according to the printed reports of 

 the innumerable societies which exist for the purpose 

 of dragooning humanity into sobriety and virtue, 

 England would seem capable of being made into an 

 earthly paradise by coercion. 



The reports in question are certainly very credit- 

 able to the talents of the honorary or stipendiary 

 secretaries who compose quarterly or annual reports 

 and other documents, to satisfy the great army of 

 faddists that its subscription money is well employed, 

 but from a serious scientific point of view most of 

 them are absolutely undeserving of attention. 



As has previously been said, the triumph of 



II 



