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zeal on the people, who are subject to my authority ; 
and I give thee the same authority over my family 
and my children. But this permission will be of very 
little avail, unless thou canst suit thy precepts to our 
manners and usages ! ” 
There was but little of state policy in this speech! 
Dian Manangue must be simple, indeed, to suppose, 
that by calling a holy father of the church of Rome to 
account for his folly, he could induce him to desist 
from his purpose. 
A slight acquaintance with human nature would 
have induced Father Stephen, at least to alter his 
mode of attack, and to endeavour, by more gentle 
means, to remove his prejudices. But it is not the 
character or the custom of the church of Rome, or 
her emissaries, to bend to circumstances. The only 
answer he deigned to make to this artless declaration, 
was, an absolute and peremptory command, that 
Dian Manangue should instantly divorce all his wives 
but one; threatening, at the same time, that if he 
refused, a party of the French should be despatched 
to his donac to carry them off by force. 
Such was the surprise and indignation excited by 
this unexpected and arrogant denunciation, that a 
general attack was commenced by the women upon 
the father : they loaded him with blows and impre¬ 
cations, and would infallibly have stifled him in their 
rage, had not Dian Manangue hastened to his assist¬ 
ance. Suppressing his own perturbation, he exerted his 
whole authority to obtain a private interview with the 
