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two。　　It　rests　with　the　reader　to　decide　whether　it　has　received　any

confirmation；　or　assumed　any　colour　of　truth；　in　or　about　the　year

eighteen　hundred　and　sixty…two。







AN　ENLIGHTENED　CLERGYMAN







At　various　places　in　Suffolk　（as　elsewhere）　penny　readings　take

place　〃for　the　instruction　and　amusement　of　the　lower　classes〃。

There　is　a　little　town　in　Suffolk　called　Eye；　where　the　subject　of

one　of　these　readings　was　a　tale　（by　Mr。　Wilkie　Collins）　from　the

last　Christmas　Number　of　this　Journal；　entitled　〃Picking　up　Waifs　at

Sea〃。　　It　appears　that　the　Eye　gentility　was　shocked　by　the

introduction　of　this　rude　piece　among　the　taste　and　musical　glasses

of　that　important　town；　on　which　the　eyes　of　Europe　are　notoriously

always　fixed。　　In　particular；　the　feelings　of　the　vicar's　family

were　outraged；　and　a　Local　Organ　（say；　the　Tattlesnivel　Bleater）

consequently　doomed　the　said　piece　to　everlasting　oblivion；　as　being

of　an　〃injurious　tendency！〃



When　this　fearful　fact　came　to　the　knowledge　of　the　unhappy　writer

of　the　doomed　tale　in　question；　he　covered　his　face　with　his　robe；

previous　to　dying　decently　under　the　sharp　steel　of　the

ecclesiastical　gentility　of　the　terrible　town　of　Eye。　　But　the

discovery　that　he　was　not　alone　in　his　gloomy　glory；　revived　him；

and　he　still　lives。



For；　at　Stowmarket；　in　the　aforesaid　county　of　Suffolk；　at　another

of　those　penny　readings；　it　was　announced　that　a　certain　juvenile

sketch；　culled　from　a　volume　of　sketches　（by　Boz）　and　entitled　〃The

Bloomsbury　Christening〃；　would　be　read。　　Hereupon；　the　clergyman　of

that　place　took　heart　and　pen；　and　addressed　the　following　terrific

epistle　to　a　gentleman　bearing　the　very　appropriate　name　of　Gudgeon：





STOWMARKET　VICARAGE；　Feb。　25；　1861。



SIR；My　attention　has　been　directed　to　a　piece　called　〃The

Bloomsbury　Christening〃　which　you　propose　to　read　this　evening。

Without　presuming　to　claim　any　interference　in　the　arrangement　of

the　readings；　I　would　suggest　to　you　whether　you　have　on　this

occasion　sufficiently　considered　the　character　of　the　composition

you　have　selected。　　I　quite　appreciate　the　laudable　motive　of　the

promoters　of　the　readings　to　raise　the　moral　tone　amongst　the

working　class　of　the　town　and　to　direct　this　taste　in　a　familiar　and

pleasant　manner。　　〃The　Bloomsbury　Christening〃　cannot　possibly　do

this。　　It　trifles　with　a　sacred　ordinance；　and　the　language　and

style；　instead　of　improving　the　taste；　has　a　direct　tendency　to

lower　it。



I　appeal　to　your　right　feeling　whether　it　is　desirable　to　give

publicity　to　that　which　must　shock　several　of　your　audience；　and

create　a　smile　amongst　others；　to　be　indulged　in　only　by　violating

the　conscientious　scruples　of　their　neighbours。



The　ordinance　which　is　here　exposed　to　ridicule　is　one　which　is　much

misunderstood　and　neglected　amongst　many　families　belonging　to　the

Church　of　England；　and　the　mode　in　which　it　is　treated　in　this

chapter　cannot　fail　to　appear　as　giving　a　sanction　to；　or　at　least

excusing；　such　neglect。



Although　you　are　pledged　to　the　public　to　give　this　subject；　yet　I

cannot　but　believe　that　they　would　fully　justify　your　substitution

of　it　for　another　did　they　know　the　circumstances。　　An　abridgment

would　only　lessen　the　evil　in　a　degree；　as　it　is　not　only　the　style

of　the　writing　but　the　subject　itself　which　is　objectionable。



Excuse　me　for　troubling　you；　but　I　felt　that；　in　common　with

yourself；　I　have　a　grave　responsibility　in　the　matter；　and　I　am　most

truly　yours；



T。　S。　COLES。

To　Mr。　J。　Gudgeon。





It　is　really　necessary　to　explain　that　this　is　not　a　bad　joke。　　It

is　simply　a　bad　fact。







RATHER　A　STRONG　DOSE







〃Doctor　John　Campbell；　the　minister　of　the　Tabernacle　Chapel；

Finsbury；　and　editor　of　the　British　Banner；　etc。；　with　that　massive

vigour　which　distinguishes　his　style；〃　did；　we　are　informed　by　Mr。

Howitt；　〃deliver　a　verdict　in　the　Banner；　for　November；　1852；〃　of

great　importance　and　favour　to　the　Table…rapping　cause。　　We　are　not

informed　whether　the　Public；　sitting　in　judgment　on　the　question；

reserved　any　point　in　this　great　verdict　for　subsequent

consideration；　but　the　verdict　would　seem　to　have　been　regarded　by　a

perverse　generation　as　not　quite　final；　inasmuch　as　Mr。　Howitt　finds

it　necessary　to　re…open　the　case；　a　round　ten　years　afterwards；　in

nine　hundred　and　sixty…two　stiff　octavo　pages；　published　by　Messrs。

Longman　and　Company。



Mr。　Howitt　is　in　such　a　bristling　temper　on　the　Supernatural

subject；　that　we　will　not　take　the　great　liberty　of　arguing　any

point　with　him。　　Butwith　the　view　of　assisting　him　to　make

convertswe　will　inform　our　readers；　on　his　conclusive　authority；

what　they　are　required　to　believe；　premising　what　may　rather

astonish　them　in　connexion　with　their　views　of　a　certain　historical

trifle；　called　The　Reformation；　that　their　present　state　of　unbelief

is　all　the　fault　of　Protestantism；　and　that　〃it　is　high　time；

therefore；　to　protest　against　Protestantism〃。



They　will　please　to　believe；　by　way　of　an　easy　beginning；　all　the

stories　of　good　and　evil　demons；　ghosts；　prophecies；　communication

with　spirits；　and　practice　of　magic；　that　ever　obtained；　or　are　said

to　have　ever　obtained；　in　the　North；　in　the　South；　in　the　East；　in

the　West；　from　the　earliest　and　darkest　ages；　as　to　which　we　have

any　hazy　intelligence；　real　or　supposititious；　down　to　the　yet

unfinished　displacement　of　the　red　men　in　North　America。　　They　will

please　to　believe　that　nothing　in　this　wise　was　changed　by　the

fulfilment　of　our　Saviour's　mission　upon　earth；　and　further；　that

what　Saint　Paul　did；　can　be　done　again；　and　has　been　done　again。　　As

this　is　not　much　to　begin　with；　they　will　throw　in　at　this　point

rejection　of　Faraday　and　Brewster；　and　〃poor　Paley〃；　and　implicit

acceptance　of　those　shining　lights；　the　Reverend　Charles　Beecher；

and　the　Reverend　Henry　Ward　Beecher　（〃one　of　the　most　vigorous　and

eloquent　preachers　of　America〃）；　and　the　Reverend　Adin　Ballou。



Having　thus　cleared　the　way　for　a　healthy　exercise　of　faith；　our

advancing　readers　will　next　proceed　especially　to　believe　in　the　old

story　of　the　Drummer　of　Tedworth；　in　the　inspiration　of　George　Fox；

in　〃the　spiritualism；　prophecies；　and　provision〃　of　Huntington　the

coal…porter　（him　who　prayed　for　the　leather　breeches　which

miraculously　fitted　him）；　and　even　in　the　Cock　Lane　Ghost。　　They

will　please　wind　up；　before　fetching　their　breath；　with　believing

that　there　is　a　close　analogy　between　rejection　of　any　such　plain

and　proved　facts　as　those　contained　in　the　whole　foregoing

catalogue；　and　the　opposition　encountered　by　the　inventors　of

railways；　lighting　by　gas；　microscopes　and　telescopes；　and

vaccination。　　This　stinging　consideration　they　will　always　carry

rankling　in　their　remorseful　hearts　as　they　advance。



As　touching　the　Cock　Lane　Ghost；　our　conscience…stricken　readers

will　please　particularly　to　reproach　themselves　for　having　ever

supposed　that　important　spiritual　manifestation　to　have　been　a　gross

imposture　which　was　thoroughly　detected。　　They　will　please　to

believe　that　Dr。　Johnson　believed　in　it；　and　that；　in　Mr。　Howitt's

words；　he　〃appears　to　have　had　excellent　reasons　for　his　belief〃。

With　a　view　to　this　end；　the　faithful　will　be　so　good　as　to

obliterate　from　their　Boswells　the　following　passage：　　〃Many　of　my

readers；　I　am　convinced；　are　to　this　hour　under　an　impression　that

Johnson　was　thus　foolishly　deceived。　　It　will　therefore　surprise

them　a　good　deal　when　they　are　informed　upon　undoubted　authority

that　Johnson　was　one　of　those　by　whom　the　imposture　was　detected。

The　story　had　become　so　popular；　that　he　thought　it　should　be

investigated；　and　in　this　research　he　was　assisted　by　the　Rev。　Dr。

Douglas；　now　Bishop　of　Salisbury；　the　great　detector　of　impostures〃…

…and　therefore　tremendously　obnoxious　to　Mr。　Howitt〃who　informs　me

that　after　the　gentlemen　who　went　and　examined　into　the　evidence

were　satisfied　of　its　falsity；　Johnson　wrote　in　their　presence　an

account　of　it；　which　was　published　in　the　newspapers　and　Gentleman's

Magazine；　and　undeceived　the　world〃。　　But　as　there　will　still　remain

another　highly　inconvenient　passage　in　the　Boswells　of　the　true

believers；　they　must　likewise　be　at　the　trouble　of　cancelling　the

following　also；　referring　to　a　later　time：　　〃He　（Johnson）　expressed

great　indignation　at　the　imposture　of　the　Cock　Lane　Ghost；　and

related　with　much　satisfaction　how　he　had　assisted　in　detecting　the

cheat；　and　had　published　an　account　of　it　in　the　newspapers〃。



They　will　next　believe　（if　they　be；　in　the　words　of　Captain　Bobadil；

〃so　generously　minded〃）　in　the　transatlantic　trance…speakers　〃who

professed　to　speak　from　direct　inspiration〃；　Mrs。　Cora　Hatch；　Mrs。

Henderson；　and　Miss　Emma　Hardinge；　and　they　will　believe　in　those

eminent　ladies　having　〃spoken　on　Sundays　to　five　hundred　thousand

hearers〃small　audiences；　by　the　way；　compared　with　the　intelligent

concourse　recently　assembled　in　the　city　of　New　York；　to　do　honour

to　the　Nuptials　of　General　the　Honourable　T。　Barnum　Thumb。　　At　about

this　stage　of　their　spiritual　education　they　may　take　the

opportunity　of　believing　in　〃letters　from　a　distinguished　gentleman

of　New　York；　in　which　the　frequent　appearance　of　the　gentleman's

deceased　wife　and　of　Dr。　Franklin；　to　him　and　other　well…known

friends；　are　unquestionably　unequalled　in　the　annals　of　the

marvellous〃。　　Why　these　modest　appearances　should　seem　at　all　out　of

the　common　way　to　Mr。　Howitt　（who　would　be　in　a　state　of　flaming

indignation　if　we　thought　them　so）；　we　could　not　imagine；　until　we

found　on　reading　further；　〃it　is　solemnly　stated　that　the　witnesses

have　not　only　seen　but　touched　these　spirits；　and　handled　the

clothes　and　hair　of　Franklin〃。　　Without　presuming　to　go　Mr。　Howitt's

length　of　considering　this　by　any　means　a　marvellous　experience；　we

yet　venture　t