men, Cottiers, Peep-of-Day Boys, Babes in the Wood, Rockites, 'Poor-Slaves: which last, however, seems to be the primary and 'generic name; whereto, probably enough, the others are only 'subsidiary species, or slight varieties; or, at most, propagated | 'offsets from the parent stem, whose minute subdivisions, and 'shades of difference, it were here loss of time to dwell on Enough for us to understand, what seems indubitable, that the 'original Sect is that of the Poor-Staves; whose doctrines, practices, and fundamental characteristics pervade and animate the 'whole Body, howsoever denominated or outwardly diversified.

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The precise speculative tenets of this Brotherhood: how the 'Universe, and the Man, and Man's Life, picture themselves to 'the mind of an Irish Poor-Slave; with what feelings and opin'ions he looks forward on the Future, round on the Present, back 'on the Past, it were extremely difficult to specify. Something 'Monastic there appears to be in their Constitution: we find 'them bound by the two Monastic Vows of Poverty and Obe'dience; which Vows, especially the former, it is said, they ob'serve with great strictness; nay, as I have understood it, they 'are pledged, and be it by any solemn Nazarene ordination or 'not, irrevocably consecrated thereto, even before birth. That the 'third Monastic Vow, of Chastity, is rigidly enforced among them, I find no ground to conjecture.

'Furthermore, they appear to imitate the Dandiacal Sect in 'their grand principle of wearing a peculiar Costume. Of which 'Irish Poor-Slave Costume no description will indeed be found in the present Volume; for this reason, that by the imperfect 'organ of Language it did not seem describable. Their raiment 'consists of innumerable skirts, lappets, and irregular wings, of 'all cloths and of all colours; through the labyrinthic intricacies ' of which their bodies are introduced by some unknown process. It is fastened together by a multiplex combination of buttons, 'thrums, and skewers; to which frequently is added a girdle of 'leather, of hempen or even of straw rope, round the loins. To 'straw rope, indeed, they seem partial, and often wear it by way ' of sandals. In head-dress they affect a certain freedom; hats 'with partial brim, without crown, or with only a loose, hinged, 'or valve crown; in the former case, they sometimes invert the

hat, and wear it brim uppermost, like a University-cap, with 'what view is unknown.

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The name Poor Slaves, seems to indicate a Slavonic, Polish, or Russian origin: not so, however, the interior essence and spirit of their Superstition, which rather displays a Teutonic or Druidical character. One might fancy them worshippers of Hertha, or the Earth: for they dig and affectionately work continually in her bosom; or else, shut up in private Oratories, meditate and manipulate the substances derived from her; seldom looking up towards the Heavenly Luminaries, and then with comparative indifference. Like the Druids, on the other hand, they live in dark dwellings; often even breaking their glass-windows, where they find such, and stuffing them up with pieces of raiment, or other opaque substances, till the fit obscurity is restored. Again, like all followers of Nature-Worship, they are liable to outbreakings of an enthusiasm rising to ferocity; and burn men, if not in wicker idols, yet in sod cottages.

In respect of diet, they have also their observances. All Poor-Slaves are Rhizophagous (or Root-caters); a few are Ichthyophagous, and use Salted Herrings: other animal food they abstain from; except indeed, with perhaps some strange inverted fragment of a Brahminical feeling, such animals as die a natural death. Their universal sustenance is the root named Potato, cooked by fire alone; and generally without condiment or relish of any kind, save an unknown condiment named Pourt, nto the meaning of which I have vainly inquired; the victual Potatoes-and-Point not appearing, at least not with specific ac uracy of description, in any European Cookery-Book whatever. For drink they use, with an almost epigrammatic counterpoise of taste, Milk, which is the mildest of liquors, and Potheen, which s the fiercest. This latter I have tasted, as well as the English Blue-Ruin, and the Scotch Whisky, analogous fluids used by the Sect in those countries: it evidently contains some form of alcohol, in the highest state of concentration, though disguised with acrid oils: and is, on the whole, the most pungent substance nown to me,-indeed, a perfect liquid fire. In all their Reliious Solemnities, Potheen is said to be an indispensable requi te, and largely consumed

'An Irish Traveller, of perhaps common veracity, who presents 'himself under the to me unmeaning title of The late John Ber 'nard, offers the following sketch of a domestic establishment, the 'inmates whereof, though such is not stated expressly, appear to 'have been of that Faith. Thereby shall my German readers 'now behold an Irish Poor-Slave, as it were with their own eyes; 'and even see him at meat. Moreover, in the so precious waste'paper sheet, above mentioned, I have found some corresponding 'picture of a Dandiacal Household, painted by that same Dandi'acal Mystagogue, or Theogonist: this also, by way of counterpart and contrast, the world shall look into.

First, therefore, of the Poor-Slave, who appears likewise to have been a species of Innkeeper. I quote from the original: "The furniture of this Caravansera consisted of a large iron Pot, two oaken Tables, two Benches, two Chairs, and a Potheen 'Noggin. There was a Loft above (attainable by a ladder), upon 'which the inmates slept; and the space below was divided by a 'hurdle into two Apartments; the one for their cow and pig, the 'other for themselves and guests. On entering the house we 'discovered the family, eleven in number, at dinner; the father 'sitting at the top, the mother at bottom, the children on each 'side of a large oaken Board which was scooped out in the mid'dle, like a Trough, to receive the contents of their Pot of Pota'toes. Little holes were cut at equal distances to contain Salt; ' and a bowl of Milk stood on the table: all the luxuries of meat ' and beer, bread, knives, and dishes were dispensed with." The 'Poor-Slave himself our Traveller found, as he says, broad-backed, 'black-browed, of great personal strength, and mouth from ear to

'ear.

His Wife was a sun-browned but well-featured woman; and his young ones, bare and chubby, had the appetite of ravens. Of their Philosophical, or Religious tenets or observances, no 'notice or hint.

'But now, secondly, of the Dandiacal Household; in which, 'truly, that often-mentioned Mystagogue and inspired Penman 'himself has his abode: "A Dressing-room splendidly furnished; 'violet-coloured curtains, chairs and ottomans of the same huc. 'Two full-length Mirrors are placed, one on each side of a table, 'which supports the luxuries of the Toilet. Several Bottles of

'Perfumes, arranged in a peculiar fashion, stand upon a smaller table of mother-of-pearl: opposite to these are placed the appur'tenances of Lavation richly wrought in frosted silver. A Ward'robe of Buhl is on the left; the doors of which being partly 6 open discover a profusion of Clothes; Shoes of a singularly small 'size monopolise the lower shelves. Fronting the wardrobe a 'door ajar gives some slight glimpse of a Bath-room. Foldingdoors in the back-ground.-Enter the Author," our Theogonist in person, "obsequiously preceded by a French Valet, in white silk Jacket and cambric Apron."

'Such are the two Sects which, at this moment, divide the 'more unsettled portion of the British People; and agitate that ' ever-vexed country. To the eye of the political Seer, their mu'tual relation, pregnant with the elements of discord and hostil'ity, is far from consoling. These two principles of Dandiacal 'Self-worship or Demon-worship, and Poor-Slavish or Drudgical Earth-worship, or whatever that same Drudgism may be, do as 'yet indeed manifest themselves under distant and nowise con'siderable shapes: nevertheless, in their roots and subterranean ramifications, they extend through the entire structure of Soci'ety, and work unweariedly in the secret depths of English na'tional Existence; striving to separate and isolate it into two 'contradictory, uncommunicating masses.

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'In numbers, and even individual strength, the Poor-Slaves or Drudges, it would seem, are hourly increasing. The Dandiacal, again, is by nature no proselytising Sect; but it boasts of great 'hereditary resources, and is strong by union; whereas the Drudges, split into parties, have as yet no rallying-point; or at 'best, only co-operate by means of partial secret affiliations. If, 'indeed, there were to arise a Communion of Drudges, as there is already a Communion of Saints, what strangest effects would follow therefrom! Dandyism as yet affects to look down on 'Drudgism but perhaps the hour of trial, when it will be prac'tically seen which ought to look down, and which up, is not so 'distant.

To me it seems probable that the two Sects will one day part 'England between them; each recruiting itself from the inter

'mediate ranks, till there be none left to enlist on either side. Those Dandiacal Manicheans, with the host of Dandyising 'Christians, will form one body: the Drudges, gathering round 'them whosoever is Drudgical, be he Christian or Infidel Pagan; 'sweeping up likewise all manner of Utilitarians, Radicals, re'fractory Potwalloppers, and so forth, into their general mass, 'will form another. I could liken Dandyism and Drudgism to 'two bottomless boiling Whirlpools that had broken out on oppo'site quarters of the firm land: as yet they appear only disqui 'eted, foolishly bubbling wells, which man's art might cover in ; 'yet mark them, their diameter is daily widening; they are hol'low Cones that boil up from the infinite Deep, over which your 'firm land is but a thin crust or rind! Thus daily is the inter'mediate land crumbling in, daily the empire of the two Buchan'Bullers extending; till now there is but a foot-plank, a mere 'film of Land between them; this too is washed away; and then 6 -we have the true Hell of Waters, and Noah's Deluge is out' deluged !

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'Or better, I might call them two boundless, and indeed unex'ampled Electric Machines (turned by the "Machinery of Soci 'ety,”), with batteries of opposite quality; Drudgism the Negative, Dandyism the Positive: one attracts hourly towards it and appropriates all the Positive Electricity of the Nation (namely, 'the Money thereof); the other is equally busy with the Negative (that is to say the Hunger), which is equally potent. Hitherto ( you see only partial transient sparkles and sputters; but wait little, till the entire nation is in an electric state; till your whole 'vital Electricity, no longer healthfully Neutral, is cut into two isolated portions of Positive and Negative (of Money and of เ Hunger); and stands there bottled up in two World-Batteries! The stirring of a child's finger brings the two together; and then-What then? The Earth is but shivered into impalpable 'smoke by that Doom's-thunderpeal; the Sun misses one of his Planets in Space, and thenceforth there are no eclipses of the 'Moon. Or better still, I might liken'

Oh! enough, enough of likenings and similitudes; in excess of which, truly, it is hard to say whether Teufelsdröckh or ourselves sin the more.