By this time the great Revenge, that famous devil whose nisory is so tragical, thought it time for him to appear at court, and as soon as he judged it convenient, thus accosted the offended king." My lord the king, if your highness suffer such insolence as this to go unpunished, your nobles will contemn you, every paltry priest will say, Yonder goes the incestuous Herod; aye, the very publicans and Herodians will alledge, that you are unworthy of the dignity you sustain, and all will censure your pusillanimity, in letting such daring insolence pass with impunity. Remember, my lord, that if wide-mouthed Fame should, as is very likely, report the matter in Cæsar's ear, it is ten to one but he will cashier you, either for your reputed incest, or your want of magnanimity. Sir, for your honour's sake, cast John into prison." Herod was easily persuaded, and John was committed to jail.

On mature deliberatior, nowever, he was afraid of putting him to death, for he knew that the people had a good opinion of the renowned Baptist; therefore he lived in prison, notwithstanding Revenge made daily solicitation for his blood. On every occasion when he met with Herod, he thus accosted him. "Well, sir, is the Baptist dead yet? What! not yet, sir? What do you mean by sparing him so long, sir? I assure you, sir, he ought to die for his insolence. Sir, his crime is no less than high treason against your person.' ." Thus he plied him daily.

It happened, at a certain time, that Herod made a great festival in honour of his own name, which festival proved fatal to the innocent Baptist; for, ever since he had given offence the devil Revenge had taken up his lodgings with Herodias the te trarchess. She very well knew how foolishly precipitate Heroa is wont to be in his wine, and how much his eye was to be allureu with a well-performed dance, especially if performed by a handsome young lady. Not at all doubting but Herodina her daughter would captivate the king, so far as to bring about the much desired death of John Baptist, she decked her in superb array, instructed her what to ask, if he should be pleased with her, then led her into the hall where Herod and his nobles were carousing. There she footed the hornpipe with such exactness, that the mistaken eye of the tetrarch took her for a divinity, and swore that he would offer a great sacrifice to her, to the value of one half of his kingdom, if her highness would only deign to inform him what sacrifices were most acceptable to her. She replied, "Human sacrifices are my delight. Give me then the Baptist's head in a charger."

Now there began a horrid scuffle in the tetrarch's breast. If he fulfilled not his oath, he thought he lost his reputation with his nobles who sat at table with him; and if he did behead John Baptist according to his oath he exposed himself to the resentment of the people.

In the midst of this scuffle in came Revenge, and thus addressed the king: "I assure you, sir, John deserves a thousand deaths, for his insolence to your highness."---" Besides," said Fastosus, who was then at court," the great tetrarch hath no way left but this to preserve his own character unblamed." Then cried Herod, "Who will go for us to prison and behead the Baptist." To which Crudelis replied, "Here am I, send me." Accordingly, having obtained Herod's consent, (for we can do nothing against mankind but by their own consent), he went and beheaded Immanuel's harbinger.

Thus, gentlemen, you see that by my famous instruments, False-reasoning, and Prejudice, I cause offence to be taken where there is none intended. John only fulfilled his divine mission, and sought the good of the tetrarch by calling him to repentance; but my mirror interpreted his honesty into treachery and insolence; which clearly shows that it changeth the appearance quite contrary to the nature of things. But, reverent uncle, I prevent your proceeding with your story.

INFID. The cumbersome Baptist thus dispatched, we united all our forces against Immanuel himself, who was by the Jews called Jesus of Nazareth. Many were the conferences which we had with the Jewish rabbins, doctors, priests, scribes and pharisees, in which all our debates turned upon that object of our common hatred. The high-priest, Fastosus, Malevolus, and me, were always placed at the head of the assembly, and every article was finally referred to us for decision. The venerable highpriest addressing himself to me, asked what I thought concerning the pretensions of this Galilean? To whom I replied, "If it please your reverence, I think he is an arrant impostor, for his father you know, his mother you know, his brethren and sisters are they not all with you? But," continued I, "when Messiah shall come, no man can tell whence he cometh, nor whither he goeth." Gentlemen, you will always know my stile by its elegance, wherever you meet with it, should it be even in the volume of revelation.

FAST. I well remember these things, and the learned oration, which at that time I made in the sanhedrim, and now we are associated in such a friendly manner I have a good mind to repeat it to you. You have it in the following manner : "Hearken to me, ye righteous teachers of the law; the virtuous governors of the Lord's inheritance, and I will unfold to you a just state or the matter. You all know that the expected Messiah shall descend from a virgin princess of the lineage of David; but is this the son of a princess? Is his mother a virgin, being the wife of a carpenter?" Here you'll observe how I led them off from the truth, by attending to appearances rather than reality; for Mary the mother of Jesus was actually a princess of the line of David, though obscure, and actually a virgin when he was conceived,

though after that the wife of a carpenter. Every circumstance attending his birth, corresponded exactly with ancient predictions recorded in the Bible; though by the way it was by no means suited to the expectation of the Jews. But to my very great mortification I must confess, that although the great men of the earth rejected him, the angels of heaven descended to hymn their new born Lord. The constellations of the firmament shewed forth the birth of Messiah. Eastern sages heard the proclamation of the stars, and came to the city of Bethlehem, to offer oblations to the incarnate source of life.

So very clear indeed are the Old Testament prophecies concerning this affair, that the generality of the Jews were at that time in full expectation of the coming of Messiah; therefore it required great address sufficiently to blind their eyes that they should not see and know him when he came, to which purpose my speech was wonderfully adapted. "You know, and all the holy rabbins know," continued I, "that Messiah shall come in power and great glory; shall break the iron yoke of Roman servitude from off your necks, and exalt the throne of David, his illustrious ancestor, high above the thrones of the kings of the earth, giving to his happy subjects dominion and great glory, subjecting to your government all those who wish your destruction. Worthy assembly," said I," you have chosen the great Fastosus as your president and director; hearken therefore to me, and I will shew you my opinion, concerning your expected Messiah, and his appearance among you. It is most probable, that when he comes he will be born of illustrious parents in the family of David, and when grown mature in years, you may expect to see meet in him a combination of all great and good qualities. By his wisdom and prowess he will rekindle the martial spirit of the Jewish warriors, leading the armies of Israel to glory and conquest, and his throne shall be exalted above all the kingdoms of the earth. You may therefore expect that when Messiah shall come to your deliverance, you shall see an illustrious prince, attended by a warlike retinue, breathing vengeance against your enemies. But can this be him? Could the Messiah, think you, find nobody but poor shepherds to be the publishers of his birth? More likely if Jesus had indeed been the Messiah, he would have made choice of your reverences for his heralds. Can it ever be supposed, my venerable rabbins, that an obscure person attended by a few despicable fishermen, can have any legal pretensions to the vacant throne of illustrious David? Or can it ever be thought that the son of a Galilean carpenter, attended by a few of the riff-raff of the people, is likely to restore the kingdom to Israel ?

Besides," continued I, "let him be what he may, it would bring dishonour on the princes of Israel, shou'd they submit to be governed by the son of a mechanic.

"Who knows but the coming of Messiah may be yet more glorious, and ye shall see the heavens open over your heads, he shall appear in the firmament guarded on right and left by innumerable battalions of armed seraphs, with whom he may descend and stand upon the mount of Olives, before he shall make his triumphant entry into the holy metropolis of Jewry. Then shall he dispatch his flaming soldiers with full commission to kill, destroy, and cause to perish all such stubborn Gentiles, who refuse to submit to the Jewish empire now become universal. Your enemies all destroyed, great shall be your felicity and glory, for he shall reign among you in righteousness, peace, and glorious prosperity, unto all generations.

"To whom, my worthy rabbins, will he come but to such a generation of righteous men as yourselves. Ye yourselves are witnesses of your own righteousness and devotion. None say longer prayers, none give alms more publicly than you do. So great is your zeal for religion, that ye rob widows' houses for the good of the church. So pious your example, that, my life for it, it will be imitated by the clergy in after ages. Your wicked ancestors fell very far short of your piety, for they killed the prophets, and stoned them who were sent unto them; but your reverences so far abominate their murderous deeds, that you build and beautify their sepulchres. You may safely conclude that you are the righteous generation to whom the Messiah will come." Thus I swelled their expectations so very great, that when the real Messiah was actually among them, they reviled him as the worst of impostors.

INFID. The great Fastosus and me having shewed our opinion, the devil Malevolus was humbly requested to speak his mind. And he by this time was in a transport of rage; boisterously cried out," Away with him for an imposing villain! If he were the Messiah, would you ever find him coming out of Galilee? Search, and you will see that out of Galilee ariseth no prophet; neither can any good thing come from thence. Were I in your places I would rather be subject to the Romans for ever, than suffer this fellow to reign over me. I hate his person---I hate his attendants---I hate his laws and doctrines---And above all, I hate his pretensions to the crown of Israel.

"It were low time with you indeed, if an obscure carpenter should be exalted to the throne, to reign over the Lord's inheritance."

FAST. If I mistake not, it is time for us to attend our industrious subjects. Shall we meet here to-morrow at noon, brethren ? ALL. Agreed, sir. We will meet.

DIALOGUE X.

All the DIALOGEANS present.

As soon as the infernal gentry decamped, I went home and found our parish priest at my house; I thought this a good opportunity of acquainting him with my adventure: but he concluded with the rest of my neighbours, that my brain was disturbed, and that those imaginary gentry were only the fruits of distraction. However, as I thought myself capable of judging between imagination and reality, I left the parson to his mistake, went to my closet to correct what I had taken down in the former part of the day, and got all ready by next day at noon, to listen to the sable gentry. Exactly at noon they came, for I found them exceedingly punctual one with another. As soon as they were seated on their ebon thrones, they resumed their discourse; and Infidelis thus began.

INFID. It happened that the venerable rabbins held another council, to assist at which the devils Falax and Perfidiosus were invited. In this august assembly the main thing to be considered was, by what possible means, right or wrong, they might persecute and destroy Jesus of Nazareth from the face of the earth. The great rabbins and doctors by this time began to fear that if some decisive step was not speedily taken, all the country would become Nazarenes. This induced them to apply to those worthy spirits, (who are known to be excellent contrivers) and fervently solicited their assistance. And as they are by no means bashful, they very soon gave the high sanhedrim satisfaction.

"Venerable rabbins," said they, "we are apprehensive that it will be very difficult to accomplish any thing against this Jesus of Nazareth, unless we can stir up enemies against him among those of his own household, and cause some who eat bread at his table, to lift up their heel against him; for you all know his conduct is perfectly unblameable. Now we have at no great distance a notable limb of the devil, trained up in all the mazes of deep deceit and treachery, fitted for such perdition. Him will w persuade to ingratiate himself into the favour of Jesus, and to become one of his train. When this is done, he shall act the traitor, and betray him into your hands, nothing doubting but you will then take care to destroy his life, how innocent soever may be."

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"Certainly we will," rejoined the high-priest, " for it is ex pedient that one should die for the people." Accordingly the