of Bacchus? The antiquity of Orpheus is unknown, he was much older than the Bible chronologists have made Moses.)

66

"The caduceus, or rod of mercury, is well known in poetic "fables. It is another copy of the rod of Moses." (Where is your proof Doctor?) "He also is reported to have wrought a multitude of miracles by this rod, and particularly, he is "said to kill and make alive, to send souls to the invisible world, and bring them back from thence. Homer repre"sents Mercury taking his rod to work miracles, precisely in "the same way as God commands Moses to take his." Now Mr. Doctor, we have every proof that can be wished, that Homer lived some centuries before the Pentateuch was compiled. The time of the birth and life of Homer is not precisely known, but from contingent circumstances, chronologists place him about 900 years before the Christian era, he might have lived some centuries before that, for what we know. The return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, or such few of them as were willing to return, took place about 536 years before the Christian era, and we have not the slightest proof, that the Pentateuch existed before this time. It is generally thought, that Ezra or Esdras, and Nehemiah composed it either during their captivity or immediately after their return, for the purpose of keeping the Jews together in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. We shall see further proof of this by and by. The Jews made but a poor figure in history, until, they became a Roman province, they then flourished as all other parts of the Roman Empire did.

I shall pass over the changing of the rod into a serpent, as I feel assured, that none of my readers will stand in need of being told that it is all a fable. The next object that presents itself to our view is, that whilst Moses is journeying towards Egypt, the Lord way lays him in the Inn, and attempts to kill him, for what cause or purpose we are not told, thus the story is introduced, and thus it finishes. What an idea to form of an omnipotent being! that he should lurk about an Inn to destroy a man, whom he had prevailed on to journey with his own errand. I can say nothing more on this verse, than that it is contemptible. The next subject is a private quarrel between Moses and his wife, about the circumcision of their son, when she, like a true scold, applies some uncouth words to him. The chapter concludes with noticing, that the Lord appeared unto Aaron also, and sent him to meet Moses, and that after they had concerted together a little, they went to the children of Israel, told them all that had happened, and

found them less sceptical, than Moses had expected. Nothing can be more ridiculous, than the appearance of the Bible as an history, half a dozen different tales are related in succession, without any connection whatever.

I proceed with the fifth chapter:

"And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, thus saith the Lord God of Israel, let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go. And they said, the God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. And the King of Egypt said unto them, wherefore, do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. And Pharaoh said, behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. And Pharaol commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, let us go and sacrifice to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it yet not ought of your work shall be diminished. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, wherefore have not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore? Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people. But he said, ye are idle, ye are idle : therefore ye say, let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh and they said unto them, the Lord look upon you, and

ye

judge; because ye have made our saviour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all."

There is but little in this chapter that is worthy notice. Moses and Aaron communicate their message to Pharaoh. Pharaoh treats their God, and them too, with contempt, charges the Israelites with idleness, and imposes new burthens on them. They have not only to do their former work, but to find all the raw material themselves. The people murmur, first to Pharaoh, then to Moses, and Aaron, and lastly Moses murmurs unto his God, and challenges him with deceit and an inefficiency to perform what he had promised. Thus endeth the chapter.

I proceed with the sixth chapter :

"Then the Lord said unto Moses, now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and untó Jacob, by the name of Gou Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I wilk, take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage : I am the Lord. And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they harkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, behold, the children of Israel have not harkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh

ar me, who am of uncircumcised lips? And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge into the childreu of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. These be the heads of their fathers' houses the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, aud Carmi: these be the families of Reuben. And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the fainilies of Simeon. And these are the names of the sons of Levi ac cording to their generation; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years. The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families. And the sons of Kohath; Amram and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years. And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi; these are the families of Levi according to their generations. And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zithri. And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri. And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. And ths sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites. And Eleazať Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she pare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families. These are that Aaron aud Moses, to whom the Lord said, bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies. These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt; these are that Moses and Aaron. And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. And Moses said before the Lord, behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"

(To be. Continued.)

Printed by JANE CARLILE, 85, Fleet Street.

No. 7, Vol. 3.] LONDON, FRIDAY, JUNE 9, 1820. [PRICE 6D.

1

STUDIED AGGRAVATION OF THE MISERY AND DISTRESS OF THE MANUFACTURING CLASSES BY THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION AND BY PARLIAMENT.

EVERY week displays to us fresh attempts on the part of the administration and the Parliament to lay on some fresh burden on the people, to add something to the public calamities; Demonstrated proofs have been laid before the Parliament to shew, that in the manufacturing districts, there are thousands of families who have not a shilling per head per week to subsist on, and yet this very Parliament sanctions the petition and complaint of the Agricultural class, by going into a committee for the avowed purpose of giving them a higher price for their corn! In addition to this, the government increases its army, increases its pensions, increases its debt, increases the public expenditure for the present year considerably above the last, and all this increase takes place with the acknowledged increase of public distress, and the public inability to meet existing burthens. What can our Ministers mean by proceeding in so desperate a career with the most unblushing effrontery? How much longer do they expect to hoodwink the commercial class, and the middle classes of society generally, with the tottering bugbear called the funding system? Already, by their establishment of Savings Banks, they have descended to extract the last mite of the servant and the labourer to their support. What further do they want? Millions after millions are yearly added to the debt of the government, for no other cause than its avowed inability to make the revenue meet the interest of the former amount, and its habituated profuse expenditure. The old proverb may be well applied here, that " it is a long lane that VOL. III. No. 7.

Printed and published by J. Carlile, 55, Fleet Street: