Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2)Holyoake, George Jacob
Philosophy
Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Holyoake, George Jacob
Holyoake, George Jacob, 1817-1906; Social reformers -- Great Britain -- Biography; Working class -- Great Britain -- Biography
Notes on the summons were:--"(a) If upon Oath insert 'On Oath.' (b)
Erase the words in italic when summons is issued by Justice acting out
of jurisdiction in which he resides."
There is more untruth and holy malevolence in this summons than Pooley
was ever known to be guilty of in all his life. Mr. Bush charges Mr.
Pooley with "wilfully composing" the words complained of. Everybody
in the parish knew that he had not the mental coherence to "compose"
anything. He had neither spoken against God--for he was a believer in
Him--nor was he a preacher either in pulpit or on street corner. Nor
did he "speak" about God, except when he was being stripped in gaol. His
"scoffing against the Holy Scriptures" merely meant that he was incensed
against priests. The charge that he had published a "scandalous,
impious, blasphemous, and profane libel" was simply the reckless,
false, professional language of the clergyman and lawyer who drew up
the summons, which would be counted unscrupulous and venomous in other
persons. In this summons we have the same profanation of the Queen's
name as we have already seen. How can a monarch expect his office or
character to be held in esteem who permits his or her name to be cited
for the purposes of any bigot who has spite in his heart and falsehood
on his lips? People cease to respect a monarch who has no respect for
himself.
There was more of the evil spirit of untruth in the charges in the
summons than in all Mr. Pooley's vague and honest anger. I went down to
Duloe to see Mr. Bush, and found him residing in a spacious house, with
a pleasant outlook of roads and fields before it, while poor Pooley
lived in wells. Why should one so well-placed as the Rev. Paul Bush
conspire to procure twenty-one months' imprisonment for this friendless,
half-demented parishioner? Very likely Mr. Bush was by nature a
kind-hearted clergyman in whom theology generated--
"Words, Which turned the milk of kindness into curds."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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