Perceiving the ragans still hush, I rose; and beckoning the populace to silence, "Mighty king--you, honourable colambs--and you, good people," says I--"for it is to you I now speak, hear me with attention. You think, perhaps, that the suppression of the truth by your ragans (charged to their teeth by the most reverend of their whole body, whose infirmities rendering him unable, though his will is good, to declare this secret to you) will prevent the knowledge of that truth your old ragan would have taught, but you are mistaken; and that you may know I don't come here at a venture to try if I can relieve you, but with an assurance of doing it if you consent, I must let you know from me what the ragan would have taught. The ragan would have demolished this trumpery piece of dirt, this grimalkin, set out with horrid face and colour to fright children; this," I say, "he would have demolished, being assured it could neither do good nor hurt, give joy or grief to any man, or serve any other purpose whatsoever, but to procure a maintenance to a set of men who know much better than they dare to tell you. Can any of you believe this stupid piece of earth hears me?" Some of the ragans cried, "Yes!"--"And that he can revenge any affront I shall give him?" Again, "Yes, to be sure!"--"Let him then, if he dare," says I, whipping out my cutlass, and with the backside of it striking his head off. "This," says I, "O glumms, is what the ragan knew, and what I defy them to deny. Now," says I, "I will further show you to whom the old ragan would have taught you to make your petitions and pay your adorations; and that is to the Supreme Being, Maker of heaven and earth, of us and all things; who provides for us meat and drink, and all things, by causing the earth, which He has made, to produce things necessary for our use; that Being, whom you have heard of by the name of Collwar, and are taught at present to be afraid to speak to. And I appeal to your own hearts if many of you have ever thought of him. Again," says I, "let anything in the shape of man, that gives himself leave to consider at all, only tell me if what he can make, and does make, with his own hands, hath not more occasion to depend on him as its maker than he on that? Why, then, should not we depend upon and pray to our Maker? "You very greatly mistake me, O glumms," says I, "if you imagine I would have all those reverend men turned out of employment as useless. No, I find they know too much of what is valuable; and therefore those who are willing to continue in the service of the mouch, and faithfully to teach you the old ragan's doctrine, and such farther lights of the great Being as they shall hereafter receive, let them continue your ragans still, and let others be chosen and trained up in that doctrine." Here the poor old man got up again with much difficulty. "Mr. Peter," says he, "you are the-man predicted of; you have declared the old ragan's mind, and all my brethren know it."