The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-23 00:00:00

FOR THE SUN.

MR. EDITOR—As your Paper may, I think,
be now considered the leading Protestant Cham-
pion against the endless claims to power by the
Catholics, I enclose you a short publication, which
I hope you will think worthy of insertion in your
next publication, at this time, when every thing
is required to be conceded to the Papist, and
every protection of the Protestant interest ne-
glected. I am, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,
London, May 7, 1822. A. B.

A POLITICAL DREAM IN MAY, 1821.

After hearing the debates in a certain great House on the
question of giving political power to Roman Catholics in this
Protestant country, I returned home at three in the morning,
and being exhausted by the attention I had given to all the
speakers, I threw myself on a sofa and fell fast asleep. And
as I slept I dreamed, and behold a castle having four turrets
stood before me :—near to this building was a crowd of people
holding a consultation, apparently on some important subject.
I inquired of a person who was passing, the name of the place,
and the cause of the assembly. He informed me that I was
on Tower Hill, and that the crowd was composed of the neigh-
bouring inhabitants, who were then considering the merits of
a Petition which had been presented to them from the wild
beasts who inhabited the Tower, praying emancipation from
confinement, and an equal participation in all rights and pri.
vireges pOssessed by every tame and harmless animal in the
metropolis—also admission to the Select Vestry of the parish,
and a share in all offices, emoluments, and advantages, at pre-
sent enjoyed by the resident inhabitants and householders.
I thought I was in time to hear the Petition read ; and it
set forth, among other things, " that the brutes were, properly
" speaking, lords of the creation, being created previously to
" man : that they were also the original inhabitants and pos-
" sessors of the British Isles, which were infested by wolves,
" and other wild animals, before they were discovered by
" man : that, although they did not deny the truth of certain
44 histories respecting the cruelties, murders, and enormities
" of many of their progenitors, nor even that they had been
" sworn enemies both to the human race and to all tame am-
" mals, yet that ever since they had become their fellow pa-
" rishioners in the Tower they had lived harmlessly and peace-
" ably,. molesting lib one, and neither biting, tearing, nor de-
" vouring
.any thing but their daily food: that, so far from
" being injurious, they had contributed very greatly to the
" emolument and security of the Tower ; and that in evi-
" dence of this their good conduct they could bring forward
" the testimony of their keeper, and also that of many monkeys,
" pelicans, and other respectable and defenceless animals, who
" who had lived for years in the Tower with them in undis-
" turbed security. ,For these, and other reasons, they prayed
" sons, they prayed emancipation from their present state of
" oppression and unjust confinement."
Perceiving the favourable manner in which the Petition
was listened to, and fearing, as the crowd was rapidly increas-
ing, that I might not be able to escape before the wild
beasts should be liberated, I was happy to learn that counter-
meetings had been held in Lamb's Conduit and Cateaton
streets, Nag's Head court, Houndsditch, and Cow Cross ;
at which Petitions had been voted and forwarded from
the various tame animals in the metropolis, against the
emancipation of their wild fellow-subjects in the Tower. One
of these Petitions stated, " that since the wild beasts acknow-
" ledged the Lion as their rightful Sovereign, wherever he may
" happen to be resident, and were perpetually swearing obe-
" dience to his will and commands, they could not be relied on
" as trustworthy subjects of King George IV. who was no-
" thing but a man."
A grave old gentleman entreated Honourable Members coolly
to weigh this fair objection L-he was, however, silenced by a
shrewd and powerful orator, who reminded the assembly that
the Lions, having for the last 200 years been regularly washed
every Ist of April, 'had been purged by degrees of all their na-
tural ferocity, and would certainly require nothing of their
subjects inimical to the peace of the nation at large, or to the
authority of their well-beloved human brother on the Throne.
—(A loud shout of Hear, hear !)—Having confirmed the soli-
dity of this argument, no one had courage to answer it. An-
other Petition reminded the meeting, that the wild beasts were
in the constant habit of maintaining that no faith was to be
kept either with men or tame animals ; and that they were in
the habit of taking an oath, that, should it be considered for
the good of the wild fraternity, they might tear and slaughter
other animals as a matter of conscience.

Another grave man now entreated the assembly to allow
this fact to possess its just and proper weight with them ; so
that, if they would not listen to argument, they would at least
regard a proof of such nature. A flourishing fellow, how-
ever, quashed all this by stating that what the wild beasts pro-
mised on their honour to the tame animals, or to man, was
of much more , importance than all the oaths they took to their
Creator.

After the Counter-petitions had all been read, I thought the
debate continued as follows :—" Mr. Chairman, all beasts have
" equal rights—they have been obedient subjects, and peace-
" able inhabitants."—" What do you mean ?" replied an.
other : " why, one got loose and killed the keeper's wife in the
" Tower ; and a relation of his, at Exeter 'Change, broke out,
" and ate two monkeys. Another wild beast got out near Salis-
" bury, attacked the Exeter mail-coach, tore one of the horses,
" and killed a dog ; and wherever they have got loose they have
" always done the same : and as for the Tower, if they have
" lived harmlessly there, it has been for this plain reason, that
" they have not had the power of doing mischief, which very
" power you now wish to allow them."
But, said another," they may be let out safely now, for
" they are ready to give security; they will give bonds, and
" sign and seal any thing you please."—Hang it," exclaim-
" ed another, " but they can claw it to pieces as soon as they
" have signed it."—" Sir," said one, a gentleman has most
" unjustly reproached wild beasts as bloody and ferocious in
" their -dispositions ; I can disprove such assertions altogether,
" and put beyond doubt the fact, that all wild beasts have at
" times been generous, grateful, and honourable ; in proof of
" this universal characteristic in wild beasts, I will appeal to
" the story of Androcles in history, and to the fable of the
" Bear who so carefully wisked the flies from his master's face
" while he was asleep,'
" I'll tell you what," observed an honourable Member ;
" you had better let them all out directly ; for they have grown
" so much stronger latterly than formerly, that, if you do not,
" they will soon force their way out without leave."
No one present seemed to think this argument worth answer-
ing, since all remembered our successful opposition to the
French Revolution, and the glorious end of the battle of Wa-
terloo. "I am for letting them out," said another, " because
" I din 4ure that we enjoy so much light, knowledge, and free-
" dom now, compared with what we did when England was
" covered with wolves, that people will not suffer themselves
" to be torn to pieces as they used to be formerly."
Another advocate for the claims, who had been conversant,
with many foreign menageries in the course of his life, appear-
ed to think, that, so far from their being any real grounds for
alarm, the wild beasts, when released, would, from the na-
tural principle's of gratitude and self-interest, he found among
the most orthodox, pacific, and loyal of all his Majesty's sub-
jects, and even aflbrd considerable assistance in keeping in
order certain refractory animals, who, under the present sys-
tem, were often showing their teeth, and hiving him consi-
derable trouble; and as this advocate was -knpwn to be much
in the secrets of 'Government, his notion seemed to take sur-
prisingly with all, exceyt with those who, apprehended that,
when the wild beasts should once feel their own strength, they
would set up for themselves, and only concede to this modern
champion of their claims the privilege of being devoured last.
Another Member affirmed that " times were completely
" altered, and that therefore wild, beasts' and every thing else
" must be altered too,"—" Yes," said one, " but what has
" made the alteration ? Has it not been the putting down the
", power of these ferocious animals ? If you are sensible of the
" blessings of light, freedom, security, and peace, then keep
" them while you have them ; and if so, you will continue those
" under control who have never allowed these blessings to ,
" other animals than those of their own fraternity." He also
added, " Suppose you let them out, and they should begin
" their old tricks of tearing and devouring, how are you to get
"Ahern in again ?" He was, however, silenced by cries of,
" Order, order !" and a reprimand from the Chairman, that
his expression " old tricks" was unparhamentary, and that any
reference to future evil could only be speculative.
The facts which had been 'brought forward were, however,
some likely to have soe effect on the minds of impartial
hearers, and it was therefore considered advisable to divert
them from close consideration : and, in order to effect this

I thought a lively little old man stepped forward as a
volunteer with a violin under his arm, and said, " 111r..Chair-
Man, I will sing you a song on this subject;" on which he be-
gan, and I thought I never heard a snore musical Voice than
that of the old man. He skipped round and round like a bird
on his perch, and brought such melodious sounds out of his
violin as made all the people cry out " Hear, hear.!" and clap

their hands with estady. The following, I thought, was his,
song :--

" Through this grand conciliation,
" We shall be a happy nation,
" Loving grows each savage beast,
" Grateful for our favours past.
" Blessed day when all are free !
" Let them out, my friends, and see."
Now, I suppose, it will be allowed that there was more sound
than sense in all this, yet it had such an effect on the hearers,.,
that they seemed indisposed to hear any one else, and there was
a general cry of " Question, Question !"—A Member indeed,
ventured to say, " Mr. Chairman, on a subject of this serious
"Importance to us and to our children, is it to be supposed that
" we shall allow ourselves to be fiddled out of our 'old English
" understanding and common sense ?" But, perceiving that.
he was against the question, they soon coughed him down; and
only one more speaker would they listen to : this was a bald-
headed man, who pleased them much by reminding them that
there was once a lioness who used to suffer her keeper to go
into her den whenever he pleased ; from which circumstance he
asserted it'was proved that wild beasts were by nature friendly
to mankind ; and after dwelling most forcibly on this wondrous
piece of disinterested hospitality, he added, " One good turn
deserves another."

This was enough—They were now ripe for emancipation
and strangers being ordered to withdraw, Ilvas most happy to
find it possible to obey the command, lest I should feel the fra-
ternal hug of so many lions, tigers, bears, and leopards. Just
as I was passing Allhallows Barking, I thought some one had
conveyed the joyful result of the meeting to the Tower ; and
the universal howl, growl, and scream of exultation emitted
from the dens of the various animals, terrified me so greatly
that I awoke, and behold it was a dream.