Penny Dreadfuls, 1781 · page 99 of 120
A Month's Tour, &c. — page 99: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Analysis This is a page of running prose from the middle of a serialized narrative (page 99, marked "A MONTH'S TOUR"). The text consists of two paragraphs: the first offers philosophical reflection on the power of eloquent speech, praising those skilled at using the tongue to instruct and delight audiences. The second recounts a visit the narrator and a friend named W— made to a Catholic mass-house, where they witnessed religious practices they found superstitious, ridiculous, and indecent, prompting the narrator to launch a rhetorical condemnation of Catholicism for enslaving the human mind. The anti-Catholic sentiment is characteristic of period popular literature.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A MONTH’ TOUR. 99 The tongue is a moft fruitful fource of beth pleafure and pain. How truly ve- nerable is. that perfon, who has.acquired the . noble art of wielding this. fmall weapon — with fuch dexterity.,as to make it at the fame time inftruct and delight. the liftening audience. My worthy friend W- and I went to a popifh mafs-houfe. The fuperftition of the poor wretches, who frequently kiffed the floor; the inexpreffibly ridiculous fop- peries of the prieft, and the indecent filthi-. nefs of the place, gave-us fuch an abhor- rence of popery, as excited in:us.a:mixture of indignation, pity and contempt. O po— pery, what haft tHou to anfwer for, in thus. fettering and enflaving tite human mind N 2 comicbooks.com