Could one believe without actual experience of the
fact, that it would be assumed by hundreds of thousands of pestilent
boobies, pandered to by politicians, that the Established Church in
Ireland has stood between the kingdom and Popery, when as a crying
grievance it has been Popery's trump-card!
"I have now growled out my growl, and feel better.
"With kind regards, my dear Trollope,
"Faithfully yours,
"CHARLES DICKENS."
* * * * *
In the December of that year came another growl, as follows:--
* * * * *
"KENNEDY'S HOTEL, EDINBURGH.
"MY DEAR TROLLOPE,--I am reading here, and had your letter forwarded
to me this morning. The MS. accompanying it was stopped at _All The
Year Round_ office (in compliance with general instructions referring
to any MS. from you) and was sent straight to the printer.
"Oh dear no! Nobody supposes for a moment that the English Church
will follow the Irish Establishment. In the whole great universe of
shammery and flummery there is no such idea floating. Everybody knows
that the Church of England as an endowed establishment is doomed, and
would be, even if its hand were not perpetually hacking at its own
throat; but as was observed of an old lady in gloves in one of my
Christmas books, 'Let us be polite or die!'
"Anthony's ambition" [in becoming a candidate for Beverley] "is
inscrutable to me.
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