like a pair of spectacles. My son puts these over his eyes when he reads unknown languages, and they enable him to interpret them in English. I have likewise carried in my hands the sacred breastplate. It is composed of pure gold, and is made to fit the breast very exactly.' While the old woman was thus delivering herself, I fixed my eyes steadily upon her. She faltered, and seemed unwilling to meet my glance, but gradually recovered her self-possession. The melancholy thought entered my mind that this poor old creature was not simply a dupe of her son's knavery, but that she had taken an active part in the deception. Several English and American women were in the room, and seemed to treat her with profound veneration. I produced my wonderful book. The old woman scrutinized its pages, and in an oracular manner assured me that the Lord was now bringing to light the hidden things of darkness, according to his word; that my manuscript was doubtless a revelation which had long been hidden, and which was now to be made known to the world by means of her son, the prophet Joseph. She then directed me up a steep flight of stairs into a chamber, and slowly crept up after me. She showed me a wretched cabinet, in which were four naked mummies frightfully disfigured, and in fact most disgusting relics of mortality. One (she said) was a king of Egypt, whom she named, two were his wives, and the remaining one was the daughter of another king.' I asked her by what means she became acquainted with the names and histories of these mummies. She replied,' that her son had obtained this knowledge through the mighty power of God.'"

This lady seems to be an important aid in Joseph Smith's designs. She has revelations also, and—

"Instant the bold blasphemer will translate

Her ravings into oracles of fate."

Mr. Caswall, after this edifying interview, proceeded to the official printing-office of the Mormons; from whence are issued, cum privilegio, copies of the Book of Mormon, for the benefit of the faithful. At this office the store-keeper

year

"introduced several dignitaries of the Latter-day Church,' and many other Mormons, to whom he begged me to exhibit my won. derful book. While they were examining it with great apparent interest, one of the preachers informed me that he had spent the last in England, and, with the aid of an associate, had baptized in that country 7,000 saints. He had visited the British Museum, where he affirmed that he had seen nothing so extraordinary as my wonderful book. The Mormon authorities now formally requested me to sell them the book, for which they were willing to pay a high price. This I positively refused; and they next importuned me to lend it to them, so that the prophet might translate it. They promised to give bonds to a considerable amount that it should be forthcoming whenever I requested it, but I was still deaf to their entreaties."

On the following day Mr. Caswall, in company with a Mor

mon physician of bodies, not overburthened with professional practice, whom he had met on the road, landed at Nauvoo :

6

"As I advanced (he says), with my book in my hand, numerous Mormons came forth from their dwellings, begging to be allowed to see its mysterious pages; and by the time I had reached the prophet's house, they amounted to a perfect crowd. I met Joseph Smith at a short distance from his dwelling, and was regularly introduced to him. He is a coarse, plebeian person in aspect, and his countenance exhibits a curious mixture of the knave and the clown. His hands are large and fat, and on one of his fingers he wears a massive gold ring, upon which I saw an inscription. His dress was of coarse country manufacture, and his white hat was enveloped by a piece of black crape, as a sign of mourning for his deceased brother, Don Carlos Smith, the late editor of the Times and Seasons [the Gazette of Mormonism]. His age is about thirty-five. I had not an opportunity of observing his eyes, as he appears deficient in that open, straightforward look which characterizes an honest man. He led the way to his house, accompanied by a host of elders, bishops, preachers, and common Mormons. On entering the house, chairs were provided for the prophet and myself, while the curious and gaping crowd remained standing. I handed the book to the prophet, and begged him to explain its contents. He asked me if I had any idea of its meaning. I replied that I believed it to be a Greek psalter; but that I should like to hear his opinion. No (he said), it ain't Greek at all; except, perhaps, a few words. What ain't Greek, is Egyptian; and what ain't Egyptian, is Greek. This book is very valuable. It is a dictionary of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Pointing to the capital letters at the commencement of each verse, he said: Them figures is Egyptian hieroglyphics; and them which follows is the interpretation of the hieroglyphics, written in the reformed Egyptian. Them characters is like the letters that was engraved on the golden plates.' Upon this, the Mormons around began to congratulate me on the information I was receiving. There (they said), we told you so; we told you that our prophet would give you satisfaction. None but our prophet can explain these mysteries.' The prophet now turned to me, and said, 'This book ain't of no use to you, you don't understand it.' 'O yes (I replied), it is of some use; for if I were in want of money, I could sell it, and obtain, perhaps, enough to live upon for a whole year. 'But what will you take for it?' said the prophet and his elders. My price (I replied) is higher than you would be willing to give.' What price is that?' they eagerly demanded. I replied, I will not tell you what price I would take; but if you were to offer me this moment nine hundred dollars in gold for it, you should not have it.' They then repeated their request that I should lend it to them until the prophet should have time to translate it, and promised me the most ample security; but I declined all their proposals. I placed the book in several envelopes, and as I deliberately tied knot after knot, the countenances of many among them gradually sunk into an expression of great despondency. Having exhibited the book to the prophet, I requested him in return to show

me his papyrus, and to give me his own explanation, which I had hitherto received only at second-hand! He proceeded with me to his office, accompanied by the multitude. He produced the class frames which I had seen on the previous day; but he did not appear very forward to explain the figures. I pointed to a particular hieroglyphic, and requested him to expound its meaning. No answer being returned, I looked up, and behold! the prophet had disappeared. The Mormons told me that he had just stepped out, and would probably soon return. I waited some time, but in vain; and at length descended to the street, in front of the store. Here I heard the noise of wheels, and presently I saw the prophet in his waggon, flourishing his whip, and driving away as fast as two fine horses could draw him. As he disappeared from view, enveloped in a cloud of dust, I felt that I had turned over another page in the great book of human nature."

After this picture of Joe Smith, it may be said to his followers

"There, ye wise saints, behold your light, your star,

Ye would be dupes and victims, as ye are.

Is it enough?"

The Mormons then surrounded Mr. Caswall, and several of them entered the lists in argument against him,

"and said that their preachers did not need the Bible, being inspired by the Holy Ghost. No (I said), it is not inspiration; it is a Satanic delusion. Your prophet has committed himself to-day, and I will make the fact known to the world. Would you believe a man calling himself a prophet, who should say that black is white?' No,' they replied. Would you believe him if he should say that English is French?' Certainly not.' But you heard your prophet declare that this book of mine is a dictionary of Egyptian hieroglyphics, written in characters like those of the original Book of Mormon. I know it most positively to be the Psalms of David, written in ancient Greek. Now what shall I think of your prophet?' They appeared confounded for a while; but at length the Mormon doctor said, 'Sometimes Mr. Smith speaks as a prophet, and sometimes as a mere man. If he gave a wrong opinion respecting the book, he spoke as a mere man.' I I said,Whether he spoke as a prophet or as a mere man, he has committed himself, for he has said what is not true. If he spoke as a prophet therefore, he is a false prophet. If he spoke as a mere man, he cannot be trusted, for he spoke positively and like an oracle respecting that of which he knew nothing. You have talked to me very freely respecting the Church to which I belong; but I hardly like to tell you what I think respecting your religion, lest I should hurt your feelings. Speak out,' said some. Go on,' said others. If Smith be not a true prophet (I said), you must admit that he is a gross impostor. We must,' they replied. Then I will freely tell you my opinion, so that you may not think that I intend to say at a distance what I would not say in Nauvoo itself. I think it likely that most of

you are credulous and ignorant, but well-meaning persons, and that the time at least has been when you desired to do the will of God. A knot of designing persons, of whom Smith is the centre, have imposed upon your credulity and ignorance, and you have been most thoroughly hoaxed by their artful devices. Mahomet himself was a gentleman, a Christian, and a scholar, when compared with your prophet. And oh! how mournful to look round, as I can at present, and to reflect how many have been drawn away from their homes, dragged across earth and sea, and brought to this unwholesome spot, where, with the loss of substance and of health, they are too often left to perish in wretched poverty and bitter disappointment.'

These deluded believers, too, must have miracle as well as prophecy. In Mr. Caswall's debate with them, he said to an old American, who entered the lists against him—

"You maintain that your prophet is sent to establish a third dispensation. I demand, therefore, what signs are given to prove his commission?' The old man replied that the healing of the sick, the casting out of devils, and the speaking of unknown tongues, were very frequent in the Latter-day Church.' I said that signs of that kind were of a very doubtful description, since the imagination possessed great power over the nervous system. I enquired whether Smith had ever walked across the Mississippi, or brought a dead man to life? He replied in the negative; but said, that among them the blind received their sight, and the ears of the deaf were opened. I then observed, 'You perceive that I am rather deaf, and you say that I have no faith. Now can you open my ears so that I may hear your arguments more distinctly? Immediately the old man stepped forward, and, before I was aware of his object, thrust his forefingers into my ears, and, lifting up his eyes, uttered for about a minute, in a loud voice, some unintelligible gibberish. There (he said finally), the Holy Ghost prompted me to do that, and now you have heard the unknown tongue.' my hearing is not improved,' I said. That (he replied) is because you have no faith. If ever you believe the Book of Mormon, you will immediately recover perfect hearing, through the gift of the Holy Ghost.'

But

But our readers have had enough of this disgusting levity. From all this craving for miracle, it appears that the sarcastic bitterness of language, in which the poet makes the veiled prophet speak as follows, applies to the followers of Joe Smith:

"Ye, too, believers of incredible creeds,

Whose faith enshrines the monsters which it breeds;
Who, bolder ev'n than Nimrod, think to rise,
By nonsense heap'd on nonsense, to the skies;
Ye shall have miracles, aye, sound ones too,
Seen, heard, attested, everything-but true.

Your preaching zealots, too, inspired to seek
One grace of meaning for the things they speak;

They shall have mysteries-aye, precious stuff
For knaves to thrive by-mysteries enough,
Dark, tangled doctrines, dark as fraud can weave,
Which simple votaries shall on trust receive,
While craftier feign belief, till they believe."

Of course his followers could not have supposed of Joseph Smith, that, however able he might be to condescend to "speak as a mere man," he could be guilty of the frailties of one, or that the "servant of the Lord" was a servant also of the rosy god; and that, like Mokanna, in his retirement

"Beside him, 'stead of beads and books of prayer,

Which the world fondly thought he mused on, there
Stood vases, filled with Kishmee's golden wine,
And the red weepings of the Shiraz vine;

Of which his curtain'd lips full many a draught
Took zealously."

But hear Mr. Caswall :

"Before the Mormons settled in the vicinity, no shop for the sale of spirituous liquors had been established in Montrose. This is a town on the opposite side of the river to Nauvoo.] After their arrival, two of their preachers commenced a grog-shop in that place, which was principally supported by the Latter-day Saints. In September, 1841, the prophet, being in Montrose, became intoxicated at this shop. While in this condition he told the bystanders that he could drink them all drunk,' and requested the shopkeeper to treat all his friends at his expense."

We hope Father Mathew will look to this. But Mr. Caswall continues

"On another occasion, having been discharged from arrest through informality in the writ requiring his apprehension for high treason against the state of Missouri, Smith gave a party at Monmouth; and, after a regular frolic with his lawyers and friends,' became thoroughly intoxicated. Being asked how it was that he, a prophet of the Lord, could get drunk, he replied, that it was necessary he should do so, in order to prevent his followers from worshipping him as a god (!)

..About two years since, at a political convention, held in Nauvoo, the prophet became intoxicated, and was led home by his brother Hyrum [rum name]. On the following Sunday he acknowledged the fact in public. He said that he had been tempted, and had drank too much; but that he had yielded to the temptation for the following reason:-Several of the elders had got drunk, and had never made confession; but he was desirous of getting drunk and confessing it, in order to set the elders a good example."