That rebellious and
ill-conditioned basso Bellew has seceded, and seduced the four best
singing boys, who now perform glees at the Cave of Harmony. Honeyman has
a right to speak of persecution, and to compare himself to a hermit in so
far that he preaches in a desert. Once, like another hermit, St. Hierome,
he used to be visited by lions. None such come to him now. Such lions as
frequent the clergy are gone off to lick the feet of other ecclesiastics.
They are weary of poor Honeyman's old sermons.
Rivals have sprung up in the course of these three years--have sprung up
round about Honeyman and carried his flock into their folds. We know how
such simple animals will leap one after another, and that it is the
sheepish way. Perhaps a new pastor has come to the church of St. Jacob's
hard by--bold, resolute, bright, clear, a scholar and no pedant: his
manly voice is thrilling in their ears, he speaks of life and conduct, of
practice as well as faith; and crowds of the most polite and most
intelligent, and best informed, and best dressed, and most selfish people
in the world come and hear him twice at least.
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