and blows are frequently administered to them; the whip is always suspended, in terrorem, over their heads; and so passive are they under the yoke, that resistance, and even expostulation, is never thought of.
I have elsewhere to mention, at due length, the injurious effects of ecclesiastical confidences and espionage, in connection with the private affairs of families. This interference is so intolerably degrading and offensive, that one can scarcely allude to the system without indignation; or note, with coolness, the wily, gloating cunning perpetually lurking on the faces of its ministers. These insidious priests worm themselves into the most hidden secrets of families, holding private interviews with the wife, imposing the most imperious commands upon the daughters, warping and influencing the minds of the sons, converting servants and dependants into spies, haunting the house in the absence of the master; and, not content with feasting on the best at his expense, privately ascertain his circumstances—estimating them by his personal expenses, his wardrobe, and even the wines in his cellar—and then levy the most burdensome dues and contributions upon his income permanently.
