CHAPTER I.The Period

Itwasthebestoftimes,itwastheworstoftimes,itwastheageofwisdom,itwastheageoffoolishness,itwastheepochofbelief,itwastheepochofincredulity,itwastheseasonofLight,itwastheseasonofDarkness,itwasthespringofhope,itwasthewinterofdespair,wehadeverythingbeforeus,wehadnothingbeforeus,wewereallgoingdirecttoHeaven,wewereallgoingdirecttheotherway—inshort,theperiodwassofarlikethepresentperiod,thatsomeofitsnoisiestauthoritiesinsistedonitsbeingreceived,forgoodorforevil,inthesuperlativedegreeofcomparisononly. Therewereakingwithalargejawandaqueenwithaplainface,onthethroneofEnglandtherewereakingwithalargejawandaqueenwithafairface,onthethroneofFrance.InbothcountriesitwasclearerthancrystaltothelordsoftheStatepreservesofloavesandfishes,thatthingsingeneralweresettledforever. ItwastheyearofOurLordonethousandsevenhundredandseventy-five.SpiritualrevelationswereconcededtoEnglandatthatfavouredperiod,asatthis.Mrs.Southcotthadrecentlyattainedherfive-and-twentiethblessedbirthday,ofwhomapropheticprivateintheLifeGuardshadheraldedthesublimeappearancebyannouncingthatarrangementsweremadefortheswallowingupofLondonandWestminster.EventheCock-laneghosthadbeenlaidonlyarounddozenofyears,afterrappingoutitsmessages,asthespiritsofthisveryyearlastpast(supernaturallydeficientinoriginality)rappedouttheirs.MeremessagesintheearthlyorderofeventshadlatelycometotheEnglishCrownandPeople,fromacongressofBritishsubjectsinAmerica:which,strangetorelate,haveprovedmoreimportanttothehumanracethananycommunicationsyetreceivedthroughanyofthechickensoftheCock-lanebrood. France,lessfavouredonthewholeastomattersspiritualthanhe