DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0068
52 kirby’s wonderful museum.
relieve his mind, he spent two months in the metropolis,
from thence he went to Holland, at the time of the fair at
the Hague ; from thence he went to Spain, and resided in
the country of Catalonia, and visited the mountain of Mont-
serrat. Here he had an opportunity of seeing the luxu-
riant prodigality of nature, in beauty, fertility, and extent,
which formed a striking contrast with the misery of the in-
nabitants, their fanaticism, idleness, and licentiousness,
which even the insolence of the priests could not curb,—
notwithstanding the terror of the Inquisition, which de-
based the mind of that once high-spirited and heroic na-
tion. His active and susceptible mind was here struck with
the contrast between true philosophy, tyranny, and super?
stition. He bade farewell to Spain, and returned to England
at the close of the year ] 785. From that time to the year
1790, when he married a second time, he occupied his time in
writing and publishing, in which he met with a support sur-
passing his most sanguine expectation; and occasionally vi-
sited different parts of England, and taking short trips to the
coast of France. He now settled in London, as book and
print-seller; and having become acquainted with Thomas
Paine, had frequent correspondence with him. In the year
1792, liberty rising, and bursting the chains of despotism, he
felt himself attached to Paine, beyond the power of ever part-
ing.—Paine became an inmate in his house, and many of
his productions were written at Mr. Rickman’s house; whe-
ther the Rights of Man was one of those, we will not at-
tempt to say; but the table that Paine wrote the Rights of
Man on, is preserved by Mr. Rickman, bound, round with
brass, and having a large plate of brass on the top, with
every particular engraved, of that extraordinary book. This
table is prized by him very highly at this time; and, no
doubt, will be deemed a rich relique, by some of our irre-
ligious connoisseurs. Although Mr. Rickman had nearly
lost his liberty, by publishing the Rights of Man, and othef
relieve his mind, he spent two months in the metropolis,
from thence he went to Holland, at the time of the fair at
the Hague ; from thence he went to Spain, and resided in
the country of Catalonia, and visited the mountain of Mont-
serrat. Here he had an opportunity of seeing the luxu-
riant prodigality of nature, in beauty, fertility, and extent,
which formed a striking contrast with the misery of the in-
nabitants, their fanaticism, idleness, and licentiousness,
which even the insolence of the priests could not curb,—
notwithstanding the terror of the Inquisition, which de-
based the mind of that once high-spirited and heroic na-
tion. His active and susceptible mind was here struck with
the contrast between true philosophy, tyranny, and super?
stition. He bade farewell to Spain, and returned to England
at the close of the year ] 785. From that time to the year
1790, when he married a second time, he occupied his time in
writing and publishing, in which he met with a support sur-
passing his most sanguine expectation; and occasionally vi-
sited different parts of England, and taking short trips to the
coast of France. He now settled in London, as book and
print-seller; and having become acquainted with Thomas
Paine, had frequent correspondence with him. In the year
1792, liberty rising, and bursting the chains of despotism, he
felt himself attached to Paine, beyond the power of ever part-
ing.—Paine became an inmate in his house, and many of
his productions were written at Mr. Rickman’s house; whe-
ther the Rights of Man was one of those, we will not at-
tempt to say; but the table that Paine wrote the Rights of
Man on, is preserved by Mr. Rickman, bound, round with
brass, and having a large plate of brass on the top, with
every particular engraved, of that extraordinary book. This
table is prized by him very highly at this time; and, no
doubt, will be deemed a rich relique, by some of our irre-
ligious connoisseurs. Although Mr. Rickman had nearly
lost his liberty, by publishing the Rights of Man, and othef