The-papacy-its-history-dogmas-genius-and-prospects-wylie

PROTESTANT AND POPISH CANTONS, 481veller discovers at last that the same order invariably obtains,—thatthe rich cantons are Protestant, and the poorcantons Popish ; and he never fails to note down the factas a curious coincidence, even when he may failto perceivethat he has now reached the solution of the mystery, andthat the Popery and the demoralization before him standrelated as cause and effect. " I met a carrier one day,"says M. Roussell of Paris, speaking of his tour in Switzerland," who enumerated all the clean cantons and all thedirty ones. The man was unaware that the one list containedall the Protestant cantons, and the other all thePopish cantons."*Every one who knows anything of Genevaknows that it is crowded with thousands of laboriousand skilful artizans. Here is a picture from the oppositequarter of Switzerland,—the canton of Argau,—where thePopery settles thick and deep :— " M. Zschokke, togetherwith two Catholic gentlemen, was named inspecting visitorof the monasteries'by the Argovian government. He foundthe population around the convent of Muri the idlest, poorest,most barbarous, and most ignorant in the whole canton; a long train of able-bodied beggars of both sexes tobo seen at the doors of the monastery, dirty and in rags,receiving distributions of soup from the kitchen, but exhibitingthe lowest average both of physical and moral wellbeingthroughout the neighbouring villages." -f*It is but a few years since the author stood upon thefrontier of Sardinia ; but never can he forget the impressionmade upon his mind by that lovely but wasted country.Behind him was the far-extending chain of the Jura, withthe clouds breaking away from its summits. In the vasthollow formed by the long and gradual descent of the land,from the Jura on the one side and the mountains of Savoy onthe other, reposed in calm magnificence the lake of Geneva.Around its lovely waters ran noble banks, on which the* « New York Evangelist," 1849,t Politics of Switzeilaud, by G, Grote, Esq., p, 70 ; London, 1847.2 I