A Few Words About the Devil, and Other Biographical Sketches and Essays is a collection by British activist Charles Bradlaugh. Known for his outspoken atheism and social reform efforts, Bradlaugh discusses various subjects, including religion and biographical sketches of notable figures, presenting his unique perspective on these topics. Bradlaugh's work is both thought-provoking and controversial, offering readers a glimpse into the mind of a passionate social reformer.
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Excerpt from A Few Words About the Devil: And Other Biographical Sketches and Essays I have now no time for the full story of my army life, which, however, I may tell some day. Before I left the regiment I had won the esteem of most of the privates, and of some of the officers. I quitted the regiment with a very good character from the Colonel, but I am bound to add, that the Captain would not have coiicurred in this character had he had any voice in the matter. The lieutenant-colonel, C. P. Ainslie, earned an eternal right to grateful mention at my hands by his gentlemanly and considerate treatment. I can not say the same for my Captain, who did his best to send me to jail, and whom I have not yet quite forgiven. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
I have now no time for the full story of my army life, which, however, I may tell some day. Before I left the regiment I had won the esteem of most of the privates, and of some of the officers. I quitted the regiment with a "very good character" from the Colonel, but I am bound to add, that the Captain would not have concurred in this character had he had any voice in the matter. The Lieutenant-Colonel, C. P. Ainslie, earned an eternal right to grateful mention at my hands by his gentlemanly and considerate treatment. I can not say the same for my Captain, who did his best to send me to jail, and whom I have not yet quite forgiven. On returning to civilian life I obtained employment in the daytime with a solicitor named Rogers, and in the evening as clerk to a Building Society; and soon after entering this employ I began again to write and speak, and it was then I, to in some degree avoid the efforts which were afterward made to ruin me, took the name "Iconoclast," under which all my anti-theological work down to 1868 was done.
"God is a spirit. Jesus was led up of the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil; and it is also true that spirits are very likely to lead men to the Devil. Too intimate acquaintance with whisky toddy overnight is often followed by the delirium tremens and blue-devils on the morrow. We advise our readers to eschew alike spirituous and spiritual mixtures. They interfere sadly with sober thinking, and play the Devil with your brains." -- Charles Bradlaugh, "A Few Words About The Devil" "In a handsome volume before us, Charles Bradlaugh has 'a few words' to say 'about the Devil.' Mr. Bradlaugh has a right to his 'few words,' and the Devil will, we presume, at no very distant day, have a 'few words' to say to Mr. Bradlaugh, and will doubtless get the best of the argument." -Chicago Interior "This is rich and racy, and contains an Autobiography and fine portrait (of Mr. B., not of the Devil). The most sarcastic and humorous volume of the year....The interest in the only extant collection of his best writings will doubtless be great." -Publishers Weekly "Charles Bradlaugh, demagogue and communist, begins his book with a marvelously impudent autobiography, wherein he boasts of a lack of scholarship...he then goes on to discuss ignorantly matters which, of all others, require the most perfect erudition. He takes up the Bible, reads parts of it superficially, picks out such passages as suit his ends, puts a literal construction upon the most manifest figures of speech and poetry, blunders at every step, fails to understand the simplest idioms, insults common decency with his coarseness, and imagines he has irretrievably knocked into a cocked hat a question which for centuries has been a subject for argument among the most learned men. In short, he treats the greatest literary production the world has ever known precisely as an atheistic ploy-boy might." -The Overland Monthly "There is a considerable call for the writings of Charles Bradlaugh, and our former supply of a portion of his works was soon exhausted....The volume 'A Few Words About the Devil,' so much in demand, has been imported in sheets, and will soon be bound and ready for delivery." -Twentieth Century "His atheism is, after all, very much akin to the views put forth by Huxley and Tyndall and by Prof. John. W. Draper." - New York Graphic "His position herein is defined and defended in a spirit of reverence for the truth." -Chicago Evening Journal "To those, however, who can enjoy a vigorous presentation of the arguments against those beliefs termed orthodox, we commend Mr. Bradlaugh's essays." -Morning Democrat "We should insist, were we in any way connected with the government of theological schools, on their perusal of this work by the youth fitting under our charge for the duties and responsibilities of the pulpit. They will find Mr. Bradlaugh no common man, and they will be introduced by him to persons and thoughts which cannot fail to be of use in their professional studies." -New Haven Palladium "Displays much learning and research." -The Democrat "In fine, there is much that is noble about him." -The Advance "We have only to urge that the religious press should meet him squarely and discuss the positions taken upon their merits." -Chicago Evening Journal "Quite an interesting autobiography of Charles Bradlaugh forms the Introduction." -Sunday Journal
