A Splenid Monument Covered With Lies

He chose rather to benefit mankind.

At that time the seeds sown by the great infidels were beginning to bear fruit in France.

The eighteenth century was crowning its grey hairs with the wreath of progress.

On every hand science was bearing testimony against the Church. Voltaire had filled Europe with light; D'Holbach was giving to the elite of Paris the principles contained in his "System of Nature." The encyclopaedists had attacked superstition with information for the masses. The foundation of things began to be examined. A few had the courage to keep their shoes on and let the bush burn. Miracles began to get scarce. Everywhere the people began to enquire. America had set an example to the world. The word liberty was in the mouths of men, and they began to wipe the dust from their superstitious knees.

The dawn of a new day had appeared.

Thomas Paine went to France. Into the new movement he threw all his energies. His fame had gone before him, and he was welcomed as a friend of the human race and as a champion of free government.

He never relinquished his intention of pointing out to his countrymen the defects, absurdities, and abuses of the English government. For this purpose he composed and published his greatest political work,