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THE 


ENGLISH  REVIEW. 


VOL.  XV. 


DECEMBER— JUNE. 


•  '.     •*     •-" 

*  •     '  •    Z  '        -   .     - 


LONDON: 

FRANCIS  &  JOHN  RIVINGTON, 
ST.  Paul's  church  yard,  &  waterlog  place. 

1851. 


LONDON : 
GILBERT    &    RIYINGTON,  PRINTERS, 

ST.  John's  square. 


•  t 

•   * 


•  • 


•    • 


•    • 


•  •    • 

•  ••  • 


•  <  •  > 

« 


"  •   • ••  • 

•  •  •     •  . 

•  •  •••  • 

•  *  • 


•     «  t 

• 


•  • 


•  •  !  •    •  • 

•  •  •.,  •  •  •.,  •, . 

•     •    •  • 


•  • 


•  •       • 

•  •      • 


INDEX 


OF 


BOOKS    REVIEWED. 


^«*  For  remarkable  Passages  in  the  Criticisms,  Extracts,  Notices,  and 
Intelligence,  see  the  Index  at  the  end  of  the  Volume. 


Aehilli — Dealing*  with  the  Inquisition!  or, 
Papal  Rome,  her  Priests  and  her  Jesuits; 
with  Important  Disclosures,  By  the  Rev. 
Giacinto  Aehilli,  D.D.,  late  Prior  and 
Visitor  of  the  Dominican  Order,  322. 

Adult  Evening  Schools — J  Letter  to  the 
Bishop  of  fforwich.  By  a  Country 
Curate,  221. 

Albertus  Magnus— The  Treatise  of,— -"Of 
Adhering  to  God"  A  translation  ttova. 
the  Latin,  214. 

Amari — History  of  the  War  of  the  Sicilian 
Vespers.  By  Michele  Amari.  Bdited, 
with  Introduction  and  Notes,  by  the 
Earl  of  Ellesmere,  25. 

Ancient  Coins  and  Medals — An  Historical 
Sketchofthe  Origin  and  Progress  of  Coin' 
ing  Money  in  Greece  and  the  Colonies, 
By  Henry  Noel  Humphreys,  192. 

Anderson — "  The  Present  Crisis  ;"  Four 
Sermons.  By  the  Rev.  J.  S.  M.  An- 
derson, 220. 

Angels — Lectures  on  the  Scripture  Revela- 
tions respecting  Good  and  Evil  Angels, 
By  a  Country  Pastor,  212. 

"  Assertions  not  Proofs  "> — An  Examina- 
tion of  the  Rev,  D.  Wilson's  Appeal,  221. 

Auricular  Confession — A  Sermon.  With 
Notes  and  an  Appendix.  By  W.  F. 
Hook,  D.D.,  Vicar  of  Leeds,  249. 

Bainhridge  Smith— The  Church  in  the 
World;  or,  the  Living  among  the  Dead, 
By  the  Rev.  J.  Bainbridge  Smith,  M.A., 
Vice-President  of  King's  College,  Nova 
Scotia,  195. 

Baines — "  Danger  to  the  Faith ;"  a  Ser- 
mon at  Haverstock'hiU.  By  the  Rev.  J. 
Baines,  220. 

Baker — A  Plea  for  "  Romanizers,**  so- 
called.  A  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of 
London.     By  the   Rev.  Arthur  Baker, 

in. 

Beaven — Elements  of  Natural  Theology. 

By  James  Beaven,  D.D.,  Professor   of 

Divinity  in   King's   College,  Toronto, 

192. 
Bennett,    Rev.    W.    J,    E. — A  Farewell 

Letter  to  his  Parishioners,  111. 


Berens — Twenty-three  Short  Lectures  on 
the  Church  Catechism.  By  Archdeteon 
Berens,  207* 

Bishop  of  London,  Charge  of  the,  in  1842, 

in. 

Bishop  of  London,  Charge  of  the,  in  No- 
vember,  1850,  111. 

Borrow — Lavengro :  the  Scholar,  the 
Gipsy,  the  Priest.  By  George  Borrow. 
Author  of  <*  The  Bible  in  Spain,"  862. 

Bosanquet — "  Substance  of  a  Speech  ai  a 
Public  Meeting  at  Monmouth."  By 
Samuel  Bosanquet,  Esq.,  220. 

Butler^The  Annals  of  Ireland  by  Friar 
John  Clyn,  of  the  Convent  of  Friare 
Minors,  Kilkenny  ;  and  Thady  Dowling, 
Chancellor  of  Leightin.  With  Intro- 
ductory Remarks.  By  the  Very  Rev. 
Richard  Butler,  Dean^of  Clonmacnois, 
282. 

Byam — Wild  Life  in  the  Interior  of  Cen- 
tral America.  By  George  Byam,  late 
Forty-third  Light  Infantry,  443. 

Calendar  of  St,  Augustine's  College,  the,  223. 

Calendar  of  the  Anglican  Church  lUus- 
trated,  the ;  with  brief  <iecounts  of  the 
Saints  who  have  Churches  dedicated  in 
their  names,  or  whose  Images  are  most 
frequently  met  with  in  England;  the 
Early  Christian  and  Mediaval  Symbolsg 
and  an  Index  of  Emblems,  185. 

Canary  Islands — Notes  of  a  Residence  in 
the  J — in  the  South  of  Spain,  and  in 
Algiers ;  Illustrative  of  the  State  of  /2e- 
ligion  in  those  Countries.  By  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Debary,  M.A.,  411. 

Carter— A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  J.  F,  Wil- 
kinson, Priest  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Chapel  at  Clewer,  in  answer  to  Remarks 
addressed  by  him  to  the  Parishioners, 
By  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Carter,  Rector  of 
Clewer,  436. 

Carter — The  Pattern  showed  on  the  Mount; 
or,  Thoughts  of  Quietness  and  Hope  for 
the  Church  of  England  in  her  Latter 
Days,  By  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Carter,  M.A., 
Rector  of  Clewer,  Berks,  442. 

^  Cautions  for  the  Timet,"  2SA. 


IV 


INDEX. 


Central  America — Wild  Life  in  the  In" 
terior  of.  By  George  Byam,  late  Forty- 
third  Light  Infantry,  443. 

Chronological  New  Testament,  the, — In 
which  the  Text  of  the  Authorized  Fer- 
sum  is  only  divided  into  paragraphs  and 
sections,  with  the  dates  and  places  of 
transactions  marked,  ^c,  211. 

Church — A  Scripture  Catechism  upon  the  ; 
wherein  the  Answers  are  in  the  Words 
qf  the  Bible,  184. 

Church  in  the  World,  the  ;  or,  the  Living 
among  the  Dead,  By  the  Rev.  J.  Bain- 
bridge  Smith,  M.A.,  Vice-President  of 
King's  College,  Nova  Scotia,  195. 

Classical  Antiquities,  the  Museum  of — A 
Quarterly  Journal  of  Architecture  and 
the  Sister  Branches  of  Classic  Art,  No.  I. 
216. 

ColUngwood — The  Church  Apostolic,  Pri- 
mitive, and  Anglican :  a  Series  of  Ser- 
mons, By  the  Rev.  John  ColUngwood, 
M.A.,  Minister  of  Duke-street  Epis- 
copal Chapel,  Westminster,  339. 

Cox-^Bihlical  Commentary  on  St,  PauVs 
First  and  Second  Epistles  to  the  Corin- 
thians, By  Herman  Olshausen,  D.D. 
Translated  by  the  Rev.  John  Edmund 
Cox,  M.A.,  202. 

Cox — Poems,  Legendary  and  Historical, 
By  Edward  H.  Freeman,  M.A.,  and 
the  Rev.  George  W.  Cox.,  S.C.L.,  207. 

Coxe — Thoughts  on  Important  Church 
Subjects:  Seven  Lectures.  By  R.  C. 
Coxe,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Newcastle-on- 
Tyne,  216. 

Cramp — A  Text-Book  of  Popery :  compris- 
ing a  Brief  History  of  the  Council  of 
Trent,  and  a  Complete  View  of  Roman 
Catholic  Theology,  By  J.  M.  Cramp, 
D.D.,  449. 

Cultus  AnimcB ;  or,  the  Arraying  rf  the 
Soul:  being  Prayers  and  Meditations 
which  may  be  used  in  Church  before  and 
after  Service,  adapted  to  the  Days  <fthe 
Week,  184. 

Cffmry — Ecclesiastical  Antiquities  of  the; 
or,  the  Ancient  British  Church ;  its 
History,  Doctrine,  and  Rites.  By  the 
Rev.  John  Williams,  M.A.,  Perpetual 
Curate  of  Nerquis,  1. 

D,  C.  L, — Letters  of,'  Reprinted  from  the 
*' Morning  Chronicle,"  111. 

Dehary — Notes  of  a  Residence  in  the 
Canary  Islands,  the  States  of  Spain  and 
Algiers  ;  illustrative  of  the  State  of  Re- 
ligion in  those  Countries,  By  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Debary,  M.A.,  411. 

De  Havilland—**  Rome's  Outworks,**  By 
the  RcT.  De  Havilland,  220. 


Dodsworth — A  few  Comments  on  Dr, 
Pusey*s  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London. 
By  William  Dodsworth,  M.A.,  249. 

Dodsworth  —  Further  Comments  on  Dr. 
Pusey*s  Renewed  Explanations.  By 
William  Dodsworth,  M.A.,  249. 

Drummond — Speech  of  Henry  Drummond, 
Esq,,  M.P.f  in  the  House  of  Commons y 
on  the  Second  Reading  of  the  Ecclesias- 
tical Titles  BiU,  451. 

Edwards — A  Letter  to  the  London  Union 
on  Church  Matters.  By  the  Rev.  Ed- 
ward Edwards,  Rector  of  Penegoes, 
219. 

Emancipator — "  The  Glorious  Liberty  of 
the  Children  of  God,"  By  Emancipator, 
219. 

Epistle  to  the  Romans  —  A  Commentary 
on  the;  with  a  New  Translation  and 
Explanatory  Notes.  By  William  Wi- 
thers Ewbank,  M.A.,  195. 

Ewbank — A  Commentary  on  the  Epistle  of 
Paul  the  Apostle  to  the  Romans;  with 
a  New  Translation,  and  Explanatory 
Notes,   By.  W.  W.  Ewbank,  M. A.,  195. 

Faber — Papal  Infallibility;  a  Letter  to 
the  Dignitary  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  in 
Reply  to  a  Communication  received  from 
him.  By  G.  S.  Faber,  B.D.,  Master  of 
Sherborne  Hospital,  217* 

Faith  and  Practice  !  being  Sunday  Thoughts 
in  Verse,     By  a  Country  Curate,  194. 

Family  Almanac  for  1851,  223. 

Fisher — Two  Sermons  on  Papal  Aggression, 
By  the  Rev.  Osmond  Fisher,  223. 

Flower — "  The  Prayers  to  be  Said  or 
Sung,"   By  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Flower,  221. 

Forbes — A  Commentary  on  the  Te  Deum ; 
chiefly  from  Ancient  Sources.  By  A.  P. 
Forbes,  D.C.L.,  Bishop  of  Brechin,  21 5. 

Freeman — An  Essay  on  the  Origin  and 
Development  of  Window  Tracery  in 
England:  with  nearly  Four  Hundred 
Illustrations.  By  Edward  A.  Freeman, 
M.A.,  193. 

Freeman — Poems,  Legendary  and  His- 
torical.  By  Edward  H.  Freeman,  M.A., 
and  the  Rev.  George  W.  Cox.,  S.C.L., 
207. 

Gaussen — ^* It  is  Written;"  or,  Every 
Word  and  Expression  contained  in  the 
Scriptures  proved  to  be  from  God. 
From  the  French  of  Professor  Gaussen, 
191. 

Girdlestone — Scripture  Politics;  a  Sermon. 
By  the  Rev.  C.  Girdlestone,  223. 

GleadaUSt,  PauFs  Prediction  qf  the 
FalUng-away,   and  the  Man  qf  Sin: 


INDEX. 


Four  Lechtres,  By  the  Kev.  W.  Glea« 
dall,  M.A.,  219. 

Green — Lives  of  the  Princesses  of  Eng- 
land from  the  Norman  Conquest.  By 
Mary  Ann  Everett  Green,  Editor  of 
the  **  Letters  of  Royal  and  Illustrious 
Ladies/'  378. 

Gutck — "Sound  an  Alarm;**  a  Sermtnu 
By  the  Rev.  C.  Gutch,  219. 

Haddon — The  Church  Patient  in  her  Mode 
of  Dealing  with  Controversies :  a  Ser- 
mon Preached  before  the  University,  at 
St.  Mary*Sf  Oxford,  on  St.  Stephen's 
Day,  1850.  By  Arthur  W.  Haddon, 
B.D.,223.    449. 

Harcourt — Lectures  on  the  Four  Gospels 
Harmonised.  By  the  Rev.  L.  Vernon 
Harcourt,  M.A.,  209. 

Harrison — Privileges,  Duties,  and  Perils 
in  the  English  Branch  of  the  Church  of 
Christ  at  the  Present  Time ;  Six  Ser- 
mons preached  in  Canterbury  Cathedral. 
By  Benjamin  Harrison,  M.A.,  Arch- 
deacon of  Maidstone,  213. 

Hazlitt — The  Dramatic  Works  of  William 
Shakspeare,from  the  Text  of  Johnson, 
Steevens,  and  Reed;  with  Glossarial 
Notes,  Life,  8(c.  By  William  Hazlitt, 
Esq.,  105. 

Hints  for  Happy  Hours  ;  or,  Amusements 
for  all  Ages,  211. 

Hodgson — A.  Plea  for  United  Responding 
in  the  Public  Worship.  By  Rev.  J.  F. 
Hodgson,  221. 

Hoffman — Tales  for  my  Cousin,  translated 
and  adapted  from  the  German  of  Franz 
Hoffman.  By  Francis  M.  Wilbraham, 
212. 

Hook — An  Ecclesiastical  Biography,  con- 
taining the  Lives  of  the  Ancient  Fathers 
and  Modern  Divines,  interspersed  with 
Notices  of  Heretics  and  Schismatics.  By 
Walter  Farquhar  Hook,  D.D.,  210. 

Hook — Auricular  Confession;  a  Sermon, 
with  Notes,  and  an  Appendix.  By 
W.  F.  Hook,  D.D.,  Vicar  of  Leeds, 
249. 

Hoskyns  —  A  Sermon  preached  in  the 
Parish  Church  of  Cuddesden,  at  the 
Ordination  held  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Oxford,  on  Sunday,  March  16,  1851. 
By  the  Rev.  H.  Hoskyns,  M.A.,  Rector 
of  Aston  Tyrrold,  Berks,  449. 

Humphreys — Ancient  Coins  and  Medals; 
an  Historical  Sketch  of  the  Origin  and 
Progress  of  Coining  Money  in  Greece 
and  her  Colonies,  192. 

Humphrey — The  Early  Progress  of  the 
Gospel ;  in  Eight  Sermons,  preached  be- 
fore the   Univerntff  qf  Cambridge,  in 


1850.  By  WilUanhGilson  Homphrey^ 
B.D.,  250. 

Hussey—The  Rise  of  the  Papal  Power 
Traced,  in  Three  Lectures.  By  Robert 
Hussey,  B.D.,  Regius  Professor  of  Ec- 
clesiastical History,  199. 

Hymnarium  Sarisburiense,  cum  Rubricis  et 
Notis  Musicis,  20?. 

Ireland — Eleventh  Report  of  the  Church 
Education  Society, for;  being  for  the  Year 
1850,  282. 

Irish  Church  Missions — Early  Fruits  qf;  a 
Letter  from  on  Eye-witness  after  a  Mis^ 
sionary  Tour  during  June  and  July, 
1810,  282. 

Irish  Church  Mission  Society — Rise  and 
Progress  qf:  the  Reformation  in  Comte- 
mara,  Dublin,  8[c,,  and  the  Journal  qf  o 
Tour  in  company  with  the  Rev.  R.  C. 
Dallas,  M.A.,  in  June,  1850,  282. 

Ingle  —  "  Puseyites "  (so-called),  no 
Friends  to  Popery.  By  Rev.  J.  Ingle, 
221. 

Jackson — A  First  Series  of  Practical  Ser^ 
mons.  By  the  Rev.  Frederick  Jackson, 
Incumbent  of  Parson  Drove,  Isle  of 
Ely,  2G2. 

Jackson — Repentance :  its  Necessity,  Na- 
ture, and  Aids:  A  Course  of  Sermons 
preached  in  Lent.  By  John  Jackson, 
M.A.,  Rector  of  St.  James's,  West- 
minster, 451. 

Jarvis — The  Church  of  the  Redeemed;  or, 
the  History  of  the  Mediatorial  Kingdom. 
Vol,  I.  By  the  Rev.  Samuel  Farmer 
Jarvis,  D.D.,  206. 

Joyce — Hymns,  with  Notes,  By  James 
Joyce,  A.M.,  Vicar  of  Dorking,  214. 

Kenneth ;  or,  the  Rear-  Guard  of  the  Grand 
Army.  By  the  Author  of  "  Scenes  and 
Characters,"  189. 

King — Poems.     By  Mary  Ada  King, 204 

Lavengro:  the  Scholar,  the  Gipsy,  the 
Priest,  By  George  Borrow,  Author  of 
"  The  Bible  in  Spain,"  362. 

Lays  of  Palestine,  207. 

Lectures  on  the  Characters  of  our  Lord's 
Apostles,  and  especially  their  Conduct 
at  the  time  of  his  Apprehension  and 
Trial     By  a  Country  Pastor,  199. 

Lelio — A  Vision  of  Reality  ;  Hervor,  and 
other  Poems,     By  Patrick  Scott,  178. 

Letter  to  Lord  Ashley,  a.  By  a  Lay 
Member  of  the  Church  of  England, 
221. 

Lewis — Family  Prayers,  composed  from 
the  Book  qf  Ptalmt,  by   a   La<)maiv. 


vi 


INDEX. 


Edited  by  O.  W.  Lewls^  M.A.,  Vicar 

of  Crick,  208. 
Lights  on  the  JUar,     By  a  Layman,  221. 
LMtay-^Drfenee  rf  the  Orthodox  Party 

in  the  Church  qf  England.     By  Hon. 

Colin  Lindsay,  22L 
Lord  John  Russell  —  Speech  on  Papal 

Aggression,  delivered  in  the  House  of 

Commons,  Feb,  7,  1851,  163. 
Lower — The  Chronicle  of  Battel  Abbey 

from  1066  to  1076;  now  first  translated, 

with  Notes,  and  an  Abstract  of  the  sub^ 

sequent  History  of  the  Establishment. 

By  Mark  Anthony  Lower,  M.A.,  210. 
Lomas  —  The    Unfruitful    Vineyard,     A 

Sermon,     By  the  Rev.  H.  Lomas,  221. 

Maberly — On  the  Mode  of  Improving  Pre- 
sent  Opportunities,  By  the  Rev.  T.  A. 
Maberly,  220. 

M*Corry—  Was  St,  Peter  ever  at  Rome  f 
By  the  Rev.  J.  S.  M'Corry,  220. 

MaUland — Passages  in  the  Life  qf  Mrs, 
Margaret  Maitland,  187. 

Markland ;  a  Story  of  Scottish  Life.  By 
the  Author  of  '*  Passages  in  the  Life  of 
Mrs.  Margaret  Maitland/'  187. 

Marriott — The  True  Cause  of  Dishonour  to 
the  Church  of  England,  By  the  Rev. 
C.  Marriott,  221. 

Martineau — No  Need  of  a  Living  Infalli- 
ble Guide  in  Matters  of  Faith  ;  a  series 
qf  Sermons  recently  preached  in  Whit' 
kirk  Church,  By  the  Rev.  Arthur 
Martineau,  M.A.,  216. 

MUmtut^The  Way  through  the  Desert; 
or,  the  Caravan.  By  the  Rev.  R.  Mil- 
man,  M.A.,  214. 

Monro— Parochial  Work,  By  the  Rev. 
E.  Monro,  M.A.,  Incumbent  of  Harrow 
Weald,  Middlesex,  149. 

Morgan — A  Vindication  of  the  Church  qf 
England:  in  Reply  to  Viscount  Field- 
ing,  on  his  recent  Secession  to  the  Church 
of  Rome.  By  the  Rev.  R.  W.Morgan, 
212. 

Moultrie — St.  Mary  the  Virgin  and  the 
Wife,  a  Poem.  By  the  Rev.  J.  Moul- 
trie, 219. 

Moultrie— The  Black  Fever,  a  Poem.  By 
the  Rev.  J.  Moultrie,  219. 

Naturalist,  the,  a  Monthly  Magasdne. 
Edited  by  Dr.  Morris,  23a 

Neale — List  of  all  the  Sees  of  the  Eastern 
Church.    By  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Neale,  223. 

Newland — Memorial  of  the  Churchwardens 
of  Westboume.  By  the  Rev.  H.  New- 
land,  221. 

Newland—  Whom  has  the  Pope  aggrieved  f 
By  the  Rev.  H.  NtwUmdi  no. 


Old  Country  House,  an,  185, 

Olshausen — Biblical  Commentary  on  St. 
PauVs  First  and  Second  Epistles  to  the 
Corinthians.  By  Herman  Olshausen, 
D.D.  Translated  by  the  Rev.  John 
Edmund  Cox,  M.A.,  202. 

Palmer — Letters  on  some  of  the  Errors  of 
Romanism,  in  Controversy  with  the  Rev. 
Nicholas  Wiseman,  D.D,  By  William 
Palmer,  M.A.,  Prebendary  of  Salisbury, 
and  Vicar  of  Whitchurch  Canonico- 
ruro,  437. 

Papal  Aggression,  Historical  and  PrcKti- 
cat  Remarks  on  the,  220. 

Papal  Aggression — Speech  of  the  Right 
Hon,  Lord  John  Russell,  delivered  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  Feb.T,  1851, 163. 

Papal  Aggression,  the  Peril  of.  By  An- 
glican us,  220. 

Papal  Aggression^  Two  Sermons  on.  By 
the  Rev.  Osmond  Fisher,  223. 

Papal  Aggressions ;  how  they  should  he 
met.  By  a  Member  of  the  United 
Church  of  England  and  Ireland,  220. 

Papal  Power,  the  Rise  of  the,  traced,  in 
Three  Lectures,  By  Robert  Hussey, 
B.D.,  Regius  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical 
History,  199. 

Parochial  Papers  on  Missions,  223. 

Parochial  Work.  By  the  Rev.  E.  Monro, 
M.A.,  Incumbent  of  Harrow  Weald,  149. 

Paul — Hand- Book  of  Mediaval  Geography 
and  History.  By  Wilhelm  Piitz,  Prin- 
cipal Tutor  at  the  Gymnasium  of  Diiren. 
Translated  by  the  Rev.  R.  B.  Paul, 
M.A.,  194. 

Pedder — The  Position  of  our  Church  as  to 
Rome.  By  the  Rev.  Wilson  Pedder,  220. 

Peile — **  The  Church  of  England,  not 
High  not  Low,  but  Broad  as  the  Com- 
mandmentof  God:**  aLetierto  the  Prime 
Minister.     By  T.  W.  Peile,  D.D.,  220. 

Perceval — Earl  Greifs  Circular.  By  Dud- 
ley M.  Perceval,  Esq.,  220. 

Pew  Question,  the,  223. 

Plain  Christian* s  Manual,  a;  or,  Six  Plain 
Sermons  on  Early  Piety,  the  Sacra- 
ments, and  Man's  Latter  End :  Uncon- 
troversial,  but  suited  to  the  Present  Time. 
By  John  Wood  Warter,  B.D.,  48. 

Plain  Protestant* s  Manual,  a ;  or,  Certain 
Plain  Sermons  on  the  Scriptures,  the 
Church,  the  Sacraments,  Sfc.  By  John 
Wood  Warter,  B.D.,  434. 

Popery,  a  Text  Book  of;  comprising  a 
Brief  History  of  the  Council  of  Trent, 
and  a  Complete  View  of  Roman  Catholic 
Theology.    By  J.  M.  Cramp,  D.D.,  449. 

Prineeues  qf  England  from  the  Norman 
Cemfmtif  Lkee  qfihe.    By  Mary  Anne 


INDEX. 


vii 


Ererett  Green,  Editor  of  '*  The  Letters 
of  Aojral  and  Illiutrioiu  Ladies,"  97a 
Pusey—J  Letter  to  the  BUhop  of  L<mdon, 
M  Expkmatim  of  tome  Statements  eon- 
tamed  in  a  Letter  by  the  Rev.  W,  Dode- 
worii.    By  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D., 
203. 
Ptuey,  Rev.  E.  B. — Entire  Jbtolution  of 
the  Penitent ;  a  Sermon^  preached  he- 
fore  the  University  of  Oxford.    By  the 
Rey.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D.,  249. 
Pusey,  Rev.  E.  B. — The  Church  rf  Eng- 
land  leaves  her  Children  free  to  whcm  to 
open  their  Grirfs :  a  Letter  to  the  Rev. 
W.  A.  Richards.    By  the  Rev.  E.  B. 
Posey,  D.D.,  249. 
Pusey,  Rev.  E.  B. — A  Letter  to  the  Bishop 

qf  London,  249. 
Pusey,  Rev.  E.  B.^-Renewed  Explana- 
tions in  consequence  of  Mr.  Dodsworth*s 
Cowtments.  By  Dr.  Pusey,  249. 
PUlz — Hand- Book  of  Mediaeval  Geography 
and  History.  By  Wilhelm  Pitz,  Prin- 
cipal Tutor  at  the  Gymnasium  of  Dii- 
ren.  Translated  by  the  Rev.  R.  B. 
Paul,  194. 

Rawnsley—Sermonst  chiefly  Catechetical, 
By  the  Rev.  R.  Drummond  Rawnsley^ 
M.  A.,  Vicar  of  Shiplake,  208. 

Readings  for  every  Day  in  Lent/  compiled 
from  the  Writings  of  Bishop  Jeremy 
Taylor.  By  the  Author  of  ^*  Amy  Her- 
bert," 196. 

Robins — An  Argument  for  the  Royal  Su- 
premacy. By  the  Rev.  Sanderson 
Robins,  M.A.,  206. 

Rogers — Jesus  Christ  the  sole  Mediator 
virtually  denied  by  Roman  Catholics  ;  a 
Sermon.  By  J.  Rogers,  M.A.,  Canon 
Residentiary  of  Exeter  Cathedral,  450. 

Rogers — Roman  Catholics  hostile  to  the 
Free  Use  of  the  Bible;  a  Sermon, 
preached  in  Exeter  Cathedral.  By  J. 
Rogers,  M.  A.,  Canon  Residentiary,  460. 

Roman  Catholic  Claims,  as  involved  in  the 
Recent  Aggression,  impartially  consi- 
dered, 8fc.     By  Amicus  Veritatis,  451. 

Roman  Catholics  hostile  to  the  Free  Use  of 
the  Bible;  a  Sermon,  preached  in  Exeter 
Cathedral.  By  J.  Rogers,  M.A.,  Canon 
Residentiary,  450. 

Romanism,  Progress  of  Beguilement  to  ;  a 
Personal  Narrative.  By  Eliza  Smith, 
Authoress  of  **  Five  Years  a  Catholic," 
436. 

Romanizers,  a  Plea  for,  so  called;  a  Let- 
ter to  the  Bishop  rf  London,  By  the 
Rev.  Arthur  Baker,  111. 

Royal  Supremacy,  an  Argument  for  the.  By 
the  Rev.  Sandersoa  Robins,  M,A,,  306, 


RMsHn-Sotes  em  the  ConsHtutiem  iff 
Sheepfolds.     By  J.  Raskin,  221. 

Ruskin — Seven  Lamps  rf  Arehiteetmre. 
By  John  Raskin,  66. 

Sandby-^A  Practical  Address  on  Recent 
and  Coming  Events  unthin  the  ChurdL 
By  the  Rev.  George  Sandby,  321. 

Scoresby — Memorials  of  the  Sea:  my 
Father :  being  Records  of  the  Adventm^ 
rous  Life  qf  the  late  Willian  Scoresby, 
Esq.,  rf  Whitby,  By  his  Son,  the  Rev. 
W.  Scoresby,  D.D.,  462. 

Scott—Lelio,  a  Vision  rf  Reality ;  Herva; 
and  other  Poems.  By  Patrick  Scott, 
178. 

Scott — Twelve  Sermons.  By  Robert  Scott, 
M.A.  Prebendary  of  Exeter,  208. 

Seven  Days,  the ;  or,  the  Old  and  New 
Creation.  By  the  Author  of  ^  The 
Cathedral/'  189. 

Seymour — TJie  Talbot  Case;  an  AuthorU' 
tative  and  Suecinet  Account  from  1899  to 
the  Chancellor's  Judgment :  with  Notes 
and  Observations,  and  a  Prrfaee.  By 
the  Rev.  W.  Hobart  Seymour,  451. 

Shirley — Original  Letters  and  Papers  in 
Illustration  of  the  History  rf  the  Church 
in  Ireland  during  the  Reigns  of  Edward 
ri„  Mary,  and  Elizabeth.  Edited, 
with  Notes  from  Autographs  in  the 
State  Paper  Office,  by  Evelyn  Philip 
Shiriey,  Esq.,  282. 

Shirley-'Sermons.  By  the  late  Walter 
Augustus  Shirley,  D.D.,  Lord  Bishop 
of  Sodor  and  Man,  206. 

Sicilian  Vespers,  History  of  the  War  of  the. 
By  Michele  Amari.  Edited,  with  In- 
troduction and  Notes,  by  the  Earl  of 
EUesmere,  25. 

Simmons— The  Working  Classes;  their 
Moral,  Social,  and  Intellectual  Condi-' 
tion;  with  practical  Suggestions  for 
their  Improvement,  By  G.  Simmons, 
Civil  Engineer,  149. 

Sinclair — A  Series  rf  Texts,  arranged  for 
Prayer  and  Praise,  in  the  Hope  of 
affording  Guidance  and  Consolation  in 
Seasons  of  Difficulty,  Trial,  and  AffHc" 
tion.  By  a  Lady.  Edited  by  the  Rev. 
W.  Sinclair,  215. 

Smith — Progress  of  Beguilement  to  Roman- 
ism; a  Personal  Narrative.  By  Eliza 
Smith,  Authoress  of  **  Five  Years  a 
Catholic,"  486. 

Smith — Remarks  on  the  Influence  of  Tract- 
arianism,  or  Church  Principles,  so 
called,  in  promoting  Secessions  to  the 
Church  of  Rome.  By  the  Rev.  Theyre 
T.  Smith,  M.A.,  219. 

5S9f/atn—Hikif  brand  (,Pi>p«  Gregory  KU.^ 


•  •• 

VUl 


INDEX. 


and  the  Excommunicated  Emperor.    A 
Tale.    By  Joseph  Sortain,  A.B.,  203. 

Southey — The  Life  and  Correspondence  of 
the  late  Robert  Southey,  In  Six  Vo- 
lumes. Edited  by  his  Son,  the  Rev. 
Charles  Cuthbert  Southey,  77* 

Speculation,  189. 

Statement  of  the  Clergy  nf  St.  Saviour* s, 
Leeds,  221. 

Stanhope — A  Paraphrase  and  Comment 
upon  the  Epistles  and  Gospels  appointed 
to  be  used  in  the  Church  of  England  on 
all  Sundays  and  Holidays  throughout 
the  Year.  By  George  Stanhope,  D.D., 
sometime  Dean  of  Canterbury.  A  New 
Edition,  449. 

Stephen — A    popular    Exposition   of  the 
Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of 
England,    By  Thomas  Stephen,  Medi- 
cal  Librarian  of  King's  College,  London, 
211. 

Stuart — What  is  the  Church?  a  Sermon. 
By  the  Rev.  Edward  Stuart,  219. 

Substance  of  Speeches  at  Bridgend  and 
Newport,  223. 

Talbot  Case,  the;  an  Authoritative  and 
Succinct  Account  from  1839  to  the  Chan- 
cellor's Judgment:  with  Notes,  and 
Observations,  and  a  Preface.  By  the 
Rev.  M.  Hobart  Seymour,  451. 

Thirty-nine  Articles — A  popular  ExpO" 
sition  of  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the 
Church  of  England,  By  Thomas  Ste- 
phen, 2*11. 

Thorpe — A  Review  of  the  Rev.  W.  J.  C, 
Bennett's  Letter.  By  W.  Thorpe,  D.D., 
221. 

Thucydides,  an  Analysis  and  Summary  of. 
By  the  Author  of  "  An  Analysis  and 
Summary  of  Herodotus,"  192. 

Tractarian  Tendencies.  By  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Worthington,  221. 

Trevor — Parly  Spirit.  By  the  Rev. 
Canon  Trevor,  221. 

Turner — The  Hunting  and  Finding  Out 
qf  the  Romish  Fox,  By  Dr.  Turner,  in 
1543,  220. 

Vincent — The  Jurisdiction  of  the  Crown  in 
Matters  Spiritual.  A  Letter  to  the  Rev. 
H.  E.  Manning,  By  the  Rev.  F.  Vin- 
cent, 219. 

Findicia  Anglicana:  England^ s  Right 
against  Papal  Wrong;  being  an  Attempt 
to  suggest  the  Legislation  by  which  it 
ought  to  be  asserted.  By  One  who  has 
sworn  ''faithfully  and  truly  to  advise 
the  Queen,"  163. 

Warter^^A  Pkdn  Christianas  Manual ;  or, 


Six  Plain  Sermons  on  Early  Piety,  the 
Sacraments,  and  Man's  Latter  End; 
Uncontroversial,  but  suited  to  the  Present 
Time.  By  John  Wood  Warter,  B.D.,48. 

Warier — A  Plain  Protestant's  Manual; 
or,  certain  Plain  Sermons  on  the  Scrip- 
tures,  the  Church,  and  the  Sacraments, 
8fc.  By  John  Wood  Warter,  B.D., 
Vicar  of  West  Tarring,  434. 

Wagner — God  is  Love:  a  Sermon.  By 
the  Rev.  H.  M.  Wagner,  223. 

Whewell  —  De  Obligatione  Conscientia 
Pralectiones  Decern  Oxonii  in  Schola 
Theologica  habitas,  A.D.  1647.  A  Ro- 
berto Sandersono.  With  English  Notes, 
including  an  Abridged  Translation,  by 
William  Whewell,  D.D.,  202. 

Whitley — The  Life  Everlasting;  or,  the 
Holy  Life,  the  Intermediate  Life,  the 
Eternal  or  Consummate  Life.  By  John 
Whitley,  D.D.,  Chancellor  of  Killaloe, 
208. 

Williams,  Rev.  Isaac — The  Seven  Days; 
or,  the  Old  and  New  Creation,  189. 

Williams — Science  Simplified,  and  Philo- 
sophy, Natural  and  Experimental,  made 
Easy.  By  the  Rev.  David  Williams, 
M.A.,  215. 

Williams — The  Ecclesiastical  Antiquities 
of  the  Cymry ;  or,  the  Ancient  British 
Church;  its  History,  Doctrines,  and 
Rites.  By  the  Rev.  John  Williams, 
M.A.,  Perpetual  Curate  of  Nerquis,  1. 

Wilson — A   Short  and  Plain  Instruction 

for    the    better  Understanding  of  the 

Lord's  Supper.      By   Bishop   Wilson. 

With  Notes,  by  a  Priest  of  the  Church 

of  England,  201. 

Wilson — Narrative  of  a  Singular  Escape 
from  a  Portuguese  Convent;  with  an  In- 
troductory  Address.     Bv  the  Rev.  W. 
Carus  Wilson,  M.A.,  19*6. 

Window  Tracery — An  Essay  on  the  Origin 
and  Development  of,  in  England ;  with 
nearly  Four  Hundred  Illustrations,  By 
Edward  A.  Freeman,  193. 

Wiseman — Letters  on  some  of  the  Errors 
of  Romanism,  in  Controversy  with  the 
Rev.  Nicholas  Wiseman,  D.D,  By 
William  Palmer,  Prebendary  of  Salis- 
bury, and  Vicar  of  Whitchurch  Cano- 
nicorum,  437* 

Woodward — Sermon  at  the  Consecration  of 
the  Bishop  of  Meath,  By  the  Rev.  T. 
Woodward,  223. 

Working  Classes,  the ;  their  Moral,  Social, 
and  Intellectual  Condition  ;  with  Prac- 
tical  Suggestions  for  their  Improvement, 
By  G.  Simmons,  Civil  Engineer. 

Wynne — Dr.  Arnold  and  Rev.  W.  J,  E, 
Bennett,    By  John  Wynue,  221. 


CONTENTS 


OF 


No.  XXIX. 


B  T.  PAOB 

I. — The  Ecclesiastical  Antiquities  of  the  Cymry :  or,  the 
Ancient  British  Church ;  its  History,  Doctrines,  and  Rites. 
By  the  Rev.  John  Williams,  M.A.,  Perpetual  Curate  of 

Nerquis,  Diocese  x)f  St.  Asaph 1 

J  I. — History  of  thenar  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers.  By  Michele 
Amari.  Edited,  with  Introduction  and  Notes,  by  the  Earl 
of  EUesmere.     3  Vols 2.5 

III. — ^A  Plain  Christian's  Manual;  or.  Six  Plain  Sermons  on 
Early  Piety,  the  Sacraments,  and  Man's  Latter  End  ;  Un- 
controversial,  but  suited  to  the  Present  Time.  By  John 
Wood  Warter,  B.D.,  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  Vicar  of 
West  Tarring,  Sussex,  &c • 48 

IV. — The  Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture.     By  John  Ruskin  ....     55 
V. — The  Life  and  Correspondence  of  the  late  Robert  Southey. 
In  Six  Vols.     Edited  by  his  Son,  the  Rev.  Charles  Cuth- 
bert  Southey « 77 

VI. — 1.  Charge  of  the  Bishop  of  London  in  November,  1850. 

2.  Charge  of  the  Bishop  of  London  in  1842. 

3.  A  Farewell  Letter  to  his  Parishioners.  By  the  Rev,  W. 
J.  E.  Bennett,  M.  A. 


CONTENTS, 
ART.  PAGE 

4.  Letters   of  D.    C.   L.,   Reprinted    from    the    "  Morning 
Chronicle." 

5.  A  Plea  for  "  Romanizers/*  so  called.     A  Letter   to   the 
Bishop  of  London.     By  the  Rev.  Arthur  Baker Ill 

VII. — 1.  Parochial  Work.     By  the  Rev.  E.  Monro,  M.A.,  In- 
cumhent  of  Harrow  Weald,  Middlesex. 
2.  The  Working  Classes  ;  their  Moral,  Social,  and  Intellectual 
Condition ;  with  practical  Suggestions  for  their  Improve- 
ment.    By  G.  Simmons,  Civil  Engineer •  •  •  •  •   149 

YIII. — 1.  Papal  Aggression.  Speech  of  the  Right  Hon.  Lord 
John  Russell,  delivered  in  the  House  of  Commons,  Fe- 
hruary  7,  1851. 
2.  Vindiciae  Anglicanae:  England's  Right  against  Papal 
Wrong ;  being  an  ^Attempt  to  Suggest  the  Legislation 
by  which  it  ought  to  be  asserted.  By  One  who  has  sworn 
**  faithfully  and  truly  to  advise  the  Queen." 163 

Notices,  &c « 178 

Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence •• 224 


CONTENTS 


OF 


No.  XXX. 


IBT.  PAOB 

I.—l.  Entire  Absolution  of  the  Penitent.  A  Sermon  preached 
before  the  University  of  Oxford.  By  the  Rev.  E.  B. 
Pusey,  D.D. 

2.  The  Church  of  England  leaves  her  Children  free  to  whom 
to  open  their  (rriefs.  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  W.  U. 
Richards.     By  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D. 

3.  A  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London.     By  Dr.  Pusey. 

4.  A  few  Comments  on  Dr.  Pusey's  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of 
London.     By  William  Dods worth,  M.A. 

5.  Renewed  Explanations,  in  consequence  of  Mr.  Dodsworth's 
Comments.     By  Dr.  Pusey. 

6.  Further  Comments  on  Dr.  Pusey*s  Renewed  Explanation. 
By  William  Dodsworth,  M.A. 

7.  Auricular  Confession.  A  Sermon,  with  Notes,  and  an  Ap- 
pendix.    By  W.  F.  Hook,  D.D.,  Vicar  of  Leeds 249 

II.— 1.  The  Annals  of  Ireland  hy  Friar  John  Clyn,  of  the  Con- 
vent of  Friars  Minors,  Kilkenny;  and  Thady  Dowling, 
Chancellor  of  Leighlin.  Together  with  the  Annals  of 
Ross,  edited  from  MSS.  in  the  Library  of  Trinity  College, 
Dublin,  with  Introductory  Remarks.  By  the  Very  Rev. 
Richard  Butler,  A.B.,  M.R.S.A.,  Dean  of  Clonmacnois. 
2.  Original  Letters  and  Papers  in  illustration  of  the  History 
of  the  Church  in  Ireland,  during  the  Reigns  of  Edward  VI., 
Mary,  and  Elizabeth.     Edited,  with  Notes  from  Auto- 


CONTENTS. 

ART.  PAOE 

graphs   in   the   Scate    Paper  Office.      By   Evelyn  Philip 
Shirley,  Plsq.,  M.A. 

3.  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Irish  Church  Mission  Society : 
the  Reformation  in  Connemara,  Duhlin,  &c,,  and  the 
Journal  of  a  Tour  in  the  County  of  Gal  way,  in  company 
with  the  Rev.  Alexander  R.  C.  Dallas,  M.A.,  in  June,  1850. 

4.  Early  Fruits  of  Irish  Missions.  A  Letter  from  an  Eye- 
witness after  a  Missionary  Tour  during  June  and  July,  1850. 

5.  Eleventh  Report  of  the  Church  Education  Society  for  Ire- 
land, being  for  the  Year  1850    282 

III. — Dealings  with  the  Inquisition,  or  Papal  Rome,  her  Priests 
and  her  Jesuits:  with  Important  Disclosures.  By  the  Rev. 
Giacinto  Achilli,  D.D.,  late  Prior  and  Visitor  of  the  Domi- 
nican Order,  Head  Professor  of  Theology,  and  Vicar  of  the 

Master  of  the  Sacred  Apostolic  Palace,  &c 322 

IV. — The  Church  Apostolic,  Primitive,  and  Anglican.  A 
Series  of  Sermons.  By  the  Rev.  John  Collingwood, 
M.A.,  Minister  of  Duke-street  Episcopal  Chapel,  West- 
minster ;  one  of  the  Masters  of  Christ's  Hospital,  &c 339 

v.— Lavengro:   The  Scholai^—The  Gypsy— The  Priest.     By 
George  Borrow,  Author  of  "  The  Bible  in  Spain,"  and 

"  The  Gypsies  in  Spain  " 362 

VI. — ^Lives  of  the  Princesses  of  England  from  the  Norman  Con- 
quest. By  Mary  Anne  Everett  Green,  Editor  of  the 
"  Letters  of  Royal  and  Illustrious  Ladies" 378 

VII. — Notes  of  a  Residence  in  the  Canary  Islands,  the  South  of 
Spain,  and  Algiers ;  illustrative  of  the  State  of  Religion  in 
those  Countries.     By  the  Rev.  Thomas  Debary,  M.A.    •  •  411 

Notices,  &c 434 

Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence  .  •  •  •  • • 453 


THE 

ENGLISH   REVIEW. 


MARCH,  1851. 


Abt.  I. — Tke  EeeleriasHcal  Antiquities  of  the  Cymry :  or^  fhe 
Andeni  British  Church ;  its  Bistary^  Doctrines^  and  Rites.  By 
thBec.Souyi  Williams,  M.A.^  Perpetual  Curate  o/Nerguis, 
Diocese  of  St.  Asaph.    London:  Cleaver. 

The  History  of  Christianity  in  the  West  for  the  first  three 

centuries  presents  very  few  certain  facts  for  the  mind  to  dwell 

upon.    In  the  first  place,  it  is  altogether  uncertain  at  what  time 

or  by  what  means  the  Christian  faith  first  reached  Italy,  Africa, 

Gaul,  Spain,  Germany,  and  other  western  countries  of  the  Roman 

empire.    Without  doubt  there  have  been  writers  in  later  ages 

who  have  given  us  abundant  details  of  the  conversion  of  these 

countries  to  Christianity  by  the  Apostles,  or  by  missionaries 

appointed  by  them.     We  have  had  numbers  of  such  accounts ; 

and  many  Churches  in  the  West  claim  to  have  been  founded  by 

apostolic  teachers.    But  it  is  now  universally  admitted  by  learned 

men,  that  such  claims,  and  the  legends  on  which  they  are  founded, 

are  undeserving  of  credit ;  the  oSy  Church  in  the  West  which 

is  undoubtedly  of  apostolical  antiquity  being  that  of  the  city  of 

Borne,  to  which  St.  Paul  addressed  an  epistle.     The  earliest  facts 

respectmg  Christianity  in  France,  on  which  any  dependence  can 

be  placed,  are  the  martyrdoms  at  Lyons,  a.d.  177;  after  which, 

ana  the  historical  events  connected  with  the  time  of  Irenseus,  we 

hear  nothing  further  till  the  middle  of  the  next  century,  and  have 

then  only  a  few  meagre  facts.     As  to  Spain,  we  only  know  that 

Christianity  existed  there  in  the  time  of  Ircnaus  and  Tertullian : 

the  Spanish  martyrdoms  were  later  than  those  of  Gaul.    Of  Africa 

we  know  nothmg  till  the  time  of  Tertullian.     The  same  may  be 

said  of  Germany.     If,  therefore,  we  are  unacquainted  with  the 

history  of  the  first  introduction  of  Christianity  into  Britain,  we 

are  nearly  in  the  same  position  which  every  other  western  Church, 

except  that  of  Rome,  occupies ;  and  it  would  be  indeed  a  singular 

circumstance  that  Britain  alone,  of  all  the  western  Churches, 

should  be  able  to  produce  the  particulars  of  her  first  conversion  to 

Christianity.     So  entirely  were  the  western  Churches  without 

records  of  any  kind,  that  the  succession  of  the  bishops  has  not 

been  preserved  in  any  Church ;  the  catalogue  of  bishops  of  Rome, 

even,  being  only  known,  and  that  rather  uncertainly,  by  the 

writings  of  Irenseus  and  Eusebius.     There  is  evidence  that  the 

whole  Church  was,  from  the  beginning,  governed  by  bishops ;  but 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX. — ^MABCH,  185J.  B 


i 


2  Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

there  are  no  trustworthy  records  of  the  succession  in  any  western 
Church,  except  that  of  the  city  of  Borne,  for  the  first  three 
centuries. 

The  earliest  writer  who,  possibly^  refers  to  the  existence  of 
Christianity  amongst  the  Celtic  inhabitants  of  Britain,  is  Irenseus, 
who  speaks  of  "  Churches  ^'  then  existing  amongst  "  the  Germans, 
OeltSy  and  Iberians  * ;"  and  as  Tertullian,  who  wrote  shortly  after- 
wards, says  that  Christianity  had  extended  even  into  those  parts 
of  Britain  which  the  Romans  did  not  possess,  i.  e.  into  Caledonia  ^ 
it  is  clear  that  Christianity  must  have  been  of  no  recent  intro- 
duction into  Britain.  There  was,  in  fact,  nothing  to  prevent 
Christianity  from  spreading  there  as  it  did  elsewhere ;  for  when 
Irenseus  and  Tertullian  wrote,  the  whole  of  Britain,  with  the 
exception  of  Caledonia,  had  been  reduced  to  the  condition  of  a 
Boman  province  for  more  than  a  hundred  years ;  the  last  symp- 
toms of  insurrectionary  movement  having  been  crushed,  and 
South  Britain  finally  subdued  by  Agricola  in  a,d.  78.  Previously 
to  that  time  Britain  was  almost  continually  the  seat  of  war  for 
thirty  years'— the  conquest  of  the  island  having  engaged  the 
B*oman  legions  for  that  time  ;  and  if  Christianity  was  introduced 
during  that  disturbed  period,  it  was  not  likely  to  make  much 
progress. 

But  meagre  as  are  the  allusions  to  Christianity  in  Britain 
amongst  the  foreign  Christian  writers  of  the  first  two  centuries 
after  Christ,  when  we  turn  to  our  native  vmters  and  historians, 
a  number  of  details  on  the  early  ecclesiastical  history  of  England 
are  placed  before  us.  Venerable  Bede  ascribes  the  introduction 
of  Christianity  to  Lucius,  King  of  Britain^  and  to  Eleutherius, 
Bishop  of  Rome,  about  a.d.  177,  and  subsequent  writers  have 
produced  the  names  of  the  missionaries  whom  Eleutherius  sent, 
at  the  desire  of  the  king-*the  epistle  which  they  conveyed  to  him, 
and  the  names  of  the  archbishoprics  and  bishoprics  which  he 
founded  and  endowed  in  every  city  throughout  Britain,  in  place  of 
the  flamens  and  archfiamens  of  the  Druids. 

On  the  other  hand,  Gildas,  the  earliest  British  historian, 
appears  never  to  have  heard  of  this  history ;  for  he  supposed 
Christianity  to  have  been  introduced  here  in  the  time  of  the 
Aposttes.  And  the  traditions  of  the  Cymry,  as  carefully  collected 
by  Mr.  Williams  in  the  elaborate  and  interesting  volume  before  us, 
coincide  with  this  view  to  some  extent,  representing  the  origin  of 
British  Christianity  as  coeval  with  the  Aposties. 
.  It  is  our  purpose,  in  the  following  pages,  to  offer  some  r^narks 
on  the  historical  evidence  for  these  aliej^  conversions  df  Britain. 

X  Irennns  AdV.  Hwresesy  lib.  L  e*  10.  ^  TertaL  eontra  Judteos,  c.  7. 


AntiqultUi  of  the  Early  Britiih  Ohurck.  8 

And,  in  the  first  instance,  we  shall  examine  the  British  traditions 
as  detailed  by  Mr.  Williams,  because  they  not  merely  ascribe  the 
greatest  antiquity  to  Christianity  in  England,  but  because  they 
have,  at  first  sight,  more  pretensions  to  antiquity  themselves,  than 
the  story  of  King  Lucius,  in  Venerable  Bede,  in  whose  pages  it 
appeared,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  eighth  century. 

The  introduction  of  Mr.  Williams^s  work  is  occupied  with 
details  on  the  ''  Bardism^^  of  the  Gymry ;  a  very  curious  and  im- 
portant subject,  inasmuch  as  the  traoitions  of  ancient  British 
history,  whether  correct  or  otherwise,  appear  to  have  been 
handed  down  orally  by  the  Bards  till  a  comparatively  late  period. 
The  s]r8tem  of  Bardism  was  in  full  operation  in  Britain  at  the 
period  of  its  conquest  by  the  Bomans ;  and  while  the  Druidical 
branch  of  the  order,  that  is,  the  class  which  was  immediately 
devoted  to  the  religious  ministrations  of  their  superstition,  became 
extinct  under  the  Boman  dominion,  the  Bards,  who  were  the  his- 
torians  and  poets  of  that  rude  people,  continued,  as  amongst  the 
Celtic  populations  of  Ireland  and  of  Scotland,  to  be  a  recognised 
and  an  important  class  in  the  community.  It  seems,  however, 
that,  in  the  age  of  Geesar,  the  Druids  in  Gaul  were  acquainted 
with  the  use  of  letters,  and  did  not  scruple  to  employ  them  in  all 
matters  except  those  which  referred  to  "  their  discipline,^^  which 
they  transmitted  by  oral  tradition  only  (Williams,  p.  31).  Mr. 
WUliams  infers  from  this  fact,  that  the  British  Bards  and  Druids, 
from  whom  those  of  the  Gontinent  are  said  to  have  derived  their 
institute,  must  also  have  employed  writing  in  aid  of  their  tradi- 
tion ;  but  this  argument  does  not  appear  very  conclusive,  because 
the  GhtuUsh  practice  may  have  been  a  corruption  or  innovation ; 
and  we  are  told  elsewhere  by  Mr.  Williams  that  the  Druidic 
system  was  only  preserved  pure  in  Britain.  With  reference  to 
the  Gaulish  Druiaimn  in  particular,  he  says  (p.  39), 

**  It  is  evident  from  these  words  [of  Caesar]  not  only  that  the  parent 
institution  was  more  perfect  in  matters  of  detail,  but  that  the  Gallic 
system  was  even  destitute  of  fundamental  and  fixed  principles." 

The  purity  of  Druidism,  indeed,  was  only  preserved  in  Britain, 
according  to  the  British  records  produced  by  Mr.  Williams  (Hid.) ; 
and  thus  the  use  of  writing  in  Gaul  does  not  necessarily  prove 
that  there  were  written  historical  records  in  Britain,  amongst  the 
Druids,  as  Mr.  Williams  argues  (p.  31).  He  quotes  certain 
"  Law  Triads  of  Dyvnwal  Moelmud*^  to  prove  that  it  was  the  duty 
of  Bards  to  keep  a  written  record  of  "  pedigrees  of  nobility  by 
marriages^  inheritances,  and  heroic  actions"  (p.  31) ;  but  a  ques^ 
tion  w^  at  onoe  arise  as  to  the  antiquity  and  genuineness  of  the 

b2 


4  Antiquities  o/th  Early  British  Churchy 

works  from  which  this  quotation  is  made.  These  Laws  of  Dy  vn- 
wal  Moelmud  are  said  to  be  about  four  hundred  years  older  than 
the  Ohristian  era  (p.  12).-  But  there  seems  to  be  no  evidence  of 
their  eomtence  (as  far  as  we  discover  from  Mr,  Williams's  pages) 
until  the  time  of  Garadoc  of  Llancarvan,  in  the  twelfth  century 
after  Christ.  Mr.  Williams  observes  (p.  37),  that  *'  it  is  said" 
that  Dyvnwal's  Laws  were  translated  by  Gildas  (in  the  sixth 
century)  into  Latin,  and  that  Asserius  showed  this  translation  to 
King  Alfred ;  but  no  sufficient  authority  is  cited  for  these  state- 
ments. Mr.  Williams  admits  that  there  is  a  reference  to  Chris- 
tian practices  in  these  Laws,  but  believes  it  to  be  an  interpolation ; 
and  he  considers  the  genuineness  of  the  code  to  be  established 
by  internal  evidence,  because  it  refers  to  the  incorporation  of  the 
Bardic  College,  and  the  influence  and  privileges  of  its  members, 
and  to  Druidism  as  the  established  religion.  But  to  us  it  seems 
that  there  is  no  demonstrative  evidence  of  antiquity  in  these  cir- 
cumstances ;  for  why  should  we  not  suppose  that  some  persons, 
who  lived  in  the  age  of  Geofiry  of  Monmouth,  and  Caradoc  of 
Llancarvan,  may  not  \i2L\Q  forged  these  Laws,  and  endeavoured  to 
avoid  the  mention  of  Christianity  (which  would  have  exposed  their 
fictions),  and  to  adapt  their  inventions  to  the  actual  and  known 
facts  of  history,  so  as  to  avoid  immediate  detection!  Another 
difficulty  here  occurs  to  us  with  reference  to  documents  of  such 
vast  anti(|uiiy,  supposing  them  to  be  genuine.  We  have  not 
obsierved  m  Mr.  Williams''s  pages  that  any  difference  of  dialect 
is  perceptible  in  the  various  traditional  documents  referred  to  in 
his  book.  "  It  is  remarkable,'^  he  says,  "  that  all  those  which 
relate  to  the  doctrine  and  institutes  of  the  primitive  system  are 
invariably  written  in  the  Silurian  dialect"  (p.  45),  i.  e.  in  the 
Welsh  of  South  Wales.  Now  if  the  Laws  of  Dy vnwal  (supposed 
to  have  been  written  four  centuries  before  Christ)  had  been  con- 
signed to  writing,  or  handed  down  in  their  original  form,  it  is 
hardly  conceivable  that  there  should  not  be  some  material  differ- 
ences in  dialect  between  them  and  other  productions  of  a  much 
later  date.  It  seems  very  strange  and  suspicious  that  the  dialect 
of  all  these  ancient  documents  should  be  that  of  South  Wales ; 
— that  South  Wales  alone  should  have  preserved  the  exact  dialect 
once  used  in  the  whole  of  Britain  before  the  Roman  Conquest, 
and  preserved  it  unchanged  in  all  ages.  We  confess  this  fact 
uppears  to  us  to  throw  considei*able  suspicion  on  the  genuineness 
of  all  these  ^'ancient"  documents,  and  inclines  us  to  apprehend  that 
they  were  forged  in  South  Wales,  in  or  after  those  ages  when 
Oeoffi:y  of  Monmouth  invented  such  marvellous  tales  of  British 
lustory.  The  British  language,  four  hundred  years  before  Christ, 
Miild  not  havq  been  identical  in  all  respects  with  the  British  Ian- 


Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church.  S 

guBge  of  six,  or  eight  hundred,  or  a  thousand,  or  fifteen  hundred 

yesta  after  Christ. 

The  support  and  authentication  of  the  traditions  of  the  British 
Bards,  by  any  toritten  records,  appears  to  us,  therefore,  very 
ionbtfal.  It  seems  to  us  that  both  the  arguments  employed  by 
Mr.  Williams  (p.  31),  to  establish  the  contrary,  are  inconclusive ; 
jet  in  the  absence  of  any  evidence  for  the  existence  of  written 
records,  how  very  uncertain  becomes  the  whole  mass  of  traditional 
history  and  other  facts  conveved  in  the  "  Triads."  These  Triads, 
or  records  of  the  Bards  of  Wales,  profess,  amongst  other  things, 
to  give  an  account  of  the  original  peopling  of  Bntain.  They  ^11 
us  what  Britain  was  called  hrfore  it  was  inhabited.  They  appear 
to  carry  the  British  history  beyond  the  Deluge.  And  Mr.  Wil- 
b'ams  himself,  with  their  aid,  professes  to  give  accounts  of  the 
British  history  from  about  the  time  of  the  general  dispersion  at 
BabeL  When  we  get  down  to  Dyvnwal,  four  centunes  before 
Christ,  we  feel  quite  at  home — in  modem  times.  We  are  not  in 
a  position  to  demonstrate  that  these  traditions  are  absolutely 
felse,  inasmuch  as  history  tells  us  nothing  of  Britain  till  shortly 
before  the  time  of  our  Lord ;  but  certaimy  all  experience  proves 
that  traditions  conveyed  merely  orally  are  liable,  in  time,  to  great 
corruptions  and  additions ;  and  if  we  suspect  that  the  W  elsh 
Bards  in  later  ages  endeavoured  to  enhance  the  dignity  of  their 
nation  by  inventing  an  early  history  for  Britain,  and  carrying  it 
back  to  the  remotest  antiquity,  their  course  was  merely  that  which 
we  find  pursued  by  the  bards  and  historians  in  many  other  nations, 
such  as  the  Egyptians  and  Assyrians  in  ancient  times,  and  the 
Scotch  and  Irish  in  more  modem  times.  Forgeries  of  this  kind, 
tending  to  enhance  national'  honour  and  dignity,  seem  to  have 
been  practised  at  all  times  without  scruple. 

Mr.  Williams  in  his  notes,  to  which  he  refers  in  the  Preface 
for  the  evidence  as  to  the  genuineness  and  antiquity  of  the  Triads 
and  other  remains  cited  in  his  work,  gives  us  the  following  infor- 
mation as  to  the  "  Historical  Triads'' — a  series  of  records  cast  in 
the  form  which  gives  to  them  the  name  they  bear,  and  which 
classes  the  events  in  groups  of  threes^  which  present  some  simi- 
larity or  analogy.  He  quotes,  in  the  first  place,  an  extract  from  a 
work  of  Mr.  Sharon  Turner,  which  states  that  "  the  Historical 
Triads  have  been  obviously  put  together  at  very  difierent  times. 
Some  allude  to  circumstances  about  the  first  population  and  early 
history  of  the  island,  of  which  every  other  memorial  has  perished. 
The  Triads  are  noticed  by  Camden  with  respect.  Mr.  Yaughan, 
the  antiquary  of  Hengwrt,  refers  them  to  the  seventh  century. 
Some  may  be  the  records  of  more  recent  date.  I  think  them  the 
most  curious,  on  the  whole,  of  all  the  Welsh  remains'' — (p.  5). 


6  Aniiqmties  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

Now,  supposing  Mr.  Vaughan  to  be  correct  in  his  view,  it  is 
surely  rather  unlikely  that  records  of  the  seventh  century  after 
Christ  could  be  depended  on  for  the  events  of  nearly  three  thou- 
sand previous  years,  which  they  profess  to  give.  But  it  appears 
that  some  of  them  may  be  records  of  "  more  recent  date'  than 
the  seventh  century;  and  it  does  not  appear  how  much  more 
recent.  Mr.  Owen,  another  writer  referred  to  (p.  6),  states  that 
the  Triads  relate  to  persons  and  events  from  the  earliest  times  to 
the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century — a  proof  that  the  whole 
cannot  be  assigned  to  an  earlier  period,  though  it  seems  diflBcult 
to  say  why  it  should  not  be  referred  to  a  considerably  later  period. 
In  fine,  we  come  to  the  actual  direct  evidence  for  the  antiquity  of 
the  historical  Triads,  which  is  merely  this. 

**  The  Triads  which  we  insert  above,  are  from  a  series  in  the  second 
volume  of  the  Welsh,  or  Myvyrian  Arcbaiology.  To  the  copy  from 
which  a  transcript  was  made  for  that  work,  the  following  note  is  annexed 
•*— *  These  Triads  were  taken  from  the  Book  of  Caradoc  of  Nantgarvan, 
and  from  the  Book  of  Jevan  Brechva,  by  me,  Thomas  Jones,  of  Trega- 
ron—and  these  are  all  I  could  get  of  the  three  hundred — 1601.* 
Caradoc  of  Nantgarvan  lived  about  the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century. 
Jevan  Brechva  wrote  a  Compendium  of  the  Welsh  Annals,  down  to 
1150."— pp.  5,  6. 

Now  this  is,  it  must  be  confessed,  a  very  unsatisfactory  proof 
of  the  antiquity  of  the  Triads  in  question.  All  that  appears  to 
be  certain  is,  that  Thomas  Jones,  of  Tregaron,  in  160 J,  affirined 
that  the  Triads  he  transcribed  were  taken  from  the  books  of 
Caradoc  and  Brechva;  but  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  was 
correct  in  this  statement.  It  depends  wholly  on  his  assertion. 
And  even  admitting  that  he  dAd  state  the  truth,  still  all  it  amounts 
to  is,  that  these  Triads  were  extant  in  the  twelfth  century ;  but 
there  is  no  proof  whatever  that  they  existed  ^mow5^  to  the  twelfth 
oentury.  As  far  as  we  can  see,  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  us  from 
supposing  that  Thomas  Jones,  of  Tregaron,  a.d.  1601,  may  have 
been  the  fabricator  of  the  Historical  Triads ;  or  that  they  may 
have  been  fabricated  in  the  twelfth  century.  Of  course,  there 
could  not  have  been  any  difficulty  in  composing  in  the  twelfth  or  the 
sixteenth  century,  records  which  contained  an  alleged  history  of 
Britain  from  the  general  dispersion  to  a.d.  700.  This  deficiency 
in  external  evidence  of  authenticity,  appears  to  us  to  render  the 
value  of  the  Welsh  historical  records  most  questionable. 
.  Besides  the  "  Historical  Triads''  of  whicn  we  have  been  just 
speaking,  there  is  frequent  reference  to  what  are  called  the  ^'  Insti- 
tutional Triads."  Of  these  Mr.  Williams  gives  the  following  ac- 
count. He  quotes  them  from  "  Poems,  Lyric  and  Pastoral,"  by 
Edward  Williams,  Bard. 


Aniiquitm  of  the  Earfy  BritUik  Church.  7 

"  Theie  Triads  (our  author  sayi)  are  from  a  manuscript  colleotion 

bylljMrelya  Sion.  a  bard  of  Glamorgaui  about  the  year  1560.     He 

inu  one  of  those  appointed  to  collect  the  system  of  Bardism  as  tradi- 

tioDally  preserved  in  the  Gorsedd  Morganwg,  or  Congress  of  Glamor- 

pxif  when  the  maxims  of  the  institution  were  in  danger  of  being  lost,  In 

consequence  of  persecution." — p.  13. 

The  external  evidence  for  the  antiquity  of  these  Triads  here 
given,  is  very  slender.  It  goes  back  no  further  than  the  year 
1560.  There  is  no  evidence  that  Llywelyn  Sion  (supposing  such 
a  person  to  have  existed)  did  not  adulterate,  or  fabricate  the 
whole  body  of  the  Triads  in  question.  He  may  have  been  the 
author  of  them,  for  any  thing  that  we  can  see  to  the  contrary ;  for 
Mr.  Williams'^s  argument  for  their  antiquity,  from  their  agree- 
ment with  the  Laws  of  Dyvnwal,  appears  to  us  mther  to  throw 
suspicion  on  them ;  and  if  they  suppose  Bardism  to  be  incor- 
porated with  the  State,  and  Druidism  to  be  flourishing,  as  Mr. 
Williams  observes,  in. further  evidence  of  their  antiquity,  it  is 
surely  quite  possible  that  Sion,  in  1560,  may  have  possessed 
sufficient  skill  to  introduce  particulars  of  this  kind  into  pieces 
which  he  vnshed  to  pass  off  as  records  of  great  antiquity.  Wo 
find,  however,  at  page  19,  that  Mr.  Edward  Williams,  the  author 
of  ihe  volumes  whence  these  Institutional  Triads  are  quoted, 
speaks  of  a  manuscript  Synopsis  of  Druidism,  or  Bardism,  written 
by  Llj'welyn  Sion,  about  1560,  and  be  adds,  that  the  ''truth  and 
accuracy^'*  of  this  Synopsis  '^  are  corroborated  by  innumerable 
notices,  and  allusions  in  our  Bardic  manuscripts  of  every  age  up 
to  Taliesin^  in  the  sixth  century.^^  It  is  very  singular,  that  under 
these  circumstances,  the  Triads  should  only  be  producible  from 
the  manuscript  of  Sion  in  the  sixteenth  century.  Where  are 
the  more  ancient  manuscripts  and  notices  of  which  this  writer 
speaks !     We  lack  evidence  most  sadly  here. 

But,  in  fact,  a  great  mass  of  the  Triads  appear  to  rest  on  the 
same  authority  of  a  '*  Synopsis,^^  or  manuscript  collection,  of 
Llywelyn  Sion.  The  author  above-mentioned  states,  in  reference 
to  the  "  Theological  Triads,"'  that  they  are  taken  from  the  same 
manuscript.  He  adds,  that  this  collection  '^  was  made  from 
various  manuscripts  of  considei-able,  and  some  say  of  very  great 
antiquity — these  and  their  authors  are  mentioned,  and  most  or  all 
of  tnem  are  still  extant"'  (p.  23).  Here  the  writer  deals  in 
generals  to  snch  an  extent,  that  his  statements  are  of  little  value. 
He  does  not  state  the  age  of  the  MSS.  He  does  not  state 
whether  he  knows  of  their  existence  from  personal  observation 
or  by  information  of  others.  In  ^ort,  nothmg  can  be  more  vague 
and  unsatisfiEMstory. 

Reference  is  made  in  many  parts  of  Mr.  Williams's  book  to  the 
"Geqealcgy  of  the  Saiat^  ofBritsitC    Yvom  die  VrvtonaaSCvQ^i 


&  AfUiquities  of  tie  Early  British  Church 

given  us  (p.  64),  on  the  antiquity  of  these  catalogues  of  Saints,  it 
appears  that  the  orthography  of  the  boolc  from  whence  one  of 
them  is  taken,  is  "  ancient ;"  and  that  the  second  was  collected 
by  Lewis  Morris  "  from  various  old  MSS.  in  North  Wales,  some 
of  which  are  still  in  existence.''^  Here  again  we  have  no  parti- 
culars stated.  We  do  not  know  whether  the  MSS.  are  of  the 
sixteenth,  or  of  the  fourteenth,  or  the  tenth  century.  *'  Old " 
MSS.,  and  "  ancient "  orthography,  conveys  no  particular  notion 
as  to  date,  authority,  &c. 

We  cannot  conceive  that  the  MSS^  thus  vaguely  referred  ta 
in  this  and  in  other  preceding  instances,  are  of  any  great  antiquity. 
Had  they  been  so,  the  Welsh  antiquarians  would  assuredly  have 
endeavoured  to  establish  their  age,  by  sufficient  evidence.  They 
could  not  have  failed  to  make  use  of  so  important  a  means  of  es- 
tablishing the  genuineness  of  these  Triads  and  other  records. 

We  have  thus  briefly  examined  the  evidence  which  has  been 
adduced  in  support  of  the  authenticity  of  the  Welsh  Triads  and 
other  records,  and  it  appears  on  the  whole,  that  the  external 
evidence  is  too  imperfect  to  enable  us  to  employ  them  in  the  esta- 
blishment of  historical  facts.  Still  we  would  not  be  understood  to 
deny  that  the  Druidical  system  has  been  handed  down  in  the 
Triads.  There  is  much  in  them  which  appears  above  the  faculties 
and  learning  of  Bards  in  the  later  ages,  and  which  strikes  us  as 
really  ancient ;  but  we  should  think  that  the  whole  has  been  to  a 
considerable  degree  mingled  with  later  additions ;  and  we  have  no 
trust  in  the  historical  records,  which  appear  to  have  been  fabricated 
with  a  view  to  national  pride  and  dignity. 

But  there  is  a  far  more  serious  difficulty  than  any  we  have  yet 
adverted  to,  in  reference  to  the  historical  records  of  theCymry.  The 
earliest  British  historian,  Gildas — himself  a  Briton,  and  desirous  of 
writing  a  narrative  of  the  state  of  things  in  Britain  during  the  do* 
minion  of  the  Romans,  and  subsequently — was  unable  to  discover  any 
British  records  to  aid  him  in  his  work.  He  observes  in  his  history, 
that  his  purpose  is  to  narrate  the  evils  which  Britain,  in  the  time 
of  the  Roman  emperors,  suffered  and  inflicted  on  people  dwelling 
afar  ofi^,  as  far  as  he  may,  *'  not  from  national  records,  or  remains 
of  native  writers,  since  none  such  appear  to  exist,  or  if  there  were 
any,  they  were  either  burnt  by  the  enemy,  or  carried  abroad.^' 
He  concludes  by  informing  us,  that  his  history  is  based  on 
*' foreign  authorities'."    Now  it  certainly  does  seem  that  this 

^  '^Illa  tAmen  proferre  conabor  in  medium^  quse  temporibus  imperatorum  Roma- 
nonim  et  passa  est  et  aliis  intulit  civibus  longe  positis  mala  ;  quantum  tamen  potuero, 
non  tarn  ex  Scripturis  patrise  Sciiptorumve  monumentis, — quippe  quse,  vel  si  qua 
foerint  aut  ignibus  hostium  exusta,  aut  civium  exsilii  clsusse  longius  deportata,  non 
compareanty — quam  transmarina  relatione,  quse,  crebris  imipta  intereapidinibus^ 
non  satis  cliiret." — Gildcu  de  exoidio  Britannice.    Ed.  Stephenson,  pp.  13^  14. 


AnHqmtHfS  of  the  Earfy  British  Okureh^  9 

m 

passage  in  Gfldas  goes  to  subvert  the  authenticity  of  all  the  early 
historical  records  of  the  Cymry  comprised  in  the  Triads,  &c. 
He  evidently  knew  of  no  such  national  records  or  remains  of  native 
writers.  If  there  ever  were  any  such,  he  considered  that  they 
must  have  been  burnt  or  lost.  If  he  had  heard  of  any  oral 
traditions^  he  evidently  did  not  consider  them  worthy  of  attention, 
or  possessing  any  authority.  We  infer  from  this,  that  the  Britons 
in  the  time  of  Gildas  were  unacquainted  with  the  ancient  history 
of  their  race,  except  in  a  very  general  way — that  they  knew  no 
more  of  it  than  the  broad  facts  which  appear  on  the  face  of 
history — ^and  that  the  historical  Triads  and  other  pieces  bearing 
on  the  early  history  of  Britain,  which,  as  Mr.  Williams  himself 
seems  to  admit,  bear  signs  of  having  been  in  part  compiled  as  late 
as  the  seventh  century,  or  even  later,  were  in  iact  composed  in  that 
age,  or  some  of  the  following  ages  after  the  time  of  Gildas ;  and, 
consequently,  that  they  are  of  no  authority  whatever  as  regards 
the  early  British  history.  In  point  of  fact,  as  we  have  seen,  no 
evidence  is  before  us  to  show  that  there  is  any  documentary  proof 
of  the  existence  of  these  Triads,  &c.,  much  before  the  sixteenth 
century.  No  manuscript  is  actually  produced,  which  can  be 
ascribed  to  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth,  or  even  to  the  fourteenth 
or  fifteenth  century.  No  proof  is  given  that  Caradoc  of  Llan- 
earvan,  or  Brechva,  in  the  twelfth  century,  wrote  books  contain- 
ing Triads,  and  that  the  present  Triads  are  faithful  transcripts. 
In  short,  the  whole  thing  wears  a  most  suspicious  aspect,  and  we 
know  not  to  what  age,  between  the  seventh  and  the  sixteenth, 
to  ascribe  the  composition  of  the  Historical  Triads^  and  other 
Welsh  records  bearing  on  history. 

Still  we  may  approximate  somewhat  more  closely  to  the  age  of 
these  records ;  for  not  only  is  the  Welsh  traditional  history  more 
recent  than  the  time  of  Gildas,  but  it  appears  to  be  later  even 
than  the  time  of  Nennius — that  is,  later  than  the  ninth  century. 
For  Nennius,  who  certainly  was  a  British  writer,  and  probably  of 
that  date,  gives  us  a  number  of  historical  details  on  the  early 
history  of  Britain,  which  are  entirely  diflferent  from  those  of  the 
Welsh  Triads,  &c.,  and  prove  that  this  British  writer  of  the 
ninth  century  had  never  heard  of  the  stories  comprised  in  them. 
Nennius  states  that  there  are  different  accounts  of  the  first 
peopling  of  the  island  after  the  Deluge.  According  to  the  annals 
of  the  Romans,  he  says,  Brutus,  a  descendant  of  iSneas,  being 
expelled  from  Italy,  settled  in  Britain  with  his  people,  as  its  first 
king,  and  Britain  was  thus  peopled  (Nennius,  §  10,  Ed.  Ste- 
phenson). But,  according  to  the  British  records,  he  says, 
britto,  or  Brutus,  was  of  the  family  of  Japheth,  and  descended 
from  him  in  the  seventeenth  generation,  and  this  Britto  was  the 


10  AniiqtUties  of  the  Early  British  Church, . 

son  of  Hissitio,  son  of  Alanus,  who  wiih  his  family  first  came  into 
Europe  (Nennius,  §  17).  Now  this  proves  very  clearly,  that  in 
the  time  of  Nennius,  the  Welsh  Triad  history  had  not  yet  been 
invented.  It  is  perfectly  incredible  that  Nennius,  a  Briton,  should 
not  have  been  acquainted  with  the  traditions  of  his  own  nation : 
he  actually  records  what  the  British  traditions  were  in  his  time : 
and  those  traditions,  as  stated  by  him,  are  altogether  different 
from  those  of  the  Triads.  We  therefore  infer  that  the  latter  are 
more  recent  than  the  ninth  century :  indeed,  as  Geoflry  of  Mon- 
mouth, appears  to  reproduce  in  an  augmented  form  the  saTne 
fables  as  those  of  Nennius,  we  should  be  disposed  to  conclude, 
that  the  Triad  history  is  much  later  than  the  twelfth  century. 

But  besides  this,  there  is  another  most  serious  objection  to  the 
credibility  of  these  British  or  Welsh  remains ;  they  represent  fi 
state  of  things  in  ancient  Britain  which  is  totally  inconsistent 
with  the  facts  of  history.  They  suppose  Britain,  Siluria  at  least, 
to  have  been  continually  ruled  by  its  own  sovereigns ;  while  we 
know  that  the  whole  of  South  Britain,  including  Siluria,  was  for 
centuries  divided  into  provinces,  forming  a  part  of  the  Roman 
empire,  the  inhabitsmts  of  which  were  kept  in  order  by  a  mere 
handful  of  troops.  From  the  time  of  Agricola  (a.d.  80),  till  the 
invasion  of  the  Saxons,  the  Britons  appear  to  have  submitted 
very  quietly  to  the  Roman  dominion ;  and  we  read  of  no  British 
kings  (with  one  exception)  under  the  Romans.  Above  all,  it  is 
perfectly  clear  that  in  Siluria,  more  particularly,  there  was  no 
such  thing  as  an  independent  British  sovereign,  or  any  British 
sovereign  at  all.  We  fully  admit  that  it  was  not  unfi'equently 
the  policy  of  the  Romans  to  permit  sovereigns  to  retain  their 
titles  and  a  portion  of  their  authority  as  tributaries,  or  allies, 
much  in  the  same  way  in  which  England  now  permits  several 
native  principalities  in  India  under  her  sway,  and  does  not  deem 
it  necessary  to  reduce  every  part  of  the  country  under  the  direct 
jurisdiction  of  her  own  officials.  The  Romans  frequently  acted 
on  this  policy  where  they  were  not  opposed  by  force  of  arms,  but 
where  sovereigns  or  states  submitted  without  any  opposition  to 
their  dominion.  In  Britain  they  did  so  in  one  instance.  Gogi- 
dunus,  king  of  the  Regni,  became  a  favourite  with  Glaudius,  in 
consequence  of  his  early  and  willing  submission  to  the  Roman 
arms,  and  was  permitted .  to  retain  the  govemtnent  of  certain 
towns  of  his  tribe.  But  Britain,  as  a  whole,  constituted  one  or 
more  Roman  provinces  from  the  moment  of  its  final  conquest  by 
Agricola,  a«d.  80.  A/ier  that  period  there  is  no  mention  of  any 
British  kings  whatever. 

With  renr^ice  to  Siluria  in  particnlar,  there  is  historical  proof 
that  the  Silures  w^^  finally  conquered  by  Julius  Froirtiiuis,  after 


Antiquitiei  of  the  Early  British  Ohureh.  1 1 

a  long  tod  ofastinate  resistance,  about  a.d,  76.  The  contempo^ 
rary  testimony  of  Tacitus  on  this  point  is  indisputable.  It  was 
probably  in  consequence  of  the  warlike  and  turbulent  character  of 
this  people  that  one  of  the  three  legions,  which  constituted  the 
Roman  force  in  Britain,  was  permanently  stationed  in  the  country 
of  the  Silures,  at  Gaerleon,  or  Isca  oilurum.  The  other  two 
legions  were  employed  in  guarding  the  northern  barrier  against 
the  Caledonians.  It  is  therefore  clear  that  the  country  of  the 
Silures  was,  of  all  parts  of  Britain,  precisely  that  in  which  no 
native  sovereiffn  couid  have  been  permitted.  It  would  have  been 
contrary  to  all  sound  policy,  and  especially  to  the  practice  of  the 
Romans,  to  permit  a  nation,  which  it  was  found  desirable  to  keep 
in  order  by  a  ^rrison,  to  have  the  power  of  organizing  itself  under 
a  sovereign  of  its  own. 

But  the  Welsh  Triads,  on  the  other  hand,  suppose  that 
Siluria  was  always  the  seat  of  the  British  monarchy,  and  g^ve  us 
the  names  of  a  series  of  Chrigti<m  princes  of  Britain !  beginning 
with  Bran,  the  father  of  Garactacus,  and  acting  quite  indepen- 
dently as  sovereigns  in  their  dominions.  It  supposes  that  liraii 
and  Garadoc  or  Garactacus,  were,  successively,  kings  of  Britain ; 
that  St.  GyUin  succeeded  to  the  throne  (p.  63) ;  that  Owain  was 
Oyllin's  successor  in  his  "  dominions  ;^  that  Owain  erected  a  royal 
palace^  and  endowed  a  choir ;  that  Lleirwg  then  "  ascended  the 
throne,^'  and  established  the  "Archbishopric  of  Llandaf,'^  &c. 
Mr.  Williams  maintains  that  the  alleged  letter  of  Eleutherius  to 
King  Lucius,  which  supposes  him  to  be  sovereign  over  the  whole  of 
Britain,  and  does  not  even  allude  to  any  other  government  what- 
ever as  having  dominion  in  the  land,  is  perfectly  in  accordance  with 
the  views  which  the  Welsh  records  give  of  the  state  of  things  in 
the  first  and  second  centuries  (p.  68).  And  yet  it  is  perfectly 
clear,  from  undoubted  histor}'',  that  the  whole  of  Britain  was,  during 
that  period,  in  complete  subjection  to  the  dominion  of  the  Roman 
emperors.  The  country,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  was  inter- 
sected with  Roman  roads,  covered  with  Roman  to\vns,  cities, 
and  colonies,  garrisoned  by  Roman  troops,  and  was  furnishing  its 
regular  levies  of  recruits  to  the  Roman  armies,  in  the  shape 
of  the  "  British  Gohorts,"  who  were  attached  to  so  many  of  the 
legions  in  foreign  parts.  The  whole  machinery  of  Roman  go- 
vernment was  in  full  operation :  taxes  were  rigidly  enforced ;  and 
the  natives  were  deprived  of  the  use  of  arms  *. 

One  special  point  of  discrepancy  between  these  Welsh  docu- 
ments and  the  facts  of  ancient  history  cannot  be  passed  over. 
The  Triads  represent  Garactacus^  not  merely  a9  King  of  Siluria, 

*  Ample  details  on  these  points  wiU  tje  fo^nd  in  Henry's  Hi9tOii»Y  of  Brftwn^  vol,  u 


12  AwHquitm  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

but  as  a  natim  of  that  country.  Mr.  Williams,  stating  the 
history  as  given  in  the  Welsh  records,  says : 

'*  Caradog,  though  elective  sovereiga  of  the  whole  island,  and  '  ruling 
many  nations,*  was  emphatically  and  peculiarly  Prince  of  Siluria,  and, 
therefore,  his  patrimonial  residence  must  have  heen  situated  in  that 
region.    A  Triad  justifies  this  natural  conclusion, 

*  The  three  tribe  herdsmen  of  the  isle  of  Britain ; " 

Bennren,  herdsman  in  Corwennydd  (a  place  in  Glamorganshire),  who 
kept  the  herd  of  Caradog^  the  son  of  Bran,  and  his  tribe  ;  and  in  that 
herd  were  twenty-one  thousand  milch  cows,  &c." — ^p.  56. 

Thus  we  see  that  Oaractacus  was,  according  to  these  Welsh 
records,  the  Prince  of  the  Silures  by  hereditary  descent*  And 
moreover  his  father^s  name  was  Bran,  according  to  the  same 
records.  They  state  that  Bran,  the  father  of  Oaractacus,  was 
carried  a  prisoner  to  Borne,  along  with  his  son  Oaractacus,  and 
was  imprisoned  there  for  seven  years,  and  having  become  a  con- 
vert to  Ohristianity  there,  returned  to  his  kingdom  of  Britain. 

Now  all  this  is  perfectly  inconsistent  with  the  facts  of  the 
case,  as  stated  in  the  Boman  historians.  According  to  Tacitus 
and  Dio  Oassius,  Oaractacus,  with  his  brother  Togodumnus,  were 
sons  of  Cunohelinus,  who  was  king  by  descent,  not  of  the  Silures, 
but  of  the  Oattivelauni — a  nation  inhabiting  a  tract  to  the  north 
of  London,  and  by  conquest,  sovereign  of  the  greater  part  of 
England  from  Yorkshire  southwards.  Oaractacus  and  his  bro- 
ther, who  had  each  inherited  a  share  of  the  dominions  of  Ouno- 
belinus,  contended  with  great  courage  against  the  Boman  invasion 
in  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Olaudius ;  but  after  a  long  contest, 
Oaractacus,  being  deprived  of  his  paternal  dominions,  was  re- 
ceived by  the  Silures,  a  warlike  people  of  South  Wales,  as  their 
leader ;  and  at  their  head  he  engaged  in  a  fresh  contest  with  the 
Bomans,  which  issued  in  his  defeat,  and  his  subsequent  betrayal 
to  the  Bomans  by  his  stepmother,  Oartismandua,  Queen  of  the 
Brigantes.  His  father  Ounobelinus,  therefore,  had  been  dead 
many  years  before  Oaractacus  was  captured  by  the  Bomans; 
and  this  is  wholly  inconsistent  with  the  Welsh  Triads,  which  make 
Bran,  instead  of  Ounobelinus,  the  father  of  Oaractacus ;  and 
suppose  him  to  have  been  alive  when  the  latter  was  taken.  In 
fSEict,  if  Dio  Oassius,  an  historian  of  good  credit,  who  lived  in  the 
third  century,  is  to  be  believed,  there  never  was  such  a  person  as 
Bran.  Tacitus  also^  who  mentions  (Anna!.  1.  xii.  c.  35,  36)  the 
capture  of  the  wife  and  daug'hter  of  Oaractacus,  the  surrender  of 
his  brothers,  and  his  subsequent  betrayal,  is  perfectly  silent  as 
to  the  capture  or  betrayal  ot  his  father. 


AntiguUUs  of  the  Early  Britisk  Chwrpk.  ]  8 

On  the  whole,  then,  we  think  there  is  sufficient  ground  for 
rejecting  the  testimony  of  the  Welsh  records  on  all  historical 
points  relating  to  events  prior  to  the  time  of  Gildas,  who  declares 
that  there  were  no  hisioncal  records  extant  amongst  the  Britons 
m  his  time,  i.  e,  about  the  end  of  the  sixth  century. 

The  Welsh  account  of  the  introduction  of  Christianity  into 
Britain  has  been  adverted  to  above.  Mr.  Williams  produces 
the  following  Triads  in  reference  to  the  subject : — 

"  The  three  holy  families  of  the  isle  of  Britain : — 

"  The  first,  the  family  of  Bran,  the  blessed,  son  of  Llyr  Llediaith : 
tliat  Bran  brought  the  faith  in  Christ  first  into  this  island  from  Rome, 
where  he  had  been  in  prison  through  the  treachery  of  Aregwedd  Voed- 
dawg,  daughter  of  Avarwy,  the  son  of  Llud." — p.  53* 

And  shortly  after,  the  following  :— 

'*  The  three  sovereigns  of  the  isle  of  Britain  who  conferred  bless- 
ings :— 

"  Bran  the  blessed,  son  of  Llyr  Llediaith,  who  first  brought  the  faith 
in  Christ  to  the  nation  of  the  Cymry,  from  Rome,  where  he  had  been 
seven  years  a  hostage  for  his  son  Caradog,  whom  the  Romans  had  taken 
captive,  after  he  was  betrayed  by  treachery,  and  an  ambush  laid  for  him 
by  Aregwedd  Voeddawg." — p.  54, 

^'  The  Genealogy  of  the  Saints ^^  is  quoted  to  the  same  effect. 

Now,  as  we  have  seen,  the  father  of  Caractacus  was  not  alive 
when  he  was  captured  by  the  Romans ;  and  his  father^s  name 
was  Cunobelinus,  not  Bran ;  so  that  this  stoiy  is  altogether 
incredible.  And  there  is  absolutely  no  evidence  to  prove  that 
the  records  on  which  it  appears  are  as  much  as  five  hundred  years 
old ;  while  there  is  distinct  evidence  that  they  are  all  later  than 
the  time  of  Nennius— the  end  of  the  ninth  century.  So  that  the 
tradition  as  to  Bran,  and  the  introduction  of  Christianity  by  him, 
must  be  absolutely  rejected  as  a  i&ere  fabrication*  In  fact,  the  broad 
features  of  the  case  are  quite  sufficient  to  demonstrate  the  utter 
incredibility  of  the  whole  notion.  According  to  the  Triads  and 
other  connected  records,  Christianity  was  the  established  religion 
in  Britain  during  the  lifetime  of  St.  Paul!  A  succession  of 
Christian  monarcbs  from  that  period  governed  the  whole  of 
Britain !  Instead  of  Constantino  being  the  first  Christian  sove- 
reign, the  kings  of  Britain  had  been  for  centuries  Christians 
before  his  time;  and  in  ages  when  Christians  elsewhere  were 
suffering  persecution,  they  were  in  Britain  subject  to  sovereigns 
of  their  own  faith,  and,  of  course,  free  from  persecution !  Cer- 
tainly were  all  this  true,  it  would  be  by  far  the  most  extraordi- 
nary concatenation  of  events  in  history ;  but  its  plain  and  palpable 


li  AnHquitiis  of  the  Barly  British  Church. 

improbability  in  itself,  and  its  contradiction  to  ail  authentic 
history,  is  quite  sufficient  to  overthrow  the  credit  of  the  whole. 

It  may  here  be  observed,  that  the  Welsh  history  of  the  intro- 
duction of  Christianity  into  Britain  is  absolutely  inconsistent  with 
the  account  given  by  Venerable  Bede,  though  the  latter  is,  we 
•think,  quite  as  apocryphal  as  the  former.  The  Welsh  traditions 
represent  King  Bran  as  the  first  Christian  sovereign,  and  the 
introducer  of  Uhristianity  into  Britain.  They  give  us  a  succession 
of  Christian  princes  after  King  Bran  until  King  Lleirwg,  who  is 
supposed  by  Mr.  Williams  and  other  writers  to  be  the  same  as 
*'  King  Lucius,^'  who,  according  to  Bede's  story,  wrote  to  Pope 
Eleutherius,  requesting  to  receive  baptism,  and  was,  according  to 
him,  the  founder  of  the  Christian  Church  in  Britain.  If  the 
"Lleirwg,''  or  Llever  Mawr,  of  the  Triads  is  meant  to  be  the  same 
as  the  "  Lucius''  of  Bede,  he  holds  very  different  positions  in  the 
two  accounts.  In  the  one  he  is  born  in  a  Christian  land,  his 
ancestors  having  for  several  generations  been  Christian  kings. 
In  the  latter,  he  seeks  baptism  from  Pope  Eleutherius,  and 
becomes  the  originator  of  British  Christianity.     The  two  stories 


description  of  "  Lucius."  The  introduction  of  Christianity 
into  Britain  is  directly  and  plainly  ascribed  to  "  Lucius"  by  Bede  : 
this  is  right  in  the  teeth  Of  the  W  elsh  records,  according  to  which 
**  Lleirwg"  (if  that  means  "  Lucius")  had  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  introduction  of  Christianity,  which  had  taken  place  a 
hundred  and  twenty  years  before  his  time.  Accordingly,  the 
Welsh  records  are  wholly  silent  as  to  any  application  from 
**  lieirwg"  to  Eleutherius,  or  as  to  his  having  received  baptism 
from  foreign  missionaries.  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  born  in 
a  Christian  land,  and  to  have  founded  the  Archbishopric  o( 
Llandaf. 

We  must  here  cite  a  few  passages  from  Mr.  Williams's  work 
as  illustrative  of  the  state  of  Britain,  as  described  in  the  Welsh 
records,  before  the  time  of  "  Lleirwg,"  and  in  his  time. 

'*  It  is  affirmed  in  the  genealogy  of  Jestyn  ab  Gwrgant,  that  Caradogt 
*  after  he  had  been  carried  prisoner  to  Rome,  ceturned  to  Wales.* 
Alfred  likewise  says,  *  that  Claudius  sent  him  home  again,  and  that, 
after  many  years,  he  died  in  peace,  being  a  friend  to  the  Romans.*  His 
son  Cyllin  succeeded  to  his  throne,  and  is  described  as  a  wise  and 
gracious  sovereign,  deeply  imbued,  moreover,  with  the  desire  of  extend- 
ing the  influence  of  the  Church  within  his  kingdom :  hence  he  h^s  been 
emphatically  styled  Cyllin  Sant,  or  Cyllin  the  Saint.  In  his  days, 
maay  of  the  Cymry  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith»  through  the 


Anfi^^iiiU08  of  the  JSarfy  BriH$k  Church.  15 

teaching  of  the  native  clergy,  and  were  alio  viiited  by  several  mission- 
aries from  Greece  and  Rome. 

"  A  cQstom  had  hitherto  prevailed  among  the  Cymry,  of  deferring  to 
impose  names  upon  individuals  until  they  arrived  at  years  of  maturity, 
when  their  faculties  were  duly  developed,  so  as  to  suggest  a  suitable  and 
appropriate  appellation.  This  custom  was  authoritatively  changed  by 
Cyllin,  who  enacted  that,  in  future,  a  person^s  name  shall  be  given  him 
in  his  infancy.  The  alteration,  we  naturally  presume,  referred  to 
baptism  ;  and  the  royal  enactment  is  so  far  interesting,  as  it  implies  the 
exercise  of  state  authority  in  matters  ecclesiastical,  and  the  wide  and 
visible  progress  which  Christianity  had  already  made  in  the  king's  im- 
mediate dominions.  ....  Cyllin 's  life  must  have  been  extended  to  the 
second  century.  He  left  behind  him  two  sons,  Owain  and  Coel,  the 
former  of  whom  appears  to  have  inherited  his  father's  dominions.  It 
would  appear  that  he  enjoyed  a  tranquil  reign,  and  was  on  good  terms 
with  the  Romans,  whose  magnifieence  and  splendour  he  copied  in  the 
erection  of  a  royal  palace.  He  rendered  many  and  great  benefits  to 
his  Christian  subjects  in  general,  and  particularly  to  the  establishment 
founded  by  Eurgain  [a  college  or  monastery],  which  he  is  said  to  have 
endowed  with  wealth  for  the  maintenance  of  twelve  members 

"When  Lleirwg  (Lucius)  ascended  the  throne,  he  became  deeply  im- 
pressed with .  the  necessity  of  providing  more  amply  for  the  Church, 
regulating  its  external  affairs  as  bearing  upon  the  state  in  a  more 
defined  and  permanent  manner,  and  more  clearly  distinguishing  it  from 
ancient  Druidism.  With  this  view,  he  applied  to  Eleutherius,  Bishop 
of  Rome,  A.n.  173 — 180,  by  means  ofMedwy  and  Elvan,  native  Chris- 
tians, requesting  to  be  furnished  with  the  Roman  and  imperial  laws,  in 
which  he  doubtlessly  expected  to  find  certain  ordinances  respecting  the 
Church.     Eleutherius  in  reply  sent  him  the  following  letter.*  .... 

•*  The  conveyance  of  this  letter  was  entrusted  to  Dyvan  and  Fagan, 
both  of  British  extraction,  and  both,  most  probably,  descendants  of 
some  of  the  royal  captives  taken  to  Rome  with  Caradog.  Dyvan, 
indeedt  is  ascertained  to  be  the  great  grandson  of  Manawydaw,  Bran's 
brother,  and,  therefore,  a  kinsman  of  Lleirwg.  The  selecrion  of  such 
persons  was  judicious,  and  well  calculated  to  promote  the  desigpi  of  the 
king. 

"  What  Lleirwg  by  their  md  accomplished,  is  briefly,  though  not 
very  intelligibly,  specified  in  the  Triads.  One  says,  that  he  *  made  the 
first  Church  at  Llandaf,  which  was  the  first  in  the  isle  of  Britain,  and 
bestowed  the  privilege  of  country  and  native  judicial  power  and  validity 
of  oath,  upon  those  who  might  be  of  the  faith  of  Christ.'  Another 
Triad,  speaking  of  the  three  archbishoprics  of  the  isle  of  Britain,  states  : 
•The  first  was  Llandaf,  of  the  gift  of  Lleirwg,  the  son  of  Coel,  the  son 
of  Cyllin,  who  first  gave  lands  and  civil  privileges  to  such  as  first  emr- 
bmced  the  faith  in  Christ.'  "—pp.  63—69. 

Here  we  have  a  history  of  a  succession  of  Christian  monardis 
of  BritaiD  previous  to  the  time  of  Lleirwg,  and  the  latter  is  by 


1 6  Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

the  Triads  represented  merely  as  the  author  of  certain  endow- 
ments of  Churches  and  regulations  in  ecclesiastical  matters.  But 
the  majority  of  the  Britons  are  represented  to  have  been  Chris- 
tians, even  in  the  time  of  his  grandfather  Gyllin.  The  book  of 
Llandaf,  from  which  Mr.  Williams  derives  much  of  his  statement 
about  ^^  Lucius,'*^  is  of  uncertain  authority.  Its  date  is  not  stated; 
nor  is  its  account  corroborated  by  any  other  ancient  documents. 
As  far  as  Mr.  Williams  details  its  contents,  they  are  inconsistent 
with  the  account  given  by  Venerable  Bede,  in  his  account  of  the 
object  of  the  mission  to  Eleutherius,  which  Bede  states  to  have 
been  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  baptism;  while  the  book  of 
Llandaf  represents  it  to  have  been  with  a  view  to  obtain  copies  of 
the  Boman  laws. 

•  And  now  to  come  to  Bede'*s  account  of  "  King  Lucius.'^  In 
the  prefatory  epistle  to  King  Ceolwulph,  Bede  states  the  sources 
from  which  his  history  is  drawn ;  and  with  reference  to  the  earlier 
portion,  extending  from  the  beginning  to  the  period  when  the 
English  received  Christianity,  he  professes  to  have  derived  his  in- 
formation chiefly  from  former  writers — A  principio  itaque  voluml- 
nis  hujus  usque  ad  iempus  quo  gens  Anglorumjidem  Christi  percepit^ 
expriorum  maxime  scriptis  hinc  inde  cotteciis  ea  quce  promeremus 
diaicimus.  Thus  it  appears  that  Bede,  like  Gildas,  refers  to 
former  writers  as  his  authorities ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
Jie  derived  any  of  his  historical  knowledge  of  those  ages  from  the 
traditions  of  the  Britons,  inasmuch  as  Gildas  (whose  work  is 
quoted  by  Bede)  himself  derived  nothing  from  British  traditions 
or  records*  If  Gildas,  though  a  Briton,  knew  nothing  of  British 
traditions,  still  less  could  Bede.  The  Anglo-Saxons,  of  course, 
could  have  known  nothing  of  the  history  of  Britain  previously 
to  their  own  arrival,  except  from  information  derived  from  the 
Britons ;  and  if  there  was  any  account  whatever  among  them  of 
the  introduction  of  Christianity  into  Britain,  it  must  have  come 
from  the  Britons.  But  it  is  quite  evident  that  there  was  no 
knowledge  amongst  the  Britons  of  the  period  of  the  introduction 
of  Christianity.  Gildas  supposes,  indeed,  that  Christianity  was 
introduced  here  in  the  Apostolic  age ;  and  such  a  supposition  is 
very  reasonable.  But  the  fact  of  his  making  this  statement 
proves  that  the  Britons  had,  at  that  time,  no  tradition  of  the  in- 
troduction of  Christianity  by  the  imaginary  "  King  Lucius,*" 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  second  century. 

And  as  the  tradition  about  "  King  Lucius  ''^  was  plainly  not 
derived  from  British  or  domestic  tradition,  so  it  is  pretty  evident 
that  it  could  not  have  been  derived  from  foreign  history  or  tradi- 
tion. In  the  first  place,  no  historian  or  writer,  before  the  time  of 
Bede,  ever  mentioned  the  fact.   Gildas,  Sulpicius  Severus,  Gregory 


Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church.  17 

of  Tours,  Prosper,  Orosius,  Eusebius,  RuflRnus,  are  all  silent  as  to 
the  alleged  fact.   The  Christian  apologists,  who  refer  to  the  extent 
of  Christianity  as  amongst  its  evidences,  never  mention  so  re- 
markable a  fact  as  this  mission — the  first  mission  ever  sent  from 
a  sovereign  to  a  Christian  bishop,     TertuUian,  who  wrote  shortly 
after  the  alleged  event,  and  who  spoke  of  British  Christianity,  never 
aDuded  to  so  miprecedented  a  circumstance.   None  of  the  Fathers 
referred  to  it.     None  of  the  bishops  of  Rome  ever  alluded  to  it,  in 
all  their  manifold  assertions  of  Papal  power  and  jurisdiction.  Inno- 
cent, Zosimus,  and  Leo,  and  Gregory  the  Great  never  spoke  of 
it.    In  all  the  many  epistles  of  Gregory  the  Great  referring  to  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  into  Britain — in  the  correspondence 
with  Augustine  on  the  affairs  of  Britain — in  the  subsequent  letters 
and  decretals  of  the  Popes — in  the  discussions  between  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  and  the' British  Clergy  with  reference  to  Easter — there  is 
throughoiic  a  total  silence  as  to  the  fact  of  Britain  having  received 
its  Christianity  through  Pope  Eleutherius,  or  of  any  application 
having  been  made  to  Eleutherius  by  "  King  Lucius.""     So  that 
in  fine,  no  less  than  five  hundred  and  fifty  years  elapsed  from  the 
date  of  the  alleged  conversion  of  Britain  under  *'  King  Lucius,"" 
before  any  mention  was  made  of  it ;  for  Bede  wrote  about  a.d.  730; 
and  this  profound  silence  is  altogether  inexplicable  on  the  suppo- 
sition of  the  truth  of  the  story  ;  for  there  were  many  parties  in- 
terested in  making  it  public,  and  referring  to  it,  if  it  had  been 
true.     And  to  say  the  least,  the  unsupported  statement  of  one 
writer,  five  hundred  years  after  an  event,  does  not,  in  i  .ielf,  afford 
any  historical  evidence.     If  it  happened  to  be  based  on  specified 
records  or  traditions,  the  case  might  be  different ;  but  here  there 
is  nothing  of  the  kind. 

We  have  seen  that  the  story  could  not  have  been  derived  from 
British  traditions  or  records,  and  that  it  was  not  derived  from 
foreign  writei'S  or  remains.  Nor  could  it  have  been  drawn  from 
the  records  of  the  Church  of  the  City  of  Eome ;  for  there  is  not 
the  slightest  trace  of  any  such  records  having  been  preserved. 
None  of  the  epistles  or  acts  of  the  early  bishops  of  Rome  have  been 
preserved.  The  series  of  decretals  begins  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
fourth  century :  all  previous  records  have  perished,  if  there  ever  were 
any ;  and  the  actions  of  the  early  bishops  of  Rome,  and  proceedings 
of  their  Church  are  only  preserved  in  history — in  the  writings  of 
Fathers,  and  in  the  councils.  If  there  were  any  ancient  records 
they  probably  perished  in  the  persecution  under  Diocletian. 

But,  besides  these  difficulties,  there  are  others  specially  affect- 
ing the  state  of  Britain  at  that  period. 

It  is  extremely  improbable  that  Christianity  should  not  have  made 
its  way  to  Britain  lefore  a.d.  180 — the  time  of  Eleutheriua  \  ^^Vv^w^ 
VOL.  XV. — yio.  XXIX. — jf^BCH,  185  !•  c 


18  Antiqmtiee  ofths  Early  British  Church, 

in  twenty  or  thirty  years  afterwards,  Tertullian  testifies  that 
Christianity  had  extended  into  parts  of  Britain  where  the  Romans 
had  not  penetrated.  This  implies  that  Christianity  had  been  for 
some  time  in  Britain^  and  we  can  scarcely  suppose  that  it  had  not 
been  introduced  before  a.d.  180.  IrenEeus,  perhaps,  refers  to  it. 
And  there  was  nothing  in  the  state  of  Britain  to  prevent  the 
spread  of  Christianity  there  :  it  was  a  peaceful  and  well-regulated 
[Roman  protince  from  the  time  of  Agricola.  If  Christianity  had 
not,  under  such  circumstances,  made  its  way  into  Britain  in  thd 
early  part  of  the  second  century  at  latest,  it  would  be  a  terjr 
strange  fact.  And  to  suppose  that  any  British  king  would,  in  the 
year  180,  be  obliged  to  send  as  far  as  Rome  in  order  to  obtain 
Baptism,  is  inconsistent  at  once  with  all  probability,  and  with  the ' 
position  held  by  the  Church  of  Eome  in  that  age ;  for  it  is  in- 
credible that  there  should  not  have  been  Christian  Clergy  much 
nearer  than  Rome :  indeed,  it  is  certain  there  were,  as  Irenseua 
speaks  of  the  "Churches'"  amongst  the  Germans,  Celts,  and 
Iberians;  and  in  that  age,  though  the  Church  of  the  City  of 
Rome  possessed  a  pre-eminence,  founded  on  its  being  the  imperial 
city,  yet  it  had  scarcely  assumed  such  a  position  in  the  Church  as 
the  alleged  mission  of  "  Lucius ""  to  Eleutherius  would  seem  to 
indicate,  and  which  would  much  better  suit  the  notions  of  the 
eighth  century  than  those  of  the  second. 

In  addition  to  these  objections  there  is  this :  that  "  Lucius^ 
is  represented  by  Bede  as  King  of  the  Britons,  at  a  period  when 
there  certainly  could  have  been  no  such  person,  the  whole  country 
being  subject  to  the  Roman  emperors ;  and  there  is  not  a  trace 
in  history  of  any  subordinate  or  tributary  sovereigns  in  Britain 
at  that  time,  or  at  any  time  after  the  final  conquest  of  Britain  by 
Agricola.  There  is  no  sort  of  evidence  that  the  Romans  {>ermitted 
any  one  to  succeed  Cogidunus  in  the  dominions  they  allotted  him. 
It  is  true  that  Archbishop  Ussher  saw  a  gold  and  a  silver  coin 
bearing  the  name  of  Lucius;  but  the  gold  coin,  which  is  still 
extant  in  the  British  Museum,  is  a  forgery*;  and  the  silver 
coin,  which  has  disappeared,  was  probably  no  better.  The  only 
genuine  British  coins  which  appear  to  exist  are  those  of  Cunobe- 
linus,  the  father  of  Caractacus,  which  have  been  found  ill  great 
numbers,  and  of  one  other  petty  prince  named  Segonax. 

It  is  very  strange  that  writers,  like  Archbishop  Ussher  and 
Bishop  Stillingfleet,  should  not  have  felt  themselves  at  liberty 
wholly  to  reject  the  story  of  "  King  Lucius''  as  apocryphal.  The 
authority  of  Venerable  Bede  is,  doubtless,  very  respectable ;  and 

«  See  Rev.  T.  Pantin's  Preface  to  Bishop  Stillingfleet*8  OriginuB  BritannicflB^ 
p.  XV,    Ed,  Oxford,  1842, 


Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church.  19 

as  far  as  regards  events  in  the  history  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  Church, 
it  is  of  the  highest  value ;  and  yet  even  in  this  part  of  his  history, 
there  are  legends  which  it  is  impossible  to  accept  as  matters  of 
&ct.  His  informants  seem  to  have  practised  on  his  credulity 
occasionally;  and  it  is  clear  that  a  pious  fraud  was  commit- 
ted, when  he  was  told  by  some  one  (for  we  will  not  suppose 
that  he  was  himself  the  author  of  the  tale)  that  the  British  Church 
owed  its  Christianity  to  Pope  Eleutherius,  as  the  Anglo-Saxon 
did  to  Pope  Gregory.  We  presume  that  the  object  of  inventing 
this  tale  was  to  show  the  Britons  that  they  ought  to  follow  the 
Roman  customs  in  preference  to  their  own,  because  they  had  ori- 
ginally derived  their  Christianity  from  Rome.  It  is  of  course 
very  easy  forUssher  and  Stillingfleet,  and  other  writers  who  have 
followed  them,  tcf  endeavour  to  reduce  Bede's  story  of  "  King 
Lucius"  to  credible  dimensions,  by  getting  rid  of  the  notions 
which  he  connects  with  it,  that  Lucius  was  JCing  of  the  Britons, 
and  that  Christianity  was  then  first  introduced.  It  is  easy  to  say 
that  Lucius  was  not  King  of  the  Britons,  but  that  he  might  have 
been  some  tributary  prince  of  some  one  of  the  native  tribes ;  and 
that  he  may  have  communicated  in  some  way  with  Eleutherius, 
though  not  for  the  purpose  of  introducing  Christianity  into  Britain. 
To  make  suppositions  and  conjectures  Eke  this  is  very  easy ;  but 
to  do  so  is  to  subvert  the  facts  which  Bede  connects  with  the 
storj' ;  and  if  this  be  done,  the  whole  story  may  be  just  as  well 
rejected  at  once. 

If  there  were  any  other  evidence  with  reference  to  "  King  Lu- 
cius'" besides  the  statement  of  Venerable  Bede,  and  if  that  evi- 
dence were  in  some  respects  inconsistent  with  that  of  Bede,  we 
might  make  the  accounts  tally  by  rejecting  the  more  improbable 
circumstances  on  conjecture;  but  we  have  no  such  reasons  to 
correct  Bede's  account,  because  it  stands  perfectly  alone.  No 
former  writer,  or  document  of  any  kind,  corroborates  it.  There 
is  no  collateral  evidence  whatever.  Ajfier  the  time  of  Bede, 
"  King  Lucius"  was,  indeed,  frequently  referred  to,  but  by  writers 
who  appear  to  have  derived  the  notion  from  Bede. 

Our  own  conviction  is,  that  "  Lucius"  was  a  purely  imaginary 
personage;  that  the  fiction  was  invented  in  the  eighth  cen- 
tury, at  about  the  same  time,  and  on  the  same  principles  as  the 
spurious  decretal  epistles  of  the  early  Bishops  of  Rome.  We 
tnink  it  is  a  plain  and  evident  imposture,  intended  for  the  express 
purpose  of  advancing  the  influence  of  the  See  of  Rome,  just  as 
"  the  Historical  Tnads"  were  designed  for  the  purpose  of  en- 
hancing the  dignity  of  the  Welsh  people. 

And  now,  having  examined  the  records  of  early  British  eccle- 
siastical history,  comprised  in  the  Welsh  Triads  aui  m  ^  ^- 

c2 


20  Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

counts  of  King  Lucius,  we  must  notice  the  claims  put  forward  by 
many  of  our  writers  to  the  presence  or  preaching  of  one  or  more 
of  the  Apostles  in  our  island.  Stillingfleet,  Collier,  and  others 
have  sufficiently  shown  the  baselessness  of  those  various  tradi- 
tions which  refer  us  to  St.  Peter,  or  St.  James  the  Less,  or 
St.  Simon  Zelotes,  or  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  or  Aristobulus,  as 
preachers  of  the  Gospel  here  in  the  apostolic  age.  All  these 
traditions  are  easily  proved  to  be  valueless.  But  the  accounts  of 
St.  PauFs  mission  are  much  more  deserving  of  attention,  and  have 
been  vigorously  defended  by  Stillingfleet  and  Collier,  who  reject 
so  many  other  traditions.  It  may,  therefore,  be  desirable  to  ofler 
a  few  remarks  on  this  subject. 

The  argument  of  Stillingfleet  and  Collter  is  briefly  this :  Euse- 
bins,  in  his  Evangelical  Demonstration,  states  that  the  Apostles 
preached  amongst  the  remotest  nations,  such  as  the  Romans, 
Persians,  Armenians,  Parthians,  Medians,  Scvthians,  and  that 
some  passed  over  the  ocean  to  the  "  British  isknds ;"  and  Stil- 
lingfleet adds,  that  Eusebius  had  an  opportunity  of  gaining- accu- 
rate information  as  to  the  history  of  the  Britiish  Gburdies  from 
the  Emperor  Constantine,  who  had  been  in  Britain.  '  We  do  not 
attach  much  weight  to  this ;  for  Constantino  wad  not  likdy  to  have 
felt  much  interest  in  the  antiquities  of  the  British  Church,  or  to 
have  had  time  to  examine  them.     But  besides  Eusebius,  Theodoret 
(in  the  fifth  century)  after  mentionipg  Spain,  remarlcBthaCt  St.  Paul 
brought  salvation  to  the  "  islands'*''  in  the  ocean,  and  lilg^where 
expressly  speaks  of  the  *^  Britons''  as  amongst  those  tfrho' wfere  fcon- 
verted^  by  the  Apostles.    Jerome  speaks  of  S t ,  Paurs  having  been 
in  Spain,  and  going  "from  one  ocean  to  another,'^  and  his' J)reaching 
"as  far  as  the  earth  itself."    In  JBne,  Clemens  Somahii^  says 
that  St.  Paul  preached  even  "  to  the  utmost  bounds  of  tlife'  W^t," 
an  expression  which,  according  to  the  usage  of  aricierit'Witers, 
may  fairly  include  Britain,  In  addition  t6  this,  it  is  atetr^dthiit  St. 
Paul  had  time  and  opportunity  to  come  to.  Britain,  foi^.  it? 'is  gene- 
rally admitted  th^t  he  suffered  at  Ronle,  Ain.  69'  iAhid  that  the 
Eeriod  during  which  he  dwelt  two  years  in  Romfe,  6ii  hia  first 
eing  sent  there,  ended  in  A.n.  61.   So  that  the  eight  latter' "yfears 
of  his  life  may  have  been  spent  in  preaching  in  the  Wesfi  and 
there  is  suflicient  reason  to  allege  that  they  were  sb  Spent,  from 
the  statement  of  the  Fathei'^  above  teferii5d  to.  ' 

Such  is  a  summary  of  the  argument  in  behalf  of  StJ  Paul's  preach- 
ing in  Britain,  and  we  would  observe  on  it,  in  the  first  place,  that  the 
testimony  of  Jerome  is  very  indefinite,  and  does  not'  necessarily 
refer  to  Britain  at  all — ^that  Theodoret  may  have  probably  derived 
his  opinion  from  Eusebius ;  and  Eusebius  may  have  been  led  to 
make  the  statements  referred  to  by  the  testiioaony  of  Clemens 


Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church.  21 

Eomanus.     The  latter  testimony  is  of  the  higliest  authority,  and, 
as  far  as  the  words  go,  may  certainly  refer  to  ]3ritain  ;  but  they 
may  equally  refer  to  Spain ;  and,  considering  tliat  the  latest  date 
at  which  the  epistle  of  Clemens  Bomanus  could  have  been  written 
iFas  about  a.d.  96,  it  certainly  appears  a  strong  argument  that, 
during  some  part  of  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  he  did  preach  in 
the  remotest  parts  of  the  AVest.     That  he  spent  all  the  latter 
years  of  his  life  in  the  West  is  improbable,  when  we  remem- 
ber the  declaration  of  St.  Paul  to  the  Philinpians,  ii.  24,  that 
he  would  "shortly  come"  to  thent.     See  also  the  Epistle  to 
Philemon  (22).   In  the  Second  Epistle  to  Timothy,  St.  Paul  says 
that  the  time  of  his  departure  is  "  at  hand"  (iv.  6)  ;  and  yet  it 
appears  that  he  had  only  lately  returned  to  Rome,  from  a  circuit 
through  the  East  and  Greece  (i.  18  ;  iv.  13,  20).     It  is  evident 
from  this,  that  the  latter  years  of  St.  Paul's  life  could  not  have 
been   exclusively  devoted  to  the  West,  as  Bishop  Stillingfleet 
argues.     It  would  also  be  an  unaccountable  fact,  if  St.  Paul  had 
preached  for  any  length  of  time  in  the  West,  tliere  should  not 
be  extant  any  epjstles  to  Western  Churches.     Nor  is  there  in  any 
of  the  epistles,  any  allusions  even,  to  any  Western  journeys,  with 
the  single  exception  of  bis  intention  to  visit  Spain.     If  he  actually 
visited  Spain,  it  seemai  strange  that  the  fact  should  not  be  alluded 
to  in  any  way  in  his  last  epistles.     It  may  be  further  added,  that 
the  time  between  St  PauFs  release  from  his  first  imprisonment 
at  Borne,  till  his  death^  is  held  by  the  ablest  modem  critics  not  to 
hav0  exceeded /Jwr  years,  instead  of  eight. 

But,  however  this  may  be,  one  thing  appears  very  clear — that 
it  ia  not  probable  that  St.  Paul  should  have  gone  to  Britain 
between  a.jd.  61  and  .69  ;  for  in  61  and  62  occurred  the  expedi- 
tion of  Sue^pius  against  Mona,  and  the  subsequent  bloody 
struggle  ,  between  the  Romans  and  Britons,  in  wnich  seventy 
thousand  ^m^ns  and  their  confederates  were  put  to  death  at 
Gamulodunum,  London^  Yerulamium,  and  other  places;  while 
eighty  thousand  of  Boadicea'^s  army  fell  in  battle.  And  though, 
after  this,  the  war  was  not  carried  on  with  any  vigour  by  the 
Romans  till  the  time  of  Vespasian,  about  a.d.  70,  still  Britain 
was,  unlike  any  of  the  other  Roman  provinces  of  the  West,  the 
seat  of  war. .  And  it  is  not  probable  that  St.  Paul  should  have 
visited  this  island,  when  this  was  the  case ;  more  especially  since, 
if  we  suppose  him  to  have  preached  through  tlio  peaceable 
countries  of  Spain,  and  perhaps  Graul,  and  to  have  revisited  the 
East,  there  would  have  been  abundant  employment  for  his  latter 
years,  without  supposing  that  he  visited  a  country  which  was  in 
so  unsettled  a  state  as  Britain.  He  would  not  have  come  to 
Britain  until  he  had  first  evangelized  Spain  and  Gaul,  and  those 


22  Antiquities  of  the  Early  British  Church. 

two  countries  were  of  such  vast  extent,  that,  judging  from  his 
preaching  elsewhere,  he  would  have  been  engaged  for  several 
years  in  preaching  there ;  so  that,  remembering  his  visit  to  the 
East,  which  certeinly  took  place  before  his  death,  and  which 
must  have  taken  a  long  time,  it  seems  very  improbable  that  he 
should  have  come  to  Britain. 

Setting  aside  therefore,  as  very  improbable,  any  notion  of  a 
mission  by  St.  Paul,  or  any  other  Apostle,  in  Britain,  and  reject- 
ing also  the  story  of  the  conversion  under  the  pretended  "  Lucius," 
Kmg  of  Britain,  and  also  the  fabrications  of  the  Welsh  Bards,  in 
reference  to  the  introduction  of  Christianity  by  Bran,  the  father 
of  Caractacus  ;  we  only  know,  as  matter  of  historical  fact,  that 
from  the  time  of  Agricola,  a.d.  80,  the  province  of  Britain  was 
reduced  to  subjection  to  the  Roman  arms  and  laws;  and  that 
there  is  the  same  probabiUty  that  Christianity  penetrated  there  at 
an  early  period,  as  there  is  in  the  case  of  Spain,  Gaul,  Africa,  and 
Germany.  But  from  the  time  of  Agricoja,  A,p.  80,  till  that  of 
TertuUian,  a.d.  200,  wo  hear  absolutely  nothing  certain  about 
Christianity  in  Britain — ^not  even  whether  it  existed.  All  W9  do 
know  is,  that  by  TertuUian^s  time  Christianity  in  Britain  had 
extended  into  those  parts  not  subject  to  the  Roman  dominion  ;t- 
that  is,  into  Caledonia ; — from  which  we  may  infer  that  it  had 
existed  for  a  considerable  time  previously  in  this  country ;  and  ^he 
allusion  in  the  writings  of  Irenseus  to  Christian  Churchesi  among 
the  *^  Celts,''  may  very  possibly  refer  to  Britain  as  w^U  as  Gau^ 
both  countries  including  a  Celtic  population  at  that  time. 

The  mention  of  Christianity  as  existing  in  Britain  in  the  pages 
of  Origen,  is  the  only  circumstance  in  our  ecclesiastical  history  of 
the  third  century ;  but,  early  in  the  fourth,  we  have  the  martyrdom 
of  Alban,  Julius,  and  others — the  first  mention  of  which  occurs  in 
Gildas,  about  a.d.  570,  and  which  he  may  have  learnt  from  the 
Martyrology  in  use  in  iJie  British  Church.  Venantius  Fortunatus, 
who,  in  the  seventh  century,  mentioned  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Alban 
in  his  poems,  probably  learnt  the  circumstance  from  the  writings  of 
Gildas,  as  Venerable  Bede  may  also  have  done ;  and  in  the  interval 
between  the  time  of  Gildas  and  Bede,  the  legend,  as  was  to  be 
expected,  received  many  additional  extraord-inary  circumstancies. 
The  facts  relating  to  the  Synod  at  Aries,  a.d.  314,  the  orthodoxy 
of  the  British  bishops  during  the  Arian  controversy,  their  presence 
at  Ariminum,  and  the  poverty  of  three  of  their  number  (the. 
majority  being  in  better  circumstances),  the  events  of  the  Pelagian, 
controversy,  and  the  mission  of  Germanus  and  Lupus,  in  the  fifth 
century,  are  all  within  the  province  of  history ;  though  there  are 
various  disputed  points.  The  amount  of  historical  fa(?t,  however, 
is  very  small. 


Aniiquitiei  o/the  Early  British  Church.  23 

Geriain  ebndusions,  however,  occur  to  us  with  reference  to  the 
whole  history,  up  to  the  period  of  the  Saxon  invasion. 

I.  It  is  apparent  that  m  their  religious  belief,  and  generally  in 
their  practice,  the  British  Church  agreed  with  the  prevalent  feel- 
ing and  principles  of  the  Church  generally.  They  were  not 
heretical,  or  in  any  respect  peculiar,  but  were  recognised  as  a  part 
of  the  one  gi^at  Christian  body  extended  througliout  the  world. 
The  laith,  as  described  by  Irenseus,  TertuUian,  and  the  other 
ante-Nicene  Fathers,  was  theirs.  In  the  Arian  controversy  they 
took  the  orthodox  side.  The  same  result  followed  in  the  Pelagian 
controversies.  There  are  indications  in  Gildas  that  they  also 
shared  the  prevalent  feeling  as  regarded  martyrs  and  their  i*e- 
mains ;  and  their  adoption  of  the  early  discipline  in  regard  to 
widows,  testified  by  Fastidius,  and  their  acceptance  of  the  monas- 
tic institute,  introduced  into  the  West  by  Martin,  Bishop  of 
Tours,  are  indications  of  their  general  tone  of  mind.  Their 
hierarchy  was  exactly  like  that  of  the  rest  of  Chiistendom,  con- 
sisting of  three  orders. 

As  regards  the  Papal  Supremacy,  we  find  nothing  of  the  kind 
here,  or  in  other  western  countries  beyond  Italy.  The  extensive 
jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop  of  Home  (over  the  suburbicarian  pro- 
vinces) is  indeed  alluded  to  by  the  Synod  of  Aries,  at  which 
British  Bishops  were  present.  The  Bishop  of  Borne  was  given 
certain  powers  of  causing  causes  to  be  reheard  by  the  Synod  of 
Sardica  in  347 ;  and  the  Bishops  of  Britain  seem  to  have  been 
there  also ;  but  there  was  no  recognition  of  a  Papal  Supremacy 
in  this — it  was  merely  conferring  on  the  bishop  of  the  imperial 
city  certain  privileges  which  he  did  not  before  possess;  nor 
was  this  Canon  acted  on.  In  378  the  temporal  sovereign 
enacted  a  law  by  which  all  bishops  were  made  liable  to  be 
tried  by  the  Bishop  of  Bome,  and  Britain,  of  course,  was  in- 
cluded amongst  the  rest;  but  this  law  was  not  acted  upon,  as 
is  evident  from  the  history  of  the  African  Church  in  the  next 
century.  The  first  interference  in  the  affairs  of  the  British 
(%urcn  by  the  Bishops  of  Borne  was  in  the  time  of  the  Pelagian 
coutroversy,  when  Oelestino  is  said  to  have  commissioned  Ger- 
manus  and  Lupus,  Gallican  bishops,  to  visit  Britain.  The  autho- 
rities are  rather  various  on  this  point,  some  ascribing  the  mission 
to  the  Synod  of  Gallican  bishops ;  but  it  does  not  seem  improbable 
that  Celestine  may  have  interfered,  because  he  and  his  predecessor 
Zosimus  had  induced  the  Bishops  of  Aries  to  accept  the  delega- 
tion of  authority  from  the  See  of  Rome,  and  had  thus  made  the 
first  step  towards  universal  jurisdiction.  There  is  nothing  what- 
ever inconsistent  with  the  spirit  of  the  fifth  century  in  the  suppo- 
sition that  Germanus  was  sent  with  the  authority  of  the  See  of 


24  Antiquities  o/the  Early  British  Chwreh. 

Borne  into  Britain.  It  was  at  this  period  that  Zosimus  endea- 
voured to  extend  his  jurisdiction  to  Africa,  alleging  in  its  support 
the  Canon  of  Sardica,  which  he  represented  as  a  Canon  of  the 
Synod  of  Nice.  On  the  detection  of  his  deceit,  the  African 
Bishops,  headed  by  St.  Augustine,  passed  Canons  prohibiting  any 
such  jurisdiction  as  that  claimed  by  Zosimus  under  penalty  of  ex- 
communication. In  Gaul,  however,  the  Bishops  of  Aries  accepted 
in  this  century  the  delegation  of  powers  from  the  See  of  Borne ; 
and  it  is  very  possible  therefore,  that  a  GalHcan  bishop  going  to 
Britain  to  meet  a  rising  heresy,  might  have  been  authorized  by 
the  See  of  Rome  as  well  as  by  the  Gallican  synod  of  bishops. 
Probably,  if  the  Roman  dominion  had  continued  iu  Britain,  or  if 
Christianity  had  remained  settled  there,  the  Popes  would  have 
endeavoured  to  appoint  a  Vicar  here  as  they  did  in  Gaul,  and' 
Spain,  and  Illyricum ;  and  very  possibly  they  might  hjive  succeeded 
in  the  attempt,  and  a  commencement  might  thus  have  been  made 
of  ordinary  jurisdiction. 

We  apprehend  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  prove  that  the 
British  Church  was  in  any  material  point  different  from  the  rest 
of  the  Western  Church  in  the  time  of  Gregory  the  Great.  Its 
customs  were  certainly  different  in  various  points  from  those  of 
Borne ;  and  there  are  many  reasons  for  thinking  that  they  .were 
derived  from  those  of  the  old  Gallican  Church,  with  which  the 
Britons  were  connected  by  immediate  vicinity,  by  a  common 
language,  and  by  a  common  derivation,  the  Celtic  race  prevailing 
in  each  of  the  two  countries  previously  to  the  invasion  of  the 
Saxons  and  the  Franks. 

The  people  of  Wales  and  the  Bretons  form  the  remains  of  that 
people  who  onqe  pversjjread  the  greater  part  of  Britain  and  Gaul 
— relics  of  the  aboriginal  population  of  the  West.  There  is  a 
de6p  interest  attaching  to  all  that  concerns  the  history  of  that 
most  ^ricient  race ;  but  its  national  dignity  stands  in  no  need  of 
fable  arid  exaggeration  to  enhance  it.  A  race  whose  forefathers 
stood  in  heroic  opposition  to  the  Roman  legions — to.the  eagles. of 
th6' Caesars — may  be  permitted  to  indulge  in  those  feelings  of 
natioiial  prijde  in  which  Welshmen,  to  do  them  justice,  are  rarely 
deficient";  but  the  fables  of  GeofiFry  of  Monmouth,  or  the  in- 
ventions p^  the  IJards,  only  tend  to  invite  criticism,  and  by  their 
extrava^ane^  to  diminish  the  respect  due  to  the  far-descended 
race  orf  the  Cymby. 


AmarTi  War  of  ih$  Sicilian  Vetpen.  25 


Anr.  II. — History  of  the  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers.  By 
MiCHteLE  Amahi.  Edited^  toith  Introduction  and  Notes^  by 
(he  Eakl  of  Ellesmere.    3  vols.    London :  Bentley.     1850. 

Latk  events  have  given  a  peculiar  and  painful  interest  to  Sicily 
and  her  peoi)le :  and  yet,  perhaps,  we  are  wrong,  in  attributing 
any  especial  importance  to  the  Sicilian  question.  For,  without 
entering  into  the  merits  of  the  late  struggle  between  tlie  insur- 
gents and  their  conquerors,  we  may  safely  assert  that  there  is  no 
spot  on  the  face  of  the  earth  whet-e  a  Bourbon  has  trodden,  from 
the  day  of  Hugh  Oapefs  successful  treason  to  the  present  time, 
without  leaving  his  foot-prints  of  blood ;  and  that  there  is  no 
people  or  potentate  under  heaven  that  has  not  sufficient  reason 
and  just  cause  to  dread  the  very  name  of  the  Secretary  for  Foreign 
Affairs ;  alw^s,  of  course,  excepting  the  Emperor  of  Eussia  and 
the  Pope  of  Kome.  These  worthies,  the  one  from  his  pohtical, 
the  other  from  his  religious  antagonism,  to  the  best  and  truest 
interests  of  our  country,  have  found  a  constant  and  useful  auxi- 
liary in  the  foreign  minister  of  the  Queen  of  England, 

Leaving,  however,  this  august  trio  to  that  consideration  which 
they  deserve  and  receive  at  the  hands  of  every  true-hearted 
Englishman,  let  us  proceed  to  the  examination  of  the  very  ex- 
citing volumes  before  us.  We  had,  at  first,  used  the  epithet 
^  interegtinff  :^'*  but,  on  second  thoughts,  have  felt  compelled  to 
substitute  the  phrase  which  we  have  adopted.  For  though  there 
is  much  of  stirring  event  and  striking  incident  in  this  work,  and 
though  it  contains  a  masterly  narrative  of  an  important  war, 
abounding  with  many  caustic  remarks  and  eloquent  passages, 
there!  is  a  decided  want  of  interest^  properly  so  called.  And  this 
arises  not  from  any  fault  in  the  writer,  though  in  the  warmth  of 
his  Sicilian  provincialism  and  southern  enthusiasm  he  is  some- 
times rather  carried  away  by  his  feelings,  but  from  an  essential 
defect  in  his  subject.  Almost  all  the  persons  who  play  a  conspi- 
cuous part  in  the  drama  are  so  atrociously  wicked,  or  so  ineffably 
childish,  that  we  can  feel  no  sympathy  either  with  their  success 
or  their  defeat.  Thus  all  the  sovereigns,  with  scarcely  an  ex- 
ception, are  avaricious  and  cruel,  monsters  of  tyranny  and  per- 
fidy, whilst  the  patriots  for  the  most  part  are  worthy  disciples  of 
their  royal  instructors. 


26  jifnarTs  War  of  the  Sicilian  Veipin^ 

The  insurrection  and  massacre,  properly  known  as  that  of  the 
Sicilian  Vespers,  awakens  in  our  mind  little  else  but  horror  and 
disgust,  which  is  in  no  way  removed  by  the  atrocious  tyi'anny 
that  preceded  and  provoked  it. 

The  character  of  Peter  of  Arragon :  his  duplicity,  his  barba- 
rity, his  ingratitude,  is  not  in  our  opinion  rendered  worthy  of 
admiiation  by  his  courage,  his  perseverance,  and  his  policy. 

His  son  James  is  an  embodiment  of  perfidy.  And  his  brother 
Frederick  far  too  wanting  in  constancy  of  purpose,  or  consistency 
of  principle,  to  win  our  respect. 

The  Angevin  monarch,  Charles  the  First  of  Naples,  combines 
that  selfishness  ^nd  superstition,  which  so  frequently  characterise 
his  family — a  family,  the  animus  of  which  finds  its  truest  expo- 
nents in  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  and  the  pollution  of 
the  Palatinate. 

^  But  in  darkest  colours, :  a  darkness  that  may  be  felt,  though 
lurid  with  flame  and  crimson  with  blood,  stand  out  the  Bioman 
PontiQs  and  their  emissaries. 

The  work,  however,  has  its  many  powerful  lessons,  lessons 
which  the  present  age  may  profit  from,  if  it  is  so  inclined ;  aoone 
of  which  we  8ha.U  slightly  indicate  in  the  cursory  notice  which  we 
are  able  to  b^tow  upon  it : — 

"  After  its  occupation  by  Charlemagne,"  says  Mr.  Amari,  •*  and  the 
Othos,  the  greater  part  of  Italy  had  remained  subject  to  the  feudal  su- 
premacy of  the  Emperors  of  the  West ;  but  these  mighty  men  gave 
place  to  feeble  successors  ;  the  turbulence  of  the  great  feudatories  dis- 
tracted the  empire ;  and  the  German  dominion  soon  became,  at  best, 
merely  nominal  on  this  side  of  the  Alps.  Meanwliile,  the  Church  in- 
creased in  power,  and  with  the  scriptural  doctrines  of  liberty  and 
equality,  encouraged  the  Italians  to  throw  off  the  yoke.  Industry, 
commerce,  science,  and  literature  sprang  up  anew  in  Italy,  to  change 
the  destinies  of  the  world.  Fostered  by  them,  from  the  confused  mul- 
titude of  serfs,  vassals,  and  lesser  nobles,  arose  a  new  order — the 
people,  sole  basis  of  equal  rights  and  civil  freedom.  Hence,  when  the 
feudal  system  changed  into  feudal  anarchy,  the  latter,  encountering  this 
new  order,  gave  rise,  in  the  eleventh  century,  to  the  mercantile  re- 
publics."— ^Vol.  i.  p.  17. 

*'  Sicily,  and  the  peninsula  south  of  the  Garigliano,  though  differing 
little  from  the  rest  of  Italy  in  race,  language,  traditions,  and  manners, 
were  subjected  to  a  different  form  of  government.  While  in  the  rest 
of  Europe,  the  Northern  races,  k)sing  the  virtues  of  barbarism  retained 
only  its  vices,  Sicily,  like  Spain,  was  under  the  dominion  of  the  Sara- 
cens, who,  if  not  civilised,  were  enlightened,  and  full  of  the  activity  and 
energy  of  a  recently  regenerated  people.  The  mainland  province 
now  Invaded  by  the  barbarians^  po)f  reconquered  by  the  Qreek  £m- 


Amarts  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vap^ra.  27 

perors,  split  itself  into  a  multitude  of  states,  uuder  various  polities. 
Some  of  them  were  adopting  the  forms  of  the  rising  Italian  republics, 
when   a   handful   of  Norman  adventurers,    summoned  as  defenders, 
made  themselves  masters  of  the  soil,  and  established  the  feudal  system* 
Crossing  into  Sicily,  toward  the  close  of  the  eleventh  century,  they 
drove  out  the  Saracens,  who  were  odious  to  the  natives  as  foreign  rulers 
differing  from  them  in  race  and  religion,  and  founded  there  a  new  prin- 
cipality.    They  were  the  first  to  introduce  feudality,  which,  as  it  was 
already  beginning  to  decline  in  the  rest  of  Europe,  here  arose  in  a  more 
quitable    and    milder    form,  being  further  modified    by  the  virtues 
and  ability  of  Roger,  the  leader  of  the  conquerors,  by  the  influence  of 
the  great  cities,  by  the  powers  grasped  by  the  Church  on  the  head  of 
Chriitian  virtues,  by  the  amount  of  allodial  lands,  by  the  wealth  and 
number  of  the  Saracens,  subdued  rather  than  exterminated,  and  even  by 
that  of  the   Christian  inhabitants  of  Sicily.     Thus  Count  Roger,  as 
mler  of  a  free  people,  rather  than  chief  of  a  turbulent  baronage,  and 
ioFested  with  the  authority  of  pontifical  legate  (which  is,  even  to  the 
present  day,  an  inherent  privilege  of  the  Sicilian  crown),  governed  his 
new  state  firmly  and  orderly.     It  was  raised  to  the  rank  of  a  kingdom 
by  the  second  Roger,  son  of  the  count,  who,  by  combined  force  and 
policy,  wrested  Apulia  and  Calabria  from  the  other  Norman  princes, 
and  then  gallantly  defended  them  with  Sicilian  arms  against  the  barons, 
who  there  enjoyed  greater  powers,  the  Emperor  and  the  Pope.     Upon 
this  he  was  hailed  by  the  parliament,  King  of  Sicily,  Duke  of  Apulia 
and  Calabria,  and  Prince  of  Capua ;  and  at  lenf;;th,  cither  of  favour  or 
necessity,  recognised  by  the    Pope.      He  centred  the  power  of  the 
magistracy  in  the  crown,  restrained  the  barons,  established  wise  internal 
regolations,  revived  industry,  and  employed  his   arms   with  success 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  kingdom. 

"  The  newly-founded  Sicilian  monarchy  had  two  opposing  powers  to 
contend  with;  these  were  the  baronage  (which,  although  not  suffi- 
ciently powerful  to  set  at  nought  the  regal  authority,  was  yet  daring 
enough  to  provoke  it),  and  the  court  of  Rome.  The  latter  involved 
our  princes  in  the  contests  of  Italy,  now  calling  them  to  her  aid,  and 
now  laying  claim  to  their  provinces,  and  openly  combating  them. 
Nevertheless  the  monarchy,  based  on  a  firm  foundation,  resisted  these 
assaults  from  within  and  from  without,  strengthened  itself  by  improved 
laws  under  the  reign  of  the  second  William,  and  might,  perhaps,  after  a 
long  period  of  neutrality^  have  raised  a  true  national  standard  in  Italy, 
subdued  th.e  Emperor  and  the  Pope,  and  occupied  and  protected  the 
whole  country  to  the  foot  of  the  Alps,  had  it  not  passed,  by  marriage, 
from  the  Norman  line  to  the  House  of  Suabia,  which  at  that  time 
wielded  the  sceptre  of  the  empire.*' — Vol.  i.  pp.  21 — 24. 

Then  followed  the  long  and  deadly  contest  between  the  Pope- 
dom and  the  House  of  ouabia,  which  ended  in  the  entire  annilii- 
lation  of  tlie.  latter.  At  th^  death  of  the  great  Emperor,  Frede- 
rick II»,  the  reigning  Pope,  Innocent  lY.,  redoubled  hia  effects 


28  Amarfs  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers. 

for  their  destruction :  and  succeeded  in  preventing  his  son  Conrad 
from  being  elected  Emperor,  and  in  order  to  deprive  him  of 
his  southern  dominions  he  proclaimed,  as  he  had  in  the  time  of 
Frederick,  Kberty  to  the  people :  he  stirred  up  the  barons,  ex- 
horted the  bishops  and  clergy,  preached  remission  of  sins  to  all 
who  would  rise  in  rebellion  against  their  sovereign,  and  in  his 
briefs,  and  by  his  legates,  endeavoured  to  arouse  a  spirit  of 
disaffection,  promising  to  all  orders  and  conditions  of  men,  peace, 
prosperity,  and  every  other  result  of  mild  and  just  government 
under  the  protection  of  the  Church.  There  were  not  wanting 
causes  of  complaint  against  the  reigning  house:  the  Suabian 
dynasty  is  indeed  charged  with  rigour  and  avarice  :  we  are,  how- 
ever, inclined  to  think  that  such  rigour  may  have  been  necessary 
for  the  maintenance  of  order,  and  the  protection  of  person  and 
property,  in  an  age  and  country  where  insubordination  was 
general,  and  lawlessness  universal :  and  no  doubt,  can  exist 
but  that,  even  supposing  the  imperial  avarice  not  to  have  been 
produced  by  the  necessity  of  obtaining  funds  for  carrying  on  the 
contest  against  Eome,  it  was  vastly  increased  by  that  cause. 
Subjects  of  discontent  there  always  will  be,  but  we  doubt 
extremely  whether  the  Sicilians  and  Neapolitans  were  justified 
in  their  feelings  of  disaffection,  much  less  in  their  practices 
of  treason.     The  result  would  seem  to  condemn  them. 

For  the  present,  the  intrigues;  of  the  Pope  and  the  insubordi- 
nation of  toe  people  were  overpowered  by  th6  zeal  of  the  Ghibel- 
lines,  and  the  talents  of  Manfred,  an  illegitimate  sou.  of  the  late 
Emperor.  After  a  reign,  however,  of  little  more  than  two  years, 
Conrad  died,  leaving  an  only  child,  ^n  infant,  named  Conrad,  but 
known  in  history  by  the  childish  diminutive  of  Conradin.  His 
father  confided  him,  as  an  infant  and  an  orphan,  to  the  paternal 
care  of  the  Pontiff,  who,  in  the  ruthless  and  unchristian  spirit  which 
has  so  often  characterized  the  See  of  Borne,  a  spirit  naturally 
breathing  itself  into  the  constant  energy  of  life  from  the  errors  of 
her  church  and  the  claims  of  her  Bishop,  reriewed  his  assaults 
more  furiously  than  ever,  both  by  fot»ce  and  fraud,  upon  the 
heritage  of  the  helpless  and  fatherless  child. 

At  this  juncture  the  conduct  of  the  Sicilians  is  utterly  inex- 
cusable. They  had  a  noble  opportunity  of  .^ving  their  country, 
their  honour,  and  their  king.  Had  they  ratUed  round  the  de- 
fenceless innocent  whom  the  Providence  of  God  had  appointed 
for  their  future  ruler,  they  might  have  secured  all  their  existing 
franchises,  and  obtained  all  those  that  were  wanting ;  they  might 
have  consolidated  the  Sicilian  constitution,  obtained  the  entire 
freedom  of  their  country  from  foreign  domination,  ensured  the 
love  and  gratitude  of  their  prince,  and  established  a  mutual 


AmarTs  War  of  the  ^BiciUan  Vespers.  29 

good'Will  and  devotion  alike  beneficial   to  the   ruler  and  the 

ruled. 

Instead  of  doing  this  thev  quarrelled  miserably  among  them- 
selves, and  at  length  established  what  has  been  aptly  termed  the 
Republic  of  Vanity.  This  bubble  polity  was,  after  a  brief  exist- 
ence, destroyed  by  Manfred,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned  as 
the  illegitimate  son  of  Frederick  the  Second,  and  who  was  thus  ^ 
uncle  to  the  infant  Conradin.  For  a  time,  the  Papal  arms  had 
been  universally  victorious  on  the  continent.  Manfred,  how- 
ever, and  some  few  piartisans  of  the  Suabian  dynasty  still  held 
out.  That  able  prince  fought  his  ground  most  bravely,  and, 
yratching  his  opportunity,  succeeded  in  reconquering  the  king- 
dom of  Staples. 

*'  Thus,"  says  our  author,  "  Manfred  anbdued  all  the  inhabitants  of 
tLe  mainland  and  of  Sicily,  and  governed,  for  a  time,  in  the  name  of 
Conradin  ;  but,  unwilling  to  resign  to  a  mere  child  the  sceptre  he  had 
reconquered  by  his  own  valour,  he  promulgated  the  report  of  the  death 
of  his  nephew  in  Germany ;  and  whether  his  word  were  believed  or  no, 
he  assumed  the  crown  in  Palermo,  as  sole  heir  of  Frederick,  on  the  11  th 
of  August,  12^8.  '.; 

**  ^anfred  held  tb^  reins  of  government  with  a  strong  hand,  and, 
finding  conciliation  impossible,  combated  the  court  of  Rome  with  des- 
perate energy.  He  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  Ghibeline  party, 
wi^iph  he  revived  in  Lombardy,  and  fomented  in  Tuscany.  He  found 
partisan^  even  in  Rome,  which  was  not  yet  subdued  by  the  Popes  ; 
and,  beiiig  governed  by  a  senator,  had  recently  elected  to  that  office  one 
Branca1ebne»  a  man  of  loi\y  spirit,  who,  from  commnhity  of  hatred,  had 
dlied*  himscif  ia  the  Ghlbelline  king.  The  court  of  Rome,  finding 
itself,  tindelf' these  circumstanees,  tineqnal  to  maintain  the  conflict,  now 
haist^nkd  td  put  into  execution  a  long>-oonceived  design:  So  early  as 
on  thb  decease  of  Prdderick  Il.^.Pope  Innocent,  ccmscious  of  the  want 
of  vigour  in  the  pontifical  arm  to  wield  the  sceptre  of  Sicily  and  Apulia, 
had  turned:  his  eyesilx)  the  weal  in  search  of  some  potentate  who  would 
conquer. them  with  his  pwa  fbrces,  and  hold  them  with  the  title  of  king 
in  fiiefXrom.  the  Church,  upon  condition  of  paying  her  tribute  both  in 
money  and  in  military  service  ;;  by  which  means  he  would  raise  in  Italy 
2^. , powc;*/^!  champion  of  the  Church  and  head  of  .the  Guelph  party. 
Thus,  wijul^  proclaiming  .libprty  to  the  people  of  southern  Italy  and 
Sicily,  he  bargained. .for  thepi  as  for  a  flock  of  sheep  :  first,  with. Richard, 
Earl  of  Corn wafl^ brother  qf  Henry  III.  of  England  ;  then  with  Charles, 
Count  of  A^jou  and  Provence,  brother  of  Louis  IX.  of  France;  and, 
finally,  with  the  youthful  Edmund,- son  of  the  aforesaid  Henry.  The 
still  existiugepistles  of  the  inonarchs,  and  bulls  of  Innocent  and  of  his 
successors,  reveal  and  confirm  all  these  practices,  carried  on  for  sixteen 
years  by  the  court  of  Rome  with  the  utmost  caution,  unless  when 
driven  to  precipitancy  by  fear  or  indignation.    With  unwearied  zeal 


30  AmarCs  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers. 

the  Pope  dispatched  briefs  and  legates  to  urge  on  the  dovereigne 
used  every  effort  to  win  over  their  courtiers,  and  lavished  the  tithes  of 
all  Christendom  to  aid  the  conquest  of  Sicily  and  Apulia.  To  this  end 
he  published  a  crusade,  and  commuted  for  it  the  vows  of  princes  and 
nations  to  take  part  in  the  holy  war  in  Palestine.  Often,  during  these 
negotiations,  the  court  of  Rome,  either  from  want  of  means,  from  the 
necessity  of  self-defence,  or  from  impatience  to  occupy,  some  of  the 
provinces  of  Apulia,  borrowed  money  upon  the  security  of  the  property 
of  the  Transalpine  churches,  and  compelled  their  prelates  to  satisfy  the 
claims  of  the  creditors,  threatening  those  who  showed  reluctance  with 
the  weight  of  its  censures.  Sometimes  the  Pope  granted  bulls  of  inves- 
titure in  exchange  for  vast  sums  of  money ;  sometimes  his  eagerness 
for  the  destruction  of  Manfred  made  him  suspend  these  lucrative  prac- 
tices ;  and  mean  while  the  enterprise  was  postponed,  as  beyond  the 
powers  of  those  who  meditated  it,  and  rendered  almost  desperate  by 
the  strength  and  talents  of  Manfred." — Vol.  i.  pp.  40—43. 

That  excellent  monarch,  St.  Louis,  whose  sublime  and  eminent 
virtues,  virtues  which  would  have  shone  bright  even  in  a  constel- 
lation of  good  and  great  men,  but  which  appearing  as  they  do  in 
one  of  his  family,  stand  forth  like  gems  in  the  darkness,  and 
render  him  the  Abdiel  of  his  race,  held  out  for  a  long  tim6 
against  the  pleadings  of  papal  craft.  He  was  ready  to  protect 
the  Church,  to  fight  for  the  Church,  to  die  for  the  Church  ;  but 
his  simple  piety  could  not  perceive  the  righteousness  6f  the  unjust 
and  outrageous  aggression  proposed  by  the  supreme  pontiff.  At 
length,  however,  h6  was  won  over  by  the  wiles  and  prayers  of  the 
Pope,  who  represented  Manfred  as  a  monster  of  cruelty  and 
licentiousness,  half  Saracen  and  half  heretic,  ruling  with  avaricious 
and  lawless  tyranny  over  a  suffering  and  Christian  people. 

So  St.  Louis  gave  his  sanction  to  the  enterprize  of  his  brother, 
Charles  of  Anjou  ;  and  in  the  Angevin  prince  the  Pope  found  a 
suitable  instrument  wherewith  to  effect  his  purposes. 

"  And  now  all  haste  was  made  to  prepare  arms  and  forces  for  the 

war  against  Manfred Having  thus  gathered  from  all  quarters  the 

means  of  defraying  the  cost  of  the  preparations,  the  warriors,  whose 
object  was  gain,  and  the  crusade  their  pretext,  assembled  under  the 
adventurous  banner  of  Anjou,  some  as  mercenaries,  some  leading  bjan(^s 
of  followers  at  their  own  expense,  like  a  stake  in  a  speculation  or  a 
lottery,  with  the  hope  of  a  return  in  territorial  possessions  in  the  con- 
quered kingdom.  They  amounted  to  thirty  thousand,  between  hor^e 
and  foot ;  and  yet  they  are  designated  in  history  as  an  army,  not,  as 
they  were  in  truth,  a  band  of  freebooters,  congregated  beyond  the  Alps, 
to  pour  down  upon  Italy,  to  slay  for  the  sake  of  plunder,  and  to  assume 
the  semblance  of  authority,  and  stigmatize  resistance  as  rebellion. 

"  After  a  perilous  sea-voyage,  to  avoid  the  formidable  army  of  Man- 
fred, Charles  landed  in  Italy  with  a  handfbl  of  followers ;  and,  in  June, 


AmarTe  War  of  the  SidUan  Vegm$.  81 

1265,  he  assumed  for  a  time  the  office  of  senator  of  Rome,  bj  the 
consent  of  the  Pope.  In  the  autumn  his  forces  crossed  the  Alps, 
meeting  with  no  opposition  from  the  Italian  Ghibellines,  some  of  wlioni 
were  intimidated,  and  others  bought  over.  Thus  fortune,  which  over- 
throws all  human  counsels  at  a  breath,  at  this  juncture  forsook  Man- 
fred. The  divisions  of  Italy  were  injurious  to  him,  as  the  prospect  of 
innovation  produced  a  revival  of  the  Guelph  party.  The  power  of  the 
Church  was  likewise  against  him  ;  but  it  was  the  fickleness  of  his 
barons  which  wrought  his  ruin,  together  with  the  disaffection  of  the 
people,  caused  by  the  frequency  and  weight  of  the  imposts,  the  often- 
repeated  excommunications,  and  all  the  evils  engendered  by  the  strug- 
gle with  Rome." — Vol.  i.  pp.  52,  53. 

Deserted  by  the  headstrong  baronage  and  discontented  people, 
more  capable  of  discerning  the  faults  than  of  appreciating  the 
merits  of  their  ruler — Manfred  was  left  with  but  few  followers  to 
oppose  the  vast  and  warlike  force  of  the  foreign  invader.  Gather- 
ing, however,  an  army  of  Germans  and  Italians,  of  as  many  Apu- 
lians  as  were  faithful  to  his  cause,  and  of  the  Saracens  of  Sicily, 
who  had  been  removed  to  the  mainland,  and  wlio,  hated  by  all 
besides,  clung  to  him  alone,  be  did  all  that  indomitable  energy 
could  do  to  strengthen  his  forces,  and  endeavoured,  with  tiie 
utmost  skill,  to  gain  time  from  the  enemy.  His  efforts  were, 
however,  unavailing.  The  winter  had  set  in  with  great  severity. 
Charles  of  Anjou  iiad  been  crowned  at  the  Vatican  on  the  Gth 
of  January,  1266 :  and  the  failure  of  means  left  him  but  two 
alternatives, — to  advance  at  once  upon  Manfred,  or  to  disband  his 
forces  immediately.  He  adopted  the  former.  His  advance  was 
rapid,  and  accompanied  with  rapid  success. 

"  Only  at  Benevento  was  there  fighting ;  for  Manfred  was  there,  and 
Charles  would  listen  to  no  conditions  of  peace.  There  the  Germans  and 
the  Sicilian  Saracens  fought  bravely  ;  the  rest  fled ;  and  after  a  fearful 
carnage  the  impetuosity  of  the  French  carried  the  day.  Manfred  there*, 
upon  rushed  upon  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  to  seek  for  death,  nor  did  he 
seek  it  in  vain.  His  corpse  was  found  amongst  the  thousands  of  the 
slain,  and  over  it  the  hostile  soldiers  raised  a  pile  of  stones ;  but  even 
this  bumble  sepulture  was  denied  him  by  the  hatred  of  the  pontifical 
legate ;  and,  for  his  last  obsequies,  the  remains  of  the  Suabian  hero 
were  flung  to  the  dogs  on  the  banks  of  the  Verde. 

**  Naples  applauded  the  conqueror ;  rebellion,  the  defeat  of  the  army, 
and  the  death  of  the  king,  caused  the  submission  of  the  remainder  of 
Apulia  and  Calabria,  as  well  as  of  Sicily ;  the  gallant  Saracens  alone 
held  out  in  Lucera.  The  treasures  of  the  vanquished  were  hastily 
divided  between  Charles,  Beatrice,  and  their  knights ;  the  soldiers  of 
fortune  obtained  lands  and  dignities ;  and  the  people,  who  in  changing 
their  rulers  rarely  change  their  destinies  for  the  better,  hoped,  as  usual, 
to  reap  benefit,  deeming  that  peace  would  bring  with  it  a  diminution  of 


32  Aman's  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers. 

the  taxes  imposed  for  the  maintenance  of  the  obstinate  conflict  with  th^ 
Court  of  Rome." — ^Vol.  i.  pp.  55,  56. 

How  far  this  expectation  was  realized,  we  learn  from  the  sequel, 
which  gives  an  account  of  oppression  so  grinding,  cruel,  unrelent- 
ing, and  destructive,  that  the  particulars  are  hard  to  be  believed. 
We  do,  however,  fully  believe  them,  not  only  from  Mr.  Amari^s 
high  character  for  fidelity,  honesty,  and  accuracy,  but  from  the  full 
and  unmistakeable  evidence  of  entire  and  unswerving  truthfulness, 
which  these  volumes  display.  No  one  can  read  them  without 
believing  every  statement  of  fact  which  they  contain. 

And  here  w^e  must  pause  to  observe,  that  had  the  Sicilians 
done  their  duty  by  Conradin  in  the  first  place,  they  would 
neither  have  fallen  under  the  sway  of  Manfred,  nor  that  of  the 
house  of  Anjou ;  and  that  had  they,  after  acknowledging  Manfred 
as  their  king,  stood  by  him,  they  would  not  have  undergone  the 
miseries  to  which  they  were  afterwards  subjected.  Manfred  may 
have  been  arbitrary,  and  even  in  some  degree  rapacious — as 
great  princes,  and  all  great  men,  were  tempted  to  be  in  those 
good  Old  times,  which  our  medisevalists  hold  up  to  us  as  the  ages 
of  faith,  and  days  of  universal  blessedness, — a  sort  of  foreshadowing, 
it  would  seem,  of  the  Millennium :  but  he  was,  take  him  all  in  all, 
an  able  and  a  good  ruler;  and  whatever  his  faults  may  have  been, 
he  was  as  an  angel  of  light  compared  with  the  miscreant  who 
succeeded  him. 

Charles  had  not  long  enjoyed  his  easy  conquest,  when  an 
unexpected  adversary  rose  up  against  him  in  the  almost  forgotten 
Conradin,  rightful  heir  to  the  throne.  The  exiled  Italians  from 
all  quarters,  expelled  by  the  dominance  of  their  enemies,  and 
those  who  remained  at  home,  oppressed  by  the  hostile  faction,  by 
the  Pope  or  by  the  foreigners,  turned  their  eyes  to  him  ;  whilst 
foreign  princes  gave  him  their  assistance.  He  had  now  just 
emerged  from  extreme  youth  into  early  manhood ;  and  in  less 
than  a  year  after  the  conquest  of  Apulia  and  Sicily,  Charles  found 
himself  in  danger  of  losing  his  so  easily  acquired  dominions.  And 
so  successfully  did  Conrad  and  his  partisans  carry  on  their  plans, 
that  in  the  same  year,  1267,  the  yoifng  prince  descended  upon 
Verona  at  the  head  of  a  German  army  of  four  thousand  horse 
and  several  thousand  foot.  Don  Henry  of  Castile,  one  of  his 
firmest  allies,  w&s  tumultuously  elected  in  Rome  to  the  office  of 
senator ;  every  where  the  Ghibellines  arose  in  arms ;  and  Sicily 
broke  out  into  open  insurrection  against  King  Charles. 

Had  the  Sicilians  even  now  fought  boldly,  and  unitedly,  and 
loyally^  for  their  lawful  sovereign  Conrad,  there  can  be  no  doubt 
but  that  be  would  have  achieved  their  deliverance,  and  established 


AmarTa  War  of  ike  Sicttian  Vespen.  33 

the  throne  upon  a  firm,  lasting,  constitutional,  and  independent 
basis ;  but  livith  that  factious  selfishness,  and  restless  folly,  and 
headstrong  vehemence,  and  childish  impatience,  which  so  often 
are  to  be  discerned  in  their  conduct,  they  spent  in  -internal 
quarrels  the  greater  part  of  that  energy  which  should  have  been 
directed  against  the  common  enemy.     It  was  just  one  of  those 
cases  in  which  we  see  the  narrow-mindedness  as  well  as  narrow- 
heartedness  of  selfishness,  and  the  practical  \vi8doni  as  well  as 
moral  beauty  of  loyalty  and  self-devotion.     Had  the  Sicilians 
thought  more  of  their  prince,  and  less  of  themselves ;  more  of  his 
interests,  and  less  of  their  own ;  and  more  of  their  duties,  and  less  of 
their  deserts ;  they  would  have  triumphed.     As  it  was,  the  enter- 
prise of  Gonradin,  after  a  temporary  success,  altogether  failed ; 
and  the  Sicilians  were  subjected,  as  they  deserved  to  be,  to  the 
merciless  vengeance  of  the  French  tyrant.     We  pity  the  helpless 
and  the  innocent  victims  of  his^ cruelty,  and  that  of  his  myrmidons; 
but  we  think  that  no  amount  of  punishment  would  have  been 
excessive  or  ill-bestowed  upon  any  able-bodied  Sicilian  man,  who^ 
after  rising  in  defence  of  the  noble  young  Suabian,  failed  to 
support  him  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood.     So  that,  in  fact,  Pro- 
vidence, in  our  opinion,  ordained  jthat  Charles  of  Anjou  should, 
however  unintentionally,  punish  the  Sicilians  for  their  treason  to 
their  lawful  and  gallant  young  prince. 

We  pass  over  the  events  of  the  war,  and  proceed  to  the  two 
last  scenes  in  Gonradin^s  brief  career  of  glory. 

"  Charles,  unused  to  the  sudden  outbreaks  of  Italy,  was  terrified  on 
beholding  half  the  peninsula  rising  in  favour  of  Conradin,  Sicily  lost, 
Apulia  infected  with  the  spirit  of  rebellion,  and  Conradin,  whom  the 
want  of  means  had  at  first  arrested  at  Verona,  victorious  on  the  Arno, 
gathering  strength  at  Rome  by  the  assistance  of  Henry  of  Castile,  and, 
heedless  of  anathemas,  advancing  in  a  menacing  attitude  against  the 
kingdom  at  the  head  of  1 0,000  horse,  and  a  still  greater  array  of  foot, 
made  up  of  Germans,  Spaniards,  Italians,  and  exiles  of  Apulia.  Nor 
could  Charles  muster  an  army  equally  numerous ;  but  his  troops  were 
for  the  most  part  French,  better  disciplined,  and  commanded  by  more 
experieneed  leaders,  and  he  boldly  made  head  against  the  enemy  near 
the  frontier.  They  joined  battle  at  Tagliacozzo,  in  the  plain  of  San 
Valentina,  on  the  23rd  of  August,  1268 ;  and  fortune  had  already 
declared  for  Conradm,  when  the  third  division  of  the  French  army,  led 
by  the  veteran  Alard  de  Valary,  and  William  prince  of  the  Morea, 
appeared  on  the  field,  and  with  great  slaughter  broke  the  ranks  of  those 
whom  the  confidence  of  victory  had  thrown  into  disorder.  The  chiefs 
of  Conradin*8  army  were  taken  prisoners,  and  their  followers  slain  by 
thousands.  Charles,  finding  several  Romans  amongst  them,  not  content 
to  take  their  lives  alone,  in  revenge  for  his  deposition  from  the  office  of 
senator,  in  the  first  burst  of  his  indignation,  commanded  iVval  iVi^Vc  i&^\» 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX, — MARCH,  1851.  D 


8i  Aimn'i  War  of  the  BicUian  Vet^s. ' 

should  be  cut  off;  but  afterwards,  fearing  that  they  should  drag  them- 
selves to  Rome  to  increase  the  hatred  of  its  inhabitants  against  him  by 
their  miserable  plight,  he  revoked  the  order.  They  were  shut  up  in  a 
house,  and  burned  alive.  And  this  was  the  champion  of  the  Church  ! 
Conradin  was  recognised  as  a  fugitive  at  Astura,  and  taken  by  treachery. 
His  partisans,  though  still  strong  in  numbers,  were  dismayed  by  this 
defeat ;  they  disbanded  themselves,  each  seeking  only  his  own  safety, 
and  thus  all  were  lost.  Charles  of  Anjou  retained  his  kingdom,  as  he 
had  gained  it,  by  a  single  battle ;  but  the  means  which  he  adopted  at 
once  to  secure  and  revenge  himself  are  painful  to  record. 

"  I  will  begin  by  Conradin,  although,  before  his  blood  was  shed,  that 
of  his  subjects  had  already  flowed  in  torrents.  Some  attribute  the  evil 
counsel  concerning  him  to  Clement,  whom  others  exonerate  ;  my  own 
belief  is,  that  the  pope  and  the  king,  urged  on  by  indignation  for  the 
'  fear  he  had  caused  them,  and  anxiety  for  the  future,  were  agreed  in 
desiring  the  death  of  the  youth.  They  were  not  executioners  in  a 
dungeon,  but  representatives  of  the  nation,  before  the  eyes  of  God  and 
of  the  people,  who  defiled  themselves  with  the  guilt  of  the  murder  thus 
enjoined.  King  Charles  summoned  a  parliament  of  barons,  syndics, 
and  burgesses  of  the  cities  of  Apulia ;  every  judicial  form  was  mockingly 
observed ;  so  that  it  seems  like  a  foretaste  of  later  times  to  read  the 
logic  by  which,  as  usual  in  such  cases,  that  singular  court  condemned 
Conradin  and  his  followers  to  death.  One  Guidone  da  Suzara,  a  famous 
professor  of  civil  law,  who  was  not  a  subject  of  Charles,  nor  ambitious 
of  his  favour,  alone  dared  to  oppose  the  sentence ;  the  consciences  of  the 
rest  smote  them,  and  the  well-disposed  sorrowed  in  their  hearts ;  even 
the  French  execrated  the  monarch's  cruelty ;  but  the  king's  will  was 
known,  the  judges  trembled,  and  opposition  was  vain.  A  youth  of  six- 
teen, last  scion  of  so  long  a  line  of  emperors  and  kings,  himself  rightfbl 
sovereign  of  Sicily  and  Apulia,  was  led  forth  to  execution,  in  the 
market-place  of  Naples,  on  the  29th  of  October  1268,  followed  by  a 
string  of  victims,  that  the  vengeance  of  the  tyrant  might  be  more  ample 
on  those  who  had  rouse^him  from  his  repose.  By  the  tide  of  Conradin 
walked  the  young  Duke  of  Austria,  the  beloved  companion  of  hia  ehild« 
hood  ;  both  were  fair  and  comely,  and  with  an  intrepid  countenance 
and  firm  step  advanced  towards  the  scaffold.  It  was  covered  with 
scarlet,  in  semblance  of  regal  pomp,  and  sullenly  guarded  by  armed 
soldiers ;  the  market-place  was  crowded  with  people,  while,  from  the 
roof  of  a  tower,  Charles,  like  a  crouching  tiger,  watched  the  scene. 
Conradin  ascended  the  platform,  showed  himself  to  the  spectators,  and 
having  listened  to  the  sentence  which  pronounced  him  a  sacril^ous 
traitor,  nobly  protested  against  it  before  God  and  the  people*  At  hit 
words  a  murmur  ran  through  the  multitude ;  then  all  were  silent,  para- 
lyzed with  fear,  and,  pale  and  terrified,  fixed  their  ey^s  on  Conradin. 
He  gazed  around  upon  the  sea  of  horror-stricken  countenances  with  a 
smile  of  bitter  scorn,  then  raised  his  eyes  to  heaven,  and  bado  farewell 
to  every  earthly  thought.  Roused  by  the  sound  of  a  falling  stroke^ 
Conradin  beheld  the  severed  head  of  the  Duke  of  Austria  lying  on  tli» 


Amarfs  War  i(fik$  Sicilian  VHfcrh  86 

scaffold  I  he  hastily  raised  it  from  the  ground,  pressed  it  to  his  hosom, 
kissed  it  repeatedly,  embraced  the  bystanders,  even  to  the  executioner, 
then  laid  his  head  upon  the  block,  and  the  axe  fell.  It  has  been 
related,  that  he  had  previously  flung  down  his  glove,  in  token  of  the 
transmission  of  the  investiture  of  the  two  kingdoms  to  Peter  of  Arragon, 
son-in-law  of  Manfred  ;  also,  that  the  Count  of  Flanders,  the  husband 
of  one  of  Charleses  daughters,  unable  to  endure  the  sight  of  this  unholy 
sacrifice,  with  his  own  hand  slew  Robert  of  Bari,  who  framed  and  pro- 
nounced the  sentence." — ^Vol.  i.  pp.  65 — 69. 

The  horrors  which  followed  this  atrocious  murder  seem  almost 
incredible  to  those  who  perceive  the  altered  state  of  feeling  and 
conduct  which  has  resulted  from  the  blessed  influence  of  that 
Holy  Book  whose  lessons  supported,  enforced,  and  brought  home 
by  our  Church,  have  made  us  the  greatest  as  well  as  the  happiest 
people  of  the  earth.  Yes !  the  fierce  passions  of  mankind  have 
been  bridled,  and  even  Popery  itself  compelled  to  adopt  a  more 
Christian  tone,  by  the  open  publication  of  Gh)d^s  message  to  man. 
From  our  Ghurcn,  as  from  the  tabernacle  in  the  desert,  the  blaze 
of  divine  glory  has  shed  its  living  rays,  so  that  they  alike  who 
hate  and  who  deny  the  truth  have  been  compelled  to  bow  before 
it.  We  say  not  that  the  change  is  sincere ;  in  many  cases  we 
believe  that  it  is  the  very  reverse,  that  the  pent-up  malice  of 
men^s  hearts  only  rankles  the  more  deeply  because  it  cannot 
show  itself  as  it  was  wont  to  do  of  old.  Yet  though  it  be  hypo- 
critical, we  should  recollect  that ''  hypocrisy  is  the  homage  which 
vice  pays  to  virtue  T^  and  the  existence  of  that  homage  proves 
the  existence  and  the  influence  of  that  to  which  it  is  paid.  Were 
Eome  to  succeed  in  destroying  the  English  Church,  and  silencing 
the  oracles  of  God  which  sound  in  her  shrines,  she  would  soon 
throw  off  the  mask  which  sits  so  ill  upon  her  countenance ;  and 
fire,  and  sword,  and  spoliation,  and  pollution  would  be  the  tokens 
of  her  presence  and  her  power:  Let  us  spend  a  few  minutes  in 
considering  the  conduct  of  her  worthy  son,  Charles  of  Anjou, 
and  his  pious  followers,  that  we  may  see  the  sort  of  crusade  which 
she  woiud  like  to  publish,  and  in  what  manner  the  Holy  See 
carries  on  its  Holy  Wars. 

"They  eonfiscated,  they  plundered,  they  slew,  they  blinded,  they 
tortured,  till  Charles  himself  checked  the  inhuman  zeal  which  was 
reducing  the  kingdom  to  a  desert.  .  •  .  But  for  the  Sicilians  there  was 
no  mercy.  He  dispatched  some  of  his  French  barons  to  bring  them  to 
the  slaughter,  the  foremost  of  whom  was  William  TEstendard,  a  man  of 
war  and  bloodshed,  who  held  pity  in  contempt ;  more  cruel,  says  Saba 
Malaspina,  than  cruelty  itself,  drunk  with  blood,  and  thirsting  fpr  it 
the  more  fiercely  the  more  he  shed.     He  crossed  the  strait  with  a 

d2 


36  AmarCs  War  of  the  SicUian  Vespen. 

company  of  valiant  Proven^eaax,  augmented  it,  to  oar  shame  be  it 
spoken,  with  brave  Sicilians,  and  crashed  withoai  resistance  the 
partisans  of  Conradin,  to  whom  not  a  shadow  of  hope  remained.  Only 
in  Agosta,  a  thoasand  armed  citizens,  with  a  band  of  two  hundred 
Tascan  horse,  defended  themselves  resolately,  aided  by  their  im^eg- 
nable  position,  so  that  William,  having  pitched  his  camp  before  it, 
wearied  himself  a  long  time  in  fruitless  efiforts,  which  redoubled  his 
natural  ferocity.  He  was  at  length  able  to  gratify  it  without  a  battle, 
six  traitors  having  been  found  to  open  a  postern  by  night,  and  thus  the 
intrepid  garrison  fell  defenceless  into  his  hands.  He  regarded  neither 
valour,  nor  innocence,  nor  any  human  consideration.  His  men  at  arms 
traversed  the  city,  defiling  every  quarter  with  rapine,  violation,  and 
slaughter,  ransacking  even  the  cisterns  and  granaries  for  victims.  Bat 
the  first  onslaught,  which  satiated  the  fury  of  the  soldiers,  did  not 
extinguish  it  in  the  bosom  of  the  king's  representative.  He  summoned 
to  the  work  of  butchery  an  executioner  of  giant  strength  ;  the  citizens 
of  Agosta  were  brought  before  him  bound :  and  he  dispatched  them 
with  a  ponderous  sword.  When  he  was  weary,  brimming  goblets  of 
wine  were  brought  to  him,  which  he  swallowed,  mixed  with  the  blood 
and   sweat  with  which  he  was  streaming,   and   then   with   renewed 

strength  resumed  his  horrid  task This  slaughter  was  imitated 

and  emulated  in  other  places/' 

But  a  truce  to  these  horrors.  If  our  readers  desire  further 
particulars,  they  will  find  them  vividly  painted  in  the  volumes 
under  review. 

But  some  will  perhaps  say,  that  these  enormities  were  not 
justly  chargeable  on  the  Popes,  or  their  system  of  faith  and 
practice.  We  answer,  that  they  were.  The  Papal  system  had 
substituted  base  counterfeits  for  almost  all  the  holy  things  of  God ; 
for  inward  sanctity,  outward  formalism — for  obedience  to  Grod''s 
law,  obedience  to  the  Pope'^s  commands — for  Christian  love  to 
mankind  in  general  and  the  brethren  in  particular,  hatred  of 
heathens,  heretics,  and  all  those  who  refused  implicit  obedience 
to  the  Boman  See — for  exalting  devotion,  degrading  superstition 
— for  the  worship  of  the  Creator,  that  of  the  creature — for  the 
one  Mediator,  thousands  of  impostors — for  the  one  Sacrifice, 
meritorious,  atoning,  and  expiatory,  innumerable  devices  of  man's 
invention — in  short,  the  Papal  system  had  rendered  the  Word 
of  God  of  none  effect  by  its  traditions. 

Again,  the  Popes  urged  on  these  wars,  and  in  no  measured 
language  devoted  the  unhappy  people  who  fell  under  their  wrath 
to  the  fury  and  the  pleasure  of  the  conqueror,  kindling  up  the 
contest  when  it  would  have  otherwise  ceased,  appropriating  the 
revenues  of  distant  churches  to  the  use  of  its  ministers  of  ven- 
geance, ai^d  showing  neither  mercy  nor  pity  towards  even  the 


Amari's  War  o/tAe  Sicilian  V$ipen.  37 

most  helpless  and  innocent  of  those  who  had  incurred  its  dis- 
pleasure. 

On  many  occasions  we  perceive  the  direct  action  of  Popery 
through  its  supreme  chief  or  his  subordinates.  Thus  in  a  later 
portion  of  this  work  we  are  fold  that  when  the  so-called  crusaders 
invaded  the  dominions  of  Peter  of  Arragon, 

"  At  the  beginning  of  May  this  formidable  host  entered  Rousillon. 
It  advanced,  divided  into  six  bands,  or  rather  armies,  one  of  which, 
under  the  banner  of  the  Church,  was  commanded  by  the  legate,  who, 
exasperated  because  in  the  occupation  of  Perpignan,  and  all  the  country, 
Elna  alone  resisted,  encouraged  the  soldiers  to  put  all  the  inhabitants 
to  the  sword  ;  for,  when  perpetrated  against  the  enemies  of  the  Church, 
such  acts  either  were  no  sin,  or  he  would  absolve  them  from  it.  The 
crusaders,  therefore,  spared  neither  age,  sex,  nor  religion  in  this  ill-fated 
town ;  they  violated  the  nuns  in  t£e  convents,  slew  the  priests  and 
the  women  after  subjecting  them  to  their  pleasure,  and  dashed  the 
infants  against  the  walls/'-^Yol.  ii.  p.  192. 

Other  traits  of  a  similar  nature  are  recorded  of  this  legate,  nor 
was  his  conduct  in  any  way  singular ;  and  though  of  course  there  are 
brilliant  exceptions,  they  are  exceptions.  And  here  we  would  throw 
out  a  suggestion,  which  has  frequently  occurred  to  us  in  reading 
the  history  of  the  middle  ages, — that  though  there  have  been 
excellent  men  in  the  service,  and  even  in  the  see  of  Borne,  the 
sanctity,  which  undoubtedly  is  to  be  found  in  those  times,  flou- 
rished,  so  far  as  it  did  flourish,  with  such  rare  exceptions,  not 
in  the  actual  Church  of  Borne  herself,  but  in  those  other  Churches 
which  she  had  unjustly  subjected  to  her  authority. 

But  to  take  up  once  more  the  thread  of  our  narrative.  From 
1268  to  1282  the  Sicilians  suffered  vXi  that  a  people  could  suffer 
from  the  cruelty  and  rapacity  of  Charles  and  his  subordinates, 
and  the  universal  lawlessness,  inhumanity,  and  licentiousness  of 
the  French  and  their  companions.  We  have  not  space,  for  the 
details  of  the  ingenious  and  systematic  oppression  practised  by 
the  government  and  its  officers  during  this  time,  nor  for  the 
many  sufferings  endured  by  the  natives  at  the  hands  of  their 
conquerors ;  for  all  of  which  we  must  once  more  refer  our  readers 
to  the  work  itself. 

Much  discussion  has  of  late  arisen  as  to  the  origin  of  the 
Vespers,  and  Mr.  Amari  has  taken  much  trouble  to  clear  the 
subject  from  the  many  fables  associated  with  it  by  after  ages. 
He  has  done  his  work  carefully  and  well ;  but  we  do  not  exactly 
coincide  in  the  result  at  which  he  has  arrived. 

Our  view  of  the  case  is  as  follows. — Peter  of  Arragon,  ever 
since  the  murder  of  Gonradin,  had  cast  longing  eyes  upon  the 


38  Amari's  War  of  the  SieiUafi  VetpeH^. 

45rown  of  Sicily,  which  he  claimed  in  right  of  his  wife,  OonBtHnoe, 
daughter  of  Manfred.  During  the  twelve  years  which  intervened 
between  that  event  and  the  popular  outbreak  at  Pidermo,  he  was 
preparing  in  every  way  for  the  enterprise  which  he  meditated. 
John  of  Procida  likewise  had  his  share  in  the  result  for  which  he 
laboured,  by  effecting  an  alliance  between  Peter  and  the  Greek 
Emperor,  menaced  by  Charles's  preparations,  by  intriguing  with 
the  Sicilian  barons,  and  by  endeavouring  to  arouse  the  Siciliaii 
Commonalty.  Charles  was  about  to  invade  the  Greek  empire 
with  an  immense  host ;  whilst  he  prepared  for  this,  Peter  pre- 
pared likewise  his  forces,  the  destination  of  which  he  concealed, 
mtending  to  pounce  upon  Sicily  and  Apulia,  as  soon  as  Charles 
should  have  landed  with  all  his  disposable  forces  in  the  East; 
when,  far  from  the  scene  of  action,  entangled  in  a  difficult 
war,  and  unable  to  succour  his  garrisons,  he  would  have  been 
unable  to  resist  Peter's  invasion,  supported  as  his  cause  would  be 
by  the  secret  wishes  of  the  barons,  and  the  vengeance  of  the 
people.  The  outbreak  at  Palermo  was,  we  concur  with  Mr. 
Amari  in  believing,  quite  unprenieditated ;  in  fact,  we  do  not  see 
how  it  could  have  been  otherwise.  We  conceive  that  the  sud- 
denness of  the  revolution  took  Peter  and  the  conspirators  by 
surprise,  and  that  the  resistless  fury  of  a  people  goaded  to 
madness  anticipated  and  outran  the  as  yet  undeveloped  plot. 

We  proceed  to  transcribe  in  full  the  account  which  Mr.  Apiari 
has  given  of  the  commencement  of  that  fearful  movement  known 
to  future  ages  as  the  Sicilian  Vespers.  It  will  not  bear  abridg- 
ment. 

'*  The  Sicilians  endured  the  yoke,  though  cursing  it|  until  the  spring 
of  1282.  The  King  of  Arragon's  military  preparations  were  not  yet 
completed ;  nor,  even  if  partially  known  in  Sicily,  could  they  inspire 
any  immediate  hope.  The  people  were  overawed  by  Charles's  immense 
armaments  destined  against  Constantinople ;  and  forty-two  royal 
castles,  either  in  the  principal  cities,  or  in  situations  of  great  natural 
strength,  served  to  keep  the  island  in  check.  A  still  greater  number 
were  held  by  French  feudatories  ;  the  standing  troops  were  collected 
and  in  arms ;  and  the  feudal  militia,  composed  in  great  part  of  foreign 
sub-feudatories,  waited  only  the  signal  to  assemble.  In  such  a  posture 
of  affairs,  which  the  foresight  of  the  prudent  would  never  have  selected 
for  an  outbreak,  the  officers  of  Charles  continued  to  grind  down  the 
Sicilian  people,  satisfied  that  their  patience  would  endure  for  ever. 

**  New  outrages  shed  a  gloom  over  the  festival  of  Easter  at  Palermo, 
the  ancient  capital  of  the  kingdom,  detested  by  the  strangers  more  than 
any  other  city,  as  being  the  strongest  and  the  most  deeply  injured. 
Messina  was  the  seat  of  the  king's  viceroy  in  Sicily,  Herbert  of 
Orleans ;  Palermo  was  governed  by  the  justiciary  of  Yal  di  Maaaara, 


Amarfs  War  o/tks  Sicilian  V^qp&n.  S9 

John  of  St«  Remigio,  a  minister  worthy  of  Charles.  His  sabaltems, 
worthy  both  of  the  justiciary  and  of  the  king,  had  recently  launched 
out  into  fresh  acts  of  rapine  and  violence.  But  the  people  submitted. 
It  eren  went  so  far  that  the  citizens  of  Palermo,  seeking  comfort  from 
God  amid  their  worldly  tribulations,  and  haying  entered  a  church 
to  pray,  in  that  very  church,  on  the  days  sacred  to  the  Saviour's 
passion,  and  amidst  the  penitential  rites,  were  exposed  to  the  most 
cruel  outrages.  The  ban-dogs  of  the  exchequer  searched  out  amongst 
them  those  who  had  failed  in  the  payment  of  the  taxes,  dragged  them 
forth  from  the  sacred  edifice,  manaeled,  and  bore  them  to  prison, 
crying  out  insultingly  before  the  multitude  attracted  to  the  spot,  '  Pay, 
paterim,  pay  1  *  And  the  people  still  submitted.  The  Tuesday  after 
Easter,  which  fell  on  the  81st  of  March,  there  was  a  festival  at  the 
chareh  of  San  Spirito.  On  that  occasion  a  hideous  outrage  against 
the  liberties  of  the  Sicilians  afforded  the  impulse,  and  the  patience  of 
the  people  gave  way.  We  will  now  record  all  that  the  historians  most 
deserving  of  credence  have  transmitted  to  us  concerning  this  memorable 
erent. 

'*  Half  a  mile  from  the  southern  wall  of  the  city,  on  the  brink  of  the 
nyine  of  Oreto,  stands  a  church  dedicated  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  con- 
cerning which  the  Latin  Fathers  have  not  failed  to  record,  that  on  the 
day  on  which  the  first  stone  of  it  was  laid,  in  the  twelfth  century,  the 
mm  was  darkened  by  an  eclipse.  On  one  side  of  it  are  the  precipice 
and  the  river ;  on  the  other,  the  plain  extending  to  the  city,  which  in 
the  present  day  is  in  great  part  encumbered  with  walls  and  gardens ; 
while  a  square  enclosure  of  moderate  sise,  shaded  by  dusky  cypresses, 
honey-combed  with  tombs,  and  adorned  with  unis  and  other  sepulchral 
nonumenlt,  sun«ound  the  church.  This  is  a  public  cemetery,  laid  out 
towards  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  fearfully  filled  in  three 
weeks  by  the  dire  pestilence  which  devastated  Sicily  in  1837.  On  the 
Tuesday,  at  the  hour  of  vespers,  religion  and  custom  crowded  this  then 
cheerful  plain,  carpeted  with  the  flowers  of  spring,  with  citizens  wending 
their  way  towards  the  church.  Divided  into  numerous  groups,  they 
walked,  sate  in  clusters,  spread  their  tables,  or  danced  upon  the  grass ; 
and  whether  it  were  a  defect  or  a  merit  of  the  Sicilian  character,  threw 
off  for  the  moment  the  recollection  of  their  sufferings,  when  the  followers 
of  the  justiciary  suddenly  appeared  amongst  them,  and  every  bosom 
thrilled  with  a  shudder  of  disgust.  The  strangers  came,  with  their 
usual  insolent  demeanour,  as  they  said,  to  maintain  tranquillity ;  and 
for  this  purpose  they  mingled  in  the  groups,  joined  in  the  dances,  and 
familiarly  accosted  the  women,  pressing  the  hand  of  one,  taking  un- 
warranted liberties  with  others ;  addressing  indecent  words  and  gestures 
to  those  more  distant;  until  some  temperately  admonished  them  to 
depart,  in  God's  name,  without  insulting  the  women,  and  others  mur- 
mured angrily;  but  the  hot-blooded  youths  raised  their  voices  so 
fiercely,  that  the  soldiers  said  to  one  another,  *  These  insolent  paterini 
must  be  armed  that  they  dare  thus  to  answer;'  and  replied  to  them 
with  the  moat  (tensive  insvltSi  insisting,  with  great  insolence^  on 


40  Asnarfs  War  of  the  Sicilian  Vespers. 

searching  them  for  arms,  and  even  here  and  there  striking  them  with 
sticks  or  thongs.  Every  heart  already  throhhed  fiercely  on  either 
side,  when  a  young  woman  of  singular  heauty,  and  of  modest  and 
dignified  deportment,  appeared  with  her  hushand  and  relations  bending 
her  steps  towards  the  church.  Drouet,  a  Frenchman,  impelled  either 
by  insolence  or  licence,  approached  her  as  if  to  examine  her  for  con- 
cealed weapons,  seized  her,  and  searched  her  bosom.  She  fell  fainting 
into  her  husband's  arms,  who,  in  a  voice  almost  choked  with  rage, 
exclaimed,  *  Death,  death  to  the  French!*  At  the  same  momenta 
youth  burst  from  the  crowd  which  had  gathered  round  them,  sprang 
upon  Drouet,  disarmed  and  slew  him  ;  and  probably,  at  the  same 
moment,  paid  the  penalty  of  his  own  life,  leaving  his  name  unknown, 
and  the  mystery  for  ever  unsolved,  whether  it  were  love  for  the  injured 
woman,  the  impulse  of  a  generous  heart,  or  the  more  exalted  flame  of 
patriotism,  that  prompted  him  thus  to  give  the  signal  of  deliverance. 
Noble  examples  have  a  power  far  beyond  that  of  argument  or  eloquence 
to  rouse  the  people,  and  the  abject  slaves  awoke  at  length  from  their 
long  bondage.  '  Death,  death  to  the  French !  *  they  cried  ;  and  the 
cry,  say  the  historians  of  the  time,  re-echoed  like  the  voice  of  God 
through  the  whole  country,  and  found  an  answer  in  every  heart. 
Above  the  corpse  of  Drouet  were  heaped  those  of  victims  slain  on  either 
side;  the  crowd  expanded  itself,  closed  in,  and  swayed  hither  and 
thither  in  wild  confusion ;  the  Sicilians,  with  sticks,  stones,  and  knives, 
rushed  with  desperate  ferocity  upon  their  fully-armed  opponents  ;  they 
sought  for  them,  and  hunted  them  down  ;  fearful  tragedies  were  enacted 
amid  the  preparations  for  festivity,  and  the  overUirown  tables  were 
drenched  in  blood.  The  people  displayed  their  strength,  and  con-< 
quered.  The  struggle  was  brief,  and  great  the  slaughter  of  the 
Sicilians ;  but  of  the  French  there  were  two  hundred, — and  two  hundred 
feU. 

**  Breathless,  covered  with  blood,  brandishing  the  plundered  weapons, 
and  proclaiming  the  insult  and  its  vengeance,  the  insurgents  rushed 
towards  the  tranquil  city.  'Death  to  the  French  !'  they  shouted,  and 
as  many  as  they  found  were  put  to  the  sword.  The  example,  the  words, 
the  contagion  of  passion,  in  an  instant  aroused  the  whole  people.  In 
the  heat  of  the  tumult  Roger  Mastrangelo,  a  nobleman,  was  chosen,  or 
constituted  himself,  their  leader.  The  multitude  continued  tofilcrease; 
dividing  into  troops  they  scoured  the  streets,  burst  open  doors,  searched 
every  nook,  every  hiding-place,  and  shouting  *  Death  to  the  French,* 
smote  them  and  slew  them,  while  those  too  distant  to  strike  added  to 
the  tumult  by  their  applause.  On  the  outbreak  of  this  sudden  uproar 
the  justiciary  had  taken  refuge  in  his  strong  palace ;  the  next  moment 
it  was  surrounded  by  an  enraged  multitude,  crying  aloud  for  his  death ; 
they  demolished  the  defences,  and  rushed  furiously  in,  but  the  justiciary 
escaped  them  :  favoured  by  the  confusion  and  the  closing  darkness,  he 
succeeded,  though  wounded  in  the  face,  in  mounting  his  horse  unob- 
served, with  only  two  attendants,  and  fled  with  all  speed.  Meanwhile, 
the  slaughter  continued  with  increased  ferocity ;  even  the  darkness  of 


AfMffi  War  of  the  Bwilum  Veipen.  41 

nigbt  fidled  to  arrest  it,  and  it  was  resumed  on  the  morrow  more 
furiously  than  ever ;  nor  did  it  cease  at  length  because  the  thirst  for 
vengeance  was  slaked,  but  because  victims  were  wanting  to  appease  it. 
Two  thousand  JFrench  perished  in  this  first  outbreak.     Even  Christian 
burial  was  denied  them»  but  pits  were  afterwards  dug  to  receive  their 
despised  remains ;  and  tradition  still  points  out  a  column  surmounted 
by  an  iron  cross,  raised  by  compassionate- piety  on  one  of  those  spots, 
probably  long  after  the  perpetration  of  the  deed  of  vengeance.     Tradi- 
tion, moreover,  relates,  that  the  sound  of  a  word,  like  the  Shibboleth 
of  the  Hebrews,  was  the  cruel  test  by  which  the  French  were  dis- 
tinguished in  the  massacre ;  and  that,  if  there  were  found  a  suspicious 
or  unknown  person,  he  was  compelled,  with  a  sword  to  his  throat,  to 
pronounce  the  word  ciciri,  and  the  slightest  foreign  accent  was  the  signal 
for  his  death.     Forgetful  of  their  own  character,  and  as  if  stricken  by 
fate,  the  gallant  warriors  of  France  neither  fled,  nor  united,  nor  defended 
themselves  ;  they  unsheathed  their  swords,  and  presented  them  to  their 
assailants,  imploring,  as  if  in  emulation  of  each  other,  to  be  the  first  to 
die :  of  one  common  soldier  only  is  it  recorded,  that,  having  concealed 
himself  behind  a  wainscot,  and  being  dislodged  at  the  sword's  point,  he 
resolved  not  to  die  unavenged,  and  springing  with  a  wild  cry  upon  the 
ranks  of  his  enemies,  slew  three  of  them  before  he  himself  perished. 
The  insurgents  broke  into  the  convents  of  the  Minorites  and  Preaching 
Friars,  and  slaughtered  all  the  monks  whom  they  recognised  as  French. 
Even  the  altars  afforded  no  protection  ;  tears  and  prayers  were  alike 
UDheeded ;  neither  old  men,  women,  nor  infants   were  spared ;  the 
ruthless  avengers  of  the  ruthless  massacre  of  Agosta,  swore  to  root  out 
the  seed  of  the  French  oppressors  throughout  the  whole  of  Sicily  ;  and 
this  vow  they  cruelly  fulfilled,  slaughtering  infants  at  their  mother's 
hreasts,  and  after  them  the  mothers  themselves,  and  with  a  horrible 
refinement  of  cruelty,  ripping  up  the  bodies  of  Sicilian  women  who 
were  with  child  by  French  husbands,  and  dashing  against  the  stones 
the  mingled  blood  of  the  oppressors  and  the  oppressed.'* — Vol.  ii.  pp. 
177—186. 

These  devilish  atrocities  deprive  the  Bevolutionists,  in  our  eyes, 
of  that  sympathy  which  we  should  otherwise  feel,  for  a  cruelly 
oppressed  people  throwing  off  the  yoke  of  a  foreign  tyrant  whose 
only  claim  to  the  throne  rested  upon  the  audacious  usurpation  and 
relentless  malignity  of  the  Boman  See. 

On  went  the  rebellion,  spreading  from  town  to  town,  from 
village  to  village,  from  valley  to  valley,  till  the  whole  island  was 
in  open  insurrection.  The  merciless  animosity  of  the  Sicilians, 
and  the  cruelty  with  which  they  had  been  treated,  and  which 
they  now  so  fiendishly  avenged,  may  be  seen  from  the  fact,  that 
Amari  mentions  only  one  case  in  which  a  French  family  was 
spared  ;  and  that,  as  being  the  only  one  that  had  shown  mercy  in 
the  time  of  Angevin  ascendancy :— 


4t  Amarfs  War  (ifik$  BMKm  Vmpm. 

''  Bot  the  ftite  of  William  Porcelet  merits  eternal  remeitobranoe.  He 
was  lord  or  governor  of  Calatafimii  and,  amid  the  unbridled  iniquity  of 
his  countrymeni  was  distinguished  for  justice  and  humanity.  On  the 
day  of  vengeance,  in  the  full  flush  of  its  triumphant  fury,  the  Palermitan 
host  appeared  at  Calatafimi,  and  not  only  spared  the  life  of  William 
and  of  his  family,  but  treated  him  with  distinguished  honour,  and  sent 
him  back  to  Provence  ;  a  fact  which  goes  to  prove,  that  for  the  excesses 
eommitted  by  the  people,  ample  provocation  had  not  been  wanting.*'-^ 
Vol.  i.  pp.  199,  200. 

We  had  hoped  to  have  given  copious  extracts  from  the  later 
and  more  pleasing  portion  of  the  work ;  but  we  find  ourselves 
already  cramped  for  room,  ere  we  have  finished  the  first  volume. 
We  can,  therefore,  only  briefly  indicate  the  united  and  ferocious 
determination  with  which  the  Sicilians  expelled  the  foreign 
domination  ;  the  gradual  assumption  of  the  lead  in  public  ai&irs 
by  the  nobles ;  the  invitation  given  by  the  whole  nation  to  Peter 
pf  Arragon,  then  warring  in  Tunis,  to  ascend  the  vacant  throne ; 
the  raising  of  the  siege  of  Messina  by  the  new  monarch — Messnna 
which  had  been  nobly  defended  by  its  citizens,  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  glorious  old  noble  Alaimo  de  Lentini,  arainst 
Oharles  of  Anjou,  who  besieged  it  with  all  his  fbrces  by  land  and 
dea. 

From  this  time  Sicily  maintained  a  deadly  contest  with  the 
House  of  Anjou  and  the  Court  of  Rome,  for  the  space  of  twenty 
years,  during  which  the  islanders  performed  prodigies  of  valour, 
both  by  land  and  sea,  and  ended  by  securing  tne  independence  of 
their  country.  The  narrative  of  this  long  and  desperate  struggle 
is  most  brilliantly  and  graphically  written ;  but,  as  we  obaerved 
before,  there  is  little  to  command  our  respect  or  arouse  our 
sympathy.  With  a  few  noble  exceptions,  such  as  those  of  Alaimo 
de  Lentini  and  Blasco  Alagona,  no  sooner  do  we  begin  to  fed  an 
interest  in  any  hero,  than  we  find  him  conspiring  against  either 
his  king  or  bis  country,  as  the  case  may  be ;  or,  if  not  guilty  of 
treason  to  either  prince  or  people,  making  up  for  bis  deficiency  in 
iliese  particulars  by  acts  of  the  most  horrible  barbarity  towards 
his  enemies  or  his  captives. 

Peter,  the  first  Arragonese  monarch,  is  certainly  a  great  man, 
but  he  is  also  a  great  villain.  His  conduct  of  the  war  both  in 
Italy  and  Spain  is  most  masterly ;  and  the  manner  in  which  be 
conciliates  the  proud,  confirms  the  doubtful,  and  gains  over  the 
refraetonr,  with  a  stern  unbending  dignity,  accompanied  but  not 
tempered  by  policy,  is  very  striking.  On  the  other  hand,  his 
fraud,  cruelty,  beartlessness,  and  ingratitude,  are  equally  AtA- 
gusti^. 

At  one  time  it  was  proposed  to  settle  the  dispute  beiween 


Amurts  Win*  cfik$  SiaiKan  Ympen.  48 

Peter  and  Oharles  by  Bingle  combat.  After  endeavouring  to 
clear  up  this  somewhat  obeoure  point,  our  author  adds,  wiui  a 
sarcasm  which  is  quite  delicious, 

''  fint,  possibly^  the  challepge  was  nothing  more  than  an  appeal  made 
to  public  opinion  after  the  fashion  of  the  timesi  as  a  Charles  and  Peter 
of  Uie  present  day  might  do  by  proclamations,  putting  forward  humanity, 
legitimacy,  the  balance  of  power,  the  benefit  of  commerce  or  the  good  of 
the  people." — ^Vol.  ii.  p.  20. 

As  Oharles  found  himself  unable  to  conquer  Sicily,  and  indeed 
had  much  difficulty  in  maintaining  himself  on  the  main  land,  many 
towns  of  which  opened  their  gates  to  the  Sicilians,  the  Pope  pro- 
daimed  a  crusade  against  Sicily,  and  formally  deposed  Peter  rrom 
the  thrones  of  Arragon  and  Catalonia,  which  nis  successor  be- 
stowed upon  Charles  of  Valois,  The  efforts  however  of  the 
French  against  these  realms  were  totally  unavailing,  and  in  1285 
Peter  died«  be^ueathiug  his  Soanish  dominions  to  his  son  Alfonso, 
and  Sicily,  with  its  depenaencies,  to  his  second  son  James, 
according  to  the  suQcession  appointed  by  the  Sicilian  parliament. 

James  had  ruled  Sicily,  as  viceroy,  ever  since  his  father^s 
departure  for  Catalonia,  and  he  was  therefore  crowned  king 
without  oppositicm  or  delay.  He  was  a  man  of  great  ability,  but 
no  principle ;  he  commenced  his  reign  by  an  act  of  vindictive 
ingratitude,  and  concluded  it  by  the  vilest  perfidy. 

Amongst  his  first  acts  was  the  execution  of  that  great  and 

?)Qd  man  Alaimo  de  Lentini.  Tq  him  had  been  owing,  under 
rovidence,  the  successful  defence  of  Messina.  He  was  one  of 
Peter^s  early  and  zealous  partisans.  By  his  courage  and  temper 
he  had  crushed  a  dangerous  conspiracv,  and  suppressed  a  rismg 
rebellion.  Afterwards,  however,  partly  from  the  insane  vanity 
and  ambition  of  his  wife  Macalda,  partly  from  the  jealousv  of  his 
brother  nobles,  partly  from  the  fact  that  the  king  owed  him  his 
throne,  this  loyal  patriot  incurred  the  hatred  and  suspicion  of 
both  Peter  and  James.  The  latter  sent  him  a  prisoner  to  the 
former,  and  on  his  father's  death  demanded  him  from  his  brother, 
by  Bertram  de  Canellis,  a  Catalan,  whom  he  had  sent  to  Alfonso 
for  that  purpose.  The  king  of  Arragon  at  first  resisted,  but 
Bertram  persisting,  and  almost  accusing  him  of  complicity  with  the 
treason  of  which  he  accused  Alaimo  and  his  nephews,  atlast 
gained  his  point. 

"  The  prisoners  having  been  given  up  to  him,  he  embarked  them 
under  a  strong  escort,  and  caused  them  to  confess  themselves  to  a 
Minorite  friar,  before,  as  he  said,  encountering  the  perils  of  so  long  a 
voyage,  beset  with  enemies  and  pirates.  They  set  sail  from  Catalonia 
on  the  16th  of  May,  1267>  and  on  the  2nd  of  June,  at  the  distance  of 


44  Amarfs  War  of  the  SioiKan  V6q>$n. 

fifty  miles  from  Maretimo,  the  crew  gladly  hailed  the  shores  of  Sicily, 
when  Bertram  summoned  the  prisoners  on  deck. 

"  Turning  to  Alaimo,  he  hade  him  gaze  his  fill  on  the  welcome  sight 
of  his  country  ;  whereupon  the  nohle  old  man  exclaimed,  *  O  Sicily  I 
O  my  country  !  how  have  I  longed  for  thee !  and  yet  happy  would  it 
have  heen  for  me,  if  from  the  time  of  my  first  infant  wailings  I  had 
never  heheld  thee  more !'  The  Catalan  hesitated  a  few  moments,  per- 
haps from  pity,  and  then  replied,  *  Hitherto  you  have  heard  only  my 
mind,  nohle  Alaimo;  now  that  of  the  king  must  he  heard  and  obeyed;' 
and  he  unfolded  a  written  scroll,  which  Adenulf  read.  It  viras  a 
mandate  of  the  king,  stating,  that  'Whereas  Alaimo  of  Lentini,  Ade* 
nulf  of  Mineo,  and  John  of  Mezarina,  had  aforetime  planned  a  vast  and 
iniquitous  conspiracy  against  the  island  and  the  Royal  House  of  Sicily, 
and  were  guilty  of  sundry  other  misdeeds  ;  and  whereas  their  living  on 
in  confinement  was  judged  to  be  of  great  peril  to  the  state,  the  peace  of 
which  it  was  incumbent  upon  him  to  preserve  even  by  the  utmost 
rigours  of  justice,  the  king  committed  to  Bertram  the  charge  of  seizing 
them  in  Catalonia,  and  flinging  them  overboard  on  the  first  sight  of  the 
shores  of  Sicily.' 

**  Alaimo  showed  neither  surprise  nor  fear  of  death  ;  nor  did  he  utter 
word  of  complaint,  or  dwell  vainly  on  the  past ;  only  he  resented  the 
refinement  of  cruelty  which  had  selected  such  a  scene  for  such  a 
punishment,  and  denied  him  sepulture  in  the  land  of  his  fathers.     Yet 
with  Christian  resignation  he  prayed  for  the  king,  and  even  for  his 
executioners.     '  I  have  lived,'  said  he,  *  a  life  of  sorrow  and  suffering 
even  to  my  old  age,  and  now  I  close  it  without  honour.    I  lived  not  for 
myself,  but  for  others,  and  for  others  I  must  die.     My  misdeeds,  (and 
here,  perchance,  he  thought  of  the  exaltation  of  Peter,  and  the  death  of 
Walter,)  my  misdeeds  have  been  greater  than  they  are  deemed  by  man, 
and  I  have  deserved  a  more  cruel  death  than  this  ;  let  it,  at  least,  bring 
peace  to  my  country,  and  put  an  end  to  suspicion.'     He  then  himself 
asked  for  the  piece  of  linen  cloth  which  was  to  be  the  instrument  of 
death  as  well  as  the  bier  and  shroud  of  the  hero  of  Messina.     The 
executioners  swathed  and  fastened  it  round  him,  and  flung  him  into 
the  sea,  the  two  young  men  shared  his  fate.     The  guilty  vessel  cast 
anchor  at  Trapani,  and  the  news  of  the  death  of  Alaimo  spread  horror 
throughout  Sicily.     All  remembered  his  noble  birth,  his  lofty  intellect 
and  courage  in  matters  of  war  and  policy,  the  power  to  which  he 
attained,  and  the  insane  arrogance  of  Macalda  which  caused  his  ruin  ; 
his  friends  trembled,  and  the  cautions  whispered  that  the  king  must 
surely  have  had  weighty  cause  for  what  he  had  done.     These  rumours 
are  mentioned  in  somewhat  obscure  language  by  Neocastro,  who  records 
with  sympathising  grief  the  execution  and  the  memorable  words  of 
Alaimo,  perhaps  the  best,  and  certainly  the  greatest  man,  of  whom 
Sicily  had  to  boast  in  the  revolution  of  the  Vespers." — Vol.  ii.  pp. 
243—246. 

In  spite  of  this  atrocious  crime,  James  made  a  good  king,  and 


AmarCs  War  o/ike  SieUian  Vetpers.  45 

an  able  commander,  and  under  his  rule  Sicily  prospered  both  at 
home  and  abroad.     In  the  course  of  time,  however,  Alphonso  of 
Arragon  died,  and  James  set  sail  for  Spain,  leaving  his  brother 
Frederick  viceroy  of  the  island.    It  had  been  intended,  both  by 
Peter  and  the  Sicilians,  that  in  the  event  of  Jameses  succeeding 
to  the  throne  of  Arragon,  Frederick  should  succeed  to  that  of 
Sicily,  a  result  which  finally  occurred,  though  not  in  the  time  or 
manner  proposed.    James,  on  his  accession  to  his  ancestral 
dominions,  lost  all  sympathy  with  his  island  kingdom,  and  deter- 
mined to  betray  the  Sicilians  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  peace 
and  safety  in  Spain.    Pope  Boni^Eu^e  endeavoured  also  to  gain 
over  the  mfant  Don  Frederick,  and  for  this  purpose  proposed  an 
interview  with  him.    The  Palermitans,  who,  as  well  as  the  rest 
of  the  Sicilians,  were  warmly  attached  to  the  young  prince, 
dissuaded  him  from  accepting  the  invitation,  but  in  vain. 

"  He  embarked  on  board  the  fleet  with  Procida  •  •  •  •  with  Loria, 
and  with  many  other  of  the  Sicilians  most  renowned  in  council  or  in 
field  •  •  •  •  Boniface  now  assumed  the  guise  of  paternal  benignity. 
When  Frederick  knelt  before  him,  he  raised  him  up,  taking  his  head 
between  both  hands,  he  kissed  him  affectionately,  and  seeing  how 
vigorously  and  gracefully  he  bore  the  weight  of  his  armour,  he  began 
to  compliment  him,  saying :  '  It  is  easy  to  see,  fair  youth,  that  from  a 
child  you  have  been  inured  to  this  heavy  burden/  Then,  turning  to 
Loria,  he  asked  him,  without  any  appearance  of  anger,  whether  he 
were  that  enemy  of  the  Church,  famous  for  so  many  bloody  battles  ? 
To  which  Loria  replied,  *  Father,  such  was  the  will  of  the  Popes.' 

''  After  this  cordial  reception  they  proceeded  to  business.  As  the 
price  of  the  abandonment  of  Sicily,  the  Pope  promised  Frederick  to 
wife  the  young  Catherine  de  Courtenay,  daughter  of  Philip,  titular 
Emperor  of  the  East,  with  her  the  right  to  that  empire,  and,  to  assist 
him  towards  its  reconquest,  a  military  force,  and,  within  four  years' 
time  a  sum  of  130,000  ounces  of  gold.  It  really  appears  that  Boniface 
had  not  miscalculated,  and  that  the  youth,  tempted  by  sounding  words, 
and  by  the  allurements  of  beauty,  though  unseen  by  him,  inclined  to 
give  up  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  the  people  to  whom  he  was  bound 
hy  ties  far  stronger  than  those  of  his  viceregal  office."— Vol.  iii. 
pp.  15 — 17. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  no  practical  result  followed  from  this  con- 
ference, and  if  Frederick  wavered  for  a  moment,  he  soon  became 
more  sincerely  attached  than  ever  to  the  cause  of  Sicily,  and 
never  again  hesitated  in  his  faith  to  her  children. 

James,  on  the  contrary,  despite  the  earnest  entreaties  of  the 
Sicilians,  who  sent  two  embassies  to  him  on  the  subject,  entered 
into  a  treaty,  by  which  he  relinquished  his  claims  to  the  crown  of 
Sicily,  Mid  pr<»nised,  if  needfvJ,  to  assist  the  see  of  AouiQ  m 


46  Amarfi  War  ofih$  Sicilian  Veip^n. 

subiagating  the  indomitable  isIanderB.  Deserted,  beb^^yed  by 
their  king,  the  Sicilians  nobly  determined  that  nothing  should 
induce  them  to  yield;  they  might  be  exterminated,  but  they 
would  not  be  subdued.  With  this  view  they  at  once  ofifered  the 
vacant  throne^  with  fresh  limitations  of  the  royal  authority^  to 
Frederick*  The  prince  accepted  the  crown  with  the  conditions 
affixed,  and  showed  by  his  future  conduct  the  wisdom  of  his 
people  in  making  him  their  king.  He  had,  it  is  true,  many  faults, 
or  rather,  we  should  say,  weaknesses,  but  they  Were  feults  which 
difficulty,  adversity,  and  danger  had  a  naturar tendency  to  subdue, 
or  at  least,  decrease*  Wanting  in  judgment,  rash,  and  unable  to 
decide  for  himself  without  the  suggestion  of  others,  he  was  brave^ 
chivalrous,  kind,  warm-hearted,  and  generous ;  and  we  feel  there- 
fore disposed  to  award  him  the  rank  of  a  hero,  despite  his  early 
vacillation,  and  the  occasional  errors  of  his  later  years. 

James  of  Arragon  fulfilled  his  perfidious  promise,  and  invaded 
Sicily  at  the  head  of  a  powerful  force.  Though  partially  stto 
cessful,  however,  he  was  unable  to  effect  his  purpose  of  reducing 
the  island,  and  at  length  retired  from  Sicily,  leaving  Bobett, 
Oount  of  Artois,  in  command  of  the  allied  forces. 

Amongst  the  many  painful  occurrences  of  this  year  wad  the 
treason  of  John  of  Procida,  and  John  Loria,  who  deserted  thd 
Sicilian  cause  for  the  service  of  the  perfidious  King  of  Arragon. 

*' And  thus  the  two  Neapolitans  whose  names  had  been  so  famous  in 
the  Revolution  of  the  Vespers  together,  left  Sioily  as  enemies,  closely 
bound  to  each  other  by  community  of  fate  and  of  ambition  ;  companions 
first  in  exile,  then  in  hopes,  and  in  the  support  of  the  new  dynasty 
in  Sicily,  lastly  in  treason.  Loria,  brought  up  from  a  child  at  the 
court  of  Peter  of  Arragon,  was  a  man  of  boundless  aspirations  and 
great  military  talent,  a  renowned  general,  and  the  first  admiral  of  his 
time;  but  ruthless  and  blood-thirsty,  avaricious,  haughty,  and  of 
insatiable  rapacity.  He  restored  the  naval  superiority  of  Sicily  ;  taught 
the  Sicilians  the  art  of  victory  ;  and  was  the  most  powerful  support  of 
the  in&nt  state." — Vol.  iii.  p.  85. 

The  achievements  of  Loria  whilst  in  command  of  the  Sicilian 
fleet  form  some  of  the  most  stirring  scenes  of  this  strikingly 
dramatic  woi^.  We  had  intended  transcribing  more  than  one  of 
them  to  these  pages,  and  are  only  preventing  from  doing  so  by  the 
want  of  space.  They  were  as  gallant  naval  actions,  and  are  as 
brilliantly  described,  as  any  thing  we  know  of  in  the  circle  of 
history.  After  the  flight  of  Loria,  his  vassals  rose  in  arms,  but 
the  outbreak  taking  place  before  the  arrival  of  James,  and  Loria 
not  being  there  to  lead  the  insurrection,  it  was  easily  put  down. 
SubaequMitly,  John  lioxia,  his  nephew^  was  made  prisoner  by  ihft 


Amarti  Wmt  rfik$  SieUkm  Vetpen.  47 

Sicilians,  and,  despite  of  the  offers  made  by  James,  executed  as  a 
traitor.  The  uncle,  however  fearfully  avenged  his  death,  when, 
in  the  rout  of  the  Sicilian  fleet  at  Capo  d^Orlando,  he  shouted  as 
the  watchword  of  indiscriminate  slaughter,  "  Remember  John 
Loria!" 

With  the  brave,  but  cruel  and  rapacious  admiral,  the  dominion 
of  the  sea  departed  from  the  Sicilians ;  and  nothing  but  the  most 
determined  and  indestructible  energy  of  patriotism  coald  have 
preserved  them  against  the  allied  mrces,  nrstly,  under  James  of 
Arragon,  then,  Bobert  of  Artois,  and  lastly,  Charles  of  Valois. 

At  length  it  became  clear  to  all  reasonable  men  that  the 
conquest  of  Sicily  under  present  circumstances  was  utterly  im- 
practicable, and  a  treaty  was  at  length  concluded,  in  which  the 
gpdlant  Frederick  was  acknowledged  King  of  Trinacria,  and 
received  in  marriage  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Charles  the  Second,  of 
Naples. 

Amongst  the  many  noble  passages  of  this  last  war  is  the 
defence  of  Messina,  and  the  patient  endurance  as  well  as  un- 
daunted courage  shown  by  the  citizens  of  that  place,  who  thus 
a  second  time  saved  their  eountry  from  slavery. 

In  taking  leave  of  these  volumes  and  their  author,  after  this 
very  cur8(»y  review  of  the  work,  we  beg  to  thank  Mr.  Amari  for 
having  made  a  valuable  addition  to  the  standard  literature  of  the 
historical  world,  and  to  assure  him  that  by  his  deep  research  and 
patient  accuracy,  as  well  as  by  the  power  of  his  eloquence,  and 
the  graces  of  his  style,  he  has  produced  no  merely  ephemeral 
composition,  but  one  which  deserves  to  obtain,  and  will  we  have 
no  doubt  acquire,  the  position  of  a  KTHMA  £2  A£I. 


48  Warter'i  Sermons. 


Art.  III. — A  Plain  ChristiarCs  Manual ;  or  Six  Plain  Sermons 
on  Early  Piety ^  the  Sacraments^  and  Man^s  Latter  End;  Un- 
controversial^  hut  suited  to  the  Present  Time.  By  John  Wood 
Warter,  B,D.y  Christ  Churchy  Oxford^  Vicar  of  West  Tarring^ 
Sussex^  S^c.     London  :  Bivingtons. 

Mr.  Warter  appears  from  his  title-page  to  feel  that  there  is  a 
kind  of  apolo^  due  for  publishing  a  work  at  present  which  is  not 
"controversial;"  or,  at  least,  that  the  world  may  expect  from 
every  writer  on  religious  topics  some  direct  practical  reference  to 
existing  dissensions.      And   Mr.  Warter  has,  without  doubt, 
judged  aright  of  the  tone  and  feeling  now  most  generally  preva- 
lent, in  consequence  of  the  prolonged  struggles  of  party.     Yet 
we  cannot  but  think  that  great  as  is  the  demand  for  controversial 
teaching  io  these  times  of  trouble,  the  necessity  for  simple, 
plain,  practical,  uncontroversial  teaching,  like  that  of  which  Mr. 
Warter  has  afforded  so  excellent  a  specimen  in  the  little  volume 
before  us,  is  greater  than  ever,  and  we  are  persuaded  that  this 
is  deeply  felt  by  a  large  proportion  of  the  community.     To  our- 
selves it  is  a  positive  refreshment  to  turn  aside  from  marking  the 
contests  of  human  passion,   and  the  manifold  speculations  of 
modern  religionism  which  are  daily  passing  before  our  eyes — 
to  the  calm,  and  simple,  and  old-fashioned  piety,  which  meets  us 
in   Mr.  Warter^s  pages,   where   Hooker,  and  Jeremy  Taylor, 
Bishop  Hall,  Dr..  Donne,  Sir  Thomas  Browne,  and  other  old 
English  worthies,  supply  to  the  reader  many  a  deep  thought,  and 
many  a  beautiful  image. 

Perhaps  few  writers  in  the  present  day  have  so  carefully 
studied  the  writings  of  our  elder  divines,  or  so  cordially  entered 
into  their  spirit  as  Mr.  Warter.  His  publications  have  invariably 
evinced  an  extraordinary  acquaintance  with,  and  almost  an 
enthusiastic  admiration  for  them ;  for  not  only  are  they  quoted 
with  an  aptness  and  a  copiousness  which  proves  the  extent  of 
the  study  bestowed  on  them ;  but  even  the  style  in  which  Mr. 
Warter^s  works  is  composed,  is  modelled  on  tnat  of  the  seven- 
teenth century.  It  is  not  so  much  the  style  of  the  present  day, 
as  that  of  the  English  translation  of  the  Bible,  or  of  the 
vmters  of  the  times  of  James  and  Charles  the  First.  And  in 
imbibing  the  principles  of  the  greatest  writers  of  the  seventeenth 


WafUf%  Sermons.  49 

century,  wo  need  not  say  that  his  views  are  as  remote  from 
Puritanism  as  they  are  from  Popery.     Men  who  have  trained 
themselves  in  the  school  of  Bramhall,  and  Jeremy  Taylor,  and 
Hammond,  have  learnt  from  them  to  adhere  to  the  Church  of 
England,  amidst  all  the  clouds  and  darkness  which  may  over- 
shadow her  temporal  or  spiritual  prospects.   They  remember  that 
holier  and  more  learned  men  than  themselves — men  who  have 
never  been  surpassed  in  high  qualifications  for  the  service  of  the 
Church — did  remain  stedfast  m  an  age  when  error  and  schism 
not  only  abounded  within  the  communion  of  the  Church  of 
England,  but  were  actually  for  many  years  triumphant,  and 
legally  established ;  and  when  the  pretensions  of  Bome  were  just 
as  great ;  and  the  arguments  and  persuasion  of  her  advocates 
just  as  insinuating ;  and  the  instances  of  apostasy  just  as  frequent, 
as  they  have  ever  been  since.     Yet,  amidst  all  the  adversity  of 
their  Church,  its  faithful  sons  maintained  stedfastly  their  religious 
convictions,  and  never  relinquished  the  defence  of  that  system 
of  Apostolic  truth  which  was  enshrined  in  the   Liturgy  and 
Formularies  of  the    Church  of  England.      Mr,   Warter  has 
evidently  derived  from  the  same  source  as  those  holy  men,  a 
spirit  of  confidence  in  the  Church  of  England,  as  a  faithful  and 
an  honest  guide,  and  a  resolution  to  abide  by  her  teaching  under 
an  circumstances.     The  following  passage  comprises  sentiments 
which  must  meet  a  response  in  the  heart  of  every  real  Churchman. 

"  No  controversial  teaching  is  inculcated  here,  but  the  teaching  of  the 

Prayer  Book  is  insisted  upon  and  understood  in  that  plain,  honest 

sense,  in  which  the  holy  men  who  drew  it  up  intended  that  it  should  be. 

Men  they   were,  not  easily  deceived   themselves,   but  scrupulously 

devout,  and  guiltless  of  the  thought  of  deceiving  others.     Single-minded 

men,  their  desire  was,  that  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus  should  be 

known  unto  the  people,  that  they  might  live  accordingly  ;  and  to  the 

best  of  their  ability  they  set  it  forth  in  that  book  which  the  generation 

of  our  fathers  held  in  reverence,  and  which  their  sons  will  revere  as  long 

as  they  hold  to  the  faith  of  the  *  Holy  Church  throughout  all  the 

world.' 

"  *  Christ  and  bis  apostles,'  said  Lord  Clarendon,  *  left  their  declara- 
tion of  what  we  are  to  believe,  and  what  we  are  to  do,  so  clearly  stated, 
that  we  cannot  dangerously  mistake.*  And  so,  if  we  were  not  preju- 
dicedy  it  would  be.  And  when  it  is  otherwise,  and  men  desert  their 
mother  Church,  and  will  not  receive  plain  truth,  even  here,  usually,  and 
after  a  term  of  years,  there  is  a  returning  ;  and  when  opposition  is  over, 
and  the  asperities  of  preconceived  notions  are  rubbed  off,  they  are  apt 
to  fall  down  and  worship  as  their  fathers  did  before  them.  And,  under 
existing  turmoil  and  contentious  disputations,  I  have  hope  in  the  end. 
No  storm  is  lulled  at  once  but  by  a  miracle ;  neithei  "wvW  l\i\^  ^X^rca 

vox.  XV, — NO,  XXIX, — MARCH,  1851,  IB 


50  Warki^s  ISermam. 


subside  till  it  has  wrought  the  good  hitendedi  and  cleared  the  atmo- 
sphere  of  some  practical  misbelief  or  other, 

"  Therefore,  individually,  I  am  no  way  timorously  solicitous  about 
the  event  of  the  late  or  present  theological  contests.  Magna  est  Ferilut 
et  prcevalebit !  Christian  doctrine  is  Christian  doctrinci  and  develop- 
ment is  but  a  name.  Let  the  unwise,  if  they  cannot  remain  where  they 
are,  fall  back  on  Rome,  *  as  people  being  ashamed  steal  away  when  they 
flee  in  battle  j*  but  *  he  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste,'  but  take 
his  time,  and  yet  do  valiantly  for  the  Church  of  his  fathers.  The 
timorous  alone  *flee  seven  ways,'  with  Rome  and  its  consequence* 
before  them.  Well  said  Philip  Henry,  *  I  am  too  much  of  a  Catholic  to 
be  a  Roman  Catholic  I'  And  I  say, — I  will  take  good  care,  the  Lord 
being  my  helper,  that  the  pure  doctrines  ef  our  faith  be  preached  ^ 
within  the  bouhdaries  of  this  parish,  as  long  as  I  am  the  duly  appointed  L 
minister  of  it,  notwithstanding  any  deeision,  ecclesiastical  or  civil » to  the 
contrary." — JPref.  pp.  iii — vi. 

The  volume  before  us  consists  of  a  series  of  six  sermons  on 
subjects  of  the  most  simple  and  practical  character, — with  one 
exception,  where  the  writer  enters  on  a  subject  of  some  difficulty, 
and  of  high  moment  in  eveiy  point  of  view, — the  question  of 
repelling  persons  from  the  Loras  Supper.  The  first  discourse 
applies  the  history  of  Job  very  beautifully  to  impress  the  benefit 
and  blessings  of  early  piety.  We  must  quote  a  few  words  at  the 
opening  of  this  sermon,  where,  having  spoken  of  "  early  piety,'* 
he  describes  it  as — 

**  A  possession  than  which  earth  hath  none  greater,  inasmuch  as  it  is 
twice  blessed,  being  the  blessing  both  of  children  and  of  their  parents. 
Moreover,  like  the  possessions  of  this  world,  it  passeth  not  away,  but 
endureth  ever^  if  it  ripen  well,  and  continue  unto  the  end.  In 
other  words,  if  early  piety  settle  down  into  solid  and  wellrgrounded 
religious  faith  and  practice,  it  passeth  the  grave  and  the  gate  of  death, 
and  is  consigned  over  to  everlasting  habitations,  and  to  '  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light.'  Certain  it  is, — there  is  nothing  more  certain, — 
that  from  a  child  (as  St.  Paul  said  to  Timothy)  to  have  *  known  the 
Holy  Scriptures,'  is  *  able  to  make '  a  man  '  wise  unte  salvation,  through 
faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus.'  And  our  blessed  Lord's  own  words^ 
applied  to  Christian  Baptism,  wherein  children  are  made  regenerate,  or, 
born  anew,  assuredly  look  this  way  :  *  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come 
unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not ;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.* 
Bright  as  are  the  stars  in  the  heavens,  and  lovely  as  are  the  loveliest 
spots  on  earth,  yet  is  there  nothing  brighter,  nothing  lovelier^  than  a 
child  brought  up  *  in  the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord.'  Wit- 
ness the  history  of  *  the  child  Samuel,'  that  *  ministered  unto  the  Lord 
before  Eli !'  Of  whom  it  is  recorded  that  he  '  grew,  and  the  Lord  was 
with  him,  and  did  let  none  of  his  words  fall  to  the  ground.'  Witness 
that  all-blessed  childhood  of  our  only  Lord  and  Saviour ;  so  beautiful  I 


WarUr\  Sermom.  61 

to  attractive !  and  which  should  be  the  model  and  the  pattern  for  at 
all ;  and  how  of  Him  it  is  said,  that  '  he  went  down  with'  hit  parents, 
'  and  came  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  unto  them,  and  increased  in 
wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favour  with  Ood  and  man.'  Surely  from 
that  time  forth  the  estate  of  childhood  was  blessed,  and  the  beauty  of 
lAELY  piBTT  shone  forth,  never  to  be  forgotten  more  I" — ^pp.  3 — 5. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  sermoo,  we  have  the  following  dia- 
tinct  and  sound  teaching  on  the  subject  of  Bi^tism. 

"  Then,  Christian  brethren,  admitting  that  all  children  are  bom  in 
sin,  and  that  the  stain  of  Adam's  transgression  passeth  upon  all  that  are 
bom  into  this  world  of  sadness,  of  sickness,  and  of  sorrow ;  let  us  all 
be  mindful  as  parents  ;  let  our  children  be  admitted,  as  soon  as  may  be, 
within  the  borders  of  the  Covenant,  from  whence  afterwords  they  can 
only  be  cast  out  by  their  own  transgression  ;  '  for  it  is  certain,  by  God's 
Word,  that  children  which  are  baptized,  dying  before  they  commit 
actual  sin,  are  undoubtedly  saved.'  So  that  the  first  step  towards 
EAELY  PIETY  is  Christian  Baptism,  in  the  which  most  sacred  rite  our 
most  merciful  Father,  which  is  in  heaven,  doth  regenerate  infants  with 
his  Holy  Spirit,  receive  them  for  his  own  by  adoption,  and  incorporate 
them  into  hit  Holy  Church,  purchased  by  the  blood  of  his  only  and  all- 
beloved  Sou.  As  one  [Barrow]  said,  '  It  hath  been  the  doctrine  con- 
stantly with  general  consent  delivered  in  and  by  the  Catholic  Churchy 
that  to  all  persons,  by  the  holy  mystery  of  Baptism  duly  initiated  into 
Christianity,  and  admitted  into  the  communion  of  Christ's  body,  the 
grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  commu,nicated,  enabling  them  to  perform 
the  conditions  of  piety  and  virtue  which  they  undertaS[e,  and  continually 
watching  over  them  for  accomplishment  of  those  purposes ;  whidi 
Spirit  they  are  admonished  not  to  resist,  to  abuse,  to  grieve,  to  quench ; 
but  to  use  it  well,  and  to  use  its  grace  to  the  working  out  their  sal- 
vation.' Clearly,  then,  the  first  duty  of  a  parent  is  to  bring  the  child 
to  the  font."— pp.  11,  12. 

The  same  sermon  applies  the  well-known  passage,  in  which  our 
Lord  is  represented  as  blessing  children,  to  the  foundation  of  an 
argument  on  behalf  of  infant  baptism,  which  appears  to  be  very 
satisfactorily  managed,  and  to  be  adapted  to  the  comprehension 
of  the  rural  congr^ations  to  which  it  was  addressed.  The  argu- 
ment deduced  from  circumcision  is,  as  Mr.  Warter  observes, 
"not  easily  put  in  a  popular  discourse;*"  but  to  our  mind  it  is 
placed  in  an  intelligible  point  of  view  in  this  discourse.  The 
aigument  is  appropriately  wound  up  with  the  following  practical 
application. 

"  And  so  *  the  kingdom  of  grace,  the  Church,  oonsisteth  of  dbildren 
in  age  or  in  manners,  of  them  and  such  as  they  are ;  and  the  kingdom 
of  glory,  or  heaven,  ahdll  be  Med  with  infjonte  bleaaed  loj  CbsnsX^  VQ^ 

e2 


5^  Warter'i  Sermo7i3. 

with  men  become  as  little  children.*  Such  Christ  receiveth,  as  He  did 
the  infants  in  the  text ;  and  the  sooner  the  better,  Christian  brethren, 
we  come  to  the  understanding  of  this  matter,  that,  to  receive  the  king- 
dom of  God  *  as  a  little  child,'  is  in  the  obedience  of  the  faith,  with  all 
humility  and  lowliness,  to  submit  to  the  Gospel,  to  receive  the  doc- 
trines, to  obey  the  precepts.  In  this  sense  practice  is  knowledge,  and 
we  all  know  that  knowledge  is  power.  Happy  any  who  is,  so  to  say, 
Jacob  no  longer,  but  the  Israel  of  God !  Happy  any  unto  whom  the 
Lord  hath  said,  '  As  a  prince  hast  thou  power  with  God  and  with  men, 
and  hast  prevailed  I*  Sure  I  am  if  any  dolh  follow  his  Lord  in  the 
way,  his  understanding  shall  be  enlightened,  *  and  his  flesh'  shallcoine 
*  again  like  unto  the  flesh  of  a  little  child,  and  he  shall  be  *  clean.' 
In  our  Lord's  own  words,  *  If  any  man  will  do  his  will,  he  shall  know 
of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of  God.'  " — pp.  35 — 37. 

"  Certainly,  to  reach  heaven  at  the  last,  we  must  use  all  diligence, 
and  good  thrift  is  it  that  our  thoughts  and  conversations  be  always 
there.  But  we  must  not  mingle  the  *  dross'  of  earth  with  *  pure  gold.' 
We  must  be  ambitious,  not  of  what  is  of  the  earth,  earthy,  but  of  what 
is  heavenly  in  temper ;  lest  there  be  no  entrance  found  there  for  such 
as  are  not  like  to  little  children,  but  are  unprepared  to  perfect  praise. 
Be  assured  our  *  inward  parts'  are  not  hid  from  Him  with  whom  we 
have  to  do ;  and  if,  in  the  stead  of  the  humbleness  and  the  innocency  of 
the  little  child,  there  be  found  in  us  the  very  reverse  of  this — that  is  to 
say,  unscrupulous  ambition,  and  pride,  and  hypocrisy,  and  anger,  and 
wrath,  and  clamour,  and  envy,  and  malice,  and  revenge,  and  whatsoever 
else  there  be  contrary  to  childlike  simplicity — in  that  case,  unless  we 
be,*  converted,  and  become  as  little  children,'  the  everlasting  doors  of 
heaven  will  be  closed  against  us.  Thou  Christian  man,  on  whom  the 
privilege  of  Baptism  hath  passed,  or  ever  thou  didst  know  thy  right 
hand  from  thy  left,  remember  well,  '  The  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth ; 
for  man  looketh  on  the  outward  appearance,  but  the  Lord  looketh  on 
the  heart.'  It  is  the  little  one  in  spirit  that  shall  be  blessed  the  most; 
the  youngest,  so  to  say,  like  David — not  Eliab,  not  Abinadab,  not 
Shammah — but  the  lowly  one  of  heart,  the  child !  As  *  the  Lord  said. 
Arise,  anoint  him ;  for  this  is  he.'  Such  have,  verily,  •  an  unction 
from  the  Holy  One.'  His  they  are,  and  Him  they  serve  with  a  perfect 
and  unreserved  submission,  and  they  are  blessed  everlastingly.  And 
hence  said  David  himself  when  he  had  sinned  and  repented  him  of  his 
sin,  and  knew  that  he  was  accepted,  *  I  refrain  my  soul,  and  keep  it 
low,  like  as  a  child  that  is  weaned  from  his  mother :  yea,  my  soul  is 
even  as  a  weaned  child.'  " — pp.  38 — 40. 

In  the  third  sermon,  the  doctrine  of  Baptism  and  of  the  Lord's 
Suppier,  and  the  connexion  of  these  Sacraments,  are  very  ably 
traced,  and  expounded  in  the  language  of  our  elder  divines, 
amongst  whom  Hooker  is  here,  as  in  other  places,  the  chief 
author  referred  to.  The  excuses  and  objections  commonly  made 
by  tmeducatpd  persons^  in  reference  to  the  reception  of  the  Lord'a 


Wafier's  Sermons.  .  53 

Supper,  are  very  truly  detailed,  and  very  ably  met  in  the  fourth 

sermon.     The  preacher  there  points  out  to  his  people,  that  the 

best  preparation  for  the  Holy  Sacrament  is  a  godly  life.     May 

we  be  permitted  to  express  a  doubt,  whether  the  necessity  of  a 

penitential  and  humble  frame  of  mind  is  sufficiently  insisted  on ! 

It  appears  to  us,  that  in  the  case  of  such  doubts  and  difficulties, 

as  to  the  amount  of  preparation  requisite,  the  simplest  and  the 

safest  course  is  to  refer  to  the  descnption  of  the  preparation  com- 

prised  in  the  last  answer  of  the  Church  Catechism.     Every  true 

penitent  comes  within  the  conditions  there  laid  down,  and  every 

Uhristian  must  at  all  times  be  a  penitent  and  nothing  more.   The 

preparation  for  the  Sacrament  is  simply  the  same  preparation 

which  would  be  requisite  for  death,  and  should  therefore  never 

for  a  moment  be  intermitted  in  life ;  so  that  the  Christian  should 

at  aU  times  be  prepared  to  partake  of  the  Holy  Communion. 

The  special  preparation  for  the   Sacrament,  which  appears  to 

consist  in  a  due  sense  of  the  sacredness  of  the  rite,  is  thus 

described  by  Mn  Warter : — 

"  But,  besides  this,  a  special  preparation  is  at  all  times  necessary  as 

we  would  *  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 

Jesas  Christ.'     Holy  and  heavenly  things, — spiritual  manna,  which,  so 

to  say 9  is  angels'  food, — and  '  the  blood  of  Christ  which  is  verily  and 

indeed  taken  and  received  by  the  faithful  in  the  Lord's  Supper'  under 

the  symbol  of  consecrated  wine, — these  emblems  of  death  so  precious, 

and  pledges  of  life  to  the  godly  receiver,  must  not  be  taken  as  common 

food,  but  as  sacred  viands.     That  preparation,  which  by  God's  grace 

ends  in  sanctification,  is  to  be  ever  in  the  pious  communicant's  thoughts. 

And  because  it  was  not  so  in  the  thoughts  of  the  profane  Corinthian 

communicants,  it  turned  to  their  harm,  in  some  cases  was  their  death. 

As  St.  Paul  told  them  in  his  teaching,  *  Whosoever  shall  eat  this  bread 

and  drink  this  cup  of  the  Lord,  unworthily,  shall  be  guilty  of  the  body 

and  blood  of  the  Lord.     But  let  a  man  examine  himself,  and  so  let  him 

eat  of  that  bread,  and  drink  of  that  cup.     For  he  that  eateth  and 

drinketh  unworthily,  eateth  and  drinketh  damnation  to  himself,  not 

discerning  the  Lord's  body,'  that  is  to  say,  *  eateth  and  drinketh  just 

judgment  and  condemnation  to  himself,  not  considering  the  greatness  of 

thb  mystery,  and  making  no  difference  betwixt  this  sacred  bread,  which 

is  sacramentally  the  body  of  Christ,  and  the  other  common  and  ordinary 

bread.'     And  the  result  was  as  I  said,  many  were  *  weak  and  sickly,' 

and  •  many'  slept, — were  stricken  with  death  itself ;  whereas,  had  they 

eaten  and  had  they  drunk  in  faith,  like  Elijah  the  prophet  of  the  Lord, 

they  might  have  gone  on  to  their  lives'   end   *  in  the  strength  of  that 

meat'  which  cherisheth  the  souls  of  God's  people,  and  of  which  it  can  be 

verily  and  truly  said  :    *  This  is  the  bread  which  cometh  down  from 

heaven,  that  a  man  may  eat  thereof  and  not  die.'  " — pp.  75 — 77. 

We  now  come  to  the  discoiurse  on  "  Repelling  from  the  Lord's 


S4  ITartflr^a  Bmmam. 

Supper,^  which  evinces  much  oareftd  consideration;  and  after 
pointing  out  the  duty  of  Christian  ministers  to  invite  all  who  can 
be  induced  to  avail  themselves  of  that  privilege,  rather  than  to 
repel  any ;  and  after  referring  the  legal  difficulties  which  interfere 
to  prevent  the  exercise  of  such  a  power  of  repelling — concludes  by 
pointing  out  the  possibility  of  cases  occurring,  in  which  persons  of 
grossly  and  notoriously  sinful  habits,  offensive  to  the  congre* 
gation,  might  present  themselves;  and  the  duty  of  Christian 
ministers  in  this  case,  to  obey  the  rules  of  God^s  Law,  and  the 
directions  of  their  Church,  without  regarding  any  legal  penalties 
or  difficulties  in  which  they  might  be  involved  in  consequence. 

Such  sentiments  may  be  very  offensive  to  those  in  the  present 
day  who  admit  no  exercise  of  conscience  to  the  Christian,  except 
as  it  may  accord  with  the  decisions  of  the  temporal  power  and  the 
law  of  the  land — who  invest  the  civil  magistrate  with  an  infalli- 
bility which  they  deny  to  the  Pope.  Such  persons,  as  we  refer  to, 
firofess  a  very  great  abhorrence  of  Popery,  wherever  it  may  be 
bund ;  but  they  would  erect  a  Popery  more  offensive  and  more 
ridiculous  than  any  other  system  that  bears  the  name.  To  these 
sycophants  the  word  of  the  temporal  magistrate  is  a  law  which 
is  of  more  practical  authority  than  the  word  of  Grod,  because  it  is 
held  to  be  an  infallible  exposition  of  it.  Religion,  according  to 
them^  depends  on  the  changing  will  of  parliament,  and  may  be 
varied  at  the  pleasure  of  a  bodv,  consisting  of  men  of  all  creeds 
and  views.  Of  course,  it  would  be  a  work  of  supererogation  to 
ask  where  the  belief  of  such  reasoners  is  to  be  found.  The  State 
has  great  authority,  by  the  Law  of  God,  in  all  matters  concern- 
ing religion ;  but  it  has  no  authority  against  God's  law — and  the 
Conscience  is  relieved  fVom  all  necessity  of  obeying  it,  when  its 
decisions  are  clearly  contrary  to  that  higher  law.  It  will  enforce 
its  determinations  by  temporal  penalties,  as  far  as  it  deems  ad- 
visable ;  but  it  can  nave  no  right  to  contradict  the  Laws  of  Gt)d ; 
and  the  same  liberty  of  conscience  and  judgment  which  is  claimed 
as  the  birthright  of  every  Christian,  is  a  right  of  which  he  cannot 
be  divested  by  Popery,  whether  it  appears  in  the  guise  of  t-emporal 
or  of  spirituaJ  power. 


BwhbCi  L€mg9  of  ArekUedure.  fl& 


Akt.  W.-^The  Seven  Lampe  of  ArehUeeture.    By  John  Rubkin. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  marked  tendencies  of  the  present  time,  to 
seek  anxiously  for  new  forms  and  combinations  or  knowledge,  new 
deyelopments  of  intellectual  life.  The  civilized  and  educated 
world  are  as  eager  for  a  new  intellectual  pleasure,  as  the  Persian 
monarch  is  reported  to  have  been  for  a  new  gratification  of  sense. 
One  of  the  last  and  most  fashionable  is  the  study  of  architecture. 
It  is  no  longer  a  mere  collection  of  dry  rules,  a  computation  of 
the  precise  number  of  inches  to  be  occupied  by  modules  and  ca- 
vettos,  a  perpetual  repetition  of  the  columns  of  the  Temple  of 
Jupiter  Stator,  varied  by  scarcely  intelligible  disquisitions  upon 
proportion,  or  by  the  tame  extravagancies  of  Vitruvius  and  his 
followers,  who  at  one  time  compared  their  columns  to  trees,  and 
at  another  to  men  and  women.  It  has  grown  up  in  a  few  years 
from  one  of  the  most  meagre  and  technical  of  all  studies,  to  be  a 
pursuit  full  of  interest  and  variety.  It  has  taken  life,  and  form, 
and  colour.  It  has  spread  its  roots  and  its  branches  every  where. 
Besides  its  obvious  connexion  with  utility  and  with  beauty,  it 
has  its  own  hiatoiy  and  its  own  system  of  metaphysics.  It  has 
been  twisted  into  a  connexion  with  the  religious  controversies 
of  the  day.  It  penetrates  every  where.  Most  young  clerffjrmen 
have  sonje  knowledge  of  the  date,  and  some  feeling  for  the  beauty 
of  their  parish  church.  Most  young  ladies,  and  a  great  many 
young  gentlemen,  can  tell  a  decorated  from  a  perpendicular  win- 
dow. It  breaks  out  in  the  most  unexpected  places.  It  is  said 
that  in  one  of  Her  Majesty's  regiments  the  dulness  of  country 
quarters  is  diversified  by  ecclesiological  researches.  Not  long  ago 
an  enthusiastic  undergraduate  braved  the  wrath  of  proctors,  and 
incurred  those  penalties  which  the  university  denounces  against 
those  of  its  pupils  who  drive  one  horse  before  another,  by  going 
in  a  tandem  to  "  rub  a  brass,''  which  he  alleged  was  too  dist^-nt 
to  be  reached  bv  the  more  legitimate  conveyance,  of  a  one-horse 
gig.  The  number  and  variety  of  late  works  upon  this  subject  is 
prodigious ;  the  beauty  of  their  illustrations  truly  remarkable^ 
Every  shop  window  displays  architectural  glossaries  and  introduc- 
tions, and  few  drawing-room  tables  are  without  them.  The  pro- 
moters of  archseological  research  shripk  from  no  labour.  The 
industry  of  Mr.  PaAer  is  giving  us  a  complete  descriptive  list  of 
a&  the  ffrehiteetural  remains  in  England;  the  i^axwi  <Av\>x^\i^^ 


56  BmUrCs  Latnps  of  Architecture. 

alone  must  be  several  thousands.  Nor  has  the  subject  wanted  a 
graver  illustration.  Some  of  the  hardest  and  strongest  thinkers 
of  England  have  employed  their  acute  and  practised  minds  on  this 
subject.  Professors  Whevyell  and  Willis  have  used  their  power- 
ful faculties  to  explain  the  laws  and  the  history  of  architectural 
science.  Nor  has  practice  been  wanting.  A  very  large  propor- 
tion of  our  ecclesiastical  edifices  have  enjoyed  the  advantages  and 
suffered  the  dangers  of  restoration.  London  itself,  the  most 
dingy  and  gloomy  of  capitals,  is  fast  assuming  a  new  character. 
The  vast  and  costly  "  New  Palace  of  Westminster"  shows  suffi- 
ciently that  we  do  not  shrink  from  expense  or  labour  in  carrying 
out  our  architectural  ideas. 

And,  indeed,  without  going  so  far  as  to  say  of  the  study  of 
architecture  what  Sir  Symons  D*Ewes,  that  most  perfect  of  prigs, 
said  of  the  perusal  of  old  law  records,  that  it  is  ^^  the  most  ravifiii- 
ing  and  satisfying  part  of  human  learning,"  we  may  safely  say 
tlmt  few  pursuits  afford  so  many  and  such  varied  sources  of  gratis 
fication.     It  yields  something  for  every  taste,  and  falls  in  with 
every  occupation.     To  the  tourist  it  affords  a  new  supply  of 
interesting  objects ;  to  the  artist  some  of  his  most  valued  mate- 
rials ;  to  the  poet  an  abundant  store  of  the  associations  dearest 
to  verse.     The  man  of  detail  may  measure  mouldings ;  the  meta- 
physician may  speculate  upon  the  subtle  theories  which  attempt 
to  explain  that  difficult  subject — the  manner  in  which  the  human 
mind  has  striven  to  impress  itself  upon  outward  objects ;  to  cut 
out  human  thought  in  stone.     For  the  antiquarian  or  historian  ^ 
architectural  knowledge  is  of  course  indispensable.     The  eaiiiest 
histories  of  all  nations  are  their  buildings.      Books  of  stone 
were  before  those  of  paper  or  parchment.     The  records  of  the 
monarchs  of  Egypt  and  Assyria  are  still  to  be  read  upon  the 
ruins  of  Thebes  and  Nineveh.     Architecture,  the  oldest  of  the 
fine  arts,  has  been  the  mother  and  the  nurse  of  the  rest.     Nor  is 
it  less  closely  connected  with  utility.     Real  architectural  know- 
ledge cannot  be  separated  from  a  study  of  the  principles  of  sound 
construction — a  matter  so  strangely  neglected  among  ourselves. 
The  inhabitants  of  Manchester  are  generally  accounted  a  prudent 
and  practical  race ;  yet  it  has  been  lately  declared  by  an  eminent 
architect,  that  if  he  were  required  to  erect  a  building  that  should 
burn  with  the  greatest  possible  speed  and  certainty,  he  could 
suggest  no  better  plan  than  that  on  which  the  warehouses  of 
Manchester  are  constructed.     It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  no 
persons  accustomed  to  the  correct  methods  of  construction  in 
use  among  our  ancestors,  would  have  committed  an  architectural 
solecism  so  great  and  so  disastrous  in  its  consequences* 

It  is  a  natural  result  of  the  variety  of  attractions  presented  by 


Buikm'B  Lamps  of  ArehiUchirs.  SJ 

be  study  of  alrchitoeture,  that  it  should  draw  to  itself  a  great 
iversity  of  minds,  should  be  looked  at  from  very  different  points 
f  view,  and  be  pursued  with  very  different  aims.  We  have  at 
present  three  principal  schools  of  architectural  amateurs,  which, 
hough  they  of  course  run  into  each  other,  are  still  in  the  main 
listinct.  There  is  an  ecclesiological,  an  antiquarian,  and  an  ar- 
tistic school.  The  first  treats  of  architecture  chiefly  as  subser- 
vient to  the  ends  of  religious  worship ;  the  second  aims  mostly 
at  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  existing  remains  of  ancient 
buildings,  not  without  a  certain  tendency  to  slight  modem  imita- 
tions; the  third  takes  for  its  chief  object  the  buildings  themselves, 
as  expressions  of  the  human  mind,  as  works  of  beauty  and  gran- 
deur. 

The  artistic  school  is  by  much  the  least  prominent ;  the  two 
great  influences  which  have  of  late  promoted  the  study  of  archi- 
tecture, are  the  ecclesiological  and  the  antiquarian.  It  cannot  be 
said  that  they  carry  on  their  common  studies  in  a  spirit  of  abso- 
lute harmony.  They  have  distinct  societies  and  a  different  no- 
menclature. They  speak  different  languages;  and  while  one 
party  shrinks  from  the  absurdity  of  saymg  ''  plain  decorated,^^ 
or  ^^  late  early,^  the  other  finds  it  altogether  inconsistent  to  de- 
scribe a  building  as  an  '^  early  middle-pointed  church,^^  or  an 
arch  as  "  round-headed,  first  pointed.**' 

We  owe  much  to  the  Ecclesiologists.  They  first  set  the 
example  of  a  conscientious  imitation,  as  well  as  study  of  the 
ancient  examples ;  and  it  is  to  them  we  owe  chiefly  the  efforts 
that  have  been  made  for  the  satisfactory  restoration  of  our  ancient 
churches,  and  the  erection  of  modem  ones  in  a  more  worthy  and 
dignified  manner.  Yet  it  must  be  confessed,  that  with  the 
fervour  natural  to  beginners,  they  pursued  their  favourite  study 
with  more  zeal  than  knowledge,  and  ran  headlong  into  the  usual 
mistakes  of  inexperience — a  premature  generalization,  and  a 
narrow  exclusiveness.  They  very  early  confined  all  excellence  to 
one  style  in  architecture,  and  they  soon  began  to  limit  it  to  one 
modification  even  of  that.  Having  persuaded  themselves  that 
Gothic  architecture  expresses  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  they  not 
merely  neglected,  but  seem  to  have  positively  disliked  eveiy  other. 
All  that  was  not  Gothic,  including,  of  course,  all  the  church 
architecture  of  the  first  ten  centuries,  was  denounced  as  "  Pagan,"" 
as  if  false  doctrine  could  be  hidden  in  the  fluting  of  a  column,  or 
under  the  curl  of  an  acanthus  leaf.  It  is  the  natural  tendency  of 
exclusive  feelings  to  become  still  more  narrow  as  they  are  in- 
dulged. Accordingly,  as  their  zeal  against  architectural  heresies 
grew  fiercer  by  indulgence,  they  began  to  proscribe  all  but  one 
wourite  style  of  Gothic.    It  was  not,  to  be  sure,  cjuite  settled 


'68  JRuskin'B  Lamps  of  Arckii^eiure. 

which  that  was  to  be.  One  writer  pretty  plainly  intimated,  that 
what  is  technically  called  the  early  English  style,  was  cominani* 
cated  by  a  special  inspiration  to  the  Cistercians,  whose  abbejs 
afford  many  of  our  most  bedutiful  specimens  of  that  style  *.  Oii 
the  whole,  however,  "  middle  pointed'^  was  the  most  in  repnte. 
One  writer  in  the  "  Ecclesiologist,^'  in  the  excess  of  his  zeal  for 
purity  of  style,  went  so  far  as  to  hint  a  wish  to  demolish  the 
venerable  Norman  nave  of  St.  Albans,  that  it  might  be  replaced 
by  "  loveliest  middle  pointed,^^  an  extravagance  of  exclnsiveness 
for  which  he  was,  with  great  reason,  reprehended  by  the  Editor 
of  that  journaL 

An  over-hasty  generalization  is  to  be  expected  in  all  new 
studies.  Having  laid  down,  as  a  first  principle,  that  modern 
architects  are  to  be  guided  by  the  rules  observed  by  the  builders 
of  the  middle  ages,  the  students  of  ecclesiology  deduced  from  the 
observations  of  a  limited  number  of  examples  canons  which 
appear  to  have  been,  in  many  cases,  altogether  capricious,  and 
bitterly  persecuted  in  their  reviews  any  architect  who  ven- 
tured to  deviate  from  them  in  the  minutest  particular*  If  an 
instance  was  adduced  to  contradict  the  canon,  an  answer  was 
always  ready.  If  the  example  was  brought  from  Ireland,  the 
objector  was  told  that  the  rules  of  English  and  Irish  ecclesiology 
were  different ;  if  from  Kent,  then  the  Kentish  churches  were 
very  anomalous,  and  by  no  means  to  be  set  up  as  precedents.  It 
was  early  laid  down  that  it  was  quite  irregular  to  have  two  lancet 
windows  in  the  east  end  of  a  church,  and  equally  >yrong  to  insert 
three  in  the  western  fa9ade.  Now  the  former  practice  is  common 
in  Ireland,  and  in  England  most  of  the  large  churches,  built 
during  the  early  Gothic  period,  have  western  triplets,  so  that 
there  certainly  can  have  been  no  symbolical  reason  against  the 
practice,  yet  the  positive  assertions  of  the  ecclesiologists  seem  to 
have  prevailed ;  and  for  the  last  few  years  few  architects  have  ven- 
tured on  the  heresy  of  a  western  triplet. 

As  was  to  be  expected,  the  ecdesiological  party  rushed  eagerly 
into  the  mysteries  of  symbolism.  In  a  pursuit  where  a  little 
ingenuity  will  commonly  enable  the  student  to  make  any  thing  out 
of  any  thing,  they  were  not  likely  to  be  disappointed.  Some  ct 
these  symbolical  speculations  were  sufficiently  singular.  One  was 
that  the  Romanesque,  or  round  arched  style,  typified  the  church 
militant ;  the  Gothic,  or  pointed,  the  church  triumphant.  This 
appears  hardly  consistent  with  the  other  tJieory,  that  the  self- 

^  Suck  a  revelation  would  noi  be  without  precedent  in  Uie  ease  of  th«  CistexfilfUM^ 
whose  habit  i^  supposed  to  be  copied  from  ^  drees  in  which  the  Virgin  JAary  »f^ 
peared  to  Sit.  .Stephen  Harding,  to  the  consi^ejcg^le  discoijifort  of  th#  Order  in  sinn- 
-iner;  as  tfcp  ^f»  in  qnesUpn  is  rery  wann. 


SuMkCi  Lmn^  of  ArehU^ure.  59 

led  arch  and  horizontal  linea  of  the  Romanesque  express 
and  the  vertical  lines  of  the  Gothic  an  upward  aspiration, 
by  some  supposed  that  those  mysterious  little  openings  in 
es,  commonly  called  lychnoscopes^  and  which,  if  not  in- 
fer ventilation,  seem  to  have  been  contrived  expressly  for 
3rcise  of  archseological  acuteness,  were  designed  to  repre- 
le  wound  in  the  side  of  our  Saviour,  and  the  name  of  Vulne 
¥8  was,  in  consequence,  imposed  upon  them.     Unfortu- 
for  this  theory,  many  churches  have  two,  one  on  each 

study  of  architecture,  in  a  purely  antiquarian  sense,  can 

be  thought  to  be  generallv  very  interesting.  The  accu- 
on  of  details^  without  referring  them  to  some  general  prin- 
)r  theory,  can  only  suit  that  small  class  of  minds  who  love 

for  its  own  sake.  And  yet  the  study  of  details  is  quite  as 
3nsable  to  success  as  in  any  other  art  or  science.  In  no 
1  of  human  knowledge  can  we  be  safely  ignorant  of  the 
ulated  experience  of  those  who  have  preceded  us.  We 
imes  see  it  complained  of  that  architects  do  not  invent  a 
^yle  of  architecture.  It  would  be  almost  as  easy  to  invent  a 
inguage.  Such  an  invention  in  the  first  case,  as  in  the 
I,  would  most  likely  be  principally  distinguished  for  its 
eness  and  its  poverty.     The  nearest  approaches  to  new 

of  architecture  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  have  been 
by  Sir  John  Soane  and  by  Mr.  Nash,  with  what  success  is 
:nown  to  every  one  who  has  walked  up  Begent  Street, 
irtistic  or  eesthetical  study  of  architecture,  the  attempt  to 
lend  and  to  express  the  hidden  causes  of  beauty  and 
Bur  in  the  temples  of  Greece  and  Egypt,  or  the  cathedrals 
i^nd  and  France,  may  well  seem  replete  with  attractions, 
i  requires  for  its  successful  prosecution,  more  vigour  of  in- 
.  and  greater  powers  of  mind  than  are  the  common  portion 
nkind.  Among  ourselves  it  has  lately  been  follow^  with 
vith  originality,  and  with  genius : — the  names  of  Ferguson,  i 


62  Suikin's  Lamps  of  ArchUediurs. 

of  art,  and  went  straight  for  its  inspiration  and  teaching*  to  nd 
meaner  mistress  than  to  nature  herself.     The  magnificent  for*   [ 
mality  of  the  early  Gothic  foliage  was  discarded ;  the  artist  took' 
his  ornaments  from  the  vegetation  that  made  beautiful  his  native 
fields  and  forests ;  he  copied  the  vine^  the  oak,  and  the  ma{Je« 
For  the  wrinkled  and  frittered  drapery  which  we  find  in  the 
Parthenon,  and  which  descended  through  the  Romans  to  the  mid- 
dle ages,  he  substituted  the  more  simple  and  dignified  folds  of 
nature.    The  same  movement  pervaded  Europe.    In  Italy,  Giotto, 
in  whose  time  Gothic  architectiure  was  introduced  into  Tuscany, 
freed  painting  from  the  fetters  of  his  Byzantine  predecessors.    It 
is  not  perhaps  too  much  to  connect  this  emancipation  of  the  hu-    [ 
man  mind  in  the  wide  regions  of  art  with  the  struggles  for  eccle-    | 
gdastical  reform  and  liberty  with  which  they  coincide  in  date.    I 
The  middle  ages,  like  boaies  which  are  remote  from  us,  often    j 
seem  to  have  stood  still,  when  they  were  in  fact  in  rapid  motion; 
and  he  who  studies  the  subject,  however  slightly,  will  be  asto- 
nished to  find  what  a  quantity  and  vigour  of  thought  must  have 
been  bestowed  upon  architecture  in  those  times. 

If  we  have  rightly  considered  the  course  of  Gothic  architecture 
to  be  a  progress  to  a  definite  end,  the  fusion  of  the  parts  in  the 
whole,  it  will  seem  natural  that  they,  whose  tendency  is  to  regard 
architecture  as  a  scientific  study,  with  whom  a  building  is  rather 
a  subject  for  reasoning  than  for  impulsive  taste,  should  be  favour- 
ably disposed  towards  the  later  Gothic^  when  the  principles  of  the 
style  were  carried  out  to  their  fullest  development.  Both  Mr. 
Petit  and  Mr.  Freeman,  our  most  ingenious  speculators  upon  the 
laws  of  mediaeval  architecture,  appear  to  regard  some  modification 
of  our  own  perpendicular  as  their  ideal  of  Gothic.  Their  scien- 
tific conceptions  of  the  art  are  best  pleased  with  those  buildings 
in  which  the  tendencies  of  the  style  are  most  fully  carried  out. 
This  has  perhaps  been  done  in  the  purest,  most  vigorous,  and  most 
consistent  manner  by  the  practical  and  business-like  William  of 
Wykeham. 

But  this  logical  completeness  is  not  without  a  weighty  counter- 
poise of  disadvantage,  in  the  frequent  sacrifice  of  sesthetical  beauty. 
Mr.  Freeman  himself  tells  us  that,  in  the  fusion  of  the  parts  into 
the  whole,  the  beauties  and  ornaments  which  belong  to  the  parts 
must  be  lost  also ;  and  it  can  hardly  be  denied  that  in  piquancy, 
variety,  and  picturesqueness  of  efiect,  the  earlier  Gt)thic  bmldings 
far  surpass  the  later.  As  has  happened  with  many  schools  of 
conventional  literature,  architects  became  cold,  and  lame,  and 
lifeless,  in  their  struggle  for  systematical  correctness. 

To  this  style  Mr.  Buskin  shows  no  mercy.  All  the  vials  of  bis 
wrath  are  emptied  upon  it.     He  has  upon  this  subject  used  some. 


f  Lamps  0/ ArchiUctur$.  68 

language  to  which  we  ean  scarcely  thi^k  he  will  adhere  upon 
con&ideration.  Our  English  perpendicular  is  '^  an  impotent  and 
ugly  degradation/^  '^  All  that  carving  upon  Henry  the  Seventh's 
chapel  simply  deforms  the  stones  of  it/^  Even  the  magnificent 
chapel  of  King'^s  College  is  characterised  ^'  as  a  piece  of  architec- 
tural juggling/^  The  church  of  St.  Ouen,  at  Bouen,  which 
Mr.  Freeman  selects  as  the  most  perfect  Gothic  type  extanty 
fares  no  better.  Its  ^^  glorious  kuitem'^  is  described  as  *^  one  of 
the  basest  pieces  of  Gothic  in  Europe/'  *^  its  entire  plan  and 
decoration  resemble  and  deserve  little  more  credit  tlian  the  burnt 
ai^r  ornaments  of  elaborate  confectionary." 

In  truth,  Mr.  Buskin  seems  to  take  very  much  a  painter's  view 
of  architecture.  Hence  the  extraordinary  value  which  he  sets 
upon  the  Italian  schools  of  Gothic,  an  estimate  in  which  few 
northern  critics  will  agree  with  him.  It  is  impossible  to  escape 
the  conclusion,  that  he  is  unduly  fascinated  by  the  beauty  and 
splendour  of  colour  which  the  abundance  of  marbles,  and  the 
beauty  of  their  climate,  has  given  to  the  buildings  of  Venice  and 
Tuscany.  But  the  architectural  critic  is  not  so  to  be  put  off,  he 
requires  a  design  abstractedly  beautiful ;  and,  if  we  are  to  have 
what  Mr.  Buskin  so  emphatically  pleads  for,  any  style  or  rules  in 
aichitecture  at  all,  we  must  learn  to  think  of  and  to  judge  them 
as  expressed  in  black  lines  upon  white  paper^  without  reference 
to  material,  to  colour,  or  to  historical  associations.  And  the 
Italian  Gothic  is  undoubtedly  bad  Gothic.  The  style  was  never 
thoroughly  mastered  or  rightly  naturalized  south  of  the  Alps  ;  it 
bears  every  where  the  marks  of  a  feeble  imitation ;  no  where  those 
of  spontaneous  life.  Its  builders  caught  the  forms  of  northern 
architecture,  but  they  missed  its  spirit.  In  an  imperfect  style, 
by  a  most  prodigal  use  of  their  sumptuous  materials,  they  have 
erected  some  of  the  &irest  buildings  of  the  earth.  Had  they 
wdl  understood  the  style  in  which  they  worked,  their  buildings 
would  have  been  much  more  beautiful.  We  ask  no  better 
evidence  than  Mr.  Buskin  has  himself  supplied.  He  has  given  a 
daguerreotype  of  the  upper  story  of  the  Campanile  of  Flomnce. 
Can  any  one  who  has  not  seen  the  original,  see  in  the  repre- 
sentation any  thing  Uke  a  justification,  or  even  an  explanation,  of 
the  praise  which  Mr.  Buskin  bestows  upon  this  tower,  as  the 
most  beautiful  building  on  the  earth !  Or  to  him  who  has  seen 
it,  does  the  print  recal  the  faintest  idea  of  the  surpassing  love- 
liness of  the  original?  Or  let  it  be  compared  with  the  great 
tower  of  Lincoln,  and  then  say  which  architect  had  the  most 
Tivid  sense  of  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  architectural  form ! 
The  fascination  of  the  Florentine  tower  lies  in  its  colour.  But 
architecture  is  above  aH,  and  emphaticallyi  a  science  of  form. 


64  Busiin's  Lamps  of  ArcMieeture. 

Colour  is  a  grace  and  a  beauty ;  it  ought  never  to  be  the  principal 
object  of  the  arcliitect^s  attention. 

It  is  impossible  to  read  Mr.  Buskin'^s  writings,  without  regret-  f 
^  ting  the  habit  which  he  indulges  of  stating  his  opinions  in  their 
extreme  fonn.  He  seems  to  think  that  he  can  never  say  a  thing 
strongly  enough.  And  this  not  only  in  matters  of  importance, 
and  where  a  man  may  feel  some  certainty  of  being  in  the  right, 
but,  as  we  have  seen,  in  matters  of  mere  taste ;  and  where  men 
who  have  thought  deeply  and  written  ably  upon  the  subject  differ 
from  him  altogether.  And  the  same  excessive  earnestness  he 
shows  about  things  which  cannot  but  seem  trifling.  His  style,  if 
the  expression  may  be  used,  wants  perspective,  every  thing  is 
painted  in  the  strongest  colours,  and  he  expresses  what  assuredly 
he  does  not  feel,  the  same  ardour  of  conviction  about  small  things 
and  great.  He  is  almost  as  fine  upon  a  ribbon  as  upon  a  Baphael. 
With  what  a  "  tempest  of  splendour'^  does  he  scorch  and  shrivel 
up  an  unfortunate  ribbon,  which  has  offended-  him  by  its  too 
frequent  occurrence  in  architectural  decoration.  While  we  agree 
in  the  general  criticism,  we  cannot  help  feeling  that  there  is  a 
certain  incongruity  in  the  expression  of  it. 

'*  Inscriptions  appear  sometimes  to  be  introduced  for  the  sake  of  the 
scroll  on  which  they  are  written  ;  and  in  late  and  modem  painted  glass, 
as  well  as  in  architecture,  these  scrolls  are  flourished,  and  turned  hither 
and  thither,  as  if  they  were  ornamental.     Ribbons  occur  frequently  in 
arabesqii^s, — in  some  of  a  high  order,  too, — tying  up  flowers,  or  flitting 
in  and  out  among  the  fixed  forms.     Is  there  any  thing  like  ribbons  in 
nature  ?     It  might  be  thought  that  grass  and  sea- weed  afibrded  apolo- 
getic types.     They  do  not.     There  is  a  wide  difference  between  their 
structure  and  that  of  a  ribbon.     They  have  a  skeleton,  an  anatomy,  a 
central  rib,  or  fibre,  or  framework  of  some  kind  or  another,  which  has  a 
beginning  and  an  end,  a  root  and  head,  and  whose  make  and  strength 
affects  every  direction  of  their  motion,  and  every  line  of  their  form. 
The  loosest  weed  that  drifts  and  waves  under  the  heaving  of  the  sea,  or 
hangs  heavily  on  the  brown  and  slippery  shore,  has  a  marked  strength, 
structure,  elasticity,  gradation  of  substance ;  its  extremities  are  more 
finely  fibred  than  its  centre,  its  centre  than  its  root ;  every  fork  of  its 
ramification  is  measured  and  proportioned ;  every  wave  of  its  languid 
lines  is  lovely.     It  has  its  allotted  size,  and  place,  and  function  ;  it  is 
a  specific  creature.     What  is  there  like  this  in  a  ribbon  ?     It  has  no 
structure :  it  is  a  succession  of  cut  threads  all  alike ;  it  has  no  skeleton, 
no  make,  no  form,  no  size,  no  will  of  its  own.     You  cut  it  and  crush  it 
into  what  you  will.     It  has  no  strength,  no  languor.     It  cannot  fall 
into  a  single  graceful  form.     It  cannot  wave,  in  the  true  sense,  but 
only  flutter ;  it  cannot  bend,  in  the  true  sense,  but  only  turn  and  be 
wrinkled.     It  is  a  vile  thing ;  it  spoils  all  that  is  near  its  wretched  film 
of  an  existence.    Never  use  it.    Let  the  flowers  come  loose  if  they 


MusUn^t  Lamps  of  ArchUedwN.  65 

cannot  keep  together  without  being  tied;  leave  the  sentence  un- 
written if  you  cannot  write  it  on  a  tablet  or  book,  or  plain  roll  of  paper. 
I  know  what  authority  there  is  against  me.  I  remember  the  scrolls  of 
Perugino's  angels,  and  the  ribbons  of  Raphael's  arabesques,  and  of 
Ghiberti's  glorious  bronze  flowers :  no  matter ;  they  are  every  one  of 
them  vices  and  uglinesses/' 

In  these. violent  expressions  upon  all  possible  subjects,  there  is 
more  harm  than  a  mere  waste  of  power.  They  detract  greatly 
from  the  authority  of  the  writer,  and  are  likely  to  interfere  in  no 
small  measure  with  the  high  and  noble  aim  to  which  he  has  set 
himself. 

Any  work  on  art  by  Mr.  Euskin  can  hardly  fail  to  be  of  far 
more  than  ordinary  value.  To  no  man  has  been  given  a  keener 
or  a  deeper  sense  of  the  beauty  and  the  glory  of  this  visible 
universe,  or  a  more  worthy  utterance  to  express  them,  so  far  as 
words  may  do  it.  The  pomp  and  prodigality  of  his  eloquence  are 
well  enough  known ;  to  describe  them  adequately  would  require 
language  not  less  forcible  and  beautiful  than  his  own.  In  the 
difficult  and  noble  task  of  painting  in  words  the  fair  features  of 
nature  he  is  very  hardly  to  be  surpassed.  A  more  exquisite 
description  of  scenery  than  the  following,  it  would  be  indeed  hard 
to  find.  It  has  been  already  often  quoted,  and  the  reader  has 
probably  read  it  before ;  he  will  therefore  willingly  read  it  again. 

"  Among  the  hours  of  his  life  to  which  the  writer  looks  back  with 
peculiar  gratitude,  as  having  been  marked  by  more  than  ordinary 
fulness  of  joy,  or  clearness  of  teaching,  is  one  passed,  now  some  years 
ago,  near  time  of  sunset,  among  the  broken  masses  of  pine  forests 
which  skirt  the" course  of  the  Ain,  above  the  village  of  Champagnole,  in 
the  Jura.  It  is  a  spot  which  has  all  the  solemnity,  with  none  of  the 
sarageness,  of  the  Alps ;  where  there  is  a  sense  of  a  great  power  begin- 
ning to  be  manifested  in  the  earth,  and  of  a  deep  and  majestic  concord 
in  the  rise  of  the  long  low  lines  of  piny  hills ;  the  first  utterance  of  those 
mighty  mountain  symphonies,  soon  to  be  more  loudly  lifted  and  wildly 
broken  along  the  battlements  of  the  Alps.  But  their  strength  is  as  yet 
restrained ;  and  the  far-reaching  ridges  of  pastoral  mountain  succeed 
each  other,  like  the  long  and  sighing  swell  which  moves  over  quiet 
waters  from  some  far-off  stormy  sea.  And  there  is  a  deep  tenderness 
pervading  that  vast  monotony.  The  destructive  forces  and  the  stern 
expression  of  the  central  ranges  are  alike  withdrawn.  No  frost- 
ploughed,  dust-encumbered  paths  of  ancient  glacier  fret  the  soft  Jura 
pastures ;  no  splintered  heaps  of  ruin  break  the  fair  ranks  of  her  forests; 
no  pale,  defiled,  or  furious  rivers  rend  their  rude  and  changeful  ways 
among  her  rocks.  Patiently,  eddy  by  eddy,  the  clear  green  streams 
wind  along  their  well-known  beds ;  and  under  the  dark  quietness  of  the 
undisturbed  pines,  there  spring  up,  year  by  year,  such  coici^^xil  oi 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX, — MARCH^   1851.  "S 


66  JiuikMs  I^a*np$  iff  A  rokU0ctur0. 

joyful  flowers  as  I  know  not  the  like  of  among  all  the  blesaings  of  the 
earth.  It  was  spring  time,  too ;  and  all  were  coming  forth  la  clusters 
crowded  for  very  love  ;  there  was  room  enough  for  all,  but  they  crushed 
their  leaves  into  all  manner  of  strange  shapes  only  to  be  nearer  each 
other.  There  was  the  wood  anemone,  star  after  star,  closing  every  now 
and  then  into  nebulae  ;  and  there  was  the  oxalis,  troop  by  troop,  the 
dark  vertical  clefts  in  the  limestone  choked  up  with  them  as  with 
heavy  snow,  and  touched  with  ivy  on  the  edges — ivy  as  light  and  lofely 
as  the  vine ;  and,  ever  and  anon,  a  blue  gush  of  violets,  and  cowslip 
bells  in  sunny  places ;  and  in  the  more  open  ground  the  veteb,  and 
comfrey,  and  mezereon,  and  the  small  sapphire  buds  of  the  Polygala 
Alpina,  and  the  wild  strawberry,  just  a  blossom  or  two,  all  showered 
amidst  the  golden  softness  of  deep,  warm,  amber- coloured  moss*  1 
came  out  presently  on  the  edge  of  the  ravine;  the  solemn  murmur 
of  its  waters  rose  suddenly  from  beneath,  mixed  with  the  singing 
of  the  thrushes  among  the  pine  boughs ;  and,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  valley,  walled  all  along  as  it  was  by  grey  cliffs  of  limestone,  there 
was  a  hawk  sailing  slowly  off  their  brow,  touching  thera  nearly  with 
his  wings,  and  with  the  shadows  of  the  pines  flickering  upon  his 
plumage  from  above ;  but  with  a  fall  of  a  hundred  fathoms  under  his 
breast,  and  the  curling  pools  of  the  green  river  gliding  and  glittering 
dizzily  beneath  him,  their  foam  globes  moving  with  him  as  he  flew." 

One  knows  not  whether  most  to  admire  in  this  jpa.ssage  the 
minute  and  accurate  fulness  of  details,  or  the  certainty  and 
felicity  with  which  they  are  used  to  express  general  truths,  and  te 
indicate  the  hidden  sources  of  beauty  and  power.  The  coloun»  of 
the  flowers  and  the  ripples  of  the  river  are  set  before  the  eye,  but 
we  are  not  suffered  to  forget  that  these  slight  and  delicate  orna- 
ments are  but  another  manifestation  of  that  power  which  has 
raised  up  the  cliffs  of  the  mountains,  as  a  man  wrinkles  the  folds 
of  a  garment.  And  this  is  eminently  characteristic.  Mr.  Bufikin'^s 
enthusiasm  is  far  from  being  wild  or  unregulated,  nor  in  hia  love 
for  the  accidents  of  art  does  he  ever  lose  sight  of  its  higher  and 
more  essential  qualities  as  an  expression  of  the  highest  truths. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  questioned,  whether  his  systematic  view  of 
art,  as  a  representation  of  nature,  may  not,  in  some  degree,  have 
affected  the  accuracy  of  his  architectural  theories. 

It  would  be  altogether  to  misconceive  the  purpose  and  the 
object  of  Mr.  Buskin^s  work  to  suppose  that  it  was  written,  either 
as  a  display  of  literary  ability,  or  as  the  mere  pastime  of  an 
artistical  dilettanteism.  He  has  very  different  and  much  higher 
purposes.  To  a  man  who  reflects  at  all,  and  who  considers  out 
of  what  materials  and  by  what  process  the  minds  and  characters 
of  individuals,  and  of  nations  are  built  up,  it  may  well  siSard 
matter  for  speculation  to  consider  in  what  manner  we  deal^  wiUi 
the  outward  beauty  and  appearance  of  those  objects  of  daily  um^ 


which  we  touch  and  Bee  continually,  among  which  we  faaUtually 
move  and  live.  It  is  hardly  too  much  to  say  that  the  woria» 
of  man  are,  in  this  age  and  country  (with  a  few  exceptions, 
mostly  borrowed  from  the  examples  of  an  age  which  we  call 
barbarous),  absolutely  ugly.  The  stamp  of  that  '^  formalised  de- 
formity, that  shriyeiled  precision,  that  starved  accuracy,  that 
miniite  misanthropy,*'  which  Mr.  Buskin  finds  in  our  domestic 
architecture,  is  painfully  impressed  upon  almost  every  thing 
timt  we  make,  from  a  suburban  villa  to  a  fire-shovel.  It  is  not 
necessarily  so.  Nations  whom  we  despise  as  dull  and  unintelligent 
are  able  to  make  their  common  appliances  and  utensils  of  life  good 
imd  pleasant  to  look  upon.  Toss  a  bundle  of  Asiatic  garments 
and  utensils  into  a  heap,  and  you  have  a  picture ;  but  what  artist 
who  could  help  it  would  copy  our  steel  tenders  or  papier  m&ch^ 
trays  f  Our  best  ornaments  are  importations,  or  copies.  What 
we  lose  in  this  way  cannot  be  estimated.  In  the  moral  world,  as 
in  the  physical,  no  impression  is  utterly  lost.  Every  sight  that  a 
man  sees  has  some  effect  upon  the  general  turn  of  his  thoughts 
and  feelings.  It  may  be  such  as  to  make  him  familiar  with  the 
forms  of  beauty,  and  thereby  to  soften  and  to  exalt  him;  or 
such  as  to  blunt  and  degrade  his  taste  by  a  perpetual  acquaint- 
ftoce  witii  ugliness  and  £formity.  Let  it  be  recollected,  that  the 
bulk  of  the  people  of  England  are  dwellers  in  cities,  where  they 
can  hardly  see  the  sun  or  the  sky  itself,  and  that  if  they  want  the 
opportonity  of  catching  some  ideas  of  grace  and  beauty  from  the 
works  of  man,  must  be  without  the  feeling  altogether.  What- 
ever tends  to  humanize,  to  educate,  and  to  refine  our  vast  city 
population,  cannot  rightly  be  thought  of  mean  importance.  And 
good  architecture  does  this,  and  more  than  this ;  it  tends  power- 
Mly  to  create  those  local  attachments,  which,  ^on  a  larger  scale, 
we  call  patriotism,  and  the  want  of  which  is  not  the  leaat  u^y 
sjinptoa  of  the  deep-seated  malady  of  our  time.  The  inhabitants 
of  Bolton  or  Manchester  can  never  regard  their  interminable 
lines  of  dingy  warehouses  with  the  pride  and  aflSsction  with  which 
the  citizen  ^  Florence  or  Bruges  looked  up  to  the  towers  of  his 
native  town* 

Nor  is  this  all.  Our  practice  of  making  bad  ornaments  tends, 
and  that  jiot  a  little,  to  degrade  the  workmen  who  make  them. 
The  improving  effects  of  a  good  work  of  art  are  at  least  as  great 
upon  the  workman  as  upon  the  beholder.  It  may  be  said,  with- 
out extravagance,  that  it  is  twice  blessed.  '^  It  blesses  him  that 
gives  and  hun  who  takes.^  It  is  no  slight  matter  for  the  health 
and  contentment  of  mind  of  the  vast  numbers  of  artisans  who 
are  employed  in  these  arts,  which  are  more  or^  less  decorative^ 
that  they  should  have  that  to  do  which  may  give  ^ms^  oi^'^^t* 

f2 


68  EusHn^s  Lamps  of  Architecture. 

tunity  for  mental  action  in  the  doing,  some  sense  ©f  a  satisfied 
taste  for  beauty  in  the  completion,  and  thus  niake  the  workman 
happy  in  his  work.  The  great  and  master  evil  of  our  own  time, 
the  dissatisfaction  of  every  man  with  his  own  condition,  would 
be  much  mitigated,  if  all  who  could  afford  it,  dwelt,  as  men 
did  of  old,  in  houses  of  solid  and  enduring  beauty,  wrought  as 
those  were  by  workmen  who  knew  and  felt  the  vsJue  and  excel- 
lence of  their  work. 

This  unfortunate  state  of  the  national  taste  is  very  generally 
recognised,  and  some  desultory  efforts  are  made  to  improve  it. 
We  hear  on  all  sides  of  art  manufactures  and  exhibitions.  But 
in  all  these  things  we  have  begun  at  the  wrong  end.  It  is  archi- 
tecture that  has  in  all  times  been  the  nurse  of  all  the  other  fine 
arts,  and  it  must  be  so  now.  If  people  are  inured  to  meanness 
and  tawdriness,  to  deception  and  falsity  in  their  greatest  works, 
they  are  little  likely  to  avoid  them  in  their  smallest.  "  We  shall 
not  manufacture  art,"  as  Mr.  Buskin  most  truly  tells  us,  "  out  of 
pottery  and  printed  stuffe."  What  we  want  most  of  all  in  this 
matter  is  truth  and  honesty,  and  earnest  endeavour  to  do  what  is 
really  good  of  its  kind.  So  long  as  we  count  the  bricks  and  stones 
that  we  bestow  upon  our  palaces  and  places  of  worship,  and  strain 
eagerly  to  get  the  greatest  possible  show  out  of  the  least  amount 
of  materials  and  of  labour,  we  shall  have  no  true,  or  honest,  or 
healthy  art. 

In  the  work  before  us  Mr.  Ruskin  has  endeavoured  to  separate 
and  to  explain  those  principles  which  ought  to  guide  the  architect — 
his  leading  stars  in  the  midst  of  that  chaos  of  styles  with  which 
he  now  finds  himself  surrounded ;  and  this  he  has  done  with  an 
especial  reference  to  the  necessities  of  our  own  time.  These 
principles  he  calls^with  a  quaintness — not  without  its  use  in  arrest- 
ing the  attention  of  the  reader — Lamps ;  and  of  these  lamps  he 
reckons  seven : — of  Sacrifice,  of  Truth,  of  Power,  of  Beauty,  of 
Life,  of  Memory,  and  of  Obedience.  Three  of  these,  the  Lamps 
of  Sacrifice,  Truth,  and  Memory,  seem  to  be  for  the  most  part 
rather  different  aspects  of  the  same  light,  than  altogether  distinct 
luminaries ;  they  all  enforce  the  great  principle,  that  we  are  to  do 
our  best  in  design,  in  material,  in  workmanship;  that  all  archi- 
chitecture,  where  this  is  not  done,  is  bad  architecture.  But  in 
this  matter  let  us  hear  Mr.  Buskin. 

•*  Let  us  have  done  with  this  kind  of  work  at  once ;  cast  off  every 
temptation  to  it;  do  not  let  us  degrade  ourselves  voluntarily,  and 
then  mutter  and  mourn  over  our  short  comings ;  let  us  confess  our 
poverty  or  our  parsimony,  but  not  belie  our  human  intellect.  It  is  not 
even  a  question  of  how  much  we  are  to  do,  but  of  how  it  is  to  be  done ; 
it  is  not  a  question  of  doing  more,  but  of  doing  better.     Do  not  let  us 


BmkkkB  Lamps  of  ArcMtedurs.  69 

boss  our  roofs  with  wretched,  half-worked,  bluDt*edged  rosettes ;  do 
not  let  us  flank  our  gates  with  rigid  imitations  of  mediaeval  statuary. 
Such  things  are  mere  insults  to  common  sense,  and  only  unfit  us  for 
feeling  the  nobility  of  their  prototypes.  We  have  so  much,  suppose, 
to  be  spent  in  decoration ;  let  us  go  to  the  Flaxman  of  his  time,  who- 
ever he  may  be,  and  bid  him  carve  for  us  a  single  statue,  frieze  or 
capital,  or  as  many  as  we  can  afford,  compelling  upon  him  the  one  con- 
dition, that  they  shall  be  the  best  he  can  do ;  place  them  where  they 
will  be  of  most  value,  and  be  content.  Our  other  capitals  may  be  mere 
blocks,  and  our  other  niches  empty.  No  matter :  better  our  work  un- 
finished than  all  bad.  It  may  be,  that  we  do  not  desire  ornament  of 
so  high  an  order :  choose,  then,  a  less  developed  style,  as  also,  if  you 
will,  rougher  material ;  the  law  which  we  are  enforcing  requires  only 
tLat  what  we  pretend  to  do  and  to  give  shall  both  be  the  best  of  their 
kind  ;  choose,  therefore,  the  Norman  hatchet  work,  instead  of  the  Flax* 
man  frieze  and  statue ;  but  let  it  be  the  best  hatchet  work ;  and,  if 
you  cannot  afford  marble,  use  Caen  stone,  but  from  the  best  bed ;  and 
if  not  stone,  brick,  but  the  best  brick  ;  preferring  always  what  is  good 
of  a  lower  order  of  work  or  material,  to  what  is  bad  of  a  higher ;  for 
this  is  not  only  the  way  to  improve  every  kind  of  work,  and  to  put 
every  kind  of  material  to  better  use,  but  it  is  more  honest  and  unpre- 
tending, and  is  in  harmony  with  other  just,  upright,  and  manly  prin- 
ciples, whose  range  we  shall  have  presently  to  take  into  consideration." 

It  will  be  easily  seen  that  this  principle,  as  the  Lamp  of  Truth, 
condemns  all  that  base  use  of  sham  materials  and  sham  decora- 
tions, that  luxury  of  plaster  cornices  and  composition  marbles,  in 
which  modern  architects  so  much  please  themselves.  It  will 
likewise  enforce  a  solid  and  enduring  construction,  so  that  our 
memory  may  be  transmitted  with  our  buildings  to  after  ages,  and 
their  times  linked  to  ours,  by  the  benefits  which  we  have  be- 
stowed on  them.  And  this  is  the  Lamp  of  Memory.  To  aU 
those  who  consider  at  all  upon  what  foundations  are  built  the 
strength  and  the  happiness  of  nations,  we  would  earnestly  commend 
the  following  eloquent  passage. 

**  I  cannot  but  think  it  is  an  evil  sign  of  a  people  when  their  houses 
are  built  to  last  for  one  generation  only.  There  is  a  sanctity  in  a  good 
man's  house  which  cannot  be  renewed  in  every  tenement  that  rises  on 
its  ruins  :  and  I  believe  that  good  men  would  generally  feel  this  ;  and 
that  having-  spent  their  lives  happily  and  honourably,  they  would  be 
grieved  at  the  close  of  them  to  think  that  the  place  of  their  earthly 
abode,  which  had  seen,  and  seemed  almost  to  sympathize  in,  all  their  • 
honour,  their  gladness,  or  their  suffering, — that  this,  with  all  the  record 
it  bare  of  them,  and  all  of  material  things  that  they  had  loved  and  ruled 
over,  and  set  the  stamp  of  themselves  upon — was  to  be  swept  away,  as 
soon  as  there  was  room  made  for  them  in  the  grave ;  that  no  respect 
was  to  be  shown  to  it,  no  affection  felt  for  it,  no  good  to  be  dxax^iv  {torn 


to  BushMs  Lamps  of  ArcMteeiure. 

it  by  their  children ;  that  though  there  was  a  monument  in  the  church, 
there  was  no  warm  monument  in  the  hearth  and  house  to  them  ;  that  all 
that  they  e?er  treasured  was  despised,  and  the  places  that  had  sheltered 
and  comforted  them  were  dragged  down  to  the  dust.  I  say,  that  a 
good  man  would  fear  this ;  and  that,  far  more,  a  good  son,  a  noble 
descendant,  would  fear  doing  it  to  his  father's  house.  I  say  that  if 
men  lived  like  men  indeed,  their  houses  would  be  temples — temples 
which  we  should  hardly  dare  to  injure,  and  in  which  it  would  make  us 
holy  to  be  permitted  to  live ;  and  there  must  be  a  strange  dissolution 
of  natural  affection,  a  strange  un thankfulness  for  all  that  homes  have 
given  and  parents  taught,  a  strange  consciousness  that  we  have  been 
unfaithful  to  our  fathers*  honour,  or  that  our  own  lives  are  not  such  as 
would  make  our  dwellings  sacred  to  our  children,  when  each  man 
would  fain  build  to  himself,  and  build  for  the  little  revolution  of  his 
own  life  only.  And  I  look  upon  those  pitiful  concretions  of  lime  and 
clay  which  spring  up  in  mildewed  forwardness  out  of  the  kneaded 
fields  about  our  capital — upon  those  thin,  tottering,  foundationless 
shells  of  splintered  wood  and  imitated  stone — upon  those  gloomy  rows 
of  formalised  minuteness,  alike  without  difference  and  without  fellow^ 
ship,  as  solitary  as  similar — not  merely  with  the  careless  disgust  of  an 
offended  eye,  not  merely  with  sorrow  for  a  desecrated  landscape,  but 
with  a  painful  foreboding  that  the  roots  of  our  national  greatness  mast 
be  deeply  cankered  when  they  are  thus  loosely  struck  in  their  native 
ground  ;  that  those  comfortless  and  unhonoured  dwellings  are  the  signs 
of  a  great  and  spreading  spirit  of  popular  discontent ;  that  they  mark 
the  time  when  every  man's  aim  is  to  be  in  some  more  elevated  sphere 
than  his  natural  one,  and  every  man's  past  life  is  his  habitual  scorn ; 
when  men  build  in  the  hope  of  leaving  the  places  they  have  built^  and 
live  in  the  hope  of  forgetting  the  years  that  they  have  lived ;  when  the 
comfort,  the  peace,  the  religion  of  home  have  ceased  to  be  felt,  and  the 
crowded  tenements  of  a  struggling  and  restless  population  differ  only 
Irom  the  tents  of  the  Arab  and  the  gipsy  by  their  less  healthy  openness 
to  the  air  of  heaven,  and  less  happy  choice  of  their  spot  of  earth,  by 
their  sacrifice  of  liberty  without  the  gain  of  rest,  and  of  stability,  with- 
out the  luxury  of  change." 

The  same  principle  pervades  what  Mr.  Buskin  calls  the  Lamp 
of  Power,  the  necessity  of  weight  and  mass,  of  strong  shadow  and 
deep  recess,  in  short,  of  abundant  material,  of  size,  and  solidity. 
This  is  the  very  heart  and  root  of  the  matter ;  if  we  are  to  have 
any  architecture  worth  the  name,  we  must  abandon  our  favourite 
practice  of  stretching  our  materials  to  the  utmost,  and  of  erecting 
buildings  just  strong  enough  to  hold  together.  We  must  work 
patiently  and  for  posterity. 

We  now  come  to  the  Lamp  of  Beauty,  and  on  this  head  we 
must  confess  we  differ  altogether  from  Mr.  Buskm.  He  holds, 
if  we  rightly  understand  him,  that  there  can  be  no  beautjr  except 
that  wmoh  aris^  firom  the  hnitatioD,  mote  &rl^m  okN^^  of  tialtt«» 


f^v 


8  Ldmpi  of  ArchUidun*.  71 

nl  objects,  or  at  least  of  lines  which  are  to  be  found  in  nature. 
We  can  hardly  suppose  that  the  author  himself  wouldy  upon 
reflection,  be  quite  satisfied  with  a  theory  which  has  involved 
him  in  disquisitions  upon  the  more  or  less  frequent  occurrence  in 
nature  of  the  ciystals  of  salt  or  bismuth.  In  this  matter  d  priori 
speculations  can  go  for  very  little;  nearly  every  thing  must 
O^nd  upon  the  t^itimony  of  our  sensations.  We  cannot  prove 
a  thing  to  be  beautiful.  Let  us  try  Mr.  Buskin  by  a  test  which 
he  has  himself  furnished.  He  affirms  that  the  Campanile  of 
Florence  is  the  most  beautiful  of  building,  and  he  gives  us  a 
daguerreotype  view  of  it.  With  the  tnfling  exception  of  the 
flowered  capitals,  what  is  there  in  the  view  which  at  all  reminds 
08  of  any  object  in  nature  i  Or  let  any  man  look  at  the  east  end 
of  Lincoln  cathedral,  or  any  other  fine  specimen  of  the  geometri- 
cal Grothic,  and  then  say  if  that  does  not  present  one  of  the 
h^est  types  of  architectural  beauty,  or  if  it  be  like  any  thing  in 
nature.  Nor  will  it  avail  to  say  tliat  many  of  our  most  beautiful 
geometrical  arrangements  are  but  combinations  or  fragments  of 
circles,  and  that  ti^t  form  is  always  before  us  in  the  sweep  of  the 
liorizon,  in  the  orbs  of  the  great  lights  of  heaven.  For  it  is  not 
by  the  possibility  of  finding  something  in  nature  in  some  degree 
like  what  is  beautiiul  in  architecture  that  we  ought  to  judge,  but 
by  the  effect  and  disposition  of  the  whole.  And  in  a  pure  style  of 
architecture  we  shall  find  a  general  tendency  to  those  geometrical 
forms  which  are  so  sparingly  exhibited  in  nature.  In  truth,  if 
architecture  depended  exclusively  for  its  beauty  on  the  re- 
production of  natural  forms,  it  would  follow  that  the  more 
closely  the  members  of  a  building  copied  those  forms,  so  much 
the  greater  would  be  their  beauty.  We  ought  to  build  columns 
like  trees,  and  vaulting  ribs  Uke  their  branches.  Yet  this  practice, 
which  to  a  certain  extent  is  sufficiently  common  in  the  latest  Ger- 
man Gothic,  is  a  sure  mark  of  degradation,  and  there  is  perhaps  no 
baser  piece  of  architecture  in  the  world  than  that  arch  in  the 
beautiful  triforium  of  Westminster,  of  which  the  shafts  have  been 
tormented  into  the  form  of  palm-trees. 

This  theory  of  Mr.  Buskin  is,  we  think,  another  instance  of 
what  we  have  before  had  occasion  to  remark,  that  he  often  looks 
upon  his  subjects  rather  with  the  eye  of  a  painter  than  of  an 
architect.  The  truth  seems  to  be,  that  the  proper  and  peculiar 
beauty  of  architectural  objects  consists  in  the  expression  of  ex- 
cellence of  form,  not  as  it  is  presented  to  us  in  the  visible  objects 
of  the  outward  universe,  but  as  it  is  conceived  by  the  human 
mind.  As  there  are  sciences,  which  are  conversant  only  with  the 
abstractions  of  the  mind,  as  the  Unes  and  circles  of  the  theoretical 
mathematiciftn  have  no  existence  but  in  bis  understandings  no 


72  BusHfCs  Lamps  of  Architecture* 

types  in  the  world  of  matter,  so  in  architecture  the  eye  may  be 
pleased  and  the  taste  satisfied  by  ordered  arrangements  of  geo- 
metrical figures  altogether  unlike  any  thing  in  nature,  and  deducing 
the  rules  of  their  arrangement  from  the  laws  of  the  mind  itself. 
Architecture  might  perhaps  be  described  to  be  the  expression  of 
human  thought  in  stone.  And  the  manner  in  which  beauty  m 
conceived  by  man  is  far  remote  from  that  in  which  it  is  expressed 
in  nature.  Man  works  with  far  less  plastic  materials  and  is 
bound  by  far  more  rigid  laws.  His  conceptions  take  naturally  the 
shape  of  those  geometrical  figures,  and  are  bounded  by  the  rigidity 
of  those  mathematical  lines  which  in  natural  objects  scarcely  occur 
at  all.  For  more  subtle  and  delicate  beauties  he  must  go  to 
nature,  one  of  the  many  ways  in  which  we  are  taught  how  absolute 
is  our  dependence  upon  a  power  great  beyond  the  utmost  reach 
of  our  weak  conceptions. 

Of  the  "  Lamp  of  Life,^'  the  title  sufficiently  expresses  the 
scope  and  purpose.  And  this  also  is  to  be  referred  to  that  great 
principle,  which  we  have  before  mentioned  as  the  main  source  of 
all  that  is  worth  having  in  art ;  the  earnest  endeavour  of  the 
artist  to  do  his  best,  the  struggle  to  realize  to  the  utmost  that  the 
means  in  his  power  permit  the  ideas  that  his  mind  forms  of  beauty 
and  grandeur.  Where  this  is,  the  work  has  life,  and  however 
rude  or  imperfect,  it  is  sure  to  have  some  merit ;  it  is  a  real  ex- 
pression of  human  thought ;  it  has  given  some  honest  pleasure  to 
the  maker,  and  so  long  as  it  stands  it  will  continue  to  give  the 
same  to  those  who  behold  it.  Where  this  is  not,  the  work  may 
be  vast,  elaborate,  expensive,  but  it  will  be  cold,  tame,  and  dead ; 
that  which  has  excited  no  enthusiasm  in  the  maker  will  never  do 
so  in  the  spectator.  In  how  few  of  our  own  buildings  do  we  feel 
that  the  architect  has  really  done  the  best  that  he  could^  that  he  has 
set  himself  seriously  to  work  to  gather  and  select  all  the  materials 
of  beauty  which  lay  within  his  reach,  that  he  has  never  been 
satisfied  of  doing  well  enough,  where  he  might  have  done  better! 
Our  architects  seldom  or  never  work  up  to  their  full  strength* 
But  in  this  matter  they  are  unfavourably  circumstanced.  It  is  an 
indispensable  condition  for  a  living  architecture  that  it  should  be 
in  some  degree  original  and  progressive,  that  it  should  not  be  too 
rigidly  bound  by  precedent.  In  no  work  of  imagination  can  any 
result  worth  having  be  got  by  copying  those  who  have  gone  before. 
To  rise  at  all,  we  must  aim  at  the  highest  things,  and  make  our 
ultimate  object  no  less  than  the  utmost  conceivable  grandeur  and 
beauty.  We  should  copy  Gothic,  not  because  it  is  Gothic,  but 
because  it  is  beautiful ;  and  we  ought  to  try  earnestly  to  do  better. 
Beautiful  as  our  own  Gothic  bufldings  are,  one  may  surely  con-< 
ceive  others  still  more  beautiful.     They  are  not  wanting  in  faults 


fiusiin*8  Lamp$  of  Architecture.  78 

I  we  should  avoid,  any  more  than  in  excellencies  which  ^^ve 
}  to  copy.  Now,  a  modern  architect,  even  if  he  choose  the 
ic  style,  will  find  himself  grievously  hampered  by  precedents, 
uilds,  in  what  is  to  a  certain  extent  even  now  a  foreign  and 
z  style,  and  what  is  worse,  he  is  perpetually  subject  to  the 
ires  of  critics,  for  the  smallest  departure  from  existing 
pies — censures  which  may  most  seriously  affect  his  interests  ; 
i  he  works  timidly,  and  with  more  reference  to  what  is,  than 
lat  ought  to  be,  and  thinking  at  least  as  much  of  precedent  as 
inciple.  Of  what  is  called  Classical  Architecture  it  seems 
ess  to  speak ;  that  has  been  long  ago  by  its  too  careful  nurses 
died  into  a  mummy. 

lis  principle  of  originality  is  not  in  reality,  though  it  may  at 
sight  so  appear,  at  all  opposed  to  the  next  and  the  last  of 
Buskin'*s  architectural  prmciples,  the  Lamp  of  Obedience* 
3r  this  head  he  explains  and  enforces  the  necessity,  if  wo 
1  have  any  architecture,  or  indeed  any  art  at  all  that  is  really 
1  having,  of  selecting  and  adhering  to  some  one  style  of 
tecture.  It  is  impossible  that  the  architect,  who  is  liable  to 
.  any  time  called  upon  to  compose  in  almost  every  style  that 
3ver  been  known,  from  Chinese  to  Egyptian,  should  ever 
'  the  full  resources  of  any.  He  is  distracted  by  the  multi- 
y  of  objects  which  are  before  him.  He  is  always  learning 
udiments  of  his  art,  and  has  neither  leisure  nor  knowledge  to 
ally  original  in  any  thing.  A  man  who  should  pique  himself 
habitually  writing  half  a  dozen  languages,  would  hardly  have 
y  genial  style  in  any.  And  the  same  observation  will  hold 
as  to  every  workman  employed  in  building.  Unless  his  eye 
bis  taste  are  trained  in  some  one  style,  they  will  never  be 
mtly  trained  at  all.  Good  decorative  work  is  not  so  easy 
it  can  be  done  by  a  divided  attention ;  it  needs  the  full 
ion  of  the  undiminished  energies  of  most  men.  If  the  sc- 
\VL  of  a  single  style  be  necessary  for  the  healthy  life  of  architec- 
among  us,  it  is  no  less  so  for  that  of  painting  and  sculpture* 
these  arts  have  always  depended,  if  not  for  their  existence, 
ist  for  their  vigour  and  animation,  upon  the  first.  And  this 
isarily,  for  paintings  and  statues  are  but  the  ornaments  of 
louses  and  temples  ;  nor  will  they  ever  fit  in  comfortably  or 
free  space  to  develop  themselves  where  the  architect  has  not 
ded  it.  The  modern  method  of  painting  pictures  for  pieces 
miture,  whose  greatest  praise  is  to  fetch  high  prices  in  an 
on-room,  will  never  give  rise  to  a  worthy  or  dignified  style  of 
Such  a  school  is  certain  to  be  seduced  by  that  great  Circe 
inters — colour.  The  results  of  such  a  practice  are  well  seen 
e  Dutch  school  of  painting,  and  without  going  so  far  as  Mr« 


74  Butkin's  Lampi  ofAreMUetut^ 

Buskin,  who  some  where  delivers  an  opinion  ihht  the  greatesl 
service  which  could  be  rendered  to  art  with  respect  to  the 
paintings  of  the  Dutch  masters,  would  be  to  collect  the  whole  of 
them  into  one  grand  gallery  and  then  burn  it  to  the  ground,  we 
think  that  few  would  be  disposed  to  regard  it  as  an  elevated  or 
adequate  utterance  of  the  truths  which  it  is  given  to  artists  to 
express. 

With  respect  to  the  choice  of  style,  Mr.  Buskin  appears,  m 
the  whole,  to  prefer  that  which  it  is  likely  would  unite  in  its 
favour  the  great  majority  of  suffrages, — the  early  English  deco- 
rated. It  seems,  indeed,  only  natural  to  select  a  style  which  is 
adapted  to  our  climate  and  to  our  materials,  and  the  models  of 
which  are  always  before  our  eyes.  The  style  in  question  pos- 
sesses also  the  very  important  advantage,  that  it  admits  of  being 
ornamented,  either  with  conventional  or  natural  foliage ;  nor  is 
there,  probably,  any  other  style  which  can  so  easily  both  do  with- 
out ornament  or  use  it  in  the  most  lavish  manner.  It  is  another 
instance  of  the  sti'ong,  and,  indeed,  unreasoning  love  which  our 
author  bears  to  the  buildings  of  Italy,  that  he  actually  enume- 
rates three  of  the  Italian  mediseval  styles,  as  competitors  with 
our  own  best  age  of  Gothic.  And  yet  it  is  difficult  to  see  upon 
what  principles  of  criticism  the  Pisan  Bomanesque  can  be  con- 
sidered as  any  thing  but  an  imperfect  and  undeveloped  style ;  or 
the  Tuscan  or  Venetian  Gothic  as  otherwise  than  very  imperfect 
imitations  (that  they  are  imitations  cannot  be  denied)  of  the 
Teutonic  architecture.  And  this,  we  must  repeat,  is  not  a  ques- 
tion of  the  beauty  or  grandeur  of  particular  buildings,  which 
depends  so  much  upon  their  position,  their  material,  or  such  other 
considerations;  but  of  what  is  a  very  different  mattet-^-the 
abstract  excellence  of  style.  It  is  very  characteristic  of  Mr. 
Buskin's  excessive  love  for  the  Italian  styles  that  we  find  him 
actually  citing  with  admiration  a  want  of  exact  correspondence 
in  measurement,  which,  it  appears,  occurs  in  the  cathedral  of  Pisa 
between  parts  answering  to  each  other,  and  to  the  eye  doing  so 
exactly.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  how  any  beauty  can  arise 
from  a  difference  which  is  not  perceptible,  nor  does  there  seem 
ttrbe  any  reasonable  doubt  that  the  builders  intended  to  make 
the  corresponding  parts  really  equal.  They  failed,  most  likely, 
for  want  of  sufficiently  accurate  working  drawings,  yet  they  came 
near  enough  for  all  purposes  of  importance :  the  fault  is  a  trifling 
one,  and  takes  little  or  nothing  from  the  merit  of  the  structure, 
but  it  is  not  a  merit. 

Under  the  head  of  the  Lamp  of  Memory,  Mr.  Buskin  has  given 
a  very  ingeoiotts,  and,  we  think:,  a  correct  explanation  of  that  so 
much  oftm^T  UB^  than  tindersl^ppd  term^  **  The  PiotureBqae,"^  Ao* 


EuMn*$  Ifompe  of  Architecture.  75 

ng  to  him,  the  picturesque  consists  in  ^^  parasitical  sublimity  f* 
s  to  say,  in  that  sublimity  which  arises  out  of  the  surface  of 
bject  represented,  and  not  out  of  its  more  essential  charac- 
ics.  In  proportion,  then,  as  the  eye  and  the  attention 
rawn  to  the  surface  of  any  object  rather  than  to  its  inter- 
od  inherent  qualities,  as  the  outside  hides  the  inward  struc- 
it  is  picturesque.     The  picturesque  character  depends  upon 

is  excrescential  as  distinguished  from  what  is  essential, 
he  more  the  excrescences  are  developed,  the  more  strongly 
marked.  Thus  the  mane  of  the  lion,  which  makes  him  so 
resque  a  subject,  is  no  necessary  part  of  the  animal,  his 
s  or  mode  of  life  would  be  in  no  respect  altered  should  ho 
it ;  his  essential  qualities  lie  in  his  farm^  which  the  mane 
much  di£^^ses.  Hence  this  quality  is  properly  called  pio- 
queness^  n>r  it  is  evidently  much  more  easy  to  represent  the 
ard  surface  of  any  thing  than  its  inward  qualities,  to  describe 

its  accidents,  than  in  its  essence.    And  for  the  same  rea- 

as  this  is  the  easiest  and  most  obvious  style,  it  is  also  the 
noble  and  dignified. 

I  the  same  chapter  Mr.  Buskin  has  treated  a  subject 
1,  from  its  great  practical  importance,  deserves  some  no- 

that  of  restomtion,  a  process  which,  in  more  or  less 
ure,  all  our  ancient  ecclesiastical  edifices  seemed  destined  to 
rgo.     Our  author,  as  we  have  seen,   is  not  much  in  the 

of  Umiting  his  propositions,  and  he  lays  it  down  that  all 
ration  is  impossible.  ^^  Tt  means  the  most  total  destruc- 
that  a  building  can  suffer;  a  destruction  out  of  which  no 
ants  can  be  gathered :  a  destruction  accompanied  with  a 
description  of  the  thing  destroyed."^  And  he  tells  us  that  a 
sity  for  restoration  is  a  necessity  for  pulling  the  building 
.  So  far  as  these  observations  apply  to  sculptures,  wo 
dve  them  to  be  altogether  just.  So  long  as  a  fragment  of  an 
tatue  will  remain  in  its  niche,  it  ought  to  be  sacred  from  the 
t  of  modem  hands.    But  to  the  restoration  of  buildings  in 

main  and  essential  parts,  that  is,  in  their  masonry  and 
dings,  these  observations  do  not  seem  properly  to  apply, 
[dings  being  formed  by  combinations  of  geometrical  lines 
certainly  be  exactly  copied,  if  sufficient  care  be  taken,  and 

is  weathered,  in  one   place  may  usually  be  restored  from 

other  part  which  remains  perfect.  Even  if  it  were  not  so, 
uld  often  become  necessary  to  restore  the  outside  of  a  build- 
in  order  to  preserve  the  interior.  We  cannot  suffer  our 
dies  to  fall  down,  they  must  be  repaired  in  some  manner ; 
tan  there  be  any  doubt  that  that  should  be  done  as  like  to  the 
oal  as  is  possible  i    It  continually  occurs,  that  tVve  \4VCk^<^^ 


76  BusHn's  Lmwp^  of  Arehikctwre, 

tracery  of  churches  falls  out,  while  the  rest  of  the  structure  stands 
good ;  it  must  be  replaced  in  some  fashion.  Moreover,  an  accu- 
rate restoration  is  the  very  best  school,  both  for  the  architect 
and  the  workman.  It  is  no  doubt  true,  that  infinite  damage  has 
been  done,  and  is  now  being  done,  by  hasty,  unnecessary,  ill- 
considered,  and  imperfect  restorations ;  but  restorations  are  very 
often  not  matters  of  choice,  but  of  sheer  necessity. 

It  has  been  already  said  that  Mr.  Euskin  has  aims  higher  than 
those  of  the  mere  dilettante  artist,  or  the  self-asserting  nmn  of 
letters.  We  believe  that  to  him  that  will  be  the  most  grateful 
criticism  which  most  tends  to  help  and  further  his  objects.  And 
nothing,  we  think,  would  so  much  tend  to  increase  his  authority, 
and  thereby  promote  his  views,  as  that  he  should  modify  what 
we  have  so  often  had  unwilling  occasion  to  remark,  his  habit  of 
stating  his  opinions  with  needless  vehemence.  His  earnestness 
of  thought,  his  vigour  of  conception,  his  energy  of  expression, 
hke  all  excellent  quaUties,  have  their  temptations  and  their  dan- 
gers. To  correct  this  habit  would  hardly  be  very  difficult ;  and 
we  are  persuaded  that  its  existence  interferes  seriously  with  the 
promotion  of  those  ends  to  which  he  has  addressed  himself. 

Nor  are  those  ends  light  or  trifling.  When  it  is  considered 
what  large  classes  of  men,  and  those,  too,  often  highly  educated 
men,  pass  their  lives  in  the  practice  of  what  are  called  the  deco^ 
rative  arts,  in  the  making  of  what  is,  or  at  least  is  supposed  to  be, 
ornamental — when  we  think  of  the  thousand  of  pictures  which 
are  at  this  moment  being  exhibited  in  London  only — it  cannot  ap- 
pear a  small  matter  that  so  great  an  amount  of  work  should  be 
done,  and  so  many  lives  spent,  honestly,  conscientiously,  and  hap- 
pily ;  that  so  vast  a  quantity  of  thought  and  mind  should  tend, 
like  the  verse  of  him  who  has  just  gone  down  to  the  grave  full 
of  years  and  honours, 

"  To  soothe  and  cleanse,  not  madden  and  pollute." 

Nay,  more,  that  the  outward  shows  of  visible  things  may  be  made 
the  instruments  to  lift  us  above  themselves,  and  that  from  the 
sight  of  the  fleeting  objects  of  this  transitory  world,  we  may  rise 
to  the  contemplation  of  those  things  which  are  everlasting. 


CarresponcU 


Art.   V. — The  Life  and  Corre^ndence   of  tlie  late  Bobebt 
SouTHEY.     In  Six   Volumes,    Edited  by  his  8on^  the  Rev. 
Gharl£s  Guthbert  Southey.     London  :  Longmap,  Brow, 
Green,  and  Longman.     1849,  1850. 

Bobebt  Southey  was  one  of  that  chosen  band  whose  appointed 
lot  it  is  to  exhibit  the  power  of  the  human  mind  and  will  in  a 
fife-long  struggle  against  adverse  circumstances ;  to  create  in  the 
midst  of  a  hostile  world  an  exceptional  position  for  themselves ; 
and,  in  the  absence  of  the  adventitious  advantages  of  wealth  or 
worldly  station,  to  exercise  a  powerful  influence  upon  the  desti- 
nies of  mankind, — a  member  of  that  apostolate  of  genius,  whos6 
mission  it  is,  "  being  poor,''  to  "  make  many  rich/'  Men  of 
this  class  are  to  universal  humanity  what  the  prophets  of  old 
were  to  the  nation  of  Israel ;  their  office  is  not  only  to  instruct 
the  generation  in  which  their  lot  is  cast,  but  to  predict  the 
destinies  of  future  ages ;  to  cast  their  bread  upon  the  waters  of 
time's  tide,  to  be  found  after  many  days ;  to  sp^ak  words  often 
unheeded  by  the  world's  ear,  which  yet  are  not  suffered  to  fall  to 
the  ground.  The  school  in  which  such  men  are  fitted  for  their 
office  is  not  the  common  school  in  which  the  ordinary  craftsmen 
and  labourers  are  trained,  by  whose  routine  performances  the 
mechanism  of  society  is  kept  in  motion  ;  theirs  is  a  discipline  as 
extraordinary  as  their  vocation.  To  the  unreflecting  observer,  it 
appears  as  if  the  lot  of  such  men  were  unusually  severe ;  and 
involuntarily  the  thought  suggests  itself  what  this  or  that  man  of 
the  class  alluded  to  might  not  have  achieved,  had  he  not  been 
hampered  and  crippled  by  the  intricacies  of  his  course,  and  the 
perplexities  of  his  position-  Such  a  view  of  the  irregular  and 
often  painful  career  of  men  of  great  eminence  and  public  useful- 
ness, however,  arising  from  an  incorrect  appreciation  of  man's 
nature,  and  scarcely  excusable  in  a  pagan  philosopher,  is  wholly 
unworthy  of  the  Christian  thinker.  The  seeds  of  evil  inherent 
in  all  the  children  of  Adam,  spring  up  with  gi*eater  vigour  in 
powerful  than  in  weak  or  ordinary  natures,  and  require,  if  the 
luxuriant  growth  of  sin  is  to  be  arrested,  a  more  powerful  check 
to  be  imposed  on  them, — a  check  of  which,  according  to  the 
appointed  order  of  God's  Providence,  the  force  of  external  circum- 
stances forms  not  the  least  important  part.  The  conflict  be- 
tween the  internal,  unre^Jated  power  of  the  mmd  axid  \n\11^ 


'78  Tie  JA/e  and  Cormponience 

and  the  pressure  brought  to  bear  upon  it  by  the  outer  world,  pro- 
duces those  anomalies  of  position  and  eccentricities  of  action 
which  characterize  the  early  history  of  almost  every  man  of 
genius ;  while  in  the  after  periods  of  life  it  is  made  apparent 
whether  that  discipline  has  been  set  at  nought  in  a  spnrit  of 
proud  rebellion,  or  submitted  to  with  meekness  and  humility. 
The  result  is,  in  the  former  case,  the  display  of  gigantic  powers, 
but  powers  misused  to  the  injury  of  their  possessor  and  of  man- 
kind at  large, — the  gloomy  defiance  of  the  misanthrope  and  the 
atheist  against  every  law  human  or  divine  ;  in  the  latter  case,  it  is 
the  application  of  powei's  not  less  gigantic,  though  less  striking 
in  the  form  and  manner  of  their  action,  to  the  furtherance  of  tb^ 
happiness  and  improvement  of  mankind,  and  to  the  advancement, 
more  or  less  directly,  of  the  purpose  and  kingdom  of  God,— 
accompanied  in  the  individual  himself  by  a  sense  of  inward 
contentment,  the  natural  fruit  of  life'^s  vocation  conscientiously 
fulfilled. 

To  the  latter,  the  beneficent  and  the  blessed  class  of  master- 
minds, did  he  belong  whose  ^'  Life  and  Correspondence^^  is  now 
lying  before  us,  in  a  series  of  six  volumes,  edited  by  his  son.    In 
saying  the  "  Life  and  Correspondence,^'  we  simply  follow  the  title- 
page  of  the  work ;  and  we  must  at  once  enter  our  protest  against 
the  supposition,  that  we  admit  this  as  a  correct  description  of  its 
contents.     Strictly  speaking,  the  publication  of  the  Bev.  Charles 
Cuthbert  Southey  has  no  claim  to  be  considered  as  any  thing 
more  than  fragments  from  the  correspondence  of  Bobert  Southey, 
constituting  materials  for  a  history  of  a  life  which  remains  yet  to 
be  written.     In  making  this  reservation,  we  do  not,  however, 
wish  to  be  understood  as  intending  to  cast  atiy  censure  upon  the 
Editor,  or  to  depreciate  the  value  of  the  biographical  stores  which 
he  has  communicated  to  the  world.     The  son,  who  was  undoubt- 
edly the  most  proper  person  to  collect  the  correspondence,  and 
to  decide  what  portions  of  it  should  be  given  to  the  public,  with  a 
due  regard  to  tnose  sanctities  of  private  life,  which  ought  never 
to  be  violated  for  the  sake  of  gratifying  public  curiosity^  was  by 
the  very  fact  of  his  relationship  to  the  mighty  departed,  the  most 
unfit  person  to  work  up  those  materials  into  a  history  of  bis 
father'^s  life.     The  ^etas  of  the  son  and  the  oflBce  of  the  critic 
and  the  judge,  are  m  their  nature  incompatible ;  while  an  enco- 
miastic narrative,  such  as  filial  affection  might  have  indited^  would 
have  carried  with  it  no  greater  weight  than  the  laudatory  inscrip- 
tions on  tombstones,  which  do  more  credit  to  the  feelings  of  the 
survivors,  thanjustiee  to  the  character  of  the  departed. 

To  do  Mr.  Charles  Cuthbert  Southey  justice,  he  does  not  in 
his  preface  profess  to  do  more  than  we  have  here  indicated,  and 


6/  the  laU  Bobmi  Sautk^.  79 

if  his  title-page  might  lead  us  to  expect  more,  that  one  leaf, 
rather  than  the  design  and  execution  or  the  work  iUelf,  must  bear 
tiie  blame.  With  great  modesty,  he  disclaims  the  possession  of 
^^any  peculiar  qualifications^  for  such  an  undertaking  as  the 
history  of  his  &ther''s  life ;  he  exactly  circumscribes  the  limits  of 
what  he  proposes  to  do,  as  a  contributor  of  materials : — 

<*  My  object  has  been,  not  to  compose  a  regular  biography,  but  rather 
to  lay  Defore  the  reader  such  a  selection  from  my  father's  letters,  as  will 
give,  in  his  own  words,  the  history  of  his  life  ;  and  I  have  only  added 
BDch  remarks  as  I  judged  necessary  for  connexion  or  explanation  ;  in- 
deed the  even  tenor  of  his  life,  during  its  greater  portion,  afiTords  but 
little  matter  for  pure  biography,  and  the  course  of  his  literary  pursuits, 
bis  opinions  on  passing  events,  and  the  few  incidents  of  his  own  career, 
will  all  be  found  narrated  by  himself  in  a  much  more  natural  manner, 
than  if  his  letters  had  been  worked  up  into  a  regular  narrative." — 
Preface f  vol.  i,  p.  vi. 

Still  further  to  enable  the  reader  to  appreciate  the  value  of  the 
materials  placed  in  his  hands,  Mr.  Charles  Guthbert  Southey  has 
a(^nded  to  the  last  volume  a  few  retrospective  observations 
touching  the  principles  on  which,  and  the  manner  in  which,  he 
has  executed  his  task  ;  observations  which  we  think  it  but  fair  to 
give  in  his  own  words : — 

*'  In  selecting  from  the  masses  of  correspondence  which  have  passed 
throqgh  my  hands,  there  has  necessarily  been  considerable  labour  and 
difficulty,  the  amount  and  nature  of  which  can  only  be  understood  by 
those  who  have  been  similarly  employed.  One  of  my  chief  difficulties 
has  been  to  avoid  repetition,  for  the  same  circumstance  is  commonly 
to  be  found  related,  and  the  same  opinions  expressed,  to  most  of  his 
frequent  and  familiar  correspondents ;  so  that  what  a  Reviewer  calls 
"  significant  blanks  and  injudicious  erasures,"  are  very  often  nothing 
more  than  what  is  caused  by  the  cutting  out  of  passages,  the  substance 
of  which  has  already  appeared  in  some  other  letter,  and,  according  to 
my  judgment,  more  fully  and  better  expressed.  It  may  probably  be 
observed,  that  my  selections  from  the  correspondence  of  the  later  years 
of  his  life  are  fewer  in  proportion  than  of  the  former  ones ;  but,  for  this, 
several  reasons  may  be  given.  A  correspondence  is  often  carried  on 
briskly  for  a  time,  and  then  dropped  almost  entirely — as  was  the  case 
between  Sir  Walter  Scott  and  my  father,  although  the  friendly  feelings 
of  the  parties  were  undiminished ;  in  other  cases  the  interchange  of 
letters  continued,  though  they  contained  nothing  sufficiently  interesting 
for  publication.  With  others,  again,  as  with  Mr.  Rickman,  Mr.  H. 
Taylor,  and  Mr.  Bedford,  the  correspondence  increased  in  frequency, 
and  necessarily  the  interest  of  single  letters  diminished,  as  it  was  carried 
on  by  a  multitude  of  brief  notes ;  and  this,  which  in  these  two  cases 
resulted  from  facilities  in  franking,  it  seems  likely  will  be  so  general  a 
result  of  the  new  postage  system,  that  in  another  generation  diere  mUk 


80  The  Life  and  Corregmidmce 

be  no  correspondences  to  publish.  With  respect  to  the  correspondence 
with  Mr.  Wynn,  much  to  my  regret,  I  was  unable  to  procure  any 
letters  of  later  date  than  1820,  owing  to  their  having  been  mislaid; 
since  his  decease  they  have  been  found  and  kindly  transmitted  to  me 
by  his  son ;  but,  unfortunately,  it  was  too  late  for  me  to  make  ao^  . 
present  use  of  them. 

*'  In  addition  to  these  causes,  it  may  also  be  mentioned,  that  his 
correspondence  with  comparative  strangers  and  mere  acquaintances 
occupied  a  continually  increasing  portion  of  his  time.  The  number  of 
letters  he  received  from  such  persons  was  very  great,  and  almost  all  had 
to  be  answered,  so  that  but  little  time  was  left  for  those  letters  he  had 
real  pleasure  in  writing.  Every  new  work  he  engaged  in  entailed  more 
or  less  correspondence,  and  some  a  vast  accession  for  a  time,  and  these 
letters  generally  would  not  be  of  interest  to  the  public.  The  Life  of 
Cowper  involved  him  in  a  correspondence  of  considerable  extent  with 
many  different  persons  :  many  of  these  letters  I  could  have  procured,  and 
some  were  sent  to  me  ;  but  they  were  not  available,  from  the  limits  of 
this  work,  neither  would  their  contents  be  of  general  interest.  I  may, 
however,  take  this  opportunity  of  expressing  my  thanks  to  those  gentle- 
men who  have  sent  me  letters  of  which  I  have  not  made  any  use,  but 
for  whose  kindness  I  am  not  the  less  obliged. 

"  While,  however,  I  have  necessarily  been  obliged  to  leave  out  many 
interesting  letters,  I  feel  satisfied  that  I  have  published  a  selection 
abundantly  sufficient  to  indicate  all  the  points  in  my  father's  character 
— to  give  all  the  chief  incidents  in  his  life,  and  to  show  his  opinions  in 
all  their  stages.  I  am  not  conscious  of  having  kept  back  any  thing 
which  ought  to  have  been  brought  forward — any  thing,  excepting  some 
free  and  unguarded  expressions  which,  whether  relating  to  things  or 
persons,  having  been  penned  in  the  confidence  of  friendship  and  at  the 
impulse  of  the  moment,  it  would  he  as  unreasonable  in  a  reader  to 
require,  as  it  would  be  injudicious  and  improper  in  an  editor  to  publish. 
And  if  in  any  case  I  may  have  let  some  such  expression  pass  by  un- 
cancelled, which  may  have  given  a  moment's  pain  to  any  individual,  I 
sincerely  regret  the  inadvertency." — Vol.  vi.  pp.  394 — 396. 

It  only  remains  to  be  stated,  that  although  Robert  Southey 
does  not  appear  to  have  kept  copies  of  his  letters  to  his  numerous 
correspondents — ^for  the  present  publication  is  made  from  the 
originals  transmitted  by  the  parties  to  whom  they  were  addressed, 
or  by  their  representatives — he  seems  himself  to  have  contem- 
plated the  plan  of  an  epistolary  autobiography.  Indeed,  as  £w  as 
the  first  fifteen  years  of  his  life  are  concerned,  he  himself,  in  his 
forty-seventh  year,  embodied  his  reminiscences  of  them,  together 
with  a  full  account  of  his  birth  and  parentage,  m  a  series  of  letters 
addressed  to  his  friend  Mr.  John  May^  with  the  avowed  object 
of  composing,  in  this  manner,  an  autobiographic  memoir  of  him- 
self. But  wlule  he  disported  himself,  with  all  that  innocent  hilarity 


ofiU  taie  Robert  Sauthey.  81 

of  spirit  which  he  possessed  in  so  remarkable  a  degree,  and  which 
is  one  of  the  surest  indications  of  a  well-spent  life  and  a  happy 
old  age,  in  the  recollection  of  the  small  troubles  and  the  childish 
adventures  of  his  boyhood,  his  courage  failed  him  when  he  ap- 
proached that  period  of  his  life,  in  reviewing  which  the  sense  of 
personal  responsibility  could  not  but  have  greatly  interfered  with 
liis  narrative,  and  placed  him  in  the  inconvenient  position  of  being 
at  once  judge  and  prisoner  at  the  bar,  his  own  prosecutor  and  his 
own  advocate.  To  this  cause,  no  less  than  to  the  unwillingness 
to  open  afL*esh  wounds  of  affliction  which  tim6  had  healed  over, 
we  are  disposed  to  attribute  the  abandonment  of  the  projected 
autobiography  by  Southey  himself;  and  we  think,  that  in  re- 
linquishing  the  undertaking  he  was  guided  by  a  correct  instinct. 
For  a  man  who  has  attained  a  position  of  moral  eminence,  in 
which  he  is  a  spectacle  to  all  and  an  example  to  many,  to  trace 
out  before  the  world  the  erratic  course  of  his  years  of  indiscretion 
and  inexperience,  in  a  tone,  we  will  not  say  of  approbation,  but 
ofpaUiation,  or  of  leniency  of  judgment,  would  be  to  render  an 
ill  service  to  the  cause  of  religion  and  morality — by  furnishing  a 
plausible  excuse  to  the  servum  pecus  to  imitate  the  faults,  while 
uninfluenced  by  the  impulses,  and  unprotected  by  the  compen- 
sating excellencies,  of  the  man  of  genius.  On  the  contrary,  to  retail 
the  follies  and  delinquencies  of  youth  in  their  naked  deformity, 
after  the  manner  of  the  "  confessions''''  of  J.  J.  Rousseau,  although 
without  their  turpitude,  would  be  an  act  unbecoming  the  wisdom 
and  the  rectitude  of  maturer  and  graver  years,  Robert  Southey 
did  wisely,  therefore,  for  more  reasons  than  those  apologetically 
set  forth  by  his  son,  in  not  proceeding  any  further  with  his  auto- 
biographical letters  to  Mr.  John  May,  but  leaving  the  tenor  of 
his  Ufe,  the  tendency  of  his  sentiments,  and  the  tone  of  his  mind 
and  heart,  to  be  collected  from  his  chance  correspondence  after 
he  sheuld  have  been  gathered  to  his  fathers.  That  he  anticipated, 
and  even  intended,  that  such  a  use  should  be  made  of  his  cor- 
respondence, is  evident  from  some  of  the  very  letters  now  pub- 
lished, in  which  he  adverts  to  this  plan  as  a  substitute  for  the 
continuation  of  the  memoirs  of  his  own  life,  the  completion  of 
which  he  appears  to  have  contemplated,  at  intervals,  for  several 
years  after  they  had  been  broken  oflF. 

In  July,  1826,  five  years  after  the  discontinuance  of  the  auto- 
biographical correspondence  with  Mr.  John  May,  he  thus  writes 
to  his  friend  Grosvenor  0.  Bedford : — 

"  I  wish  to  show  you  some  things,  and  to  talk  with  you  about  others ; 
one  business  in  particular,  which  is  the  disposal  of  my  papers  whenever 
I  shall  be  gathered  to  my  fathers  and  to  my  children.  That  good  office 
would  naturally  he  yours,  should  you  be  the  survivor,  if  l\ie  \i\xs\\i^^^ 

VOL,  XV. — no.  XXIX, JlfAACH,   1851.  G 


8^  Th^  l4\fe  gn^  Cqrr^i^imelm^ 

of  the  Exchequer  did  not  press  upon  ypu,  lik^  the  world  upon  poor 
Atlas's  shoulders.  I  know  not  now  upon  whom  to  turn  my  eyes  for  it, 
unless  it  be  Henry  Taylor.  Two  long  journeys  with  me  have  made  him 
well  acquainted  with  my  temper  and  eyery-day  state  of  mind.  He  has 
shown  himself  very  much  attached  to  me,  and  would  neither  want  will 
nor  ability  for  what  will  not  be  a  difficult  task,  inasmuch  as  that  which 
is  of  most  importance,  and  would  require  most  care,  will  (if  my  life  be 
spared  but  for  a  year  or  two)  be  executed  by  my  own  hand.  You  do 
not  know,  I  believe,  that  I  have  made  some  progress  in  writing  my  own 
life  and  recollections  upon  a  large  scale.  This  will  be  of  suoh  certain 
value  as  a  post  obit,  that  I  sh^U  make  it  a  part  of  my  regular  basioesi 
(being,  indeed,  a  main  duty)  to  complete  it.  What  is  written  is  one  of 
the  things  which  I  am  desirous  of  showing  you.  If  you  ever  lool(  ovor 
my  letters,  I  wish  you  would  niark  such  passages  i^s  might  not  be  im- 
proper for  publication  at  the  (irne  which  I  am  looking  forwai^d  to* 
You,  and  you  alone,  have  a  regular  series  which  ba3  never  becA  iater- 
mitted.  From  occasional  correspondents  plenty  of  others,  which,  being 
less  confidential,  are  less  careless,  will  turn  up.  I  will  leave  Sk  list  oi 
those  persons  from  whom  such  letters  may  be  obtained,  as  may  pro- 
bably be  of  avail."— Vol.  v.  pp.  254,  255. 

And  shortly  after  he  writes  to  Henry  Taylor  himself: — 

"  The  growth  and  progress  of  my  own  opinions  I  pan  distinctly  traoOi 
for  I  have  been  watchfully  a  self-observer.  What  was  hastily  ta^en  up 
in  youth  was  gr^^dually  and  slowly  mpdified,  and  I  have  a  clear  remeitt- 
brance  of  the  how,  and  why,  and  when  of  any  material  change.  X¥* 
you  will  find  (I  trust)  in  the  Autobiography  which  I  shall  leave,  and 
in  which  some  considerable  progress  is  made,  though  it  ha$  not  reached 
this  point.  It  will  be  left,  whether  complete  or  not  (for  there  is  the 
chance  of  mortality  for  this)  in  a  state  for  the  press,  so  that  you  will 
have  no  trouble  with  it.  There  will  be  some  in  collectin'g  my  stray 
letters,  and  selecting  such,  in  whole  or  in  part,  as  may  not  unfitly  b^ 
published,  less  for  the  sake  of  gratifying  public  curiosity,  than  of  bring- 
ing money  to  my  family." — Vol.  v.  p.  266. 

^  It  is  both  curious  ?^nd  characteristic  that  the  pecuniary  value  of 
his  projected  autobiography,  as  the  means  of  increasing  tJie  scanty 
provision  which  he  had  been  enabled  to  make  for  his  fonaiHy, 
shouW  have  been  the  uppermost  thought  connected  with  thisf 
subject  in  the  mind  of  a  man  who  felt,  and  ha4  reason  to  feel, 
"  the  conviction  that,  die  when  he  nuight,  his  memory  vis^  on^  of 
those  which  would  smeU  sweet,  and  blossom  in  the  dust/'  Such 
being  the  nature  of  the  collection  from  which  we  are  left  to  gl^thei^ 
our  materials,  we  shall  now  endeavour  to  transfer  to  our  pages  a 
slight  sketch  of  the  picture  presented  to  us  in  these  volumes  of 
Robert  Southey,  the  n\an,  the  author,  the  politician,  the  champion 
of  the  Church  of  England.    As  a  m^n,^  there  can  bQ  bvit  one  opi- 


o/the  hte  Bobert  Sinttief.  88 

n{on,  that  Robert  Southey  will,  in  the  eyes  of  all  parties,  be  a 
greAt  gainer  by  the  publication  of  these  letters,  and  by  the  light 
which  they  throw  upon  his  personal  and  domestic  history.  The 
impression  prevalent  in  the  public  mind,  of  the  earlier  period 
of  his  life,  has  hardly  been  as  favourable  as  that  which  the  present 
anUientic  data  cannot  fail  to  produce.  Large  allowances  must 
be  made  for  the  unpropitious  nature  of  his  early  education,  which 
was  in  no  sense  calculated  to  regulate  his  mind  or  to  form  his 
diaraoter.  Under  the  auspices  of  a  maiden  aunt,  whose  idol  was 
her  drawing-room  furniture,  her  world  the  playhouse,  and  stage- 

Syers  almost  her  only  society, — with  no  regular  tuition,  and  no 
iter  vehicles  than  playbills,  fairy  tales,  and  dramatic  pieces,  for 
that  desultory  information  which,  like  all  children  of  active  mind, 
he  failed  not  to  pick  up  for  himself, — it  is  not  wonderful  that  the 
boy  should  have  grown  up  without  any  clear  ideas  of  reUgious 
troth,  and  without  any  deep  or  solemn  religious  feelings,  even 
though  his  aunt  did  nui^e  a  practice  of  occupying  her  pew  at  the 
parish  church.     His  early  reading  was  all  in  the  world  of  fiction, 
not  in  the  realities  either  of  the  visible  or  of  the  invisible  world ; 
all   his  associations  of   a  light  and   frivolous  kind, — barring 
always  the  stem  severitv  of  his  aunt  on  such  points  of  domestic 
discipline  as  she  held  it  essential  to  enforce  in  the  indulgence 
of  her  own  peculiarities ;  the  sentiments  which  he  imbibed,  the 
language  in  which  he  learned  to  clothe  his  thoughts,  all  over- 
wrought, extravagant,  fantastic.    His  scholastic  beginning  were, 
if  possible,  of  a  more  unfavourable  kind ;  the  first  schoolmaster 
on  whom  devolved  the  task  of  educing  the  infant  mind  of  the  fu- 
ture author  of  the  Book  of  the  Church,  was  a  dissenting  minister 
of  the  General  Baptist  Denomination,  with  a  Socinian  creed,  whose 
chief  recommendation  was  that  he  kept  religion  carefully  out  of 
sight  in  his  school.     The  master  of  the  next  '^  seminary"^  to  which 
he  was  consigned,  a  genius  in  astronomy,  with  a  drunken  wife, 
who  had  formerly  been  his  maid-servant,  devoted  his  time  to  the 
construction  of  a  huge  orrery,  and  left  his  school-room  to  the 
charge  of  an  ill-conditioned,  half-grown  son  of  his,  between  whom 
and  the  father  a  fight  ensued,  on  the  school  being  broken  up  by 
the  appearance  of  tiie  itch  among  the  pupils.     The  chief  acquire- 
ment which  young  Southey  brought  away  was  the  difficult  art 
of  steering  Ins  course  among  a  number  of  boys  of  coarse  and 
tyrannical  haUts,  accustomed  to  no  other  restraint  among  one 
another  or  from  their  superiors,  than  that  of  brute  force.     Such 
was  the  foundation  on  which  the  education  of  his  later  boyhood 
was  built ;  and  if  the  schools  to  which  he  was  subsequently  sent, 
as  a  day-boarder,  were  not  of  an  equally  objectionable  character, 
th^  were  eertainly  not  calculated  to  correct  the  injury  which 

q2 


^4  The  Life  and  Correspondence 

must  have  been  inflicted  on  his  mind  by  the  training  of  his  infant 
years.  The  rest  may  easily  be  imagined,  and  is  soon  told.  After 
passing  from  hand  to  hand  in  a  course  of  inefficient  tuition,  young 
Southey  was  sent  to  Westminster,  where  his  extra-scholastic 
acquirements,  his  knowledge  of  plays,  and  of  other  branches  of 
poetic  literature,  and  his  aptitude  for  composition,  both  in  prose 
and  verse,  assigned  him  among  the  boys  a  higher  standing  thaii 
his  classical  attainments  warranted,  the  result  of  which  was  his 
speedy  expulsion  from  the  school  for  the  prominent  part  he  had 
taken  in  the  editorship  of  a  periodical  lampoon  upon  the  autho- 
rities, under  the  ominous  title  "  Tlie  Flagellant,'''  The  bank- 
ruptcy of  his  father,  which  happened  at  this  time,  as  the  denous" 
ment  of  years  of  embarrassment,  did  not  prevent  his  removal  to 
Oxford,  a  maternal  uncle  interposing  his  good  offices;  but  his 
stay  there  was  not  of  long  duration.  Rejected  at  Christ  Church, 
where  his  name  had  been  put  down,  in  consequence  of  his  West- 
minster antecedents,  he  was  entered  at  Balliol.  To  give  an  idea 
of  the  nature  and  success  of  his  academic  labours,  it  will  be  suflS- 
cient  to  transcribe  the  note  addressed  to  him  by  his  tutor,  himself 
half  a  democrat,  and  an  admirer  of  American  independence : — 

**  Mr,  Southey,  you  won't  learn  any  thing  by  my  lectures,  Sir ;  so  if 
you  have  any  studies  of  your  own,  you  had  better  pursue  thera," — 
Vol.  i.  p.  215. 

His  tutor^s  suggestion  that  he  might  have  studies  of  his  own, 
was  correct  enough.  A  vast  variety  of  literary  projects  occupied 
his  mind,  tragedies  and  epics  of  divers  kinds  were  on  the  stocks, 
and  the  theories  and  events  of  the  French  revolution  furnished 
matter  for  plentiful  political  and  metaphysical  speculation.  While 
thus  engaged,  the  undergraduate  of  Balliol  made  the  not  very 
astonishing  discovery  that  his  opinions  would  offer  an  insuperable 
bar  to  his  subscription  of  the  Articles,  and  consequently  to  his 
entrance  into  Holy  Orders,  the  very  object  for  which  his  uncle 
had  undertaken  to  defray  the  expenses  of  his  education  at  the 
University.  To  avoid  the  total  disappointment  of  his  kind  rela- 
tive's expectations,  he  contemplated  for  a  short  time  the  study  of 
physic,  and  mingled  chemistry  with  his  poetry;  but  from  the 
horrors  of  the  dissecting-room  his  muse  shrank  with  invincible 
nausea,  and  convinced  him  that,  however  Apollo  himself  might 
succeed  in  both  lines,  he  must  renounce  the  healing  art,  and  con- 
fine himself  to  the  art  of  song.  An  attempt  to  obtain,  through 
the  intervention  of  his  friend  Bedford,  a  situation  in  a  Grovern- 
ment  Office,  was  nipped  in  the  bud  by  the  unenviable  notoriety 
which  he  had  gained  as  a  philosopher  of  the  revolutionary  school. 

While  he  was  in  this  uncomfortable  state  of  mind,  Robert 


of  the  late  Hobert  SimiAey.  85 

Southey  fell  into  an  acquaintance,  which  soon  after  ripened 
into  an  intimacy,  with  an  alumnm  of  the  sister  university,  of 
equally  unsettled  opinions,  and  still  more  unstable  character, 
whom  his  friends  had  just  ransomed  from  the  hands  of  the  re- 
cruiting sergeant,  the  mystic  poet  and  misty  metaphysician  Samuel 
Taylor  Coleridge.  This  completed  the  discomfiture  of  the  plans 
for  future  settlement  in  an  honourable  career,  which  had  led  his 
kind  uncle,  the  Bev.  Herbert  Hill,  to  send  him  to  Oxford,  and 
the  long  vacation,  which  riveted  their  inauspicious  friendship, 
gave  birth  to  the  wild  and  sufficiently  notorious  scheme  of  a 
Pantisocratic  repubhc,  to  be  constituted,  on  principles  of  the 
purest  Aspheteism^  in  the  transatlantic  world.  The  discovery  of 
this  notable  project,  and  of  the  success  which  he  had  had  in 
securing  for  his  partner  in  the  new  Utopia  one  of  four  fair  and 
penniless  sisters,  willing  to  embark  in  the  prospect  of  love  in  a 
bower  on  the  banks  of  the  sweetly-sounding  Susquehanna,  de- 
prived Bobert  Southey  of  his  temporary  home  in  the  house  of  his 
maiden  aunt.  Miss  Tyler,  who  marked  her  disapprobation,  not 
unnaturally,  though  somewhat  unseasonably,  by  turning  her 
nephew  into  the  street  on  a  dark  and  rainy  night. 

Thus  thrown  on  his.  own  resources,  fiobert  Southey  found  a 
friend  and  patron  in  Joseph  Cottle,  a  young  bookseller,  himself  a 
dabbler  in  poetry,  at  Bristol.     The  bibliopole  Maecenas  became 
the  purchaser  of  Joan  of  Arc,   and   otherwise   forwarded  the 
endeavours  made  at  this  critical  juncture  by  Robert  Southey  to 
turn  an  honest  penny,  by  bringing  his  talents  into  the  market. 
Among  other  schemes  set  on  foot  with  this  view,  was  the  announce- 
ment of  a  series  of  lectures  by  the   two   brother  Panttsocrats^ 
Southey  and  Coleridge,  the  latter  selecting  moral  and  philoso- 
phical subjects,  and  the  former  taking  the  historical  line,  as  may 
be  seen  from  the  following  prospectus : 

"Robert  Southey,  of  Balliol  College,  Oxford,  proposes  to  read  a 
course  of  Historical  Lectures,  in  the  following  order : — 
"  1st.  Introductory:  On  the  Origin  and  Progress  of  Society. 
"  2nd.  Legislation  of  Solon  and  Lycurgus. 

"  3rd,  State  of  Greece  from  the  Persian  AVar  to  the  Dissolution  of 
the  Achaian  League. 
"  4  th.  Rise,  Progress,  and  Decline  of  the  Roman  Empire. 
**  5th.  Progress  of  Christianity. 

"  6th.  Manners  and  Irruptions  of  the  Northern  Nations.  Growth  of 
the  European  States.     Feudal  System. 

"  7th.  State  of  the  Eastern  Empire,  to  the  Capture  of  Constanti- 
nople by  the  Turks ;  including  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  the  Moham- 
medan Religion,  and  the  Crusades. 

"  8th.  History  of  Europe,   to  the  Abdication  of  the   Empire   by 

Charles  the  Fifth. 


86  I^  Life  and  Carr§»pondenee 

<<  9th.  History  of  Europe,  to  the  Establishment  of  the  Independence 
of  Holland. 

"  10th.  State  of  Europe,  and  more  particularly  of  England,  from  ths 
Accession  of  Charles  the  First  to  the  Revolution  in  1688. 

**  11th.  Progress  of  the  Northern  States.  History  of  Europe  to  the 
American  War. 

"  12th,  The  American  War. 

"  Tickets  for  the  whole  course,  10*.  6rf.,  to  be  had  of  Mr.  Cottle^ 
Bookseller,  High  Street."— Vol.  i.  pp.  234,  255. 

Southey's  lectures  were  not  only  well  attended,  but  faithfully 
delivered,  at  the  times  appointed,  which  was  more  than  could  be 

Predicated  of  the  brother  apostle  of  Asplieteism^  S.  T.  Coleridge, 
'he  view  which  he  took  of  life  at  this  period — he  was  in  hfe 
twenty-first  year — and  the  extent  of  his  hopes  and  aspirations,  is 
somewhat  amusingly  pourtrayed  in  the  following  extract  from  a 
letter  to  his  brother  Thomas : 

"  I  am  giving  a  course  of  Historical  Lectures,  at  Bristol,  teaching 
what  is  right  by  showing  what  is  wrong ;  my  company,  of  course,  is 
sought  by  all  who  love  good  republicans  and  odd  characters.    Coleridge 

and  I  are  daily  engaged John  Scott  has  got  me  a  place  of 

a  guinea  and  a  half  per  week,  for  writing  in  some  new  work  called  '  The 
Citizen,'  of  what  kind  I  know  not,  save  that  it  accords  with  my  prin* 
ciples :  of  this  I  daily  expect  to  hear  more. 

*'  If  Coleridge  and  I  can  get  150/.  a-year  between  us  we  purpose 
marrying,  and  retiring  into  the  country,  as  our  literary  business  can  be 
carried  on  there,  and  practising  agriculture  till  we  can  raise  money  for 
America — still  the  grand  object  in  view. 

"  So  I  have  cut  my  cable,  and  am  drifting  on  the  ocean  of  life — ^tbe 
wind  is  fair,  and  the  port  of  happiness  I  hope  in  view.  It  is  possible 
that  I  may  be  called  upon  to  publish  my  Historical  Lectures ;  this 
I  shall  be  unwilling  to  do,  as  they  are  only  splendid  declamation." — 
Vol.  i.  pp.  235,  236. 

The  unpromising  career  which  Southey  had  thus  opened  for 
himself  in  his  native  city,  was  presently  cut  short  by  the  inter- 
ference of  his  uncle,  who  held  a  Chaplaincy  at  Lisbon,  and  who 
prevailed  on  his  nephew  to  accompany  him  thither  on  a  sit 
months'  visit,  in  the  hope  of  rescuing  him  from  his  Asphetistic 
associates,  including  his  lady  love,  the  romantic  Edith  Fricker. 
In  this  hope,  however,  he  was  disappointed.  The  only  benefit 
which  fiobert  Southey  derived  from  this  expedition,  was  a  know- 
ledge of  the  Spanish  and  Portuguese  languages,  which  exercised 
a  great  influence  subsequently  upon  the  choice  of  his  literary  under- 
takings. When  the  six  months  were  expired,  he  returned  to 
England,  where,  for  a  time,  he  attempted  the  profi9«siQB  of  tho 


of  the  lalte  Boberi  Sowthey.  87 

kw,  With  what  success  he  himself  sfeJl  tell.  In  December  1799, 
Jtftet  a  two  years'*  trial  to  reconcile  himself  to  a  study  against 
which  the  whole  bent  of 'his  mind  rebelled,  he  writes  to  his 
fiiend  Grosvcfiior : 

"  In  my  present  state,  to  attempt  to  undergo  the  confinement  of  legal 
application  were  actual  suicide.  I  am  anxious  to  be  vreW,  and  to 
attempt  the  profession:  much  in  it  I  shall  never  do:  sometimes  my 
prilicipies  stand  in  my  way,  sometimes  the  want  of  readiness  which  1 
felt  from  the  fltst — a  want  which  I  always  kiiow  in  company,  and  never 
m  solitude  arid  silence,  tlowheit  I  will  Inake  the  attempt ;  hut  mark 
yoti,  if  by  stage  writing,  or  any  other  writing,  1  can  acquire  indepen- 
deaee^  1  will  not  make  the  sacrifice  of  happiness  it  will  inevitably  cost 
tfe.  I  love  the  country,  I  love  study — devotedly  I  love  it;  but  in 
legal  sCadie»  it  is  only  the  subtlety  of  the  mind  that  is  exercised. 
However,  I  need  not  philippicise,  and  it  is  too  late  to  veer  about.  In 
'96  I  might  have  chosen  physic,  and  succeeded  in  it.  I  caught  at  the 
first  plank,  and  missed  the  great  mast  in  my  reach ;  perhaps  I  may 
enable  myself  to  swim  by  and  by.  Grosvenor,  I  have  nothing  of  what 
tbe  world  calls  ambition.  I  never  thought  it  possible  that  1  could  be  a 
great  lawyer  ;  I  should  as  soon  expect  to  be  the  man  in  the  moon.  My 
news  are  bounded — my  hopes  to  an  income  of  500/.  a  year,  of  which  I 
could  lay  by  half  to  effect  my  escape  with.     Possibly  the  stage  may 

exceed  this I  am  not  indolent;  I  loathe  indolence;  hiit,  indeed, 

reading  law  is  laborious  indolence — it  is  thrashing  straw.  I  have  read, 
and  read*  and  read ;  but  the  devil  a  bit  can  I  remember.  I  have  given 
sll  possible  attention,  and  attempted  to  command  volition.  No !  The 
eye  read,  the  lips  pronounced,  I  understood  and  re-read  it ;  it  was  very 
clear ;  I  remembered  the  page,  the  sentence, — but  close  the  book,  and 
all  was  gori^ !  Yfeih  1  an  independent  man,  even  on  less  than  I  now 
{K)sse8s,  1  should  long  since  have  made  the  blessed  bonfire,  and  rejoiced 
that  I  was  free  and  contented.*'— Vol.  ii.  pp.  33,  34. 

In  thte  following  spring,  his  medical  advisers  enjoined  change  of 
climate,  and  he  gladly  accepted  an  invitation  from  his  uncle  to 
pay  another  visit  to  rortugal,  during  which  he  finally  abandoned 
the  idea  of  following  the  legal  profession,  and  gave  himself  up  to 
the  pursuit  for  which  natm^e  appeared  to  have  intended,  and  to 
which  circumstances  had  moulded  him,  the  pursuit  of  literature, 
for  its  own  sake,  and  as  his  only  profession. 

Before  we  proceed  to  follow  him  in  that  career  which,  as  being 
suited  to  his  taste,  he  pursued  with  a  steadiness  of  application 
rarely  to  be  met  tvith  in  th^  history  of  literary  genius,  it  is  proper 
that  we  should  advert  to  certaiit  redeenfimg  features  in  the  cha- 
racter of  the  yotr^  man,  Whose  sttMigety  erratic  course  we  Hafve 
thus  f^  trttced,     ftt  the  mWst  of  ther  inst^ilit^  of  |)urpose  with 


88  The  Life  and  Correspondence 

which  he  applied  himself,  or  rather  failed  to  apply  himself,  to 
those  studies  which,  according  to  the  intention  of  his  relatives, 
were  to  have  opened  the  door  to  his  advancement  in  life,  he  con- 
tinued to  toil  in  the  employment  which  was  congenial  to  his  mind 
with  the  most  persevering  energy,and  that  in  spite  of  the  barrenness 
of  the  pursuit  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view.     His  refusal  to  enter 
into  holy  orders  proceeded  from  the  most  conscientious  feelings, 
and  not,  as  the  sequel  proves,  from  any  captious  objection  against 
the  Church  or  her  doctrines.     He  felt  himself,  most  unaffectedly, 
disqualified   for   an  office  which  he    regarded  with    becoming 
reverence.     From  his  participation  in  the  schemes  of  Pantiso- 
cracy  he  withdrew  as  soon  as  his  eyes  were  opened  to  their  im- 
practicable nature,  and  even  during  the  time  that  the  plans  were  in 
agitation,  he  never  ceased  to  employ  himself  usefully,  as  far  as  he 
had  the  opportunity.   When  his  fortunes  were  at  the  lowest  ebb— 
at  one  time  he  was  so  far  reduced  that  he  actually  went  without 
a  dinner  for  want  of  a  sixpence  to  pay  for  the  scantiest  meal — ^he 
sustained  his  privations  with  honourable  fortitude,  and  exerted 
himself  manfully  to  retrieve  his  fallen  fortunes.     A  deep  sense  of 
rectitude,  and  an  anxious  desire  to  settle  down  to  some  occupa- 
tion which  should  be  at  once  suitable  to  his  talents  and  conducive 
to  his  support,  pervaded  his  conduct ;  and  while  we  may  justly 
censure  many  of  the  opinions  he  entertained,  and  be  unable  to 
suppress  a  smile  at  vain  aspirations  of  mingled  enthusiasm  and 
inexperience,  or  to  withhold  our  pity  from  the  fruitless  efforts  which 
he  made  to  accommodate  himself  to  uncongenial  employments, 
we  never  lose  our  respect  for  him,  because  he  never,  for  a  moment, 
lost  his  self-respect.     The  disapprobation  which  some  parts  of  his 
course  are  calculated  to  excite,  is  ever  qualified,  on  the  one  hand, 
by  the  consideration  that  the  fruit  was  far  less  evil  than  such  an 
education  as  he  had  received  might  have  led  us  to  expect ;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  by  the  evidence  which  his  subsequent  career 
affords  of  his  having  been  unconsciously  guided  all  through  by  a 
correct  instinct  to  that  which,  after  all,  was  his  true  vocation.    It 
is  in  this  light  that  he  himself  viewed,  in  after  life,  a  period  of  his 
existence  on  which  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  look  back  with 
satisfaction.     Writing  to  Chaunsey  H.  Townsend,  he  observes: 

"  The  stages  of  your  life  have  passed  regularly  and  happily,  so 
that  you  have  had  leisure  to  mark  them  with  precision,  and  to  feel  them, 
and  reflect  upon  them.  With  me  these  transitions  were  of  a  very 
different  character ;  they  came  abruptly,  and,  when  I  left  the  Univer- 
sity, it  was  to  cast  myself  upon  the  world,  with  a  heart  full  of  romance, 
and  a  head  full  of  enthusiasm.  No  young  man  could  have  gone  more 
widely  astray,  according  to  all  human  judgment ;  and  yet  the  soundest 
judgment  could  not  have  led  me  into  any  other  way  of  life  in  which 


of  the  late  Robert  J^mthey.  89 

I  should  have  had  sach  full  cause  to  be  contented  and  thankful.'* — 
Vol.  V.  p.  78. 

The  view  which  we  have  taken  of  this  portion  of  Southey's 
eareer,  is  confirmed  by  the  honourable  testimony  borne  to  the 
blameless  excellency  of  his  character,  by  his  uncle,  the  Rev. 
Herbert  Hill,  on  his  return  to  England  from  his  first  visit  to 
Lisbon ;  a  testimony  which  can  hardly  bo  suspected  of  partiality, 
seeing  how  completely  his  nephew  had  at  that  very  time  dis- 
appointed his  almost  parental  solicitude : — 

"  '  He  is  a  very  good  scholar/  he  writes  to  a  friend,  *  of  great  read- 
ing, of  an  astonishing  memory :  when  he  speaks  he  does  it  with  fluency, 
with  a  great  choice  of  words.  He  is  perfectly  correct  in  his  behaviour, 
of  the  most  exemplary  morals,  and  the  best  of  hearts.  Were  his  charac- 
ter different,  or  his  abilities  not  so  extraordinary,  I  should  be  the  less 
concerned  about  him ;  but  to  see  a  young  man  of  such  talents  as  he 
possesses,  by  the  misapplication  of  them,  lost  to  himself  and  to  his 
family,  is  what  hurts  me  very  sensibly.  In  short,  he  has  every  thing 
you  would  wish  a  young  man  to  have,  excepting  common  sense  or 
pradence.'  "—Vol.  i.  pp.  273,  274. 

One  part  of  his  conduct  at  the  period  of  his  life  to  which  this 
testuBony  more  particularly  applies,  has  called  forth  a  greater 
diversity  of  judgment  than  almost  any  other  passage  of  his  life, 
certainly  than  any  other  part  of  his  private  history, — his  clandes- 
tine marriage  with  Edith  Fricker,  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for 
Lisbon  on  the  urgent  invitation  of  his  uncle.  As  a  question  of 
ethics,  the  case  was  one  of  conflicting  duties,  and  as  such  it  must 
be  viewed,  in  order  to  form  a  fair  judgment  upon  it.  The  con- 
cealment from  his  uncle,  whom  he  had  already  so  grievously 
disappointed  by  the  unprofitable  issue  of  his  college  career, 
and  who  was  at  this  very  time  taking  pains  to  extricate  him  from 
a  position  full  of  emba,rrassments,  was  no  doubt  blamable,  and 
must  to  Southey  himself  have  been  not  a  little  painful.  At  the 
same  time,  the  difficulty  in  which  he  was  placed  was  not  small. 
To  have  shaken  off*  his  engagement  with  Edith  Fricker,  would 
have  been  highly  dishonourable,  and  wholly  unjustifiable,  as  there 
was  nothing,  beyond  her  poverty,  tliat  rendered  an  alliance  with 
her  improper  or  undesirable.  Southey  himself  was  the  son  of 
a  linendraper,  who  had  become  bankrupt;  marriage  with  the 
daughter  of  a  large  sugar-pan  manufacturer,  whom  the  war  had 
ruined,  and  whose  orphan  family  had  been  left  in  a  state  of 
poverty,  in  which  they  did  the  best  they  could  for  their  own 
maintenance  by  honourable  industry,  could  hardly  be  called  a  mes- 
alliance. He  became  acquainted  with  Edith  through  his  college 
friend  Lovell,  who  had  married  one  of  the  sisters,  and  the  ac* 


90  The  Ufi  and  (hrmptmdence 

qua]nbinc6  appears  to  have  ripened  into  mutual  affection,  al^  h 
positive  engagement,  some  time  before  the  Susquehanna  scheme 
was  brought  on  the  tapis ;  he  neither  offered  himself,  nor  was  he 
accepted  in  the  off-hand  manner  in  which  Samuel  Taylor  Gcde- 
ridge  convinced  a  third  sister,  Sarah,  that  she  ought  to  bestdw 
kev  heart  and  hand  upon  him ;  and  the  whole  of  Southey^a  sub- 
flequent  conduct,  the  readiness  with  which  he  saddled  himself  with 
the  widow  of  his  friend  Lovell,  and  with  the  worse  than  widow 
and  orphan,  of  the  magnificent  Coleridge,  as  well  as  the  long  life 
of  uninterrupted  domestic  happiness,  clouded  only  by  such  affi(>- 
tions  as  the  Great  Disposer  of  all  things  saw  fit  to  lay  upoii  them 
— may  well  be  accepted  as  evidence  that  the  clandestine  marriage 
resolved  upon  at  a  most  critical  moment,  was  not  an  ill-advised 
step  taken  under  the  influence  of  rash  and  ungovernable  passions^ 
but  the  performance  of  a  duty  which  could  not  honourably  have 
been  omitted  or  postponed.  At  least,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
there  were  many  considerations  which  might  justly  lead  Southey 
to  regard  the  matter  in  this  light.  The  day  fixed  by  hitn  for  tlm 
romantic  wedding  was  the  day  on  Which  it  waa  appointed  that  he 
should  sail  for  Lisbon  with  his  uncle.  Immediately  after  the 
ceremony  had  been  performed,  they  parted,  and  Edith  Fricker 
wore  her  wedding-ring  suspended  round  her  neck,  and  preserved 
her  maiden  name,  until  rumour  gave  publicity  to  the  unioti.  Of 
his  feelinffs  on  the  occasion,  Southey  thus  writes  in  confidence  to 
Us  friend  Bedford  :-  ^ 

"  *  Here  I  am,  in  a  huge  and  handsome  mansion,  not  a  finer  room  in 
the  county  of  Cornwall  than  the  one  in  which  I  write ;  and  yet  have 
I  been  silent,  and  retired  into  the  secret  cell  of  my  own  heart.  This 
day  week,  Bedford !  There  is  a  something  in  Uie  bare  name  that  is  now 
mine,  that  wakens  sentiments  I  know  not  how  to  describe :  neyei^  did 
man  stand  at  the  altar  with  such  strange  feelings  as  I  did.  Can  you, 
Grosvenor,  by  any  effort  of  imagination,  shadow  out  my  emotion  ?  .  .  . 
She  returned  the  pressure  of  my  hand,  and  we  parted  in  silence. — 
Zounds  I  what  have  f  to  do  with  supper !  *  " — Vol.  i.  p.  255. 

The  considerations  by  which  he  was  indiTced  to  act  as  he 
did,  he  thu»  explained  to  his  friend  Cottle,  on  hearing  that  the 
secret  had  oozed  out : — 

**  *  My  marriage  is  become  public.  You  know  my  only  motive  for 
wishing  it  otherwise,  and  must  know  that  its  publicity  can  give  me  no 
concern.  I  have  done  my  duty.  Perhaps  you  may  hardly  think  my 
motives  for  marrying  at  that  time  sufficiently  strong.  One,  and  that  to 
me  orf  great  Weight,  I  believe  was  never  mentioned  to  you.  There  miglit 
have  arisen  feelings  of  an  unpleasant  nature,  at  the  idea  of  receiving 
support  from  one  not  legally  a  husband ;  and  (do  ^o^  show  this  to 


ofihe  hie  Boberi  8(mS^.  91 

KVth)  sbould  I  perish  by  shipwreck,  or  any  other  CMiiahy,  I  have 
Njttioiis  whose  prejudices  would  then  yield  to  the  angaish  of  affection, 
tlid  who  woald  loye^  cherish,  and  yield  all  possible  consolation  to  my 
widow.  Of  such  an  evil  there  is  but  a  possibility  :  but  against  pos* 
ability  it  was  my  doty  to  guard.'  "— ^Yol.  i.  p.  258. 

We  have  been  thus  particular  in  regard  to  this  transaction, 
^  because  we  think  that  tne  commencement  bf  a  wedded  life,  which 
DO  other  shadows  ever  darkened,  except  those  which  the  hand  of  a 
loving  Father,  chastening  in  mercy,  cast  over  it,  at  intervals  by 
bereavements,  and  at  the  close  by  a  still  sadder  affliction,  deserves 
to  be  rescued  from  an  obloquy  which  has  been  thoughtlessly 
thrown  upon  it,  upon  an  insufficient  view  of  the  bearing  of  the 
transaction.  There  can  be  no  doubt  in  the  mind  of  any  impartial 
person,  that  on  this,  as  on  every  important  occasion  in  the  course  of 
his  lifb,  Southey  acted  upon  the  most  conscientious  motives,  and 
that,  if  he  committed  any  error,  it  was  one  of  judgment  and  not  of 
the  heart.  What  the  world  calls  imprudent,  was  never  so  con* 
Hdered,  at  least  never  eschewed  as  such,  by  him,  if  it  was  demanded 
by  any  deep  and  generous  feeling  of  the  heart.  Let  him  be  con- 
TOced  that  a  thing  was  in  itself  right  and  proper  to  be  done,  and 
he  would  at  once  proceed  to  do  it  without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
— snch  was  his  reliance  on  the  correctness  of  his  moral  sense, 
such  the  independence  of  his  character,  and,  in  justice  to  him 
we  must  add,  his  firm  faith  in  the  good  providence  of  God, 
which,  he  never  for  a  moment  doubted,  was  sure  to  prosper  the 
right  and  the  generous  course.  Of  this,  many  proofs  are  scattered 
up  and  down  through  his  life.  It  was  the  greatness  of  the  man, 
as  much  as  his  peculiarity,  that  he  felt  his  way  to  what  was  right, 
with  a  nice  and  exceedingly  sensitive  moral  instinct,  and  acted 
upon  his  convictions,  regardless  of  all  inferior  and  selfish  consider- 
ations, with  the  boldness  of  a  lion,  and  with  a  trust  in  Grod  which 
nothing  could  shake. 

At  no  time  would  he,  to  serve  any  selfish  or  mercenary  pur- 
pose of  his  own,  swerve  from  that  which  in  his  opinion  was 
the  right  path.  If  the  sentiments  which  he  advocated  were  not  at 
all  periods  of  his  life  the  same,  it  was  because  his  convictions  had 
undergone  a  change.  There  never  was  a  more  unfounded  charge 
than  that  which  party  spirit  has  brought  against  Southey,  that 
he  was  bought  over  to  the  opinions  of  which  in  his  later  years  he 
was  the  champion.  The  letters  now  published,  written  from 
time  to  time  in  the  intimacy  of  friendship,  not  only  account  for  all 
the  alterations  in  his  views  in  the  most  natural  manner,  but 
contain,  moreover,  many  proofs  of  the  extent  to  which  he  kept 
himself  independent  even  of  the  party  with  whose  general  views 
he  coincidlBd,  and  ki  whose  service  seemingly  he  wrote. 


92  The  Life  and  Correspondence 

The  accusation  is  the  more  ridiculous,  as  he  never  obtained  an 
substantial  reward  at  all  adequate  to  the  eminent  services  which 
he  rendered  to  that  party  with  whose  sentiments  his  own  happened 
to  coincide.  Neither  the  small  pension  of  1 60?.,  which  he  ob- 
tained at  an  early  period,  and  by  which  he  was  hardly  a  gainer, 
as  he  resigned  for  it  the  allowance  generously  made  him  by  hisfc 
friend  Wynn,  nor  the  paltry  100?.  or  120?.,  which  formed  theF 
remuneration  of  the  Laureateship^  can  by  the  most  malignant  be 
tortured  into  a  bribe  sufficient  to  purchase  a  man  of  Southey'*s 
calibre,  supposing  him  to  have  been  as  crouching  and  venal  as  he 
was  upright  and  incorruptible.  As  to  the  increase  to  his  pension 
bestowed  on  him  in  his  61st  year,  at  the  recommendation  of  Sir 
Robert  Peel,  the  grant  of  it  was  preceded  and  accompanied  by 
circumstJmces  which,  more  than  any  thing  else,  prove  how  com- 
pletely superior  Southey  was  to  all  those  lures  by  which  men 
are  captivated  and  enslaved  in  the  political  world.  But  this 
part  of  his  story  had  better  be  told  by  Mr.  Charles  Cuthbert 
nimself : — 

**  One  morning,  shortly  after  the  letters  had  arrived,  he  called  me 
into  his  study.  '  You  will  be  surprised/  he  said,  '  to  hear  that  Sir 
Robert  Peel  has  recommended  me  to  the  King  for  the  distinction  of  a 
baronetcy,  and  you  will  probably  feel  some  disappointment  when  I  tell 
you  that  I  shall  not  accept  it,  and  this  more  on  your  account  than  on 
my  own.  I  think,  however,  that  you  will  be  satisfied  I  do  so  for  good 
and  wise  reasons;'  and  he  then  read  to  me  the  following  letters,  and 
his  reply  to  them." 

Sir  Robert  Peel  to  R,  Southey,  Esq, 

"  Whitehall  Gardens,  Feb.  1,  1835. 
**  My  dear  Sir, — I  have  offered  a  recommendation  to  the  King  (the 
first  of  the  kind  which  I  have  offered),  which,  although  it  concerns  you 
personally,  concerns  also  high  public  interests,  so  important  as  to  dis- 
pense with  the  necessity  on  my  part  of  that  previous  reference  to  indi- 
vidual feelings  and  wishes,  which,  in  an  ordinary  case,  I  should  have 
been  bound  to  make.  I  have  advised  the  King  to  adorn  the  distinction 
of  baronetage  with  a  name  the  most  eminent  in  literature,  and  which  has 
claims  to  respect  and  honour  which  literature  alone  can  never  confer. 

**  The  King  has  most  cordially  approved  of  my  proposal  to  his  Ma- 
jesty ;  and  I  do  hope  that,  however  indifferent  you  may  be  personally 
to  a  compliment  of  this  kind,  however  trifling  it  is  when  compared  with 
the  real  titles  to  fame  which  you  have  established, — I  do  hope  that 
you  will  permit  a  mark  of  royal  favour  to  be  conferred  in  your  person 
upon  the  illustrious  community  of  which  you  are  the  head, 
**  Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  with  the  sincerest  esteem, 

"  Most  faithfully  yours, 

"  Robert  Peel." 

'*  This  was  accompanied  with  another  letter  marked  private. 


ofth  late  Bohert  SautJiey.  93' 

Sir  Robert  Peel  to  R,  Soulhey  Esq, 

"  Whitehall,  Feb.  1,  1835* 

^"^""  My  dear  Sir, — I  am  sure,  when  there  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 

ity  of  the  motive  and  intention,  there  can  be  no  reason  for  seeking 

lirect  channels  of  communication  in  preference  to  direct  ones.     Will 

tell  me,  -without  reserve,  whether  the  possession  of  power  puts 

iin  my  reach  the  means  of  doing  any  thing  which  can  be  serviceable 

acceptable  to  you ;  and  whether  you  will  allow  me  to  find  some 

ipensation  for  the  many  heavy  sacrifices  which  office  imposes  upon 

in  the  opportunity  of  marking  my  gratitude  as  a  public  man,  for  the 

kinent  services  you  have  rendered,  not  only  to  literature,  but  to  the 

1  H^her  interests  of  virtue  and  religion  ? 

"  I  write  hastily,  and  perhaps  abruptly,  but  I  write  to  one  to  whom 
feel  it  would  be  almost  unbecoming  to  address  elaborate  and  ceremo- 
LOQS  expressions,  and  who  will  prefer  to  receive  the  declaration  of 
lendly  intentions  in  the  simplest  language. 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  with  true  respect, 
"  Most  faithfully  yours, 
1 J  "  Robert  Peel. 

P.S. — I  believe  your  daughter  is  married  to  a  clergyman  of  great 
ofl  "Worth,  and,  perhaps^  I  cannot  more  effectually  promote  the  object  of 
[  J  this  letter  than  by  attempting  to  improve  his  professional  situation. 
ji«  You  cannot  gratify  me  more  than  by  writing  to  me  with  the  same  un- 
v^    reserve  with  which  I  have  written  to  you." 

^  Robert  Southey,  Esq.  to  Sir  Robert  Peel. 

"  Keswick,  Feb.  3,  1835. 
"  Dear  Sir, — No  communications  have  ever  surprised  me  so  much  as 
those  which  I  have  this  day  the  honour  of  receiving  from  you.  I  may 
truly  say,  also,  that  none  have  ever  gratified  me  more,  though  they 
rcl  make  me  feel  how  difiicult  it  is  to  serve  any  one  who  is  out  of  the  way 
^1  of  fortune.  An  unreserved  statement  of  my  condition  will  be  the  fittest 
^^1    and  most  respectful  reply. 

ff I       "I  have  a  pension  of  200/.  conferred  upon  me  through  the  good 
offices  of  my  old  friend  and  benefactor,  Charles  W.  Wynn,  when  Lord 
Grenville  went  out  of  office ;  and  I  have  the  Laureateship.     The  salary 
of  the  latter  was  immediately  appropriated,  as  far  as  it  went,  to  a  life 
insurance  for  3000/.     This,  with  an  earlier  insurance  for  1000/.,  is  the 
whole  provision  that  I  have  made  for  my  family ;  and  whdt  remains  of 
the  pension  after  the  annual  payments  are  made,  is  the  whole  of  my 
certain  income.     All  beyond  must  be  derived  from  ray  own  industry. 
Writing  for  a  livelihood,  a  livelihood  is  all  that  I  have  gained ;  for 
having  also  something  better  in  view,  and  therefore  never  having  courted 
popularity,  nor  written  for  the  mere  sake  of  gain,  it  has  not  been  pos- 
sible for  me  to  lay  by  any  thing.     Last  year,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
life,  I  was  provided  with  a  year's  expenditure  beforehand.     This  expo- 
sition might  sufiSce  to  show  how  utterly  unbecoming  and  unwise  it 
would  be  to  accept  the  rank,  which,  so  greatly  to  my  \io\io\xT^  -^qvxV^n^ 


}. 

% 


94  The^  Life  and  Correspondence 

solicited  for  me,  and  which  his  Majesty  would  so  graciously  have  con,- 
ferred.     But  the  tone  of  your  letter  encourages  me  to  say  more. 

*<  My  life  insurances  have  increased  in  value.  With  these,  the  pro- 
duce of  my  library,  my  papers,  and  a  posthumous  edition  of  my  woikv 
there  will  probably  be  12,000/.  for  my  family  at  my  decease.  Qook 
fortune,  with  great  exertions  on  the  part  of  my  surviving  friends,  mi|^ 
possibly  extend  this  to  15,000/.,  beyond  which  I  do  not  dream  of  say 
fbrther  possibility.  I  had  bequeathed  the  whole  to  my  wife,  to  be  ^ 
vidcd  ultimately  between  our  four  children ;  and  having  thus  provided 
for  them,  no  man  could  have  been  more  contented  with  his  lot,  noi 
more  thankful  to  that  Providence  on  whose  especial  blessing  he  knew 
that  he  was  constantly,  and  as  it  were  immediately,  dependent  for  hii 
daily  bread. 

"  But  the  confidence  which  I  used  to  feel  in  myself  is  now  foiling. 
I  was  young,  in  health  and  heart,  on  my  last  birth-day,  when  I  com- 
pleted my  sixtieth  year.  Since  then  I  have  been  shaken  at  the  root 
It  has  pleased  God  to  visit  me  with  the  severest  of  all  domestic  afiiio- 
tions,  those  alone  excepted  into  which  guilt  enters.  My  wife,  a  true 
helpmate  as  ever  man  was  blessed  with,  lost  her  senses  a  few  months 
ago.  She  is  now  in  a  lunatic  asylum ;  and  broken  sleep,  and  anxious 
thoughts,  from  which  there  is  no  escape  in  the  night  season,  have  made 
me  feel  how  more  than  possible  it  is  that  a  sudden  stroke  may  deprivt 
me  of  those  faculties,  by  the  exercise  of  which  this  poor  family  has 
hitherto  been  supported.  Even  in  the  event  of  my  death,  their  con* 
dition  would,  by  our  recent  calamity,  be  materially  altered  for  the  worse 5 
but  if  1  were  rendered  helpless,  all  our  available  means  would  procure 
only  a  respite  from  actual  distress. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  your  letter.  Sir,  would  in  other  times 
have  encouraged  me  to  ask  for  such  an  increase  of  pension  as  might 
relieve  me  from  anxiety  on  this  score.  Now  that  lay  sinecures  are  in 
fact  abolished,  there  is  no  other  way  by  which  a  man  can  be  served, 
who  has  no  profession  wherein  to  be  promoted,  and  whom  any  official 
situation  would  take  fro^i  the  only  employment  for  which  the  studies 
and  the  habits  of  forty  years  have  qualified  him.  This  way,  I  an 
aware,  is  not  now  to  be  thought  of,  unless  it  were  practicable  as  par! 
of  a  plan  for  the  encouragement  of  literature ;  but  to  such  a  p^an  per- 
haps these  times  might  not  be  unfavourable. 

"  The  length  of  this  communication  would  require  an  apology,  if  iti 
substance  could  have  been  compressed;  but  on  such  an  occasion  it 
seemed  a  duty  to  say  what  I  have  said ;  nor,  indeed,  should  I  deservi 
the  kindness  which  you  have  expressed,  if  I  did  not  explicitly  declare 
how  thankful  I  should  be  to  profit  by  it. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 
"  With  the  sincerest  respect, 

"  Your  most  faithful  and  obliged  servant, 

"  Robert  Southet.' 

<*  YottBg  as  I  then  was,  I  could  not,  without  tears^  hear  him  les^ 
with  hi»  deep  and  faltering  voice,  his  wise  refusal  and  touching  exprea 


iff  the  late  lUhn  BmA^.  9S 

fJOB  of  tboia  fiedkigB  and  fears  he  liad  never  before  given  utterance  to, 
>  anj  of  bif  own  femilj*  Aqd  if  any  leelingt  of  f egret  ooeatiooally 
<P)e  orer  my  mind  tbat  be  did  not  accept  tbe  proffered  bonour,  wbicb, 
Iffaoqnired  and  so  conferred,  any  man  migbt  justly  be  proud  to  bave 
Ueritedy  tbe  remembrance  at  wbat  a  time  and  under  what  circum- 
4li|o^  it  was  offerad,  and  the  feeling  what  a  mockery  honours  of  tbat 
l(ipd  would  bare  been  to  a  family  so  afflicted,  and«  I  may  add,  bow 
iQsnitable  tb^y  would  be  to  my  own  position  and  very  straitened 
Vesni^  make  m^  quickly  feel  bow  justly  he  judged,  and  bow  prudently 
lie  acted.*"— Vol,  vi.  pp.  253 — ^259. 

The  statement  of  his  circumstances,  which  Southey  had  thus 
unreservedly  made,  remained  not  long  unregarded.  Two  months 
after  Sir  Bobert  Peel  thus  writes : — 

Sir  Robert  Pe€l  to  R.  Soulkey^  ^sq. 

*<  Whitehall,  April  4,  1835. 

**  My  dear  Sir, — I  have  resolved  to  apply  the  miserable  pittance  at 
the  disposal  of  the  Crown,  on  the  Civil  List  Pension  Fund,  altogether. 
to  the  reward  and  encouragement  of  literary  exertions.  I  do  this  on 
pnblic  grounds :  and  much  more  with  the  view  of  establishing  a  prin- 
ciple, than  in  the  hope,  with  such  limited  means,  of  being  enabled  to 
confer  any  benefit  upon  those  whom  I  shall  name  to  the  Crown — worthy 
of  tbe  Crown,  or  commensurate  with  their  claims. 

"  I  have  just  had  the  satisfaction  of  attaching  my  name  to  a  warrant 
which  wiU  add  300/.  annually  to  the  amount  of  your  existing  pension. 
You  will  see  in  the  position  of  public  affairs  a  sufficient  reason  for  my 
liaving  done  this  without  delay,  and  without  previous  communication 
with  you. 

"  I  trust  you  can  have  no  difficulty  in  sanctioning  what  I  have  done 
with  your  consent,  as  I  have  acted  on  your  own  suggestion,  and  granted 
the  pensions  on  a  public  principle — the  recognition  of  literary  and  sci- 
eDtific  eminence  as  a  public  claim.  The  other  persons  to  whom  I  have 
addressed  myself  on  this  subject  are — Professor  Airey  of  Cambridge* 
the  first  of  living  mathematicians  and  astronomers — the  first  of  this 
country  at  least, — Mrs.  Somerville,  Sharon  Turner,  and  James  Mont- 
gomery of  Sheffield. 

^  Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir^ 

"  Most  &ithfiilly  yours, 

"  Robert  P«bl."— Vol.  vi.  p.  263. 

With  the  same  unambitious  simplicity  Southey  had,  nine 
years  before,  refused  the  offer  to  bring  him  into  Parliament,  and 
provide  him  with  a  qualification,  made  to  him  under  eircumstanees 
the  most  honourable  to  both  parties.  He  was  travelling  in  Hol- 
land, when  ojp  his  way  home  through  Brussels  a  report  reached  him 
of  lus  having  been  returned  to  Parliament ;  and  on  his  arrival  in 
town  he  iTound  the  following  document  waiting  for  him ; — 


.; 


96  The  Life  and  Correspondence 

"  July  10, 1826. 

**  A  zealous  admirer  of  the  British  Constitution  in  Church  and  State, 
being  generally  pleased  with  Mr.  Southey's  •  Book  of  the  Church,'  and 
professing  himself  quite  delighted  with  the  summary  *  on  the  last  page 
of  that  work,  and  entertaining  no  doubt  that  the  writer  of  that  page 
really  felt  what  he  wrote,  and,  consequently,  would  be  ready,  if  he  bad 
an  opportunity,  to  support  the  sentiments  there  set  forth,  has  therefore 
been  anxious  that  Mr.  Southcy  should  have  a  seat  in  the  ensuing  Par- 
liament ;  and  having  a  little  interest,  has  so  managed  that  he  is  at  this  |^ 
moment  in  possession  of  that  seat  under  this  single  injunction  : — 

"  Ut  sustineat  firmiter,  strenue  et  continuo,  quae  ipse  bene  docait 
esse  sustinenda.**— Vol.  v.  p.  261. 

The  offer  came,  as  was  afterwards  discovered,  from  Lord  Rad- 
nor, to  whom  Southey  was  an  entire  stranger.  The  light  in 
which  he  regarded  it,  is  recorded  by  himself,  in  a  letter  to  a 
mutual  friend,  Mr.  Richard  White : — 

"  Our  first  impulses  in  matters  which  involve  any  question  of  moral 
importance,  are,  I  believe,  usually  right.  Three  days  allowed  for  ma- 
ture consideration,  have  confirmed  roe  in  mine.  A  seat  in  Parlia- 
ment is  neither  consistent  with  my  circumstances,  inclinations,  habits, 
or  pursuits  in  life.  The  return  is  null,  because  I  hold  a  pension  of 
200/.  a-year  during  pleasure.  And  if  there  were  not  this  obstacle, 
there  would  be  the  want  of  a  qualification.  That  pension  is  my  only 
certain  income ;  and  the  words  of  the  oath  (which  I  have  looked  at) 
are  too  unequivocal  for  me  to  take  them  upon  such  grounds  as  are 
sometimes  supplied  for  such  occasions. 

"  For  these  reasons,  which  are  and  must  be  conclusive,  the  course  is 
plain.  When  Parliament  meets  a  new  writ  must  be  moved  for,  the 
election  as  relating  to  myself  being  null.  I  must  otherwise  have  ap* 
plied  for  the  Chiltem  Hundreds. 

"  It  is,  however,  no  inconsiderable  honour  to  have  been  so  distin- 
guished. This  I  shall  always  feel ;  and  if  1  do  not  express  imme- 
diately to  your  friend  my  sense  of  the  obligation  he  has  conferred  upon 
me,  it  is  not  from  any  want  of  thankfulness,  but  from  a  doubt  how  far 

*  The  foUoTring  is  the  concluding  passage  in  the  Book  of  the  Church  here  re- 
ferred to : — **  From  the  time  of  the  Revolution  the  Churdi  of  England  has  partaken 
of  the  stability  and  secority  of  the  State.  Here,  therefore,  I  terminate  this  cum- 
pcndious,  but  faithful,  view  of  its  rise,  progress,  and  political  struggles.  It  has 
rescued  us,  first,  from  heathenism,  then  from  papal  idolatry  and  superstition  ;  it 
has  saved  ns  from  temporal  as  well  as  'spiritual  despotism.  We  owe  to  it  our 
moral  and  intellectual  character  as  a  nation  ;  much  of  onr  private  happiness,  mn^ 
of  our  public  strength.  Whatever  should  weaken  it,  would,  in  the  same  degree, 
injure  the  common  weal ;  whatever  should  overthrow  it,  woukl,  in  sure  and  imme- 
diate consequence,  bring  down  the  goodly  fabric  of  tliat  constitution,  whereof  it  is 
a  constituent  and  necessary  pari.  If  the  friends  <^  the  constitution  nnderstand  this 
as  deariy  as  its  enemi«s»  and  act  upon  it  as  consistentiy  and  as  actively,  then  will 
the  Church  and  State  be  safe,  and  with  them  the  liberty  and  pxo^mty  of  our 
eountry." 


ofihe  late  Soiert  Scnahiy.  97 

it  might  be  proper  to  reply  to  an  unsigned  commnnication.  May  I 
therefore  request  that  you  will  express  this  thankfulness  for  me,  and 
say  at  the  same  time,  that  I  trust,  in  my  own  station,  and  in  the  quiet 
pursuance  of  my  own  scheme  of  life,  hy  God's  blessing,  to  render  better 
service  to  those  institutions,  the  welfare  of  which  I  have  at  my  heart, 
than  it  would  be  possible  for  me  to  do  in  a  public  assembly.*' — Vol.  v. 
pp.  262,  263. 

So  determined  was  he  in  refusing  an  honour  which  he  had  not 
sought  and  to  which  he  considered  that  he  had  no  claim,  that  all  the 
entreaties  of  his  family  could  not  prevail  on  him  to  write  even  one 
single  frank,  as  an  autograph  memorial  of  his  membership,  though 
he  continued  nominally  the  member  for  Downton  from  July  to 
November,  In  the  latter  month  he  thus  writes  on  the  subject  to 
Sharon  Turner : — 

"  On  Wednesday  next  I  shall  write  to  the  Speaker,  and  lay  down 

my  M. P. -ship.     No  temptation  that  could  have  been  offered  would 

have  induced  me  to  sacrifide  the  leisure  and  tranquillity  of  a  studious 

and  private  life*     Free  from  ambition  I  cannot  pretend  to  be,  but  what 

ambition  I  have  is  not  of  an  ordinary  kind  :*  rank,  and  power,  and  office 

I  would  decline  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  were  they  proffered  for 

my  acceptance ;  and  for  riches,  if  I  ever  perceive  the  shadow  of  a  wish 

for  them,  it  is  not  for  their  own  sake,  but  as  they  would  facilitate  my 

pursuits,  and  render  locomotion  less  inconvenient.     The  world,  thank 

God,  has  little  hold  on  me.     I  would  fain  persuade  myself  that  even 

the  desire  of  posthumous  fame  is  now  only  the  hope  of  instilling  sound 

opinions  into  others^  and  scattering  the  seeds  of  good.     All  else  I  have 

outlived."— Vol.  v.  pp.  271,  272. 

It  was  not  a  very  unnatural  effect  of  Southey^s  conscientious 
reluctance  to  accept  the  offer  thus  made  him,  that  those  who  had 
taken  an  interest  in  his  election  should  be  all  the  more  intent 
upon  bringing  such  a  man  into  the  House.  Accordingly  we  find 
that  the  proposal  was  renewed  in  a  yet  more  tempting  form. 
Southey  at  the  beginning  of  December  thus  writes  to  Bedford : — 

"  On  Wednesday,  I  received  a  note  from  Harry,  saying,  that  a  plan 
liad  been  formed  for  purchasing  a  qualification  for  me ;  that  Sir  Robert 
Inglis  had  just  communicated  this  to '  him,  and  was  then  gone  to 
Lord  R.  to  ask  him  to  keep  the  borough  open :  that  he  (Harry)  doubted 
whether  a  sufficient  subscription  could  be  raised,  but  supposed  that 
under  these  circumstances  I  should  not  refuse  the  seat;  and  desired  my 
answer  by  return  of  post,  that  he  might  be  authorized  to  say  I  would  sit 
in  Parliament  if  they  gave  me  an  estate  of  SOOL  a-year. 

"  I  rubbed  my  eyes  to  ascertain  that  I  was  awake,  and  that  this  was 
no  dream*     I  heard  Cuthbert  his  Greek  lesson,  and  read  his  Dutch  one 

VOL.  XV. ^NO.  XXIX. — MARCH,  1851.  H 


98  The  Lifo  cmd  Correspimdmice 

vfiih  him.     I  corrected  a  proof  sheet.     And  then,  the  matter  having 
had  time  to  digest,  I  wrote  in  reply,  as  follows : — 

«*  My  dear  H., 

"  An  estate  of  300/.  a-year  wonld  be  a  very  agreeable  thing  for  me, 
Robert  Lackland,  and  I  would  willingly  change  that  name  for  it:  the  oqa« 
venience,  however,  of  having  an  estate  is  not  the  question  which  I  am  called 
upon  to  determine.  It  is  (supposing  the  arrangement  possible, — ^whidi 
I  greatly  doubt),  whether  I  will  enter  into  public  life  at  an  age  when  a 
wise  man  would  begin  to  think  of  retiring  from  it ;  whether  I  will  place 
myself  in  a  situation  for  which  neither  my  habits,  nor  talents,  nor  dispo- 
sition are  suited ;  and  in  which  I  feel  and  know  it  to  be  impossible  tluit 
I  should  fulfil  the  expectations  of  those  who  would  raise  the  subscrip* 
tion.  Others  ought  to  believe  me,  and  you  will,  when  I  declare  that  m 
any  public  assembly  I  should  have  no  confidence  in  myself,  no  prompti- 
tude, none  of  that  presence  of  mind,  without  which  no  man  can  produce 
any  effect  there.  This  ought  to  be  believed,  because  I  have  them  all  when 
acting  in  my  proper  station,  and  in  my  own  way,  and  therefore  cannot 
be  supposed  to  speak  from  timidity,  nor  with  any  affectation  of  humility. 
Sir  Robert  Inglis  and  his  friends  have  the  Protestant  cause  at  heart, 
and  imagine  that  I  could  serve  it  in  Parliament.  I  have  it  at  heart 
also ;  deeply  at  heart ;  and  will  serve  it  to  the  utmost  of  my  power, 
*so  help  me  God!'  But  it  is  not  by  speaking  in  public  that  I  caa 
serve  it.  It  is  by  bringing  forth  the  knowledge  which  so  lai^e  a  part 
of  my  life  has  been  passed  in  acquiring :  by  exposing  the  real  character 
and  history  of  the  Romish  Church,  systematically  and  irrefragablj 
(which  I  can  and  will  do)  in  books  which  will  be  read  now  and  hereafter; 
which  must  make  a  part,  hereafter,  of  every  historical  library;  and 
which  will  live  and  act  when  I  am  gone.  If  I  felt  that  I  could  make 
an  impression  in  Parliament,  even  then  I  would  not  give  up  future 
utility  for  present  effect.  I  have  too  little  ambition  of  one  kind,  and 
too  much  of  another  to  make  the  sacrifice.  But  I  could  make  no  im- 
pression there.  I  should  only  disappoint  those  who  had  contributed  to 
place  me  there :  and  in  this  point  of  view  it  is  a  matter  of  prudence,  as 
well  as  in  all  others-,  of  duty,  to  hold  my  first  resolution,  and  remain 
contentedly  in  that  station  of  life  to  which  it  has  pleased  God  to  eall  me. 
If  a  seat  in  Parliament  were  made  compatible  with  my  circumatanoet, 
it  would  not  be  so  with  my  inclinations,  habits,  and  pursuits;  and 
therefore  I  must  remain  Robert  Lackland. 

•*  You  will  not  suppose  that  I  despise  300/.  a-year,  or  should  lightiy 
refuse  it.  But  I  think  you  will  feel,  upon  reflection,  that  I  have 
decided  properly,  in  refusing  to  sit  in  Parliament  under  any  eireum- 
stances.     R.  S.** — Vol.  v.  pp.  273 — 275. 

In  a  letter  of  thanks  to  Sir  R.  H.  Inglis,  for  the  share  which 
he  had  taken  in  the  business,  Southey  enters  more  fully  into  hia 

Erivate  feelings,  his  habits  of  quietness  and  retirement,  which, 
e  conceived,  unfitted  him  for  a  parliamentary  career,  and  his 


of  the  late  Boberi  Sauthey.  99 

attachment  to  his  family,  which  made  him  unwiUing  to  tear  him- 
self away  from  that  peaceful  circle,  and  to  adventmne  himself  on 
the  stormy  sea  of  public  life.  How  entirely  he  had  learnt,  by 
this  time,  to  submit  to  the  guidance  of  Providence,  in  humble 
MNitentmeiit  with  the  lot  assigned  him,  is  simply  but  touchingly 
told  in  the  following  passage  of  this  letter : 

**  That  my  way  of  life  has  been  directed  by  a  merciful  Providence,  I 
fed  and  verily  believe.  I  have  been  saved  from  all  ill  consequences  of 
error  and  temerity,  and  by  a  perilous  course  have  been  led  into  paths  of 
pleasantness  and  peace ;  a  sufficient  indication  that  I  ought  to  remain 
is  them.  Throughout  this  whole  business  I  have  never  felt  any  temp- 
tation to  depart  from  this  conviction.  I  may  be  wrong  In  many  things, 
kt  not  in  the  quiet  confidence  with  which  I  know  that  I  am  in  my 
pnq^  place.    Invent  portum ;  spes  et  fortunaf  valeUl " — Vol.  v.  p.  278. 

The  same  conscientious  feelings  which  prevented  Southey^  at 
ihe  age  of  fifty-three,  from  accepting  an  estate  and  a  seat  in 
Parliament,  decided  him,  at  an  earlier  period  of  his  life,  when  he 
was  struggling  for  existence,  and  anxious  to  procure  remunerative 
fiterary  employment,  to  decline  a  most  advantageous  offer.  He  was 
at  the  time  an  ill-paid  contributor  to  the  '^  Annual  Review'" — the 
^  Quarterly  '^  was  not  then  in  existence*— and  was  invited,  through 
Sir  Walter  Scott,  to  write  for  the  "  Edinburgh  Review,""  in  which 
Us  poetical  works  had  been  somewhat  roughly  handled  by  the 
unmerciful  and  unappreciating  Jeffirey.  To  this  invitation  he 
replied: 

"  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  the  offer  which  you  make  con- 
eermng  the  'Edinburgh  Review,'  and  fully  sensible  of  your  friendliness, 
and  the  advantages  which  it  holds  out.     I  bear  as  little  ill  will  to 
Jeffifey  as  he  does  to  me,  and  attribute  whatever  civil  things  he  has  said 
of  me  to  especial  civility,  whatever  pert  ones  (a  truer  epithet  than 
levere  would  be)  to  the  habit  which  he  has  acquired  of  taking  it  for 
granted  that  the  critic  is,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  superior  to  every 
writer  whom  he  chooses  to  summon  before  him.     The  reviewals  of 
'  Thalaba'  and  '  Madoo'  do  in  no  degree  influence  me.  Setting  all  personal 
feelings  aside,  the  objections  which  weigh  with  me  against  bearing  any 
part  in  this  journal  are  these  : — I  have  scarcely  one  opinion  in  common 
with  it  upon  any  subject.     Jeffrey  is  for  peace,  and  is  endeavouring  to 
frighten  the  people  into  it :  I  am  for  war  as  long  as  Bonaparte  lives. 
He  is  for  Catholic  emancipation  :  I  believe  that  its  immediate  con- 
sequence would  be  to  introduce  an  Irish  priest  into  every  ship  in  the 
navy.     My  feelings  are  still  less  in  unison  with  him  than  my  opinions. 
On  subjects  of  moral  or  political  importance  no  man  is  more  apt  to  speak 
in  the  very  gall  of  bitterness  than  1  am,  and  this  habit  is  likely  to  go 
with  me  to  Uie  grave :  but  that  sort  of  bitterness  in  which  he  indulges^ 
which  tends  directly  to  wound  a  man  in  his  feelings,  and  injure  him  in 

b2 


100  The  Life  and  Coirei^pandence 

his  fame  and  fortune  (Montgomery  is  a  case  in  point),  appears  to  m^ 
utterly  inexcusable.  Now,  though  there  would  be  no  necessity  that  I 
should  follow  this  example,  yet  every  separate  article  in  the  *  Review' 
derives  authority  from  the  merit  of  all  the  others ;  and,  in  this  way, 
whatever  of  any  merit  I  might  insert  there  would  i^d  and  abet  opinions 
hostile  to  my  own,  and  thus  identify  me  with  a  system  which  I 
thoroughly  disapprove.  This  is  not  said  hastily.  The  emolument  to 
be  derived  from  writing  at  ten  guineas  a  sheet,  Scotch  measure,  instead 
of  seven  pounds,  Annual,  would  be  considerable  ;  the  pecuniary  advan- 
tages resulting  from  the  different  manner  in  which  my  future  works 
would  be  handled,  probably  still  more  so.  But  my  moral  feelings 
must  not  be  compromised.  To  Jeffrey  as  an  individual  I  shall  ever  be 
ready  to  show  every  kind  of  individual  courtesy ;  but  of  Judge  Jeffrey 
of  the  '  Edinburgh  Review'  1  must  ever  think  and  speak  as  of  a  bad  poli- 
tician, a  worse  moralist,  and  a  critic,  in  matters  of  taste,  equally  incom- 
petent and  unjust." — Vol.  iii.  pp.  124,  125, 

But  not  only  v^as  he  unvs^illing  to  be  associated,  however  re- 
motely or  indirectly,  v^ith  v^hat,  in  his  heart,  he  disapproved; 
even  where  he  approved,  he  was  what  some,  no  doubt,  would  call 
needlessly  fastidious  about  his  independence,  being  of  opinion  , 
that  a  public  writer  ought  to  be,  like  Csesar'^s  wife,  free  from  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  interested  motives.  In  answer  to  an  over- 
ture made  him  in  1816,  he  thus  writes : 

"  Upon  mature  deliberation,  I  am  clearly  of  opinion  that  it  would  be 
very  imprudent  and  impolitic  for  me  to  receive  any  thing  in  the  nature 
of  emolument  from  Government  at  this  time,  in  any  shape  whatsoever. 
Such  a  circumstance  would  lessen  the  worth  of  my  services  (I  mean  it    \ 
would  render  them  less  serviceable),  for  whatever  might  come  from  me 
would  be  received  with  suspicion,  which  no  means  would  be  spared  to 
excite.     As  it  concerns  myself  personally,  this  ought  to  be  of  some 
weight ;  but  it  is  entitled  to  infinity  greater  consideration  if  you  reflect 
how  greatly  my  influence  (whatevS  it  may  be)  over  a  go6d  part  of  the 
public  would  be  diminished,  if  I  were  looked  upon  as  a  salaried  writer. 
I  must,  therefore,  in  the  most  explicit  and  determined  manner,  decline 
all  offers  of  this  kind  ;  but  at  the  same  time  I  repeat  my  6ffer  to  exert 
myself  in  any  way  that  may  be  thought  best.     The  whole  fabric  of 
social  order*  in  this  country  is  in  great  danger;  the  Revolution,  should 
it  be  effected,  will  not  be  less  bloody  nor,  less  ferocious  than  it  was  in 
France.     It  will  be  effected  unlesa  vigorous  measures  be  taken  Jo  arrest 
its  progress ;  and  I  havie  the  strongest  motives,  both  of  duty  and  pru- 
dence, say  even  self-preservation,  for  standing  forward  to  oppose  it. 
Let  me  write  upon  the  State  of  Affairs  (the  freer  1  am  the  better  1  shall 
write),  and  let  there  be  a  weekly  journal  established,  where  the  villanies 

2  "  What  think  you  of  a  club  of  Atheists  meeting  twice  a  week  at  an  ale-house  in 
Keswick,  and  the  mndlady  of  their  way  of  thinking  !" — To  C,  W,  W,  Wvnn  Esa . 
<Sfep«.  11, 1816.  .  ^    '^^'' 


o/tke  kOe  Boberi  Bauth^.  101 

and  misrepresentations  of  the  Anarchists  and  Malignants  may  be  de- 
tected and  exposed.**^VoL  iv.  pp.  209,  210. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  recognise  in  these  various  indications  of  an 
independent  character  at  a  more  advanced  period  of  life,  the  same 
deep  sense  of  personal  responsibility,  the  same  anxiety  to  keep  his 
coarse  of  action  in  the  world  in  harmony  with  his  internal  con- 
victions, which  prevented  him  in  his  earlier  years  from  entering  the 
mmistry  of  the  Church,  or  engaging  in  any  career  unsuited  to  the 
character  of  his  mmd,  or  inconsistent,  with  the  principles  he 
cherished.     The  wild  enthusiast  who  was  ready  to  sacrifice  all  for 
the  Utopian  visions  which  loomed  across  the  Atlantic  from  the 
hanks  of  the  Susquehanna,  had  mellowed  down  into  the  Christian 
philosopher,  the  contemplative  Statesman,  who  having  learned  to 
understand  and  to  appreciate  the  means  devised  by  an  All-wise 
Providence  for  curbing  and  correcting  the  sinful  nature  of  man, 
and  adapting  it  by  a  salutary  discipline  to  higher  and  eternal  pur- 
poses, was  not  only  satisfied  with  his  own  lot  in  this  state  of  pro- 
nation, but  anxious  to  exert  the  powers  with  which  he  was 
endowed,  and  to  employ  the  influence  which  they  gave  him,  for 
the  maintenance  of  principles,  and  the  furtherance  of  measures, 
calculated  to  help  forward  what  m'ay  be  called  the  Divine  educa- 
tion of  the  human  race.   It  is  in  this  point  of  view  that  Southey^s 
Stings  possess  the  highest  interest.     His  merits  as  a  poet,  as  a 
historian,  as  a  literator  and  literary  critic,  place  him  undoubtedly 
in  the  first  rank  in  the  world  of  literature ;  but  a  higher  value 
belongs  to  him  than  that  which  is  attainable  by  the  mere  artistic 
or  scientific  display  of  the  powers  of  the  human  mind,  however 
exalted  ;  and  it  is  to  this  aspect  of  his  literary  character  that  we 
are  particularly  desirous  of  inviting  attention.     Rich  as  the 
volumes  before  us  are  in  materials  for  the  personal  and  literary 
history  of  Ifcobert  Southey,  an  interest  of  a  far  superior  kind 
attaches  to  the  opinions  which  he  publicly  advocated  with  so 
much  spirit,  and  which  we  find  here  expressed  with  all  the  un- 
reserved freedom  of  private  correspondence,  on  the  great  political 
and  religious  questions  of  the  age.     It  is  impossible  to  turn  over 
the  leaves  of  this  posthumous  collection   without  feeling  that 
Robert  Southey  realized,  in  the  fullest  sense,  the  twofold  character 
of  the  vates  of  old,  being  at  once  poet  and  prophet.     Some  of  his 
more  striking  vaticinations  we  shall  now  transcribe,  as  peculiarly 
apposite  to  the  state  of  public  affairs  at  a  moment  when  the 
nation  appears  destined  to  reap  the  bitter  fruit  of  yeara  of  in- 
fatuation. 

We  begin  with  the  question  of  manufacturing  prosperity  or 
Free  Trade,  the  perils  of  which  the  philosopher  of  i^eavitek  saw 


102  The  Life  and  Correepondenee 

afar  off.    More  than  twenty  years  ago,  in  the  year  1830,  ha 

writes : — 

"  1  suspect  that  in  many  things  our  forefathers  were  wiser  than  we 
are.  Their  guilds  prevented  trades  from  being  overstocked,  and  would 
have  by  that  means  prevented  over-production,  if  there  had  been  any 
danger  of  it.  The  greedy,  grasping  spirit  of  commercial  and  manu- 
facturing ambition  or  avarice  is  the  root  of  our  evils.  You  are  very 
right  in  saying  that  in  all  handicraft  trades  wages  are  enough  to  allow 
of  a  very  mischievous  application  of  what,  if  laid  by,  would  form  a  fund 
for  old  age ;  and  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  tea^and  sugar  must  be  at 
least  as  nutritious  as  beer,  and  in  other  respects  greatly  preferable  to  it 
But  there  is  a  real  and  wide- spreading  distress,  and  the  mischief  lies  in  the 
manufactories  :  they  must  sell  at  the  lowest  possible  price ;  the  neees- 
sity  of  a  great  sale  at  a  rate  of  small  profit  makes  low  wages  a  con- 
sequence ;  when  they  have  overstocked  the  market  (which,  during  their 
season  of  prosperity,  they  use  all  efforts  for  doing),  hands  must  be 
turned  off;  and  every  return  of  this  cold  fit  is  more  violent  than  the 
former. 

*'  There  is  no  distress  among  those  handicrafts  who  produce  what 
there  is  a  constant  home  demand  for.  But  if  we  will  work  up  more 
wool  and  cotton  than  foreigners  will  or  can  purchase  from  us,  the  evils 
of  the  country  must  go  on  at  a  rate  like  compound  interest.  Other 
nations  will  manufacture  for  themselves  (a  certain  quantity  of  manu- 
fecturing  industry  being  necessary  for  the  prosperity  of  a  nation),  and 
this,  with  the  aid  of  tariffs,  may  bring  us  to  our  senses  in  time."— 
Vol.  vi.  pp.  86,  87. 

Another  similar  prophecy  is  a  quarter  of  a  century  old  ;  it  is 
dated  April  26,  1826,  and  addressed  like  the  former  to  Mr.  John 
Hickman  :— 

"  With  regard  to  the  general  question  of  Free  Trade,  I  incline  to 
think  that  the  old  pnnciple,  upon  which  companies  of  the  various  trades 
were  formed  for  the  purpose  of  not  allowing  more  craftsmen  or  traders 
of  one  calhng  m  one  place  than  the  business  would  support,  was 
founded  m  good  common  sensp      An/i  ..  .         n  .      »"PF"ri,    nan 

effectual  ston  is  ZT^^*,^^l  •   *^  *  corollary,  that  if  acme  mote 

ettectuai  stop  is  not  put  to  the  erection  of  new  cotton  mills  &c  thin 
individual  ptudence  is  ever  likelv  tn  nff«^  *  «-"i.i«u  miiis,  ace,  tnsn 
steam-engine  will  blow  up  this  wh^leS  V°"-  *"°*  °'  °^'"  *' 
ago  I  waS  assured  that  at^^e  raT^of  in^L^'th'r''^--  '^'"f*  ^T" 
Chester,  that  place  would,  in  ten  years  dS  ,-^  ^°*i'^  **"  '"  ^""' 
lation.  When  we  hear  of  the  prosper'^y  t^fhose  diT"f  ^•*""°S  P°P"" 
they  are  manufacturing  more  goods  than  he  wo,M  ""'^'J*  ""'*°^  *»' 
for,  and  the  ebb  is  th^  as  certain  as  the  flow^  «n/- °  ^^'"^  "  """^'O* 
Radicalism,  Rebellion,  and  Ruin  will  msh  in  fl  ""."^  «ome  neap  tide, 
hunger  has  made."— Vol.  v.  p.  260.       '         "»rough  the  breach  which 

Nay,  still  further  back,  in  1812,  Southey  himself  rekrs  to  the 


of  the  late  Eobert  Sauthey.  )03 

opinions  which  he  had  expressed  five  years  before,  reiterating  the 
gloomy  anticipations  which  he  was  even  then  led  to  form : — 

**  Look  to  the  remarks  upon  the  tendency  of  manu&ctures  to  this 
state  in  '  Espriella/  written  ^ve  years  ago.  Things  are  in  that  state  at 
this  time  that  nothing  but  the  army  preserves  us  :  it  is  the  single  plank 
between  us  and  the  Red  Sea  of  an  English  Jacquerie-*a  Bellum  Servile  ; 
not  provoked,  as  both  those  convulsions  were,  by  grievous  oppression, 
but  prepared  by  the  inevitable  tendency  of  the  manufacturing  system, 
and  hastened  on  by  the  folly  of  a  besotted  faction,  and  the  wickedness 
ef  a  few  individuals.  The  end  of  these  things  is  full  of  evil,  even  upou 
the  happiest  termination  ;  for  the  lots  of  liberty  is  the  penalty  which 
haa  always  been  paid  for  the  abuse  of  it." — Vol.  iii.  p.  336. 

At  the  period  when  the  Beform  Bill  was  in  agitation,  his  letters 
are  full  of  allusions  to  passing  events,  and  of  exclamations  of 
wonder  at  the  blindness  and  rashness  of  the  statesmen  who  then 
laid  the  foundation  of  our  and  their  own  present  embarrassments. 
In  May  1831,  he  writes  to  Grosvenor  Bedford : — 

"  Those  who  gave  Earl  Grey  credit  for  sagacity,  believed,  upon  his 
own  representations,  that  time  had  moderated  his  opinions,  and  that  he 
would  always  support  the  interests  of  his  order.  Provoked  at  the 
exposure  of  his  whole  Cabinet's  incapacity,  which  their  budget  brought 
forth,  he  has  thrown  himself  upon  the  Radicals  for  support,  bargained 
with  O'Connell,  and  stirred  up  all  the  elements  of  revolution  in  this 
kingdom,  which  has  never  been  in  so  perilous  a  state  since  the 
Restoration. 

"  The  poor  people  here  say  they  shall  all  be  *  made  quality*  when 
this  'grand  reform'  is  brought  about.  *0  it  is  a  grand  thing!' 
The  word  deceives  them  ;  for  you  know,  Grosvenor,  it  *  stands  to 
feasible'  that  reform  must  be  a  good  thing,  and  they  are  not  deceived 
in  supposing  that  its  tendency  is  to  pull  down  the  rich,  whatever  may 
be  its  consequences  to  themselves." — Vol.  vi.  pp.  146, 147. 

And  in  June  1832  : — 

"  The  King,  1  am  told,  will  make  as  many  peers  as  his  ministers 
choose ;  and  nothing  then  remains  for  us  but  to  await  the  course  of 
revolution.  1  shall  not  live  to  see  what  sort  of  edifice  will  be  con- 
structed out  of  the  ruins  ;  but  1  shall  go  to  rest  in  the  sure  confidence 
that  God  will  provide  as  is  best  for  his  Church  and  his  people." — 
Vol.  vh  pp.  175,  176. 

And  in  the  following  year  1 833,  he  sketches  out  the  result  of 
tlie  couTBe  then  entered  upon  with  a  degree  of  accuracy  which,  at 
this  moment,  cannot  fail  to  tell  with  striking  effect : — 

"  It  seems  as  if  in  our  own  country  the  experiment  was  about  to  he 
repeated  of  hnprovitig  the  vineyardi  by  breaking  down  the  fenoea^  and 


104  The  Life  and  Ccrreg^mdence 

letting  the  cattle  and  the  wild  beasts  in.  The  crisis  is  probably  very 
near  at  hand :  I  see  my  way  much  more  distinctly  into  it  than  out  of 
it.  For  the  last  two  years  it  has  been  evident  that  O'Connell  has 
formed  an  alliance  offensive  and  defensive  with  the  political  unions. 
He  relies  upon  them  either  to  frighten  the  ministers  out  of  their  coerdve 
measures  by  a  demonstration  of  physical  force,  embodied,  mustered,  and 
ready  to  take  the  field  ;  or,  if  they  fail  in  this,  he  expects  them  to  hoist 
the  tricolour  flag,  and  march  upon  London  whenever  he  gives  the  signal 
for  rebellion  in  Ireland.  Brandreth's  insurrection  in  1817»  the  pro- 
jected expedition  of  the  Blanketeers  a  little  later,  and  the  Bristol  riots, 
were  all  parts  of  a  widely -concerted  scheme,  which  has  only  been  from 
time  to  time  postponed  till  a  more  convenient  season,  and  is  no«r 
thoroughly  matured,  and  likely  to  be  attempted  upon  a  great  scale 
whenever  the  leaders  of  the  movement  think  proper.  T  am  not  without 
strong  apprehensions  that  before  this  year  passes  away,  London  may 
have  its  Three  Days. 

'*  But  earnestly  as  such  a  crisis  is  to  be  deprecated,  I  do  not  fear 
the  result.  It  may  even  come  in  time  to  save  us  from  the  otherwise 
inevitable  overthrow  of  all  our  institutions  by  the  treachery  and  cowardice 
of  those  who  ought  to  uphold  them.  The  Whigs  will  never  give  over 
the  work  of  destruction  which  they  have  so  prosperously  begun,  till  the 
honester  Destructives  are  armed  against  them,  and  threaten  them  with 
their  due  reward.  The  sooner  therefore  that  it  comes  to  this,  the 
better."— Vol.  vi.  pp.  203,  204. 

The  following  passage  from  a  letter  written  when  the  death  of 
George  IV.  was  hourly  expected,  will  form  a  suitable  transition 
froiA  this  to  another  subject  which  no  less  painfully  occupied  his 
thoughts: — 

"  The  poor  King,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  will  be  released  from  his  suffer- 
ings before  this  reaches  you,  if.  Indeed,  he  be  not  already  at  rest ;  it 
was  thought  on  Monday  that  he  could  not  live  four-and-twenty  itoiiTS. 
God  be  merciful  to  him  and  to  us !  He  failed  most  woefully  in  his 
solemn  and  sworn  duty  on  one  great  occasion,  and  we  are  feeling  the 
effects  of  that  moral  cowardice  on  his  part.  The  Duke  expected  to 
remove  all  parliamentary  difficulties  by  that  base  measure,  instead  of 
which  he  disgusted  by  it  all  those  adherents  on  whom  ho  might  have 
relied  as  long  as  he  had  continued  to  act  upon  the  principles  which  they 
sincerely  held ;  rendered  all  those  despicable  who  veered  to  the  left- 
about  with  hitn,  and  foUnd  himself  as  a  minister  weaker  than  either  the 
"Whigs  whom  he  sought  to  propitiate,  or  the  Brunswickers  (as  they  are 
called)  whom  he  has  mortally  offended. 

"  William  IV.,  it  is  believed,  will  continue  the  present  ministers, 
but  act  towards  them  in  such  a  way  that  they  will  soon  find  it  neces- 
sary to  resign.  Then  in  come  Lord  Holland  and  the  Whigs,  in  alliance 
with  the  flying  squadron  of  political  economists  under  Huskisson. 
Beyond  this  nothing  can  be  foreseen,  except  change  after  change ;  every 


of  tie  laie  Bobert  SatUhey.  105 

iDccessive  change  weakening  the  government,  and,  consequently, 
itreogthening  that  power  of  public  opinion  which  will  lay  all  our 
fflstitutions  in  the  dust." — Vol.  vi.  pp.  102,  103. 

The  view  of  the  effects  of  the  Boman  Catholic  Emancipation 
ffiU,  which  is  touched  upon  in  the  foregoing  extract,  was  not,  even 
at  that  time,  an  opinion  of  recent  growth.  As  far  back  as  the 
year  1807,  when,  on  many  points  connected  with  religion,  his 
Tiews  were  as  yet  in  a  transition  state,  his  mind  apprehended  with 
great  clearness  the  character  of  the  Romish  Church,  and  the 
mtimate  consequences  of  the  efforts  which  it  was  even  then 
making  for  the  reconquest  of  "the  Isle  of  Saints.*"  He  thus 
writes  to  his  friend  Wynn : — 

''You.  do  not -shake  my  opinion  concerning  the  Catholics.  Their 
religion  regards  no  national  distinctions — ^it  teaches  them  to  look  at 
Christendom  and  at  the  Pope  as  the  head  thereof — and  the  interests  of 
that  religion  will  always  be  preferred  to  any  thing  else.  Bonaparte  is 
aware  of  this,  and  is  aiming  to  be  the  head  of  the  Catholic  party 
in  Germany. 

"These  people  have  been  increasing  in  England  of  late  years,  owing 
to  the  Qumber  of  seminaries  established  during  the  French  Revolution. 
It  is  worth  your  while  to  get  their  Almanac— the  *Lay  Directory*  it  is 
called,  and  published  by  Brown  and  Keating,  Duke  Street,  Grosvenor 
Square.  They  are  at  their  old  tricks  of  miracles  here  and  every  where 
else.  St.  Winifred  has  lately  worked  a  great  one,  and  is  in  as  high 
odour  as  ever  she  was. 

"  I  am  for  abolishing  the  test  with  regard  to  every  other  sect — Jews 

and  all — but  not  to  the  Catholics.     They  will  not  tolerate ;  the  proof  is 

in  their  whole  history — ^in  their  whole  system — and  in  their  present 

practice  all  over  Catholic  Europe  :  and  it  is  the  nature  of  their  principles 

ffoiv  to  spread  is  this  country;  Methodism,  and  the  still  wilder  sects 

preparingithe  way  lor  it«    You  have  no  conception  of  the  zeal  with 

which  tb^y  seek  for  proselytes,  nor  the  power  they  have  over  weak 

minds  ;  for  their  system  is  as  well  tiie  greatest  work  of  human  wisdom 

as  it  is  of  human  wickedness*     It  is  curious  that  the  Jesuits  exist  in 

£ng]and  as  a  body,  and  have  possessions  here :  a  Catholic  told  me  this, 

and  pointed  out  one  in  the  streets  of  Norwich,  but  he  could  tell  me 

nothing  more,  and  expressed  his  surprise  at  it,  and  his  curiosity  to  learn 

more.     Having  been  libolished  by  the  Pope,  they  keep  up  their  order 

secretly,  and  expect  their  restoration,  which,  if  he  be  wise,  Bonaparte 

Mill  effect.     Weire  I  a  Catholic,  that  should  be  the  object  to  which  my 

life  should  be  devoted — I  would  be  the  second  Loyola. 

*'  Concessions  and  conciliations  will  not  satisfy  the  Catholics ;  ven- 
geance and  the  throne  are  what  they  want.  If  Ireland  were  far  enough 
iiom  our  shores  to  be  lost  without  danger  to  our  own  security,  I  would 
say  establish  the  Catholic  religion  there,  as  the  easiest  way  of  civilizing 
it ;  but  Catholic  Irelamd  would  always  be  at  the  command  of  the  Pope, 


106  Th^  Life  and  Garrmpondence 

and  the  Pope  is  now  at  the  command  of  France.  It  it  dismal  to  think 
of  the  state  of  Ireland.  Nothing  can  redeem  that  country  but  such 
measures  as  none  of  our  statesmen,  except  perhaps  Marquis  Wellesley, 
would  be  hardy  enough  to  adopt;  nothing  but  a  system  of  Roman 
conquest  and  colonization,  and  shipping  off  the  refractory  to  the 
colonies. 

**  England  condescends  too  much  to  the  Catholic  religion,  and  does 
not  hold  up  her  own  to  sufficient  respect  in  her  foreign  possessions;  and 
the  Catholics,  instead  of  feeling  this  as  an  act  of  indulgence  to  their 
opinions,  interpret  it  as  an  acknowledgment  of  their  superior  claims, 
and  insult  us  in  consequence.'* — Vol.  iii.  pp.  75 — 77. 

It  may  easily  be  imagined  what  his  feelings  were,  when,  with 
these  convictions,  in  which  he  never  wavered  for  a  moment,  he  saw 
during  the  space  of  twenty- two  years  the  insidious  march  of  Popery, 
gainirig,  under  favour  of  a  blindness  ahnost  judicial  on  the  part  of 
the  great  majority  of  British  Statesmen,  one  step  after  another, 
till  at  last  in  1829,  the  leader  of  the  Popish  faction  proved  strong 
enough  to  induce  the  hero  of  a  hundred  fights  to  an  ignominious 
surrender.  Southey'*s  reflections  at  that  miserable  crisis  in  our 
history  are  thus  recorded  by  himself: — 

"  We  have  been  betrayed  by  imbecility,  pusillanimity,  and  irreligion. 
Our  citadel  would  have  been  impregnable  if  it  had  been  bravely  de- 
fended ;  and  these  are  times  when  it  becomes  a  duty  to  perish  rather 
than  submit ;  for 

**  *  When  the  wicked  have  their  day  assigned. 
Then  they  who  suffer  bravely  save  mankind.* 

If  we  have  not  learnt  this  from  history,  I  know  n»t  what  it  can  teach. 
**  And  now,  you  will  ask,  where  do  I  look  for  comfort  ?  Entirely 
to  Providence.  I  should  look  to  nothing  but  evil  from  the  natural 
course  of  events,  were  they  left  to  themselves ;  but  Almighty  Pro- 
vidence directs  them,  and  my  heart  is  at  rest  in  that  faith*  The  base 
policy  which  has  been  pursued  may  possibly  delay  the  religious  war  in 
Ireland  ?  possibly  the  ulcer  may  be  skinned  over,  and  we  may  be  called 
on  to  rejoice  for  the  cure  while  the  bones  are  becoming  carious.  But 
there  are  great  struggles  which  must  be  brought  to  an  issue  before  we  shall 
be  truly  at  peace ;  between  Infidelity  and  Religion,  and  between  Popery 
and  Protestantism,  The  latter  battle  must  be  fought  in  Ireland,  and  I 
would  have  it  fought  now :  two  or  three  years  ago  I  would  have  pre- 
vented it»  Fought  it  must  be  at  last,  and  with  great  advantage  to  the 
enemy  from  the  delay ;  but  the  right  cause  will  triumph  at  last."— 
Vol.  vi.  pp.  24,  2^. 

Twenty-two  years  more  have  since  elapsed,  and  one  part  of  the 
prophecy  with  which  the  foregoing  extract  concludes,  is  at  this 
moment  in  course  of  startling  fulfilment.  Well  might  Southey 
say,  that  the  battle  betwe^p  Infidelity  and  Religion,  and  between 


o/tkelate  IM^  Southey.  107 

Popery  and  Protestantism,  ^^must  be  fought  at  last,  and  with 
great  advantage  to  the  enemy  from  the  deby.^^  God  grant  that 
the  latter  part  of  his  prediction,  that ''  the  right  cause  will  triunlph 
at  last/^  may  prove  equally  true^  and  that  its  accomplishment  may 
be  at  hand. 

One  more  extract  on  this  important  subject,  in  the  course  of 
which  Southey  glances  at  two  kindred  questions,  we  must  make 
roomibr,  on  account  of  the  singular  clearness  with  which  Southey 
discerned  beforehand,  both  the  connexion  which  they  had  with 
each  other,  and  the  evil  consequences  that  would  arise  from  their 
so-called  '^  settlement  ^^  in  conformity  with  the  tide  of  popular 
opinion.     In  February  1823  he  writes : — 

'*  The  arguments  lie  in  a  nutshell.  The  restraints  which  exclude  the 
Catholics  from  political  power  are  not  the  cause  of  the  perpetual 
disorder  in  Ireland ;  their  removal,  therefore,  cannot  be  the  cure.  Sup- 
pose the  question  carried,  two  others  grow  from  it,  like  two  heads  from 
the  hydra's ^neck,  when  one  is  amputated: — a  Catholic  establishment 
for  Ireland,  at  which  Irish  Catholics  mtist  aim,  and  which  those  who 
desire  rebellion  and  separation  will  promote, — a  rebellion  must  be  the 
sure  consequence  of  agitating  this.  The  people  of  Ireland  care  nothing 
for  emancipation, — why  should  they ;  but  make  it  a  question  for 
restoring  the  Catholic  Church,  and  they  will  enter  into  it  as  zealously 
as  ever  our  ancestors  did  into  a  crusade. 

"  The  other  question  arises  at  home,  and  brings  with  it  worse  con- 
sequences than  any  thing  which  can  happen  among  the  potatoes.  The 
repeal  of  the  Test  Act  will  be  demanded,  and  must  be  granted.  Imme- 
diately the  Dissenters  will  get  into  the  corporations  every  where.  Their 
members  will  be  returned ;  men  as*  hostile  to  the  Church  and  to  the 
monarchy  as  ever  were  the  Puritans  of  Charles's  age.  The  church 
propisrty  will  be  attacked  in  Parliament,  as  it  is  now  at  mob-meetings, 
and  in  radteal  newspapers  ;  reform  in  Parliament  will  be  carried ;  and 
then  farewell,  a  long  farewell,  to  all  our  greatness. 

**  Our  constilutf  on  consists  of  Church  and  State,  and  it  is  an  absurdity 
in  politics  to  give  those  persons  power  in  the  State,  whose  duty  it  is  to 
iubvert  th6  ^A^rcA."— Vol.  v.  p.  137. 

Diiring  the  ten  years  which  followed,  the  course  of  events  ran 
parallel  mik  the  anticipations  here  expressed,  and  a  remarkable 
letter  addressed  in  Nov^nber,  1833,  to  the  Bev.  J.  Miller  in  re- 
ference to  a  paper  of  '^  Suggestions  for  the  promotion  of  an 
Association  of  the  Friends  of  i£e  Church,'^  out  of  which  eventually 
the  **  Oxford  Tract  ^'  movement  grew,  contains  the  following 
striking  passage : — 

*'  Among  the  many  ominous  parallelisms  between  the  present  timet 
and  those  of  Charles  the  First,  none  has  strnck  me  more  forcibly  than 
those  which  are  to  be  fouiid  in  th0'$Me  Of  t\\^  C\^xiTcVv\  titv^  ol  ^<^^^^ 


108  The  Life  and  Correymdmce 

this  circumstance  especially — that  the  Church  of  England  at  that  time 

-was  hetter  provided  with  able  and  faithful  ministers  than  it  had  ever 

been  before,  and  is  in  like  manner  better  provided  now  than  it  has  ever 

been  since.     I  have  been  strongly  impressed  by  this  consideration; 

it  has  made  me  more  apprehensive  that  no  human  means  are  likely  to 

avert  the  threatened  overthrow  of  the  Establishment ;  but  it  affords  also 

more  hope  (looking  to  human  causes)  of  its  restoration. 

*'  The  Church  will  be  assailed  by  popular  clamour  and  seditious 

combinations ;  it  will  be  attacked  in  Parliament  by  unbelievers,  half<* 

believers,  and  misbelievers,  and  feebly  defended  by  such  of  the  ministen 

as  are  not  secretly  or  openly  hostile  to  it.     On  our  side  we  have  God 

and  the  right.     Oltrriov  Kai  iXiriGTiov  must  be  our  motto,  as  it  wai 

Lauderdale*s  in  his  prison.     We,  however,  are  not  condemned  to  in- 

action;   and  our  hope   rests  upon  a  surer  foundation   than  his."—' 

Vol.  vi.  p.  222.  I 

I 

The  shallow  pretext  under  which  all  the  havock  made  in  the    I 

Church  is  justified,  that  the  Church  is  "  pubUe  property,'^  has    ; 
perhaps  never  received  a  more  forcible  answer,  than  in  a  letter 
written  about  the  same  time  to  the  Rev.  Neville  White  : — 

"  Public  property  the  Church  indeed  is ;  most  truly  and  most  sacredly 
so ;  and  in  a  manner  the  very  reverse  of  that  in  which  the  despoilers 
consider  it  to  be  so.  It  is  the  only  property  which  is  public ;  which  is 
set  apart  and  consecrated  as  a  public  inheritance,  in  which  any  one  may 
claim  his  share,  who  is  properly  qualified.  You  have  your  share  of  itt 
I  might  have  had  mine.  There  is  no  respectable  family  in  England, 
some  of  whose  members  have  not,  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  gene- 
rations, enjoyed  their  part  in  it.  And  many  thousands  are  at  this  time 
qualifying  themselves  to  claim  their  portion.  Upon  what  principle  can 
any  government  be  justified  in  robbing  them  of  their  rights? 

"  Church  property  neither  is,  nor  ever  has  been,  public  property  in 
any  other  sense  than  this.  The  whole  was  originally  private  property, 
so  disposed  of  by  individuals  in  the  way  which  they  deemed  roost 
beneficial  to  others,  and  most  for  the  good  of  their  own  souls.  How 
much  of  superstition  may  have  been  mingled  with  this  matters  not. 
Much  of  this  property  was  wickedly  shared  among  themselves  by  those 
persons  who  forwarded  the  Reformation  as  a  scheme  of  spoliation  ;  and 
in  other  ways  materially  impeded  its  progress.  Yet  they  did  nothing 
so  bad  as  the  Whig  ministry  are  preparing  to  do ;  for  they,  no  doubt, 
mean  to  give  to  the  Romish  clergy  what  they  take  from  the  Irish  Pro- 
testant Church." — Vol.  vi.  pp.  205,  206. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed,  however,  that  the  external  dangers  of 
the  Church  alone  excited  Southey'^s  alarm  for  her  safety.  He 
was  by  no  means  blind  to  the  perils  which  threatened  her  from 
within : — 

'^  When  Church  reformation  begins,  if  revolution  does  not  render  it 


o/thfUUeBoUrtSouth^.  109 

unnecessary,  I  fear  we  Bhall  find  many  Juduea  in  the  Ettablithment. 
It  was  more  by  her  own  treacheroDS  children  that  the  «ai  overthrown 
in  the  Great  Rebellion  than  by  the  Puritans.  But  this  mnat  ever  b« 
the  case."— Vol.  vi.  p.  154. 

Who  these  Judases  were,  in  his  opinion,  he  tells  u^  pretty 
plainly  in  another  passage,  written  in  1830  : — 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Church  is  in  more  danger  from  tbe 
le-called  Evangelical  party  among  its  own  clergy  than  it  would  be  from 
1ty> assistance.  These  clergy  are  now  aboat  to  Torm  a  sort  of  union, — 
in  otber  words,  a  convocation  or  their  own,  that  they  may  act  as  a  body. 
ITiey  have  had  a  Clerical  breakfast  in  London.  The  two  Noels, 
Stewart,  who  ii  brother- in-law  to  Owen  of  Lanark,  and  was  here  with 
him  some  years  ago,  and  Daniel  Wilson  were  the  chief  movers.  There 
have  been  two  reports  of  the  speeches  in  the  '  Recoid'  newspaper,  and 
a  Mr.  M'Neil  {hot  I  quantum  nmlalut/),  who  very  sensibly  objected  to 
the  whole  scheme,  had  the  whole  meeting  agjunst  him." — Vol.  vi. 
pp.  93,  94. 

Nor  was  he  blind  to  the  dangers  impending  from  other  and 
opposite  quarters.     To  one  of  these  be  thus  alludes  in  1838  : — 

"  The  publication  of  Froude'a  Remains  is  likely  to  do  more  harm 

thin is  capable  of  doing.     'The  Oxford  School '  has  acted  most 

unwisely  in  giving  its  sanction  to  such  a  deplorable  example  of  mis- 
taken zeal.  Of  the.  two  extremes — the  too  little  and  tbe  too  mueh— 
llietoo  little  is  that  which  is  likely  to  produce  the  worst  consequence 
tolhe  individual,  but  the  too  much  is  more  hurtful  to  the  community  ; 
Ibiit  spreads,  andrageB  too,  like  a  contagion." — Vol.  vi.  p.  271. 

We  hai'dly  tbink  the  suppression  of  the  name  in  the  second 
line  of  thia  extract  fair.  Is  it  oi^e  o^  those, nam^,  to  which  we 
^K,  at  this  time,  indebted  for  the  spread  of  the  contagion,  .pre- 
dicted with  sucii  ^voiidcrfut  accuracy  ^  ,^  this  as,  it  may,  the 
prophetic  sagacity  of  the  Seer.. , of ,  Keswick  is  attested  yet  in 
another  direction : — 

"  iamef'lf.'i  cbndtct'ln  obtruding  a  Romish  president  upon  Mag- 
dalen, wB^'not  worse  thaii  Ihat  of  the  present  ministry  in  appointing 
Dr.  Hampden  to  the  professorship  o'f  divinity.  If  they  had  given  him 
>ny  other  pl'eferment,  even  a  biijhopric,  it  would  have  been  only  one 
proof  among  many  tbat  it  is  part  of  tlieir  policy  to  promote  men  of  loose 
opinions ;  but  to  place  him  in  the  office  which  be  now  holds,  was  an 
mtentional  insult  to  the  university.  In  no  way  could  the  Whigs  expect 
■0  materially  to  injure  tbe  Church,  as  by  planting  Germanised  pro- 
fessors in  our  schools  of  divinity." — Vol.  vi.  p.  291. 

We  have  purposely  so  selected  our  extracts,  that  they  shall 
convey  a  lesson  and  a  warning  to  each  one  of  the  many  adversaries 


110     The  lAfe  and  G(>rre9p(mdenee  of  the  laU  B^jheH 

by  whom  the  cause  of  God'^s  Church  and  of  His  truth  is  at 
time  menaced.   And  let  none  of  those  to  whom  one  or  other  of  i 
remarks  we  have  quoted  may  apply,  think  that  he  may  turn 
edge  of  the  reproof  by  objecting  that  Southey  was  a  political  wri< 
who  could  not  be  expected  to  take  a  more  than  superficial  view  I 
the  deep  questions  which  he  handled  with  such  incisive  force 
language.     We  may  again  appeal  to  his  letters  for  proof  that ' 
thoughts  on  these  subjects  were  the  fruit  of  long  observation 
profound  reflection,  and  that  he  meditated  on  them  under  a  d< 
sense  of  their  eternal  importance  : — 

"  Our  occupations  withdraw  us  all  too  much  from  nearer  and  mc 
lasting  concerns.     Time  and  nature,  especially  when  aided   by 
sorrows  J  prepare  us  for  better  influences ;  and  when  we  feel  what 
wanting,  we  seek  and  find  it.     The   clouds  then  disperse,    and 
evening  is  calm  and  clear,  even  till  night  closes. 

*'  Long  and  intimate  conversance  with  Romish  and  sectarian  history^ 
with  all  the  varieties  of  hypocritical  villany  and  religious  madness, ' 
given  me  the  fullest  conviction  of  the  certainty  and  importance  of  th( 
truths,  from  the  perversion  and  distortion  of  which  these  evils  vA\ 
abuses  have  grown.  There  is  not  a  spark  of  fanaticism  left  in  my  eom« 
position :  whatever  there  was  of  it  in  youth,  spent  itself  harmlessly  in 
political  romance.  I  am  more  in  danger,  therefore,  of  having  too  little 
of  theopathy  than  too  much, — of  having  my  religious  faith  more  in  tin 
understanding  than  in  the  heart.  In  the  understanding  I  am  snre  il 
is ;  T  hope  it  it  in  both.  This  good  in  myself  my  ecclesiastical  puTsdfi 
have  certainly  effected.  And  if  I  live  to  finish  the  whole  of  my  planif 
I  shall  do  better  service  to  the  Church  of  England  than  I  could  evef 
have  done  as  one  of  its  ministers,  had  I  kept  to  the  course  which  it  was 
intended  that  I  should  pursue.  There  is  some  satisfaction  in  thinking 
thus." — ^Vol.  V.  pp.  250,  251. 

It  would  be  easy  to  multiply  proofe  of  the  closeness  of  the  bond 
by  which  Southey^s  public  labours  and  his  souFs  inmost  life  were 
happily  linked  together  in  one  harmonious  effort  to  discover,  and 
after  he  had  discovered  it,  to  believe,  to  obey,  and  to  maintain  tfie 
truth.  But  our  task  is  done.  We  have  traced  the  discipline  by 
which  Southey'^s  mind  was  led  into  that  line  of  thought,  at  once 
independent  of  all  external  bias,  and  accordant  with  the  truths 
which  gave,  ^id  continues  to  give,  him  a  claim,  such  as  few  men 
ever  have  had,  to  be  reverentially  listened  to  as  a  watchman  and 
prophet  in  Israel.  Of  him  it  may  ^vith  exceeding  truth  be  said, 
that  ^'  being  dead  he  yet  speaketh."^ 


Tks  Biskop  <^ Laudam  and  Mr.  Bfumti.  Ill 


IT.  VI. — !•  Charge  of  the  Buhop  of  Lwdon  in  Nov.  1850. 

Charge  of  the  Bishop  of  London  in  1842. 

A  FareioeU  Letter  to  his  Parishioners.    By  the  Rev.  W.  J.  E. 
Bennett,  M.A. 

Letters  of  D.  C.  2/.,  Beprinted  from  the  "  Morning  Chronicled 

A  Pleafwr  *''  BomanizerSy''  m  called.    A  Letter  to  tlte  Bishop  of 
London.    By  the  Bev.  Arthur  Baker. 

N  ordinary  timea,  and  under  ordinary  oircuniatanoes,  we  sliould 
7  Boarcely  have  thought  that  it  fell  within  our  legitimate  provinee  to 
ooDsider,  at  any  length,  the  causes  or  the  consequences  connected 
irith  the  retirement  of  any  individual  clergyman  of  the  English 
Church  from  a  position  be  formerly  occupied.     But  there  are 
drcamstanees  of  such  a  special  nature  connected  with  the  resig- 
BBtion  of  the  Bev.  W.  J.  E.  Bennett,  that  we  feel  we  should  be 
wanting  in  our  duty  to  the  Church  of  England  if  we  were  not  to 
take,  some  notice  of  them.     Since  the  delivery  of  his  Charge, 
in  November  last,  and  especially  since  his  acceptance  of  Mr. 
Bennett'^s  resignation^  the  Bishop  of  London  has  been  the  object 
of  the  most   unsparing  attack   and  misrepresentation  from  a 
particular  section  of  the  Church.      In  all  quarters  connected 
with  that  section,  with  one  honourable  exception,  that  of  the 
**  English  Churchman,^^  the  changes  have  been  rung,  Msque  ad 
nauseam^  upon  the  "  weakness,'^  the  "  vacillation,^  the  "  inconsis- 
tency," the  "  intolerance/"  and  the  "  despotic  tyranny,"'  of  the 
Bishop  of  London.     The  "  Theologian  and  Ecclesiastic,""  in  its 
Pebruafy  number,  told  its  readers,  in  an  article  called  "The 
Panic  and  its  results,""  that  the   Bishop  of  London  had  gone 
'^beyond  his  power,  at  the  mere  bidding  of  a  hired  mob,""  to 
silence  an  obnoxious  clergyman; — that  he  "wanted  a  victim, 
irherewith  to  appease  Exeter  Hall,""  and  had  therefore  sacrificed 
Mr.  Bennett.     The  "  Guardian,""  fearful,  doubtless,  of  compro- 
mising its  position  by  an  open  attack,  has  omitted  no  opportunity  of 
sneering  at  the  bishop's  conduct.    A  writer  of  very  great  ability  has 
been  advocating  Mr.  Bennett"s  cause,  and  vituperating  the  Bishop 
of  London,  in  a  series  of  very  remarkable  letters  in  the  "  Mom- 


112  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett. 

ing  Chronicle,'^  under  the  signature  of  D.  0.  L.; — and,  ast  i 
climax,  Mr.  Bennett  himself  has  thought  it  consistent  with  his 
duty  to  the  Church,  and  with  his  vow  of  canonical'  obedience  t^ 
hi^  bishop,  to  publish  a  "  Farewell  Letter  to  his'  Parishioners," 
of  some  250  pages,  in  which,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  ab  m 
Tisque  ad  mala^  ho  has  done  all  in  1^  power  to  hold  up  hii 
diocesan  to  public  oontempt--*in  which  be  com[Mures  hkoself  to  St 
Ghrysostom,  banished  from  Constantinople  by  the^^  intrigues  of  the  )r 
Empress  Eudoxia,  aided  by  the  tmn^A^^c^^^^sAqpTheophilus  ■— a 
which  he  represents  the  Church  of  England  as  ^^  fying  on  the  watoi 
a  helpless  water-logged  wreck,^'  out  of  which  he.  is  caet  "  by  tie 
force  of  the  waves,"  while  "the  stormy  winds  do  rend  her  deep 
and  wide"  (p.  228) ;— in  wliich  he  tells  his  parishioners  thafe.diej    ; 
'^  must  not  expect  that  human  nature,  with  its  many  infirmitieB  and 
constant  nee^  will  long  bear  up  against  the  ever.i^aorrin^ 
wants  of  spiritual  love  and  longing  for  the  things  of  God,  icti<VA<^ 
h  in  vain  searching  for  in  the  Church  ofEngland'^l  mean  in  tke 
Church  of  England,  as  now  interpreted^  in  the  diocese  of  Londoi'* 
(p.  227).     That  Mr.  Bennett  will  himself  regret  the  pubUcation 
in  a  very  short  time,  quite  as  much  as  we  can  do^  we  have  noithe 
least  doubt,  but   litera  scripta  manet.     It  is  very  much  eaaier 
to  make  unjust  charges,  than  it  is  to  destroy  the  effect  of  tfaemt 
when  once  they  have  been  made;  and  therefore  we  consider  it 
our  bounden  duty,  for  the  sake  of  the  truth,  for  the  sake  of  tiie 
Bishop  of  London,  who  has  done  heretofore  such  good  service  to 
the  Church  of  England;  for  the  sake  of  the  Church  of  England,^ 
which  now,  more  than  ever,  requires  a  continuation  of  those 
services ;  for  the  sake  of  Mr.  Bennett^s  successor,  placed,  as  ho 
will  be,  in  a  most  trying  situation ;  and,  especially,  for  the  siUce 
of  Mr.  Bennett^s  late  parishioners;   we  think  it,  we  say,  onr 
bounden  duty,  to  show  by  a  reference  to  facts  which  are  beyond 
controversy,  and  to   dates  which  cannot  be  faki&ed,  that  thfe 
Bishop  of  London  simply  accepted,  much  against  his  own  will,  tiie 
reiterated  resignation  of  Mr.  Bennett;  that  Mr.  Bennett,  and 
Mr.  Bennett  alone,  is  responsible  for  His  separation  irom  the 
churches  and  the  parishioners  of  St.  PauPs,  Knightsbridge,  and 
St.  Barnabas,  Pimlico;  and  moreover,  that,  inasmuch  as  JAx. 
Bennett  refused  to  yield  to  the  oft-repeated  wishes  of  his  dioQesaA, 
the  bishop  was  bound  to  take  the  course  he  has  taken,  not  simply 
by  his  love  for  the  Church  of  England,  but  by  his  duty  to  that 
special  portion  of  it,  of  which  the  ^^  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  him 
an  overseer."    There  are  three  principal  questions  to  be  considered 

^  The  itaUcs  are  ours. 


Tke  BuJicp  oflmiM  tmd  Mr.  BmnM.  113 

k  tins  matter.    First,  the  resignation  itself;  who  is  responsible 
btitl   Secondly,  was  the  Bishop  of  London  justified,  or  not,  in 
iit^ering  at  all  with   Mr.  Bennett!    And,  thirdly,  we  shall 
aamine  into  the  truth  of  the  personal  accusations  which  Mr. 
Bennett  has  brought  against  the  bishop,  and  especially  as  those 
accusations  are  connected  with  the  celebrated  Charge  of  1842. 
Perhaps  it  is  unnecessary  to  state  that  this  paper  is  written  with- 
out the  slightest  communication,  direct  or  indirect,  with  the 
Bishop  of  London.    -It  is  the  result,  simply  and  solely,  of  a 
feeling  that  his  lordship  has  been  most  grievously  misrepresented ; 
that  he  has,  in  no  way  whatever,  deserved  to  lose  the  confidence 
of  any  sound  English  Churchman ;  that  the  personal  accusations 
brought  against  his  lordship  by  Mr.  Bennett  are  unfounded  ;  that 
he  has,  throughout  this  unhappy  business,  been  most  ungratc- 
fiilly  treated  by  that  particular  section  of  the  Church  to  which 
we  before  referred — that  section  which  has  recently  furnished, 
which,  unhappily,  is  still  furnishing,  and,  we  much  fear,   will 
continue  to  furnish,  recruits  to  Dr.  Wiseman  and  the  Church  of 
Some. 

Let  us  then  proceed  to  inquire,  in  the  first  place,  who  is 
responsible  for  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Bennett,  and  his  consequent 
8e[ttration  from  his  parishioners.  The  Bishop  of  London  is 
charged  with  taking  advantage  of  a  conditional  promise  of  resig- 
nation on  the  part  of  Mr.  Bennett,  as  if  it  had  been  unconditional, 
and  also  with  driving  Mr.  Bennett  from  his  living,  in  consequence 
of  the  persecution  of  the  mob ;  in  fact,  of  meanly  truckling  to 
"popular  clamour."  A  reference  to  the  correspondence  will 
show  the  injustice  of  these  accusations ;  and  we  pray  the  reader^s 
particular  attention  to  the  dates  of  the  letters  from  which  we  shall 
quote,  for  they  are  of  the  very  greatest  importance  in  this  ques- 
tion. On  the  16th  of  July,  1850,  Mr.  Bennett  thus  replies  to 
the  Bishop  of  London,  in  answer  to  a  letter  of  remonstrance 
respecting  the  practices  at  St.  Barnabas : 

"  If  yiou  thitik,  upon  reading  what  I  have  said,  that  the  picture  of  my 
mind  is  not  that  which  could  justify  my  remaining  in  the  cure  of  souls 
in  your  lordship's  diocese,  I  am  ready  and  willing  to  depart.  On  the 
one'httd^'f '  hope  it  will  be  clearly  understood  that,  conscientiously,  I 
caanotibtregb  any  of  the  principles  which,  in  this  letter,  I  set  forth  and 
advocate;  and,  ii  I  remain  in  the  cure  of  souls,  by  those  principles  I 
mast  be  permitted  to  abide.  On  the  other  hand,  as  I  consider  myself 
morally  and  spiritually  hound  not  to  oppose  your  lordship  in  those  matters 
nhichf  as  a  diocesan^  yoti  have  a  right  and  a  duty  to  regulate  ^,  I  am 
willing  and  ready  to  withdraw  from  a  position,  in  which  the  possibility 
of  such  an  event  might  arise." — ^p.  84. 

'  The  italics  are  our  own. 
VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXJX. — MARCH,  1851.  1 


114  The  Bishop  of  Lmdm  and  Mr,  Bewndt, 

Here,  at  all  events,  is  a  plain  avowal  that  there  drv  eeiiain 
matters  of  ritual  observcmee,  respecting  which  the  bishop  toi 
Mr.  Bennett  differed  in  opinion,  which  it  is  at  onde  ^^the  right  ml 
the  duty"  of  the  bishop  to  regulate;  and  yet  the  bishop  is  not 
charged,  by  Mr.  Bennett  and  D.  0.  L.,  witii  despotism  arid  intd^ 
lerance,  for  presuming  to  enforce  his  opinion  on  these  very  qtHHK 
tions.  After  this  letter  was  received  the  bishop  went  abroad,  «K 
account  of  the  state  of  his  health.  On  his  return,  on  the  Idfh  ot 
October,  he  thus  replies  to  Mr.  Bennett :  ' 

**  You  tell  me  that  you  cannot  conscientiously  forego  any  of  Jiht 
principles  set  forth  in  your  letter.  My  remonstrance  to  you  VM 
directed  against  certain  practices — practices  in  behalf  df  which  yoii  oflfet 
no  valid  defence,  and  which  you  Surely  cannot  consider  of  vital  IttH 
portance.  If  I  restrain  you  from  these  practices,  which  I  feel  bouiid  15 
do  as  far  as  I  can,  I  cannot  think  that  ydut  conscience  will  hb  serionily 
aggrieved,  or  that  a  sufBcient  casus  will  have  arisen  for  your  leaving  tbe 
ministry,  to  which  you  have  hitherto  been  so  zealously  devotefl.'W 
p.  89.  - 

Now  we  ask  any  unprejudiced  person  to  say  what  is  the  meAqr 
ing  of  this  answer.  The  bishop  plainly  writes  in  the  kindeijti 
possible  spirit.  He  thinks  that  the  practices  to  which  he  objecU, 
such  as  the  "  Invocation  of  the  Trinity  before  the  sermon,'*'  and 
others  of  a  similar  nature,  involve  no  principle  whatever,  and 
therefore,  of  course,  that  the  giving  them  up  cannot  involve  any 
sacrifice  of  principle.  Will  it  be  credited  that  Mr,  Bennett, 
commenting  on  these  words  some  four  months  afterwards,  fastens 
on  the  Bishop  of  London  a  charge  of  ^^  hypocrisy  !^^  It  is  well 
nigh  incredible,  yet  so  it  is. 

"  If  I  could  be  brought,"  he  says,  "  externally  to  accord  with  the 
bishop  in  not  doing  certain  things,  then  he  does  not  mind  my  internally 
holding  principles  in  opposition  to  them.  What  kind  of  hypocrites 
should  we  all  be,  if  this  were  cai^ried  to  its  legitimate  concluflion  f^— 
p.  89. 

We  mention  this  as  a  fair  specimen  of  the  way  in  which, 
throughout  this  "  Farewell  Letter,^'  the  bishop  has  been  tnaated. 
We  wonder  if  it  occurred  to  Mr.  Bennett  to  charge  his  dioeeaao 
with  "  hypocrisy,^'  when  he  first  read  the  passage  in  questioB. 
We  venture  to  say  it  is  a  construction  which  no  really  fair-nlinded 
person  would  dream  of  putting  upon  it.  In  reply  to  this  letter 
on  the  30th  of  October,  Mr.  Bennett,  having  stated  that  he  "  caft* 
not,  after  conscientiously  considering  all  the  bearings  of  the 
matter,  withdraw  or  alter  any  thing  that  he  has  said  or  done,** 
thus  continues : 


Ti^  JBishop  o/Lgndan  and  Mr.  Bmineit.  115 

-  "  Therefore  my  conekuian  is  in  due  drficulty^  as  it  woe  in  my  previous 

ktler  afJidy  lfi»  that  I  ought,  {/*  calied  upon,  to  resign  my  living.     I 

VDuld  t^en  put  it  to  your  lordihip  in  this  way — I  would  tay,  '  If  your 

lordship  fJ]pul4  be-  of  eontinue^  opinion,  seeing  and  knowing  me  aa 

now  you  do,  that  I  am  guilty  of  unfaithfuluf^ss  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 

landi,  ap4.  if  y.Q.ur  lordship  will  after  that  signify  your  judgment  as 

bishop,  that  it  would  be  for  the  peace  and  better  ordering  of  tliat  portion 

of  the  Church  which  is  under  your  episcopal  charge,  that  I  should  no 

longer  serve  in  the  living  of  St.  Paul's,  I  would  then,  the  very  next  day^ 

send  you  a  formal  resignation.'  " 

Now  we  confidently  ask,  can  any  thing  be  plainer  than  this  ? 
m^  thUs  remember,  written  when  every  thing  was  quiet — be/ore 
I^rd  John  Bussell's  letter — before  the  slightest  disturbance  at 
St.  Bamabaa  ^^  This  all  occurred,^  as  D.  C.  L. '  truly  says, 
"before  the  bishop^s  charge,  and  before,  therefore,  the  worship 
1^  St.  Barnabas  bad  been  in  the  slightest  degree  molested  bv 
popular  violence*^  The  admission  is  very  important  from  such 
a  quarter.  We  only  wonder  it  had  not  occurred  to  D.  C.  L.'s 
mjnd  in  writing  subsequent  letters.  We  ask  again,  can  any 
thing  be  plainer  than  Mr.  Bennett's  language  ?  He  leaves  every 
tiling  to  the  discretion  of  the  bishop.  He  says  nothing  about  the 
"Canons  and  laws  of  the  Church,^  uivtil  after  the  bishop  had  acted 
W  this  permiesion,  and  then  he  thinks  it  consistent  to  use  this 
language. 

"  Of  course,  if  the  bishop's  view  were  the  right  one,  his  duty  was  not 
ooly  to  be  desirous  of  bringing  me  to  it,  but  of  enforcing  it.  How 
enforcing  it  ?  Not  by  his  ipse  dixit,  but  by  the  Canons  and  laws  of 
the  Church.  But  the  bishop  only  depends  on  his  own  private  judg- 
ment on  the  matter.  The  law  to  him  is  what  he  thinks  is  the  law.  He 
devires  to  make  the  Church  what  he  thinks  is  the  Church,  and  then  he 
fialls  upon  me  to  obey  it." — p.  183. 

It  may  be  well  to  say  one  word  on  '^  unfaithfulness^  to  the 
Church  of  England.  D.  0.  L.,  in  a  letter  written,  wc  think,  on 
the  20th  of  January  in  this  year,  makes  it  a  grievous  offence  on 
the  bishop'^s  part,  that  he  refused  to  state  to  the  parishioners  of 
St.  Barnabas,  in  answer  to  an  insolently- worded  memorial,  the 
masons  why  he  judged  Mr.  Bennett  "  unfaithful"  to  the  Church 
of  England.  Why  should  he  ?  Mr.  Bennett  had  left  the  matter 
entirely  in  the  bishop^'s  hands.  He  had  twice  tendered  his  un- 
conditional resignation,  contingent  only  upon  the  bishop^s  thinking 
proper  to  accept  it ;  and  we  say,  therefore,  that  to  quibble  about 
the  term  '^  nnfiaithfiilness  to  the  Church  of  England"  is  simply  a 

*  Letten  of  D.  C.  L.  p.  81> 
l2 


116  The  Bishop  o/L&ndon  and  Mr.  Bennetts 

specimen  of  very  dishonest  Bpecial  pleading  *-  We  must  say, 
moreover,  with  pain,  that,  if  any  body  had  doubted  Mr.  Bennett's 
"  unfaithfulness,''  they  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  read  his- ":  Fare-  ? 
well  Letter/'  and  if  they  have  any  pmI  low  for 'theiOhnroh  of  i 
England,  they  will  at  once  be  fully  convincecj  of  it.  .  . .  ^ 

fiut  even  yet  the  bishop  is  most  unwilling  taaxscept  H^^  feHg- 
nation.     He  thus  writes  on  the  IGth  of  November ; 

'^  I  am  under  the  necessity  of  stating  my  decided  omtii'oi^,  tIAit.t  '^ 
continuance  of  the  practices,  against  which  I  have  mvamrenibn'strat^ 
is  inconsistent  with  your  duty  as  a  minister  of  the  Eiiglisfti  CAurclii'iand  - 
I  now  again  call  upon  you  to  reliii^uish  theifr.  As  it  is  "MM  '^l)hi6ut  the 
most  mature  deliberation  that  I  makie  this  reqaisitioti,'to-Hti»-irot^irith- 
out  the  most  lively  concern  that  I  find  myself  drwen  to  have 'recourse,  io 
it.     I  pray  God  to  direct  you  in  this  matter."-—^.  107»  .      •^■ 

Now,  surel}^,  every  one  will  see  that  Mr,  Bennett  stopyiple^ge^    , 
upon  the  receipt  of  this  letter,  to  send  the  bishop,  "  ttip.>(ery,'^2rt 
day,"  his  formal  resignation.     Tins  letter  was  a  delicat^^\^ay  ,of 
leaving  Mr.  Bennett  Tiimself  to  resign^  if  he  coulcl  Ao/b.^^Ue^r  liis 
conduct.     The  bishop  in  effect  says: — "I  can  see  i^o  pqs^we 
reason  for  your  resignation;  but  my  duty  is  plain>^ynd  I.'iflflfi 
leave,  you  to  take  which  course  you;  think  best.^i ,,  TherefQ^e^^we 
say  again,  that  Mr.  Bennett  Nvas  bound  to  submit  tp.the^bm^j), 
or  to  resign.     He  did  neither  the  one  nor  the  other.     \yThj^j^, 
"  having  had  the  advantage  of  mature  reflection,  and  t):)^*  f^^UDSj^l 
of  othei^"  he  repented  of  his  former  promise,  we  kiio>v  Qof^) 
certain  it  is,  he  did  not  send  his  "  formal  resign^tiiop4  j ,  .^en 
came  the  riots  at  St.  Barnabas.     The  bisljop  very  naturfiJuj, ji^^ 
we  venture  to  say,  very  properly — Mr.  Bennett,  h^ym^^^'^t^- it 
ever  rememberedv  steadily,  refused  to  obey  bis  ^ippnitipuj^ 
presses  for  a  speedy  reply  to  his  letter.    Still  M^.  ]J?iw?.ft-^ 
not  resign,     ti^  niakes,  instead,   a  series  of.  prp£i€i^a£.:io,,|h0 
bishop,  to  which  it  was  most  unreasonable  to  expect  hiin  jtil.^^, 
cede.    Upon  the  37th  of  November  the  bishop^.  decUninaj^io 
accept  these  proposals,  thus  concludes  Jus  letter ;     . .      rV      i .     . 

«  Upon  the  whole,  if  you  are  not  prepared  to  corpply^  sipiVliAfff', 
and  ex  an'mo,  with  the  requisition  contained  in  tny  Uiiet  of  th6'l6th* 

,:/  Since  the  above  was  written,  Megsrs.  Adajns  andf  Igadely  have,  full y^^niliriied" 
this  View  of^he  question-.  In  anfltv'er'io  a  caso  laidbfefc^"  ihetf  by  Ui^^piiSihioiiert 
of  St.  Pttttl'^  they  flay  :—«  Upon  -A©  spooHdqtestianyWi'ape  iof  topimo»L-iftit -the 


Tlie  Bishop  o/Lmdan  and  Mr.  Bennett.  J 1 7 

instant,  I  must  call  upon  you  -to  fulfil  your  oflTer  of  retiring  from  a 
charge  which  1  deliberate!  j  think '  you.  could  not  je  that  case  continue 
to  hold,  withoutT'great  injuiy  to  IhciChurcb.  I  am  willing  to  allow  a 
reasonable  time  for^iyouclcompliance/'rfril  1 14»  ' 

Upon  the  receipt  6f  [ihhmtii^^'Mr.  B^itnleit  'does' at  last  send 
his«form^**^pkl»4»^;^     '7''  -'  ''•■■^  '-•■■'     • 

And  now  we^^'kliy  i^^y[)im!:ll^' iitittf,'^1i6thei^  T^e  have  not 
P^iply  .9§**M:.t^^^^^  .v^Vst.  tbjt  the,  offer  .of  resigna- 

tio!j,^c;^jW#^VWixW  flistxipi^^tepc^  Jcpm.  >^^^  ^d,  se- 

copdjy,  xtkat,^l«HW  ^fi^eipt^  ly?  the  psftpp  >Tit|i  the  girea^test  po9- 
sible  f«jMtm^^  »d^pnly^jbe!P,Mr,  Beon^tt  M.Mm^ifJ^t  him 
m^ctherticA^tnaiifMd.i^' Aid  yeit  Mr*  .BenDett  tett^Jiia. parishioners 
that'he^faes^bdeci  .^Ssada^dy  torn  ^way.from  i^em,  and  the  inter- 
course of  pastd^  affection  afaranddy  terminated  V  He  ventures 
to  arraign  his  diocesan  for  '^  taking,  the  changing  gale  of  the 
p6pitnWlt';T(tf  'fi^?^  the  B<)ck  of'A^s, 


pomnanwin  tor  niB.guiaance,  ratner  tnan  tne  itocK  ot  Ages, 
Wfiteli'aroaB/is  tHa^my^6nbe.;(Jbrir(ib,'whbse  cMldr^ntre  are'' 
(V>iK'l'40;'1^41X;'attHt^iM^  pterfectlf  well  fh^t  his  resig- 

ffl  j6n%a(l*W^^4;wi6^,ls  B/0.  L.  W  admitted;  offered  to  the 


mSK  ^  V^JIhre  thi^e  md  heefi '  the  *  slighted  indication  of  popular 
i^tikt^!  ''lii^ifefyre' d6  \te  6ay,  lA  dDsibg  this  branch  of  the 
rtibieclt;-  'mi  Mr..  Bbirliett  hte'  himself,  and  himself  alone,  to 
Waima  ;fdf'Hii  ^Afetidn  «toih  his  parishioners..  If  he  was  not 
pWi&ifW  hazaM  of  the  die,""  he  should  have 

tKW^  tWic!e:ttbfyre  hd  determined  *'  to  fetake  his  all  upon  a  cast." 
if  ih^  bisHttp  Vas  rfght,  he  should  have  obeyed  hini;  if  wrong, 
lie' ffiould' have' "Opposed' hitii ;  supposing,  that  is,  respect  for  cpis- 
c!d^^  atftiKoWty  lind  fo^l^^t  kindness,  had  not  restrained  him  from 
&  dbinjg ; '  but  he  |iad  ho  rfffht,  ks  a  Christian  6lergyinari,  to  forcfe 
K're^i^ilflofi  lipbij  the  bishop,*  and'  then  to  acctse'liis  lordship 
Sf''tr^l!eiT,  Intolerance,"  3esp6(ic  tj^ranh^,  and,  truckling  to 
^liopnlar.diHnbhi^,'"  bfeciuse  that  resignation  w^,  at  liast,  ac- 

4i^i.\r  ■*-'i'-  ...■;•.:         .■..■.■■■■ 

"  Bbii'Hve  have  to  consider,'  in  the  next  place,  the  question, 
whether  the  Bishop  of  London  was  justified  iii  ihterferii^  at  all 
H[iJtb..^^.rA  ^Benn^tt — in  other  words,  whether  Mr.  Bennett  ought 
iq'l^yj^  beei  allowed  to  catry  out  the  principles  by  which  he  pro- 
fesses to  have  been  guided  without  any  intervention  of  episcopal 
w^j^prity.  We  say  Mr.  Bennett's  "^rmcipfos,"  because  it  is  the 
Uffsd  wiich  he  himself  usually  employs,  although  we  agree  with 
^e  \ffiBhop  of  London  in  thinking  that  there  was  in  reality  no 
'•'J)ritoci(>te^  involved  in  the  original  question  at  issue  between 
Eifi^  lordship.  ;Wi4vMr.  Bennett,  except  that  of  obedience  to  the 
Ohniffdh  cf  England,  and  respect  for  episcopal  auUiority.    But  be 


118  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bemdt. 

this  as  it  may,  wc  will  proceed  to  consider  the  question,-^ Was  & 
the  duty  of  trie  Bishop  of  London  to  interfere  with  Mr.  Btitini^ 
or  to  allow  him  to  carry  out  his  principles  and  his  prabtic^;'t6 
any  extent  he  pleased?  But  we  niust  pause  first,  to  notice  Bic 
curious  development  which  the  "  Farewell  Letter  '*'*  unfolda  to  us. 
By  his  own  immediate  followers  Mr,  Bennett  is  regfiu*ded  ii^  (be 
veteran  champion  of  what  it  pleases  hira  to  call  ^^  Cathofi^i^." 
He  is  a  Churchman  who  has  spent  all  his  energies  in  the  tntifie 
of,  so  called,  ^^  Catholic  principles.^^  D.  G.  L.  thus  desci^ 
him : — 

"  Among  these  clergymen,  one  of  the  most  conspicuoiiB  was  Mr,  B^a- 
nett.  Strongly  impressed  with  the  ceremonial  character  of  the  BngW 
ritual,  and  having  a  strong  conviction  of  the  binding  force  of  the  UUir^ 
injunctions  of  the  Rubric^  he  steadily  carried  his  own  principles  inlo 
practice  in  the  church  of  St.  Paul's,  Knightsbridge." — p.  29. 

But  now  how  will  our  readers  be  surprised  (we  think  D.  0»  L 
must  have  been  a  little  surprised  also,)  to  find  that,  up  to  i84Q, 
Mr.  Bennett  had  really  no  "church"*' — we  beg  pardon — no  "Ofc 
tholic"  principles  whatever  ?  He  was,  credat  Judaeus^  by  his  owt 
showing  simply  a  "good  Protestant/'  Let  us  hear  his.  own 
account  of  himself : — 

"  In  reviewing  my  opinions  of  Church  matters  at  that  pariod»:' 
[1840|  when  he  first  came  to  St.  PauFs  district,]  "  I  do  not  think  thoi? 
was  in  me  the  slightest  bias  towards  any  ritual  observanceSf  saving  thqtli 
which  are  well  known,  as  carrying  out  the  common  ordinary  decorum 
of  what  is  usually  called  the  *  Protestant'  Church  of  England.  On  the 
contrary,  towards  the  Church  of  Rome,  I  perfectly  well  remember,  that 
I  showed  to  the  full  extent  all  the  prejudices  and  abhorrence  Which 
good  *  Protestants'  " — [the  sneer  is  Mr.  6ennett*s,  not  ours,}  **  whiA 
good  '  Protestants,'  as  such,  so  faithfully  cherish.  As  an  instance 
of  which,  I  full  well  remember  preaching  a  sermon,  on  the  5tb  of  NoVi, 
in  which  sermon  /  indulged  to  such  a  degree  in  all  the  vilttperatiws  <^ 
the  doctrines  of  Rome^  that  the  sermon  was  printed  by  desire  of  |j|e 
congregation." — p.  2. 

In  another  place  he  describes  himself  as  "  a  parish  pric^ 
young  in  the  administration  of  the  Church's  work  (for  St.  Paidi^ 
remember,  was  the  first  and  only  living  to  which  I  had  bden 
presented)." — p.  6.  He  does  not  state  whether  it  was  also  his 
first  parochial  charge.  And  how  do  our  readers  think  Mr.  Ben- 
nett became  a  sound  "Catholic!"  Not  as  some,  by  education; 
not  by  the  sheer  force  of  conscientious  conviction ;  not  by  study- 
ing the  principles  of  the  Prayer  Book,  and  comparing  thoae 
principles  with  the  theology  of  the  primitive  Fathers,  and-  of 
Holy  Scripture;  but  simpTy,  strange  to  say,  by  mrtue  of  the 


I 


I%s  BiOop  of  London  and  Mr.  BmmU.  119 

iSoffi  of  tie  Bishop  of  London,  in  1842.  He  had  been  slightly 
faoealated  b^  the  ^^  OjLford  School/^  duriog  the  two  preening 
jmra,  but  the  Bishop  of  London^s  Charge  was  plainly,  as  he  says, 
the  real  cause  of  his  ^^  Catholic"^  zeal. 

.  Let  us  again  quote  his  own  words  (p.  139) :  ^'  There  was  a 
principle  of  pastoral  guidance,  firmly  built  up  in  me  by  the  veiy 
teaching,  which  both  as  a  duty  and  a  pleasure^  it  was  my  part  to 
eipbrace^— I  mean  that  of  tlie  bishop  of  our  diocese.'^  Again,  lie 
aaysy  that  the  bishop  *^  had  set  him  upon  the  road  to  begin, 
under  bis  auspices,^^  the  inculcation  of  tne  principles  he  taught 
at  St.  Barnabas.  Whether  this  be  correctly  stated,  we  shall 
inquire  hereafter ;  we  simply  wish  to  present  our  readers  with 
Mr.  Bennett^s  mental  portraiture  in  1840-42,  as  he  has  himself 
dnwn  it  in  1851,  for  no  purpose,  that  we  can  perceive,  except  that 
of  casting  all  the  odium  he  possibly  can  upon  the  Bishop  of  London. 
Now  let  us  take  D.  G.  L.^s  description  of  the  bishop.  He 
says,  ^*  I  have  a  deep  and  sincere  respect  for  that  pi'elate.^ 
(Strange,  by  the  way,  tliat  he  who  proceeds  to  vituperate  another, 

Enerally  begins  by  expressing  his  ^^  deep  and  sincere  respect^ 
r  the  object  of  his  vituperation !) — 

"  He  has, ybr  more  than  twenty  years,  presided  over  a  diocese  with  a 
population  as  large  as  that  of  a  kingdom ;  and  during  this  time  his 
industry  in  multiplying  churches  and  schools  has  been  indefatigable ; 
bb  munificence  in  promoting  these,  and  all  other  good  works,  un- 
bomded ;  and  very  lately,  he  has  made  a  noble  stand  for  an  article  of 
the  Chtistian  faith!"—- p.  28. 

And  yet,  in  spite  of  all  this,  D.  G.  L.  thinks  it  becoming  to 
Attack  the  Bishop  of  London,  quite  as  fiercelv  as  the  Bishop  of 
Manchester,  by  way  of  evincing  a  ^^  GhurcnmanV  gratitude ! 
Sorely,  theoi  if  the  bishop  and  Mr.  Bennett  came  into  collision 

ym  matters  of  ritual  observance^  taking  Mr.  Bennett^s  own  view 
hiffaself,  and  D.  C.  L.'s  description  of  the  bishop,  one  would 
naturally  think,  reasoning  a  priori^  that  the  bishop  was  quite  as 
likely  to  be  in  the  right,  as  his  professed  disciple,  and,  by  his  own 
showing,  most  obedient  follower,  the  incumbent  of  St.  Paul's, 
Knigbtsbridge.  Now  let  us  see  how  the  case  really  stands.  Mr. 
Bennett  thus  describes  the  "principle"  on  which  he  has  act^ 
since,  as  he  says,  the  bishop's  tlharge  of  1842 : — 

•*  The  principle  mentioned  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  correspondence, 
was  the  propriety  of  adhering  to  the  old  Catliolic  rites  and  usages  of 


tliiDgfi  ancient  to  the  Church  in  England,  is  equivalent  to  a  desire  of 


120  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett. 

becoming  reunited  to  the  rest  of  Christendom,"— (p.  151.)  In  another 
place  he  sftys-^"  I  cannot  bring  myself  to  think  that  the  Church  of 
England  is  the  only  Church  in  the  world  that  ivould  deny  these  cus- 
toms.*' By  adopting  them,  as  one  means  with  otherfj  "  a  gradusl 
assimilation  wiili  the  rest  of  the  Catholic  Church  would  be  made;  the 
prejudices  of  all  the  different  sects  and  schisms  would  be  conquered; 
and  Catholic  unity  would  be  restored."— p.  82# 

Mr.  Bennett^s  theory,  therefore,  may  briefly  be  stated  ibus. 
He  considers  every  priest  at  liberty]  to  introduoe  any  practices, 
which  have  been  used,  at  any  time,  in  the  Church,  wbicaam  oot 
distinctly  forbidden  by  the  English  Prayer  Book;  ibe  object  of 
such  restoration  being  the  revival  of  Catholic  unity*     . 

The  bishop's  objection  to  this  theory  is  twofold.  Firsts  tjiat 
the  theory  itself  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  Gh»rch 
of  England ;  secondly,  that  it  is  a  most  dangerous  theory  tOiput 
in  practice  at  the  present  time,  because  all  such  usages  are,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  derived  noio^  however  CathoKc  they  might  :Once 
have  been,  from  the  peculiar  ritual  of  the  Church  of  Borne;  jn 
other  words,  tliat  they  have  (and  the  suspicion  that  they  have  it, 
is  the  bishop^s  most  deadly  offence)  a  '^  Eomanizing  ^^  tendency. 
Let  us  examine  this  question.  A  little  reflection  will,  we  think, 
show,  that  'the  Bishop  of  London  is  perfectly  right  in  both  ptf- 
ticulars.  The  statute  law  of  the  English  Church,  to  use  an  ex- 
pression of  Mr.  SewelPs,  is  the  English  Prayer  Book.  Thi^i  m 
far  as  circumstances  do  not  limit  the  possibility,  every  English 
clergyman  is  bound  to  obey.  But  then,  surely,  he  can  have  np 
more  right  to  go  beyond  this,  unless  custom  sanctions  his 
.doing  80,  tlian  ha  can  have,  intentionally,  to  fall  short  of  it. 
But  the  theory  referred  to  above  goes  far  beyond  iiiis,  bOd 
there  are  two  reasons  why  it  is  objectionable.  Firsts  its 
carrying  out  involves  a  palpable  absurdity;  secondly^  it  is 
cpntraiy  to  the  spirit  of  our  Prayer  Book.  Just  suppose;  fqr 
a.  moment,  that  every  clergyman  actB  up  to  this  principle,  Oficiwd- 
ingtohis  own  individual  taste^  where  shall  we  stop!  OBetuiBy 
vrish:  to  revive  the  primitive  Agapee,  with,  as  a  necessai*y^iCooi^ 
q^ience,  all  their  attendant  irregularities.  Another  may  ha/Ye^« 
fancy  for  infant  communion.  Another  for  reviving  the  prinuitnfe 
ceremonies  connected  with  adult  female  baptism,  of  which  J^ng- 
ham  gives  us  so  graphic  an  accpunt.  One  gentleman,  the  -fieiv. 
Arthur  ]Baker,  of  whom,  though  we  differ  from  him  tottf  tfa^,.we 
wisl;!  to  speak  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect,  because,  hia  letter 
\o  the  Bishop  of  London  is  written  in  an  honest,  manly,  str^ht- 
ibrward  spirit,  lias  openly  expressed  his  wish  to  restore  >  the 
practice  of  ^'extreme  unction;'"  the  practical  difficulty  being, 
to .  get  any  '^  holy  oil ''  which  has  been  tdessed  by  a  bishop  of  our 


IHe  Buihop  ofLondmik  and  Mr.  Bennett.  121 

communion  i  We  ask  again,  therefore,  where  slidl  we  stop ! 
Ofloe  fJloW  {^ermissicqa  to  introduce  novelties  at  j)leasiire,  and  you 
can  put  no' Kmit  to  individual  fancy  or  caprice.  We  say  confi- 
dentiy,  *'  Est  modus  in  rebus,  sunt  ccrti  deniquo  fines."  Act 
up  to  the  Prayer  Book  as  much  as  you  please,  but  if  you  wish  to 
go  b^ondit,  to  introduce  practices  not  sanctioned  by  custom, 
then  consult  the  bishop  of  the  diocese,  and  let  his  decision,  in  all 
cases,  b0 -final. 

Bat  we  JSay,  moreover,  that  Mr,  Bennetf's  "  restorative  theoir,'' 
wliich  13 -not,  as  D.O#L.  speciously  obsen^es,  a  question  respecting 
the  ^'inteipretation  of  the  rubrics  of  the  Church  of  Enp^land 
(p.  39),  but  a  question,  rather,  respecting  matters  on  which  the 
nArics  ■■  aire  wholly  silent,  contradicts  the  spirit  of  the  English 
Pmyer  Book. 

■■■  Howler  much  Mr.  Bennett  may  dislike  the  term  '^  Protestant,^" 
we  presimie  even  be  will  not  venture  to  deny,  that  the  Church  of 
Eoglddd  is  a  '^Beformed  Church.^^  Now,  from  what  was  she 
iiefontied-r  Let  ns  consult  the  preface  to  our  Prayer  Book.  It 
sftyBTc  ^'  And  although  the  keepmg  or  omitting  of  a  ceremony,  in 
itraf  eobsideredj  is  but  a  small  thing,  yet  the  wilful  and  con- 
temptuous transgression,  and  breaking  of  a  common  order  and 
dkcipline,  is  no  small  offence  before  God — ^the  appointment  of  the 
which  order pertainath  not  to  private  men ;'" — (would  not  priests,  as 
lucb,  come  under  this  appellation!)-—'^  therefore,  no  man  ought 
to  takA  in  hand,  nor  presume  to  appoint  or  alter  any  public  or  common 
«rder  in  Gkrisfs  Churchy  except  ne  be  latcfully  called^  and  authonzed 
ikremvioJ^^  Take  one  more  passage.  '^  This  our  excessive  multitude 
(f  ceremonies  was  so  great^  and  many  of  them  so  dark,  that  they 
did  more  confound  and  darken,  than  declare  and  set  forth  Christ^s 
benefits  unto  us.''  We  submit  that  these  two  quotations  demolish 
*t  Once  Mr.  Bennett^s  theory.  No  one,  surely,  can  say  that  any 
pHesi^  as  such,  can  be  ^^  lawfully  called  and  authorized  to  alter 
nrf  public  or  connnon  order  in  Christ's  Church.*'  It  is  quite 
^ear  also  that,  if  every  priest  had  this  pother,  and  acted  upon  it^  we 
fihoald  have  no  possible  security  against  being  burthenedwith  the 
same  Mnd  and  number  of  ceremonies,  from  which,  as  her  own 
Prarjidf  Book  teaches,  the  Church  of  England  was  cleansed  at  the 
Befonmftion.  It  is  useless  to  bring,  against  this  view,  the  oft- 
quoted  mbric  about  the  '^  ornaments  of  the  Church  in  the  second 
yearof  the  reign  of  King  Edward  VI.''  As  far  as  the  Bishop  of 
London^  and  Mr.  Bennett  are  concerned,  that  rubric  is  simply 
wiiilud  rm^.  The  question  between  them  was  not  about  ^'orna- 
mente^^'  but  abottt  ceremonies  and  ritual  observances.  Whether 
he  liked  it  o^notv  the  bishop  did  consecrate  the  Church  of  St. 
Barnabas^  and  h0  has  never  once  reqmred  Mr.  Bennett  to  alter  any 


122  TAs  Biihap  of  London  and  Mr.  BmnM. 

thing  connected  with  the  '^  ornaments  ^^  of  that  Chtird.  He  has 
simply  required  him  to  discontiuuc  certain  ^^  practices,^'  notautfao* 
rized  by  the  Rubrics ;  practices,  as  we  have  shown,  ba^ed  u(md 
a  tlieory  utterly  untenable  in  itself,  and  contradictory  to  tbe 
gpirii  of  the  Prayer  Book  of  tiie  Reformed  Church  of  England. 
Mr.  Bennett  may  wish  for  an  alteration  of  the  statute  law  of 
his  Church — ^lio  may  wish  tliat  he  liad  liberty  to  introduce  ai^ 
usages  he  pleased,  whether  from  the  Romish,  or  the  Primitive 
Church ;  but,  so  long  as  our  Prayer  Book  remains  unaltered,  so 
long  as  ours  is  a  ''  Reformed "'  branch  of  the  Catholic  Church, -^ 
long  will  the  preface  to  that  Prayer  Book,  and  the  qtirit  of  that 
Reformation,  alike  condemn  the  introduction,  into  our  service, 
of  any  practices,  which  cannot  plead  either  rubrical  injunfition, 
prescriptive  usage,  or  episcopal  sanction. 

^^  Oh,  but,^'  it  is  replied,  ^^  these  usages  are  the  marks  of  our 
CathoHcity ;  they  are  the  signs  of  our  liolding  the  Catholic  faith; 
they  are  the  links  by  which  the  English  communion  is  united  to 
the  Holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world.  Restrain  mie,  or  any 
other  priest,  from  introducing  those  usages,  and  you  remove  at 
once  the  ties  by  which  we  are  associated  with  the  rest  ei 
Christendom .""  We  answer,  first,  that,  unless  D.  C.  L.  has  made 
an  erroneous  statement,  before  the  Farewdl  Letter  was  published 
Mr.  Bennett  had  offered  to  relinquish  every  individual  practice  to 
which  the  bishop  had  objected,  except  that  of  standing  before  the 
altai*  during  the  consecration  of  the  elements ;  that  is  to  say, 
Mr.  Bennett  first  steadily  refuses  to  make  any  alteration  wbat- 
ev^ ;  he  forces  his  resignation  upon  the  bishop  ;  he  exposes  the 
bishop  to  a  running-fire  of  misrepresentation,  of  abuse,  and  of 
insult,  from  D.  C.  L.,  and  various  other  quartei*s.  He  thea  ofiere 
to  relinquish  all  the  practices  in  dispute,  except  one ;  and  then^ 
because  the  bishop  does  not  think  proper  to  be  forced  into 
altering  his  determination,  Mr.  Bennett  is  to  be  held  up  to  his 
parishioners  as  a  niartyr  to  Catholic  principles;  his  theory  af 
^^  restoration""  is  to  be  the  mark  of  the  Catholicity  of  the  Enj^ish 
Church ;  and  the  Bishop  of  London  is  to  be  exposed  to  public 
eontc^ipt,  as  an  intolerant  despot,  as  destroying,  at  once  and  for 
ever,  the  claims  of  the  English  Church  to  be  a  true  and  living 
iH'anch  of  the  Church  Catholic,  because,  forsooth,  the  Bishop  of 
London  wislied  to  restrain  one  of  his  clergy  from  certain  prodstieefi^ 
allofwhich^  save  one,  and  that,  on  the  fiace  (rf  it,  a  very  doubtfql 
}K)int,  that  very  chrgyman  lias^  lohen  it  was  too  late,  quired  to 
reUnq^iish  i 

We  say,  moreover,  on  this  point,  that  there  are  two  kinds  of 
^^  Cathc^icity^""  primitive  and  mediieval,  one  frem  whidi,  another 
4e  which^  if  ff^  ma^  so  speak,  we  wer^  reformed,  in  the  sixteenth 


Tke  Bishop  of  Loidm  omd  Mr.  Bmmdi.  1 23 


I 

J  tmimj.    9/6  long,  therefore,  as  the  Prayer  Book  of  the  English 

"^    &ktek  remaitiB  unaltered' — so  long  as  we  retain  all  the  grand 

/unritunental  verities  of  the  Christian  faith  embodied  therein — so 

hAft  shall  we  continue  to  be  a  true  and  living  branch  of  the 

Ckmelie  Ofaureh  ;  so  long  can  there  exist  no  possible  reason  for 

intrt>dU(^(ng  into  our  ritual  any  mediaeval  observances,  other  than 

those*  whieh  ate  sanctioned  by  the  hiws  of  the  Church  of  England, 

er  by  pfescrJptive  custom. 

''^cUt,^*  it  is  said,  'Hhese  usages  and  observances  will  restore 
Catholic  Unity.  They  will  take  away  from  us  the  reproach, 
miAer  which  'we  now  justly  labour,  of  being  isolated  from  the 
rest  of  Christendom.  They  will  tend  to  restore  the  *  unity  of 
the  Spirit  in"  the  bond  of  peace  f  ^^  and  loud  is  the  outcry  raised 
against  the  Bishop  of  London,  because  his  lordship  lias  ventured 
to  imagine  that  the  revival  may,  possibly,  have  a  somewhat 
diflferent  effect ;  tiiat,  instead  of  restoring  ^^  Catholic,^^  they  may 
possibly,  and  probably,  tend  rather  to  restore  ^'  Bomish'^  unity ; 
that  their  ultimate  development  will  bring  us  back^  not  to 
prinitfre,  but  to  ^^ Romish^  Catholicism.  <^  Even  the  bishops 
themadves,*'  says  Mr.  Bennett,  ^'  make  the  idea  of  Catholicity 
equivalent  to  Popery.  Our  own  bishop  perseveres  in  fastening 
upon  me  the  charge  of  ^  copying  Rome.^  He  has  told  me  that  I 
adopt  this  and  that  rite  because  ^  it  is  Soman ;'  that  we  are  lead- 
ii^  men  to  ^ proe^pices^^  and  the  like^^  (p.  172).  The  imputation 
of  ^  Bonuuiizing  ^  is,  in  fact,  regarded,  by  certain  parties,  as  tlie 
y^  acme  of  ''  bigotry  f'  the  restraining  from  such  practices  is 
Ae  very  quintessence  of  ''  persecution ;"  is  said  to  be  ^^  driving 
men  ovef  into  l^e  ranks  of  the  enemy .^^  But  we  say,  first,  can 
it  be  foivott?en,  ought  it  to  be  forgotten,  that  of  iliose  English 
priests  vmo  Imve  put  the  ^^restorative  theory^'  into  practical  ope- 
nition,  the  greater  number  have  already  gone,  not  simply  '^step  hy 
9lep  to  tie  fsery  verge  of  the  precipice^  but  actually  headlong  over  in^ 
tttf  gn^  beneath  it  f  From  Mr.  Newman  down  to  Mr.  Dods worth, 
fiunUiB  descensus  Avemd,  and,  still  later,  down  to  the  mover  of 
khereBohition  of  sympathy  with  Mr.  Bennett,  passed  by  the  London 
Church  Union  on  the  10th  of  December,  these  men  have  goneof)er 
to  the  Church  of  Rome.  Are  we  then  gravely  to  be  told,  that 
our  bii^hops  are  ^^  bigoted  and  intolerant,^"  because,  seeing  others 
of  their  «lergy  pursuing  a  similar  course,  they  are  apprehensive  of 
ii  similar  result,  and  endeavour,  by  a  timely  warning,  to  guard 
against  it  ?  We  know  full  well  that  post  hoc^  ergo  propter  hoc^ 
is  very  frequently  unsound  reasoning,  but  surely  there  is  here  an 
h  priori  argument  on  the  side  of  those  who  do  so  reason.  S*w^ly 
if  one,  standing  by  the  side  of  a  river,  saw  twenty  persons  bathmg 
—if  he  «aw  tefi,  after  venturing  to  a  certain  spot,  sink  to  rise  no 


124  The  Bishop  ofjjmdm  and  Mr.  B&nnett. 

more,  he  would  not  be  deemed  impertineot  if  he  ventured  to  wan 
the  rest  of  their  danger;  and,  moreover,  would >iiot  be  amenable, 
on  any  just  grounds,  to. the  charge  of  ^^(peraeoutiob^^^  'if^>supp08iiig 
him  to  possess  authority,  be  exiereisedlitrby  way  of  prevention. 
The  caad  of  th0  Be<^efi$]ons.to  B6me  is  auvely^Tery^pairillel  to  this. 
At  alleivents^.  we;put  this  altemative-^t^ithea?  >iheg^i:wbo<  ha^e 
seceded  did  so  delibecately,  with  their  eyes'iipen,''Or^theys>nneveled 
on  ^^step  by  ertep.'^:  In  thd  one  caae^  tiiiejri'Werdi  ^f^jdauiofevdifl- 
tilled^^  traitor^i  to  rtjie  Ohurch  of  Englandb.i'^ln  tthfi' othes^'*the 
Bishop  ofi^Iifondon  aets  mlDst  faithfi^y  to'lus/cleK^^inidH^ 
his  Ghm:telH .  if ;  b<i  does  all  he  can-  do  ^to'  pcevent  •  ifle^OTthsrenoe 
of  a  similar  oatastroplie»  And  as;  to  the-  chjnrgBiidfi'fdu^lrebf 
^' driviDgimen  over  to  the  ranks  of  the  enemyi^'f^^itoa^sn^es*' 
pireesion  which  no  tru&rhearted  English. Churchman  wbuld^  dxkstnt 
of  QOAploying ;  it  ia  one,  we  firmly  believe,  that  has:  dond  Vdij^ 
gteat  mischief  at  the  present  crisis;  What  does:  the  >-exp0eniDft 
mean!  Simply  this,  that,  whenever  an  English  priest^ff^ws^diEh 
contented  with  bis  position,  he  naturally,  as  a  matter  of  ctimat^ 
begins  to  think  about  secession  to  the  Church  of  iRome ;  in  othflr 
words,  that  there  is,  really,  no  esseutial  difiference  betwwnisthp 
principles  of  the  two  communions.  For  our  owti  part,  'm'>«i» 
OoiiYiuced  that  no  possible  combination  of  circumstaiQeeB'eanjas^' 
tify  "  secession"'  from  our  mo%  (?A«rcAi  much  less  ^^  apostasy ^^>1fa 
the:  (Church  of  Home.  Wq  believe  that  the  priaciple^  of  tfab  t\v» 
Churches,  30  far  as  they  differ,  are  necessarily  antagonastio  •to' 
each  other,  and  that  no  sound  Anglican  priest,  whatever  diffi' 
culties  he  may  find  in  the  one,  would  ever  dream,  for  an  instapt, 
that  he  would  better  his  condition  by  going  over  to  the  Qpfierir. 
Jiishop  Ken  once  bore  an  honoured  name  among  English  Chu]rc|^- 
men — Bishop  Ken  was  a  "  Nonjuror,*"  but  he  never  becam^'i. 
Bomianist.  Let  us  once  cleanse  ourselves  from  this,  uot,8uurej|y: 
undeserved,  suspicion;  let  us  once  persuade  our  people, tl|a4^; 
nothing  shall  ever  drive  us  to  JRome^  and  sure  we  are  that  one 
j^nd  cause  of  our  present  difficulties  will  speedily  be  removed^ 
^'heaviness  may  endure  for  a  night,  but  joy  will  come  an- the 
morning.''  :> ; .  •■ 

But  we  say,  secondly,  that,  whether  the  "  restorative  theprt^ 
be  or  be  not  sound  in  itself,  this,  of  all  others,  is  ijot  the- 
time  for  putting  it  in  practice.  What  is  our  presenft  posl-' 
tion?  The  Qiurch  of  England  is  fighting  a  battle,  no*,  '8^ 
recently,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  Christian  faith,  but  fof' 
h|Qr  very  existence.  Enemies,  strong  and  mighty,  beset  her.  on 
every  side.  We  ask  Mr.  Bennett,  and  D.  C.  L.,  Is  this  a  time, 
when  our  bishops  are  callied  ^^  possessors  by  act  of  Parliament 
of  their  episcopal  revenues,'^  their  spiritual  character  and  funtt* 


J%t  BUkop  of  London  wid  Mr.  Btntutt.  Its 

ibeii^isnaredaU<^getli«rl->-Is'1Iits'«F  timewbsnhe,  who  is 
Cardinal  WdseouDf  irii»^'**<witH>il»led'.lwdtth'ftnd  whisper^ 
omlileties«^'i6ndaiTaureA  tao^le'the 'Enriiah  nation  in  his 
t'^ApiKa){7.'tlnib  luiaraMvd'*'  tkb  ^thfiU^  in-hi*')'  Lenteo 
irBT^lUns'fiiiviaatyflKrti-^'ftiA&ywoiwfrdearl^itefethA  agita- 
odlimaKllieflBidiflmi'aiBdDd^JnMzaVd  to«i(i^Wt»6laihe0  0/ 
tn^/iiirtiie  amatry-tohiti'lMtdmdiii  ^luM^tiU^aiwf'ia 
■rioniber  itweliMltiff naorfriuid/UioK  froqi  tfactil-  IfAbdfe,  in 
rtibDaslib<glbaw'Wii^iM'litthe'cloter^«nd«laiitfiCo.'it  Mtfre 
artie]j)>i''iAi«lhffe'^'lm)Ulttda  tofa* S(eliiU|i£n M,  liM^ 
<gtio<whaStr>d  nmliVfito htae-nf'dktA ttm^ to esb^Mj  thdt 
i6laU:>thaiiBsbaQritjr(>rtlfarkxi£tion-y'f^llMtwdi^olnesd,anii 
ia^iptDeeineali'is  thbOwmMOvlc  tbey-had'onae 'tboM^A'BO 
}  dild<howfnrithii^ImlabandoMd;i>eota3paft'bn)in«i^'&iMi-rirlH 
ivrwrenatlisiieeliDg'and  itiltuig,'  'tha'Vorii''8  ^icvt('tlmBr<h 
uf/TesA^  miia  ndate  Bboiefl  'Jmeitt^AnantifiiMMi^ 

ki  fiiWIV^^tlus  m  time^i  when^  Oat  awuie^f'Botdiw 
tfae^^iXaUet't^aaj'ii'aB^H.daid  on  the'  Sgod-^'lafll  Kor^v 
ic^4)f<thaiiuifai^jriT0iiBgii»ii,  i<bed:  Fieldingu^th JfdH>(HO# 

jpd4nfi'><ca7np9iiMfib«£Uti^'aM:f^Jia/f«(!i^:<a4»terti^ 
)f  jtawacds ;Buisidiiw&  Hre'-ilDfc  qintiities  tehich  o-  «$«^«m  iff 
Mnl«iwht]-ti>(nJ}ia  ta'act'towardAMtseIf'1^<^Iil'lhisft^t}nae^' 
oa»«wing  hmudf  ">aB  Sli^nliclergyiaaVidares'toipvint' 
angna^'-as  this^— ■  ■■■■  '■  iii- ,  ■  1'  ii:> 

or  myself,  then,  I  trust  I  may  say,  tliat  I  fully  recogniso  tli^, 
1,  of  Home  as  the  mother  and  queiin  of  Churches  ;  tliat  I  do  i|ol^] 
figly,  reject  any  part  whalover  of  her  authoritative  teaching,  or 
i^n  anypractice  expresaly  sanotioncd  by  her;  tlmt,  as  tar  as  i  aiii, 
evented  by  positive  restriction,  I  make  her  system  my'  giiide' 
I  -pDhllc  and  private ;  and  that  I  ardently  and  unceasingly  desir^' 
inited  to  her;  not  only,  as  I  believe  myself  to  be  now  Qnited/ 
iyv  but  openly  and  visibly,  and  to  be  able  (q  pay  in  positive  rctS-' 
m;^  which  'I  now  offer  in  will  and  intention.  I  use  Ronriah 
of  devotion  in  preference  to  others.  I  recite  the  BreviaiyoScff 
id  tnstilatioa  <h-  sUeiation.  '  1  nreixitce  tlja  Baints  af  thcKoiJikii 
lafi  X  delight,  in^wsiUin^.  at  tbeiMleb ratio h  «£  tbei  Divkie  ntys- 
i^r.^lKtRnpnanUsa,  ,i/«ally  .R|n-.»ol|coiiscwu»  pfflifUjnglolecfiler' 
4,jiasU|i:}»s,relfgTeLW8«Bpiralio»,  t,b|U^(4es',aot  t«^4LK<»vwr^  Rqa}a,< 
^nJfl,;^i9iB0>itBdl»«ioii,*.'',. .,,.,.,   ;,,,;i,.     .,1.   -„'^    ^  ;.,-i-,., 

iftaS-'Jy-uM'.  ir.Miii.i^    ;.iiir     .y,livj<y\  Pf..j.n^:.;.i  i^^TtTT  ■ 


126  Tk$  BMop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bmin$it. 

whining  lament,  about  restoring  *^  Oatholie  unity  V^  to  hold  up  to 
the  scorn  of  our  bitter  enemies  the  '^  isolation^  of  the  Oiurch  of 
England !  Doubtless,  she  is  ^^  isolated,^^  but  whose  is  the  goiH 
of  that  isolation !  Not  ours,  but  theirs,  who  would  impoe^  upon 
us  UQsorlptural  terms  of  communion,  who  ignore  our  existence  a 
a  Church,  who  call  us  *'  heretics  and  schismatics  !^  Is  ibis  ^ 
time,  then,  to  subject  one,  who  has  so  nobly  served  the  iChuFeh 
of  England  as  the  Bishop  of  London,  to  a  charge  of  "  perseiofh 
tion,^^  because  he  endeavours  to  restrain  his  clergy  from  intror 
diicing  ritual  observances,  which,  no  where  ordered  by  Qur  Prayer  . 
Book,  may,  possibly,  once  have  been  Catholic^  but  are  now, 
beyond  all  doubt,  exclusively  Romish  f  Catholic  unity  is  V 
good  thing;  but  Scriptural  truth  and  Anglican  independence 
are  far  better,  if  they  cannot  all  be  had  together.  We'  cal| 
that  man  a  patriot,  who  defends  his  own  cotmtry  in  the  bcmr 
of  danger ;  and  so,  we  say,  has  the  Church  of  England,  in  this 
her  hour  of  difficulty  and  trial,  an  exclusive  claim  upon  the  lon^ 
and  gratitude,  and  allegiance,  of  all  her  faithful  children.  We 
say,  that  any  priest  or  layman  of  the  English  Church,  who,  in 
his  yearning  after  "  Catholic  unity,^^  forgets  the  special  cliMmff  of. 
his  own  spiritual  mother,  acts  as  rashly  and  as  wickedly  as  he,  ifhH^ 
for  the  sake  of  a  common  humanity,  should  lavish  his  substanoe 
upon  strangers,  and  leave  those,  whom  God  has  committed  to  his  ' 
charge,  to  starve  and  perish  in  the  streets.  It  is  idle  and  weaK 
to  cry,  '^  Peace,  peace  !  when  there  is  no  peace.^'  It  is  madnetB 
to  call  upon  us  to  lay  down  our  arms,  with  the  sound  of  the 
enemy's  trumpet  ringing  in  our  ears.  It  is  treachery  for  us  to 
'^  labour  for  peace,''  while  all  around  shows  that  they  are  *^  lns^aag 
ready  for  battle."  Let  us  hear  one  on  this  point,  from  whom  ws 
differ  much,  but  whose  words  once  had  some  weight  with  Mr. 
Bennett. 

"  About  the  future  history  of  our  Church/'  says  Dr.  Fusey,  ''  I  have 
felt  the  less  anxious,  because  I  felt,  as  your  lordship  too  feels,  and  has 
expressed,  that  God's  good  hand  was  with  her.  I  have  never  planned 
any  thing,  as  some  have  at  times  planned,  nor  worked  (as  some  would 
wi«h)  directly  for  her  reunion  with  the  rest  of  Cliristendom,  because  I 
always  felt  that  a  healthful  restoration  of  unity  must  be  God's  doingr 
in  His  time  and  way  ;  to  be  prayed  for,  not  planned.  /  have  said  to  t» 
others^  who  seemed  to  he  impatient  for  this,  and  to  aim  at  fshai  was 
impossible.  I  have  ever  hoped  that  the  Church  of  England,  whom  Qoi. 
has,  by  His  providence  and  in  its  history,  so  marvellously  distinguished 
from  the  Protestant  bodies  on  the  Continent,  or  among  Uie  Dissenters, 
had  a  special  destiny  and  office  in  store  for  her,  in  His  All-merciful 
designs.  And  in  this  great  restoration  of  our  Church,  when  younger 
men  have  seemed  to  me  to  turn  their  eyes  too  narrowly  to  one  portion 


m^khop  ifflmdim  and  Mr.  Mi»nM.  187 

Ta  worku  I  ht^v^  bolh  publidy  and  privately  pointed  out  what  has 
9  impressed  upon  myself,  how  ihat  work  embr^es  ^rtxy  part  and 
of  the  Church*." 

there  is  oiie  other  argument,  advanced  by.  Mr.  Bennett, 
ose  who  bold  similar  views  with  him,  in  favour  of  th^  *'  I'P* 
ve  theory,*"  which  it  is  necessary  briefly  to  notice.  It  is 
'Beware  how  you  oppose  the  introduction  of  any  ante- 
ation  usages ;  for,  in  so  doiiig,  you  are  running  counter  to 
V^ice  of  some  of  the  most  esteemed  and  saintlv  divinqs  of 
iimunion*^*  Bishop  Andrewcs,  they  say,  did  this  in  his  prir 
^apel — Archbishop  Laud  introduced  that  practice — Uisnop 
another,— rand  so  on.  with  a  host  of  otiier  names,  whgm  it  is 
\,T  indeed  from  our  wish  to  disparage  in  the  smallest  ppsaible 
.  We  have  a  twofold  answer  to  this  position.  First,  that 
as  we  venerate  the  private  characters  of  these  divines-— 
is  we  feel  the  obligation  to  them,  under  which  every  EJng- 
hurchman  must  lie,  still  we  cannot  consent  to  allow  that, 
lual  practice  is  to  be  permitted  to  weigh,  for  a  moment, 
t  the  language  and  spirit  of  the  English  Prayer  Book.  We 
therefore,  that  the  Bishop  of  London  was  perfectly  justified 
ii)g  to  Mr.  Bennett,  when  objecting  to  that  geutleman^s 
)t  publicly  to  introduce  into  his  pari3i  the  system  of  pray- 
'  the  dead : — "  The  authorities  which  you  have  adduced  m 
i  of  the  lawfulness  of  prayers  for  the  dead,  have  no  weight 
ie,  in  opposition  to  the  plain  and  acinowledged  judgment  of 
urch  of  England^ ^'^  Of  course  the  bisliop  did  not  mean  to 
\  Mr.  Bennett  insinuates,  that  he  has  no  respect  for  the 
as  of  the  divines  Mr.  Bennett  had  quoted,  considered  in 
stract ;  but  simply  that,  Inasmuch  as  the  practice  of ''  pray- 
*  the  dead^^  was  deliberately,  for  a  good  and  sufficient  rea* 
^pudiated  at  the  Beformation,  and  at  every  subsequent  re- 
of  our  Prayer  Book,  therefore  it  is  not  a  practice  sanctioned 

English  Church.  Surely  this  is  perfectly  souud  reasoning, 
me  thing  to  bring  a  ^'  catena'^  of  Anglican  divines  in  sup- 
r  a  disputed  point  of  rubrical  interpretation^  in  confirmation 
jsputed  doctrine ;  another^  and  quite  a  different  thing,  to 
lividual  opinions  up  ''in  opposition  to  the  plain  and  aoknow-* 
judgment  of  the  Church  of  En^nd/^  But  we  say,  more- 
nat  we  have  no  objection  to  allow  an  appeal  to  the  great 
\  of  the  seventeenth  century,  provided  that  appeal  be  a  fair 
provided  Mr.  Bennett  will  carry  out  their  teaching  fairly 


B  Letter  to  Bishop  of  LondoBi  p.  954. 
'  Farewell  Letter^  p,  61. 


128  Ti4  BUkop  of  London  and  Mr.  Smneit. 

and  honeatly.     We  Bubmib  that  it  is  most  tm/air  to  bring  fn- 
ward  one  pai>t  of  their  teaching  so  triumphantly,  and  to  ignore  }- 
another  part  of  it  altogether ;   to  talk,  as  Mr.  Baker  talm,  rf  ^ 
"  aheltenng  themselves  under  the  revered  names  of  Bishops  An-  iv 
drewes,  Laud  and  Butler,  who  have  sufiered  persecution,  one  qtgd  b 
death,  in  the  same  good  cause '.""     We  beg  to  remind  Mr.  Beonett  ;l 
and  Mr.  Baker,  that  the  great  diviniw,  to  whom  they  refer,  wbr  j^ 
one  and  all,  the  stauachest  de/mders  of  t/ie  ChurtA  of  JSofflani  s 
against  the  aggressions  and  t/ie  usurpatiojis  0/  the  Chareh  ofBaan.  t 
Ihey  were,  one  and  all,  the  great  upholders  of  Catholicism;  but  ii 
then  it  was  primitire,  not  mediceval.     They  clung  to  Catholic  t 
truth,  hut  they  sternly  denounced  Eoraish  error.      They  never  : 
di-eamed,  for  a  moment,  in  their  yearnings  after  (^tholic  unity,  '■- 
of  giving  up,  for  the  sake  of  it,  the  "  Protestant"  chanicter  of  the  ■- 
Church  of  England.     We  beg  to  ask,  \\liat  course  would  An-  f- 
drewes,  and  Laud,  and  Hooker,  and  Buauihall,  and  good  Bi^iop   \ 
Hall,  and  saintly  Jeremy  Taylor,  and  a  host  of  others  like  then,   |_ 
what  course  would  they  have  adopted,  had  they  hQOH  aliift  now!   ; 
Would  tkey  have  forsaken  the  Oliurch  of  Knglgnd  in. this  hep  hour    ■. 
of  difficulty  and  danger!     VVould  Mp'/liave  lauded  to  the  skies   X 
the  practice  of  the  Church  of  Borne,  while  exposing,  with  groa   1 
exaggeration,  the  weaJiness  aitd  the  deticieneifis  of  their  own  spi-    's 
ritual  Mother !     Would  tJuy  have  desmbed  the  Cliuich  of  Eng- 
land as  "  a  bouse  where  there  is  no  food  supplied,  but  tchat  is  sca»f)' 
and  scarce ;   and,  indeed,  what  little  there  may  he,  tasteless  am 
innutritiihis^  f^      Would  they  have  foreshadowed  secession,  by 
telling  English  Churchmen  that  "  men  cannot  abide  long  where 
atl  is  doled  oat  gmdgim^ly  and  tparinifly,  and  they  withal  hbQgeT- 
ing  and  thirsting  after  the  heavenly  manna  and  the  \ietl  of  We!" 
No,  they  would  have  buckled  on  their  armour  anew.  ■  They; would 
have  been  among  tlie  foremost  to  "protest,"  against  WMohh 
arrogance  and  Papal  agression.     They  would  have  been  tWfitst 
to  contend,  for  the  rights,  the  liberties,  and  the  independenoe, 
of  the  Church  of  England.     We  say  that,  whan  Mf.  Bennett  ftbd 
bis  followers  will  imitate  their  practice  in  this  respect,  then'  will 
they  have  a  right,  and  not  till  then,  to  appeal  to  them  oa  other 
points.      Let  him  defend  the  Church  of  England  against  Car- 
dinal Wiseman,  as  Bishop  Andrewea  defended  it,  in  the  Top- 
tura  Torti,  against  Cardinal  BeUarmine.     Let  hjm  challenge  the 
Jesuits  of  the  present  day,  and  refute  thcm>  as  succeasffilly  as 
Arohbisbop  Laud  refuted  the  Jesuit  Fisher.     Let  him  crii^  the 
Bomanists  of  our  time,  as  Bishop  Jeremy  Taylor  crushed  theoi 


The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett.  1 29 

in  his  ^'  Dissuasive  from  Popery.^  Let  him,  like  Bishop  Hall, 
nise  the  cry,  ^  iNo  peace  with  fiome^^  so -long  as  Home  persists 
in  attackinsr  tis.  ^Theo  \fviU  he  be  consistent  in  a])pcalii)g  to  the 
writers  we  ^ave  mentioned  7  then  will  he  be  doing  his  duty  to  the 
Cihurch  of  "ffSngland.  But,  in  the  name  of  eommon  justice,  let 
not  Mr.  B^nnet^  and  others  like  him,  gloss  over  the  difference 
between  the  two  comraimions;  let  him  not  cndeavchir  to  revive 
^iBgmisV-'  praeiiees  and  ^^  Bomish"^  ohservancea,  and  thon  ])rc- 
tend  to  support  his  innovations  by  appealing,  forsooth,  to  '^  the 
great  divines:  of  the  seventeenth  ccntnryM''^  Let  him  rather 
ponder  over  ihe  language  of  a  thorough  English  Ghurchmanb 


"1  f 


iv't.I^^not  coj^peal  from  myself  or  others,  that  fur  from  believing 

.^W  tQibe  a. lawful  refuge  for  those  who  are  disquieted  as  to  the  con- 

/Bidtution  and  prospects  of  our  own  Church,  it  is  that  one  communion  of 

aQi  tlvit  professes  to  have'a  primitive  origin  aud  regular  descent,  to  which, 

^f  the  Church  of  England  were  to  fail,  or  I  be  cast  out  of  it,  I  could 

; never  go  m^selC^  God  helping  me;  nor  can  I  conceive  how  any  Chfis- 

fiail  man,  brought  up  in  our  own  or  any  other  orthodox  reformed  com- 

nulhibli,  having  his  eyes  open,  and  being  guided  by  the  word  and  Spirit 

^bf'God,-  cotild  ever  pass.      But  if  men  will  allow  themselves  to  be 

'^^drawnr,  step  by  step,  into  the  belief  that  it  is  a  home  for  them  when 

tbeir  own  tilay  become  unfit  for  them  to  abide  in,  this  Litter  condition 

mU  soon  appear  to  them  as  if  it  were  really  so^  and  the  step  nill  he  surely 

And  here  we  would  make  a  brief  remark  upon  a  very  singular 
observation  of  Mr.  Baker,  respecting  Archbishop  Laud.  He  has 
adopted,  as  the  motto  of  his  letter,  an  answer  of  the  archbishop 
on  his  trial  to  this  effect: — "  His  Grace  answered,  that  if  they 
})Ad  proTed  he  had  laid  any  plot  for  reconciling  the  Church  of 
JElogland  with  the  Church  of  Borne,  loith  the  maintenance  of 
mMry-,  it  were  a  damnaUe  plot  indeed;  but  if  Christian  truth 
aad  peacei  might  be  established  all  over  Christendom,  he  should 
•Ijb'nk  himaelf  happy  if  he  was  able  to  establish  such  a  reconcilia- 
iition)  vAatever  he  suffered.^^  Mr.  Baker  has  the  following  re- 
nuurks  upon  this  quotation : 

"  With  reference  to  the  passage  which,  for  its  appositeness,  I  have 
chosen  tox  a  motto,  I  should  wish  particularly  to  guard  against  seeming 
to  acquiesce  in  the  popular  opinion  of  formal  idolatry  in  the  Roman 
system.  I  do  not  suppose  such  to  have  been  the  intention  of  Arch- 
bishop Laud ;  but  simply,  that  if,  in  reconciling  the  two  communions, 

^  **  I  went  on— but  kept  my  way,  still  stedfast,  as  I  thought ;  basing  my  teachmg 
on  the  divines  of  the  seventeenth  century." — ^p.  141. 
»  Letter  in  the  *«  Guardian,"  Nov.  13, 1850,  signed,  Arthur  Acland. 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX, — MAnCH,  1851.  ^ 


1 30  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett. 

idolatry  were  necessarily  involved,  any  attempt  to  effect  it  would,  of 
course,  be  a  matter  of  deadly  sin/'-w-p.  139* 

Now  the  best  interpreter  of  the  real  meaning  of  the  archbighop   7 
on  this  point  will  be,  we  presume,  the  archbishop  himself.     In  m 
"  Conference  with  Fisher  the  Jesuit,''  Laud  thus  alludes  to  the 
"  image  worship  "  of  the  Church  of  Eome : 

«« I  have,  I  think,  too  much  reason  to  give  that  the  modern  Church 
of  Rome  is  grorvn  too  like  to  Paganism  in  this  point.  For  jt  wrought 
so  far  upon  Lamas  himself,  who  bemoaned  the  former  passage,  a» 
that  he  delivers  this  doctrine:  'That  the  images  of  Christ,  the  blessed 
Virgin,  and  the  saints,  are  not  to  be  worshipped  as  if  there  were  any 
divinity  in  the  images,  as  they  are  material  things  made  by  art,  but  only 
as  they  represent  Christ  and  the  saints  ;  for  else  it  were  idolatry  *.* " 

How  does  Laud  reply  to  this  most  glaring  aophiBtry ! 

"  So  then,  belike,  according  to  the  divinity  of  this  casuist,  a  man  may 
worship  images,  and  ask  of  them,  and  put  his  trust  in  them,  *  as  they 
represent  Christ  and  the  saints;  *  for  so  there  is  divinity  in  them,  though 
not  as  things,  yet  as  representers.     j4nd  what,  I  pray,  did  or  could  any 
Pagan  priest  say  more  than  this?     For  the  proposition  resolved  is  this: 
*  The  images  of  Christ  and  the  saints,  as  they  represent  their  exemplai;s» 
have  deity  or  divinity  in  them.'  And  now,  I  pray,  A.  C,  do  you  be  jud^i 
whether  this  proposition  do  not  teach  idolatry  ?  and  whether  the  modem 
Church  of  Rome  be  not  grown  too  like  to  Paganism  in  this  point?    For 
my  own  part,'* — he  says,  in  a  noble  passage,  which  we  recommend  to  the 
especial  notice  of  those  who  quote  Archbishop  Laud  as  a  supporter  of 
what  they  call  *  Catholic  unity  ;* — **  for  my  own  part,  I  heartily  wish  it 
were  not  so,  and  that  men  of  learning  would  not  strain  their  wits 
to  spoil  the  truth,  and  rend  the  Church  of  Christ  by  such  dangerous^ 
such  superstitious  vanities,  for  better  they  are  not,  but  they  may  be  wors^. 
Nay,  these  and  their  like,  have  given  so  great  a  scandal  among  u$t  tp 
some  ignorant,  though,  I  presume,  well-meaning  men,  that  they  are 
afraid  to  testify  their  duty  to  God,  even  in  his  own  house,  by  any  out- 
ward gesture  at  all ;  insomuch  that  those  very  ceremonies  which,  by  the 
judgment  of  godly  and  learned  men,  have  now  long  continued  in  the 
practice  of  this  Church,  suffer  hard  measure  for  the  Romish  superstition's 
sake.     But  I  will  conclude  this  point  with  the  saying  of  B.  Rhenanus : 
« Who  could  endure  the  people,'  says  he,  « rushing  into  the  church  like 
swine  into  a  sty?     Doubtless,  ceremonies  do  not  hurt  the  people,  but 
profit  them,  so  there  he  a  mean  kept,  and  the  bye  be  not  put  for  the  main ; 
ihat  is,  so  we  place  not  the  principal  part  of  our  piety  in  them.*" 

We  hope,  after  this,  that,  at  any  rate,  Archbishop  Laud  will 
not  be  quoted,  as  an  authority,  by  any  who  are  willing,  if  not 

3  Works,  li.  811.    Library  of  Anglo-Catbolio  Theology. 


The  Bishop  of  London  and  fifr.  Bmm$tt.  131 

desiroiis,  to  r€«tore  what  they  call  "  Catholic  unity,''  at  the  cost 
even  of  merging  the  fundamental  doctrines  of  the  Church  of 
England  in  the  "  paganism''  and  "  superstition "  of  the  Church 
of  Kome.  Bather  would  we  earnestly  implore  such  persons  to 
consider  attentively  the  well-nigh  dying  words  of  the  martyr 
archbishop. 

"  This  I  will  say  with  S.  Gregory  Nazianzen,  *  /  never  laboured  for 
peace  to  the  wrong  and  detriment  of  Christian  verity,  nor  I  hope  never 
ihalU  And  let  the  Church  of  England  look  to  it ;  for  in  great  humi- 
lity I  crave  to  write  this  (though  there  was  no  time  to  speak  *it) :  that 
the  Church  of  England  mwt'  leave  the  way  it  is  now  going,  and  come 
back  to  that  fVay  of  defence  which  I  have  followed  in  my  book,  or  she 
shall  never  he  able  to  justify  her  separation  from  the  Church  of 
Rome*." 

Thus  wrote  Laud  against  the  Puritans.  May  we  not  say  of 
Mr.  Bennett,  and  of  every  one  who  holds  his  views, 

**  Mutato  nomine,  de  te 
Fabula  narratur  V 

But  we  come  now  to  the  most  painful  part  of  our  subject,  the 
consideration  of  the  personal  accusations,  which  Mr.  Bennett  has 
thought  it  becoming  to  bring  against  his  diocesan.     And  this,  in 
tmih,  so  far  as  the  Bishop  of  London  is  concerned,  is  the  most  im- 
portant part,  and  for  this  reason.    Comparatively  few  persons  can, 
we  believe,  be  found,  who  do  not  admit  that  Mr.  Bennett  ought  to 
have  yielded  to  the  injunctions  of  his  diocesan.     ]}ut  when  he 
turns  on  the  bishop,  and  accuses  his  lordship  of  having  lured  him 
on,  and  encouraged  him  in.  his  course  by  his  Charge  of  1842,  and 
then  of  having  treacherously  deserted  his  obedient  disciple,  the 
accusation  is  more  likely  to  bo  believed,  because  few  persons  will 
take  the  trouble  to  prove  its  injustice,  by  a  reference  to  the 
Charge  itself.     We  remember,  for  instance,  soon  after  Mr.  Ben- 
nett's letter  appeared,  that  a  well-known  radical  daily  journal 
wound  up  a  rabid  article  by  saying, — we  quote  from  memory, 
"  What  can  we  expect  from  our  clergy,  if  their  bishops  encourage 
them»  as  the  Bishop  of  London  has  encouraged  Mr.  Bennett  in 
all  his  practices  r' — the  journal  in  question  having,  of  course, 
only  Mr.  Bennett'^s  own  statement  as  proof  of  its  assertion.     The 
^sarne  thing  has,  doubtless,  happened  in  other  quarters,  and  it  is, 
therefore,  very  important  that  the  matter  i^ould  be  placed  in  a 
proper  light.     We  shall  endeavour  to  place  it  in  that  light,  by 
taking  not  simply  Mr.  Bennett's  own  statement,  but  by  examining 
closely  the  celebrated  Charge  of  1842. 

*  Trouble  and  Trial,  Ac,  quoted  m  Preface  to  **  Conference,*'  p.  26. 

k2 


132  TAi  BuAop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bmnett. 

There  are  three  principal  aceuaationa  of  a  persoDal  nature, 
advanced  by  Mr.  Bennett  against  the  fibhop  of  London.  First, 
that  of  having  led  him  on  by  the  Charge  of  1842,  and  then  of 
having  meanly  refnsed  to  support  him  in  carrying  out  his  own 
principles  and  injunctions.  Secondly,  of  double  dealing,  in  tbe 
case  of  his  former  curate,  Mr.  Spencer;  and,  .thirdly,  of  breach  o[ 
confidence  in  the  publication  of  the  correspondence.  We  will 
deal  with  each  of  tliese  charges  separately.  Let  us  on  the  6rst 
point,  see  what  is  the  sgbstajitive  accusation  :— 

"  I  did  i;6nten<l,"  says,  Mr.  Bennett,  "  becaus^'  I  simply  thoiigbt  it 
my  duty ;  because  I  wished'  to'  obey  the  Bishop's  Charge  of  1842'." 
Again:  "  Onee  havilig  rteeived  this 'teaching  ahd  schemed  oat  my 
course  of  pastoral  tluty  tliercupon,"tlitit  hs  should  turn  bia  back  upon 
himself  in  tifter  years,  and  either  modify,  comprattiise,  or  deny  thai 
vhich  he  Imd  set  me  upon  tbe  road  under  bis  auspices  to  begin,  was 
not  to  be  laid  to  lay  charge-aaa  faulo,  who  remained  atedfaat  unto  the 
end  ;  but,  one  would  have  thought,  rather,,  to  his  charge,  who  took  the 
changing  gale  of  the  populwi  will  fori  hia  gtidani^,  rather  than  tbe  Rock 
of  Ages,  which  ittlanc  fs  the  tjpe.of  tie.Churcb  whose  children  we  are" 
(p.  25).  Again;  "  We.have.ba^nkeefing.tliat  bar  (of  Catholieity)  at 
St.  Barnabas,  as  long  0^;^  well  ^  ^e  cou^j,  we  ha,\e  stood  then 
faithful  and  fearless,  Ki^d-we.^^  i  at  ending  to^.so  for  jo^y  long  years, 
Gon  giving  iis^raee.  gut  np^^,  j^iju^the  ^ish(^pj  have,  pulled  the  bar 
down,  driven  the  guards  awaV,  apd  yoii  have  widclj  ^catter^d  ail,  to  the 
four  winds  byyourVdlfl  andliearllesst'ro^slautisra^'Sow  men,'inSeed, 
wiHfall  ovei";'  'Thej'>riffVeW'sbott'fall  dVe^'yyhuf^dfeasind''fty  thou- 
sands. Btrt'  WHdsfe  'i'iftxi'  m'L'lt  i'i  1  '"rSJej^dp.  Irf?:)  Atid,  once 
more,  "  Putnie'bitck  l«-f(ie'yeif184«,'iuVdnHbia^'aia(ioii.-  Pictureto 
yourselves  i'tjHi^ylliatiJuistenitrin^^pori'bliifirsldnri  of  ioufe — fully 
ogreeing'fll  Ike' vi^ttiC  oPhh  bibhw^  the*  aulhttrttalittlySt* forth-:— fully 
determined  toi  tarry 'tio«JtiSiVjp>'i(it(|i«iperationi'indJ'toi-Work  .In  his 
DivineiMasler's^itlejiKrK^fvfiths'Bdrfancan^Rt  bfiHu-ilhilrch,  knowing 
that  allha>did  andistnid.  fctire  tbt'cIfa^Atlu^^  oiltruth  in  itself,  a  priori, 
and  i^DWk  i^  (uldjUt««  preEented>,aQ  inuJi^iat«.fLMLhfii>ityi4n  *he  bisht^'s 
ovrnwordp.  .,?(Vbat.W»  he.to,4oa"rTrp.';(3.Ax  .,.,„i  ,u'    i-,v'i  i 


N'dw;'iiWihWh'6hH,-We'a^s&etd''teakfe'tWo(ib*Hitft^ 
tJiafSfi  Tf^nfett'W  Wib^tiymisrbh-i^ydWtM'  thepHtliiferes  of  the 
bishop'^  Chkit^^'W  l843Vfef\H%;'(lidtf>s'  a  ifia^tl^  -of  fact, 
wfeteWtj'Ui6se'^rtfcMea'Mrd,''Mr.'Bthfiytt  'did  ^ot  carry  them 
cfetl''' 'AM Ut W'dfttiri%WriJirirti6rt^^tllat  tt'? a^ 
ing  (Jf'tli'ri't''01ia('gi!'5rmpTy  as tJcfcL'cii't'he  Eishop  otlLondbn-anJ 
M'r.' lleiiiictt.  Any  thirlj;  which  niaj'  hnvo.  ocbnrfed  in  Other 
tjuarters  has  nothing  ivliate\Tf  to  do  with  the  pMs^nt  question. 

•  Thei«)ic|flri»^-)aM»»"'fl. 


Th«  Bishop  o/Xandon  and  Mr.  Btmutt. 


'M  H'e  will  prove  to  demonBtmtion  that,  bo  far  as  Mr.  Bennett  was 
W  eraeernea,  he  might  have  carried  ont,  if  it  had  so  pleased  him, 
r  the  real  principles  of  that  Charge,  unchecked  by  the  slightest 
opposition  on  the  part  of  its  author — that  the  bishop  only  inter- 
tend,  as  he  was  bound  to  do,  when  Mr.  Bennett  endeavoured  to 
n),  or  rather,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  did  go,  beyond  what  he  found 
uiere  laid  down.  Mr.  Bennett  says,  in  effect,  to  the  bishop,  "  I 
carried  out  your  iiijunctions  to  the  letter,  and,  in  return,  you  hare 
sacrificed  me  to  popular  clamour,"  All  we  have  to  do  then,  is,  to 
prove  that  the  accusation,  on  the  face  of  it,  is  simply  untrue. 
We  will  prove  this  by  an  examination  of  the  Charge  itself— by  a 
reference  to  -Mr.  Bemi^'is  actual  practice,  and  also  to  his  own 
it  in  his  "  Fa^w^i  Letter-.      ■*  i  think  I  c 


statement  ii 


I  prove  t 


you,"  says  MrcBennetty-"ifiyou  wDl'Only  follow  me  with  care, 
that  in  eveiy  essMdial  feature,  of  the  Charge^  I  have  been  a  faith- 
fid  and  consistent  Ibliawcrtaf'jwhatuwasiset  before  us  as  our  rule 
of  action.^li 'Wp''naU>AeiideaVoin' 'bo  be  as  carefbl  m  possible, 
and,  if  we  ns!&taks:'notti«JMi)l:;bci'aUie^tiO  prove  iuBt'tbeCiwtrary. 

Mr.  Bennett  then  Inys  down  as  the 'fcading  feiature 'of  the 
Cbarge,  an  endeavour  to  restoiv  "  CathcJiftJiv'" — that  ia,  of  course, 
■what  he  himself  considei-S  to  be  "  Catl^flcity."  ""  I  thought  I 
Tmderstood,"  ha  says,  "  that  the  Spirit  brfeitbMg  through 'tRe  whole 
of  it,  tbe"ji;eiKral  tone  iind  dninla.^  of  it,  Wa^a  live  ofOatholicity, 
a  desire  for  a  return'  to  a  purer  and  more  Gai^blic  forpi  of  wor- 
ship 'than,wa.s  then  prevalent  in  the  churches  of  IfOndon"  (p-6). 
He  subsGC[uenlJy  endeavom-s  to,  pstahlisl^  a  4iffipt,  contradiction 
bDtwe.ejj|.tho  Cliargi^  of  ISi^,  aniihat  of  jHoveijifeer,  JSpQ-  The 
one  is,  a?.hc  says,  a  "  Catliolic,"  the  flther,a  "  frotesUnt "  Charge. 
The  ona,  according  to  him,  refers  to  thS  authority^ ■  not  m^^Jyof 
onr  d«aF!I^toth£^!?,1^p,..  6).--^^t''Vl6cal  Church  of  which  we.iara> 
Uembifife  jfndidltilditin'^-H-lMit  ^'fabdedpertbao  thisf'"  to  ithe  au- 
ttKaii*yi-o(Ijthe.r"iBatiy.  OhirPcii,"_thB  '^Prik»itive^canin*,f.th4 
"6\xkV4ibii4totiiii^!^l»prmM  6y  her  prmait  Baln^f  fmd  Gamiis;- 
but  the  Church  be/ore  the' SefoTiaatwn,*.'"  The'  other  iS'  bM^ 
aitpgethetji^^j^cyrdfflg,  ,^  the^me  showing,  upon  ai  mere  cold, 
nj^ke^  g.^ti);^  "  Ei-otestantisni,'"  It  would  escee.d  our  present^ 
lik\i[tp-jto  ,^|^W|"Mr.|.B^PBett' through  all  the  passage^  h^  has.; 
-■-'-' in|S'upi'pr|l^,p^^ia,yicw.     Wo  will,  therefore,  simply  Btatjc 


the,.tpfpr^iO^  cfjpvejj^^to.pur  luiud,  after  a  very  careful  penisa| 
of  tliei'jCft^ge  yf  lgff§,!^  te  the  principle  the  bishop  wisjieii  thor^i*/ . 
to  iiiculcat^  i^*^  W.p'^Sl''  That  principle  may  be  briefly 
dracnb*^  ^(^Iff^^HS^'  li"^'  '^9\  "'^  ",  ^%:  Chnreli,"  as  bucI)  ;  .Mfflf 
to  the  '''  Primitive  Church,'''  as  euch ;  not  to  the  "  Church  before 


ISi,  The  Bishop  ofLandon  and  Mr,  BmneH^ 

the  Eeformation  ^^  as  such,  but  obedience  to  the  doctrine  cmd  discipline 
of  the  Church  of  England,  us  they  are  embodied  in  our  Liturgfj 
Canons^  and  Articles.  The  Bishop,  in  effect,  says : — "  Do  every 
thing  which  the  Church  of  England  orders  you  to  do;  obey  her 
rubrics  implicitly ;  carry  out  her  injunctioos  fuUy ;  restore  hr 
system ;  but  there  you  must  stop :  introduce  nothing  which  is  not 
sanctioned  by  the  Bubric,  by  prescriptive  custom  of  the  JEngUd 
Church,  or  by  episcopal  authority." 

We  had  marked  some  dozen  passages  in  proof  of  this  view,  a 
view,  let  it  be  observed,  essentially  different  from  Mr.  Bennett^s 
own  principle,  and  the  bishop^s,  as  he  has  described  it.  We  must 
be  content,  however,  with  quoting  a  few  of  the  most  strildi^ 
character.  The  bishop's  Charge  was  delivered  when  certain 
members  of  the  "  Oxford  School"  were  "  verging,  step  by  step," 
towards  that  "  precipice"  over  which  they  have  since  unhappily 
fallen.     What  says  his  lordship  on  this  point ! — 

"  I  acknowledge  that  I  was  not  unwilling  to  pau&e^  and  be  silent  for 
a  time,  in  the  hope  that  those,  who  have  been  engaged  in  that  contro- 
versy, would  see  the  evils  which  mast  ensue  to  the  Church  from  its 
continuance,  and  be  led  to  modify ^  or  at  least  to  keep  Vfitlun  their  otin 
bosoms,  what  I  considered  to  be  extreme  opinions.  That  hope  has 
unhappily  passed  away,  and  it  now  remains  for  me  to  perform  the  dutjr 
of  pronouncing  that  deliberate  judgment  which  the  clergy  of  uxy  own 
diocese  are  entitled  to  look  for^" 

The  bishop  then  states  his  desire  "  to  act  a^  an  interpreter  of 
the  ChurcKs  sense  as  to  doctrine,  and  of  her  will  as  to  rites  am 
ceremonies ;"  plainly  meaning  the  "  intention"  and  "  will "  of  tiie 
Church  of  England.     Again: — 

"  In  our  ministerial  acts  both  of  kindness  and  authority,  especially 
the  latter,  we  are  to  have  respect  to  the  Churches  laws  and  ordinances; 
and  beyond  what  they  require  (sic),  we  may  npt  claim  t)b6difence.  1?ti6 
limitation  of  our  ministerial  authority,  by  the  laws  of  the  Chutch'ifo 
rvhich  we  belong,  extends  also  to  every  part  of  our  ministerial  \diiUy. 
We  are  to  teach,  as  our  onm  Church  teaches,  in  her  '  Articles  of  iReli- 
gion,'  and  to  minister  discipline  according  to  the  laws  by  nhick  e/id  has 
prescribed  and  defined  it.**-^^.  9.  .      i : 

Again:— 

**  With  respect  to  those  ornaments  of  the  Church,  about  whicfh  tberlB 
is  a  difference  of  opinion,  where  the  Rubric  and  Canons  are  tM  cle^i^f 
the  judgment  of  the  bishop  should  be  sought  for  "--^p,  30. 

'  CSfaarge  of  1842^  p.  6. 


Tke  Biihop  of  London  and  Mr,  BinneH.  180 

And  to  with  respect  to  ordinanees  and  ceremonieBy  the  lan- 
gOBge  IB  equally  precise : — 

"  In  this  Respect  every  clergyman  is  bound  by  the  laws  of  his  own 

Church.     What  ihey  enjoin  he  is  to  practise;  whal  they  forbid  he  is  to 

abstain  from ;  nfhat  they  purposely  omit  he  is  not  to  introduce.   Prayers 

FOR  Tins  i>tAt>,  trine  immersion  in  baptism,  the  kiss  of  peace  in  the 

fiocbatisty  the  mixing  of  water  with  wine  ;  nil  these  were  undoubtedly 

ancient  customs,  if  not  all  of  primitive  antiquity  ;  but  they  are  not 

recognised  by  our  own  Churcht  ctnd  they  arct  therefore^  not  to  he  practised 

by  its  misustere,     *  Let  no  minister  of  a  parish/  says  Bishop  Jeremy 

Taylor,  *  introduoe   any  ceremonies,  rites^  or  gestures,   though  with 

seeming  piety  or  devotioni  which  are  not  commanded  by  the  Church,  and 

established  by  law,*  " — p.  32, 

Once  more  :-«* 

**  You  are  not  to  take  as  your  rule  and  model  in  this  respect  the  early 
Church,  nor  the  primitive  Church,  but  the  Church  of  England,  as 
she  speaks  in  plain  and  obvious  cases  by  her  Rubrics  and  Canons ;  in 
doubtful  and  undecided  ones  by  her  bishops" — p.  32. 

And  now  we  ask  any  candid  and  honest  man,  we  care  not 
whether  he  agrees  with  the  bishop  or  not,  carefully  to  consider 
Mr.  Bennett^s  own  principles,  and  the  bishop^s,  as  Mr.  B&nncit 
Im  describe  them.  We  ask  him  to  reflect  on  the  passages  wo 
have  now  quoted,  and  then  let  him  say,  first,  whether  there  is  the 
slightest  similarity  between  the  acJcnowUdged  principles  of  Mr. 
Bennett  and  the  principles  of  the  Charge  of  1 842  ?  Secondly, 
whether  Mr.  Bennett  has  fairly  described  the  principles  set  forth 
in  the  Charge!  Would  that  we  could  imagine  that  he  had 
quoted  from  memory.  He  tells  lis  himself  that  he  has  not  done 
so*.     What,  then,  is  the  unavoidable  inference? 

There  is,  however,  one  passage  from  Bishop  Fleetwood,  which 
Mr.  Bennett  quotes  with  an  air  of  great  triumph,  as  fully  justifying 
him  in  carrying  out  any  practices  which  were  in  use  before  the 
Reformation.  It  will  be  necessary,  therefore,  briefly  to  consider 
this  passage. 

*'  The  ceremonies^"  says  Biihop  Fleetwood,  "  allowed  in  practice  in 
the  Churchy  though  not  enjoined  by  the  Rubric,  are  such  as  were  used 
in  the  Church  before  and  when  the  Rubrics  were  made ;  and  being 
reasonable  and  easy,  and  becoming,  were  not  enforced  by  any  new  law, 
but  were  left  in  possession  of  what  force  they  had  obtained  by  custom. 
He  that  complies  not  with  these  ceremonies,  offends  against  no  law,  but 
only  against  custom,  which  yet  a  prudent  man  will  not  lightly  do, 
when  once  it  has  obtained  in  generaL" — p,  29. 

■  **  I  think  I  Btill  understand  the  animus  of  the  Charge,  now  that  I  read  it  again 
(A  Hm  diiUxMe  oftmej^  p.  6. 


1S6  Tie  Bishop  ofL&adm  and  Mr.  Bemutt, 

We  submit  with  regard  to  this  passage,  first,  that  it  must  not« 
in  fairness,  be  taken  by  itself,  but  in  connexion  with  the  other 
parts  of  the  Bishop  of  Londou's  Char^re ;  and,  secondly,  that  it 
docs  not,  in  any  way  wliatever,  justify  Mr,  Bennett,  or  any  other 
individual  priest,  in  introducing  Into  the  service  of  the  Church  o[  , 
England  aiiy  ritual  observances  which  Are  not  authorized,  dthef 
by  the  Biubric,  by  episcopal  sanction,  or  by  prescriptive  custoni. 
Bishop  Fleetwood  refers  to  ceremonies  "  allowed  in  practice  la  j 
the  Church,  though  not  enjoined  by  the  Rubric.'"  He  evidentlj  j 
alludes  to  such  practices  as  turning  to  the  cast  durini;  the  recitu 
of  the  Creed,  repeating  "  Glory  be  to  Thee,  0  Lord,"  before  the 
reading  of  the  gospel,  and  other  observances  of  a  similar  nature, 
but  his  words  give  no  s^iction  whatever  to  the  notion,  that  any 
individual  priest  is  at  liberty  to  introduce  any  ceremonies  at  bU 
own  will  and  pleasure,  which  are  not  "  allowed  in  practice  in  the 
Church." 

But  let  us  considsr,  va  the  next  place,  the  charge  of  "  inconaa- 
tency  "  which  Mr.  B^ett,  by  a  comparison  between  the  Charge 
of  1842  and  that  of  1850,  brings  against  the  bishop. 

"  It  is  a  remarkable  fact,"  he  says,  "  that,  in  the  Bishop's  Charge  of 
1842,  the  'Church  of  England'  is  never  once  called  the  'Protestant 
Church,' — not  onoe;  We  find  a  great  variety  of  titles,  such  as  '  oor 
Church,'  '  onr  own  Ch'urch,'  '  the  Anglican  Churnh,'  '  tlie '  National 
Church,"  our  Dear  Mother,"  and  the  like,  biit  not  once  fhe  'Protestant 
Church,'  Yet  bow  how  different  the  strain.  In  the  Cliarge  of  1830 
we  are  told  of  the  'Protestant  Church,''and  of  the  'distinctive  doctrines 
of  Protestantism;'"  and  in  (h'e  same  address,  although  in  184"?  it  WM 
our  privilege'to  adhere  and  be  attaclie^  to  tie  '  Catholic  Chiircb ; '|'bo#, 
in  1850,  we  are  told,' thit  ih'm'&king  anattempt  to  approaiih  the; 
'  Catholic  standard,'  we  mean"  the  Church  of  Rome,  just'preciwly 
abandonfnff  'the  notion  that  any  thing  qan  be  Catholic  buL.Jtoine."— 

p.163.^''^ ;■;■,;;;  ■-'  '_^-  '  ■■;""':„-    ,     ,.,,.;,,,;, ^j!'^;'  , 

iW'e  confes«  tJutwe  are  somewhat' at  s  losa 'ta:fanow'<JwIi>(t'" 
Mr.'Bwmett  really  means  hersi     If  he  means  tO'chot^Ili'Ma' a' 
fault  upMitbe  Bishop  of  London  that,:  in  1842,  he-en^twvOttped.to 
bring!  oat  and  develop;  the  "Oatholic"  element  of  ehe^EAgBah 
Chwcb;  whopeaa,  'in  1860,  he  fendeawured   tb '^hg^  flttt'''thS". 
"  Pi-otwtaftb"  element,  ■We ism  oflly say,  that  we thmfcntf^eHttrij'; 
who  really  iovfes  the  Church '6f'Englana,  win  MW'him'ftr'ffly'. 
doi(i^,'cotimderiifij![  ht)*'niany  jiriests  of  oi(r  boB^iiftio*i;"5ii"tK^r'' 
attemfJt  to^^pfoaCH  what*  they  called  tlie'  "  C^thb^  it&Skfi^^ 
have  aittlill/ g'one  bvbr  to  tW.Ohuroh,of  llb^eO^^^ 
Bennett  means  to   insinuate  that  there  is  any  retu  dtffermei 
between  the  principles  of  the  two  Charges ;  if  he  mea^s  to  accuse 
the  bishoj)  of  ,,npt  "  prj?testipg",83  .^troBgly,  iii/X8i^' l|gw*^^^'t^^ 


/ 


1^  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr,  Bmnttt.  137 

and  corruptions  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  as  lie  has  done  in 
}^,  tre  simply  say  that  the  accusation  is  utterly  groundless. 
IKe  will  qnote  one  of  two  passages  in  proof  of  this  assertion. 

"  With  respect,"  says  the  bishop,  "  to  kll  attempts  to  give  to  the 
articles  of  religion  a  greater  latitude  of  Bensa  than  the  ivords,  upon  ttiu 
t»ee  oS  them,  will  tjeajr,  and  especially,  all  endeavours  to  make  tliem 
look  towards  the  errors  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  when  they  arc  unques- 
tionably, ns  to  the  points  of  difference  between  the  two  Churches, 
neither  more  nor  lets  than  a  lolemn  and  emphallc  prolettation  af^ainit 
those  erroi-s,  I  will'  express  my  own  opinion  in  the  words  of  llisliop 
Jeremy  Taylor."  Ami  again,  "  What  real  good  is  to  be  effected  by  any 
attempts  to  make  our  Heformed  Church  appear  to  symbolize  with  that 
from  which  she'  "btit  been  Beparated,  in  some  of  the  very  points  which 
form  the  gronnd  of  that  •eparation,  f  ant  at  a  hi*  to  imagine,  Deiira- 
ble  as  is  the  unity  of  the  Catholie  Church,  lamentable  as-  have  been  in 
tome  directions  the  consequences  of  the  interruption,  earnestly  as 
nt  ought, to  labout  and  pray  for  its  restoration,  we  can  never  content 
le  re-initate  it,  hy  embremag  any  one  ff  the  errort  which  aw  have  re- 
nomced',"  ,.    .  ...... 

Once  more:-— 'J 

"Against  such  a  Chjirch  we  are  bound  continually  to  lift  np  tbo 
voice  of  solemn  remonstrance;  and,  far  froni  being  ashamed  of  the 
name  of  Protestant',  we  ought  to  show,  that  a  sincere  and  inimorable 
attachment  to  tUe  Catholic  Church,  in  its  constitution,  discipline,  autho- 
rily,  privileges,  and  u!ligBs,  is  perfectly  compatible  vrith,  or  rather  is 
'An\t  a  practical  act  of  protestation  against  the  errors  and  corruptions  of 
ilie  Papal  Chiircli.  And  surely  the  duty  of  so  protesting  is  not  to  ho 
lost  sight  of,  aX  a  time  when  that  Church  is  boldly  reasserting  its  pre- 
leniions  amo^ig^t  us,  aiid  a&ecting'  to  look  for  the  speedy  return  of  our 
own  Rerprmed  Church  into  its  maternal  bosom.  Its  errors  are  not  less 
opposed  to  Gospel  truth,  and  holiness  now,  than  they  were  at  the  time 
ohhe  Reformation.  The  doctrines  and  practices  which  rendered  neces- 
ury.  wir'SsparttioB-fiiom  that  Churd,  are  still  retained  by  her  nn- 
cliiiigad(.uqiiiiliigiated<aBqQalif)ed  ;  nor  are  the  differences  between  us, 
is  qtsenuaLasatters,  fess  at  the  present  moment  than  they  were  in  tb« 
linen  «J|,<rranRieT  orof  Jewel,  of  Taylor  or  of  RuU.  We  are  far  from 
pTMUmm£  to  ^Sfqrt  t^e  labsplute  perfectness  of  our  own  Cbunch,  but  itia 
Bot.ii^  r£l/apingfii}u  of  the  steps,  by  rvhieh  the  has  receded  from  the 
Ckfireh ,f>f  j^o^f.f'tV*  'Ae  ia.to  be  made  more  perfect;  nor  by  altemilt- 
ing  to.  reniodel, her  ppon  the  doctrine  and  discipline,  not  of  the  prinu- 
livG  Church,  but  of  .the  Church  of  the  fourth  or  fifth  century,  infected 
u  it  was'^ilTi  ^iie  remaios  of  Gnostic  saperstition,  and  the  inventions  of 
enthusiaslittoV  ambitious  men." — p.  37.  ; 


•  bat^B  of  1843,  p.  11. 
■  Hr,  Bennett  e^  (his 


(his,  oring  aii  Word  Prutostant "  In  an  apolojetk  rirain ! ' 


138^  The  Bishop  ofLmdan  and  Mr*  Bewnkdf. 

We  have  thus  then  shown  the  real  principles  of  the  Bishop  of 
London's  celebrated  Charge  of  1842;  and,  also,  how  erroneously 
Mr.  ]3ennett  Las  represented  those  principles  in  his  "  Farewell 
Letter.''  Let  us  now  see  bow  in  practice^  according  to  his  own 
showing,  Mr.  Bennett  carried  out  the  principles  of  the  bishop's 
Charge.  His  very  first  act  at  St.  Paul's  was  a  practical  disregard 
of  his  lordship's  toishes,  in  introducing  the  cnoral  service',  he 
knowing,  perfectly  well,  that  the  bisliop  greatly  preferred  the 
reading  of  the  prayers  to  the  practice  of  intoning  them.  Let  it 
be  understood  that  we  are  giving  no  opinion  here,  as  to  the 
abstract  question,  whether  the  prayers  should  be  read  or  intoned! 
We  are  simply  desirous  of  showing  that  Mr.  Bennett  was  not  so 
anxious,  as  he  liimself  profeases  to  have  been,  to  comply  with  the 
bishop's  wishes. 

Again,  there  is  nothing,  as  we  have  seen,  to  which  the  bishqi 
more  strongly  objects  in  his  Charge,  than  the  practice  of  "  pny« 
ing  for  the  dead."  In  1849,  Mr.  Bennett  issued  '^  Suggestione  < 
for  a  Form  of  Prayer,"  in  which  he  introduces  a  distinct  prayef ! 
for  the  dead.  The  bishop  remonstrates.  In  answer  to  this  re-  i 
monstrance,  Mr.  Bennett  attempts  to  justify  the  practice  in  a  \ 
very  long  letter.  He  afterwards  abandoned  it ;  but  the  mere  i 
fact  of  its  introduction  shows  that  he  did  not  endeavour  to  cany  ; 
out,  as  he  says,  to  the  letter,  the  principles  of  the  bishop^s  Charge,  j 
Then  came  the  erection  of  the  churcn  of  St.  Barnabas,  wheran 
Mr.  Bennett  seemed  determined  to  show  how  far  he  could  cany 
out  Ms  opposition  to  the  bishop's  principles.  The  candles  ott  the 
altar  were  lighted,  which  the  bishop,  in  his  Charge,  had  easpresdl 
forbidden^  except  in  the  time  of  evening  service.  The  invocation 
of  the  Blessed  Trinity  was  introduced  before  the  sermon ;  di9 
sign  of  the  Cross  was  publicly  made  in  various  parts  of  the8e^  i 
vice ;  and  divers  other  practices  were  introduced,  altogether  ■ 
unsanctioned  by  the  Church  of  England. 

But  we  need  not  pursue  this  unhappy  subject  furtheir ;  we  viB  j 
quote  only  one  passage  from  the  "  Farewdl  Letter,"  and  then  -^i 
leave  our  readere  to  judge  for  themselves,  whether  Mr.  Bennett 
did,  or  did  not,  keep  steadily  in  view,  in  his  pastoral  teaching,  tha  ; 
principles  laid  down  for  his  guidance  in  the  bishop's  Charge :-»-.,  *  ; 

"  You  will  see,"  says  Mr.  Bennett,  "  that  I  constantly  looked  to  ^ 
end :  that  1  was  aware  some  such  end  must  sooner  or  later  come,  fici 
how  I  considered  and  weighed  it,  in  my  letters  to  the  bishop ;  Awf  f  ' 
always  foresaw  that  my  holding  the  Catholic  faiths  and  keeping  CaMk 
practice,  must  inevitably  lead  me  either  to  retire  from  my  present  ohMfjf^ 
or  to  disobey  my  bishop.     It  seemed  even  then  almost  necessary  fikr't 

*  See  Charge  of  184^  p.  34. 


Tks  Biihop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett •  1 39 

priest,  such  as  myself,  nho  held  a  doctrine  on  to  important  a  subject  as 
prayer  for  the  dead  m  opposition  to  his  bishop^  to  ceaso  from  minister- 
ing in  the  same  diocese." — p.  141. 

Strange  indeed  it  is,  that  the  writer  of  the  aljove  can  think  it 
compatible  with  his  own  consistency,  afid'with  truth,  to  use  in 
another  part  of  his  letter  such  language  as  this : — "  lUit  I  did 
contend,  because  1  simply  thought  it  thy  duty — because  1  wished 
to  obey  ike  bishop'^s  Gharffe  a/*  1842  V*  (gic) — p.  25. 

But  we  come  now  to  the  second  'of  the  personal  accusations 
which  Mr.  Hennett  has  brought  against  the  bishop,  that  of 
double  dealing,  in  extorting  information  with  respect  to  the  prac- 
tices at  St.  Barnabas  from  one  of  his  curates.  Let  us  see  how 
the  case  stands.  On  the  1st  of  July  the  bishop  writes  to  Mr. 
Bennett,  that  information  had  reached  him  respecting  certain 
specified  observances  at  St.  Barnabas,  requesting  to  know  whether 
tnat  information  was,  or  was  not,  correct.  One  of  these  prac- 
tices was  the  administration  of  the  holy  elements  not  into  the 
hands  of  the  communicants.  Mr.  Bennett  suspects  that  the 
information  on  this  point  must  have  come  from  one  of  his  curates, 
and  it  appeared,  subsequently,  that  it  did  come  from  the  Rev.  0. 
C.  Spencer,  who  had  been  for  several  years  assisting  Mr.  Ben- 
nett at  St.  Paul's,  Knightsbridge,  and  was  then  his  senior 
curate.  Mr.  Bennett  complains  bitterly  of  the  bishop  for  forcing 
information  against  him  from  Mr.  Spencer,  and  also  of  "  the 
concealment  of  the  name  of  the  informer,  of  the  underhand  way 
in  which  the  information  is  elicited,  forced,  pressed,  and  then, 
being  so  pressed,  the  use  of  language  by  which  the  source  of  the 
information  is  made  to  appear  merely  general .**" — p.  77.  Let  us  C(m- 
Bider  the  case  for  a  moment.  We  readily  allow  that,  if  the  Bishop 
of  London  had,  without  any  thing  having  previously  occurred,  sent 
for  Mr.  Spencer,  or  any  other  of  Mr.  ]knnett''s  curates,  and  ex- 
torted from  them  information  against  Mr.  Bennett,  such  a  method 
of  proceeding  would  have  been  quite  unjustifiable.  Such,  how- 
ever was  not  the  method  of  proceeding  here.  Mr.  Spencer  ims 
desirotM  of  resiminff  his  curacy  at  St,  Paiirs^  and  signified  that 
desire  to  the  Bishop  of  London.  Now,  let  it  be  remembered, 
that,  for  several  years,  Mr.  Spencer  had  been  Mr.  Bennett's  con- 
fidential assistant.  Mr.  Bennett  himself  thus  speaks  of  him : — 
^'  I  believe  him  to  have  been  a  most  conscientious  and  diligent 
curate.  I  never,  on  any  one  occasion,  had  the  slightest  difference 
of  opinion  with  him  on  any  rubrical  or  ritual  observance."— p.  74. 
Surety,  then,  it  was  not  unnatural,  that  the  Bisliop  of  London, 
finding  that  Mr.  Spencer,  from  conscientious  motives,  could  not 
continue  his  ministration  at  St.  Paul's,  should  be  desirous  of  as- 
certaining the  reasons  of  his  retirement.     Considering  what  had 


140  1%0  Bishop  o/Lmdan  tmd  Mr.  Bennettm 

occurred  with  respect  to  the  prayers  for  the  dead,  and  other 
matters,  it  was  perfectly  reasonable  that  the  bishop^s  suspiciong 
should  be  excited,  and  that  he  should  insist  upon  Mr.  Spencer 
stating  his  reasons  for  retirement  in  externa.  Mr.  Bennett  thus 
speaks  of  Mr.  Spencer  in  this  respect : — "  I  believe  he  was  merdy, 
as  a  conscientious  Protestant,  frightened  at  the  so-called  ^  inno- 
vations^ of,  as  he  thought,  '  Popery,"  and  so  had  been  desirooB 
to  be  released  from  duties  which  had  become  to  him  irksome  and 

Eainful." — p.  75.  It  is  strange  that  Mr.  Bennett  did  not  perceive 
ow  completely  these  very  remarkable  words  carry  with  them  the 
condemnation  of  the  writer.  Surely,  if  he  were  introducing  prac- 
tices by  which  the  conscience  of  his  curate  was  so  aggrieved  that 
ho  could  not  continue  his  ministration  at  St.  PaulX  it  was  hi^ 
time,  not  simply  that  the  bishop  should  know  what  those  practices 
really  were,  but  should  at  once  call  upon  Mr.  Bennett  to  explain 
or  relinquish  them^  Surely  if  one,  who  for  years  had  acted  with 
Mr.  Bennett  without  a  word  of  complaint,  coukt  continue  to  aefe 
with  him  no  longer,  there  was  ample  justification,  'not  simply  for 
the  bishop''s  suspicions,  but  for  his  interference-' also.  We  think, 
therefore,  that  Mr.  Spencer  haa  been  very  hardly  derft  "with  in 
this  matter,  in  being  held  'up  to  the- world  as  "  an  informferf 
and,  secondly, 'that  the:  bishop  iwas'bou'nd,!  by  his  duty  tb  the 
Church  of  England,  to  insist  upon  Mr.  Spen^et^istating'his  reasons 
why  he  could  not  any  longer  eon tinoe^toiact  as  Mr.  BennettTs 
curate.  ■-  •  ■  .  -^  '  •■■■         ■  *:  ■■  :■■    .■'"  .    • 

And  now  our' painful  task  19  nearly  ended;  - 1  We  havcJ  olidy  to 
notice  the  accusation-  which   Mr^-  Bennett'  bHri^'  against  the 
bishop  of  a  breach  of  confidence  in  thbipwAlifcartidtt 'Of*  thcfcbrre- 
sporidence, :  :  Wc  mttst,  howovier,  ijak^  'the  libWfcy 'of  ^saiying;  that 
this  laccusationv  whether  weltiDriill-<bT«iided,'M^dtftes'with%  very  ill 
grace  from  Mr.Bennetfci    WJioever  hasT^'dhis  c^lblMted letter 
to  Lord  i  John  Jlusdeli,  most  recc^feet  c&rtsSfn  p^iUKsaj^e!^ '  therein 
which  iai^scaircely  compatible  with  tbd  chat^  vhick'Mrl'B^iittetV 
now  briiigs:.cigainst  his  diocesan.    •  We  dd  nOt<  btasm^  'Miff  Bettblett 
for  i.the  introduction  of  those  ipassttgei'  undfef  'tSie  vety  ^IjMiilia^ 
circuinstances  of  the  case.;  but  surety  he  ought  M  UaV^'bbni^d^;^'' 
that  -there  <  might,  possibly  be  an = eiqual  necessity  ft>t*  tb&'  'jiti^lidktion' 
of  ithe: correspondence  between  himself  and th6:B{sb^:of  IL^iidcfft. 
But  <wfi  sayv  moreover,  that  there  re^ly  was  no  bt^h'df'coti- 
fidencd  whatever  committed.      What  are  the  ftlctsl.  .'On  the 
11th  of  December  the  bishop  thus  writes  :4^"  I/t)ren^i^e  thai 
yon  have  no  objection  to  the  publication  of  your  lettef  6t  D^.  4, 
together  with  mine  of  Itec^  9.=  I  think  it  n(b6e^s6ity  for  my  own 
juatifloaifioa  that:9f»i9M!8honId  bepublii^ed,  and  but- fair  that  yours 
should  appear  with  it." — p.  119.    How  does  Mr.  Bennett  reply 


Tlis  Bishcp  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett.  141 

to  this  letter!     From  the  way  in  which  he  has  spoken  of  the 
matter,  one  would  expect  to  find  him  saying,  ^^  I  do  object  alto- 
gether to  the  publication  of  the  correspondence.    My  letters  were 
never  intended  for  publication,  but  were  simply  of  a  private 
nature,  and  therefore  I  object  altogether  to  their  being  pub- 
lished.^    He  says  nothing  of  the  kind.     He  makes  no  sort  of 
objection.     He  replies :  ''^  I  do  not  think  that  the  publication  of 
one  or  tioo  letters  will  hy  any  means  be  sufficient.    It  is  my  inten- 
tion^ for  my  own  jmtyication^  to  publish  the  whole  of  the  corre- 
spondence.'*''    We  submit,  therefore,  first,  that  the  Bishop  of  Lon- 
don teas  bound,  for  his  own  justification,  to  publish  the  corre- 
spondence in  question ;  teas  bound  to  show,  as  the  correspondence 
did  show  most  clearly,  to  all  whose  mental  vision  was  not,  like 
D.  G.  L.^s,  dimmed  by  prejudice,  that  he  did  not  sacrifice  Mr. 
Bennett  to  popular  clamour, — ^to  show,  as  dates  do  show  plainly 
and   unmistakeably,   that   Mr.  Bennett'^s  resignation  had  been 
actually  offered,  and  virtually  accepted  by  the  bishop^  long  before 
any  thmg  whatever  had  been  heard  of  the  "  Busscll  riots.''     Se- 
condly, that,  by  his  reply. to  the  bishop's  note,  Mr.  Bennett  has 
precluded  himself  from  bringing,  with  any  fairness,  the  charge  of 
"  breach  of  confidence ;?  and,  lastly,  that,  even  if  the  bisliop  had 
been  content  to  be  silent,,  the  Hyhole  of  the  con'espondence  would, 
in  fact,  Jiave  speedily  found  its  way  to  the  columns  of  Mr.  Ben- 
nett's and  D.  0.  L.'s  peculiar  organ,  the  "  Morning  Chronicle." 

And  now  then  let  us  see  what  are  the  positions  we  have  esta- 
blished in  tbis  paper.  We  have  proved,  first,  that  Mr.  Bennett 
forced. his  resignation -upon  the  Bishop  of  London.  Secondly, 
that  Mr.  Bennett's  primciples,  as  he  has  himself  described  them, 
are  not  in  accordanpe  with. -the  i8f)irit:.of  the  Ohurch  of  Eng- 
laadas  a  ^' refiwn^ed  .branch  of  the*  Cburchi  Gatbolio ;''  and, 
thirdh',  that  the  aqcusations  of. a  personal  nature. brought- by 
Ur.  Bennett  :against.:tha  bishop  are  altogether  igroundless  ^and 
unfounded.  If.^ny  think  that.iwe  have< borne  hardty.  upon  Mr. 
Dennett,  we  cai^^mply,  in.  all  sincerity,  deny, the rchargevsaiikeia 
fact  and  in,  intention*  It  was  open  .to  Mn  Bennett  to  have 
adopted  one  of  three . courses,  i  H«<  might,  forthesakeMif  his 
own  principle^,  have  refused  to  yield. to  th^  ibishop'siadmonitions. 
He  might,  from ^  a  pnnoiple  of  ieanonical:  obodienoev  have- 'quietly 
withdrawn  from  .|i^is^{)asto]?^I  cliai'ge ;  ,;Qr  l)e  might  have  said  to 
the  bishop,  '^^]/h&v9(epdea^o^redrConscie□tiou8ly  todirwhat  I  con- 
sidered to  h&jny  duty. ,  < J  jhinkitfaait.I  Imve: been  j^tified  in  the 
course  I  havai^ken ;. ;b«fc  J.Qannet.  copsient  to  separate  myself  from 
all  that  I  hold  ^^»st4ea^.  !i!E>'^r;tbe  sake,  therefore,  of  thcfiock  among 
whom  I  have  laboure^foi;  thcf  salce.of  the  spiritual  .welfareix)f  my 


^  ■.■■ 


142  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr»  Bennett. 

1)ari8hioncrs,  I  am  content  to  bow  to  your  lordship^s  deciBioii^  t^ 
cave  you  to  alter  any  thing  in  my  practice  which  is  not  sanction^ 
by  the  letter,  as  well  as  by  the  spirit,  of  the  rubrics  of  the  Anfl^a# 
Church.''"     If  Mr.  Bennett  had  adopted  the  first  course,  we  mdl    ^ 
have  respected  him,  while  we  differed  from  him.  If  he  had  adoptfli 
the  second,  we  should  have  thought  foul  scorn  of  the  man  ihi  r-' 
could  have  said  one  word  to  embitter  the  pain  he  must  have  fdt  it  < 
parting  with  his  church  and  people.     If  he  had  taken  the  tUii  re- 
course, we  should  have  honoured  him  as  one  '^  above  all  Greek,  k. 
above  all  Roman  fame^' — as  one  who  had  gained  the  greatest  of  > 
all  victories,  the  victory  over  himself-^-as  one,  content  to  make  - 
any  sacrifice,  short  of  the  sacrifice  of  truth,  for  the  sake  of  thik  ^ 
^'  beautiful  flock,"^   which  God  had  committed  to   his  cham 
Mr.  Bennett  has  done  none  of  these  things.     He  has  forced  mi  ■; 
resignation  upon  the  Bishop  of  London,  and  then  vilified  him  {or  ^^x 
accepting  it     He  has  professed  to  carry  out  the  bishop^s  prin*  $ 
ciples,  while,  in  effect,  he  has  acted  in  diametrical  opposition  to  ^ 
them.     He  offers  to  resign  his  living  because  the  bishop  will  not   i^ 
allow  him  to  carry  out  certain  practices.    He  subsequently,  when    ; 
too  late,  ofiers  to  abandon  all  those  practices  save  one ;  and  then,  ^ 
that  offer  not  being  accepted,  he  holds  up  those  very  practices  IB  : 
essential  marks  of  the  ''  catholicity'^"  of  the  English  communion.  : 
He  professes  to  feel  indignant  at  the  imputation  of  ^^  unfaithful-  :: 
neas""  to  the  Church  of  England ;  and  then,  by  way  of  showing   ^ 
his  fidelity  to  his  spiritual  Mother,  he  holds  her  up  to  the  soorn   \ 
and  derision  of  her  enemies,  ^^  as  a  wreck — as  a  stranded,  helpleali   \ 
waterlogged  wreck.'"     Therefore  do  we  say,  that  this  is  jusi  oni   : 
of  the  cases  in  which  justice  and  mercy  are  incompatible  wid    > 
each  other — that  if,  for  the  sake  of  any  personal  considerations, 
we  had  avoided  the  examination  of  this  most  unhappy  ^^  Farewell 
Letter,''"  we  should  have  been  guilty  of  treason  to  the  Church  of 
England,  as  well  as  of  gross  ingratitude  towards  that  eaunent 
Prelate,  who  has  heretofore  done  the  Church  such  good  ser^ce, 
and  against  whom  Mr.  Bennett  has  thought  fit  to  bring  a  series 
of  most  unfounded  accusations. 

And  let  no  one  suppose,  because  we  have  thought  it  our  duty 
to  vindicate  the  Church  of  England  and  the  Bishop  of  London, 
against  Mr.  Bennett  and  the  party  who  have  supported  him,  tiiat 
therefore  it  is  our  wish  to  yield,  in  the  slightest  possible  d^;ree, 
to  the  ^'  clamours  of  the  mob ; ""  to  give  the  smallest  possible 
encouragement  to  any  unfowaded  charge  of  '' Romanizing  ;^^  to 
use  that  cry  for  party  purposes ;  or  to  promote  the  growth  of 
the  ^'  Puritan""  element  within  the  Church  of  England.  If  we 
had  thought  that  the  real  principles  of  our  Church  were,  in  the 


Tke  Biaiop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett.  143 

degree,   endangered   by  the  eircuniBtancea  connected 
Iff.  Bainett^B  resignation,  we  should  have  been  among  tiie 
to  say  so.     But  we  do  not  believe  any  thing  of  the  kind. 
it  is  very  easy  for  D.  G.  L.  to  talk  about  the  evils  of  undue 
^    ^ concession ^^  to  episcopal    authority;    to    assert    that  ''the 
^-  -Atioklen  for  extra  constitutional  powers  on  the  part  of  our 
-Usbops  ^''  have  ^^  themselves  created  the  precedent  by  which  they 
inll  be  scourged^' — (p.  4t).     This  is  a  very  good  ad  captandum 
iu*gument,  but  it  is  not  based  upon  truth.    We  are  no  '*  sticklers"'* 
fbr  f ^  extra  constitutional  powers^"  in  the  episcopate,  but  wo  do 
wish  to  see  a  little  decent  respect  shown  to  the  episcopal  office  ; 
we  do  desire  to  see  a  little  gi^titude  for  past  services  shown  by 
thofie  who  call  themselves  English  Churchmen.     We  do  say, 
that  the  clamour  which  has  been  raised  against  the  liishop  of 
London,  in  reference  to  Mr.  Bennett^  is  disgracefid  to  those  who 
have  FEiiaed  it,  not  simply  as  they  are  men  who  profess  to  venerate 
epiflobpaoy,  but  as  they  are  men  possessing  one  spark  of  gratitude 
for  a  aeriea  of  long  and  eminent  services  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land;    And  the  Bishop  of  London's  is  not,  we  are  sorry  to  say,  an 
isolated  case.     If  there  is  one  bishop  of  the  English  Church  who 
might  have  expected  forbearance  and   kindly  fecHng  from  all 
quai^ters,  it  is  the  Bishop  of  Bipon, — and  yet  see  how  that  Pre- 
late has   been  treated.     Because  he  has  done  his  duty  to  the 
Church  of  England,  by  endeavouring  to  prevent  a  more  glaring 
violation,  both  of  the  letter  and  spirit,  of  the  English  Prayer 
Book^  than  even  Mr.  Bennett's,  all  his  past  services  arc  at  once 
forgotten,  and  he  is  looked  upon  as  a  destroyer  of  the  ''  Catho^ 
lidty"  of  the  English  Church  equally  with  the  Bishop  of  London. 

"  Of  course,"  says  Mr.  Bennett,  "  it  must  bo  plain  to  you,  that 
notbing  now  is  left.  I  would  fearlessly  propliesy  that  Protestantism,  as 
it  it  in  the  Anglican  Church,  never  will  embrace  either  the  young,  the 
enthuBiastic,  or  the  ignorant ;  and  now  that  it  has  won  its  s-poHn  opima 
at  the  gates  of  St.  Barnabas,  in  the  province  of  Canterbury,  and  at  the 
gateaof  St.  Saviour's,  in  the  province  of  York,  it  must  be  content  to  see 
the  advance  of  the  Church  of  Rome  in  reality." — p.  185. 

We  venture  to  "  prophesy,"  with  equal  *'  fearlessness,"'  that  no 
Boch  resuk  need  be  apprehended.  We  rely,  for  the  prevention 
of  Buoh  a  result,  under  God,  mainly  upon  two  grand  principles, 
deeply-seated,  we  firmly  believe,  in  the  hearts  of  the  i)eople  of 
England.  The  one  is  an  earnest  determination  never  to  submit 
to  the  arrogant  and  unfounded  claims  of  the  Bishop  of  Rome. 
The  other  is  an  equally  earnest  love  for  the  Prayer  Book  of  the 
English  Church.  While  these  two  principles  arc  dominant,  we 
have  no  fears  for  the  safety  of  our  Church  ;  and  we  submit,  that 
recent  events  prove,  to  a  demonstration,  that  they  are  dommant 


Hi  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett, 

now.     It  may  suit  D.  0.  L.  to  talk  about  those  *'  wretched 
secessions  to  Ilome/' — it  may  suit  Mr.  Bennett,  and  others  like  |- 
hira,  to  talk  about  the  *'  cold,  naked,  Protestantism''  of  England,    • 
— to  insinuate  that  all  the  English  people  care   for  is  *'No   - 
Popery.''     In  truth  it  is  not  so;   but  there  is  one   thing  te'-- 
which  they  do  care,  and  that  is,  common  honesty  of  purpose—  -^ 
common  straightforwardness.     It  is  not  the  "  wretched  secea-  j- 
sions"  to  Rome  which  have  influenced  the  people,  half  so  mudk  j^ 
as  the  miserably  dishonest  way  in  which  those  secessions  have  |^ 
occurred.     Their  disgust  has  very  far  exceeded  their  alarm.    If  t 
priests  of  the  English  Church  had  taken  that  course,  which  thejr  f ' 
themselves  would  consider  the  only  honourable  course  in  secular  "j- 
matters, — if  they  had  gone  to  their  respective  bishops,  and  sigoi-  j^ 
fied  that,  their  minds  being  unsettled^   they  must  cease^  for  tk  r 
present,  at  least,  to  officiate  as  English  clergymen — if  any  number  of  f = 
priests  had  taken  this  course,  we  should  have  respected  them  as  f- 
honest  men,  while  we  deplored  their  falling  away.     But  when  we  j^ 
see  such  gross  violations  df  good  faith  as  we  have  seen  lately,  we  j- 
cannot  wonder  at  the  indignation  so  loudly  expressed.     When  we  I- 
see  men  presiding  at  public  meetings  of  Churchmen,  met  together  U 
for  the  express  purpose  of  defending  the  Church  of  Enghnd,  P 
going  over — for  Lord  Fielding,  we  presume,  was  not  "  driven,''' to  ^ 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy ; — when  we  see  clergymen  writing  to  the  | 
Bishop  of  London,  in  terms  of  unusual  familiarity ;  then,  knowii^  ■;; 
their  diocesan's  peculiar  position,  deliberately  publishing  the  cor- 
respondence ;  and,  within  three  weeks,  joining  the  Church  of  Rome ; 
— when,  again,  we  see  others,  as  members  of  a  society  formed  for 
the  defence  of  the  English  Church,  moving  resolutions  of  fsm- 
pathy  with  Mr.  Bennett,  as  English  Churchmen,  and,  shortly  •after, 
joining  the  ranks  of  that  body  which  looks  upon  English  Church- 
men as  heretics  and  schismatics ; — when,  lastly,  we  see  addresses 
from,  so-called,   English  Churchmen,    complaining,  forsooth;  of 
the  manner  in  which  the  Papal  Aggression  has  been  met,  ivi 
saying  not  one  word  in  condemnation  of  the  barefaced  hypocrisj 
and  treachery  of  many  of  those  tolio  have  recently  forsaicen  ih 
Anglican  Church ; — can  we  possibly  wonder,  after  all  this,  at  the 
disgust  and  the  indignation  of  every  man  of  common  honesty — of 
every  man  who  has  about  him  a  single  grain  of  genuine  English 
principle?     Can   we   wonder  that  suspicions  should  be  raised 
against  innocent  men ;  against  men  who  have  not  the  smallest 
approximation  to  a  '^  Romanizing '"  tendency ;  agaiust  men  who 

'  In  applying  the  term  '^  Romanizing,"  we  desire  to  be  understood  as  using  the 
word,  by  vay  of  censure,  with  a  limited  application.  We  firmly  believe  that  tlie 
prindpies,  say  of  Mr.  Baker,  and  the  author  of  the  <<  Appeal  to  Rome,**  have  aJike, 
though  not  equally,  a  '^  Romanizing  "  tendency  in  their  results  fully  wgffk«d.oat— * 


3^  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Btmutt.  145 

vould  Bcom  to  "  palterin  a  double  aeose  \"  would  scorn  to  prorcss 
to  be  membere  of  one  communion,  while  in  heart  and  affections 
they  belonged  to  that  the  most  opposed  to  it  \  We  say,  confi- 
dently, that  these  "  wretched  secessions"  to  Rome,  are  the  real 
impedimentB  to  the  full  development  of  the  Catholic  principles  of 
thtf  Church  of  England;  and  not  the  "naked  Protestantism" 
which  Mr.  Bennett  so  feelingly  deplores.  Once  satis^  tho 
people  of  England  that,  so  long  as  Rome  remains  unchanged,  tlicy 
-need  bare  no  fear  of  our  going  over  to  B.omc — once  take  tho 
groand,  in  opposition  to  Rome,  which  the  "  divines  of  the  seven' 
teenth  century"  took — not  for  the  purposes  of  party — not  in  a  ran- 
corous and  unchristian  spirit — hut  as  a  matter  of  truth  and  duty — 
in  defence  of  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  that  Church  of 
which  we  are  sworn  servants — and  sure  we  arc  that  the  plain 
sound  sense,  the  honest  English  feeling  of  the  people  will  cause 
them  to  respect  us,  to  sympatluze  with  our  enileavours  to  obey 
the  law  of  the  Church  of  England.  They  will  feel  then  that  ice 
can  he  trusted ;  that  we  really  mean  what  we  say ;  that  we  love 
the  Church  of  England  :for  her  own  sake ;  that  while,  on  the  ono 
hand,  we  will  never  consent  to  abandon  one  jot  or  one  tittle  of 
Oathohc  truth,  we  never  will,  by  God's  grace,  connive  at  one 
particle  of  Romish  error,  ti  may  be,  nay  we  much  fear  it 
will  be,  that  wq  sballhave.to  deplore  further  losses,  and  perhaps 
a  more  widely-spread  s^ession.  There  is  a  spirit  abroad,  at 
the  present,  day,  in  a  .section  of  the.  English.  Church,  a  spirit 
of  restleasfie^  and  disaffection,  which,  we  much  fear,  will  lead 
yet  mor«  to  ,l;he  Church  of  Bome.  But  we  believe,  moreover, 
ud  hiereipiiea  our  greatest  hop^,  we  believe  {hat  there  are  thou- 
sands of, gF>o4. men  and  tru^,  on  whom  the  Church  of  England 
may  ooBPt  as  '|  faithfijil  unto  deatb"' — who,  "  come  what  come 
may^?  .wiy  neyer  "•  Wave  her  nor  forsak?  '*  her-:-whp  will  fight  her 
hsttlp^.n<*  sJDJpljf.  ,t)ecause  their  lot  is  cast  withi.p  her  fold  by 
Providence;  notsmlply  because  she  is.  "the  Church  of  their  bap- 
tism^", bqt  because  they  believe  her  to  be,  with  all  her  short- 
conueigs,  and  all  her  deficiencies,  the  purest,  the  most  Scripting, 
the  most  Catholic  branch,  of  tjie  lUysticnl  hotly  of  Chbist,  now  in 
existehc^T— ijiecause  they  conscientionaly  believe  that,  if  the  Divine 
Head  of  xhs  Christian  CiiuEcn,.we  say  it  with  all  reverence, 
were  now  upon  ea^r-in  the  Church  of  England,  in  preference  to 
any  oth^r,.  wQuJd  Ha  take  delight,  as,  more  than  any  other,  em- 

hit  then  th^  {b  this  tUffcrciicc — Che  ooe  isau  honest  man,  dDBiririg  to  bring  ftbbnt 
Catholic  Unit;  hy  an  MaimilaUoii  of  the  tno  Com  muni  an  9,  and  is,  aa  wc  think, 
■ending  meti  to  Some  onnlttinglf.  Thu  other  ia  a  diehoDMt  111*11,  at  heart  a 
Ronut^st,  b*  none  and  profeMion  an  Engllrti  Charahman.  The  one  is  entitled  to 
Mspect,  wLila  wo  differ  fmin  him  ;  the  other  is  autiacd  to  nolhiiig  but  (ccfth  and 
thboireiiee. 

VOL.  XV. NO,  XXIX, WABCil,  1851.  i. 


146  The  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  BmnM. 

bodying  in  her  Bystem  those  great  fundamental  truths  which  Hi 
descended  from  Heaven  to  reveal  to  mankind.    And  it  is  beoaiue 
of  this  firm  conviction  ; — because  we  venerate  our  Spiritual  Moiher 
for  her  purity  of  doctrine,  for  her  Apostolic  descent,  for  her 
respect  for  Catholic  truth  ; — because  we  believe  the  great  body  of 
the  *^  large  party  ^^  are  true  to  her  real  principles,  disliking  the 
pseudo-church  principles  of  D.  0.  L.  and  Mr.  Bennett,  equa% 
with  those   of  Latitudinarians  and  Puritans — because,   more^ 
over,  we  believe  that  the  great  mass  of  the   English  people 
are  true  to  her  also — therefore  do  we  speak  so  confidently  with 
respect  to  the  future.     We  repeat  that  we  have  no  fears  for  the 
ultimate  safety  of  the  Church  of  England.     Of  her  may  we  nee 
the  beautiful  language  of  the  poet : — 


(( 


non  hy ernes  illam,  non  flabra,  neque  imbres 


Convellunt :  immota  manet,  tnultosque  per  annos 
Malta  virum  volvens  darando  ssecula  vincit. 
Turn  fortes  late  ramos  et  brachia  tendens 
Hue  illuc,  media  ipsa  ingentem  sustinet  umbram." 

VirgUj  Georgia^  ii.  29l« 

We  know,  indeed,  full  well  the  difficulties  by  which  she  is  beset ;  we 
know  full  well  that  mighty  engines  are  at  work  azainst  her.    On  the 
one  hand,  Bomish  insolence  and  Papal  usurpation  ;   on  the  other, 
State  aggression  and  sectarian  bigotry ;  are  directing  against  hec 
their  strongest  efforts :  while,  within  her  own  pale,  on  this  side 
D.  C.  L.,  and  they  who  think  with  him,  are  endeavouring  to  rend 
asunder  the  links  by  which  she  is  connected  with  the  State ;  on  that, 
the  Puritan  faction  are  moving  heaven  and  earth  to  blot  out  of  her 
Prayer  Book  the  enunciation  of  all  those  grand  Catholic  verities 
by  which  she  is  identified  with  the  Primitive  Church  in  its  beet 
and  purest  ages.     Still  have  we  no  fear  for  the  result,  because  ife 
are  convinced  that  the  great  bulk,  alike  of  her  clergy  and  her 
people,   fraternise  with   neither  of  the  extremes   to  which  we 
have  alluded.    They  are  not  prepared  to  surrender  up  the  libertiee 
of  the  English  Church  to  the  tender  mercies  of  Lord  John  Busedl 
and  Dr.  Cumming.     They  are  equally  unprepared  to  adopt  the 
ultramontane  theories,  so  to  speak,  of  D.  C.  L.  and  Mr.  Bennelt. 
They  will  not  recognise  the  supremacy  of  a  Prime  Minister,  who, 
by  his  own  conduct,  sets  at  defiance  the  constitution  and  laws 
of  the  Church ;  they  are  content,  and  thankful  to  reco^ise  the 
supremacy  of  the  Sovereign,  so  far  as  that  supremacy  is  defined 
in  our  Canons,  Articles,  and  Formularies.     They  are  not  pre- 

Eared  to  rest  satisfied  with  the  existing  condition  of  the  relations 
etween  the  Church  and  the  State.     They  have  no  wish  to  dis- 
solve those  relations  altogether,  but  simply  to  put  them  on  a 


The  Siihcp  of  London  and  Mr.  BrnimU.  147 

froper  footing.  We  say  that  recent  events  amply  justify  the 
Vfaw  we  have  taken.  There  can  be  no  mistake  as  to  one  point, 
that  the  people  of  England  have  no  sympathy  either  with 
Bomanists  or  with  Bomanizers.  There  is  as  little  doubt  either 
tiiat  th^  will  not  allow  a  finger  to  be  laid  upon  that  which,  next 
to  the  Word  of  God,  they  value  more  highly  than  ought  besides, 
the  Anglican  Prayer  Book.  Every  one  remembers  the  rumours 
that  were  current  on  this  point  just  before  the  meeting  of  Parlia- 
ment. But  it  has  been  discovered  that,  much  as  the  people 
of  England  abhor  Romish  error,  they  equally  love  Catholic  truth 
—that  they  will  not  allow  any  tampering  with  our  time-hallowed 
Liturgy.  Therefore  do  we  say,  that  our  prospects  for  the  future 
are  hopeful  and  cheering. 

And  let  no  one  suppose,  lastly,  that  in  any  thing  we  have  said 
with  respect  to  Mr.  Bennett,  we  have  any  wish  to  discourage 
the  widely-spread  desire  of  giving  increased  solemnity  to  our 
Church  ritual  by  the  adoption  of  all  the  aids  and  appliances  of 
"architecture  and  music    and   painting,   and  all    other  such 
handmaids  of  Christian  worship  *.       In  truth,  we  have  no  such 
wish.     On  the  contrary,  we  would  employ  every  means  which,  as 
English  Churchmen,  we  may  consistently  employ,  to  raise  and 
cdiiv^te  a  spirit  of  devotion  amongst  our  people.     Wc  would 
have  our  churches  built  after  the  most  beautiral  models.     We 
would  have  the  ceremonial  of  our  churches  regulated  with  all  that 
attention  to  decent  splendour  and  sober  pomp  which  charac- 
terized primitive  worship ;  but  then  wc  must  keep  in  view  two 
principles,  in  subordination  to  which  every  thing  should  be  done. 
The  one  is,  that  we  regard  these  aids  and  appliances  as  means, 
ud  not  as  ends — that  we  beware  of  cultivating  sestheticism  to 
snch  a  height  that  it  degenerates  into  what  we  venture  to  call 
^lesiaatical  foppishness ; — the  other,  that  we  do  all  things  in  obe- 
dtedce  to  the  letter,  so  fiir  as  circumstances  will  allow,  and,  in  all 
cases,  to  the  spirit,  of  the  English  Prayer  Book.     We  must  not 
Qidolge  our  individual  fancies  by  the  introduction  of  observances 
which  our  own  Church  has  not  sanctioned ;  which,  harmless,  it 
may  be,  and  even  beautiful,  in  themselves,  are  yet  forbidden  to  us, 
partly  because  they  are  not  authorized,  partly  because  of  the 
peculiar  position  in  which  we  are  placed,  not  from  our  own  act  or 
our  own  wash,  but  through  the  conduct  of  that  rival  Church  by 
which  they  are  employed  habitually.     We  rrnist  have  regard  to 
the  circumstances  of  our  times,  to  the  position  in  which  we  are 
placed.     We  rmist^  if  we  do  our  duty  as  English  Churchmen, 
beware  of  introducing  any  practices  which  are  not  sanctioned  by 

*  Farewell  Letter,  p.  224. 

l2 


148  !%$  Bishop  of  London  and  Mr.  Bennett. 

our  Prayer  Book,  by  episcopal  authority,  or  by  prescriptive 
custom.  We  must  take  care  that  we  give  our  people  no  red 
occasion  to  ask  us,  "  Art  thou  for  us  or  for  our  adversaries  f' 
And  let  us  not  fear  that,  by  adopting  such  a  course  as  this,  we 
"  rend  asunder  the  body  of  Christ,'*  by  refusing  to  conform  to 
Catholic  usage.  In  carrying  out  the  principles  of  the  Church  of 
England,  in  inculcating  her  doctrines,  and  in  obeying  her  disci- 
pline, we  do,  in  fact,  conform  to  a  Catholicity  of  the  best  and  the 
purest  kind.  If  the  mediaeval  and  modern  Church  of  Rome  has 
chosen  to  overlay  that  Catholicity  by  a  series  of  doctrinal  and 
ritual  innovations,  they,  and  not  we,  are  responsible  for  the  viola- 
tion of  Christian  fellowship  and  brotherly  concord.  Let  us  not, 
above  all,  repine,  in  a  spirit  of  querulous  lamentation,  at  the  sup- 
posed deficiencies  of  our  Church,  while  we  forget  the  real  blessings 
which  she  affords  to  all  her  faithful  children.  Let  us  rather  do 
all  we  can  in  ^'  quietness  and  confidence,''  in  faith  and  patience, 
to  "  lengthen  her  cords  and  to  strengthen  her  stakes." 

"  If,"  to  use,  in  conclusion,  the  language  of  one  who  has  en- 
gaged much  of  our  attention  in  this  paper,  language,  we  regret 
to  say,  as  necessaiy  in  1851  as  in  1842, — 

'*  If,  instead  of  such  lamentations,  alarming  our  people,  and  unsettling 
the  minds  of  our  younger  brethren  in  the  ministry,  we  would  admonish, 
comfort,  and  encourage  one  another,  to  be  faithful  to  our  dear  Mother; 
and  use,  in  the  spirit  of  diligence  and  love,  all  the  means  and  appliances 
of  good  which  she  places  in  our  hands ;  setting  onrselve^i  as  a  united 
band  of  Christian  soldiers,  with  composed  and  stedfast  resolution,  to 
resist  the  inroads  of  Popery  on  the  one  hand,  and  of  irregular  enthn* 
siasm  on  the  other ;  if  we  had  .but  grace  to  realize,  in  our  own  lives 
and  persons,  the  plain  precepts  and  directions  which  she  ;has  given  for 
our  guidance,  recommending  them,  by  our  example,,- to  the  consciences 
and  affections  of  all  men,  we  should  discover  that  there  is  much  less 
need  of  alteration  than,  is  supposed^  and  at  all  events,  we  should  knowi 
lor  a  certainty,  in  what  direction  that  alt^atio^i  should  be  attempted'/' 

•  COiarge  of  1842,  p.  3a. 


\ 


■  f 


I , 


f 


BeUgion  and  the  Wwhing  Cla9ses.  149 


Aet.  VII. — 1.  Parochial  Work,  By  the  Bev.  E.  Moneo,  Jlf.-4., 
Incumbent  of  Harrow  Weald^  Middlesex.  Oxford  and  London: 
Parker,     1850. 

2.  The  Working  Classes;  their  Morale  Social^  and  Intellectual 
Condition ;  tcith  practical  suagestions  for  their  Improvement. 
By  G.  Simmons,  Civil  Engineer.  London:  Partridge  and 
Oakey,    1849. 

When,  engaged  in  the  controversy  with  Borne  or  with  other 
alien  powers,  we  contemplate  our  Churches  theory  and  ideal,  the 
purity  of  her  faith,  the  certainty  and  the  Catholicity  of  those 
doctrines  she  insists  upon,  the  beauty  of  her  liturgy,  the  high  tone 
of  moral  truthfulness  which  is  her  especial  characteristic;  and 
when  we  contrast  all  these  with  the  false  glare  and  vulgar  splen- 
dour, the  unhappily  gross  superstition,  the  sad  practical  idolatry, 
ijie  painful  rec^eoanei^  with  regard  to  truth  and  fact,  of  the 
lac|[est  of  fowgnr  communions, — we  certainly  feel  justified  in 
dauniog  a  high  station  for  our  Spiritual  Mother  amongst  the 
exasting  Gburdies  of  Christendom.  Her  special  excellencies  are 
many  and  undeniaUe:  her  charitable  and  Catholic  spirit,  her 
wise  temperance  and  moderation,  her  gentleness  and  truthfulness, 
her  high  sense  of  honour,  all  endear  her  to  our  hearts ;  we  cannot 
but  feel  "that  she  has  succeeded,  on  the  whole,  in  impregnating 
tbe  educated  classes  subjected  to  her  influence  with  at  least  the 
fitt8t'|>rinciples  of  Christianity,  and  further,  in  breathing  a  high 
tone  of  morality,  and,  we  may  add,  a  general  spirit  of  orthodoxy, 
intb  our  national  literature.  Mighty  champions  has  she  sent 
forth  to  combat  infidelity — ^nay,  to  subdue  it :  thanks  to  her 
exertions  the  mind  of  the  country  is  orthodox  in  the  main  to  this 
day, — that  is,  it  acknowledges  the  general  truth  of  Revelation, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  public  opinion  of  the  educated  in  other 
countries,  as  represented  by  their  press,  and  in  all  the  principal 
branches  of  literature. 

Now,  all  this,  of  course,  constitutes  a  very  strong  claim  on  our 
reverence  and  regard ;  and  that  reverence  and  regard  it  is  accord- 
ingly our  delight  to  tender  :  but  there  is  another  side  to  this  flat- 
tering picture,  and  it  is  to  that  side,  as  we  opine,  that  we  ought 
specially  to  direct  our  attention.  When  employed  in  rebutting 
the  sarcasms  of  a  Newman,  or  repelling  the  calumnies  of  a  Ward, 


150  IteUffion  and  the  Working  Olane$. 

a  recapitulation  of  our  Church'*s  excellencies  may  surely  be  per- 
mitted to  her  sons ;  but  when  this  duty  of  self-defence  is  fairly 
discharged,  and  that  mainly  for  the  sake  of  weak  or  wavering 
brethren  whose  faith  might  need  to  be  confirmed,  it  becomes 
Churchmen  to  look  their  own  deficiencies  fairly  in  the  face :  first, 
if  they  can,  to  ascertain  them  accurately ;  and  then  also  to 
suggest,  if  possible,  some  practical  remedy  or  remedies. 

rfow,  we  do  think,  that  a  little  honest  observation  and  candid 
reflection  must  lay  bare  to  Ohurchmen^s  eyes  certain  leading  de- 
fects in  our  present  system  of  operations,  which  too  sadly  coun- 
terbalance our  peculiar  excellencies,  and  which  seem  to  prove  that 
we  have  almost  or  quite  as  much  to  learn  from  others  as  they  may 
gain  from  us ;  that  there  is  a  very  great  work  to  be  wrought; 
and  that,  if  it  be  not  set  about  quickly,  it  may  probably  never  be 
discharged  at  all.  For  the  time  has  surely  gone  by,  if  it  ever 
existed,  for  mere  paper-theories  or  ecclesiastical  conventionalism: 
as  a  Church  and  a  nation,  this  seems,  in  our  judgment  at  least, 
the  very  crisis  of  our  destiny.  To  state  the  actual  difficulty  in 
few  words, — we  have  yet  very  much  to  do — to  gain  the  hearts 
and  to  awaken  the  consciences  of  the  poor. 

The  practical  unreality  which  too  often  prevails  amongst 
us,  the  coldness  and  formality  and  yet  the  absence  of  system, 
the  want  of  due  sympathy  betwixt  clergy  and  laity,  the  state  of 
spiritual  lethargy  into  which  our  working  classes  to  a  great 
extent  have  fallen,  the  sad  hoUowness  and  worldlmess; — ^but  we 
seem  to  be  waxing  harsh  and  bitter,  and  this  we  assuredly  wish 
not  to  be ;  feeling  and  mourning  over  our  own  infirmities,  it  is 
our  duty  surely  to  be  charitable  even  to  those  brethren  whom  we 
blame,  whom  we  still  lovo  and  for  whom  we  pray :  so  let  ua  simply 
record  that  it  seems  to  be  confessed  on  all  hands,  that  our  prac*. 
tioal  deficiencies  are  veiT  great;  that  our  hold  is  too  weak, 
either  on  the  intellectual  perceptions,  or  on  the  hearts  and  con- 
sciences of  our  people ;  and  that^  instead  of  indulging  in  mutual 
reproaches  for  the  past,  our  best  course  will  now  be  to  develop, 
if  possible,  such  practices  and  such  a  discipline,  for  the  future,— « 
as  may  yet  restore  the  spirit  of  devotion  to  the  hearts  of  the  coh^ 
munity. 

The  sad  state  of  great  masses  of  our  population  has  now 
engaged  the  attention  of  earnest  thinkers  for  some  time  past.  A 
passing  word  of  reference  may  be  permitted  us  here  to  the  most 
valuable  labours  of  that  noble-hearted  man,  Mr.  Mayhew,  in  this 
direction,  which  can  scarcely  be  acknowledged  m\h  sufficient 
warmth  of  eulogy.  Both  of  the  remarkable  works  now  lying 
before  us,  the  titles  of  which  we  have  placed  at  the  head  of  this 
article,  supply  us  with  very  alarming  statistics  in  connexion  with 


Beliffian  and  0$  WorOnff  Ola$$$8.  151 


ff     the  condition  of  the  poor ;  especially  the  second  of  them,  by  Mr. 
'     Snnmons.     We  do  not  purpose,  however,  to  devote  very  much 
of  oar  time  or  space  to  '^  a  twice-told  tale**^  on  this  occasion. 
\^e  are  entitled,  unfortunately,  to  assume  this  awful  fact,  that 
masses  of  heathen  darkness  and  corruption  do  exist  in  all  direc- 
tions around  us,  which  must  be  broken  up  and  pervaded  with 
Christian  light,  if  this  country  is  to  be  saved  from  imminent 
danger  of  destruction.    But  more  tbaq  this ;  it  is  also  too  true, 
that  those  of  our  poor  who  are  brought,  in  a  measure,  under  the 
influence  of  our  parish  clergy,  are  often  deficient  (we  fear  this 
most  be  confessed)  both  in  moral  conscientiousness,  and  in  the 
spirit  of  devotion;  and  thus,  it  is  only  too  evident,  that  some 
iar-^earching  remedy  needs  to  be  applied. 

Mr.  Monro,  whom  we  are  happy  to  congratulate  on  the  success 
of  many  of  his  labours,  and  whose  recent  volume  of  sermons  on 
'^  the  Ministry/^  has  at  once  arrested  our  attention  by  its  far- 
searching  boldness,  and  has  thrilled  our  conscience  with  alarm ; 
in  the  very  admirable  work  before  us  (admirable  for  its  earnest 
Christian  spirit  and  practical  wisdom,  though  we  cannot  concur 
;  with  it  on  all  points)^  draws,  upon  the  whole,  a  very  melancholy 
picture  of  the  state  of  the  English  poor;  mainly,  we  may  observe, 
with  reference  to  the  agricultural  districts,  with  which  he  should 
appear  to  be  best  acquainted.  He  represents  them  as  generally 
lethargic,  slow  of  comprehension,  and  even  dull  of  heart,  almost 
totally  destitute  of  doctrinal  knowledge,  and  devoid  of  all  self- 
consciousness,  ft.  e,  knowledge,  whether  of  their  own  faults,  or  of 
their  virtues;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  endowed,  in  many  in- 
duces, with  a  strong  moral  sense,  partly  by  nature,  partly 
bv  baptismal  grace,  and  also  possessed  of  a  good  deal  of  honour- 
able purity  of  will,  and  sometimes  of  no  little  self-devotion. 

Mr.  Simmons,  in  his  very  curious  work,  gives  a  still  more 
Unfavourable  account  of  the  poor  in  our  towns  and  cities,^  of 
their  habits  of  life,  and  their  moral  and  religious,  or  rather  im- 
moral and  irreligious  practices ;  and  despite  his  own  strange,  and. 
We  must  add,  often  mischievous  notions  (an  odd  compound  or 
medley  of  Penny-Cydopsedia-wisdom,  Bright  and  Gobden  radical- 
ism, and  Bible-Protestantism),  his  work  well  deserves  to  be 
studied  for  its  general  accuracy  and  honesty  of  purpose,  as  well 
as  for  sundry  by  no  means  despicable  suggestions,  respecting  the 
best  means  of  interesting  and  exciting  the  sympathies  of  the 
working  classes,  by  promoting  lawful  amusements,  founding  a 
steady,  popular  and  Christian  literature,  &c.  &c.  Such,  how- 
ever, is  scarcely  our  present  theme :  suffice  it  here  to  verify  the 
feet,  that  Mr.  Simmons  pronounces,  if  possible,  a  severer  judg- 
ment, from  his  point  of  view,  than  even  that  of  Mr.  Monro, 


152  BeUgion  and  the  Working  Cla8968. 

Our  own  limited  experience  has  led  us  to  the  conclumon,  ihai> 
the  hearts  and  minds  of  the  male  adult  population  pertaining  to 
the  working  classes,  in  our  towns  and  cities,  are,  to  a  great  extent, 
/hostile  both  to  our  Church  and  to  our  clergy,  and  indififerent 
to  religion  altogether.  Of  course  there  are  many  exceptions, 
God  be  praised  for  it !  but  we  do  believe  the  following  to  be  only 
too  accurate  a  description  of  this  class  in  the  main* 

"  Next  come  the  general  labourers.  These  are  a  very  large  body  of 
men,  and  are  they  who  have  no  trade,  very  few  having  been  apprenticed 
to  any,  or,  if  so,  they  have  left,  ere  it  was  half  completed.  Their 
families  frequently  consist  of  several  children,  who  ramble  in  the  courts 
and  streets  in  dry  weather,  the  eldest  girl  taking  charge  of  the  little  one, 
while  others,  perchance,  go  to  school :  the  boy  waits  upon  the  father 
with  his  dinner,  and,  at  the  age  of  eleven  or  twelve,  has  to  get  his 
living  as  a  shop-boy,  or  in  some  such  menial  office.  The  large  majorUi/ 
of  this  class  scarcely  ever  acknowledge  a  Superior  Being  (save  when  some 
missionary  or  friend  to  religion  visits  them),  rising  up  in  the  morMf^, 
and  lying  down  at  night,  in  forgetfulness  of  the  God  who  made  them**-^ 
Simmons*s  Working  Classes,  p.  6. 

The  mere  record  of  such  a  fact  as  this,  and  assuredly  a  fact  it 
is,  should  make  us  tremble.  Mr.  Simmons  goes  on  to  describe 
the  general  habits  of  improvidence  of  the  poor,  their  carelessness 
and  wastefulness,  their  total  lack  of  moral  discipline,  their  indul- 
gence of  angry  tempers  and  frightful  passions  in  the  quarrels 
between  husbands  and  wives,  and  also  between  neighbours, 
arising,  we  may  observe,  in  many  instances,  from  the  alte^ 
cations  of  children,  in  the  first  place ; — their  habitual  use  of  the 
most  violent,  and,  indeed,  horrible  expressions,  a  seeming^  grow- 
ing evil,  quite  independent  of  their  practice  of  cursing  and  swear- 
ing on  all  occasions;  their  usual  liability  to  the  sin  of  druriketm^; 
their  debased  condition,  in  fine,  in  almost  every  respie^!?.  Bately, 
alas !  we  can  bear  witness,  do  the  men  of  the  workirtjg  classes  ir 
our  towns  and  cities  find  their  way  to  oUr  churches  i  nor  do  thej 
frequent  dissenting  chapels,  ordinarily  speaking;  they  lotmffi 
away  the  Lord"*s  Day,  spending  part  of  it  in  their  bedsr,  pairt 
perhaps,  at  the  public-house,  or,  yet  more  often,  at  the  corners  o: 
the  streets;  and  sometimes,  as  Mr.  Simmons  remarks,  at  the  tea- 
totallers'  meeting,  which  in  its  way  Usually  dpes  them  mud 
harm,  cultivatinjg  their  pride,  and  other  evil  instincts,  and  teach 
ing  tbein  to  de4)ise  those  amongst  the  clergy  who  will  not  fall  ii 
with  their  peculiar  views.  Mr.  Monro's  view  of  the  existing  stat< 
of  things  is  thui^  forcibly  expressed ;  he  says, 

'*To  do  more  than  sketch  the  evil  which  exists  to  be  remediec 
would  exceed  our  present  space.     It  is  the  alar(ning  and  astoundini 


Bdigian  and  ihe  Warhing  Classes.  153 

&ef^  of  millions  of  baptized  Christians  living  in  cities  and  villages 
tromid  us,  either  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  religion  they  profess,  or  the 
Wctims  of  a  deep-rooted  and  withering  infidelity.  By  the  side  of  the 
splendid  palaces  of  luxury  and  ease  in  the  metropolis  and  other  large 
ddea,  and  within  a  stone's  throw  of  their  doors,  are  alleys  and  d2\fkened 
streets,  where,  in  garrets  and  cellars,  whole  families  are  grouped  in 
sqaalid  poverty,  filth,  and  disease ;  and,  what  is  far  worse,  in  a  state  of 
ignorance  of  their  awful  responsibilities  and  future  destinies,  which 
would  appal  a  Hindoo." — ^pp.  5,  6. 

Further  on,  be  speaks  of  gin-palaces  and  gambling-houses  out- 
numbering churches ;  and  of  the  former  pouring  forth  floods  of 
light,  whilst  the  latter  stand  dark  and  silent  against  the  starry 
sky*  He  tells  us  also,  that  Socialist  schools  are  opening  in  all 
directions,  and  that  the  work  of  evil  is  rapidly  progressing ;  and 
then  also  he  maintains  (p.  18),  ''  We  feel  with  too  much  truth, 
that  comparatively  few,  even  of  our  respectable  poor,  really  pray, 
—the  weightiest  matter  this,  we  think,  of  all.  He  adds,  that 
ihe  evening  devotion  of  most  poor  men,  if  any,  consists  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  the  Creed  used  ignorantly  as  a  prayer,  the  well- 
known  invocation, — 

**  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke  and  John, 
Bless  the  bed  which  I  lie  on," 

'  ■       -  '    ■ 

and  intercessions,  learnt  in  childhood,  and  repeated  still  me- 
chanically for  fathers  and  mothers,  and  others  now  departed. 
Thus  Mr.  Monro  affirms,  strangely  enough,  that  ^*  half  of  the 
devotions  of  .our  English  poor  consist  of  prayers  to  the  saints,  or 
intercessions  for  the  dead  ;'^  which  are  all,  he  maintains,  matters 
of  mere  form,  to  which  no  meaning  whatever  is  attached.     He 
then  proceed?  to  dwell  upon  the  sad  misapprehension  prevalent  as 
to  tbei  nature  of  the  Eucharist,  which  treats  it  rather  a&  a  seal  of 
holiness  than  as  a  means  of  grace ;  an  undeniable  fact  this,  which 
no  English  clergyman,  we  presume,  would  offer  to  contest.    And 
then  he  goes  on  to  assert  (with  too  much  truth,  we  fear,)  the 
absence  of  definite  notions  as  to  the  effects  of  Holy  Baptism. 
As.  far  as  our  own  experience  is  concerned,  however,  we  are  not 
disposed  to  admit  that  the  poor  generally  consider  Baptism  to  be 
little  more  thaii  registration;  we  should  rather  say,  that  they 
retain  an  undefined  notion  that  it  secured  the  salvation  of  their 
children ;    and  certain  it  is,  that  in  case  of  sickness  they  are 
always  most  anxious  to  have  them  baptized, — that  is,  the  mothers 
are.     It  may  be  contended,  that  this .  merely  arises  from  their 
anxiety  to  secure  Christian  burial  for  their  children  ;  but  we  con- 
fess we  do  not  think  so.     Mr.  Monro,  who  appears  to  lay  great 
stress  on  the  efficacy  of  sponsorship,  (greater,  we  own,  th«nn  we 


154  Bdipum  and  the  Wwrhlmg  Olam$. 

are  inclined  to  lay,  at  least  amongst  the  working  clasfies,  ^tAmttT, 
we  believe  this  institution  to  be  praotically  but  of  little  value,  aod;  , 
in  fact,  one  of  our  greatest  existing  unreahties,) — Mr.  Monro,  ne.  '1 
say,  apparently  suspect^  the  poor  of  evil  motives  in  desiring  tbs 
private  baptisms  of  their  children ;  but  we  see  not  what  evil 
motives  they  can  be  supposed  to  entertain  in  this  matter.  They 
are  naturally  glad  to  escape  from  the  task  of  finding  sponsorSa 
who  expect  to  be  treated  with  tea  and  cake  on  the  occasion,  and 
consider  they  have  conferred  a  great  obligation,  though  they 
afterwards  have  nothing  to  do  with  their  godchildren,  and  would, 
indeed,  be  thought  impertinent  if  they  ever  presumed  to  interfere. 
Now,  private  baptism  is  confessedly  as  efficacious  as  public ;  the 
use  of  water  and  the  ordained  blessing  secure  ^e  validity 
and  grace  of  the  Sacrament.  For  our  ovm  part,  knowing  as 
we  do  how  often  baptism  is  neglected  altogether^  at  least  in 
large  towns,  by  parents  and  children,  we  should  not  be  over* 
backward  in  complying  with  the  request  of  mothers  to  baptize 
their  children  privately,  where  there  was  any  appearance  of  danger; 
always  enjoining  them,  of  course,  to  bring  Uiem  subsequently  to 
the  Church ;  and  we  cannot  but  think  that  Mr.  Monro  would 
act  both  wisely  and  charitably  in  adopting  the  same  course 
of  action,  at  least  if  h^  resided  in  a  large  town  or  city.  In  the 
country,  it  is  obvious  that  the  clergyman  has  generally  more 
thorough  cognizance  of  his  parishioners,  and  more  direct  influ- 
ence over  them,  so  as  to  be  almost  certain  to  secure  the  child's 
public  baptism  if  he  wills  it,  in  some  way  or  other.  But,  we 
repeat,  even  where  religion  was  at  a  low  ebb,  we  have  still  wit- 
nessed some  apparently  lingering  reverence  for  Holy  Baptism; 
we  have  heard  mothers  express  great  distress  of  mind  when  thef 
thought  their  children  in  danger  of  dying  unbaptized  through 
their  neglect,  and  declare  that  they  had  passed  nights  without 
sleeping  m  consequence  :  this  is,  therefore,  we  should  say,  one  of 
the  few  lingering  remnants  of  sacramental  faith  still  left  among 
our  people. 

But  to  resume,  Mr.  Monro  further  affirms,  that  there  is  a 
dread  ignorance  of  the  true  nature  of  sin,  even  amongst  the  more 
i*espectable  of  the  labouring  classes ;  and  that  more  especially 
with  reference  to  the  sin  of  fornication.  And  to  the  truth  of  this 
assertibn  our  own  experience,  as  far  as  it  goes,  compels  us  to  bear 
witness.  As  undoubted,  we  should  say,  is  that  general  disregard 
of  truth  which  constrains  us  to  receive  the  statements  of  the 
poor,  too  often  at  least,  with  distrust  and  incredulity.  Their 
irreverence,  we  fear,  is  too  patent  to  need  insisting  on.  Their 
ignorance  of  religions  doctrine,  too,  is  assuredly  most  lamentable. 
We  are  scarcely  prepared  to  affirm,  with  Mr.  Monro  (pp.  24,  25), 


(md  the  WorKng  Clasm.  155 

4ti  e?en  ^' among  adults,^  who  ^^have  the  appearance  of  being 
rffJmouB  and  devotional,^^  many  will  be  found  who  '^  will  be  utterly 
■i^le  to  mention  on  what  their  hope  of  pardon  is  founded; 
because,  we  believe,  that  they  have  a  very  positive  notion,  at 
'  Jtast  thus  far,  that  Christ  hais  died  for  sinners,  and  that  therc- 
Ibre  sinners  will  be  saved  if  they  believe  in  Him,  however  Ute 
Ihey  turn  to  Him,  even  on  their  death-beds.  Mr.  Monro, 
indeed,  admits,  in  effect,  as  much  as  this,  though  he  seems  to 
question  it.  But  what,  we  may  ask,  is  this,  when  separated  from 
any  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  from  any  attempt  to  love  and  serve 
the  Saviour  i 

But,  after  all,  we  are  doing  what  we  said  we  would  not  do : 
we  are  dwelling  on  the  disease,  which  is  admitted  on  all  sides, 
ioBtead  of  endeavouring  to  suggest  a  remedy,  or  rather  some 
lemedies  for  this  disorder ;  for  surely  there  must  be  many,  and 
of  various  kinds.  Mr.  Monro'^s  great  practical  recipe  is  Personal 
DireeiionSy  properiy  guarded  and  understood :  he  says,— 

"  Public  ministrations  and  general  preaching  alone  can  never  do  the 
work.  They  are  as  little  calculated  to  meet  the  case  of  the  individuals 
they  attempt  to  afiect  in  the  mass,  as  the  thousands  of  a  passing  day 
(ire  cognizable  by  the  historian.  The  historian  is  not  a  biographer,  and 
the  minister  in  his  general  ministration  cannot  he  the  adviser  of  par- 
tienlar  souls.  The  moment  these  thinking  and  yearning  spirits  become 
avare  of  a  sympathy  which  recognises  and  feels  for  them,  they  will  be 
attracted  to  it  as  needles  to  a  magnet ;  and,  once  led  to  open  their 
minds,  clouds  of  darkness  would  pass  away,  and  the  character  become 
relieved  of  a  burden,  which  had  dwarfed,  stunted  and  withered  it.  Men 
do  not  wish  to  be  as  they  are.  They  have  no  natural  hostility  to  the 
Church  or  her  clergy :  they  simply  do  not  adhere  to  them,  because 
other  bodies  and  other  men  have  offered  them  that  sympathy  which 
their  patures  rightly  yearn  for.  These  remarks  belong  as  much  to  the 
I  population  of  the  agricultural  district  as  to  that  of  the  crowded  city- 
parish," — p.  51. 

Now  we  agree  with  Mr.  Monro  that  one  of  our  chief  wants  is 
spiritual  intercourse  betwixt  pastors  and  people;   and  we  also 
agree  with  him  that  this  should  be  carried  on  by  the  means  of 
personal  interviews,   for    the  express  purpose  of  seeking  and 
aflbrding  spiritual  guidance  and  consolation;    but  we  desire  it 
to  be  understood,  that  we  are  by  no  means  advocating  the  use 
of  the  Confessional,  as  advisable.     Indeed,  we  do  not  conceive 
Mr.  Monro  to  do  this  either :  we  believe,  judging  from  the  plain 
facts  before  us,  that  such  an  use  is  fraught  with  dangers ;  that 
it  would   be  iiqurious  to  the  best  points  in  our  national  cha- 
racter^ and  would  operate  upon  the  wliole  largely  for  evil.     It 
seems  probable,  we  say,  that  Mr,  Monro's  views  coincide  upon 


156  Religion  and  the  Worhmg  Classes. 


\ 


this  subject  with  our  own,  though  he  has  not  definitely  expiessed 
his  whole  idea :  he  wishes  the  clergy,  however,  to  set  apart  cer- 
tain evenings,  from  six  to  nine  o'^clock,  for  the  purpose  of  direct 
personal  intercourse  with  their  people,  whom  they  could  receive, 
according  to  his  view,  apparently,  either  in  their  studies  or  thar 
vestries ;  not,  as  we  understand,  for  a  technical  confession,  bat 
rather  for  the  resolution  of  doubts  and  scruples,  the  confirmatioa 
in  good,  and  the  yielding  of  practical  advice,  and  also  the  use 
of  united  prayer  from  priest  and  penitent  against  that  special 
form  of  temptation  to  which  the  latter  feels  himself  peculiarly 
subject. 

But  now  let  us  proceed  to  inquire  whether  this  is  practically 
possible.  Can  or  toill  tlie  poor  be  induced  to  come  to  such  t»- 
terviews  ?  Not  generally,  as  we  believe,  without  the  adoption  of 
some  preparatory  discipline,  tending  to  awaken  a  religious  feeling 
in  the  first  instance,  and  to  alarm  the  conscience.  We  cannot 
believe  that  the  poor  can  be  expected  to  come  formally  to  the 
house  of  the  clergyman,  for  the  avowed  purpose  of  seeking  spiri- 
tual counsel  at  certain  hours,  and  nothmg  else — ^at  least  not  in 
the  great  majority  of  instances :  but  we  do  believe  that  the  way 
might  possibly  be  paved  for  the  eventual  adoption  of  such  spiritual 
intercourse ;  and  that,  as  it  seems  to  us,  after  this  fashion,  .  Of 
course  what  follows  must  be,  .meirely  suggestive;  thrown  out 
mainly  for  consideration ;  we,  who  write  even,  cannot  consider 
ourselves  positively  bound  to  what  we  may  suggest  on  thi&.meirt 
di£Scult  subject,  and  still  less  could  we  attempt  to<  lay  down  any 
definite  system  on  the  authority  of  this  periodical.  Such,  ho«! 
ever^  happen  to  be  the  notions  which  have  occurtred  to  vs-m;  = 

First,  then,  we  imagine,  that  to  attain  the  wislfted^for  end,  otr 
churches  might  not  only  be  opened  twice  a-day^  or  thrice, vor 
even  four  times ;  but  that  rather,  tliey  might  he  kept  openthrimgh' 
out  the  da^i  and,  what  is  of  equal  moment,  that,  worshippers 
might  be  positively  induced  to  attend  for  their  private  devotions. 

Now^  we  do  not  conceive  this  practice  to  be  at  all  impossible  of 
execution,  at  leaat  in  towns,  if  it  were  set  about  in  the  right  wa)^. 
Perhaps  some  readers  may  be  inclined  to  doubt  the  prM>riety  of 
such  a  custom  alt^ether,  remembering  the  injunction,  ^'  Bui  Uiou, 
when  thou  prayest,  enter  into  thy  closet  P"  But,  surely,  in  the 
first  place,  this  was  not  intended  for  an  absolute  command^  but 
rather  as  a  warning  against  ostentation;  and,  then,,  let-  it 
be  remembered  that  our  Lord  Himself  prayed  daily  in  ibe 
temple— *and  also  that  His  Apostles  did  so  after  His  ascension: 
and  then,  let  it  be  considered,  if  this  consideration  be  needful, 
(which  it  scarcely  can  be,)  that  the  poor  man,  in  the  vast  noiajority 
of  instances^  has  no  ^'  closet,^^  no  place  whereunto  to  retire,  there 


Bdigum  and  the  Working  Classes.  1 57 

to  collect  his  thoughts,  examine  his  conscience,  and  humble  him- 
sdt  before  his  QoS^  unless  the  church  be  opened  to  him. 

But  assuming  the  lawfulness  and  advisability  of  this  practice, 
liow  might  it  be  carried  into  execution!  First,  churches 
might  be  kept  open  throughout  the  day,  from  that  hour  in  the 
morning  when  the  poor  go  forth,  or,  rather,  from  half  an  hour 
previous,  to  somewhere  about  nine  o^clock  at  night ;  and  further, 
sach  expedients  might  be  adopted  as  would  be  calculated  to  bring 
home  to  the  minds  of  people  the  conviction,  that  they  were 
mspeeted  to  come  there,  and  pray :  for  otherwise,  constitutional 
backwardness  and  bashfulness,  not  to  speak  of  lower  hindrances, 
would  keep  away  all  but  a  very  small  number.  This  end  might 
be  prosecuted,  partly  by  speaking  on  the  subject,  partly  by 
eirculating  special  forms  of  prayer  in  parishes,  short  and  devotionfu, 
to  be  put  to  such  uses ;  but,  perhaps,  still  more  effectively  by 
affixing  such  ^^  forms  ^^  to  various  kneeling-boards  in  the  church ; 
(all  which  kneeling-boards  should  be  rendered  comfortable,  and, 
as  it  were,  inviting :)  especially  desirable  would  be  forms  of  self- 
examination,  which  should  leave  much  for  the  penitent  to  do 
himself;  (all  of  us  ought  to  be  '^  penitents  f^)  also  skeleton-forms 
of  prayer,  so  to  speak,  in  which  the  filling  up  should  be  left  to 
him  or  her  who  prays. 

We  confess  that  the  mere  saying  of  the  Ghurch'^s  Common 
Prayer,  morning  and  evening,  though  in  the  highest  degree 
desirable,  does  seem  to  us,  upon  the  whole,  of  less  practical  im- 
portance than  the  organization  of  an  effective  practice  of  private 
prayer,  both  for  ourselves  and  others,  and  also  of  private  self- 
examination.  This  is,  we  must  think,  the  one  point  in  which 
the  aspect  of  our  religious  life  is  most  lamentably  defective ;  and 
until  we  can  manage  to  surmount  this  difficulty,  we  fear  that  we 
shall  not  be*  able  to  succeed  in  Christianizing  our  heathen  masses, 
or  in  bringing  those  who  are  already  orthodox  in  intention,  under 
a  sound  system  of  discipline. 

To  our  appreihension,  we  might  almost  venture  to  say,  that 
there  is  sometlung  rather  formal  in  the  mere  opening  our  churches 
r^ularly  twice  a  day  for  half  an  hour  each  time,  in  order  to  say 
80  many  set  prayers  together,  and  then  at  onee  departing,  as  if# 
Gh)d  were  no  longer  present  there.  Undoubtedly  there  is  a  great 
blessing  i»  Common  Prayer,  and  it  is  the  special  prerogative  of 
our  dear  Church  to  possess  this,  almost  or  quite  in  its  perfection : 
never  may  she  forfeit  that  divine  heritage!  But,  we  must  ask, 
does  not  a  faithful  Christian  enjoy  the  communion  of  saints  in  his 
own  chamber  also  \  Does  he  pray  there  alone  I  Most  assuredly 
he  does  not.  He  prays  with  the  whole  Church  Catholic,  in 
heaven  and  on  earth.    And  this  communion,  we  maintain,  should 


J  58  JReKffion  and  the  WprHnff  Okuses. 

be  and  would  be  especially  realized  in  priyate  prayer,  and  sacrod 
meditations,  and  self-examination,  within  our  churches;  many, 
whose  thoughts  would  be  distracted  elsewhere,  would  be  com- 
paratively serious  and  collected  there ;  there,  *^  where  the  Lord* i 
honour  dwelleth,''^  it  surely  must  become  us  more  especially  to  open 
our  hearts  to  Gk)d,  and  to  breathe  out  all  those  tndiviaua^  conl^ 
plaints  and  entreaties  for  which  we  can  find  less  scope  at  least 
m  the  public  service  of  the  Church. 

The  yoke  of  our  present  system  seems  to  us,  as  a  &ct,  to  weigh 
most  heavily  upon  our  poor.  To  them  our  Common  Prayer- 
being,  for  the  most  part,  unconnected  with  those  due  private 
devotions  which  should  prepare  them  for  it — becomes,  too  fre- 
quently at  least,  a  form  of  words, — as  it  were^  a  certain  amount 
of  work  to  be  gone  through,  and  little  more.  Of  course  there 
are  many  exceptions  in  this  case  also,  God  be  thanked  for  it ! 
Where  there  is  little  intellectual  appreciation,  there  is  sometimes 
much  honest  intention  and  devotional  feeling,  and  there,  we  doubt 
not,  a  blessing  is  always  reaped ;  but  we  do  fear  that  masses  of 
our  population  do  not  rightly  appreciate  our  services. 

The  Roman  Church,  we  may  remark,  has  almost  forfeited  the 
privilege  of  common  worship ;  she  teaches  her  clergy  to  mutter 
at  least  five-sixths  of  her  services  in  a  foreign  tongue,  and  an 
almost  inaudible  tone  of  voice,  whilst  her  worshippers  are  left, 
for  the  more  part,  to  follow  their  own  devices,  and  ask  for  what- 
ever may  seem  good  in  their  own  eyes,  uniting  only  at  moments 
in  certain  acts  of  faith  and  adoration.  Her  ideal  of  common 
worship  seems  to  be  variety  in  unity ;  each  for  himself,  not  to 
speak  It  irreverently,  and  the  priest  for  all.  Now  this  end  is,  of 
course^  far  easier  of  attainment  than  that  very  high  ideal  at  whieb 
our  own  Spiritual  Mother  aims,  of  making  the  whole  congregation, 
priest  and  people,  "  one  heart  and  one  voice.''  We  fully  admit, 
and  strongly  assert,  our  theoretical  and  abstract  superiority  in 
this  respect,  and  are  most  anxious  to  maintain  it  undisturbed ; 
but  we  do  not  believe  that  it  can  become  a  living  reality,  as  for 
as  the  masses  are  concerned,  until  these  latter  have  been  first 
taught  to  pray  privately,  and  from  their  hearts,  for  themselves ; 
and  this  habit  would  be  promoted  by  prayer  within  our  churches. 
For  the  mere  entering  a  church,  with  a  religious  purpose,  when 
no  service  is  going  on,  must  have  the  effect  of  bringing  home  to 
all  minds  the  reality  of  prayer.  There,  more  immediately  in  Hfa 
presence,  who  would  dare  to  trifle  i  who  would  not  feel  that  he 
must  not  mock  God  by  a  sham  ?  Such  an  one  would  know  that 
if  he  does  not  pray  then,  there  would  be  no  one  to  pray  for  him ; 
that  this  is  no  mere  prescriptive  form,  in  which  he  may  join  out- 
wardly for   decency's  sake,  without  thinking  mueh  about  tiie 


Bdigion  and  the  Working  ClasmB.  1 69 

iMtter.  If  he  comes  there  to  pray  at  all,  he  will  surely  pray  indeed. 
We  do  not  believe  that  we  can  teach  people,  ordinarily  speaking, 
(he  true  spirit  of  prayer  for  the  first  tune,  by  making  them  kneel 
down,  &nd  join  in  words  together.  Surely  such  collective  prayer 
ii  the  highest  form  of  Christian  worship.  And  yet — such  is  the 
stittDgeneBS  of  our  practice — we  seem  to  begin  with  it,  in  our 
churches  and  in  our  schools  also,  where  little  or  no  inquiry  is 
made  as  to  private  prayer ;  but  children  are  made  formally  to 
join  in  gabbling,  we  can  scarcely  call  it  saying,  the  public  con- 
fession, as  fast  as  they  can  speak*.  It  does  seem  desirable  to  us 
tiiat  the  poor  man  should  understand  ihis^ — that  ho  is  not  ahcays 
necessitated  to  join  in  the  highest  act  of  Christian  worship,  and 
that  for  half  an  hour  together  (an  act  for  which  he  may  not  be 
tkm  intellectually  or  spintually  prepared),  every  time  he  ventures 
to  enter  the  house  of  God.  To  insist  on  this  seems  to  us  almost 
to  necessitate  formalism ;  yet  such  is  our  present,  almost  invari- 
able, practice.  We  should  suggest,  then,  to  the  clergy,  Open  your 
churches.  First,  of  course,  tell  your  people  plainly  for  what 
purpose  you  do  so :  venture  also  to  tell  them  that  they  are  not 
actually  obliged,  not  morally  necessitated,  to  come  to  morning 
aod  evening  prayers  every  day ;  though,  of  course,  such  attend- 
ance, where  possible,  is  most  expedient ;  and  that  even  without 
this,  they  would  be  justified  in  entering  God'*s  house  for  a  little 

!|iiiet  reflection  or  secret  prayer  at  any  time.  But  be  able  to  in- 
orai  them  also,  if  you  wish  them  to  act  on  your  suggestion,  that 
^j  will  find  simple  forms  of  prayer  placed  about  the  church  to 
assist  them  in  such  devotions ;  and,  further,  encourage  them  to 
come  by  the  examples  of  your  own  family  and  those  over  whom 
jou  may  possess  immediate  influence. 

It  would  then  remain,  that  at  fixed  hours,  and  more  especially, 
as  Mr.  Monro  suggests,  on  certain  evenings,  the  clergyman 
should  be  known  to  be  in  his  vestry,  and  ready  to  receive  all  who 
there  came  to  him  for  advice  and  consolation. 

And  now,  once  there,  how  should  they  be  dealt  with!     This  is, 

of  course,  a  most  solemn,  a  most  difficult  question.     Once  more, 

then,  we  remind  our  readers,  that  w^e  desire  to  speak  humbly  in 

this  matter,  and  suggest  rather  than  affirm ;  yet  we  must  record 

our  opinion,  that  such  applicants  should  rather  be  received  as 

fiiends  than  penitents ;  rather  as  seekers  of  spiritual  advice  and 

consolation  than  as  candidates  for  the  confessional.    For  what  we 

would  wish  to  see  developed,  is  a  general  habit  of  free  spiritual 

intercourse  betwixt  clergy  and  people ;  and  we  cannot  but  think, 

that  any  attempt  to  introduce  the  forms  and  practices  or  the 

spirit  of  the  confessional,  would  indefinitely  retard  this  wished- 

for  end,  and  otherwise  work  much  mischief.     The  English  people 


160  Bdiffian  and  the  Working  CUmei, 

have  a  just  horror,  in  our  opinion,  of  the  ordinary  and  technicil 
use  of  confession.  We  admit  its  lawfuhiess,  and  even  expediency 
in  extraordinary  cases,  but  we  are  not  dealing  with  these.  We 
wish  to  awaken  the  consciences  of  the  English  poor ;  to  teadi 
them  to  think  and  feel  for  themselves :  we  see  not  how  this  end 
is  to  be  attained  by  compelling  them  at  once  to  repeat  the  whole 
catalogue  of  their  past  sins  to  a  fellow-mortal,  with  the  view  of 
obtaining  that  pardon  at  his  hands  which  it  is  admitted  can  be 
obtained  elsewhere, — ^which,  as  we  believe,  in  common  with  «D 
our  Church's  greatest  lights,  is  just  as  truly  conveyed  to  the 
faithful  recipient  by  the  Church's  public  absolution ;  the  main 
difference  between  the  public  and  private  act  being,  that  the 
latter  enables  the  penitent  more  easily  to  apply  it  to  himself, 
assists,  and  in  a  measure  inspires,  his  faith.  But  without  ques- 
tioning the  efficacy  of  either  private  confession  or  private  abso- 
lution as  a  spiritual  discipline  in  case  of  need,  long  before  m^ 
come  to  think  of  this,  they  must  be  taught  to  know  what  sin  is, 
and  to  pray  against  it.  Our  English  poor,  as  we  have  alreadj 
observed,  are  peculiarly  deficient  in  self-consciousness  ;  it  is  this, 
then,  that  we  are  so  anxious  to  see  instilled  into  them;  they 
have  many  admirable  instincts :  we  agree  with  Mr.  Monro,  that 
their  moral  constitution  by  nature  is  far  superior  to  that  of  most 
of  their  continental  brethren  :  they  have  generally  an  innate  sense 
of  right  and  of  fairness ;  they  are  averse  to  any  thing  unmanly  or 
inhuman ;  the  sight  of  blood  generally  pacifies  instead  of  exciting 
them ;  they  have  a  great  undefined  respect  for  law,  and  all  lawful 
authority;  sometimes  they  have  even  much  devotional  feeling, 
only  it  is  ill-directed,  and  unaccompanied  by  clear  doctrinal  views; 
much  reverence  for  God's  Word,  much  affecting  simplicity  of 
thought  and  action ;  but  for  all  this  they  are  sadly  ignorant, 
and  for  the  most  part  sadly  lethargic  in  spiritual  matters ;  they 
need  every  way  to  be  individually  aroused  and  awakened. 

Well,  then,  now  let  us  fancy  a  poor  man  to  have  found  hifi 
way  into  the  clergyman's  vestry,  under  the  circumstances  above 
suggested.  What  would  be  his  state  of  mind  ?  would  he  not 
probably  suffer  from  a  general  undefined  sense  of  sin  ?  would  he 
not  be  likely  to  be,  as  it  were,  paralysed  by  a  conviction  of  moral 
helplessness ;  a  feeling,  which  if  it  were  not  assisted  and  relieved, 
would  render  his  repentance,  at  the  best,  only  a  kind  of  blind 
"  feeling  after  God !"  Now  here  it  seems  to  us,  that  he  wouM 
need  most  to  be  spoken  to  encouragingly  and  lovingly,  to  b< 
exhorted  to  definite  daily  self-examination,  and  provided  with  f 
few  plain  rules  for  that  purpose;  to  be  recommended  also  t< 
express  meditation  upon  such  truths  as  the  wonderful  love  o 
Christ, — His  boundless  condescension, — His  death  upon  th< 


Bdigion  and  the  Warhing  Classes.  1 61 

eroes, — and  finally  to  be  prayed  with  briefly  but  earnestly,  with 
pecuHar  reference  to  his  chief  temptations,  in  his  stammering 
aUnsions  to  which'  he  should  be  more  than  met  half  way,  and 
treated,  as  we  have  said,  usually  speaking,  more  as  a  friend  than 
IB  a  penitent. 

We  have  dealt  with  this  most  important  subject  very  cursorily 
and  imperfectly,  and  we  are  fully  aware  of  the  difficulties  which 
sorround  it ;  but  still  we  trust  that  we  have  succeeded  in  show- 
ing that  there  need  be  nothing  formal  or  Bomish  in  the  spiritual 
intercourse  we  have  suggested. 

And  now  to  advance  to  another  very  important  consideration. 
It  is  obvious  that  much  of  the  time  of  the  clergy  must  be  occu- 
jned  by  the  adoption  of  such  a  discipline  as  this ;  yet  not  so  much 
perhaps  as  might  at  first  sight  be  anticipated :  it  is  astonishing 
what  can  be  achieved  by  order  and  regularity.  We  are  of  opinion, 
then,  that  it  might  become  expedient  to  set  apart  four  weeks  in  the 
year  for  the  more  especial  practice  of  this  discipline  previous  to 
the  chief  communions ;  and  we  venture  to  suggest  that,  possibly, 
in  addition,  the  Saturday  evening  of  the  clergyman  might  be  thus 
onployed.  This,  we  opine,  in  villages  at  least,  would  prove,  ordi- 
larily  speaking,  sufficient.  In  large  churches  in  towns,  likely  to 
be  more  especially  frequented,  clergy  might  relieve  one  atiother. 

The  first  necessity  of  all  seems  to  us  to  be,^^  j^o  teach  people 
really  to  pray,  and  also  to  practice  self-examination ;'  in  comparison 
^th  this  pressing  absolute  need,  spiritual  intercourse,  however 
important,  seems  only  secondary,  or,  if  primary,  primary  only  thus 
far,  because  its  great  object  is  to  promote  the  more  essential  end. 

On  the  conduct  of  our  daily  services  we  might  say  much ;  but 
this,  perhaps,  is  scarcely  the  place.  We  may  observe,  however, 
that  the  use  of  hymns  appears  to  us  to  be  exceedingly  desirable. 
Our  present  version  of  the  singing  Psalms,  though  poetically  by  no 
means  despicable,  as  it  is  often  represented  to  be,  but  rather  on 
the  whole  highly  meritorious,  and  in  some  instances  exceedingly 
beautiful,  is  nevertheless  deficient  in  a  spiritual  apprehension  of 
the  Psalmist^s  deeper  meaning:  those  Gospel  prophecies  and 
utterances  in  the  Psalms  themselves,  which  are,  most  strictly 
speaking.  Christian,  have  been  unhappily  slurred  over  for  the 
most  part,  instead  of  being  brought  out,  as  far  as  possible,  dis- 
tinctly. It  cannot  be  denied  that  their  use,  as  it  exists,  is  on  the 
whole  cold  and  undevotional.  Therefore  do  we  wish  to  see  a 
revision  of  the  singing  Psalms,  not  an  entirely  new  version ;  but 
supposing  even  that  we  could  attain  to  perfection  in  this  respect 
we  should  still  consider  hymns  almost  indispensable.  They  are 
not  only  the  natural  utterances  of  devotional  feeling,  but  they  are 
also  useful  in  the  highest  degree,  as  assisting  those  who  sing  them 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX, — JUAKCH,  1851.  ^i 


16fi  BeUgim  and  0$  Warimg  dla^m. 

to  realize  the  peculiar  truth  or  doctriue,  or  the  especidl  mmuarj 
celebrated.  We  may  return  to  this  subject  on  another  oceasicp: 
meanwhile  we  would  only  say,  that  we  oo  not  think  the  exdusive 
use  of  ancient  hymns  desirable ;  they  are  too  generally  wanti^f 
in  distinctness,  and  too  diifuse ;  not^  we  think,  adapted  to  tii^  i 
actual  needs  of  our  people.     One  such  faymn<>-^aB 

"  Jesus  Christ  is  risen  to  day** — 

to  our  English  apprehension,  is  worth  a  volume  of  more  mysU^ 
and  foreign  strains.  Of  course,  there  are  some  yery  be4Uti&i 
hymns  from  ancient  and  mediaeval  sources,  which  we  would  gbdiy 
see  retained,  but  even  then  for  the  most  part  they  jieed  to  be 
adapted  to  our  use ;  and  certain  it  is,  thai  we  riuUl  never  see  tm 
English  congregations  singing  with  all  their  hearts  aa^  soid% 
unless  we  provide  them  wiui  short,  simple,  popubu*  hynmSi  irt^ 
irreverent,  like  those  of  Watts  and  Wesley,  despite  their  msif 
beauties, — not  cold  and  formal,  like  those  to  be  found  isk  too  waijf 
modern  Ghurch-of-England  collections, — ^not  too  individual,  asi 
beyond  the  grasp  of  the  masses  fcnr  whom  they  are  desigyied,  lihe 
many  of  the  mediaeval  compositions — but  devotional,  affeMstionsJk 
especially  breathing  much  love  and  reveience  for  our  Blessui 
LoBD,  and,  finally,  truly  lyricaL 


I%e  Papal  Aggrmwn  and  iU  C(m$$qwnee$.  168 


^iT.  VIII. — 1.  Paj^al  Aggression.  Speech  of  the  Bight  Hon.  Lord 
John  Russell,  deliver^  in  the  House  of  Commom  February  7, 
1851.     Longmans. 

t.  VindidcB  AngUcaauB :  England's  Bight  against  Papal  Wrong ; 
leing  an  Attempt  to  suggest  the  Legislation  by  which  it  ought  to 
be  asserted.  By  One  who  has  sworn  ^^faithfuMy  and  truly  to 
advise  the  QueenJ*"*    London  :  Seeleys. 

Ehe  absence  of  fixed  prjiiciple,  and  the  ^parent  or  real  incon- 
isftency  which  has  for  so  many  years  been  amoi^t  the  most 
Dfrked  characteristics  of  British  l^slation  and  &iti£di  states- 
Diiiship^  are  some  amongst  the  res^Us  which  naturally  flow  from 
ihe  progress  of  the  democratic  power.  In  proportion  as  demo- 
aicy  gains  the  ascendancy  in  States,  the  policy  of  their  Govem- 
Dents  reflects  most  faithfully  the  uncertainties,  sudden  changes, 
weakness,  ai^d  passions  of  the  popular  mind ;  stedfast  and  con- 
sistent course  of  policy  becomes  difficult,  and  the  interest^ 
of  the  whole  community  are  sacrificed  to  appease  democratic 
a^tation. 

The  events  of  the  last  few  months  h^ve  forcibly  exem[^e4 
the  uncertainties  of  political  professions  and  parties  in  the  present 
4y.  The  scenery  of  the  political  drama  has  been  shifted  with 
such  rapidity,  the  niutations  of  character  and  principle  have  bee^ 
^0  sudden  aind  so  marvellous,  that  it  is  enough  to  bewilder  the 
tuind.  It  almost  exceeds  belief;  and  yet  the  world  has  seen  ^d 
leard  it  all. 

When  Lord  John  jBussell  indited  his  celebrated  "  Durham" 
etter,  he  had  not  perhaps  calculated  the  amount  of  impetus 
vhich  it  was  to  supply  to  the  popular  feeling  in  England.  He 
lad  not  probably  anticipated  the  extraordinary  pojpularity  which 
hat  production  was  destined  to  bring  him,  in  placing  him  before 
he  English  people  as  the  vindicator  of  the  religion  of  England, 
kt  once,  against  the  open  aggression  of  the  Papacy,  and  against 
he  subtler  agency  of  Tractarianism.  He  did  not  expect — ^for  no 
)ne  could  have  expected — ^the  mighty  outpouring  of  national 
'eeling  and  principles  which  then  followed ;  the  mingling  of  aQ 
jlements,  even  of  those  which  had  hitherto  been  most  oraosed,  in 
hat  vast  hurricane  of  national  wrath  which  swept  over  England ; 
md  which,  in  its  fury,  was  almost  ready  to  tear  down  good  as 
well  as  evil,  and  to  destroy  the  Church  of  England,  in  me  hope 
^f  crushing  the  aggressions  of  the  Church  of  Borne.    In  short, 

m2 


164  The  Papal  Aggression  and  its  Consequences. 

England  was  for  the  moment  on  the  verge  of  frenzy,  in  its  rage 
at  the  Papal  aggression,  and  its  concomitants. 

In  the  excitement,  the  whole  "Liberal^  party  were  hurried 
along  the  tide  of  national  feeling,  and,  for  the  first  time  within 
the  memory  of  man,  were  found  in  opposition  to  the  Bomiah 
cause.  This  was  the  first  strange  mutation  of  principle.  Whigs 
and  Radicals  might  then  be  heard  denouncing  the  Fapal  power 
and  the  Papal  religion  with  the  energ}'  of  an  Eldon  or  a  Win^ 
chilsea. 

The  next  consequence  was  one  which,  we  own,  was  wholly  un- 
expected by  us.  A  Bill  was  actually  introduced  into  Parliament 
by  Lord  John  Russell,  embodying  and  carrying  out  the  wishes  of 
the  people  of  England  to  a  certain  extent.  Nay,  it  even  went  so 
far  as  to  extend  the  prohibition  of  the  assumption  of  Episcopal 
titles  to  Ireland,  as  well  as  England,  in  opposition  to  the  recom- 
mendations of  a  considerable  portion  of  the  "  Liberal*"  party. 

And  if  Lord  John  RusselPs  Bill  was,  to  a  wonderful  extent, 
framed  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of  the  English  people,  his 
speech  in  introducing  it  was  still  more  evidently  so.  We  could 
hardly  credit  the  evidence  of  our  senses  in  perusing  various  parts 
of  his  speech.  It  was  admirable !  It  was  exactly  such  a  speech 
as  a  great  statesman  would  have  made  forty  or  fifty  years  ago. 
It  was  tolerant,  but  firm,  high-principled,  and  statesmanlike. 
Lord  John  Russell  evinced  a  thorough  perception  of  the  danger- 
ous and  aggressive  policy  of  the  Church  of  Kome.  He  spoke  of 
the  necessity  of  placing  adequate  checks  on  that  insidious  and 
desperate  foe.  He  felt  that  it  was  not  to  be  dealt  with  like  other 
forms  of  religion, — that  it  was  to  be  kept  down,  on  a  principle  of 
self-protection,  but  only  so  far  as  self-protection  required.  He 
traced  with  a  masterly  hand  the  political  interferences  of  Rome 
in  other  countries  and  our  own,  even  at  the  present  day ;  and  he. 
showed  that  he  was  well  aware  of  the  only  mode  of  dealing  with 
Romanism, — he  warned  the  prime  Agent  of  Rome  in  its  aggres- 
sion to  retire  from  this  country,  with  the  intimation,  that  if  the 
hint  were  not  attended  to,  measures  of  a  more  stringent  charact^ 
might  be  introduced,  and  a  deadly  struggle  for  the  subversion  of 
Romanism  would  ensue.  It  was  perfectly  refreahing  to  peruse 
such  passages  as  the  following, — we  except,  of  course,  the  some- 
what uncalled-for  allusion  to  the  efibrts  made  to -maintain  the 
religious  liberties  of  the  Church  of  England  against  ministeriat 
aggressions : — 

"In  the  course  of  last  year,  the  nomination  of  an  archbishop  ia 
Ireland  by  the  Roman  see  was  made  in  an  unusual  manner.  It  was 
generally  understood,  and  has  never  been  contradicted,  that  those  who 
usually  elect  to  the  office  of  archbishop  on  the  part  of  the  Roman 


TAe  Papal  Aggression  and  its  Consequences.  165 

'Catholics  in  Ireland  bad  sent  three  names  to  Rome,  but  that  instead  of 
any  one  of  those  learned  ecclesiastics  being  chosen  \vho  had  been  proposed 
for  that  office,  a  clergyman  who  had  been  long  resident  at  Rome,  who 
was  more  conversant  with  the  habits  and  opinions  of  Rome  than  with 
die  state  and  circumstances  of  Ireland,  was  named  by  the  Pope  to 
assume  the  office  of  archbishop  in  Ireland." — pp.  6,  ?• 

^*  No  sooner  did  that  ecclesiastic  arrive  than  he  showed  very  clearly 
that  it  was  not  his  intention  to  follow  the  usual  practice  that  had  been 
observed  by  Archbishop  Murray  and  others,  of  putting  themselves  into 
communication,  in  relation  to  any  matters  necessary  to  be  transacted 
between  them,  with  the  Irish  Government.  Presently  we  found  that  a 
Synod  had  been  called  at  Thurles,  which  soon  after  assembled.  It  was 
stated  that  at  that  Synod  a  question  was  raised  whether  or  not  an 
address  should  be  issued  to  the  people  of  Ireland,  and  that  that  motion 
was  carried  by  a  majority  of  13  to  12,  being  a  majority  consisting  of 
that  very  person  who  had  been  sent  over  from  Rome,  whose  views  were 
foreign  to  the  state  of  Ireland,  and  who  prompted  that  determination. 
An  address  was  accordingly  issued. 

**  Well,  if  that  address  had  been  confined  to  matters  of  the  internal 
discipline  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  ;  if  it  had  been  shown  that, 
with  respect  to  matters  of  internal  discipline,  there  was  a  variety  of 
practice  in  different  parts  of  Ireland,  and  that  the  Synod-  had  met  for  the 
purpose  of  regulating  those  matters,  however  unusual,  and  entirely 
inthout  precedent  the  assembling  of  a  Synod  might  be — for  no  such 
meeting  had  taken  place  since  the  time  of  the  Revolution — I  could  have 
understood  its  object.  But  a  great  portion  of  that  address  was  taken 
up  with  two  subjects.  The  one  was  the  danger  of  the  system  of  edu- 
cation in  the  colleges  established  by  the  Queen  in  conformity  with  an 
Act  pf  Parliament.  It  stated  that^  however  good  the  intentions  of  the 
I^egislature  might  be,  those  colleges  were  established  in  ignorance  of  the 
inflexible  nature  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church ;  and  it  pointed  out 
that  they  could  not  but  be  attended  with  danger  to  the  faith  and  morals 
of  those  who  were  of  that  Church.  Another  part  of  that  address  was 
taken  up  with  descriptions  of  the  state  of  that  part  of  the  poorer  portion 
of  the  Irish  peasantry  who  had  been  evicted.  And  I  must  say  that  no 
language  was  omitted  which  could  excite  the  feelings  of  that  peasant 
chss  against  those  who  were  owners  of  land,  and  who  had  enforced  the 
process  of  the  law  against  their  tenants. 

"  I  am  not  going,  at  the  present  time,  to  enter  into  any  defence  of 
the  Queen's  Colleges  in  Ireland ;  nor  am  I  about  to  discuss  the 
qoestion  whether  the  Irish  landlords  have  acted  with  discretion  and 
humanity  in  the* use  of  their  legal  rights;  but  I  point  this  out  to  the 
Blouse  as  a  most  important  circumstance,  that  on  the  question  of  edu- 
cation, that  on  questions  of  the  occupancy  of  land,  the  Synod,  which 
consisted  entirely  of  Roman  Catholic  ecclesiastics,  from  which  all  lay- 
men were  excluded,  thought  it  proper  on  this,  their  first  meeting,  to 
hold  forth  to  the  Irish  people  and  tell  them  what  should  be  their  duty 
and  conduct  on  those  two  subjects.     I  must  ask  the  hon.  member  for 


166  l%e  Papal  Aggreimm  ami  U$  dmiejumcee. 

Sheffield  whether  this  is  a  matter  of  entirely  spiritual  concern  ?  Whe- 
ther this  House  and  the  Government  of  the  country  can  be  entirely 
indifferent,  when  they  see  that  an  archbishop  has  been  thus  named, 
purposely  of  course  instructed,  and  aware  of  the  intentions  at  Rome, 
and  that  the  first  proceeding  he  carries  into  effect  is  to  hold  forth  to 
odium  an  Act  of  Parliament  passed  by  this  country  for  the  purpose  of 
educating  the  people  of  Ireland,  of  giving  better  instmetion  to  the 
higher  and  middle  classes ;  while  likewise  exciting  to  hatred  of  the 
owners  of  land  a  great  portion  of  the  population  of  that  kingdom.  This, 
I  think,  is  an  instance,  at  all  events,  that  we  have  not  to  deal  with 
purely  spiritual  concerns;  that  that  interference,  which  is  so  well  known 
in  all  modern  history  of  clerical  bodies,  with  the  temporal  and  civil 
concerns  of  the  state,  has  been  attempted — ^not  as  a  system,  but  as  a 
beginning, — as  a  beginning,  no  doubt,  to  be  matured  into  other  mea- 
sures, and  to  be  exerted  on  some  fiiture  occasion  with  more  potent 
results/' — pp.  7 — 9. 

It  will  be  observed  in  the  preceding  passage,  that  the  Synod  of 
Thurles  had,  as  we  suspected,  a  great  share  in  awakening  the 
apprehensions  of  the  Government  on  the  subject  of  Popery.  The 
alarm  once  given,  there  were  plenty  of  indications  of  the  spirit  of 
Romanism  in  the  present  day. 

**  Until  very  lately  a  law  had  been  in  force  in  Piedmont,  which  had 
not  been  for  many  years  the  usual  law  of  most  of  the  States  of  Europe. 
It  was,  that  ecclesiastics  should  only  be  amenable  to  the  ecclesiastical 
tribunals,  and  that  certain  places  should  possess  what  was  called  the 
right  of  asylum.  It  appears,  that  the  Sardinian  government  and  the 
Sardinian  parliament  assembled  at  Turin,  changed  the  law  in  these 
respects,  and  made  it  similar  to  that  which  prevailed  in  other  parts  of 
Europe.  They  declared  that,  with  regard  to  all  temporal  matters, 
clergymen  should  be  tried  before  the  temporal  and  civil  tribunals  of  the 
land,  and  that  the  right  of  asylum  should  be  taken  away.  One  of 
the  ministers,  who  was  a  party  to  making  that  law,  was  soon  after- 
wards taken  dangerously  ill,  and  when  he  required  the  sacrament,  and 
made  his  confession,  he  was  asked  whether  he  would  repent  of  the  con- 
sent which  he  had  given  to  the  new  law  which  had  been  passed  ?  In- 
stead of  doing  so,  he  made  a  declaration,  which  was  not  satisfactory  to 
the  Archbishop  of  Turin  ;  and  the  consequence  was,  that  he  died  with- 
out receiving  the  Sacrament  of  the  Church,  as  a  person  who  was  with- 
out the  pale  of  the  Church.  That  was  an  instance  of  the  interference 
of  spiritual  power  and  spiritual  censure,  for  the  purpose  of  controlling) 
of  directing,  and  of  terrifying  a  minister  of  the  crown  and  a  member 
of  parliament,  oh  account  of  his  conduct  as  a  minister  and  a  member  of 
the  parliament  to  which  he  belonged. 

"  Now,  I  beg  the  House  to  observe  these  things,  because  they  are  iiidt 
altogether  foreign  to  us.  They  may  not  be  intended  here  this  year  or 
next  year ;  but  we  are  told  in  the  writing  to  which  I  have  alluded,  that 
the  doctrines  of  the  Court  of  Rome  are  inflexible — that  their  maJdms 


•7^  Papal  Affffr0B8i<m  tmd  iu  OanmqueiMB.  167 

\ttt  uticliaiigeable.  They  may  not  think  it  expedient  to  introdaee  such 
I  ptactice  into  this  country  now ;  bnt  they  retain  in  their  hands  the 
ftnnr  of  applying  to  secular  purposes  those  maxims,  those  censures, 
diose  most  formidiable  and  awful  spiritual  powers  which  they  possess." 
—pp.  10 — 12. 

'  **1  had  lately  occasion  to  read  that  most  able  treatise  upon  the 
f  '  labject  of  what  is  called  the  liberties  of  the  Gallican  Church,  or  more 
L.  properly,  as  the  author  most  justly  states,  the  liberties  of  the  Gallican 
fkate  in  respect  of  the  Church,  written  by  M.  Dupin,  the  President  of 
tkt  Legislatire  Assembly  of  France.  Long  before  he  held  that  post, 
or  iny  public  post  whaterer,  he  was  distinguished  for  his  great  logical 
power  and  his  great  legal  learning,  and  was  regarded  as  an  authority  in 
lU  matters  to  which  his  attention  had  been  given  or  his  studies  directed. 
At  the  beginning  of  his  work  upon  the  liberties  of  the  Gallican  Church 
be  makes  an  obserration  to  the  eflOsct,  that  though  Rome  has  for  the 
present  relaxed  many  of  her  pretensions,  she  never  entirely  loses  sight 
of  them  ;  that  she  is  a  power  which  has  forgotten  nothing,  and  learned 
iideh — that  she  is  a  power  which  has  neither  infancy  nor  widowhood ; 
bsnce  she  can  struggle  with  temporal  states  at  all  times  with  means  of 
which  those  temporal  states  often  are  not  possessed  ;  that  therefore 
it  requires  the  utmost  vigilance  and  the  utmost  attention  to  watch 
against  the  aggressions  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  to  preserve  the 
tmporal  liberties  of  any  country  with  which  she  is  connected.'' — 
pp.  16,  17. 

The  spirit  of  the  foUowing  remarks  was  admirable. 

'*  I  go,  next,  to  what  wai,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  wtis  the  law  of  Austria, 
— Aat  great  Roman  Catholic  Power.     The  laws  which  were  made  by 
the  Emperor  Joseph  were  of  the  most  stringent  description  with  respect 
(o  the  introduction  of  Papal  Bulls  and  Papal  appointments  and  cen- 
tres.    He  declared  that  the  civil  power  was  supreme  and  sovereign, 
that  nothing  ecclesiastical  could  be  attempted  without  the  placet  of  the 
Emperor,  and  that  no  appointment  could  be  made  that  had  not  his  con- 
ihmation  ;  that  no  intercourse  could  take  place  between  the  bishops  of 
Anstria  and   the  Pope  without  the  knowledge  and  sanction  of  the 
mling  powers,  and  that  every  document  which  proposed  to  inflict 
ipiritnal  censures  and  excommunication  should  be  submitted  to  a  mixed 
Iwdy  of  clergy  and  laity,  and  should  not  be  valid  without  their  concur- 
rence.    This  shows,  then,  with  regard  to  another  great  Roman  Catholic 
Power,  what  has  been  the  jealousy,  what  have  been  the  results  of 
experience,  with  regard  to  the  encroachments  of  the  Church  of  Rome." 
•*f>p.  20)  21. 

The  following  conclusion  was  drawn  from  the  practice  of  foreign 
states. 

•*  From  what  I  have  said,  the  inference  may  be  drawn  that  there  is 
no  country  in  Europe,  however  great  or  however  small,  no  country. 
which  values  its  own  independence,  upon  which  the  Pope  would  have 
attempted  to  pass  this  insult  which  he  has  offered  to  l\\e  Vvr^^qtsv  c^\ 


168  7%e  Papal  Aggremm  and  its  Ckmsegumo0$. 

England.  In  some  instances,  the  matter  is  regalated  by  treaty  between 
the  two  Powers ;  in  other  instances,  it  has  been  proposed  to  introdnee 
bishops  into  Protestant  countries,  and,  when  it  has  been  refased,  the 
Court  of  Rome  has  at  once  desisted  from  its  intention." — ^p.  22. 

The  language  in  the  following  passage,  in  reference  to  the 
Papal  aggression,  was  exactly  such  as  a  minister  of  the  Croim 
ought  to  have  employed, 

**  The  document  issued  with  reference  to  his  appointment  by  Df. 
Wiseman  declares  at  once — *  We  govern,  and  shall  continue  to  govenii 
the  counties  of  Middlesex,  Hertford,  and  Essex.'  And  in  the  case  of 
five  other  counties  the  same  pretensions  were  set  forth. 

"  Now,  Sir,  I  cannot  see  in  these  words  any  thing  but  an  assumption 
of  territorial  sovereignty.  It  is  not  a  direction  that  certain  persons 
should  govern  those  who  belong  to  the  Roman  Catholic  communion 
situated  within  a  certain  district,  and  that  over  them  alone  they  were  to 
exercise  their  spiritual  functions.  Those  English  counties  are  terri- 
tories subject  to  the  Queen's  dominion ;  and  the  only  excuse  that  is 
offered  for  the  assumption  of  Rome  is,  that  there  are  certain  forms 
belonging  to  all  documents,  and  that  it  is  according  to  the  forms  of  the 
Church  of  Rome  that  the  assumption  of  dominion  over  Middlesex, 
Hertford,  and  Essex  belongs  to  the  agent  who  has  been  sent  there. 
That  may  be.  I  do  not  deny  their  knowledge  of  their  own  forms ;  but 
their  is  another  form  with  which  I  have  been  acquainted.  It  ii> 
•  Victoria,  by  the  grace  of  God,  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Gwst 
Britain  and  Ireland,  Queen.'  That  form  appears  to  me  totally  incon- 
sistent with  the  other.     Take  which  of  them  you  like." — ^pp.  23,  24. 

"  I  must  now  refer  for  a  few  minutes  to  that  which  has  been  done  in 
former  times  in  this  very  country, — ^and  that  in  Roman  Catholic  times, 
— with  respect  to  the  power  of  the  Pope  of  Rome.     I  find  that,  in 
those  times,  our  Roman  Catholic  ancestors  were  as  jealous  as  we  can 
be  in  these  days  of  the  encroaching  power  of  the  Pope.     I  find,  even  in 
the  days  of  William  the  Conqueror,  that  the  Sovereign  would  not  allow 
any  sentence  of  excommunication  to  be  proceeded  with  in  this  country 
without  his  authority.     I  find  that  in  the  time  of  Edward  1.  a  person 
who  had  procured  an  excommunication  against  another  person  was  pro- 
ceeded against  in  the  King's  courts,  that  the  judges  declared  that  his 
procuring  that  excommunication  without  the  assent  of  the  King  was  no 
less  than  high  treason  ;  and  that  it  was  only  on  the  supplication  of  his 
councillors  that  the  King  refrained  from  having  that  sentence  exe* 
cuted." — p^  25. 

"  It  is  believed,  and  I  think  not  without  foundation,  that  one  reason 
for  the  change  from  vicars-apostolic,  under  which  titles  the  Roman 
Catholics  have  enjoyed  the  free  exercise  of  their  religion,  and  with 
which  for  200  years  they  have  been  satisfied ;  and,  to  make  them 
bishops  with  a  new  division  of  the  country,  is  not  merely  to  place  them 
in  the  same  degree  with  the  Protestant  bishops,  but  it  is  also  for  the 
purpose  of  enabling  them  to  exercise,  by  the  authority  of  those  names 
a  greater  control  over  all  the  endowments  which  are  in  the  hands 


lis  Papal  Aggremm  and  iU  Conseqwnea.  169 

oC  certain  Roman  Catholics  as  trustees  in  this  country.  I  don't  think 
it  would  be  £tting  that  we  should  allow  that  control  to  he  exercised  hy 
wtue  of  any  of  those  titles  which  we  propose  to  prohibit, 

**  If,  therefore,  the  House  should  give  me  leave  to  bring  in  a  Bill 

upon  this  subject,  I  propose  to  introduce  a  clause  which  shall  enact  that 

ail  gifts  to  persons  under  those  titles  shall  be  null  and  void  ;  that  any 

act  done  by  them  with  those  titles  shall  be  null  and  void ;   and  that 

property  bequeathed  or  given  for  such  purposes  shall  pass  at  once  to  the 

Crown,  with  power  to  the  Crown  either  to  create  a  trust  for  purposes 

fixoilar  to  those  for  which  the  original  trust  had  been  created,  or  for 

other  purposes,  as  shall  seem  best  to  the  Crown.     1  do  not  think  a 

power  less  extensive  l^an  that  would  enable  us  to  reach  the  justice  of 

tlie  case."— pp.  35,  36. 

■  The  concluding  portion  of  this  speech  was  precisely  in  the  tone 
;  "vrhich,  if  it  had  been  adhered  to,  would  have  made  Lord  John 
\     Sussell  triumphant  over  all  (^position. 

[        "  Much  will  depend  upon  the  temper  in  which  the  present  measure 
i     oay  be  regarded  by  Home,  and  much  upon  the  direction  which  may  be 
I      given  to  him  who  has  taken  upon  himself  the  responsibility  of  repre- 
aentiDg  at  Rome  the  opinions  of  the  Roman  Catholic  clergy,  and  of 
I      iBdndng  the  Pope  to  assent  to  the  issuing  of  this  document.     That 
individual  has  it  in  his  own  power  to  remove  a  great  part  of  the  objec- 
tions which  have  been  felt  in  this  country.     If  he  has  been  given  by 
the  Pope  a  title  which  it  belongs  to  the  Government  of  Rome  to  confer, 
and  has  been  honoured  by  an  election  which  has  placed  him  in  the  band 
of  the  Sacred  College,  I  should  think  that  if  he  has  any  regard  for  the 
welfare  of  this  country — if  he  has  any  regard  for  the  peace  and  stability 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  community — the  best  course  he  can  take  will  be 
to  renounce  the  title  which  he  has  assumed  in  this  country,  and  rather 
do  that  which  I  believe  it  was  his  original  intention  to  do,  and  which  he 
sstored  me  it  was  his  original  intention  to  do — namely,  reside  at  Rome. 
"  But  if  other  counsels  should  prevail,  and  if  he  should  be  able  to 
iastil  notions  of  ambition,  or  of  revenge,  into  the  Court  of  Rome,  we 
msy  then,  probably  (though  we  can  well  know  the  end),  look  for  a  long 
sod  arduous  struggle.     With  respect  to  that  struggle,  the  part  which  I 
tbaU  take  will  be  guided  by  that  principle  which  has  hitherto  always 
guided  my  conduct  on  this  subject.     I  am  for  the  fullest  enjoyment  of 
religious  liberty  \  but  I  am  entirely  opposed  to  any  interference  on  the 
part  of  ecclesiastics  with  the  temporal  supremacy  of  the  realm. 

"  Whenever  I  have  seen  in  other  bodies, — whenever  I  have  seen  in 
my  own  Church, — a  disposition  to  assume  powers  which  I  thought 
were  inconsistent  with  the  temporal  supremacy  that  belonged  to  the 
State,  I  have  not  been  slow  in  urging  myself,  and  inducing  others  to 
urge,  strong  and  prevailing  objections  to  any  such  measure.  For 
instance,  I  may  say,  that  in  the  course  of  the  very  last  year,  when  the 
proposal  was  made— which  was  plausible  in  itself — to  give  to  the 
bishops  of  the  English  Church  a  power  which  I  thought  would  give 
them  a  control  over  the  temporal  well-being,  and  property  of  the  clergy 


170  'T%0  Papat  Aggresrion  cmd  Ui  Ctms^juetMs. 

of  the  Church,  that  proposal,  because  we  saw  in  it  a  datigeroas  prin* 
dple,  was  resisted,  and  successfully  resisted,  by  my  eolleagaes,  in  the 
place  where  it  was  proposed.  But,  if  that  is  the  case  with  T^&td 
to  Protestants,  who  have  expressed  the  utmost  attachment  to  freedom, 
if  that  is  the  case  with  regard  to  a  Church  which,  like  the  Chtmh 
of  England,  is,  I  believe,  of  all  established  Churches  the  most  toletiat 
of  difference  of  opinion,  the  most  consonant  with  the  freedom  of  the 
institutions  of  a  country  like  this, — if  that  is  the  case  shall  I  not  hi 
more  strongly  object  to  any  attempt  on  the  part  of  the  Chniteh  of 
Rome  to  introduce  her  temporal  supremacy  into  this  country  ?  I  can' 
not,  Sir,  forgot  that  not  alone  in  ancient  times,  but  in  the  most  recent 
times,  opinions  have  been  put  forth  on  the  part  of  that  Church  totally 
abhorrent  to  our  notions  of  freedom,  civil  or  reli^ous. 

*'  It  was  a  very  recent  Pope  who  said,  '  that  from  the  foul  spring  of 
indifference  had  sprung  that  absurd,  and  bold,  and  mad  opinion,  that 
freedom  df  conscience  should  be  permitted  and  guaranteed  to  all  persons 
in  the  State.'  It  is  quite  as  recently  that  there  has  been  kept  up  in  the 
Court  of  Rome  a  prohibition  to  study  such  works  as  those  of  Ouicciar- 
dini,  De  Thou,  Amaud,  Robertson,  and  even  (such  was  the  "pre vailing 
jealousy)  of  the  Greek  Lexicon  of  Scapula.  When  I  see  in  these  times 
so  great  an  aversion  to  religious  liberty  ;  when  I  see  so  determined  a 
watch  over  books  which  contain,  not  merely  questions  of  doctrine,  but 
which  contain  narratives  that  may  be  injurious  to  the  reputations  of 
popes,  I  own  I  feel  a  still  greater  dislike  to  the  introduction  of  Ultra- 
montane Romanist  opinions  into  this  country." — pp.  38 — 41. 

**  I  believe  our  powers  of  resistance  to  Rome,  at  the  present  moment) 
are  augmented,  because  loyal  Roman  Catholics,  attached  to  the  Crown, 
attached  to  the  Constitution  of  this  country,  can  hold  office,  and  can  be 
admitted  to  seats  in  the  Legislature.  I  feel  we  are  much  more  powerful 
in  entering  upon  this  contest,  because  we  have  it  to  say  that  we  have 
made  no  exclusion  on  the  ground  of  religion;  and  that  if  we  nlake  any 
exclusion,  it  is  in  defence  of  the  laws  and  of  the  authority  of  the  consti- 
tution. Sir,  I  think,  therefore,  With  those  feelings,  we  may  say,  tfs  the 
Parliament  in  old  times,  as  the  Parliametit  in  Roman  Catholic  times 
said,  if  we  admit  those  Assumptions, 

"  '  So  that  the  Crown  of  England,  which  hath  been  so  free  at  all  times 
that  it  hath  been  in  no  earthly  subjection,  but  immediately  subject  to 
God,  in  all  things  touching  the  regality  of  the  same  Crown,  and  to  none 
other,  should  be  submitted  to  the  Pope,  and  the  laws  and  statutes  of  the 
realm  by  him  defeated  and  annulled  at  his  will,  in  perpetual  destruction 
of  the  sovereignty  of  the  King  our  lord,  his  crown  and  his  regality,  and 
of  all  his  realm)  which  God  forbid  !* 

"  Sir,  the  Parliament,  the  Roman  Catholic  Parliament  of  that  day, 
declared — 

"  *  That  they  will  stand  with  the  same  CroWn  and  regality,  in  those 
cases  specially,  and  in  all  other  cases  which  shall  be  attempted  against 
the  said  Ctt)Wn  and  regality,  in  all  points,  with  all  their  power.' 

**  So  say  I ;  let  us,  too,  stand  against  those  attempts  in  all  pointSi  and 
with  all  our  poTirer."— pp.  43,  4?r 


Tk$  Palpal  Aggremm  and  Hi  Con8equmM$i  171 

The  views  which  Lord  John  BusBell  put  forth  in  this  speech 
ite  exactly  those  which  an  English  Statesman  oven  in  the 
present  day  might,  we  think,  hate  not  merely  put  forth,  but 
teted  upon  with  security.  Etery  one  could  have  foreseen  that 
the  Bomish  priesthood  would  be  most  bitterly  galled  by  the 
Ap'i^eflridh  of  such  sentiments,  and  that  the  Bomish  members 
rfthe  House  of  Commons  would  be  compelled  by  their  Church 
to  dp{)ose  the  most  desperate  resistance  to  any  measure  embody- 


otir  last  Niinlber  that  Lord  John  Bussell  would  not  introduce 
my  tneasure  in  reference  to  the  Papal  Aggression,  but  would 
pursue  the  policy  indicated  in  his  Durham  letter,  and  immolate 
the  Tractarian  party  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  popular  indignation  ; 
tearing  the  Church  of  Bome  untouched.     We  had  not  conceived 
it  possible  that  any  itiinister  in  these  days  could  look  beyond  the 
itiBte  possibility  of  the  temporary  overthrow  of  his  ministry ;  and 
seek  to  found  his  future  power  on  the  abiding  gratitude  of  the 
people  of  England.     But,  when  Lord  John  Bussell  had  introduced 
Hs  Bin — a  Sill  fratned  by  a  cautious,  a  moderate,  and  yet  a  very 
efiective  policy, — a  J)Olicy  which  evinced  principle  at  least,  and 
principle  of  the  most  important  and  beneficial  nature ;  it  must» 
we  think,   have    occurred   to   every    thinking  mind,    that    the 
Ministei*  had  counted  the  cost  of  his  undertaking, — that  he  was 
prepared  to  follow  it  up  in  the  face  of  the  desperate  opposition  of 
the  Bomish  party  in  Parliament ;  and  even  if  the  issue  should  be 
the  overthrow  of  his  Ministry.  He  must  surely  have  foreseen  that 
probability.     He  was  fully  aware  of  the  character  of  Bomanism, 
ibr  his  speech  alone  evinces  a  perfect  appreciation  of  its  spirit 
and  influence.     Therefore  it  could  only  be  inferred  that  he  was 
prepared  to  carry  out  his  plan  stedfastly  and  without  flinching ; 
and  that  he  was  prepared  to  make  it  effective  practically,  and  to 
introduce  ftirther  measures  of  repression  when  requisite.     It 
might  have  been  concluded,  in  short,  that  Lord  John  Bussell 
Was  about  to  trtist  ita  the  protestant  feeling  of  England  which  ho 
had   evoked ;  that  in  the   event  of  any   embarrassment   being 
caused  to  his  administration  by  the  popish  representatives,  he 
was  prepared  to  make  an  immediate  appeal  to  the  English  people 
by  a  dissolution  of  Parliament ;  and  to  put  to  them  the  question 
whether  a  score  of  Bomanists  in  the  House  of  Commons  are  to 
dictate  to  the  people  of  England,  and  to  force  upon  them  the  accept- 
ance of  the  insult  which  had  been  offered  to  their  religion  ftnd 
tkeir  laws.     We  imagined  that  we  should  see  Lord  John  Bussell, 
as  the  leader  of  popular  feeling  in  England,  at  the  head  of  the 


172  TAe  Papal  Aggreman  and  its  CoMequenc&i. 

most  powerful  party  that  had  ever  held  the  reins  of  government, 
at  once  "  liberal"  in  his  general  tone  of  politics,  "  free-trade  "  in  [ 
his  fiscal  views,  and  ^^  Protestant  '''*  in  his  policy  and  legislation  in  i. 
religion.  We  think  he  might  have  occupied  this  position.  Hia  \' 
"  free-trade ''  would  have  been  excused  in  consideration  of  his  1 
Protestantism,  and  his  "  Protestantism  **'  excused  in  consideration 
of  his  "free-trade.''  Protectionists,  Peelites,  Radicals,  would  j' 
have  been  compelled  to  give  way  to  his  ascendancy.  He  could  ; 
have  crushed  Bomish  insolence  in  Ireland  now,  as  easily  as  he  ; 
subdued  Bomish  rebellion  there  three  years  ago.  Had  he  pre-  : 
sented  a  stern  and  threatening  aspect  towards  Bome — England  ; 
and  Scotland  would  have  been  delighted,  and  Ireland  intimidated,  ^ 
How  diiferent  has  been  the  result,  it  is  needless  to  state.  Lord  ' 
John  Bussell  has  endeavoured  t6  gratify  at  once  two  parties  apd 

I)rincipled,  which  are  irreconcilably  opposed,  and  one  of  which,  at 
east,  IS  animated  by  the  most  deadly  hatred  of  the  other.  He  ' 
has  failed,  as  all  men  of  weak  and  wavering  policy  must  fail  in 
times  of  struggle  between  great  principles.  A  bubble,  carried 
back  and  forward  by  the  flux  and  reflux  of  the  contending  tide, 
until  it  bursts,  is  an  emblem  of  those  Statesmen  who  attempt,  in 
times  like  the  present,  to  please  both  parties  at  once.  The  vacil- 
lation of  the  Minister  has  rendered  his  policy  equally  unsatis- 
factory to  all  parties. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  express  either  regret  or  satisfaction  at 
the  course  which  events  have  taken,  but  simply  to  state  the  im- 
pression as  to  their  probable  results,  which  they  have  left  on  us. 
Of  the  leader  of  the  Whig  party  we  have  briefly  spoken ;  it  seems 
to  us  that  he  has  lost  such  an  opportunity  as  may  never  return  to 
him  again. 

Of  the  Protectionist  party  we  shall  only  say,  that,  sound  as  the 
principles  of  that  body  may  be  in  reference  to  questions  of  social 
and  fiscal  policy,  and  accordant  as  their  general  tone  of  views  on 
higher  subjects  may  be  with  the  national  feeling  in  England,  we 
apprehend  that  the  exposition  of  the  species  of  measures  contem- 
plated by  the  leader  of  that  party  in  reference  to  the  Papal 
Aggression,  was  by  no  means  calculated  to  inspire  confidence  into 
the  Church  or  people  of  England.  To  enter  into  parliamentary 
resolutions  without  any  practical  results,  and  to  refer  all  further 
practical  measures  to  the  consideration  of  a  committee  which 
might  not  report  progress,  was  understood  by  every  one  to  be 
equivalent  to  "  shelving''  the  whole  question.  This  proposal 
would  have  been,  in  fact,  less  effective  than  the  Bill  of  Lord  J  ohn 
Bussell,  even  after  its  alteration.  Most  certainly  it  can  never 
be  attributed  to  Lord  Stanley,  that  he  was  "  outbidding**'  Lord 
John  Bussell  for  the  confidence  of  the  Protestant  people  of  Eng- 


I%e  Papal  Aggresmn  and  its  Consequences.  173 

nd.  Our  concern,  however,  is  rather  with  the  bearing  of  the 
hole  question  on  the  Church  of  England  and  the  Crown  of  Eng- 
Lud,  than  with  its  effects  on  political  parties  or  combinations. 

It  seems  to  us,  that  amidst  the  pressure  of  local  and  temporal 
ifficulties  or  expediences,  the  fact  is  being  lost  sight  of,  that  the 
upreraacy  of  the'  Crown  is  now  completely  at  stake.  That  the 
ioyal  Supremacy — ^the  supreme  authority  and  jurisdiction  of  the 
jrown  in  religious  matters  over  the  people  of  this  reahn — has 
)een  infringed  on  by  the  Papal  Aggression,  is  evident  to  all  the 
¥orld.  The  Bomisn  priesthood  and  the  Bomish  people  have 
)penly  set  the  Royal  Supremacy  at  nought,  and  denied  its  au- 
ihority  over  themselves.  They  are,  according  to  their  reiterated 
leclarations,  subject  to  the  Papal  Supremacy  only,  and  not  sub* 
iect  to  the  Boyal  Supremacy.  On  this  ground  they  maintain 
:hat  the  Papal  Aggression  is  no  invasion  of  the  rights  of  the 
[)rown,  because  the  Crown  has  no  rights  over  Romanists.  Dr. 
Grillis,  a  Bomish  bishop  in  Scotland,  has  maintained  that  the 
Sovereign  has  no  supremacy  in  Scotland^  and  therefore  that  a 
Romish  territorial  episcopate  may  be  lawfully  established  there. 
The  '^  Times,^  and  a  certain  political  section,  are  anxious  to 
exempt  Ireland  from  any  legislation  a^nst  Bomish  episcopal 
titles,  because  the  majority  of  the  population  there  are  Bomanists. 
So  that,  according  to  this  class  of  politicians,  the  Boyal  Supre- 
tnacy  may  be  reUnqtmhed  in  Ireland,  or  left  without  any  pro- 
tection against  aggressions  !  In  Ireland,  the  aggression  of  the 
Papacy  is  more  direct  than  in  England :  the  Pope  appoints  to 
the  very  same  sees  that  the  Crown  nominates  to.  This  is,  ac- 
cording to  the  views  of  some  politicians,  perfectly  right  and 
proper.  The  Queen  may  appoint  bishops,  but  the  Pope  may 
appoint  bishops  for  the  majority  of  the  people,  and  the  law  of  the 
land  should  recognise,  in  the  fullest  way,  the  position  and  juris- 
diction of  these  Popish  bishops. 

Suppose  these  views  carried  out — and  they  have  been,  unfor- 
tunately, the  leading  principles  of  our  statesmen  for  a  series  of 
years — What  will  be  the  result  ?  The  Supremacy  of  the  Crown  will 
be  relinquished^  as  far  as  relates  to  one  great  portion  of  the  popu- 
lation of  the  empire.  The  Crown  will  be  prohibited  from  intertering 
in  any  spiritual  or  ecclesiastical  affairs  touching  the  Church  of 
Rome.  Of  course  there  are  otJier  bodies  which  make  a  similar 
claim  of  exemption  from  the  Boyal  Supremacy ;  so  that  the  Su- 
premacy of  the  Crown  oomes  in  the  end  to  be,  not  a  power  co- 
extensive with  the  nation,  but  a  power  which  is  limited  to  those 
persons,  whether  more  or  less  numerous,  who  prefer  to  adhere  to 
the  communion  of  the  Church  of  England.  In  this  case  any  one 
may  cease  in  a  moment  to  be  subject  to  the  Boyal  Supremacy, 


'+- 


i:. 


174  J%s  Pajpal  4ffffre89i(m  and  Us  Consegptmemf 

i 

mi  may  thenceforth  set  it  at  defiance,  by  merely  eep^rating  tern  f 
the  EngUah  Church.  And  yet  there  was  a  tiin^  wh^  ib^ 
Sovereigns  of  England  actually  held  a  supremacy  over  the  wfao||9 
nation,  and  regarded  it  as  the  brightest  jewel  in  their  Oroym.  All 
the  nation  was  once  subject  to  the  Supremacy  of  the  drown.  ]P«iv  '^ 
liftpient  and  the  Crown  exempt  one-half  the  nation  firom  tiai  '- 
supremacy.  What  principle  remains  to  prey^it  theo^  bom  'j 
exempting  the  remaining  half!  *=- 

We  deeply  regret  to  see  the  Crown  thus  gradually  dioim  of  Hi  \ 
ancient  rights  and  prerogatives,  with  their  accompanying  dutiq^;  ^' 
but  the  Crown  and  its  advisers,  for  a  series  of  years,  in  yieldiiu|  ^■ 
up  the  Boyal  Supremacy  piecemeal  to  the  Papal  usurpation  sm  ? 
liomish  agitation,  have,  we  fear,  been  gradually  digging  thegnre  ^ 
of  the  Boyal  Supremacy,  if  not  of  the  Crown  itself.  ^ 

We  earnestly  pray  that  these  anticipations  may  never  jbe    -^ 
realized ;  but  we  must  confess  our  apprehensions  that  the  resntt    ^ 
of  the  whole  contest  which  we  have  lately  witnessed,  will  leare 
Borne  in  substantial  possession  of  the  position  she  has  usurped ;    i 
that  through  the  vacillation  of  our  statesmen,  and  the  instability    ^ 
of  political  parties,  the  Papacy  will,  for  the  present,  at  least,    • 
triumph  over  tbe  strong  and  healthy  national  feeling  of  En^and.    < 
And  in  proportion  as  that  Protestant  feeling  is  overborne,  V9    * 
feel  assured  that  the  dignity  and  rights  of  the  Crown  will  be  lost.    ' 
The  Boyal  Supremacy  has  always  depended  on  the  ^irit  of  resist- 
ance to  Bome.     It  is  chiefly  as  the  type  and  embleni  of  natiooal 
Protestantism  that  it  has  gathered  around   it  the   fidelity  of 
Englishmen.  Dissevered  from  its  ancient  associations,  allied  with 
Eome  and  Romanism,  it  would  present  nothing  to  attract  oatioiud 
sympathies. 

With  reference  to  the  Church,  it  seems  to  us  that  there  could 
be  only  one  just  course  to  pursue  towards  her.     Place  her  in  the 
same  position,  as  far  as  possible,  in  reference  to  her  religious 
rights,   liberties,  and  privileges,  as  other  bodies  are  placed  in. 
If  she  is  to  remain  subject  to  the  legislation  of  Henry  VlII.,  in 
respect  to  the  appointments  to  her  bishoprics,  and  to  the  regula- 
tion of  her  synods,  then  she  may  claim,  as  a  matter  of  conunon 
justice,  that  the  Church  of  Bome  shall  be  placed  under  the  same 
regulations.    Let  the  Prime  Minister  of  the  day  have  control  over 
the  appointment  to  Bomish  bishoprics  \  and  let  no  Bomish  firjmods 
be  summoned  except  by  the  Crown,  and  we  can  no  longer  have  any 
ground  of  complaint  that  the  English  Church  is  tmjustly  treated. 
If  the  power  of  the  Crown  in  spiritual  matters  over  the  Church  of 

^  We  mnst  refer  to  the  able  and  masterly  pamphlet,  entitled  Vindioia  AmgU" 
oawBy  for  important  auggoetions  on  this  point. 


Ths  Papal  Aggremon  and  iU  Coimqiiincet.  Vfti 

ElMclaTid  be  no  Tiolation  of  religious  liberty,  it  eould  be  no  violation 
i)f  Uie  rightB  of  eonjscience  if  extended  to  Uie  Church  of  Bome. 

If  it  be  right  that  Ministers,  who  may  be  of  a  difierent  faith 
firom  tbfi  Church  of  England,  or  who  may  be  influenced  by  persons 
of  9^  different  &itb»  should  appoint  the  chief  pastors   of   the 
Kpgliah  Church,  and  prevent  her  members  from  meeting  in  synod 
for  tke  regidation  of  ner  spiriUial  concerns,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  pnetend  that  there  would  be  any  injustice  in  dealing  in  the 
V9U^  wajv  with  the  Bomiah  Church  in  England  and  Ireland.   The 
Synod  of  Thuilos  also  has  proved  that  Bomish  Synods  may  be  quite 
as  inconvenient  as  Engli^  Convocations.    A  Komish  hierarchy, 
thougb  unendowed,  may  be  just  as  much  an  imperium  in  imperio^ 
and  a  hindrance  in  the  way  of  Government,  as  an  English  Church 
po^Kflsed  of  its  ancient  liberties.     If  then,  notwithstanding  this, 
the  Somish  Synods  are  to  be  free  and  unfettered,  and  the  Bomish 
hierarchy  unrestrained  by  any  authority  of  the  State,  we  ask,  on 
ithat  principle  of  justice  can  it  be  possible  to  refuse  to  the  Church 
of  England  the  same  amount  of  liberty !  To  talk  of  the  *'  rights  of 
the  Crown,^  in  this  case,  would  be  perfectly  absurd :  those  rights 
would  have  been  relinquished  in  principle.     There  could  be  no 
breach  of  principle  in  conceding  to  one  class  of  subjects  what  had 
already  been  conceded  to  another.     Therefore,  we  conceive  that 
ultimately  the  public  will  perceive,  either  that  the  very  same  power 
which  the  Grown  exerdses  over  the  Church  of  England  must  be 
extended  to  that  of  Bome,  or  else  that  the  same  liberties  con- 
ceded to  the  Church  of  Bome  must  to  a  considerable  extent  be 
eonceded  to  the  Church  of  England. 

The  mere  circumstance  that  the  Church  of  Bome  is  not  en- 
dowed by  the  State,  while  the  Chm*ch  of  England  retains  the 
ancient  ecclesiastical  endowments,  does  not  seem  to  make  any 
material  difference ;  for,  in  the  first  place,  if  the  Church  of  Bome 
is  not  endowed,  it  is  because  it  has  again  and  again  refused  en- 
dowment. Whenever  it  has  been  apprehended  that  the  State 
was  about  to.  grant  endowments,  the  Bomish  priesthood  and  laity 
have,  in  the  most  vehement  way,  disclaimed  and  rejected  the 
notion  or  proposal,  and  condemned  it  in  the  strongest  language. 
The  Church  of  Bome  has  a  perfect  right  to  reject  endowm^, 
but  it  has  no  ri^ht  to  refuse  to  the  State  all  right  of  control 
over  its  proceedmgs,  in  consequence.  And,  in  the  next  place, 
there  is  no  conceivable  reason  why  the  right  of  the  State  to 
interfere  in  religious  concerns  should  depend  on  the  question  of 
endowment  at  all.  The  State  possesses  powers  which  it  can 
make  felt  whether  there  be  endowments  or  not.  It  has  duties  to 
itself  and  to  religion  which  are  not  affected  by  the  question  of 
endowment.     Therefore,  to  affirm  that  its  power  is  absolute  over 


Jx 


fi 


.« 


1 76  The  Papal  Aggremon  and  Us  Consequences. 

an  endowed  Church,  and  that  it  has  absolutely  no  rights  or  powm 
over  an  unendowed  one,  is  to  maintain  what  will  not  stmi  ite 
test  of  reason. 

In  concluding  these  remarks,  we  would  say  that  OhuTchmoi  f^ 
may,  we  think,  leave  the  solution  of  these  questions  with  sooii  ^; 
hope  to  the  progress  of  opinion.  For  ourselves,  we  must  coniB^ 
our  gratitude  for  the  preservation  of  the  Ohurch  of  England  filNl 
the  imminent  peril  of  alterations  in  her  services,  which,  in  tim 
excited  and  irritated  state  of  public  feeling  some  little  time  rintt 
would,  we  think,  have  been  possible,  had  the  heads  of  the  CSniral 
given  way  to  the  popular  feeling.  Our  trust  and  hope  was,  tint 
whatever  might  be  the  complexion  of  the  views  held  by  the  headi 
of  our  Church,  they  would  concur  in  abstaining  from  changes  of  b 
a  dangerous  character ;  and  that  hope  has,  we  gratefully  aelmow-  - 
ledge,  been  fulfilled.  Had  the  Evangelical  party  been  so  in-  in- 
clined, we  apprehend  that  they  might  have  succeeded  in  preparing 
the  way  for  most  fearful  alterations  by  obtaining  a  Royal  Oon^ 
mission.  We  cannot  in  any  degree  concur  with  those  who  in*  l 
gine  that  any  little  eflforts,  made  at  the  crisis  by  the  "  Tractarian' 
party,  had  any  influence  in  averting  this  result.  Such  efibHs 
would,  we  apprehend,  rather  have  strengthened  the  hands  of 
those  who  had  sought  for  innovations  with  the  view  of  expdiing 
Tractarianism  from  the  Church.  We  do  not  concur  in  some 
important  points  with  the  pious  and  learned  Prelate  who  is  at  the 
head  of  our  Episcopacy ;  but  we  are  sensible  of  the  deep  obliga- 
tion which  the  Church  feels  to  his  Grace  for  his  well-timed  d»- 
suasive  from  alterations  in  the  Prayer  Book.  We  need  not  add, 
that,  to  the  many  other  excellent  and  truly  orthodox  prelates  who 
adorn  the  Episcopal  bench,  the  Church  may  look  with  the  fulleat 
confidence  that  they  will  protect  us  from  any  interference  with 
the  formularies  of  the  English  Church.  Amidst  the  great  and 
increasing  difficulties  of  the  times,  we  feel  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
all  true  members  of  the  Church  of  England  to  rally  more  doself 
around  their  bishops,  and  to  endeavour  to  strengthen  their  hands, 
and  to  refrain  from  adding  to  the  embarrassments  by  which  thej 
are  surrounded.  On  various  occasions,  within  the  last  few  years, 
some  of  the  bishops  have  been  obliged  to  exercise  their  authority 
for  the  repression  of  innovations  or  practices  more  or  less  assi- 
milated to  those  of  the  Church  of  Borne ;  and  to  many  persons  it 
may  have  appeared  that  their  conduct  was  in  those  instances 
harsh,  or  uncalled  for :  yet  we  are  bound  to  say  that  time  has 
generally  proved  that  they  were  right ;  and  we  confess  our  per- 
suasion that,  as  a  general  rule,  when  a  bishop  resorts  to  extreme 
measures  of  repression  against  any  clergyman  of  his  diocese,  the 
latter  is,  more  or  less,  in  fault.     It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that,  in 


:Si 


I 


The  Papal  AggresiUm  and  Us  Consequences.  177 

sse  days,  a  bishop  mil,  without  necessity,  resort  to  strong 
^asures  of  repression;  more  especially  considering  the  great 
aount  of  toleration  which  is  practically  extended  to  diversities 
!  taste  and  view.  And  we  would  further  express  our  opinion, 
lat  whenever  a  clergyman  becomes  the  subject  of  strong  and 
jev&^ral  public  animadversion  for  his  mode  of  performing  Divine 
orvice,  it  indicates  in  most  cases  a  want  of  discretion  or 
i  charity  on  his  own  part.  Either  he  has  been  hasty  and  pe- 
■mptoiy  in  his  proceeding,  or  he  has  transgressed  the  regulations 
dtbe  Church,  and  endeavoured  to  assimilate  her  services  to  those 
dCBome.  This  generally  turns  out  to  be  the  case  on  examina- 
Imd,  and  we  find  that  our  sympathies  have  been  expended  when 
&qr  were  really  not  deserved. 

We. cannot  refrain  from  adding  one  more  opinion  founded 
on  experience, — ^that  if  any  clergyman  be  distrusted  by  his 
own  parishioners  as  inclined  to  Somanism,  or  if  his  name  be 
piblidy  circulated  as  about  to  join  the  Ohurch  of  Borne,  he  pos- 
968868  the  power  of  putting  an  end  to  any  such  surmises,  either 
k  his  pulpit  or  by  his  pen ;  and  that  if  he  does  not  avail  himself 
if  this  power  effectually  and  conclusively,  he  has  no  one  but  him- 
idf  to  blame.  Let  him  only  follow  the  directions  of  the  Church 
Qher  first  Canon,  and  preach  four  times  a  year  against  the  Papal 
Supremacy  and  its  concomitants,  and  he  may  afford  to  laugh  to 
iGom  any  attempt  to  represent  him  in  his  own  parish  as  a 
ftomanizer.  The  difficulties  of  the  times  are  so  great,  and  sus- 
udons  are  so  inflamed  by  the  continual  secessions  to  Eome,  and 
bj  the  open  tendencies  to  Romanism  in  a  small  .section  of  the 
CSinrch,  that  preaching  occasionally  against  Bomish  error  appears 
now  to  be  as  requisite  as  a  confession  of  sound  SEuth  on  the  part 
nS  the  clergy,  as  it  is  to  inform  the  laity,  and  to  protect  them 
igainst  the  wiles  of  proselytism. 

We  cannot  dose  these  remarks  without  expressing  an  earnest 
hope  that  the  Ministerial  Bill  may  be  successful.  We  are  sensi- 
ble of  its  inadequacy  to  grapple  with  the  evil  before  us.  We  feel 
that  it  is  utterly  deficient,  in  not  placing  the  clergy  of  the  Church 
of  Borne  tmder  precisely  the  same  restrictions  as  regards  Synodical 
aOion  as  the  statute  25  Henry  VIII.  c.  19,  imposes  on  the  clergy 
of  the  Church  of  England.  Still,  it  would  be  suicidal  in  the 
English  people  to  reject  the  Bill.  The  bitter  opposition  of 
Etomanists  alone  proves  that  it  comprises  a  salutary  principle. 
Fhe  opposition  of  such  politicians  as  Sir  James  Graham,  and 
)ther  sycophants  of  Borne,  proves  that  it  is  sound  in  principle. 
Sind  therefore  we  say,  with  aJl  our  hearts, — May  it  prosper ! 


VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX. — MARCH,  1851.  N 


NOTICES  OF  RECENT  PUBLICATIONS, 


ETC. 


1. 


Lelio  and  other  Poems.  By  P.  Scott.  2.  A  Scripture  Catechism  ut 
Church.  3.  Cultus  Animse,  4.  An  Old  Country  Houie.  5.  The  Call 
the  Anglican  Church  illustrated.  6.  Passages  in  the  Life  of  Mrs. 
Maitland.  7.  Kenneth.  8.  Speculation.  9.  The  Seven  Days ;  or,  the 
New  Creation.  10.  "  It  is  Written."  From  the  French  of  Professor  " 
11.  An  Analysis  and  Summary  of  Thucydides.  12.  Dr.  Beaven's  £li 
Natural  Theology.  13.  Ancient  Coins  and  Medals.  By  H.  N.  Ham] 
14.  An  Essay  on  the  Origin  and  Development  of  Window  Tracery  in 
By  Rev.  A.  Freeman.  16.  Faith  and  Practice.  By  a  Country  Curate. 
Putz's  Handbook  of  Medieeval  Geography  and  History.  17*  Rev.  W, 
Ewbank's  Commentary  on  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Romans.  18.  H  ' 
Edition  of  Sliakspearc.  19.  The  Church  in  the  World.  By  Rev.  J.  B. 
20.  Readings  for  every  Day  in  Lent.  21.  Narrative  of  Escape  from  a 
guese  Convent.  By  Rev.  W.  Cams  Wilson.  22.  The  Rise  of  the  Papal^ 
traced,  in  Three  Lectures.  By  Rev.  R.  Hussey.  23.  Lectures  on  the  " 
ters  of  our  Lord's  Apostles.  By  a  Country  Pastor.  24.  The  Early  " 
of  the  Gospel.  By  Rev.  W.  G.  Humphry.  26.  Wilson's  Short  and 
Instruction  for  the  better  Understanding  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  26.  De< 
gationo  Cunscientise,  Prsclectiones.  A.  Roberto  Sandersono.  27.  A 
Series  of  Practical  Sermons.  28.  Dr.  Olshausen's  Commentary  on  the 
to  the  Corinthians.  20.  Rev.  J.  Sortain's  HUdebrand.  30.  Dr.  Posey's 
to  the  Bisho{>  of  London.  31.  Poems.  By  M.  A.  King.  32.  Sennoni. 
the  late  Dr.  Shirley.  33.  An  Argument  fur  the  Royal  Supremacy.  By 
S.  Robins.  34.  Dr.  Jarvis's  Church  of  the  Redeemed.  35.  Poems.'  By 
E.  H.  Freeman  and  Rev.  G.  W.  Cox.  36.  Hymnarium  Sarisburiense.  37. 
of  Palestine.  38.  Archdeacon  Bereu's  Leotiires  on  the  Church  Catechinn. 
Twelve  Sermons.  By  Rev.  R.  Scott.  40.  Rev.  G.  W.  Lewis's  Family 
41.  Sermons.  By  Rev.  R.  D.  Rawnsley.  42.  The  Life  Everlasting.  By! 
Whitley.  43.  Harcourt's  Lectures.  44.  The  Chronicle  of  Battle  Abbey.  Hf 
M.  A.  Lower.  45.  Dr.  Hook's  Ecclesiastical  Biography.  46.  The  Quroooir 
gical  New  Testament.  47.  Stephen's  Exposition  of  the  XXXIX  Artiflkii 
48.  Hints  for  Happy  Homes.  49.  Wilbraham's  "  Tales  for  my  Cousm."  A 
Rev.  R.  W.  Morgan's  Vindication  of  the  Church  of  England.  51.  Leeconii 
52.  Albertus  Magnus  de  Adhasrendo  Deo.  63.  Joyce's  Hynms.  64.  TbtWi^ 
through  the  Desert.  By  Rev.  R.  Milman.  55.  Science  simplified.  By  Ref. 
D.  Williams.  66.  A  Series  of  Texts.  By  Rev.  W.  Smclair.  57.  The  Museidi 
of  Classical  Antiquities.  58.  Commentary  on  the  Te  Deum.  By  the  Bishop  4f 
Brecliin.  59.  Thoughts  on  important  Church  Subjects.  60.  No  Need  of  A 
Living  Infallible  Guide  in  Matters  sf  Faith.  By  Rev.  A.  Martineau,  SI 
Papal  Infallibility.    By  Rev.  G.  S.  Faber.— Miscellaneous. 


I. — LeUo^  a  Vision  of  Reality;  Hervor;  and  other  Paetm.   Sf 
Patrick  Scott.     London  :  Chapman  and  HaU. 

It  was  only  half  a  century  ago  that  the  power  of  poetical  careaiioB 
and  original  genius  seemed  to  have  passed  away  from  us  for  evtf. 
Like  a  fire  which  has  burned  down  to  a  few  half-glowing  afihefl) 
from  the  exhaustion  of  the  materials  that  fed  it,  so  it  wasnere»  or 
seemed  to  be.  All  the  subjects  which  had  inspired  from  age  to 
age  mighty  bards,  and  found  in  numbers  musical  married  to  words 


NoHifei,  itc  179 

F  fire,  the  apt  exponehtfi  of  the  human  soul  in  all  jts  h^j^er 
bods,  seemed  to  be  used  up. 

Sut  in  none  of  its  varied  spheres  has  the  grasp  of  the  human 
~~ect,  and  the  amplitude  of  its  resources,  more  completely  ba- 
the vaticinations  of  critics  and  pedants,  than  m  poetry, 
ly  had  the  waters  reached  their  lowest  ebb,  than  there  was 
out  on  the  desert  one  of  those  sudden  and  intermittent 
,  or  rather  floods,  of  inspiration,  which  spring  every  now 
then,  one  knows  not  how,  out  of  the  ocean  depths  of  huma- 
i     There  commenced  a  grander  and  a  richer  era  of  true  poetry 
,  from  the  age  of  Elizabeth,  has  ever  adorned  the  literature  of 

n,  fruitful  from  the  first  in  mighty  masters  of  song. 
et,  though  these  sudden  recessions  and  returns  of  the  poetical 
Ity  are  not  reducible  to  strict  laws,  and  no  calculus  can  esti- 
e  its  actions,  or  define  its  periodicity,  yet  we  are  not  without 
means  of  assigning  some  of  its  most  important  elements.  We 
ot,  for  instance,  positively  assert  that  mighty  events  and 
Vwide  revolutions,  albeit  accompanied  by  that  excitement  of 
passions  which  stirs  the  imaginative  faculties,  will  engender, 
any  known  law,  or  in  any  defineaUe  amount,  the  epic  or  lyric 
iui,  to  stamp  on  immortal  verse  the  image  of  ea^h  stri^ng 
as  it  comes  and  flies.  We  are  in  profound  ignorance,  in 
.  ,  of  the  principles  on  which  the  Author  of  all  the  gifts  of 
ihiiuis  measures  them  out,  and  gives  and  withdraws  them  as 
QjB  wills. 

:  But  this  we  do  know,  that,  without  something  in  the  character 
Xf  the  age  to  feed  and  sustain  it,  to  surround  it  with  an  appro- 
Bmte  and  living  atmosphere,  and,  in  endless  action  and  reaction, 
to  flu^Ud  and  to  be  moulded  by  its  creations,  great  poetic  genius 
cannot  subsist  or  flourish.  The  times,  for  instance,  moGPb  rich  in 
beroieal  achievements  and  masculine  energies,  and  they  alom^  can 
^tttain  and  engender  (so  true  a  parentage  there  is  b^ween  each 
«ra  and  its  intellectual  progeny)  the  lofty  epic  or  soul-stirring 
^c  !  In  a  period  oi  deadness  and  dryness  the  poetic  fervour 
expires — is  dead  and  buried.  And  it  wanes  and  wanes,  and  is 
subject  to  a  thousand  modifications  through  all  the  divisions  of  the 
sMe  which  unite  ^q  extremes  of  lofty  energy  and  intellectual 
stirring  on  one  hand,  and  a  low-souled  prostration  of  thought  and 
feeling  on  the  other. 

Moreover,  experience  would  seem  to  show  that,  in  fact,  pro- 
vided the  tendencies  of  any  ^ven  period  be  such  as  to  set  the 
thoughts  and  passions  of  men  m  vehement  action  and  commotion, 
^tever  those  tendencies  may  specifically  be,  and  however  seem-r 
ip^y  in  contradiction  to  each  other,  out  of  the  clashing  and  col- 
lieion  of  soul  and  intellect  mighty  poetry  will  be  evolved.    Now 

n2 


180  Notices^  ^e. 

our  present  age  is  one  utterly  opposed  in  any  theory  ancient^ 
received,  to  genial  inspiration.  It  is  an  age  of  exact  science,  m 
supposed  antithesis  to  fancy,  when  not  imagination,  but  tk 
analytic  calculus,  spans  and  weighs  the  universe.  It  is  an  agetf 
machinery,  of  manufactures — an  age  when  the  sublimities  of  M^ 
religion,  and  ancient  reverence,  and  all  that  ennobles  statesnutf 
ship,  and  clothes  the  image  of  the  commonwealth,  as  embodied  ill 
its  public  forms,  with  awfulness,  are  supplanted  by  the  low  arith- 
metic of  majorities,  and  the  summation  of  pecuniary  loss  and  gain ! 

But  still  the  public  mind  is  profoundly  stirred,  and  the  very  dis- 
coveries of  abstract  science  are  at  once  so  stupendous,  and  so 
directly  appeal  to  the  sense  of  the  marvellous  within  us  as  to 
transcend,  in  their  truth,  the  highest  flights  of  poetical  fiction: 
whilst  the  tendency  of  the  critical  philosophy  of  the  age  has  pro- 
duced an  intense  subjectivity,  which  explores  and  projects  into 
tangible  and  Uterary  forms  all  the  mysteries  of  our  inner  being  in 
their  connexion  with  the  Infinite,  in  whose  mid-abyss  we  find  our- 
selves, amongst  all  the  exciting  doubts  and  struggles  of  the  specula- 
tive intellect  which  wrestles  with  the  insoluble  problem  of  our  being. 

There  is  much  of  this  observable  in  the  little  volume  of  Mr. 
Scott.  He  is  a  self-contemplator !  He  is  haunted  by  the  strange 
inscrutable  connexion  between  mind  and  matter  !  The  spirit  of 
the  universe  in  its  beauty,  and  its  power,  and  its  mystery,  has  de- 
scended into  the  depths  of  his  soul !  He  is  for  ever  darting 
forth  into  the  infinite  space  of  the  metaphysics  of  the  soul  with 
no  ordinary  vigour  and  stretch  of  pinion.  He  speculates  and 
Platonizes,  and  wings  his  way  up  towards  the  great  mystery  with 
an  ease  and  power  which  unmistakeably  define  his  true  sphere. 
He  is  a  philosophical  poet !  His  province  is  the  transcendental, 
which  escapes  sense,  and  mind  just  discerns. 

He  is  not  so  much  at  home  in  the  Aumanities  of  the  Muse. 
When  he  touches  the  ground  he  does  not  derive  strength,  like  the 
giant  of  old,  but  weakness  from  the  contact !     He  is  defective  in 
breadth  of  experience  and  ethical  discrimination.     He  is  possessed, 
soul-filled  with  one  thought,  the  opposition  between  sense  and  in- 
tellect, matter  and  mind,  the  mesothesis  of  whose  poles  he  is 
always  investigating  ?    But  his  investigation  is  that  of  an  imagi- 
nation full  of  fire,  impulsive,  restless,  and  ungovernable.     He  is 
impelled,  not  by  a  calm  philosophic  love  of  truth,  but  an  inward 
demon,  by  whom  he  is  energized.     He  is  a  real  energumenos 
under  the  fierce  afflatus,  and  driven  into  the  depths  !     One  con- 
sequence of  this  is  a  true  Dithyrambic  furor,  rolling  along  often- 
times in  measures  of  the  most  living  movement  and  long  resound* 
ing  harmonies.     He  is  a  great  master,  equal  to  any  in  modern 
times  we  have  ever  read,  of  the  musical  and  rhythmical  capacities 


aguage.     They  are  moulded  at  the  will  of  the  restless  and 

Dg  thought,  and  respond  like  the  strings  of  a  harp  to  the 

er^s  touch  ! 

it^  we  must  give  some  Specimens  of  what  wa  mean.     Take  the 

wing  description,  and  attempt  to  body  forth  the  sense  of  power ^ 

as  the  projection  of  a  planet  might  dilate  a  capacious  soul 

Ed. 

Ingel.    What  seest  thou,  Leiio  ? 

elio.      Let  me  look  again. 

For  my  sense  swims  upon  a  boundless  ocean, 

Struggling  i^inst  its  own  magnificence— 

I  see  the  flashings  of  bright  points  that  pierce 

The  solid  night,  whence  floats  a  spinning  sound 

Of  a  low  melody ;  while  round  me  ripples 

Impalpable  ether,  whose  conflicting  waves, 

Breaking  in  flame  the  evanescent  bloom 

Of  blackest  darkness,  show  nought  near  but  thee 

Standing  beside  me  in  untenanted  space ! 

Behold  !  immeasurable  shadow  creeping 

0*er  the  clear  void,  and  from  a  form  that  might  be 

The  form  of  man,  could  the  weak  eye  take  in 

Its  limitless  outline,  stretches  forth  a  hand, 

Within  whose  hollow  rests  a  new-bom  world ; 

The  other  arm  extends  a  mantle  o'er 

Its  naked  limbs,  and  showers  all  forms  of  matter 

And  fire  of  mind  upon  its  mighty  surface. 

Heaving  the  pulse  of  a  stupendous  life ! 

A  little  while  those  awful  Angers  poise 

The  trembling  globe,  then  hurl  it  flashing  from  them* 

Away  it  rushes  through  the  lash'd  air,  waking 

Time  into  life,  and  night  to  light — away — 

Lifting  its  voice  of  giant  joy,  and  shouting 

To  the  unbounded  universe,  to  welcome 

A  radiant  brother  of  God's  ancient  stars  ! 

Fearfully  wonderful !  "—p.  30. 

ike  a  noble  image  in  the  following  lines : 

zlio.       I  see  Time  rising  on  the  horizon 

Of  a  fresh  world :  his  wet-clogg'd  wings  flap  slowly 
Over  unpeopled  plains ;  but  on  he  speeds, 
Seeing  new  life  spring  round  him  as  he  flies, 
And  empires  dawning  in  the  early  east." — p.  33. 

lere  is  a  lofty  Platonic  beauty,  and  a  genuine  intellectual 
ieur  in  the  following  opening  to  the  ode  to  beauty. 

<'  Mother  of  many  children,  bom  in  Heav'n, 
And  denizen'd  with  man,  divinest  end 


US  Nuim,^ 

Of  labouring  reason  !  unto  thee  'tis  giv'n, 

Beauty,  thou  sun  of  inner  worlds,  to  lend 
A  radiant  shadow  of  thyself,  and  shed 

A  glory  upon  earth  from  thy  jGfod-crown^d  head ! 
Man  works  by  modes,  and  these  may  not  attain 
A  part  in  thee,  and  oft  the  fainting  force 
And  the  dimm'd  vision  mark  his  upward  course 
To  thy  far  temple  ;  he  but  moves  between 
The  darkness  of  his  toil,  and  the  fair  scene 
Which  thou  dost  open  on  him,  as  the  crowb' 
Of  his  endurance  :  sorrow,  too,  and  sin, 
Are  moulds  to  shape  his  spirit,  the  first  froWn 
Heralding  nature's  smile  ;  his  infant  soul 
Is  perfected  through  media,  and  within 
Its  chambers  dwells  the  educating  lights 
Till  earth's  fore-spent  necessities  shall  roll 

Their  curtaining  clouds  away,  and  Bieauty  flo6d  the  sight !" — p 

The  two  greatest  efforts  in  the  volume  are  the'  odes  en 
"  The  Soul  and  its  Dwelling,"  and  "  Life  and  Death.""  The; 
noble  poems,  equal  in  some  respects  to  Wordsworth's  magnii 
ode,  wherein  he  speculates  on  the  mysteries  of  the  infant  8 
and  the  immbttality  which  it  enshroudd  under  its  titne  vesi 
and  they  are  superior  in  a  peculiar  freshtiess  and  joyousne 
soul,  which  riots  in  a  vivid  imagery,  tod  a  current  of  vc 
numbers  that  keeps  time  with  the  bounding  of  the  living  pi 
Take 

"  Wine,  wine,  who  thirsts  for  wine  ? — p,  114. 

"  Gold,  gold,  imperial  gold,"  &c. — p.  115, 

There  is  a  store  of  sAelf-contained  grandeiil*  in  tiie  conclusi 
this  ode,  which  culminates,  as  it  proceeds,  into  a  Qiristiao 
Scriptural  greatness,  and  truth  Of  holy  sentiment. 

"  Seek  him,  he  seeks  not  dthers,"&c. — p.  lid. 

There  is  much  tenderness  and  pathos  in  the  opening  of  " 
and  Death."     Take,  again,  the  passage, 

**  The  finer  spirit  was  sublimed,  and  cast 
The  dusty  sense  beneath  it,  such  a  change 
As  if  the  covering  of  earth  were  cleft. 
And  to  the  pent  divinity  had  left 
A  freer  germination,  and  a  more 
Unlocal  being,  which  appear'd  to  range 
Effortless  and  unstirring  throughout  spacer 
Existing  in,  yet  all  unbound  by  place. 
On  things  he  look'd  not  from  without,  for  they 
In  their  own  ultimate  essence  found  a  way 
Into  his  nature,  and  he  understood 
By  what  he  Mt,  and  felt  that  all  "ma  gdod. 


The  deeper  trath  which  inly  we  embrace 

In  mystic  union,  doth  not  show  its  face 

To  the  world's  learned  gaser,  who  would  pry 

Into  its  features  with  unseeing  eye ; 

For  to  be  thus  revealed,  it  must  disown 

All  sensual  interrention,  whence  alone 

— E'en  by  the  aid  it  flies — it  could  convey 

Its  voiceless  meanings  into  ears  of  clay."— p.  127* 

The  whole  is  finely  tbou^t,  and  clothed  in  a  pure,  masculine, 
transparent  diction. 

'he  following  passage  from  the  same  ode  is  of  great  power, 
1  some  touches  of  description  of  the  highest  order  of  imagina- 
,  and  a  genuine  depth  of  conceptive  power :  e.  g» 

**  Space  seem'd  engulphed  in  shadow  as  it  past." 

**  He  then  upon  the  wing 
Of  loftier  vision  rising,  stood  upon 
The  chilly  confines  of  the  world,  where  shone 
A  languid  stream  from  the  far  solar  spring. 

A  floating  halo  swam  around 
Stirr'd  by  the  pulse  of  ether,  with  a  sound, 
Low,  deep,  like  whisper'd  thunder,  while  the  air 
Surged  in  small  waves,  to  herald  as  it  were 
The  coming  of  some  mighty  thing,  and  bright 
With  the  cold  splendour  of  a  wintry  light, 
A  sphere  roU'd  by  majestic,  calm  and  vast — 
Space  seemM  engulphed  in  shadow  as  it  past. 
Around  it  lesser  globes  revolving  play'd. 
Duskily  sparkling,  and  its  motion  made 
Music  not  heard,  but  £elty  most  like  unto 
The  singing  of  the  heart  when  life  and  love  are  new  !" — ^p.  129. 

n  some  of  the  notes  there  are  one  or  two  exquisite  translations 
1  the  Persian.  A  volume  of  such  translations  from  Hafiz 
^adi,  executed  in  a  sinular  style,  would  be  an  acoeptaUe 
ition  to  our  lit.erature.  Meantime,  we  would  not  advise  Mr. 
bt  to  waste  his  poetical  abilities  on  such  extravaganzas  as 
vor.  Not  but  that  a  lively  and  excitable  temperament,  like 
may  very  fairiy  take  its  pastime  in  that  light  sea  when  it  so 
ses  him  to  amuse  a  familiar  ^rcle,  but  the  reputation  of  a 
t  must  be  built  upon  more  solid  foundations, 
le  has  likewise  much  to  study  inhuman  life,  in  the  movements 
he  passions,  the  innumerable  combinations  of  the  intellectual 
1  the  passionate  and  the  sensuous,  which  lie  between  the  two 
remes  of  pure  unfledied  intellect,  and  mind  ensepuk^red  and 
^ted  in  flesh,  which'  are  the  simple  forms  in  which  he 
iceastomed  to  contemplate  humam  nature.     We  believe  that 


184  Notices^  ^c. 

its   typical  of  perfection  is  to  be  found  in  the  crasis  of  both 
elements ;  wherein  the  sensuous  is  elevated  and  harmonized  bj 
those  sweet  and  heavenly  affections,  and  that  mediating  influ- 
ence of  the  imagination,  in  which,  sublimed  by  religious  principle,  K 
and  purified  by  the   Spirit  from  above,   the  elements  of  our  k 


t- 


manifold  nature  find  their  tdtimate  unity.  P 

II. — A  Scripture  Catechism  upon  the  Churchy  wherein  the  Amtom  k 
are  in  the  Words  of  the  Bible.  Oxford  and  London :  J.  H.  ^ 
Parker.     1851.  ': 

Useful  alike  to  those  who  would  teach  or  learn,  to  those  who  ; 
hold,  and  those  who  doubt  the  truth.  The  work  was  much  , 
needed,  and  it  is  admirably  done. 

III. — Cultus  AnimcBy  or  the  Arraying  of  the  Soul;  heing  Praym  j 

and  Meditations  which  may  he  used  in  Church  hefore  and  aft»  \ 

Service^  adapted  to  the  Days  of  the  Week.    Oxford  and  London:  N 

J.  H.  Parker.     1851.  , 

It  is  a  painful  state  of  things  which  makes  us  look  with  suspicion  j 
at  every  new  work  of  a  devotional  character,  and  hesitate  to  give 
our  approval  till  we  have  weighed  almost  every  expression. 
Alas,  that  the  unwary,  the  unwise,  and  the  untrue  should  haye 
brought  us  into  such  a  position.  But  so  it  is :  on  every  side  there 
is  peril;  and  what  might  pass  unobserved  in  less  dangerous  and 
less  traitorous  times,  must  now  be  pointed  out  and  exposed. 

The  little  volume  before  us  is,  we  are  happy  to  say,  devoid  of 
all  those  evil  tendencies  to  which  we  have  alluded,  whether 
Bomanistic,  Rationalistic,  Pantheistic,  or  Puritanic:  and  it  is 
well  suited  for  devotional  purposes.  It  might,  however,  be  im- 
proved. The  introduction,  fcnr  instance,  should  bo  altogether  left 
out,  or  re-written.  The  Scriptural  associations  of  the  days  of 
the  week  are  good,  but  others  might  be  added  with  advanta^* 
We  should  prefer  the  less  frequent  appearance  of  such  familiar 
addresses  as  "  Blessed  Jesus,"  "  Holy  Jesus."  Neither  do  we 
admire  the  following  passages. 

In  one  place,  addressing  our  Lord,  we  find, — "till  I,  together 
with  all  who  wprahip  in  the  Communion  of  thy  Church  on  earth, 
shall,  in  conformity  with  Thy  beauties  and  perfections,  be  clothe 
with  the  state  of  glory,  &c."  However  high  the  authority  for 
such  expressions,  we  do  not  like  them. 

In  another  place  we  read, — '*  by  my  doings,  even  the  best  of 
them,  I  have  deserved  His  wrath  and  eternal  damnation,"  which 
appears  to  us  inconsistent  with  the  dogmatic  assertion  of  Scrip- 
ture, ^^  He  that  doeth  righteousness  is  righteous^  even  m  Hk  is 


NoitieeB^  <$r.  185 

riffMeous^'*''  and  scarcely  reconcilable  with  the  teaching  of  the 
Twelfth  Article ;  since  it  is  diflScult  to  comprehend  how  any  thing 
can  be  ^^  pleasing  and  acceptable  to  God  in  Christ''''  by  which  wo 
^^  have  deserved  His  wrath  and  eternal  damnation.'*^ 

In  another  place  we  have, — "  Let  me  meet  Thee  now  with  re- 
pentance in  my  heart,  and  the  fruits  thereof  brought  forth  in  the 
actions  of  my  life,  and  with  such  spiritual  wings^  cemented  with 
the  blood  of  my  Bedeemer^  I  may  hope  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come," 

IV. — An  Old  Country  ffoiMe,     London:   Newby.     1850. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  finely  designed  and  exquisitely  executed 
novels  which  we  have  ever  read.  In  fact,  its  merits  are  of  a 
higher  order  than  those  which  are  generally  expected  or  intended 
in  such  compositions.  It  is  a  book  which  none  but  a  woman 
could  have  written,  and  yet  which  has  all  the  power  of  the  highest 
order  of  masculine  intellect.  The  deep  intense  religion  which 
breathes  throughout  every  page  and  every  line — the  awful  reality 
of  the  doom  hanging  over  the  godless  house — remind  us  at  once 
of  the  experimentsd  divide,  and  the  mighty  dramatist.  The  ex- 
quisite elegance  and  grace  must  charm  even  the  unbeliever.  The 
juiaraoter  of  the  low-born^  but  truly  noble  Julia ;  her  trials  and 
her  trkunph,  are  music  to  our  soul — ^music  of  the  highest  and 
holiest  order. 

V. — The  Calendar  of  the  Anglican  Church  Illustrated.  With  brief 
accounts  of  the  Saints  who  have  Churches  dedicated  in  their 
names^  or  whose  Im^es  are  most  frequently  mest  with  in  England: 
the  Early  Christian  and  Mediceval  Symhols ;  and  an  Index  of 
Emblems.     Oxford  and  London  :  J.  H.  Parker.     1851. 

This  is  a  most  interesting  and  valuable  contributipn  to  our  eccle- 
siastical antiquities:  and  what  is  particularly  desirable  and,  alas! 
seldom  to  be  met  with  in  such  works,  it  is  altogether  free  from 
any  thing  idolatrous  or  imbecile,  such  as  cheers  the  truant  on  his 
way  to  Bome. 

"  It  is  perhaps/'  says  the  Preface,  "  hardly  necessary  to  observe  that 
this  work  is  of  an  archaeological,  not  of  a  theological  character ;  the 
^itor  has  not  considered  it  his  business  to  examine  into  the  truth  or 
falsehood  of  the  legends  of  which  he  narrates  the  substance ;  he  gives 
them  merely  as  legends,  and  in  general  so  much  of  them  only  as  is  ne- 
cessary to  explain  why  particular  emblems  were  used  with  a  particular 
Saint,  or  why  churches,  in  a  given  locality,  are  named  after  this  or  that 
^aint." 


186  NidUm,  4*0. 

The  work  begins  with  a  short  and  very  interesting  dissertaticm 
on  the  Galendar  of  the  Anglican  Ghnrch : — 

*'  Our  reformers,"  says  the  editor,  *•  truly  and  reverently  proceeded 
upon  the  principles  of  honouring  antiquity.  They  found  '  a  number  of 
dead  men's  names,'  not  over  eminent  in  their  lives  either  for  sense  or 
morals,  crowding  the  Calendar,  and  Jotting  out  the  festivals  of  the 
saints  and  martyrs." 

The  Mediaeval  Church,  as  the  Romanists  still  do,  distinguished 
between  the  days  of  obligation  and  days  of  devotion.  Now, 
under  the  Reformation,  only  some  of  the  former  dass,  the  Feasts 
of  Obligation  were  and  are  retained,  being  such  as  were  dedicated 
to  the  memory  of  our  Lord,  or  to  those  whose  names  are  pre- 
eminent in  the  Gospels Surely  no  method  could  ban 

been  better  devised  than  such  a  course  for  making  time,  as  it  passes^ 
a  perpetual  memorial  of  the  Head  of  the  Churdi. 

The  principle  upon  which  certain  festivals  of  devotion  still  re- 
tained in  the  Galendar  prefixed  to  the  Common  Prayer,  and 
usually  printed  in  italics,  were  selected  from  among  the  rest,  ii 
more  obscure. 

A  third  class  are,  saints  who  are  simply  conunemorated ;  aid 
it  is  a  very  curious  fact,  and,  as  we  believe,  hitherto  quiti 
unnoticed,  that  these  saints^  days,  now  considered  as  the  dis- 
tinctive ba%e8  of  Romanism,  continued  to  retain  their  stations  is 
our  popular  Protestant  English  almanacks  until  the.  alt^ntion  of 
style  in  1752,  when  they  were  discontinued.  By  what  authority 
this  change  took  place  we  know  not ;  but  perhaps  the  books  of 
the  Stationers^  Company  might  solve  this  mystery : — 

*'  Poor  Robin's  Almanadi  affords  much  matter  for  consideration. 
He  shows  t^at  the  tradition  respecting  tiie  appropriation  of  the  days  to 
particular  saints,  was  considered  by  the  common  people  as  eminetitly 
Protestant^ — that  is    to   say,   as   part   and   parcel   of  the  Church  of 

England We  have  neither  space  nor  leisure   to  pursue  this 

inquiry  ;  but  we  do  earnestly  wish  that  some  one  wdl  versed  in  eocle- 
sfasticai  history,  for  instance  Mr.  Palmer,  would  investigate  the  *  Calen- 
dar ;'  not  with  the  view  of  ministering  to  antiquarian  curiosity,  or  idle 
amusement ;  but  as  involving  principles  of  the  highest  impor^oe." 

After  this  well-written  essay  follow  the  months  as  they  are 
printed  in  the  Calendar  of  the  Prayer  Book,  with  two  cuts  di 
day-ahnanacks  at  the  beginning,  and  the  various  symbdhs  placed 
O|^osite  the  days  to  which  they  belong.  Now  comes  tiie  main 
body  of  the  work.  The  months  are  taken  in  their  order.  The 
days  are  described  fend  illustrated.  The  wood-cuts  are  foeatrtifid 
in  the  extreme  ;  the  letter-press  interestmg  and  unexceptionable. 
This  lasts  from  p.  30  to  p.  HS»     Then  follow  the  moveable 


Ntfiiem^  4r^  187 

iMttabt  equidly  well  done,  which  concludes  the  first  part  at 

^.  174* 

P&H;    II.  Contains  brief  accounts  of  the  saihts   who    hare 

ffthilrbhes  named  in  their  honour,  or  whose  images  are  most  fire- 
miently  met  with  in  England.  The  only  defect  in  this  portion  of 
WB  wbrk  is,  the  omission  of  the  days  on  which  the  parish  f(^wts 
ate  held  in  the  localities  where  these  churches  occur.  It  would, 
ite  fhinkj  hav^  been  interesting,  and  might  have  led  to  further 
rMihs.  Thie  labour,  however,  which  this  portion  of  the  work 
ittfel  have  tiansed  the  compilers  can  hardly  be  estimated  :  it  has 
been  well  and  accurately  executed. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  Third  Part,  "  On  Emblems.''  These 
ar^  divided  into  three  sections: — 1.  Early  Christian  Symbols. 

1.  The  Evangelistic  Symbols.  3.  Medieeval  Symbols^  The 
Ohmtratiotis  ef  1  and  2  are  rich  and  striking,  and  Part  III.  is 
toost  iible. 

"  In  addition  to  these  early  Christian  symbols,*'  says  the  editor  on 
oofaamencing  this  portioti  of  his  work,  "there  are  certain  symbolical 
id%Anings  attached  to  the  emblems  which  accompany  the  later  saints,  a 
teteffil  eonslderotion  of  which  may  frequently  unravel  the  lessons  they 
wttHe  demgtoed  to  teach,  before  the  Vast  accumulation  of  myth  And 
nirVei  completely  veiled  them  from  view  ;  indeed,  it  is  almost  certain, 
thJEit  many  of  the  acts  attributed  to  these  holy  persons  are  merely 
fietitieiiB,  aiid  coitaparatiyely  modem  creations,  the  emblems  with  which 
diey  were  al!egoriciUly  reptesented  giving  rise  to  the  legends  which 
obtdned  «o  extensively  during  the  middle  ages;  so  that  we  must 
interpret  the  legend  as  intended  to  suit  the  emblem,  not  the  emblem  as 
verifying  the  legend." 

The  remarks  which  follow  are  just  and  valuable  ;  and  tRis  sec- 
tion is  equally  well  executed  with  the  others.  The  indexes,  too, 
are  carefully  compiled.  In  fine,  the  '*  Illustrated  Calendar  of  the 
Anglican  Cfhurdi^  is  suited  alike  for  amusement,  for  instruction 
—for  a  lady^s  drawing-room  or  a  scholar'*s  study. 

VI. — 1.  Passages  in  th6  Life  of  Mrs.  Margaret  Maitland.  In 
3  vols.     London:  Colburn.    1850. 

2.  Merkland ;  a  Story  of  Scottish  Life.  By  the  Author  of  "  Pa^- 
sages  in  the  Life  of  Mrs.  Margaret  Maitland.'*''  3  vols.  Lon- 
don: Colburn.     1851. 

The  success  of  the  first  of  these  tales  led,  we  presume,  to  the 

ry  appe{u*ance  of  the  second,  which  bids  fair  to  eclipse  its 
iMrouier  in  the  good  graces  of  the  public.  They  are  very 
peculiar  works,  which  our  readers  will  comprehend,  when  we 
c^ilfeas  that  we  cannot  make  Up  our  minds  whether  the  author  is 
a  man  or  a  woman. 


188  Notices,  ^c. 

The  great  merits  of  both  novels  are  the  perfect  oonBistency  d 
the  characters,  the  graphic  description  of  manners,  the  deli^ 
of  touch,  and  the  clearness  of  outhne,  and  the  intense  and  unmis- 
takcable  earnestness  and  enthusiasm  of  the  author.  He  or  she 
is  a  most  unflinching  bigot ;  bigoted  to  the  dogmas  of  Calvin- 
bigoted  to  the  platform  of  Geneva — bigoted  to  all  the  provincial* 
isms  of  race,  customs,  manners,  prejudices,  castes,  classes,  and 
other  associations  with  which  she  or  he  is  identified  or  interested. 
She  venerates  the  covenanting  zealots,  those  traitors  of  old  time, 
pretty  nearly  as  much  as  the  Oratorians  do  St.  Philip  of  Neci, 
and  his  wiles  and  guiles.  She  looks  upon  a  mortal  feud,  or  s 
class  distinction,  or  any  other  of  the  tokens  of  the  pride  of  fnanV 
heart,  which  adorn  that  singular  hybrid  system,  sprung  from  the 
commingling  of  Christianity  and  heathenism,  and  bound  together 
and  cemented,  as  it  were,  by  a  species  of  pseudo-Judaism,  with 
exactly  the  same  reverence  as  is  shown  by  a  devout  Bomanist  for 
the  images  and  reliques  of  saints,  real  or  imagined. 

We  do  not,  however,  like  him  a  bit  the  less  for  this — we 
honour  a  bigot,  when  he  is  a  bigot  in  reality,  and  not  in  pretence. 

The  works  before  us  have,  nowever,  other  charms,  of  a  yet 
higher  order.  They  are  warmed  by  vital  Christianity,  mingled, 
it  is  true,  with  Celtic  paganism,  and  Swiss  error,  but  still  real, 
genuine,  living.  And  this  need  not  surprise  vs.  Christianity  is 
so  holy,  so  life-giving,  and  our  God  is  so  merciful,  and  our  saeri- 
fice  so  availing,  and  the  work  of  the  Spirit  so  manifold  and  ao 
mighty,  that  any  portion  of  the  truth,  toily  and  fully  realized,  is 
capable  of  producing  fruits  so  marvellous,  as  to  make  the  mere 
child  of  this  world  exclaim — 

"  On  modes  of  faith  let  wrangling  zealots  fight, 
His  can't  be  wrong,  whose  life  is  in  the  right." 

A  most  unphilosophic  blunder.  Our  consideration  on  the  sight 
of  the  piety  or  righteousness  of  those  who  are  in  error,  should  not 
be  that  their  errors  are  unimportant  or  non-existent,  but  firm  in 
the  consciousness  of  our  own  unassailable  position  and  incontro- 
vertible faith,  founded  on  the  Bock  of  Ages,  and  received  by  the 
Bevelation  of  God.  We  should  admire  His  boundless  love,  and 
joyfully  acknowledge  the  work  of  His  hands,  and  fearfully  reflect 
with  reference  to  ourselves,  our  brethren,  and  our  Church,  that 
*^  unto  whom  much  is  given,  of  him  much  shall  be  required.^ 

We  earnestly  pray  that  the  writer  of  these  tales  may  be  brought 
to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus — mav  receive  the 
whole  counsel  of  God — may  submit  to  the  true  Church.  The 
blood  of  universal  redemption  can  alone  wash  out  the  segregative 
prejudices  which  at  present  afflict  her  mind;   and  even  ^'de- 


Notices,  ^e.  189 

ressed  needlewomen  ^^  will  appear  worthy  of  her  sisterly  sym- 
lathy,  when  she  regards  them  as  sprinkled  with  the  dews  of 
Saptismal  Regeneration. 

VII. — Kenneth ;  or  the  Bear^Guard  of  the  Grand  Army.  By  the 
Author  of  "  Scenes  cmd  Characters,'"  "  Kings  of  England,  4'c. 
Oxford  and  London  :  John  Henry  Parker.     1850. 

This  is  a  charming  tale,  full  of  character  and  incident,  and  one 
which  could  only  nave  been  written  by  a  dutiful  child  of  our 
Church.  The  unobtrusive  manner  in  which  her  absolute  supe- 
riority is  shown,  whilst  every  credit  is  given  to  men  of  other 
tongues  and  other  lands,  forms  its  rarest  and  most  intrinsic  ex- 
cellence. It  is  just  the  work  to  give  to  a  young  person  of  either 
sex,  from  ten  to  twenty ;  and  yet,  when  we  had  taken  it  up  to 
fpve  it  a  critical  survey,  we  found  the  greatest  difficulty  in  laying 
it  down  again. 

VIII. — Speculation,    Oxford  and  London :  John  Henry  Parker. 
1850. 

Very  diiferent  is  this  tale  from  the  last.  The  story  interesting, 
the  principles  sound,  the  teaching  excellent.  It  would  perhaps 
be  more  useful  if  the  tone  were  not  quite  so  didactic,  especially 
at  the  opening  of  the  volume.  The  more  that  instruction  is 
needed,  the  less  grateful  is  it — the  '^  orli  del  vaso^^  require  greater 
preparation  when  the  patient  is  not  only  aching,  but  obstinate. 
We  regret,  too,  the  faults  of  style  in  the  opening  chapters  :  there 
is  much  that  is  ungraceful,  and  some  that  is  scarcely  English. 

IX.— 7%^  Seven  Days ;  or  the  Old  and  New  Creation.  By  the 
Author  of  "  The  UathedraV*  Oxford  and  London :  John  Henry 
Parker.     1850. 

The  last  new  work  of  a  celebrated  author  is  always  a  subject  of 
interest  with  the  literary  world ;  and  it  was  with  great  curiosity, 
as  well  as  pleasure,  that  we  commenced  the  perusal  of  the  volume 
I   before  us.     We  opened  it  with  a  tremulous  sensation  of  fear  as 
well  as  hope  ;  but  as  we  proceeded  the  fear  altogether  departed, 
and  the  hope  became  full  fruition.     This  is  undoubtedly  Mr. 
Williams's  most  entirely  successful  performance.      His  other 
poetical  compositions,  whatever  their  merits,  have  been  veiy  un- 
equal :  in  fact,  they  have  struck  us  as  resembling  an  elaborate 
and  intricate  mosaic,  some  portions  of  which  were  made  of  gems, 
and  others  of  less  costly  materials,  put  in  to  fill  up  the  requisite 
spaces.    Then  again  they  have,  with  all  their  excellencies,  various 
individual  faults.   "The  CathedraP'  is,  with  all  its  power,  too  cum- 


190  mim,  «Y, 

bnm-  The  ^'Ttioqgbts  in  Past  Years'^  have,  with  idlt|i0  exQuufijift 
swe(atii408  appfl^ent  in  many  parts,  a  certain  appearnnpe  of  uni- 
form design  without  the  fuU  reality,  whiqh  somewbiit  baidkef  itfi 
And  the  '^  Baptistery,'^  though  a  work  which  will  live  to  the  end  of 
tin^e,  and  decidedly  oiir  favouritOy  is,  to  iE^»eak  the  t^rutb*  ^%  timei 
decidedly  proitf. 

In  ^'  The  Oreation^^  Mr.  Williams  has  grasped  a  mighty  idea, 
formed  an  artistic  plan,  and  nobly  fulfilled  that  idea  and  executed 
that  plan.  There  is,  too,  in  the  detail  much  less  of  that  obscuritv 
which  at  times  defaces  his  writings,  than  in  any  thing  else  whicn 
he  has  ever  submitted  to  the  public.  We  are  conscious,  how- 
ever, that  no  mere  "  Notice*'  can  do  justice  either  to  the  merit 
pr  the  importance  of  this  work,  and  we  shall,  therefore,  at  once 
conclude  with  two  or  three  extracts^  reserving  a  n^ore  carefu) 
examination  for  a  future  occasion. 

Of  the  exquisite  passage  upon  Sunday,  we  cite  the  following 
beautiftd  stanzas : — 

'^  Why  gre  the  poor  so  bright  in  their  arr^y  ? 
Because  they  are  the  children  of  the  King. 
This  is  His  court  and  His  great  holiday  ; 
Therefore  their  best  they  to  His  service  bring. 
Ye  trees  put  on  your  bright  apparelling ; 
.    Ye  lilies  of  the  valley  lift  your  heads, 

Your  sun  spreads  o'er  you  his  own  healing  wing  ! 
Ye  ladies  and  rich  men  in  costly  weeds 
The  glaring  world  each  day  alike  your  lustre  reads." 

And  again,— T 

^*  The  Sundays  of  our  life,  like  stars  aloof, 
Ye  seeiii  to  disappear,  and  then  when  fled 
Ye  stay;  a^d  gather  on  Heaven's  vaulted  roof, 
And  in  the  dead  of  night  with  noiseless  tread 
Ye  come,  and  stand  around  my  treinblipg  head, 
Like  guests  from  other  worlds,  and  drawing  near, 
Ye  would  speak  with  voices  of  the  dead, — 
'  Your  lives  are  gather'd  with  us  ;  year  by  year 
"Why  were  we  sent  ?  and  why  did  we  to  you  appear  ? ' 

**  Ye  Sundays  of  our  life,  ye  passers  by, 
Yet  in  remembrance  live,  and  put  on  light, 
Like  witnesses  which  after  death  come  nigh ; 
And,  haply  oft  forgotten,  to  our  sight 
Come  forth  again  in  weakness,  or  as  night 
Of  age  draws  on  or  death,  neglected  throng 
Of  youth  and  childhood  speaking  now  aright, 
And  pleading  how  we  thoughtless  did  you  wrong ; 
Ifow  m^oy  thrilling  nights  and  scenes  to  you  belong  J " 


^pOm,  ^c,  181 

From  the  many  fine  passages  before  us  we  select  the  following, 
ipreesing  as  it  does  so  powerfully  our  own  seutiments  towards 
ome : — 

*'  But  who  shall  speak  thy  wondrous  goings  forth, 
Liike  some  sepulchral  spectre  of  the  night, 
Thou  nam'd  Aurora  of  the  ill-omen'd  north, 
With  lustrous  train  sweeping  the  aerial  height, 
Bloody  gold  and  flame  ;  in  men's  bewilder*d  sight 
Riding  on  the  meteorous  canopy 
To  counterfeit  the  morning's  blooming  light, 
Like  that  false  Church  which  Time's  dark  night  shall  see, 
Upon  whose  burning  brow  is  written  '  mystery/  " 


X.—"  It  is  written  :^'  or^  Every  Word  and  Expression  contained  in 
the  Scriptures  proved  to  be  from  God.  Prom  the  French  of 
Professor  Gaussen.     London  :  Bagster. 

We  confess  to  taking  up  this  volume  with  some  degree  of  pre- 
judice against  it,  in  consequence  of  its  rather  singular  title ;  but 
before  we  had  read  a  page,  our  attention  was  arrested  by  the 
lature  of  the  subject,  the  force  of  the  argument,  the  brilliancy  of 
the  language,  and  the  richness  of  the  illustration.     Professor 
Graussen  upholds  manfully  the  full  inspiration  of  the  Word  of 
God,  and  in  his  good  wort  he  will  have  the  hearty  good  wishes  of 
all  true  Christians.     He  addresses  himself  to  his  task,  not  with  a 
view  to  convince  unbelievers,  but  with  a  view  to  confirm  the  faith 
of  Christians  in  the  divine  and  infiwlible  authority  of  God's  Word, 
and  from  all  we  have  seen  of  his  work  we  deem  it  a  highly  valu- 
able and  seasonable  addition  to  the  available  provision  made  for 
Christian  readers  on  this  important  subject.     He  discusses  with 
ability  the  many  difficulties  raised  in  reference  to  the  inspira- 
tion— such  as  the  non-infallibility  of  translations,  the  varjatijons 
in  the  text,  and  especially,  with  much  ability  and  originality,  the 
aDeged   contradictions  and  difficulties  of  the  Scriptures.      Nor 
does  he  spare  his  indignant  reproofs  of  those  divines,  whether 
orthodox  or  heterodox,  who  have  in  any  degree  compromised  the 
authority  of  the  Holy  Scriptures.     In  addition,  we  are  happy  to 
bear  testimony  to  the  strain  of  fervent  piety  which  pervades  the 
^hole,  and  which  often  finds  expression  in  words  of  earnest  elo- 
quence and  impassioned  zeal.     We  have  perused  a  considejrable 
portion  of  this  work  with  the  highest  satis&ctioa  and  edificatioii. 


xui.-^Andmt  Coins  and  Medals:  an  Historical  Sketch  of 
Origin  and  Progress  of  Coining  Money  in  Greece  and  her  Colo- 
nies ;  its  Progress  toith  t/ie  Extension  of  the  Boman  Empire  ;  and 
its  Decline  with  the  Fall  of  that  Power.  By  Henby  Noel 
HuMPHEEYs,  Author  of  "  The  Coins  of  England,'''*  lUustraid 
by  numerous  Examples  in  Actual  Belief  hy  Barclay'^s  Process, 
in  the  Metals  of  the  respective  Coins.  Second  Edition,  London: 
Grant  and  Griffith. 

We  are  happy  to  see  that  the  work  before  us  has  reached  a 
second  edition,  because  it  evinces,  on  the  part  of  the  public,  a  due 
appreciation  of  the  learning,  labour,  and  ingenuity  which  have 
combined  to  create  this  extraordinary  volume.  In  point  of  fact, 
"  volume  "  is  an  inadequate  expression  in  this  case,  for  between 
the  two  boards  is  included,  not  merely  a  very  elaborate  book,  but 
a  well-selected  cabinet  of  coins  and  medals  !  The  imitations  in 
metal  by  Barclay^s  process  are  perfectly  marvellous ;  and  of  the 


192  Notices^  S^c. 

XI. — An  Analysis  and  Summary  of  Thu^dides.  By  iJte  Author  of 
*^  An  Analysis  and  Summary  of  Herodotm^  Jkc.  Oxford: 
Wheeler.     London :  Bell. 

An  Analysis  and  Summary  like  that  before  us  camiot  fail  to  be 
of  considerable  utility  to  the  student  of  Thucydides,  in  enabliif 
him  to  retain  in  memory  the  various  points  of  the  history  of  the 
Peloponnesian  war.  The  analysis  appears  to  be  very  carefully 
executed ;  and  it  is  preceded  by  an  outline  of  the  Geography  it 
Greece,  and  a  Chronological  Table  of  the  principal  events ;  the 
Greek  weights,  money,  and  measures  also  being  reduced  through- 
out to  the  corresponcUng  English  terms. 


XII. — Elements  of  Natural  Theology.  By  James  Beaven,  D,jD.^ 
Professor  of  Divinity  in  King^s  College^  Toronto.  London : 
Bivmgtons. 

Du.  Beaven,  in  this  work,  furnishes  his  readers  with  a  clear 
and  well-arranged  digest  of  all  the  principal  proofs  of  the  ex- 
istence, the  moral  attributes,  and  the  Providence  of  God.  The 
especial  interest  in  the  volume  is,  the  frequent  reference  to  the 
arguments  and  inferences  of  heathen  philosophy,  approximating 
so  closely  as  they  sometimes  did  to  tne  truth.  The  argumeiS 
from  design  which  Paley  has  so  ablv  drawn  out,  is  here  very  well 
exhibited  and  illustrated  ;  and  on  the  whole  we  may  remark,  that 
Dr.  Beaven'^s  reasoning  is  throughout  cautious  and  accurate. 


Noiicesj  S;c.  IflS 

letter-press  which  accompanies  them  we  can  speak  in  the  highest 
terms,  as  not  only  evincing  a  thorough  and  deep  knowledge  of  the 
subject,  but  as  divested  as  much  as  possible  of  tedious  antiquarian- 
ism,  and  enlivened  by  anecdote  and  interesting  detail.  The  vast 
field  traversed  by  the  author  affords,  indeed,  ample  opportunity 
for  the  exercise  of  discrimination  in  the  choice  of  materials,  and 
he  has  employed  his  opportunities  so  judiciously,  that  we  have  no 
doubt  his  work  will  find  a  place  on  many  a  drawing-room  table,  as 
well  as  occupy  an  honourable  position  in  every  well  provided 
library. 

XIV. — An  JEssay  on  the  Origin  and  Development  of  Window 
Tracery  in  England;  with  nearly  Four  Hundred  Illustrations. 
By  Edward  A.  Freeman,  M.A,^  late  Fellow  of  Trinity  College^ 
Oxford^  Author  of^^  The  History  of  Architecture^''  "  Architecture 
of  Lland<iff  Cathedraly""  (be,  Oxford  and  London:  John  Henry 
Parker. 

Architecture  is  gradually  assuming  amongst  us  an  importance 
and  a  scientific  character  which  would  astonish  our  foremthers  if 
they  could  return  amongst  us.  The  progressive  character  of  the 
age  is  marked  very  strongly  in  this  branch  of  the  fine  arts  at 
msi;  and  professors,  peers,  clergy,  the  ablest  of  our  mathema- 
ticians, and  the  wealthiest  of  our  aristocracy,  are  all  alike  inter- 
ested in  the  minutest  details  respecting  our  ecclesiastical  buildings. 
The  press  groans  beneath  pubHcations  on  the  subject.  Volumes, 
pamphlets, essays, periodicals,  meetings,  societies,  all  attest  the  uni- 
versal rage  for  architectural  study.  Amongst  the  leading  men  in 
the  study,  is  the  author  of  the  volume  before  us ;  and  we  protest 
that,  in  opening  his  table  of  contents,  we  are  perfectly  over- 
whelmed with  the  weight  of  his  erudition,  and  the  multiplicity  of 
his  distinctions.  We  are  alarmed  at  "geometrical  skeletons," 
our  amazement  is  increased  at  "  arch-skeletons,^^  and  we  expe- 
rience a  sensation  of  uneasiness  in  such  connexion,  at  "  corruptions 
of  arch-tracery .''  We  are  compelled  to  scratch  our  heads  at 
"  subarcuated  foils,'^  "  divergent  vesicae,"  "  spiked  foUation ;"' 
and  we  look  as  wise  as  we  can  at  "reversed  convergent  tracery, 
"  flowing  skeletons,"  "  quasi  subarcuated  windows,"  &c.  &c. 
But,  to  speak  seriously,  Mr.  Freeman  has  evinced  a  profound 
knowledge  of  his  subject,  which  is  one  of  high  practical  moment 
in  architecture ;  and,  by  his  classification,  has  contributed  greatly 
to  make  it  rational  and  intelligible.  We  are  delighted  to  see 
that  80  profound  an  architectural  student  does  not  hesitate  to 
reject  th^  reveries  of  symbolism.  We  could  excuse  several  faults 
in  consideration  of  such  a  wholesome  and,  we  must  add,  coura^ 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXIX. — MARCH,   1851.  O 


1^ 


194  Noticed,  ^c. 

geous,  avowal.  But  the  truth  is,  thAt  Mh  Fbieferfito's  wbrk  id  ^ 
which,  as  it  goes  in  a  gk*eat  degt-ee  6n  certain  data,  dhd  bceii{tiii 
itself  chiefly  in  classifying  facts,  is  bnie  in  which  Sreat  eitors  ift 
not  to  be  expected.  It  is  copiously  illustrdtecl  by  ^obd-cnti^ 
illustrative  of  window  traceiy,  \\rhich  constitdtl^,  by  iio  m&ull 
the  leilst  part  of  its  vdue. 


1 
:s 

E 

1^ 


■ 

xv. — Faith  <md  Practice :  heinp  Sunday  Thoughts  tii  Vir^.  M 
a  Country  Cueate,  Author  of  "  Thoughts  in  Verse  for  m 
Afflicted,'*''     London :  Bell. 

Tins  little  volumie  of  poems  is  characterized  by  a  simplicity  airf  j 
piety  which  will  render  it  a  profitable  and  agffeeable  conipAiildri  to  ^ 
those  whose  taates  have  not  been  formed  on  the  reflHed  and 
mystic  poetry  of  the  present  ddy.  The  Kiithoi'  selects  siitiplfe  and 
devotional  subjects,  such  as  good  Churchmen  dnd  good  Christiins 
would  wish  to  dwell  on  ;  and  he  treats  them  just  as  a  clergyman 
ought  to  do,  and  certainly  in  a  way  which  is  open  to  general  com- 
prehension. As  we  read  the  earlier  part  of  his  bopfc,  indwl,,ii 
occurred  to  us,  that  these  are  the  sort  of  poems  which  would,  be 
very  acceptable  and  intieliigible  even  to  the  poorest  classes,  and  in 
National  Schools ;  but  the  style  rises  afterwards.  We  teke  Uie 
following  from  Meditations  in  Lent : — 

"  Lord,  now  befote  the  heavenly  gate 
I  stand  a  penitent ; 
Here  on  the  threshold  shall  I  wait, 
To  sanctify  ray  Lent. 

"  Teach  me  to  grieve,  to  fast,  to  pray. 
Deploring  all  my  sin ; 
To  rend  ray  heart,  to  strive  each  day 
Against  the  pride  within  ;— 

*-*  My  soul  to  search,  my  guilt  confess, 
My  appetites  deny, 
My  goods  impart  thy  poor  to  bless, — 
My  members  ihortify." 

We  cannot  speAk  very  highly  of  the  poetical  powefr  manifested 
in  this  volume,  but  it  is  the  production  of  a  pious  and  very  thought- 
ful mind,  imbued  with  much  poietic  taste  and  feeling; 

■ 

xv  J. —Handbook  of  Mediceval  Geography  and  History.    By  Wil- 
HELM  PuTz,  Principal  Tutor  at  the  Gymnasium  of  Durm. 


Mik^,  4rc.  196 

^rdnslaUd  hy  the  lUb.  B.  B.  Paul,  M.A.j  inc.  London: 
KiVingtohs. 

Ehis  Handbook  of  Mediaeval  History  and  (Geography  is  the 
leoond  part  of  ihe  series  published  by  Professor  PUtz ;  and  it 
ippears  to  be  a  Taliiable  and  useful  dompendium  of  information 
m  the  subjects  to  which  it  relates.  It  is  very  convenient  to  have 
it  hand  a  manual  like  this  in  reading  the  history  of  the  Middle 
Ages.  The  Appendix  contains  a  series  of  questions  on  the  various 
chapters  for  the  use  of  students. 

» 
XVII. — A  Gommmtatjf  on  th$  JEpistle  of  Paul  the  Apostle  to  the 
Somcms :  tpith  a  mw  TramlatUm^  am  Eaplanatory  iTotes.    By 
William  Withers  EwBANK,ikf.-4.,  Incumbent ojf  St.  George^s 
Churchy  Everion.     London :  J,  W.  Parker. 

Mr.  Ewbank  appears  to  have  executed  his  work  with  very  great 
care,  and  from  all  we  have  seen  of  it,  tiiis  commentary  mdy  be 
regarded  as  a  very  valuable  accession  to  our  Biblical  literature. 
It  18  not  overloaded  with  annotations,  nor  does  it  present  a  great 
variety  of  interpretations  and  criticisms,  but  goes  straightforward 
to  itd  point,  and  certainly  it  contributes  to  elucidate  many  of  the 
difficulties  in  this  difficult  epistle.  It  is  composed  with  good 
sense,  and  in  a  very  pleasing  tone.  Tholuck's  Commentary  has 
been  much  employed,  in  addition  to  those  of  Calvin,  Stuart,  and 
Olshausen,  and  the  homilies  of  Chrysostom. 

XVIII. — The  Dramatic  Worh  of  William  8hdkspeare,  from  the 
Text  of  Johmon^  Stevens,  and  Beeit ;  with  Glossarial  Notes, 
Life,  <&c.  A  New  Edition. .  By  William  HazliItt,  Esq. 
In  4  vols.     London :  Boutledge  and  Co. 

Shakspe are's  works  for  four  shillings  !  What  times  we  live  iii ! 
Here  is  a  critical  edition  of  Shakspeare,  well  pniited,  arid  quite 
readable,  for  less  than  half  what  w(B  lised  to  pay  for  a  siiigle  volume 
of  an  eight  or  ten  volumed  edition. 

XIX. — The  Church  in  the  World;  or,  the  Living  among  the  Dead. 
By  the  Bev.  J.  Bain  bridge  Smith,  M.  A.,  formerly  of  St. 
John^s  College^  Cambridge;  Professor  of  Mathematics,  and  Vice- 
President  of  King'^s  College,  Windsor,  Nova  Scotia.  London  : 
Rivingtons. 

In  this  pleasing  and  pious  little  volume,  the  services  of  the  Church 
are  connected  with  the  spiritual  presence  of  the  beings  who 


436  Notices^  S;e. 

are  invisibly  about  us,  and  with  personifications  of  the  feeli 
and  states  of  mind  which  should  arise  from  the  exercise  of  reKgi^  ^ 
duties.     It  is  one  of  that  large  class  of  books  which  afforc 
struction  and  interest  to  young  persons  in  the  present  day, 
many  of  which  aim  at  elevating  the  feeling  with  which  the 
vices  of  the  Church  are  attended.     In  seeking  to  create 
reverential  and  thoughtful  appreciation,  there  is  the  risk,  wl 
is  not  always  avoided,  of  dwelling  on  the  means  of  grace, 
omitting  to  dwell  on  the  Author  of  grace. 

XX. — Readings  for  Every  Day  in  Lent,     Compiled  from 
Writings  of  Bishop  Jeremy  Taylor.    By  the  Author  of  '*  A\ 
Herbert;'   "  The  Child's  First  History  of  Bome,''  &c. 
don:  Longmans. 

From  the  examination  we  have  been  enabled  to  bestow  on  tl 
volume  we  cannot  hesitate  in  recognising  it  as  a  very  valual 
addition  to  the  devotional  hterature  of  our  Church,  comprising, 
it  does,  many  of  the  choicest  passages  in  the  writings  of  a  pioi 
divine^  whose  name  is  a  "household  word"  amongst  us.     Wj 
have  been  unpressed  by  the  judgment  evinced  in  the  selectic 
and  arrangement  of  the  materials  of  this  work.     The  meditatioaj 
for  each  day  is  succeeded  by  a  prayer. 

xxi. — Narrative  of  a  Singular  Escape  from  a  Portuguese  Convent ; 
with  an  Introductory  Address.  By  the  Bev,.  W.  Carus 
Wilson,  M.A.^  Bector  of  Whittington.  Second  Edition. 
London:  Seeleys. 

This  little  volume  is  calculated  to  be  of  very  great  utility  at  the 
present  time,  and  cordially  do  we  concur  in  the  necessity  of  some  ] 
such  course  as  that  which  Mr.  Wilson  has  suggested  in  the 
introduction,  and  which  we  are  happy  to  perceive  has  been  em- 
bodied in  a  bill  recently  laid  before  Parliament  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  the  forcible  detention  of  persons  in  nunneries.  The 
details  of  the  story,  which  present  every  evidence  of  authenticity, 
are  enough  to  excite  indignation  in  the  mind  of  every  English 
reader.  How  the  members  of  a  communion,  which  exercises  the 
cruel  coercion  here  stated,  can  appeal  to  the  principles  of  religious 
liberty,  would  be  difiBcult  of  comprehension  to  any  but  to  those 
who  have  marked  the  unblushing  effrontery  with  which  the  advo- 
cate^  of  Bomanism  are  endued. 

The  author  describes  the  artifices  by  which  an  unfortunate 
young  female  was  induced,  at  a  very  early  age,  to  resign  herself  to 
the  seclusion  of  a  nunnery,  near  Lisbon,  for  wluch  she  was 


IT. 


Notices^  ^e.  19Y 

ly  unfitted.     She  was  the  daughter  of  an  Irish  merchant  who 

a  connexion  with  Lisbon,  and  when  about  seventeen,  having 

m  previously  at  a  convent  in  Ireland,  she  was  placed  in  one  at 

ibon.     After  passing  through  the  novitiate  she  was  to  take  the 

I,  and  was  previously  to  be  introduced  to  "  the  world,"^ 

^  This  was  done  in  a  manner  not  very  likely  to  impress  the  poor 
with  a  favourable  notion  of  what  she  was  about  to  renounce  for 
^er.     She  was  mounted  on  a  donkey,  led  by  two  priests,  and  conveyed 
irough   the  main  streets   of  Lisbon.      The  rabble  surrounded,  the 
>ys  hooted  at  her,  and  she  was  gazed  at  as  a  sight,  till,  terrified  with  the 
dse  and  notice  she  attracted,  she  declared,  on  her  return  to  the  con- 
it,  that  she  would  cheerfully  assume  the  veil,  and  never  leave  her 
iceful  abode  again." 

Sister  Jane,''  as  she  now  became,  was  visited  by  her  friends 
r  some  time.     The  abbess  was  present,  and  all  seemed  very 
ppy  and  pleasant. 

*'  Whilst  the  lady  abbess  was  conversing  with  me.  Sister  Jane  was 
nighing  and  talking  very  freely  with  the  rest  of  the  company ;  and 

feome  observations  she  made  attracted  the  ears  of  the  abbess,  who  said, 
rith  an  arch  look,  *  Jane,  take  care,  child ;  I  am  by  you.'     To  which 

^ane  replied,  with  seeming  simplicity,  and  without  any  appearance  of 

fear,  *  Oh,  mother,  I  forgot  you  were  here  !*  " 

The  poor  nun's  gaiety,  however,  was  all  affected ;  for  she  had 
reason  to  be  deeply  anxious  and  unhappy  at  the  time,  as  we  may 
infer  from  the  following  circumstances : — 

"  Amongst  the  nuns  in  the  Irish  convent  there  was  one  young  lady 
whose  mind  was  superior  to  most  of  the  others ;  and  she  took  a  great 
fancy  to  Jane,  though  she  was  some  years  older  than  my  young  friend. 
She  would  give  Jane  excellent  advice  as  to  her  conduct,  urge  her  to 
improve  herself;  and  to  none  of  her  companions,  did  Jane  draw  so 
closely  as  to  *  Sister  Mary.* 

"  About  half  a  year  before  my  introduction  to  Jane,  she  had  been 
aware  of  an  increasing  dejection  of  mind  in  her  friend,  and  had  often 
urged  her  to  disclose  the  cause ;  hut  Mary  kept  silence,  and  never  could 
Jane  prevail  upon  her  to  impart  the  subject  of  her  grief.  In  the  course 
of  a  few  weeks,  Jane  heard  that  her  friend  was  taken  ill.  She  requested 
to  see  her ;  but  was  refused.  She  begged  to  be  allowed  to  nurse  her ;  but 
was  told  that  *  Sister  Mary's '  fever  was  highly  infectious,  and  that  the  nuns 
must  not  go  near  her.  Not  many  days  after  this,  the  bell,  which  spoke 
the  death  of  a  member  of  the  community,  was  heard  to  toll,  and  it  was 
soon  understood  that  Sister  Mary's  spirit  had  fled.  Next  followed  her 
funeral ;  and  the  nuns  attended  the  ceremony." 

Several  weeks  passed  away,  during  which  Jane  mourned  the 
loss  of  Sister  Mary ;  but  strange  to  say,  an  impression  grew  upon 


198  NoticeSi  ^e. 

her  mind,  that,  at  times  when  she  passed  through  the  cloisteisBi 
she  heard  her  name  softly  pronounced  by  the  voice  of  bff 
departed  friend  ;  and  on  one  occasion,  as  she  was  returning  from 
midnight  service,  this  impression  became  so  strong,  that  sb 
paused  a  moment,  and,  remaining  amongst  the  graves  in  tlii 
cloisters, 

"  She  then  said,  '  Did  Mary  call  me  ?  You  loved  me  whilst  livingi 
and  I  am  sure  your  spirit  would  not  injure  me  now.'  The  name  4 
Jane  was  again  repeated  distinctly ;  and  she  endeavoured  to  make 
her  way  to  the  spot  from  whence  the  sound  seemed  to  proceed,  putting 
the  same  question  as  before.  The  voice  replied,  '  I  am  dead  indeed  tli 
the  world,  but  not  to  you :  look  near  such  a  grave,  and  you  can  see  me.' 
Jane  scarcely  knew  where  she  was.  Her  feelings  were  wrought  up  to 
the  highest  pilch  of  terror,  curiosity,  and  tenderness  to  her  departed 
friend.  But  she  followed  the  sound  ;  and,  making  towards  the  grave 
to  which  she  was  directed,  she  observed  a  very  small  square  grate  iu 
the  ground,  through  which  appeared  a  faint  light.  She  knelt  down, 
and  looked  through  it ;  when  she  discovered  her  long-lost  friend  in  a  sort 
of  dungeon,  with  a  lamp  before  her,  and  her  bed,  chair,  and  table. 

"  *  Is  it  my  Mary  I  see,  ray  own  dear  Mary  V  exclaimed  Jane. 
*  Yes,'  replied  her  friend.     *  Let  my  case  be  a  warning  to  you :  my  ill- 
ness, my  death,  and  my  burial  were  all  deceptive.'     You  observed  my 
low  spirits  :  I  loved  you  too  dearly  to  unsettle  your  mind  by  giving 
the  cause  of  them  ;  but  I  was  so  wretched  in  the  convent,  that  I  w^ote 
a  letter  to  my  friends,  entreating  them  to  devise  some  method  for  my 
escape.   This  letter  I  unhappily  entrusted  to  the  old  woman  who  some- 
times brought  us  oranges,  and  she  gave  it  to  the  abbess,  who,  with 
many  bitter  reproaches  and  threats,  hurried  me  down  here,  where  I  have 
been  ever  since.     I  dared  not  call  you  by  name,  unless  I  could  dis- 
tinguish your  voice  amongst  the  sisters  ;  for  I  am  sure  if  I  made  known 
my  tale  of  woe,  death  by  starvation  would  be  the  consequence,  not  only 
to  me,  but  to  those  who  heard  me.     I  also  felt  that  even  if  I  did  call, 
no  one  would  dare  answer  my  voice  from  those  graves  but  yourself* 
You  are  the  first  person  who  has  spoken  to  me  for  many  weeks.     My 
food  is  brought  me  in  a  tournoir,  and  the  empty  plates,  &c.,  are  re- 
moved in  the  same  way.     I  am  dead  to  all  but  you  ;  still,  if  your  affec- 
tion can  give  you  courage  to  pass  an  hour  with  me  sometimes  on  your 
return  from  the  chapel,  it  will  be  the  only  soothing  drop  in  my  cup  of 
bitterness." 

The  sequel  of  this  tragedy  is  dreadful.  The  unhappy  prisoner 
commits  suicide  in  her  despair.  Sister  Jane  discovers  the  truth, 
and  is  in  her  turn  visited  with  the  most  tremendous  threats  to 
induce  her  silence.  She  then  resolves  to  escape  ;  and  at  length 
effects  her  purpose  by  means  of  her  brother-in-law,  who  is  hmi- 
self  obh'ged  to  leave  Lisbon  before  the  escape  takes  place^  for  fear 


Notices,  ^c.  1Q9 

^  tjei^g  asQ9^in$>ted,  if  his  share  in  the  attempt  should  be  dis- 
GO¥ered. 

Unless  we  are  under  a  very  mistaken  impression,  we  remember 
an  account  of  a  rescue  of  a  nun  from  a  monastery  at  Lisbon  by 
officers  of  the  British  Navy,  which  appeared  in  the  papers  some 
{ime  since.  This  narrative  appears  to  comprise  the  particulars 
of  that  escape.  It  is  very  deeply  interesting ;  and  we  should  say 
tliat  its  extensive  circulation,  especially  ^n  parochial  lending 
i\^r8^rie§,  would  be  o^  great  benefit  to  the  caijse  of  truth. 

XXII. — The  JRise  of  the  Papal  Power  traced^  in  Three  Lectures,  By 
BoBERT  HussEY,  jB.-D.,  Begius  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical 
History.    <)xford :  J.  H.  Parker. 

Jn  this  very  learned  and  accurate  work,  Professor  Hussey  traces 
briefly  the  rise  and  growth  of  tb©  Papal  Supremacy  from  the 
period  of  its  origin  at  the  Synod  of  Sardica,  to  the  time  of  Inno- 
cent III.  The  Preface  contains  some  valuable  remarks  on  the 
distinctively  aggressive  character  of  the  Church  of  Rome,  which 
renders  it  so  formidable  to  the  rights  of  states,  and  to  the  ex- 
istence of  other  Churches,  that  it  caqnqt  safely  be  entrusted  Tyith 
the  same  liberties  and  privileges  as  other  religious  communities. 

xwi.—Lectv/res  on  the  Characters  qf  our  Lord's  Apostles,  and 
especially  their  Conduct  at  the  Time  of  his  Apprehension  and 
Trial,  By,  a  Count^^T  Pastob,  Author  of  "  Lectures  on  the 
Scrvpl^re  JRevelations  respecting,  a  Futwe  State.'''*  London: 
Parker. 

^His  volume  is  marked  \iy  th^  yigorousi  logic  ^nd  acute  dis- 
or^^ins^iion  which  are  so  characteristic  of  tl^ei  autl^or's  pub,li9a- 
tiojps,  aii^d  which  ^re  at  tin^^s  coQilpiilQe^  witk  a  freedom  of  specu- 
lation, or  boldness  Qf  thought,  by  up  means  visual  at  the  period 
when  thi^  able  and  distinguished  writer  commenced  his  career. 
It  would  be  needless  for  us  to  mention  more  specifically  the  author 
of  the  work  on  "  The  Scripture  Revelations,"  &c.  That  work 
advocated  the  notion  of  the  sleep  of  the  soul  in  the  intermediate 
state,  and  did  not  contribute  to  ^ai^e  the  writer's  character  for 
o;j^odoky ;  but  we  lu^ve  sincp  then  hj^d  so  maiyf  worse  notiojos, 
af  a  ^orei  ^n^^r9us  speculatioi\s  advai^ced.  by  a  p^etende^  ortho- 
4p?y,  ttii^J  eyen  the  ''  Oouutr][  pastpr"'  ^pears  q\iite  jiarmless 
ii\  cpmpArisqi;!  5  and  the  writer  in  hi^  true  n^tna^,  style,  and  title, 
quite  so.  In  these  days  it  is  ireatly  a  coipfort  to  meet  a  man 
who  is  neither  a  Rationalist  nor  a  Romanist,  and  the  author  of 
the  volume  be£oj*e  us  is  neither  one  nor  the  other.     His  essays 


200  Notices^  S^e, 

on  the  Apostles,  though  full  of  new  and  occasionally  startfingf 
positions,  will  be  read  with  instruction  and  improvement.  We 
extract  one  or  two  passages. 

''  As  for  this  Apostle  receiviDg  the  surname  of  Peter  (Rock),  and 
being  promised  that  '  on  this  rock  Christ  would  build  his  Church/  thii 
prediction  was  clearly  fulfilled  in  two  events.  First,  on  the  day  of 
Pentecost  Peter  took  the  lead  in  addressing  the  Jews\  and  gathering 
them  into  the  fold  of  the  infant  Christian  Church.  And  again,  he  im 
chosen  out  of  all  the  Apostles  to  go  to  Cornelius  and  his  household, 
and  there  begin  the  opening  of  the  Christian  Church  to  the  Gentiles, 

•*  And  here  it  may  be  worth  while  to  remark,  by  the  way,  that  the 
claim  of  a  series  of  men,  in  long  succession,  to  be  each  a  successor  of 
Peter,  as  the  foundaiion'Stone  on  which  the  Church  is  buijt,  is  not  only  | 
groundless,  but  absurd  and  unmeaning.  Even  if  Peter  had  possessed 
all  the  rights  that  have  ever  been  claimed  for  him,  and  if  certain  men  ' 
really  were  his  successors  in  every  thing  else,  still  they  could  not  c(hi- 
ceivably  be  each  of  them  a  foundation.  One  can  understand,  for  in- 
stance, that  Romulus  was  the  founder  of  the  city  of  Rome,  and  that  the 
kings  who  came  after  him  were  his  successors  as  kings  of  Rome ;  but 
they  could  not  possibly  be  each  a  founder  of  Rome," — pp.  13,  14. 

And  again,  on  the  nature  of  faith,  we  have  these  excellent 
remarks : — 

**  For  we  should  remember,  by  the  way,  that  the  virtue  of  their  faith 
was  greatly  enhanced  by  their  ignorance  of  all  that  was  arising.   Eminent 
faith  does  not  consist  in  superior  knowledge.     On  the  contrary,  there 
is  no  room  for  the  exercise  of  faith  in  respect  of  any  thing  which  we 
perfectly  know  and  fully  understand.     A  right  faith  consists  in  a  well- 
grounded  trust  in  some  safe  guide,  when  we  do  not  know  the  reasons  of 
the  directions  he  gives,  and  have  to  take  his  word  for  the  truth  of  what 
he  says.     If  you  believe  that  you  are  sailing  towards  the  land,  when 
you  see  the  land  before  you  in  broad  daylight,  this  would  not  indicate 
faith  in  your  Pilot.     But  you  would  show  your  faith  in  him,  if  you 
believed  this  on  his  word,  in  a  dark  night,** — pp.  23,  24. 

The  volume  abounds  in  this  sort  of  plain  forcible  illustration 
and  argument. 

XXIV. — The  Early  Progress  of  the  Gospel:  in  Eight  SermcnSy 
preached  before  the  University  of  Cambridge^  in  the  year 
MDcccL.  At  the  Lecture  founded  hy  the  Bev.  John  ffuhey  M.A. 
By  William  Gilson  Humphry,  S.D.^  Fellow  of  Trinity 
College^  and  Examining  Chaplain  to  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London* 
London :  J.  W.  Parker. 

These  discourses  are  on  the  following  topics — the  progrees  of 


NoiieeSy  S^e.  SOI 

the  Gospel  an  Evidence  of  its  Truth — the  effect  produced  upon 
Jews  and  Oentiles  by  the  Evidence  of  the  Miracles — the  effect 
produced  upon  Jews  and  Gentiles  by  the  Evidence  of  Prophecy — 
the  Christian  doctrine  and  the  Christian  life — causes  contributing 
to  the  Progress  of  the  Gospel — hindrances  occasioned  by  the 
calumnies  of  the  heathen,  and  by  the  ill  lives  of  nominal  Chris- 
tians— the  effects  of  persecution — the  efforts  made  by  the  heathen 
philosophy  to  resist  and  corrupt  the   Gospel — the  resistance 
made  to  the  Gospel  by  the  Pagan  superstitions — the  relics  of 
Paganism. 

The  above  vdll  afford  some  notion  of  the  class  of  subjects 
treated  of  in  these  Lectures.  We  have  been  most  favourably 
impressed  by  all  we  have  seen  of  the  volume.  The  views  deve- 
loped in  it  appear  to  be  the  result  of  much  reflection,  grounded 
on  a  competent  knowledge  of  the  subject,  and  we  meet  no  ex- 
travagant assertions,  violent  expressions,  or  extreme  opinions. 
There  is  much  of  that  sober-mindedness  and  good  sense  which 
we  have  so  frequently  to  desiderate  in  writings  of  the  present 
day,  and  more  especially  in  works  bearing  on  such  subjects  as 
Mr.  Humphry  has  here  treated.  His  two  concluding  Lectures, 
in  particular,  we  deem  eminently  valuable,  tracing  as  they  do 
with  great  ability,  the  gradual  relaxation  of  Christian  morality, 
and  the  corruption  of  Christian  worship,  under  the  influence  of 

theories  derived  from  Paganism. 

« 

XXV. — A  Short  and  Plain  Instruction  for  the  better  understanding 
of  the  Lord's  SiJtpper^  Sfc,  By  Bishop  Wilson.  With  Notes^ 
hy  a  Priest  of  the  Church  of  England,     London :  Cleaver. 

This  edition  of  Bishop  Wibon's  Introduction  to  the  Lord'^s 
Supper  includes  the  Bubrics,  now  for  the  first  time  added ;  and 
is  accompanied  by  an. immense  mass  of  rubrical  information, 
detailing  the  mode  in  which  service  is  celebrated  in  such  churches 
as  St.  Barnabas,  Pimlico,  Margaret  Chapel,  &c.,  and  also  in  the 
Church  of  Rome.  We  have  no  doubt  the  editor  has  bestowed 
great  pains  and  attention  on  the  study  of  Liurgical  works ;  bu  t 
we  should  have  thought  that  some  better  vehicle  might  have  been 
found  for  his  lucubrations  than  the  pious  and  simple  pages  of 
Bishop  Wilson  on  the  Sacraments.  Is  it  advisable  to  put  into 
the  hands  of  communicants  a  volume  crammed  with  discussions 
about  "  cruets,'^  "  credences,"' "  purificatories,''  and  "  the  Synod  of 
St.  AndrewX  Dunkeld,  and  Dumblane'" — or  even  about  "  prick- 
song  ?"  We  protest  we  cannot  look  on  such  subjects  introduced 
into  such  a  book,  as  any  thing  but  trifling  with  the  most  solemn 
parts  of  religion,  and  reducing  the  Sacrament  to  a  mere  matter 


2Q3  Ni^im,  ^e. 

of  form  and  ceremony.  Are  ritual  matterg  t^e  prppen  subjedf 
for  meditation  at  the  Lord's  Supper  \ 

X3^vi. — De  OhUgatiane  Consdentiw  Frcelectiones  Decern  Oxonii  m 
Sckola  Theohgica  habUcD,  A.p.  mdcxlvii.  A.  |Iobeeto  Sak- 
DEBSONO.  S.  Theohgice  ibidem  Professore  Begio  postea  Epih 
copo  Lincohhiemi*  With  English  ifotes^  includinhg  an  abridged 
Translation  by  William  Whewell,  AD.,  MaMer  of  Trii^ 
CoUege^  S^c.  Edited  for  the  Syndics  of  the  University  Pre^ 
Cambridge :  1 85] .     J.  W.  Parker,  London. 

The  learned  and  ingenious  work  of  Bishop  Sanderson,  "  De  ObG- 
gatione  Oonscieqtise,''  is  in  the  present  edition  placed  before  tiw 
reader  in  a  shape,  for  which  students  in  Ethics  have  reason  to 
reel  indebted  to  Dr.  Whewell.  The  addition  of  indices  to  the 
work  IS  a  great  improvement ;  and  the  summary  at  the  foot  of 
each  page,  fay  Dr.  Whewell,  not  only  facilitates  the  compre- 
hqnsion  of  this  difficult  book,  but  supplies  a  convenient  abndg- 
ment  of  it. 

XXVII. — A  First,  Series  of  Practical  Sermons.  By  the  Bev, 
Frederick  Jackson,  ^ncumb^nt  of  Parson  Drone^Isle  of  Elf* 
Lqi^don :  Hatchards. 

This  volume  contains  twenty  Sermons^  and  we  have  pleasure  in 
expressing  our  opinion,  that  they  furnish  an  excellent  specimen 
of  what  goQ^  parochial  discourses  should  be.  They  are  plain,  and 
tr^ith-telfing,  but  apimated,  earnest,  and  diversified ;  and  while 
unaffected  in  style,  they  appear  to  us  calcula^d  to  arrest  c^nd 
retain  attention.  We  have  not  read  the  whole  of  the  work,  but 
we  have  seen  much  to  admire,  and  nothing  to  disapprove. 

xxviii. — Biblical  Commentary  on  St,  PauVs  First  and  Second 
iJpistUs  to  the  Corinthians,  By  IIerman  Olshausen,  D,D. 
Translated  by  the  Beo.  John  Edmund  Cox,  M,A,  F,S.A,y  &c, 
Edinburgh:  Clark. 

This  Commentary  presents  undoubtedly  a  favourable  specjpdeii  of 
German  criticism ;  but  \ye  confess  our  uneasiness  at  seeing 
Clergy  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  publishers  of  a  decide4ly 
^^  evangelicaF^  character,  engaged  in  the  circulation  of  publics^- 
tions,  which  if  they  are  npt  directly  heterodox  in  themselves,  a^ 
still  dangerous,  from  their  myltiplied  references  to  authors  of  the 
most  unsound  and  grpsaly  rationalistic  views.  We  trust  that  in 
their  anxiety  to  oppose  ^^  Puseyism,"'  a  large  party  in  the  Church 
will  not  become  a  prey  to  the  craifty  devices  of  fals^  philqsoptij. 


waA  be  thus  gradually  deprived  of  that  faith  in  the  Scripture 
which  they  are  now  the  foremost  to  maintain. 

XXIX. — Hildebrcmd  (Fope  Gregory  VII.)  and  the  Excommuni- 
caiedJEfiweror.  4  Tale,  jy  Joseph  Sortain,  4.^.,  Trinity 
CoUege^  Dublin.     London :  Longmans. 

This  Tale  conveys  a  very  different  impression  of  Hildebrand  from 
that  which  has  been  fashionable  of  late,  and  we  believe  much 
more  in  accordance  with  the  truth.  The  terrible  effects  produced 
hy  the  iron  will  and  the  ambition  of  this  great  founder  of  the 
temporal  supremacy  of  Rome,  are  pourtrayed  with  considerable 
power ;  but  we  apprehend  that  the  author  conveys  too  favpurable 
an  impression  of  the  party  opposed  to  the  Pope,  which  was  almost 
equally  bad  in  its  principles  and  conduct. 

XXX. — A  Letter  to  the  Right  Hon.  and  Bight  Rev,  the  Lord  Bishop 
of  London^  in  Explanation  of  some  Statements  contained  in  a 
Letter  hy  the  Rev,  W,  DodswortL  By  the  Rev,  E.  B.  Pusey, 
D.D,^  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew  ;  Canon  of  Christ  Church  ; 
hte  Feltoio  of  Oriel  College,     Oxford :  J.  H.  Parker. 

To  speak  of  this  Letter  in  the  manner  which  its  importance  de- 
serves, would  deman4  more  space  than  is  now  at  our  disposal. 
We  must  therefore  content  ourselves  with  a  very  few  general 
l^marks. 

The  object  of  the  Letter  is  to  afford  an  explanation  of  the 
author's  position  and  principles,  at  a  moment  when  statements  of 
the  religious  system  inculcated  by  him,  originating  with  his  inti- 
mate fnend  Mr.  Dods worth,  had  Ibeen  in  uncontradicted  circula- 
tion for  many  months,  and  had  produced  the  most  powerful 
effects  upon  the  public  mind.  According  to  these  uncontradicted 
statements,  Dr.  Pusey  had  been  engaged  in  promoting  the  spread 
of  Roman  Catholic  tenets  and  practices  within  the  communion  of 
the  EngGsh  Church.  Now,  considering  the  position  which  Dr. 
Pusey  holds  as  the  leader  of  the  Tractarian  party,  and  that  the 
impatation  thus  thrown  on  him  thus  affected  more  or  less  all  who 
were  in  any  way  connected  with  him,  it  does  seem  strange  that 
no  notice  was  taken  of  so  serious  a  charge  for  nearly  a  year  after 
it  was  made.  However,  it  might  have  been  at  least  expected, 
that  when  referred  to,  an  exposition  of  principles  would  have 
been  made,  which  would  have  put  an  end  absolutely  and  for  ever 
to  any  doubts  or  imputations  connected  withi  Mr.  Dodsworth's 
charge.  When  a  true  son  of  the  English  Church  is  specifically 
accused  of  Romanism,  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  nature  of  his 
reply.     He  will  speak  in  such  language  that  there  can  be  no 


tOi  Notices^  ^c. 

further  mistake '.  he  will  declare  that  he  condemns  the  Bomish 
errors  imputed  to  him. 

But  this,  we  regret  to  say,  is  what  Dr.  Pusey  appears  to  be 
incapable  of  doing.  He  publicly  exerted  his  influence  to  prevent 
any  declaration  against  Bomish  error  in  the  course  of  last  autumn, 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Bristol  Unions  and  subsequently  at  a  large 
meeting  of  the  London  Union  on  Church  Matters ;  and  in  the 
work  before  us,  his  whole  effort  throughout  is  to  justify  the  doc- 
trines and  practices  which  he  has  inculcated,  by  quotations  from 
various  writers,  who  are  alleged  to  have  taught  in  the  same  way 
as  Dr.  Pusey ;  and  to  justify  them  without  attempting  to  prove 
that  they  are  not  substantially  identical  with  Bomanism  ; — and 
that  Bomanism  teaches  erroneous  doctrines  on  those  points, 
which  ought  to  be  condemned  and  rejected.  In  short,  the  state 
of  the  case  is  this : — Dr.  Pusey  is  charged  with  having  taught 
Bomish  doctrines.  His  defence  is,  that  others  in  the  English 
Church  have  taught  the  same  doctrines  that  he  has  done !  We 
cannot  conceive  a  weaker  and  a  more  dangerous  line  of  argu- 
ment, inasmuch  as  it  tends  merely  to  transfer  the  objection 
against  his  tenets  to  those  of  the  Church  of  England  generally. 
The  only  effectual  way  of  meeting  the  statement  of  Mr.  Dods- 
worth  was  to  show  that  Dr.  Pusey  could,  consistently  with  his 
teaching  and  practice,  condemn  the  errors  of  Bomanism,  and 
refute  them.  That  he  has  not  done  so  is,  we  fear,  because  he 
cannot  do  so  with  consistency ;  and  because  he  is  resolved  to 
maintain  consistency  at  all  hazards. 

XXXI. — Poems.    ByMAnr  Ada  King.     London:  Hatxshards. 

These  poems  are  the  productions  of  a  very  young  lady,  and  are 
published,  it  appears,  ^^  in  the  faint  hope  of  advancing  the  inte- 
rests of  her  family,  who  have  just  suffered  an  irreparable  affliction 
in  the  death  of  their  beloved  father.'^ 

We  do  not  know  that  we  can  more  effectively  aid  in  this 
object  than  by  transcribing  the  following  lines : — 

"  TO  MY  FATHER,  OK  THE  RECOVERY  OP  A  HEAVY  LOSS. 

"  It  was  not  very  long  ago 
I  saw  a  noble  tree, 
Which  in  a  beauteous  garden  grew, 
And  seemed  its  deity. 

**  Its  stem  was  strong,  its  leaves  were  green, 
It  stood  a  comely  sight; 
Its  foliage  shelter'd  summer  birds. 
And  gave  them  rest  at  night. 


Notices^  Sre.  205 


"  But  soon  the  storm-clouds  gathered  fast, . 
The  viiad  rose  fierce  and  high, 
The  heavens  looked  dark  and  desolate — 
A  tempest  sure  was  nigh, 

"  The  rain  came  down  a  drenching  shower. 
And  lightning  fired  the  sky ; 
The  thunder  roared,  and  shrieking  winds 
Went  madly  raging  hy, 

'*  That  tree  had  weathered  storms  before, 
Whilst  youthful  currents  run, 
And  hoped  to  live  through  future  years 
Beneath  a  genial  sun. 

"  But  Heaven  yet  called  for  better  proofs 
Of  strength  in  battle's  might ; 
Right  well  it  met  the  furious  storm. 
And  nobly  dared  the  fight. 

"  Now  all  the  little  feathered  tribe 
That  sought  in  it  repose, 
To  quit  their  leafy  nests  were  driven 
Before  the  evenincr's  close. 


Full  many  fear'd  the  threatened  loss 

That  dreadful  day  might  bring. 
And  pray'd  to  God  the  storm  might  pass. 

Yet  spare  the  garden's  king. 

**  My  Father,  this  was  like  to  thee, 
When  thou  wert  in  adversity. 

"  The  clouds  withdrew,  the  rain  o'erpast. 
The  winds  forgot  to  sigh. 
The  golden  sun  was  clear  and  bright, 
Thestorm  had  travelled  by."  .  «  •  • 

We  regret  that  space  prevents  us  from  continuing  this  pleasing 
strain  of  poetry.  The  authoress  has  produced  several  pretty 
pieces,  but  her  style  is  occasionally  very  unfinished. 


xxxiT. — Sermons.    By  the  late  Walter  Augustus  Shirley, 
2).Z>.,  Lord  Bishop  of  Sodor  and  Man,     London :  Hatchards. 

Bishop  Shirley  was  a  man  of  no  ordinary  ability  and  piety,  and 
his  Sermons,  like  every  thing  else  that  we  have  seen  of  his,  are 
deserving  of  a  perusal,  and  will  amply  repay  it.  There  is  some- 
thing very  peculiar  in  his  style,  which  is  not  easily  to  be  de- 
scribed— a  flow  of  thought — an  ease  and  eloquence  of  expression 
"*-a  felicity  of  illustration — and  frequently  an  originaUty  of  view, 


26iJ  Nbtiw,  Sre. 

which  gives  a  cohsidei^blb  chkrtn  to  his  writibgd.  ^  ibiii  the  Se^ 
mons  before  us  have  higher  cULims  than  thbse,  iii  the  deep  and 
practical  views  ot  personal  religion  which  tHey  incidcate;  and 
whatever  opinion  may  exist  as  to  the  strict  correctness  of  the 
author's  doctrinal  tenets  in  some  points,  Ho  One  ciin,  we  think, 
refrain  from  recognising  the  fervent  pietjr  and  earnestness  which 
pervade  the  whole. 

if 

xxxiii. — An  Araument  far  the  Boyal  Supremacy.    By  the  Bn, 
Sanderson  Kobins,  M.A.    London:  Pickering. 

Mk.  Bobins  applies  himself,  in  the  volume  before  us,  to  establish 
what  all  our  greatest  diviiles  have  invariably  inaintained^the 
right  and  power  of  Christiati  princes  to  iritetfere  in  the  affairs  of 
the  Churcn.  But  Mr.  Robins  omits  to  point  out,  that  if  Chris- 
tian people  have  a  duty  to  obey  Christian  princes  acting  for  the 
welfare  of  religion,  Ohristiati  princes  and  rulers  have  an  equal 
duty  to  guard  and  protect  religion ;  and  he  may  rest  assured, 
that  if  the  one  duty  is  neglected,  the  other  will  be,  in  the  long 
run,  at  an  end.  It  is  very  truie  that  Christian  princes  have 
authority  over  the  Church ;  but  if  they  should  use  their  autho- 
rity in  opposition  to  God's  law,  and  for  the  |)romotion  of  error 
instead  of  truth,  they  would  not  long  retain  their  authority. 
James  II.  is  an  instance  in  point,  and  some  will  add  Charles  I. 
Let  the  State  be  honest  in  maintaining  Christianity ;  and  it  may 
do  nearly  what  it  pleases.  Such  has,  at  all  times,  been  the 
feeling  of  the  Church. 

XXXIV. — The  Church  of  the  Bedeemed^  or  the  History  of  the  Media- 
tonal  Eingdonft.  Vol.  L  By  the  Eev,  Samuel  Fabmar 
Jarvis,  i>.i>.,  "  Historiographer  of  the  Church^''''  dkc.  Boston : 
Simpson.     London:  Cleaver. 

This  very  learned  and  elaborate  work  is  the  first  volume  of 
Dr.  Jarvis's  History  of  the  Church ;  and,  commencing  with  the 
"  Creation/'  carries  down  the  history  of  the  Church  in  five  periods 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus.  We  observe  that  Dr. 
Jarvis  has  dwelt  at  great  length  on  the  last  period  of  the  Jewi^ 
nationality ;  and,  to  say  the  truth,  we  think  that,  interesting  as 
the  details  supjplied  by  Josephus  are,  it  is  rather  out  of  place  tcf  enter 
at  p-eat  length  on  them  m  a  Church  history.  We  know  that  the 
universal  practiise,  beginning  with  Eusebms,  is  opposed  io  us; 
but  still  we  do  think  that  matters  Hke  this,  which  are  pierfectly 
subsidiary  to  Christianity,  should  not  occupy  the  prominent  plac& 


tli)ey  tob  ofteti  do.  For  ihdtance,  we  find  that  in  the  baH  of  Dr. 
Jarvis^  Work  referrilig  to  the  history  of  this  Churcn  froril  thfe 
Ascension  to  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  a  period  of  forty  years,  thet'b 
are  only  13  pages  out  of  114  which  refer  actually  to  the  history 
of  the  Church.;  the  remaindet  being  occupied  with  the  history  of 
the  Jewd  or  of  the  Boihans.  ,  We  dU  not  know  what  Dr.  Jarvis's 
plan  of  writing  may  be,  but  he  seems  to  us  to  have  taken  a  ylBry 
cursory  survey  of  the  history  of  the  Church  during  this  period ; 
^d  we  shoiifa  have  thoiisht  that  a  pareful  analysis  of  the  Acts 
ana  of  the  hiistory  of  the  Apostles  sub^eqiiejitly  to  the  resbrrec- 
tion,  with  some  references  to  the  legiehds  of  later  times  connected 
^th  this  tithie,  hiight  with  advahta^i^e  have  taken  up  a  portion  of 
the  space  occupied  by  the  Jewish  history.  It  appears  to  us  that 
the  principal  object  is  superseded  by  collateral  and  subsidiary 
topics. 

XXXV. — Poems^  Legendary  and  Historical,  By  EbtvAab  H. 
F&EEMAN,  M.A.^  and  the  Rev*  George  W;  Cox,  8,G,L.^  Ac. 
London :  Longmans. 

This  volume  comprises  a  great  number  of  poems  in  the  ballad 
style  on  historical  subjects ;  and  reminds  us  a  .good  deal  of 
Aytoiin  and  Macaulay.  There  is  considerable  poetical  power  in 
all  we  have  read. 

■  * 

xsLxyu—rSymnarium  Sarishuriense^  cum  BuhHcis  et  Noiis  Mmicis^ 
S^c.     Londini :  liarling. 

A  COLLECTION  of  all  the  old  Latin  hymns  used  in  the  Salisbury 
Breviary,  with  the  old  musical  notation  annexed.  A  considerable 
number  of  MSS,  have  been  collated  for  this  work.  Its  utility 
seems  rather  problematical. 

XXXVII. — Lays  of  Palestine.     London:  Eivingtons. 

A  COLLECTION  of  pocms  oh  the  principal  events  of  the  history 
of  the  Old  Testament ;  evincing  niuch  piety,  considerably  imagi- 
nation, arid  no  particular  felicity  in  composition,  the  style  being 
in  many  cases  rather  involved  and  obscure. 

XXXVIII. — Ttventy-three  Short  Lectures  on  the  Church  Catechism* 
By  Archdeacon  Berens.     London  :  Eivingtons. 

We  should  think  this  work  will  be  found  very  usefiil  by  all  per- 
sons who  are  engaged  in  teaching  the  Churfch  Catechism.    It  fur- 


808  Notices^  Sc. 

nishes  a  complete  popular  commentary  on  it,  and  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  all  the  clergy,  and  all  Sunday-school  teachers  and  schootv 
masters. 

XXXIX. — Ttoelve  Sermons.  By  Bobert  Scott,  M.A.y  Prf 
lendary  of  Exeter^  and  Rector  of  LuffenMm^  Jkc.  London: 
Masters. 

A  SERIES  of  very  able  and  well- written  discourses.  We  havQ 
been  particularly  struck  by  the  earnest  and  faithful  tone  of  the 
concluding  sermon,  on  occLion  of  the  author's  retirement  from^ 
former  parish.  It  is  a  very  solemn  and  touching  appeal  to  Um 
consciences  of  his  hearers. 


xl. — Family  Prayers^  Composed  from  the  Book  of  Psalms  ly  « 
Layman.  Edited  by  G.  W.  Lewis,  M.A.^  Vicar  of  Cricl, 
Derbyshire.     London :  Hatchards. 

The  notion  of  composing  prayers  in  reference  to  the  Psalms  is 
not  a  new  one  ;  for  Mr.  Slade  has  produced  some  very  excellent 
compositions  of  that  nature.  There  is  a  large  fund  of  prayers  ia 
this  volume ;  but  from  the  parts  we  have  read,  we  are  inclined  to 
think  that  many  of  them  would  not  be  very  well  adapted  for 
family  worship. 

XLi. — Sermons^  chiefly  Catechetical,  By  the  Bev.  R.  Drummond 
Rawnsley,  Jl/.^.,  Vicar  of  ShiplaJce.>    London:  Hatchards. 

The  greater  part  of  this  volume  consists  of  a  series  of  sermons 
on  the  Catechism,  which  extends  as  far  as  the  end  of  the  Greed. 
The  discourses  seem  to  be  clearly  and  well  written,  and  in  a  very 
practical  and  Christian  tone.  Their  views  appear  to  be  very 
moderate  and  cautious. 

xLii. — The  Life  Everlasting ;  or^  the  Holy  Life^  the  Intermedials 
Life^  the  Eternal  or  Consummate  Life,  By  John  Whitley, 
D.D.,  Chancellor  of  Killaloe,  Second  Edition,  revised  and  en- 
larged. London :  Hamilton,  Adams,  and  Co.  Dublin :  Hodges 
and  Smith. 

We  are  glad  to  see  a  second  edition  of  this  work,  because  its 
perusal  cannot  fail  to  promote  piety  and  devotion,  and  also 
because  the  large  dimensions  of  the  volume,  and  its  consequent 
price,  render  its  circulation  some  test  of  the  value  placed  on 
works  of  a  meditative  and  thoughtful  character  like  that  before 
14s.     The  style  is  peculiar,  eminently  sententious,  and  uniform 


NaUees^  S^c.  209 

throughout.  Each  sentence  appears  to  be  cast  nearly  in  the  same 
mould  as  its  predecessor,  and,  m  reading  it  aloud,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  avoid  getting  into  a  chant  or  sing-song.  Of  the 
sWle  which  the  book  is  composed  in  throughout,  the  opening 
Of  the  first  chapter  will  furnish  a  correct  idea.  From  the  Preface 
to  the  end  of  the  book  it  is  precisely  the  same. 

"  The  death  of  Christ  is  the  life  of  the  world  :  it  is  the  great  truth 
and  fact  of  revealed  religion ;  at  once  the  delight  and  wonder  of  angels 
it  heaven,  the  fright  and  terror  of  devils  in  hell,  and  the  peace  and 
lardon  of  sinners  upon  earth.  The  passion  is  the  centre  of  all  our 
Itesings,  the  spring  of  all  our  joys,  the  unfailing  and  overflowing 
source  of  life  and  bliss  throughout  earth  and  skies.  For,  *  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain  hath  redeemed  us  by  his  blood,  and  made  us  kings  and 
priests  unto  God  and  the  Father,'  is  the  Hallelujah  of  Heaven.  The 
cross  is  the  prop  and  pillar  of  this  world,  of  all  worlds,  for  evermore. 
On  the  cross  are  based  all  our  present  peace  and  future  hopes.  It  is 
onr  refuge  and  consolation  here  on  earth, — it  will  be  our  boast  and 
triumph  in  heaven  above.  The  cross  is  the  tree  of  knowledge  and  the 
tree  of  life  united  ;  It  opens  our  eyes  to  know  the  truth,  and  it  gives  us 
life  and  power  to  love  and  enjoy  it.  The  cross  is  the  life  of  holiness, 
and  the  death  of  sin, — the  death  of  death  itself,  and  of  him  that  hath  the 
power  of  death,  the  devil.  By  the  bitter  death  and  costly  sacrifice  of 
his  Son,  God  has  inflicted  the  curse,  and  found  the  ransom  of  our  sins ; 
the  debt  has  been  paid,  the  forfeit  exacted,  and  man  redeemed.  Christ 
CD  the  cross  is  the  true  serpent  raised  by  Moses  to  heal  all  the  bites  and 
stings  of  the  old  serpent.  The  surety  and  mediator  of  the  new  cove- 
oant  has  made  a  full,  perfect  and  sufficient  sacrifice,  oblation,  and  satis- 
faction for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  By  raising  our  Surety, 
Representative,  and  Head,  from  the  dead,  God  has  shown  that  the  price 
is  paid,  justice  satisfied,  the  work  accomplished,  guilt  atoned,  and 
sinners  saved." 

This  passage  will  afford  a  fair  specimen  of  Dr.  Whitley's  style. 
Of  his  matter  wer  can  speak  very  favourably.  His  work  evinces 
thought,  research,  and  piety,  of  no  ordinary  stamp — abounding  in 
illustrations  derived  from  ancient  philosophy — from  history — from 
natural  objects,  and  from  science.  Dr.  w  hitley  is  an  orthodox 
Churchman  of  the  old  school,  and  pious  old-fashioned  Christians 
will  hail  the  appearance  of  bis  book  with  joy,  and  give  it  a  niche 
next  to  the  "  Whole  Duty  of  Man,''  and  Jeremy  Taylor's  "  Holy 
Living  and  Dying." 

XLiii. — Lectures  on  the  Four  Gospels  Harmonised.  By  the  Bev. 
L.  Vernon  Hakcouet,  M.A»  Author  of  the  "  Doctrine  of 
the  Beltige,'*''    In  3  vols.     London :  Bivingtons. 

These  volumes  are  amongst  the  most  valuable  accessions  to  our 

VOL.  XV.— NO,  XXIX. — MARCH,  1851.  F 


store  of  homiletic  theology  tfi^t  bftye  conae  under  our  notipe  for  | 
considerable  length  of  tiu^e,  They  cpnsist  of  a,  series  pf  leetupif 
on  the  Gospels  harmonised,  and  arranged  in  short  sectionjs.  Jm 
their  general  character  they  ar^  not  oijly  praptjcaj  and  ^pirij^n^ 
but  they  abound  with  intpljigent  observation,  ^n4  Wfill-^igfistp4  J* 
formation  ;  and  to  the  piore  educated  classeis  they  will  supply  A$ 
kind  of  reading  which  is  perhaps  the  best  possibly  adapted  to  "^ 
their  wants,  combining,  as  it  does,  practical  piety  with  the  de- 
mands of  a  cultivated  mtellect  and  an  intelligent  mind. 

xi.iv.— The  Chronicle  of  Battel  Abbey,  from  1066  to  1176.    Nmi  - 

/irst  translated,  with  Nates,  and  an  Abstract  of  the  subseqfmi  j 

History  of  the  Establishment,     By  Mark  Antony    Lower,  _i 
M,A,,  <tc,     London:  J.R.Smith.     1851. 

To  those  who  have  visited,  or  may  visit,  the  splendid  remans  oi 
Battel  Abbey,  rich  as  they  are  in  historical  recollections,  and  JA 
architectural  beauty,  the  volume  before  us  will  possess  an  inteiaest 
which  rarely  attaches  to  antiquarian  publications.  But  an  original 
monkish  history  of  Battel  Abbey,  comprising  an  almost  conteia- 
porary  account  of  the  Battle  of  Hastings,  of  the  history  of  Wil- 
liam the  Conqueror,  of  the  foundation  of  the  Abbey,  and  of  all 
the  p^^rticulars  connected  with  its  endowment  and  establishment, 
will  possess,  even  for  a  larger  class  of  readers,  a  very  considerable 
value.  The  editor,  whose  family  appears  to  have  been  connected, 
in  the  fifteenth  century,  with  tbie  abbey,  by  some  transfer  of  pro- 
perty, has  executed  his  work  of  translation  apparently  with  great 
care  and  dijigei^ce ;  and  he  has  sqjbjoined  a  continuation  of  tb^ 
history  to  the  latest  period.  Some  well-executed  foe  similes  of 
the  abbey  records,  add  to  the  value  of  the  work. 

XLV. — An  Ecclesiastieal  Biography,  containing  the  Lives  of 
Ancient  Fathers  and  Modem  Divines,  interspersed  with  Notices 
of  Heretics  and  Schismatics,  forming  a  brief  History  of  the 
Church  in  every  Age.  By  Walter  FAKauHAE  Hook,  D.D.j 
Vicar  of  Leeds.     Vol.  VIL     London:  Rivingtons. 

The  labours  of  the  author  of  this  volume,  whether  i^  the  duties 
of  his  important  parish,  or  with  his  pen,  are  enough  to  put  most 
men  to  shame.  Assuredly  Dr.  Hook  is  a  living  proof,  that  the 
production  of  works  of  research  and  of  merit,  does  not  depend  in 
all  cases  on  the  enjoyment  of  what  is  called  *'  literary  leisure:** 
The  amount  of  reading  requisite  to  produce  such  a  vcdume  as 
that  before  us— the  thought  and  labour  involved  in  the  task  of 
selection  luid  abridgment  aione — ^mus^  have  Imm  very  great; 


Imt,  however  Dr.  Hogk  has  been  enabled  to  find  time  to  get 
through  all  his  work,  he  has  certainly  produced  an  excellent 
ifdume  of  biography  in  this  instance.  We  like  all  that  we  have 
read  of  it,  particularly  the  lives  of  Luther  and  Melancthon, 
vfaioh  Qcci^  jp  this  po?rtion  pf  the  work.  We  observe  that 
Dr.  Hook  expects  to  conclude  his  undertaking  in  one  more 
Illume. 

xLvi. — The  Ohronoloffical  New  Testament,  in  which  the  Text  of  the 
authorized  Version  is  newly  divided  into  paragraphs  and  sec- 
tionSy  with  the  dates  and  places  of  transactions  marked,  the 
marginal  references  of  the  TranskUors,  &c.  London :  Black- 
ader. 

This  edition  of  the  New  Testament,  which  is  in  the  words  of  the 
anthorized  Version,  is  divided  into  new  sections  throughout  by 
the  editor,  with  a  view  to  facilitate  its  study  and  comprehension. 
Ohronological  dates  are  frequently  inserted,  and  the  references 
are  added ;  but  we  confess  that  we  are  unable  to  see  that  the 
editor  has  materially  facilitated  the  study  of  the  New  Testament, 
nnless,  indeed,  the  printing  of  the  marginal  references  at  length 
be  considered  a  marked  improvement.  We  think  it  is  very  de- 
sirable ;  but  we  believe  it  has  been  already  done  by  Mr.  Moody. 


uyii.: — 4  popular  Exposition  of  the  Thirty-nine  Articles  of  the 
Ohurch  of  j^gland.  By  Thomas  Stephen,  Medical  Librae 
rum  of  King's  College,  London,  Second  Edition.  London : 
J.  H.  Batty. 

From  aU  we  have  seen  of  this  little  bojok,  it  seems  well  adapted 
for  circulation  amonjs;st  the  intje)ligei^  nuddliQg  closes  and  young 
persons.  It  comprises  niuch  sound  information ;  and  it  certainly 
speaks  out  very  gi^fiilly  against  Homish  errors. 

XL VIII. — Hints  for  ffappy  Homss;  or  AmvMmewts  for  all  Ages. 
London  :  J.  and  C.  Mozley. 

This  tale  is  intended  for  young  persons,  and  combines  a  great 
deal  of  amusing  detail  and  stories,  with  accounts  of  games  ajod 
amusements  oi  all  kinds. 


p2 


212  Nj^ticesy  4rc. 

xLix. — Tales  for  my  Cotuin.     Translated  and  adapted  frm 
German  of  Feanz  Hoffman.    By  Feancis  M.  Wilbi> 
HAM.     London:  Masters. 

A  vEEV  pretty  series  of  tales.    The  young  ''  Robinson  Crusoe 
in  particular  is  extremely  amusing. 


L. — A  Vindication  of  the  Church  of  England:  in  Beply  to  ib 
Bight  Hon.  Viscount  Feilding^  on  his  recent  Secession  to  tks 
Church  of  Borne.  By  the  Bev.  R.  W.  Moegan,  Perpetwi 
Curate  of  Tregynon^  Montgomeryshire.     London :  Rivingtons. 

This  very  able  and  well-argued  defence  of  the  Church  of  England 
deserves  a  far  more  lengthened  notice  than  we  can  afford  to  be^ 
stow  upon  it  at  this  moment.  The  Church  is  deeply  indebted  to 
Mr.  Morgan  for  the  amount  of  energy,  earnestness,  and  learmqg 
which  he  has  brought  to  bear  on  her  defence  in  this  work,  andm 
his  excellent  book  on  the  "  Verities  of  the  Church ;''  and  we  hope 
that  we  may  be  enabled,  in  our  next  number,  to  express  more 
fully  our  sense  of  the  value  of  these  publications,  and  also  of  Mr. 
Collingwood^s  most  sound  and  able  volume  of  Sermons  on  the 
Church. 


LI. — Lectures  on  the  Scripture  Bevelations  respecting  Good  and  Ewl 
Angels.  By  a  Countey  Pastoe,  Author  of  ^*  Lectures  on  the 
Scripture  Bevelations  respecting  a  Future  State?'*  London: 
J.  W.  Parker. 

This  volume  treats  of  the  following  subjects : — Angels — Reasons 
for  Revealing  to  Man  the  Ministrations  of  Holy  Angels — Cessa- 
tions of  Sensible  Angelic  Visits — Evil  Angels — ^Keasons  for 
Revealing  to  Man  the  Existence  of  Evil  Spirits — Demoniacs- 
Temptations  of  our  Saviour  and  his  followers — Prevailing  Errors 
relative  to  Satanic  Agency.  This  will  furnish  some  notion  of  the 
extent  of  the  subject  traversed  by  the  author ;  and  we  are  bound 
to  say,  that  he  has  treated  it  with  all  his  well-known  acuteness 
and  ability,  and  in  such  a  spirit  and  tone  as  the  subject  calls  for. 
His  arguments  and  warnings  against  Rationalistic  and  Socinian 
theories,  and  against  popular  errors  and  superstitions,  appear  to 
be  excellent,  as  far  as  we  can  judge.  The  whole  work,  as  it  seems 
to  us,  is  calculated  to  maintain  those  doctrines  which  arise  from 
the  simple  and  common-sense  view  of  the  meaning  of  Scripture. 


Notices^  ^0.  218 

^^g^Ur-PrimUges,  Duties^  cmd  Perth  in  tJie  EngliA  Branch  ofihs 
•i  Chreh  of  Christy  cut  the  present  time :  Six  Sermons^  preached  in 
Canterbury  Cathedral^  %n  September  and  October^  1850.    By 
r^       Benjamin  Harrison,  M.A.y  Archdeacon  of  Maidstone^  Canon 
o/Canteriury.     London :  Bivingtons. 

We  select  from  these  pious  and  excellent  discourses  the  following 
passage,  as  illustrative  of  the  tone  and  the  principles  which  per- 
lade  them  throughout : — 

"  Infidelity  is  even  now  ready  to  put  itself  daringly  forth  in  various 
ktrms  of  error,  adapted  to  different  ranks  and  orders  of  men,  to  the 
learned  and  ignorant  alike,  '  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  one  with 
another.'     And  the  emissaries  of  Rome  meanwhile  are  ready  on  their 
part,  indulging  at  once  the  spirit  of  progress  and  the  love  of  novelty, 
with  the  semblance  withal  of  antiquity ;  and  that  which  is  to  satisfy  the 
craving  for  absolute  universal  certainty  in  matters  of  religion.     They 
will  be  endeavouring  craftily  to  persuade  men  that  the  middle  way  of 
the  Church  of  England,  the  old  way  which  our  fathers  in  the  faith  have 
trodden  in  purity  and  in  peace,  is  a  delusion  and  a  dream ;  that  there 
18  no  possible  intermediate  course  between  the  unbridled  licence  of  in- 
£ridual  opinion,  a  proud  self-sufficient  rationalism  on  the  one  hand,  or 
<m  the  other  entire  unquestioning  submission  to  the  authority  of  an 
I      in&llible  Church,  and  of  a  supreme  judge  of  controversies,  a  Vicar  of 
Christ  upon  earth.     They  will  be  found  stamping  with  that  usurped 
authority,  falsely  claiming  to  be  Divine,  not  only  the  twelve  new  articles 
which  Papal  supremacy  in  the  sixteenth  century  dared  to  add  to  those 
of  the  ancient  Creed,  but  also  whatever  so-called  *  developments'  the 
spirit  of  a  presumptuous  or  a  profane  theology  may  think  fit  to  engraft 
on  *  the  faith  which  was  once  for  all  delivered  to  the  Saints,*  and  pre- 
served and  handed  down  in  the  Creeds  and  Confessions  of  the  Church 
Apostolic,  not  Roman,  but  Catholic.     Against  the  specious  sophistries, 
the  false  sentimentalism,  and  the  alluring  enticements  of  modern  Ro- 
manism, the  unwary  have  great  need  to  be  put  upon  their  guard ;  and 
those  persons  assuredly  incur  a  heavy  responsibility  and  fearful  peril, 
who  expose  themselves  to   temptation  by  reading  Romish  writings, 
using  Romish  devotions,  attending  Romish  lectures,  allowing  them- 
selves to  be  drawn  within  the  web  of  Romish  influence,  and  ensnared  by 
the  subtlety   of  the   well- practised   controversialists,  the   proselyting 
agents  and  converts  of  the  Church  of  Rome." — pp.  108,  109. 

The  discourses  appear  to  be  marked  by  the  learning  and  the 
sobriety  of  judgment  which  are  eminently  the  characteristics  of 
their  respected  author^s  works. 


S14    ^  Nbiiemy  4*^. 

lAu.—The  Treatise  of  AUmius  Magms  [1193—1280]  Be  aihm 
rendo  Deo:  Of  adhering  to  God.  A  Translation  frm  ike 
Latin,     London  :  G.  Gilpin. 

The  merits  of  this  little  Treatise  of  Albetttis  M^ghos  art  t^ 
detailed  in  the  Translator's  Preface : — 

**  The  treatise  in  question  was  the  highest  teaching  of  his  w^ 
instructed  soul.  Flowing  from  the  centre  of  a  miud,  which  fixed  mt 
the  immovahle  ground  of  faith,  had  surveyed  the  glorious  realities  « 
the  world  in  which  spirit  only  lives,  it  shows  that  de  antepast  of  that 
rest  which  remains  for  the  people  of  God,  could  and  shonld  now  be 
enjoyed  hy  the  new-horn,  in  the  harmonizing  influence  upon  e?erj 
faculty  of  the  mind  which  the  contemplation  of  it  induces.  As  othenj 
who  have  tasted  of  the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  he  felt  and  saw 
that  the  great  antagonizing  power  was  the  world  present,  in  all  its 
material  relations  and  occurrences,  distracting  and  dissipating  the  capa- 
cities of  the  intellect,  and  absorhing  the  affections  of  the  soul ;  and  bj 
personal  actual  process  was  fitted  to  give  the  precious  counsel  afibrded 
in  this  treatise  *  bf  adhering  to  God.'  There  is  nothing  that  partakes 
of  private  bias,  or  Colour  of  aught  that  is  misanthropic,  or  peculiar  to  a 
particular  notion'  or  profession ;  nothing  needing  palliation  or  excep* 
tjon.  The  indwelling  love  speaking  in  the  outflowing  charity  of  ac^ 
the  truth  of  God,  here  as  ever,  shows  itself  the  only  universal." 

It  ajipears  to  us  that  these  encomiums  are  fully  merited  by 
the  Treatise,  which  is  certainly  an  ititferefeting  production^  ai 
having  beeii  written  in  the  thirteenth  century — a  pferiod  bdt 
remarkable  for  purity  of  doctrine. 

Liv. — Hymns  with  Notes,  By  James  Joyce,  A.M.^  Vicar  of 
Dorking.     London:  J.  J.  Guillaume. 

A  COLLECTION  of  short  Hymns  on  scriptural  subjects,  intended 
for  the  use  of  the  poor.  Each  hymn  is  preceded  by  a  passage 
of  iScripture,  and  followed  by  a  note  containing  appropriate  re- 
marks of  a  devotional  character.  It  seems  well  calculated  for 
circulation  amongst  the  poor. 

Lv. — The  Way  through  the  Desert;  or,  the  Caravan.  By  the 
Rev.  R.  MiLMAN,  M.A.,  Author  of  "  The  Voices  of  Barvest^ 
&c.    London:  Masters. 

In  this  very  well- written  parable,  the  author  proposes  to  himself 
to  point  out  the  evil  of  mistaking  outward  diecency  and  re- 
spectability of  life,  and  a  righteousness  according  to  this  world, 
for  that  complete  renovation  and  transformation  which  the  Scrip- 
tures set  before  us  as  the  mark  of  God's  true  children. 


Notie09, 4*^.  Slfi 

Wii — iSdeneB  Simplified,  and  Philosophy^  Natural  and  Eameri^ 
nkmtal^  made  Easy.  By  the  Bev.  David  Williams,  M.A. 
London:  Piper. 

This  Simplification  of  Science,  in  the  shape  of  a  Two-shilling 
hook,^  Contains  a  series  of  questions  and  answers  on  Animal 
P^rsiology,  Vegetable  Physiology,  Mechanics,  Optics,  Astro- 
W9mji  and  G^logy.  Of  course,  it  gives  merely  an  outline.  We 
•faierve  it  is  intended  for  use  id  Scnools,  but  the  style  appears 
ntfaer  too  difficult  to  render  it  available  for  such  a  purpose. 

tvii. — A  Series  of  Texts :  arranged  for  the  Use  of  Christians  in 
the  way  of  Prayer  and  Promise^  in  the  Sope  of  affording  Guidance 
and  Consolation  if^  Seasons  of  Difficulty^  Trials  and  Affliction, 
By  a  Lady.  Edited  hy  the  Bev.  W.  Sinclair,  Perpetual 
Curate  of  St.  George's^  Leeds.     London :  Hatchards. 

This  collection  of  Texts  is  arranged  under  the  various  subjects 
which  are  likely  to  give  comfort  and  to  impart  instruction  in  time 
of  sickness.  The  texts,  comprising  prayers  or  precepts,  and  the 
pttmiises,  are  arranged  on  opposite  pages,  so  that  the  reader  can 
Mss  from  the  duty  pointed  out  to  the  promise  attached  to  it. 
The  [dan  seems  a  good  one,  and  ilovel. 

Lviii. — TheMusewn  of  Classical  Antiquities :  a  Quarterly  Journal 
of  Architecture  and  the  Sister  Branches  of  Classic  Art.  No.  I. 
January^  1851 .     London :  J.  W.  Parker. 

This  is  a  heW  Quarterly  JoUmal,  intended  to  afford  a  medium 
for  cotiamuhicatiohs  from  antiquarians,  architects,  travellers,  and 
others  who  may  feel  interest  in  the  subject  of  classical  antiquities, 
with  a  more  especial  reference  to  architecture  and  the  connected 
bhmches  of  art.  The  number  before  us  contains  able  and  inter- 
esting papers  by  Fra  Gioando,  M.  Hiltorf,  Professor  Donaldson, 
Professor  Schoenborn,  W.  W.  Lloyd,  Esq.,  Edward  Fallconer, 
£sq.,  and  others,  relating  chiefly  to  architecture  and  classical 
remains. 

Lix. — A  Commentary  on  the  Te.  Deum ;  chiefly  from  ancient 
Sources.  By  A.  P.  Forbes,  D.C.L.,  Bishop  of  Brechin. 
London:  Masters. 

The  little  volume  before  us  will  be  acceptable  to  a  considerable 
dass  of  readers :  to  otheta  it  will  not  b^  so.  The  very  illustration 
at  the  commencement  will  give  offence  to  some.     In  it  God  the 


216  Notices^  i^e. 

Son  is  represented  surrounded  by  angels,  one  of  which  bears  the 
Cross,  while,  on  either  hand,  are  seated  a  long  array  of  kings, 
bishops  and  monh.  Some  of  the  authorities  quoted  in  the  body 
of  the  work  will  be  regarded  with  jealousy  at  present.  "  St. 
Thomas  Aquinas''" — "Horst,  Paradisus  Animse''  —  "  L.  de 
Granada''—"  Cornelius  k  Lapide''— "  The  Synod  of  Bethlehem" 
— "  Maldonatus" — "  Rodriguez" — ^'  Lorenzo  Scupoli,''  &c,-Hire 
authorities  more  generally  referred  to  by  Roman  Catholics  than 
by  orthodox  Churchmen.  We  deeply  regret  the  sanction  thus 
given  to  those  who  look  to  Rome  as  their  model ;  and  we  regret 
it  the  more,  considering  all  that  has  been  reported  in  reference  to 
the  author.  We  say  this  with  the  fullest  sense  of  the  piety  which 
distinguishes  the  writings  of  Bishop  Forbes,  and  with  the  highest 
respect  for  his  office  and  himself  personally ;  but  under  a  feeling  of 
no  little  anxiety  and  alarm. 

Lx. — Thoughts  on  impoHant  Church  Subjects.  Seven  Lectures^ 
By  R.  C.  CoxE,  M,A.^  Vicar  of  NewcastU-uponrTyne^  and  Hon, 
Canon  of  Durham. 

Thes£  Lectures  are,  as  appears  from  the  title,  printed  at  New- 
castle-upon-Tyne, "  for  the  Churchwardens  of  St.  Nicholas,"  and 
may  be  had  at  "  the  Vestry,"  and  at  various  booksellers.  Thk 
is  really  most  gratifying.  We  obseiTC  the  volume  is  dedicated 
to  "  Matthew  Lee,  William  Young,  Henry  Ingledew,  and  William 
Nesham,  at  whose  particular  request  and  cost  this  volume  has 
been  published."  We  congratulate  the  excellent  author  on  so 
complete  a  proof  of  the  value  placed  on  his  Lectures  by  his  own 
parishioners.  We  do  not  remember  such  an  instance  of  appre- 
ciation. We  are  also  glad  to  be  enabled  to  add,  that  the  accept- 
ableness  of  these  Lectures  proves,  that  where  a  clergyman  honestly 
and  faithfully  warns  and  guards  his  flock  against  Romish  error, 
he  need  not  fear  to  put  forth  the  rights  of  the  Church  of  England 
as  a  true  and  firm  branch  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Lxi. — No  Need  of  a  Living  Infallible  Guide  in  Matters  of  Faith: 
a  Series  of  Sermons^  recently  preached  in  Whitkirk  Church*  By 
the  Bev.  Arthur  Martineau,  M.A.^  Vicar  of  WhUKrk 
Yorkshire^  and  Sural  Dean.     London ;  Rivingtons. 

Amongst  the  many  publications  which  have  recently  issued  from 
the  press  on  this  and  kindred  topics,  Mr.  Martineau^s  discourses 
on  a  Living  Infallible  Guide  will  hold  an  honourable  place.  His 
Sermons  evince  much  thought,  and  a  perfect  acquaintance  with 
his  subject ;  and  we  shall  be  happy  to  see  thetn  obtain  an  extended 
circulation. 


Notices^  <$•<?.  217 

XXII. — Papod  InfaTliMlity :  a  Letter  to  a  Dignitary  of  the  Church 
of  Bame^  in  Beph)  to  a  Commtmication  received  from  him.  By 
Gr.  S.  Fabee,  5,2>.,  Master  of  Sherborne  Hospital^  and  Pre* 
lendary  of  Salisbury,     London  :  Bivingtons. 

We  have  perused  this  publication  of  Mr.  Faber'^s  with  the 
highest  satisfaction,  and  we  commend  it  to  the  especial  attention 
of  our  readers.  In  a  short  compass  it  comprises  one  of  the  best 
arguments  against  Rome  that  we  remember  to  have  seen.  We 
most  give  our  readers  the  benefit  of  one  or  two  extracts  on  im- 
portant points. 

The  Cfouncil  of  Trent  itself,  as  Mr.  Faber  shows,  appeals  to 
the  testimony  of  antiquity  as  proof  of  Romish  tenets.  The 
Church,  according  to  this  synod,  and  to  the  general  run  of  Bo- 
mish  writers,  always  taught  the  doctrines  she  now  does. 

**  The  Council  of  Trent  professes  to  deliver  nothing  mero  motu.  The 
key-note,  which  runs  through  it  from  beginning  to  end,  is :  that  the 
Entire  Scheme  of  Doctrine,  which  it  propounds,  has  nothing  of  vicious 
Novelty  in  it,  but  was  always  received  in  the  Church  Catholic. 
Semper  hi^c  fides  in  Ecclesia  Dei  fuit.  The  always  of  this  precise 
Scheme,  exactly  as  drawn  out  and  defined  by  the  Council,  constitutes 
the  repeatedly  declared  ground  of  its  obligatory  acceptance.  You  are 
bound,  say  they,  to  receive  it,  not  because  we  declare  it  by  our  own  in- 
sulated private  judgment,  but  because  from  the  beginning  it  has  ever 
been  the  clearly-defined  System  of  the  Universal  Church, 

"  Here,  then,  on  the  very  principle  of  Tertullian's  Canon  as  also  on 
the  principle  of  Vincent's  Canon,  is  a  palpable  Appeal  to  fact.  And 
the  FACT  in  question,  like  any  other  asserted  Fact,  can  only  be  esta- 
blished by  HISTORICAL  TESTIMONY.  The  Infallibility  of  the  Council 
itself  is  virtually  disclaimed.  It  delivers  nothing  by  its  own  naked 
authority:  it  reposes  the  whole  system  of  its  well-defined  Doctrine 
upon  the  asserted  truth  of  an  alleged  fact.  Such  being  the  case,  we 
are  invited,  throwing  all  Conciliar  Infallibility  aside,  to  test  the  Asser- 
tion by  Documentary  Evidence  from  the  very  age  of  the  Apostles, 
For,  unless  the  test  be  carried  up  to  the  First  Preaching  of  the  Gospel, 
We  plainly  have  no  proof  in  the  always. 

**  This  test,  on  the  strength  of  the  Tridentine  CounciPs  own  authori- 
tative recommendation,  I  proposed,  between  twenty  and  thirty  years 
ago,  to  my  then  opponents  Bishop  Trevern  and  Mr.  Husenbeth.  But 
(honor  sit  auribus)  the  former,  though  at  the  request  of  Mr.  Massing- 
berd,  who  desired  me  to  answer  his  so-called  Discussion  Amicale^  I  was 
even  ultraistically  polite  to  ^em,  was  so  disgusted  with  me^  that  he  de« 
clared  he  would  never  read  another  line  of  what  I  wrote :  while  the 
latter,  who,  uninvited  by  myself,  somewhat  literally  took  up  the  cudgels 
for  him,  pronounced  me  a  bom  natural  for  putting  forth  so  absurd  and 
unreasonable  a  test  as  an  Appeal  to  Historical  Testimony,  albeit  pro- 
pounded by  the  Council  of  Trent  itself. 


£18  Nvtiees^  4*9* 

"  Still,  it  was  necessary  to  say  sotheihing :  tLtiii  accordingly,  a  rejitj 
Iras  attempted  by  each  of  th6  two  gentlemen  ;  and,  sirice  tlieii^  yet  t 
third  reply  to  the  difficulty,  though  not  professing  to  be  sucb,  has  bbm 
put  forth  by  our  friend  Mr.  Newman  in  his  Work  on  Development, 

"  1.  Dr.  Trevern,  in  his  answer,  censured  the  unreasonableness  of 
tequiring,  from  the  Documents  of  the  three  first  centuries,  anjr  wrUten 
proofs  of  the  repeated  statements  of  the  Coiindl  of  Trent^  that  the  Fsitk 
defined  by  that  Council  had  always  been  in  the  Church  of  God !  be- 
cause, said  he,  the  Disciplina  Arcani  fbrbad  all  committing  of  tfae 
Doctrines  of  the  Church  to  wriiing ;  and  delivered  them,  oraUy  dkni, 
to  the  initiated." — pp.  16 — 18. 

"2;  Mr.  Husenbeth,  when  he  stepped  forward  as  ithe  proky  of  tlie 
bishop,. took  up  quite  a  difietent  ground :  but^  unluckily,  it  was  altd" 
gether  inconsistent  with  that  of  his  principal )  insomuch  that,  of  very 
necessity,  the  one  made  the  other  untenable. 

**  From  this  gentleman,  we  hear  nothing  of  Dr.  Trevern's  solution  of 
the  difficulty  through  the  medium  of  the  DiseipHna  AreaHi.  On  the 
contrary,  his  solution  isj  hot  that  the  proofs  Were  never  cbttiihitted  to 
ttritingt  but  that  they  had  been  coriimitted  to  writing  though  uiihAppilj 
through  the  envy  of  Time  they  had  all  perished, 

'*  As  for  my  luckless  self,  he  aters,  that  I  inust  be  an  absdlutd  sim- 
pleton to  think  of  derii^nding  nfTttten  proofs  of  the  Tridentine  Assertion 
fh>ni  the  documents  of  the  three  first  centuries.  When  so  maby  of  them 
had  been  lost,  that  the  scanty  reillnant  formed  oiily  so  many  broken 
slepping'Stones, 

**  I  stop  not  to  calculate  the  number  and  to  measure  the  bulk  of 
Mr.  Husenbeth's  stepping-stones,  though  soiiie  majr  think  that  he  con- 
siderably Uhderrated  both  theit  tale  and  their  dimensions.  Be  that, 
however,  as  it  may,  he  confessed  his  inability  to  produce  the  required 
Written  Documentary  Proofs. 

**  According,  then,  to  Dr.  Trevem,  no  Written  Prod/s  eter  existed: 
according  to  Mr.  ttusenbeth.  Written  Proofs  certainly  had  existed  in 
despite  of  the  Disciplifid  Arcani i  but  Unluckily  they  had  all  perished. 

"  Thus,  in  their  theorieSy  the  two  gentlethen  differed  toto  ccelo :  but, 
fn  the  fact,  that,  from  the  Written  Docurhetits  of  the  three  first  centu- 
ries, they  could  produce  no  jyroofoi  the  large  Tridentine  always,  they 
fully  agreed.  And,  accordingly,  from  that  day  to  this,  neither  of  them 
has  given  the  required  proofs. 

**  3.  So  the  case  stood,  when  I  was  engaged  with  these  two  Divines^ 

"  At  that  time,  neither  they  nor  myself  hAd  ever  heard  of  the  prin- 
ciple of  Devjslopmei^t  ;  though  it  must  be  confessed,  that  Mr.  Husen^ 
beth,  whatever  he  might  mean,  declared  his  ability  to  prove  the 
ALwAts  in  the  three  first  cetlturies,  albeit  hot  in  the  precise  manner  so 
nnreasonably  requited  by  myself.  But,  subsequently i  this  same  prin- 
ciple (unless  Dr;  Moehlor  be  a  rival  for  the  honour  of  its  invention)  has 
been  propounded,  in  mood  and  form,  by  bur  ingenious  friend,  Jfr. 
Newman ;  and  has  been  adopted ;  I  observe,  as  satisfactory,  by  yourself. 

"  With  bipi;  you  state :  that  j:hp  Qerm  (such  is  yotir  owrt  very  appto^ 


{triftte  wovi)  ^  til  tlie  doctrines  which  the  Tridentines  assert  to  have 
fliwAvi  Miitlfcl  in  the  Church  Catholic,  i«ally  did  thus  exist ;  though 
4be  Oerm  itself  was  only  gradually  developed  and  expanded,  through  a 
long  succession  of  fructifying  ages,  into  the  maturity,  if  indeed  the  Jnii 
ttltority,  of  the  Tridentine  Definitions. 

**  This  new  theory  may,  peradventurei  be  a  making  the  best  bf  ati 
ijlTjeterate^y  bad  case :  but  like  the  two  former  theories  of  Dr.  Trevem 
afld  Mr.  Husenbethi  it  really^  so  far  as  respects  the  three  first  centuries 
(eren  to  say  nothing  of  many  still  later  ages),  gives  up  the  matter."-— 
f^.  16 — ^30. 

We  canndt  specify  any  more  of  the  excellent  points  made  by 
Mr.  Fab^r  in  this  pamphlet,  but  we  should  like  to  see  it  printed 
ill  a  cheafi  form  and- largely  circulated.  It  is  the  best  of  his  pro- 
ductions we  remember  to  have  seen. 

Miscellaneous. 

Ahdi768t  paibphlets  atid  publicatiotis  bearing  on  the  i*ecent  dis- 
tittSsioiis  caused  by  thd  Papal  aggression,  and  the  Ritual  contest, 
ftte  the  foUoiring : — ^'  Remarks  on  the  Itifluence  of  Tractdrianism, 
dr  Church  Principled,  so  called,  in  promoting  Secessions  to  the 
OhuriBh  of  RbtniB,^'  by  the  Rev.  Tbeyre  T.  Stnith,  M.A.,  Vicar  of 
Wymondhami  &c.  (London  :  Felldwes) — a  very  sierious,  thought- 
fill,  and  well-reasoned  publication,  deserving  of  the  fullest  atten- 
tioti ;    "  The  glorious   Liberty  of  the   Children   of  God,"    by 
^^  Emancipator,    a  nominal  attack  on  Romanism,  but  recdly  on 
the  EilgHsh  Church  ;    ^'  A  Letter  to  the   London  Union  oh 
(burch   Matters,''  by  the  Rev.  Edward   Edwards,  Rector  of 
Penegoes  (Hatchards),  a  distinct  and  manly  avowal  of  sound  prin- 
ciples, including  a  repudiation  of  the  Romanizing  tendencies  of 
some  8oi-d%$atS  Churchmen ;  "  St.  Mary  the   Virgin  and  the 
Wife,''  by  the  Rev.  J.  Moultrie  (Whittaker),  a  poem  for  cih5u- 
btidn  amongst  the  poor,  conveying  much  sound  instructioti  in 
^position  to   the  wiles  of  Romish  proselytism ;  "  The  Black 
Fever,"  anotheir  poem,  in  reference  to  Romanism,  by  the  same 
author ;  "  St.  Paul's  Prediction  of  the  Falling  Away,  and  the 
Man  of  Sin,"  four  Lectures,  by  the  Rev.  J.  W.  Gleadall,  A.M. 
(Cuming),  applying  those  prophecies  to  the  Church  of  Rome, 
in  a  popular  way ;  "  The  Jurisdiction  of  the  Crown  in  Matters 
^iritual :  A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  M.  E.  Manning,"  by  the  Rev. 
F.  Vincent,  advocating  the  Royal  Supremacy,  but  temperately, 
ahd  in  a  right  spirit,  and  alluding,  in  a  respectful  tone,  to  the 
doubts  entertained  of  the  faith  of  the  clergyman   addressed; 
"  Sound  an  Alarm,"  a  Sermon,  by  the  Rev.  C.  Gutch  (Mdsters), 
in  opposition  to  the  proposed  suggestions  for  altering  the  Pl^yet 
Book ;  "  What  is  the  Church,"  a  Sermoh,  by  the  ReV.  EdWard 


S20  NotieeBf  Sfc. 

Stuart  (Masters),  alleging  that  we  have  the  same  means  of  grace 
as  are  found  in  the  Church  of  Rome ;  "  Rome's  Outworks,"  by 
the  Rev.  C.  R.  De  Havilland  (Hatehards),  an  able  and  wdf' 
reasoned  refutation  of  Romanism,  and  containing  suggestions  fi» 
its  repression ;  "  The  Hunting  and  Finding  Out  of  the  Romsh 
Fox*"  (J.  W.  Parker),  a  reprint  of  a  curious  tract  against  Roman- 
ism, written  by  Dr.  Turner  in  1543 ;  "  Substance  of  a  Speech  at 
a  Public  Meeting  at  Monmouth,'' '  by  Samuel  Bosanquet,  Esq. 
(Hatehards),  a  well-meant,  but  rather  wild  production,  appearing 
to  throw  the  blame  of  divisions  quite  as  much  on  the  Uhurch  w 
England  as  on  Dissenters;  "  Was  St.  Peter  ever  at  Rome? by 
the  Rev.  J.  S.  M'Oorry"  (Dolman),  a  laboured  attempt  to  prove 
that  St.  Peter  was  at  Rome,  and  that  Rome  was  the  Babylon  of 
the  New  Testament, — rather  an  incautious  line  of  argument  for  a 
Romanist !    "  Historical  and  Practical  Remarks  on  the  Papal 
Aggression"  (Rivingtons),  a  very  unsatisfactory  tract,  calculated 
to  unsettle,  rather  than  confirm,  faith  in  the  English  Church; 
"  The  Present  Crisis,"  four  Sermons,  by  the  Rev.  J.  S.  M.  Ande^ 
son  (Rivingtons),  very  sound,  learned,  and  able  in  its  references 
to  Romanism  ;  *'  Earl  Grey's  Circular,"  by  Dudley  M.  Perceval, 
Esq.   (Rivingtons),   pointing   out  the  encouragement  given  to 
Romish  Aggression  by  the  conduct  of  the  Colonial  Minister; 
"  The  Position  of  our  Church  as  to  Rome,"  a  Sermon,  by  the  Rev. 
Wilson  Pedder  (Masters),  arguing  the  Catholicity  of  our  Church 
against  Rome ;  ''  On  the  Mode  of  Improving  Present  Oppo^ 
tunities,"  by  the  Rev.  T.  A.  Maberly  (Masters),  suggesting  an 
application  for  Convocation,  and  the  freedom  of  the  Church; 
"  The  Peril  of  Papal  Aggression,"  by  Anglicanus  (Bosworth),  a 
vigorous  attack  on  Romish  error  and  intolerance,  and  a  recom* 
mendation   of  repressive  measures;     "  Where    has  the   Pope 
aggrieved  ?"  by  the  Rev.  H.  Newland  (Masters),  dissuading  from 
all  opposition  to  the  Papal  Aggression  ;  "  The  Church  of  Eng- 
land not  High,  not  Low,  but  Broad  as  the  Commandment  of 
God,"  a  Letter  to  the  Prime  Minister,  by  T.  W.  Peile,  D.D. 
(J.  W.  Parker),  suggesting  an  improved  organization  of  the 
Church  of  England,  with  its  Synods  and  augmented  Episcopacy, 
as  the  true  mode  of  meeting  Romish  Aggression : — a  very  valu- 
able pamphlet ;  "  Papal  Aggressions ;  how  they  should  be  met," 
by  "  a  Member  of  the  United  Church  of  England  and  Ireland " 
(J.  W.  Parker),  recommending  the  expulsion  of  Tractarians  from 
the  Church ;  "  Danger  to  the  Faith,"  a  Sermon  at  Haverstock 
Hill,  by  the  Rev.  J.  Baines  (Kingcombe),  published  by  request  of 
the  congregation,  and  speaking  even  more  freely  against  State 
Aggression  than  against  Papal  Aggression ;  ^*  Cautions  for  the 
Times"  (J.  W,  Parker),  ably  written  tracts  on  matters  connected 


NaticeSj  S^e.  221 

mth  the  present  state  of  the  Church,  and  on  Papal  Aggres- 
sion ;  ^'  Notes  on  the  Constitution  of  Sheepfolds,^  by  J.  Buskin 
(Smith,  Elder,  and  Co.),  a  curious  medley  of  opinions  on  Church 
matters,  violent  against  the  priesthood,  urgent  for  an  increased 
Episcopate,  for  Church  discipline,  and  for  the  union  of  Protes- 
timts ;  "  The  Unfruitful  Vineyard,'^  a  Sermon,  by  the  Eev.  H. 
Lomas  (Masters),  veiy  indignant  at  Lord  John  Bussell^s  Durham 
Letter ;  ^'  The  True  Cause  of  Dishonour  to  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land,'^ by  the  Bev.  C.  Marriott  (J.  H.  Parker),  pointing  out 
State  Agression  as  the  cause  of  fear  now ;  ^'  A  Practical  Ad- 
dress on  Becent  and  Coming  Events  within  the  Church,^**  by  the 
Eev.  Greorge  Sandby  (Painter),  strongly  adverse  to  the  Tractarian 
party,  and  yet  not  opposed  to  some  alterations  in  our  present 
system  in  the  direction  of  Synods  or  Church  assemblies  of  some 
sort. 

We  have  also,  amongst  other  pamphlets  bearing  on  these  and 
similar  questions.  ^'  Lights  on  the  Altar,^^  by  a  Layman  (Biving- 
tons),  disapproving  the  practice;  "Tractarian  Tendencies,''  by  Bev. 
Dr.  Worthington  (Hatchards),  a  strong  attack  on  Mr.  Bennett ; 
"  Dr.  Arnold  and  Bev.  W.  J.  E.  Bennett,"  by  John  Wynne,  an 
equally  strong  attack;  "Party  Spirit,''  by  Bev.  Canon  Trevor 
(nell),  an  expostulation  with  the  Vicar  of  Sheffield,  who  had  pre- 
vented him  from  preaching  in  the  parish  church ;  "  A  Plea  for 
United  Besponding  in  the  Public  Worship,"  by  Bev.  J.  F. 
Hodgson  (Masters),  a  useful  tract ;  "  Assertions  not  Proofs :  an 
Examination  of  the  Bev.  D.  Wilson's  Appeal"  (Masters),  an 
argument  against  Mr.  Wilson's  proposals ;  "  Puseyites  (so-called) 
no  Friends  to  Popery,"  by  Bev.  J.  Ingle:  a  well-meant  pamphlet, 
but  defending  a  cause  which  is  no  longer  defensible ;  ^^  The 
Prayers  to  be  said  or  sung,"  by  the  Bev.  W.  B.  Flower  (Masters), 
in  vindication  of  ritualism ;  "  A  Beview  of  Bev.  W.  J.  E.  Ben- 
nett's Letter,"  by  W.  Thorpe,  D.D.  (Seeleys),  in  strong  opposi* 
tion  to  ritualism;  "Defence  of  the  Orthodox  Party  in  the 
Church  of  England,"  by  Hon.  Colin  Lindsay  (Masters),  com- 
prising a  defence  of  the  alterations  in  divine  worship  recently 
effected,  and  general  defence  of  what  the  author  calls  the  "  High 
Church  Party ;"  "  A  Letter  to  Lord  Ashley,"  by  a  Lay  Member 
of  the  Churcn  of  England  (Seeleys),  suggesting  alterations  in  the 
direction  of  dissent ;  "  Statement  of  the  Clergy  of  St.  Saviour's  " 
(Masters),  an  attack  on  the  Bishop  of  Bipon  for  attempting  to 
suppress  Bomanizing  practices ;  "  Memorial  of  the  Church- 
wardens of  Westbourne,"  by  Bev.  H.  Newland  (Masters),  a  tract 
in  which  the  extreme  indulgence  and  kindness  of  the  Bishop  of 
Chichester  stands  in  strong  contrast  to  the  tone  of  defiance 
adopted  by  Mr.  Newland.     Amongst  other  publications  we  may 


322  NatioeBj  ^c. 

Qpticp  ^'A4ult  Evening  Scbpob)'^  a  Letter  to  tbe^  Bishop  of 
Np^wififa  \yy  a  Oountry  Curate  (LoDgmans),  from  wM<^b  the  fi^- 
tpwiog  pas3age  ^  extracted : 

^'  The  author  of  these  pages  entered  upon  the  curacy  of  two  parisliei 
in  this  diocese  in  Octoher.  Though  for  the  education  of  the  rinig 
generation  of  the  poor  of  both  parishes  ample  provision  has  been  msdi 
for  some  years  past,  the  older  inhabitantSi  as  in  most  parts  of  fStim 
diocese,  are  lamentably  ignorant.  To  remedy  this,  Adiilt  Eveniag 
Schools,  meeting  three  times  a  week,  were  established  in  both  parishflSf. 
the  m^agement  of  which  was  confided  to  the  authon  They  met  te 
the  Qrst  time  on  the  3rd  and  4th  of  December.  At  Parish  A»  fthi 
number  on  the  first  night  w^  11 ;  at  Parish  B,  10.  After  the  thiii 
w,ee|s,  the  members  greatly  increased ;  and  the  average  attendance  ftv 
some  time  has  been  nearly  27  at  Parish  A,  and  nearly  40  at  Parish  B« 
The  extent  of  knowledge  at  these  schools  is  of  a  most  elementiur^ 
nature.  At  Parish  A,  not  mpre  than  3  or  4  can  read  with  fluency.  At 
B,  the  first  class,  containing  14  or  15,  read  fairly  ;  the  second  class,  mr 
perfectly  ;  and  some  in  the  third  class  cannot  read  at  all.  Writing  and 
arithmetic  are  in  the  same  elementary  state. 

"  But  a  gratifying  feature  presents  itself,  in  the  high  promise  whidi 
these  schools  afford.  The  payments,  for  which  no  credit  is  allowed,  aie 
willingly  made  ;  the  desire  to  improve  is  most  eager ;  and  the  advance- 
ment is  most  rapid.  Men  who  could  not  read  a  word,  can  now  read 
and  spell ;  some  who  had  never  formed  a  letter,  can  now  write  neally 
qn  paper.  In  the  first  class  at  Parish  B,  men  who  could  read  on  aftir 
a  fashion,  but  not  spell,  nor  bear  to  be  questioned,  can  now  spell  veUt 
and  answer  questions  arising  fi'om  the  subject,  readily  and  with  gQ9to» 
They  are,  indeed,  most  eager  tQ  obtain  knowledge,  and  in  most  cf^m 
they  endeavour  pn  off  nights  to  improve  themselves  at  home.  'po$ 
interest  too,  comparatively  unfelt  before,  which  they  take  in  the  pro- 
gress of  their  children  or  relations  at  jthe  National  Schopls,  is  most 
pleasing  and  valuable. 

*'  I  might  here  state  ray  firm  conviction,  that  had  the  study  of  vpoil 
music  been  introduced  (which  a  local  circumstance  forbade)  the  numben 
would  have  been  far  greater.  As  it  is,  I  have  good  reason  for  expect- 
ing that  the  following  winter  will  witness  a  more  numerous  attendance, 
even  without  such  a  popular  inducement. 

*'  At  Parish  B,  almost  all  of  those  who  are  not  necessarily  engaged, 
meet  between  services  on  the  Sunday :  though  no  one  is  ^en  present  but 
themselves,  they  are  most  orderly  and  assiduous  under  the  conduct  of 
the  monitors.  They  afterwards  proceed  to  church.  Attendance  on  the 
Sunday  is  quite  optional. 

I<  The  following  is  an  analysis  of  the  ages  of  the  Adults  at  Parish  B  :— 
1    above    40  4    above    25 

8        ,,       30  11        „       20 

15  above  16." 

pp.  18»  14. 


Notices,  ^c.  223 

"  These  schools,  now  in  the  second  year  of  their  institution,  are  more 
prosperous  than  ever.  They  were  re-opened  in  the  early  part  of  October : 
vocal  music  is  introduced,  and,  even  after  paying  a  singing  master,  the 
whole  system  is  entirely  self-supporting, 

'*  An  important  and  most  satisfactory  feature  in  the  plan  is,  the 
fhorough  approval  it  meets  with  from  all  classes.  At  Parish  A,  the 
school  is  most  efficiently  conducted  by  a  private  gentleman,  to  whom  the 
author  will  ever  feel  most  gratefully  indebted ;  and  his  own  occasional 
]Besence  is  not  a  matter  of  necessity,  but  a  source  of  pleasure  and 
ia^fsfiEu:tion. 

"At  Parish  B,  in  which  the  author  is  resident,  another  friend  to  the 
qiuse  h^  come  forward  as  a  regular  iostractor,  apd  the  author's  labours 
btfe  been  much  lightened  by  the  assistance  of  volunteers.  Of  these — 
ti^  employers  of  the  pppils— more  would  be  happy  to  aid  were  their 
Miistance  really  needed." — pp.  15,  16. 

W  ehave  to  notice  the  "Family  Almanac^'  for  1861  (J.  H. 
Parker),  as  containipg  a  great  deal  of  information  abou^}  Foun- 
dation aqd  Grammar  Schools  ;  "  The  Calendar  of  St.  Augustine''s 
College''  (BivipgtoDs),  an  interesting  vo}ume;  a  "Sermon/'  by 
Bev.  T.  Woodward,  at  the  Consecration  gf  the  Bishop  of  Meath, 
very  a]ble  and  sound ;  a  "  List  of  all  the  Sees  of  the  Eastern 
Ghureb,"  hj  Bev.  J.  M.  Neale ;  "  Scripture  Politics,''  a  Sermon 
U  Bev.  0.  Girdiestopis  (BiviQgtoas),  advocating  .Christian  prin- 

a)le  as  the  only  tri^je  guide  in  politics  ;  "  The  Naturalist,"  a  cheap 
(Mitfaly  Magazine,  on  subjects  referring  to  natural  history,  edited 
bf  Dr.  Jd orris  (6i*oombrid^),  and  apparently  very  well  executed ; 
"Parochial  Papers  on  Missions  "  (J.  H.  Parker),  containing  sug- 
gations  for  establishing  parochial  associations  for  missionary 
porposos;  "The  Church  patient  in  her  mode  of  dealing  with 
Controversies,"  a  Sermon,  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Haddan  (J.  H.  Parker)  ^ 
"The  Pew  Question"  (Masters),  relating  the  successful  issue  of 
an  attempt  to  make  a  cliurch  free ;  "  Goa  is  Love,"  a  Sermon,  by 
Sev.  H.  M.  Wagner,  relating  to  the  refusal  to  makie  a  Church- 
rate  at  Brighton;  "Substapce  of  Speeches  at  Bridgend  an4 
Newport "  (J.  W.  Parker),  containinff  most  interesting  accounts 
of  jbhe  static  of  religion  in  South  Wales,  and  the  exertions  npw 
being  made  to  meet  the  destitution  so  prevalent  there ;  "  Two 
Sermons,"  by  Eev.  Osmond  Fisher  (Eivingtons),  very  sound  and 
excdlent  discourses  in  reference  to  the  Papal  Aggression,  and 
pointing  out  the  necessity  for  the  revival  of  synodal  action. 


ffottion  anil  Colonial  inttUistmt^ 

Africa. — Diocese  of  Cape  Town. — Visit  of  the  Bishop  to  a  K§§0 
Chief. — The  Bishop  of  Cape  Town  paid  a  visit,  in  August  last,  to  t 
Kaffir  chief,  named  Umhala,  of  the  T'Zalambie  tribe,  at  his  kraal,  M 
the  Groubic,  near  Fort  Waterloo.     Having  encamped  at  a  short  dii- 
tance  from  the  kraal,  the  Bishop,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  F.  Fleming; 
who  carried  a  blanket,  and  some  beads  and  knives,  as  presents,  and  bf 
Mr.  G.  Shepstone,  the  interpreter  to  the  T'Zalambie  Commissioner,  pro- 
ceeded on  foot  to  the  Kaffir  camp.     He  was  received  by  Umhala  in  his 
hut,  in  the  presence  of  his  counsellors,  sons,  and  wives,  amounting  in 
all  to  forty  or  fifty  souls.     The  hut  was  large  and  spacious,  built  on  a 
circle  of  poles,  about  seven  or  eight  feet  high.     In  the  centre  was  a 
wood-fire,  the  smoke  from  which,  with  the  fumes  of  tobacco,  filled  the 
atmosphere.     The  Bishop  sat  near  the  door  of  the  hut  on  the  ground, 
on  a  skin,  with  Mr.  Shepstone  and  Mr.  Fleming  on  either  side  of  him. 
Umhala  sat  opposite,  in  the  middle.     The  Bishop  opened  the  interview 
by  asking  Umhala,  through  the  interpreter,  if  he  knew  him,  and  where 
he  had  seen  him.     He  replied,  *'  Yes,  I  know  you,  you  are  the  *  inkosi 
enkulu '  (great  chief)  of  the  Christians,  and  I  saw  you  with  Smith  at 
the  great  meeting  at  King  William's  Town."     The  Bishop  then  informed 
him  that  he  was  come  to  see  him,  and  converse  with  him  about  sending 
him  a  missionary,  or  teacher,  to  instruct  him  and  his  people  in  the  ways 
of  God.     Umhala  expressed  at  some  length,  and  with  warmth,  his  ob- 
ligations for  the  visit,  and  thanked  the  Bishop  for  his  offer  of  a  teacher, 
saying,  he  would  treat  him  very  kindly  when  he  came,  and  listen  to 
him.     The  Bishop  then  informed  him,  that  he  brought  him  a  present  of 
a  blanket,  at  which  he  seemed  much  pleased,  received  it  from  Mr. 
Fleming,  and  then  rose,  and  shaking  hands  with  the  Bishop,  thanked 
him  very  warmly.     The  Bishop  next  asked  Umhala,  if  the  Archdeacon 
had  not  lately  paid  him  a  visit  ?     He  replied,  "  Yes,  and  he  liked  him 
very  much,"  adding,  "  if  you  send  me  teachers  for  my  people  he  moit 
be  one  of  them."     The  Bishop  explained  that  he  could  not  spare  the 
Archdeacon,  as  he  was  a  chief  among  the  Christians.     "  Of  that  I  so 
aware,"  replied  Umhala,  "  but  I  am  a  chief  among  my  people  the 
T'Zalambies,  and  a  chief  ought  to  be  taught  by  a  chief.     You,  the 
great  chief,  1  know  cannot  come  to  me,  as  you  have  to  travel  far,  I 
hear,  but  he  must  come."     The  Bishop  again  tried-  to  explain  that  he 
could  not  spare  the  Archdeacon  for  missionary  work  ;  but  the  old  chi^ 
though  assenting  to  all  the  Bishop  said,  invariably  returned  to  his  point, 
"  that  he  must  have  the  Archdeacon  as  his  teacher."     The  Bishop  asked 


Fi^reign  and  Colonial  IntdUgenee.  225 

bim,  '*  why  he  was  so  anxioas  for  him  in  particular?"  To  which  he 
replied,  "  that  he  liked  him — he  was  a  fine  fellow — a  chief — ^and  ought 
to  teach  a  chief."  The  Bishop  told  him  "  that  a  young  man,  the  son  of 
one  of  our  greatest  chiefs  over  the  seas,  had  offered  to  come  and  be  his 
teacher."  Umhala  replied,  **  he  was  very  much  obliged  to  him ;  he 
might  come,  and  he  would  be  glad  to  have  him,  but  the  Archdeacon 
must  come  too." 

The  Bishop  then  in  a  few  words  explained  to  them  what  their  mis- 
sionaries, when  they  arrived,  would  teach  them.  They  all  listened, 
some  most  attentively.  Having  ended  his  discourse,  the  Bishop  pro- 
ceeded to  distribute,  through  Mr.  Fleming,  presents  to  the  chief's  chil- 
dren and  counsellors,  &c.,  consisting  of  beads  and  knives ;  after  which 
he  partook  of  some  curded  milk  offered  him  by  way  of  refreshment.  The 
Bishop  took  particular  notice  of  the  children,  as  one  by  one  they  were 
presented  to  receive  their  string  of  beads — Umhala  all  the  while  enume*> 
rating  his  family,  consisting  in  all  of  eight  wives  and  twenty-six 
diildren.  After  a  lengthened  interview,  the  Bishop  took  his  leave,  and 
Ktumed  to  his  own  encampment.  The  next  morning  at  breakfast- time 
the  chief  appeared,  attended  by  his  eight  wives,  and  reminded  the 
Bishop  that  he  had  forgotten  to  give  presents  to  them  the  night  before* 
His  Lordship  promised  each  of  them  a  handkerchief,  which  seemed  to 
please  them  much,  and  after  giving  them  some  breakfast,  took  leave  of 
the  old  chief,  who,  at  parting,  presented  the  Bishop  with  his  assagai,  as 
a  token  that  there  was  peace  between  them. 

Liberia. —  The  American  Minion. — The  Mission  of  the  American 

Church  to  Liberia  is  in  a  most  promising  condition.     The  Rev.  John 

Payne,  D.D.,  the  long-tried  and. faithful  Missionary  at  Cape  Palmas, 

who,  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  triennial  Convention,  at  Cincinnati,  was 

sleeted  Bishop  for  the  Mission  in  West  Africa,  is  about  to  return  from 

Liberia  to  the  United  States,  for  the  purpose  of  being  consecrated.    The 

Rev.  C.  C.  Hoffman  sailed  from  Baltimore  for  Cape  Palmas,  on  the  21st 

of  Dec.     At  this  station  multitudes  of  the  natives,  with  their  children, 

regularly  attend  divine  service,  and  the  various  schools  established  by 

the  Missionaries.     A  long  line  of  coast,  however,  about  700  miles, 

between  them  and  Sierra  Leone,  yet  remains  unoccupied  by  Episcopal 

Missions.     There  is  a  large  tribe  of  natives  anxious  for  instruction,  at 

Bassa  Cove,  about  midway  between  Cape  Palmas  and  Sierra  Leone ; 

and  a  plan  has  long  been  in  contemplation  for  erecting  there  a  Mis- 

lionary  church,  schools,  and,  eventually,  a  theological  seminary,  for  the 

colonists  and  native  tribes.     The  territory  of  Liberia,  within  which  no 

slavery  is  tolerated,  now  extends  for  500  miles  along  the  coast,  from  the 

Sherbro  to  the  San  Pedro.     The  form  of  government  resembles  that  of 

the  United  States.     The  immigrant  population  amounts  to  about  7000 : 

the  natives  to  about  250,000  souls.     The  former  are  mostly  liberated 

slaves,  dependent  on  Christian  nations  for  the  means  of  erecting  churches, 

chapels,  and  schools.     Bishop  Smith,  of  Kentucky,  has  established  a 

theological   seminary  for  training  up  blacks  as  Missionaries.     In  the 

island  of  Barbados,  also,  considerable  interest  is  taken  in  the  cause  of 

VOL.  XV. NO.  XXIX. MARCH,  1851.  Q 


226  Foreign  and  CoUmal  InUlUffmce, 

African  Missions,  and  a  general  meeting  of  the  Barbados  Cht^^g: 
Society  was  specially  convened  at  Bridgetown,  in  November,  with  *\^ 
view  of  originating  a  Church  Mission  from  the  West  Indies  to  West^^^ 
Africa. 

Australia. — Meeting  of  the  Bishops  at  Sydney. — A  conference  0^ 
Australasian  Bishops  met  on  the  1st  of  Oct.  last,  at  the  Cathedral,  M$ 
Sydney.  Six  Bishops,  the  Metropolitan  of  Sydney,  the  Bishops  q( 
Newcastle,  Melbourne,  Adelaide,  Tasmania,  and  New  Zealand,  a&A 
sixteen  clergymen,  with  others,  received  the  Holy  Communion  together 
on  the  occasion.  Touching  the  subjects  discussed  in  the  conferenes 
nothing  has  transpired.  There  was  a  public  meeting  held  on  the  29th 
of  Oct.,  for  the  purpose  of  supporting  the  Bishop  of  New  Zealand*! 
mission  to  several  islands  within  his  diocese.  An  immediate  sub- 
scription was  proposed  for  providing  the  Bishop  with  a  snitaUe 
vessel  for  visiting  those  islands,  as  his  present  vessel  of  twienty  tons  is 
considered  unsafe.  The  Episcopal  Conference,  which  broke  up  on  the 
31st  of  Oct.,  caused  a  great  sensation  at  Sydney,  and  there  is  reason  to 
hope  that  it  will  produce  a  beneficial  and  lasting  effect  both  upon  the 
population  of  Sydney,  and  upon  the  whole  of  our  Colonial  possessioni 
in  that  part  of  the  world. 

Diocese  of  Newcastle. — Statistics, ^-The  following  account  is  given, 
by  the  Bishop  of  Newcastle,  of  the  subdivision  of  his  diocese  into  dis- 
tricts, under  date  of  Aug.  a,  1850,  and  of  the  state  of  the  Church  at 
the  different  stations: — "  1.  Newcastle.  Now  laying  out  500^.  on  the 
church,  and  building  an  excellent  school.  Forming  plans  also  for  a 
superior  church  grammar-school. — 2.  Hexham,  New  school,  and  mas- 
ter's house. — 3.  Raymond  Terrace,  New  schooL  Enlarging  church. — 
4.  HextoHf  or  Hunter.  Nice  pretty  church  just  finished.— < 5.  Dai^tn/. 
Admirable  school.  Very  nice  church  building ;  and  parsonage  agreed 
for. — 6.  Morpeth.  Church  beautifying.  Master's  house  building.  Ad- 
mirable model-school  built  in  stone.-— ?•  East  Maitland,  The  church 
to  be  new  roofed  and  pewed. — 8.  West  Maiiland.  The  church  enlarged 
and  new  pewed,  or  rather  seated.  Two  excellent  schools  building.— 
9.  Singleton.  Adqtiirable  stone  church  just  finishing ;  to  be  conse- 
crated in  about  two  months.  Good  school  building. — 10.  /wjf'i 
plains.  A  beautiful  stone  church  just  finished  in  this  district;  to 
be  consecrated  in  about  three  months.  Two  others  building,  one 
pf  stone  and  one  of  brick.— 11.  WoUamh'u  Stone  church,  finished 
and  consecrated.  Parsonage  building. — 12.  Muswell  Brook.  Very 
handsome  chancel  added  to  the  church.  New  church  at  Merton, 
just  finished.  Small  new  church,  wooden,  at  Meriwa.  New  school  at 
Cassilis;  to  be  used  temporarily  as  a  church.— 13.  Scone.  Tower 
building  to  church  ;  school  building  at  Wurrurmdi  (also  temporarily  as 
a  church).—14.  Tamworth.  Parsonage  just  built.  School  building. 
Plans  making  for  a  church.— 15.  Atmidale.  Very  pretty  church  just 
finished  and  consecrated.  Parsonage  and  schoolmaster's  house  build- 
ing.—16.  Clarence  River.    Parsonage  building. — 17,  Darling  Doma* 


Foreign  and  Colonial  InteUiffenee.  £27 

Parsonage  building.  School  building.  To  be  used  temporarily  as  a 
ehurcb. — 18.  Ipswich,  Parsonage  building ;  admirable  school  building. 
— 19.  Brisbane,  Moreton  Bay.  A  beautiful  parsonage  building;  and 
church. — 20.  Strand.  Parsonage,  church,  school. — 21.  Port  Mao 
quarie.  Parsonage,  church,  school ;  parsonage  now  building. — 22.  Pa» 
terson.  Parsonage  and  church. — 23.  Brisbane  Water.  Parsonage  and 
temporary  church. — These,  at  present,  are  my  districts,  or  parishes,  as 
they  would  be  called  in  England ;  or  rather  counties  (for  some  are 
12  miles  in  length,  by  80  or  100  in  breadth).  Two  of  these  I  have 
formed  afresh,  pushing  out  after  the  enterprising  squatters,  and  being 
the  first  to  supply  their  spiritual  wants." 

*  Melbourne  Diocese. — Mission  to  the  Bush.-^The  Rev.  S.  L.  Chase, 
accompanied  by  Mr.  Palmer,  as  a  lay-assistant,  left  Melbourne,  at  the 
end  of  May,  upon  a  missionary  journey  into  the  interior.  He  proceeded 
along  the  Sydney  road  to  Wangaratta,  turning  off  and  stopping  at  vari- 
ous places  on  his  route.  From  the  last-named  place  he  writes  : — **  All 
along  the  route  we  have  experienced  great  kindness ;  and,  whilst  Mr. 
Palmer  has  been  much  occupied  in  selling  books,  I  have  found  great 
opportunities  of  preaching  the  Word.  I  have  slept  at  fourteen  different 
places,  and  been  absent  from  home  seventeen  days.  Every  thing  has 
prospered  with  us,  and  I  am  greatly  pleased  with  the  manner  in  which 
my  Christian  companion  has  fulfilled  his  duty.  By  writing  to  all  the 
settlers,  whom  I  purpose  visiting  on  my  return  (and  each  day  is  already 
arranged  for),  my  hope  is  to  meet  as  large  congregations  as  can  be  col- 
lected, and  that  the  good  Lord  may  vouchsafe  His  gracious  blessing  is 
my  earnest  prayer.*'  Immediately  upon  Mr.  Chase's  return,  the  Rev. 
J.  H.  Gh^gory  purposes  to  set  off  upon  a  journey  along  the  western 
port  road,  as  far  as  Cape  Shark. 

jfdelaide. '■^Institution  for  the  ATaiioM.— Archdeacon  Hale,  of  Ade- 
laide, is  exerting  himself  to  form  an  Institution,  in  which  natives  who 
have  been  brought  up  at  the  Adelaide  school,  and  others,  who  may  seem 
fit  subjects  for  admission,  may  be  gathered  together  in  a  separate  com- 
munity, apart  from  the  vicious  portion  of  the  white  population  as  well 
as  the  wild  portion  of  the  blacks,  and  kept  under  regular  Christian 
instruction,  and  the  enjoyment  of  the  means  of  grace,  with  a  view  to 
their  becoming  gradually  accustomed  to  habits  of  industry,  and  to  a 
more  settled  mode  of  life.  Port  Lincoln  has  been  selected  as  the 
locality  for  the  intended  institution.  The  Archdeacon  has  published  an 
appeal,  in  which  he  states  that  the  whole  of  the  means  at  present  em- 
ployed for  the  instruction  of  the  aborigines,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Adelaide,  consist  of  schools  for  the  children  of  either  sex,  who,  however, 
on  leaving  the  school,  go  forth  again  upon  the  world  under  circumstances 
the  most  unfavourable  to  their  civil  or  religious  culture.  Their  habits 
prevent  the  employment  of  any  agency  to  keep  them  in  mind  of  that 
Supreme  Being  whose  name  they  have  been  taught  to  call  upon.  They 
are  without  pastoral  superintendence  of  any  kind,  without  the  means  of 
grace,  without  refuge  or  protection  from  the  contaminations  of  vice  which 

q2 


$28  Foreign  and  Colonial  InielUgenee, 

fiurround  them  on  every  side.  The  funds  for  the  support  of  the  insti« 
tution  are  to  be  supplied  conjointly  by  the  colonial  government  and  by 
voluntary  contributions,  administered  through  the  Church  of  England. 
The  latter  undertakes  to  Jindt  pay,  and  support  the  missionary  super-* 
intendent,  and  all  other  Europeans  employed  in  conducting  the  affairs 
of  the  institution.  The  government  aid  amounts  at  present  to  the 
sum  of  200^.  for  the  erection  of  the  necessary  huts,  and  the  promise  to 
maintain  a  limited  number  of  married  couples  for  a  period  of  twelve 
months. 

British  North  AMEB.icA.^-Diocese  of  Nova  Scotia, — Memoir  of  the 
late  Bishop,— The  Halifax  **  Church  Times  "  gives  the  following  bib- 
graphical  sketch  of  the  late  Bishop  Inglis  : — "  Our  late  respected  and 
beloved  Bishop  was  born  at  New  York,  on  the  9th  of  Dec,  1777»  during 
the  height  of  the  struggle  which  terminated  in  the  independence  of  the 
United  States,  in  1783.  His  father,  who  had  been  many  years  rector  of 
Trinity  Church,  in  New  York,  then  removed  to  England,  and  carried 
with  him  his  only  son  John.  In  1787«  the  Rev.  Dr.  Charles  Inglis, 
the  late  rector  of  New  York,  was  consecrated  Bishop  of  Nova  Scotia, 
and  came  to  this  province  at  the  close  of  that  year.  It  was  mainly 
owing  to  the  exertions  of  that  venerable  prelate,  who  was  the  first  Pro*  , 
testant  Bishop  appointed  to  any  British  colony,  that  an  Act  of  Assem- 
bly was  passed  in  the  year  1799,  under  which  King's  College,  at 
Windsor,  was  established,  and  his  son,  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
received  his  education  at  that  institution.  In  the  year  1800,  Mr.  Inglis 
ivent  to  England,  to  advance  the  interests  of  his  Alma  Mater,  and 
owing  to  his  indefatigable  exertions,  a  valuable  library,  and  some  large 
pecuniary  contributions,  were' obtained  from  the  friends  of  the  Church 
for  the  infant  college — to  which  he  continued  a  most  zealous  friend 
throughout  his  life.  Upon  his  return  to  this  country,  in  1801,  he 
entered  into  Holy  Orders,  and  was  appointed  to  the  mission  of  Ayles- 
ford,  where  he  was  ever  beloved  and  esteemed.  In  1802,  he  married 
Eliza,  daughter  of  the  late  Hon.  Thomas  Cochran,  by  whom  he  had  a 
large  family.  In  1805,  he  again  went  to  England,  where  he  continued 
bis  exertions  in  behalf  of  the  college.  On  his  return  he  was  appointed 
ecclesiastical  commissary  in  this  diocese,  and  as  the  infirmities  of  age 
increased  upon  his  venerable  parent,  his  zeal  and  assiduity  to  those 
duties,  which  as  commissary  he  could  perform,  were  highly  conducive 
to  the  interests  of  the  Church.  Upon  the  death  of  his  pious  father,  in 
1816,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Stanser,  then  rector  of  St.  Paul's,  was  consecrated 
3i<3hop  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  Dr.  Inglis  succeeded  to  the  charge  of  this 
parish — and  some  are  still  living  who  look  back  with  admiration  upon 
the  zeal  and  talents  that  he  then  exhibited  in  his  Master's  cause.  In 
1825,  Dr.  Stanser*s  health  and  advanced  age  compelled  him  to  retire 
finally  from  this  country,  and  Dr.  Inglis  was  appointed  his  successor. 
The  diocese  at  that  time  included  New  Brunswick,  Newfoundland,  and 
Bermuda ;  but  extensive  as  ic  was,  no  part  of  it  was  neglected  by  this 


Foreign  and  CManial  InteUigenee.  229 

indefiitigable  prelate.  The  clergy,  in  particular,  will  long  cherish  his 
memory — and  think  with  gratitude  and  pleasure  on  the  exertions  he 
ever  made  to  increase  their  usefulness  and  their  comfort. 

"  In  Nov.,  1849,  this  pious  prelate  was  engaged  in  the  performance 
of  his  episcopal  duties,  at  a  distance  from  his  home,  in  the  county  of 
Lunenburg,  where  he  was  suddenly  attacked  by  serious  illness.  Mrs. 
Inglis  and  his  medical  attendant,  Dr.  Almon,  immediately  went  to  his 
assistance,  and  under  their  watchful  care,  he  reached  his  home  with 
difficulty  ;  but  from  that  attack  he  never  recovered — after  suffering 
months  of  pain,  he  was  advised  to  try  a  change  of  climate,  and  left  this 
in  the  steamer  Canada^  on  the  3rd  of  Oct.  last.  He  reached  England, 
but  his  strength  was  gone,  and  the  melancholy  intelligence  has  now 
reached  us  that  he  expired  in  London  on  the  27th  of  Oct.  last.** 

Arrangements  with  regard  to  the  See, — Since  the  death  of  Dr.  Inglis, 
a  letter  has  been  addressed  to  the  Clergy  of  Nova  Scotia,  by  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury — being  the  first  time  that  the  head  of  the  English 
Church  has  addressed  the  Clergy  of  any  province  of  the  empire, — ^in 
which  His  Grace  urges  the  necessity  of  contributions  being  raised  within 
the   diocese  towards  the  endowment  of  the  vacant   bishopric.     The 
Government  allowance  of  2000/.  a-year  terminated  with  the  life  of  the 
late  Bishop.     The  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  holds  in 
trust  a  certain  capital  to  be  applied  to  the  maintenance  of  "  Bishops  in 
North  America,'*  from  which  the  Society  will  probably  contribute  libe- 
rally to  the  continuance  of  the  See  of  Nova  Scotia,  '*  provided,"  as  the 
Archbishop  observes  in  his  letter,  "  that  the  Clergy  and  laity  of  that 
diocese  show  themselves  ready  to  meet  such  annual  grant  by  a  liberal 
contribution  on  their  part.*'     In  consequence  of  this  communication 
from  the  Archbishop,  a  meeting  of  Clergy  and  Lay  Delegates  of  the 
didbese  of  Nova  Scotia,  which  assumed  the  name  of  a  '*  Convention," 
and  conducted  its  proceedings  after  the  forms  of  business  adopted  by 
the  American  Church,  was  called  by  the  Archdeacon,  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  a  view  to  the  endowment  of  their  Bishopric.     Among  the 
resolutions  pas9ed  at  the  meeting  is  the  following : — '*  That  it  be  an 
instruction  to  the  Committee  of  Correspondence,  to  mention  to   His 
Grace  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  a  feeling  among  Churchmen  in  this 
diocese,  that  some  measures  be  adopted  for  securing  to  them  some  voice 
in  the  nomination  of  their  chief  pastors,  after  the  present  vacancy  shall 
have  been  filled  up ;  and  to  solicit  his  counsel  with  regard  to  the  best 
means  of  regulating  generally  the  ecclesiastical  and  temporal  affairs  of 
the  Church.'* 

Since  the  arrival  of  this  intelligence  in  England,  the  Rev.  H.  Binney, 
of  Worcester  College,  Oxford,  has  been  nominated  to  the  Bishopric  of 
Nova  Scotia. 

Canada. —  Proposed  Total  /Abandonment  of  the  Clergy  Reserves, — It 
appears,  from  a  letter  addressed  by  Earl  Grey  to  the  Governor-General 
of  Canada,  that  the  Government  have  it  in  contemplation  to  obtain  the 
sanction  of  the  Imperial  Legislature  to  the  Act  of  the  Provincial  Legis- 
lature, for  the  appropriation  of  the  Clergy  Reserves  in  the  provinces  tg 


280  Farmgn  and  Cohnial  Ini0lliff$nee. 

general  purposes.  Petitions  against  this  measure  of  spoliation  have 
been  transmitted,  or  are  in  course  of  transmission,  from  every  part  of 
the  province.  That  from  Toronto  alone  has  no  less  than  10,000  sig- 
natures. The  petition  to  her  Majesty  from  Quebec  enters  fully  into 
tlie  history  of  the  Clergy  Reserves,  and  we  borrow  from  it  the  following 
statement  offsets,  which  it  is^important  should  be  generally  understood, 
as  the  subject  will  have  to  undergo  discussion  in  Parliament : — 

"  That  in  the  year  1 791  an  Act  was  passed  by  the  Imperial  Parlia* 
ment,*31  Geo.  III.  c.  31,  comprehending  the  appropriation  of  the  lands 
called  the  Clergy  Reserves^  in  the  Provinces  of  Upper  and  Lower 
Canada,  for  the  support  and  maintenance  of  a  Protestant  Clergy ,  and 
indicating  in  all  its  following  clauses  the  Clergy  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  no  other,  as  the  body  who  were  to  be  so  supported  and 
maintained : 

"  That  in  the  year  1793,  your  Majesty's  royal  grandfather,  of  blessed 
memory,  King  George  III.,  following  up  the  intention  of  the  afore- 
mentioned Act,  erected  the  Provinces  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  into 
a  diocese  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  connexion  with  the  Archiepis- 
copal  See  of  Canterbury,  of  which  the  city  of  Quebec  was  made  the  See; 
and  that  in  the  Letters  Patent  appointing  the  Bishop  to  the  same, 
express  and  formal  reference  is  made  to  the  aforesaid  Act  of  appropria- 
tion of  the  Clergy  Reserves, — the  two  measures  being  manifestly 
designed  to  form  parts  of  one  and  the  same  plan,  and  the  decision  being 
practically  made,  in  accordance  with  what  was  contemplated  in  all  the 
clauses  of  the  Act,  as  to  rehat  Protestant  clergy  were,  under  the  Act,  to 
be  endowed : 

"  That  in  the  year  1816,  the  Bishop  and  Clergy  of  the  Church 
of  England  were  constituted  Corporations  by  Royal  Letters  Patent,  one 
corporation  for  Lower,  and  one  for  Upper  Canada,  for  the  management 
respectively  of  the  Clergy  Reserves,  for  the  benefit  of  their  own  Church, 
within  the  then  existing  two  Provinces,  and  that  these  corporations 
were  beginning  to  put  in  train  the  efficient  and  advantageous  adminis- 
tration of  the  said  Reserves,  when  their  proceedings  were  interfered 
with,  and  finally  stopped,  by  the  transfer  to  the  hands  of  the  Commis- 
sioner of  Crown  Lands  of  the  direction  of  the  Clergy  Reserves,  and  the 
introduction  of  the  system  of  sales,  conducted  by  that  functionary, — in 
the  manner  of  effecting  which  the  most  grievous  and  most  extensive 
detriment,  in  all  perpetuity,  was  done  to  the  interests  of  the  Church  : 

"  That  the  exclusive  claim  of  the  Church  of  England  to  the  benefit  of 
the  Clergy  Reserves,  implied,  as  has  been  made  to  appear,  in  different 
measures  of  the  Crown  and  Parliament  of  Great  Britain,  continued  un- 
challenged and  unquestioned  till  after  the  year  1820;  and  that  when 
the  efforts  which  were  made  to  assert  a  rival  claim  produced  a  great 
amount  of  painful  ferment  and  agitation  in  the  country,  the  Clergy  and 
members  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  maintaining  what,  according  to 
their  clear  and  settled  convictions,  was  their  right  to  the  whole  profits 
of  the  Reserves,  as  the  patrimony  of  the  said  Church,  forbore  from  con- 
tributing to  the  excitement  of  the  public  mind  upon  the  subjeet  by  any 


Foreign  and  Colonial  InUUigones.  231 

inflammatory  appeals  or  any  coloured  representations  to  suit  the  interest 
of  their  owD  party : 

"  That  in  the  year  1840,  a  vast  concession  was  made  to  the  parties 
adverse  to  the  claims  originally  recognized  as  existing  in  the  Church  of 
Sngland,  by  the  enactment  of  an  Imperial  Statute  for  the  division  of 
the  profits  arising  from  the  Clergy  Reserves,  under  the  provisions  of 
^which  statute  two-thirds  of  the  proceeds  of  the  lands  then  sold,  and 
two-thirds  of  one  half  of  the  lands  still  unsold,  were  allotted  to  the 
Church  of  England  in  this  Province : 

**  That  notwithstanding  the  facts  herein  already  set  forth,  and  the 
great  inaccuracies  of  many  of  those  representations  proceeding  from 
other  quarters,  upon  which  this  legislative  measure  appears  to  have 
been  based,  the  Clergy  and  lay  members  of  the  Church  of  England  in 
the  province  peaceably  submitted  to  this  arrangement  of  the  long- 
agitated  questions  respecting  the  Clergy  Reserves,  and  accepted  it, 
according  to  what  they  had  all  reason  to  do,  as  the  final  settlement  of 
those  questions,  and  the  extinction,  once  for  all,  of  all  discussions  and 
differences  upon  the  subject;  and  that  to  this  settlement  they  considered, 
and  so  your  Majesty's  petitioners  do  now  consider,  the  faith  of  the . 
Government  to  be  pledged : 

*'  That  from  the  date  of  passing  the  aforesaid  Act  of  1840,  up  to  the 
close  of  the  year  1849,  no  discontent  was  manifested  in  any  quarter  on . 
account  of  the  provisions  of  the  said  Act,  and  that  up  to  the  present 
moment  there  has  been  no  agitation  of  feeling  in  the  province  upon  the . 
subject : 

"  That  the  Church  of  England  population  of  Lower  Canada  is 
believed  to  approach,*  in  numbers,  to  the  entire  aggregate  of  all  other 
Protestant  denominations  within  that  portion  of  the  province  ;  and  that 
it  consists,  at  the  same  time,  to  a  very  great  extent,  of  the  occupiers  of 
poor  and  backward  settlements,  who  mainly  depend  for  the  ministrations 
of  religion  upon  the  charity  of  the  Society  in  London^br  the  Propagation 
of  the  Gospel^  the  revenue  up  to  this  date  derived  from  the  Clergy 
Reserves  supplying  but  a  very  small  portion  of  the  expenditure  made 
upon  the  most  frugal  and  parsimonious  scale  for  this  object/' 

Under  these  circumstances  the  petitioners  express  their  astonishment 
and  alarm  at  the  Act  of  the  Provincial  Legislature  during  its  last  ses- 
sioD,  in  addressing  Her  Majesty  for  the  total  alienation  of  the  Clergy 
Reserves  from  their  original  purpose,  and  their  appropriation  to  educa- 
tion and  other  secular  objects,  a  measure  which  they  consider  as  an  in- 
dication of  a  spirit  of  aggression  towards  the  Church,  and  which  they 
earnestly  and  solemnly  deprecate  as  '*  an  act  of  spoliation  which  would 
be  disastrous  to  the  most  sacred  interests  of  human  society,  and  openly 
hostile  to  the  propagation  of  the  truth  of  God." 

Proposed  Convocation  of  the  Province, — The  Hon.  P.  B.  de  Blaquiere 
has  addressed  the  Bishop  of  Toronto,  since  his  return,  in  reference  to 
the  project  entertained  by  the  honourable  member,  to  bring  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Convocation  for  the  province  before  the  Colonial  Legislature. 
In  reply,  the  Bishop  says : — 
"  You  are  aware,  no  doubt,  that  the  Colonial  ChuieYi  \%  ^tV.  ^w^ 


232  Foreign  and  Colonial  IwUlligence. 

parcel  of  the  Church  of  England — as  much  so  as  the  Diocese  of  London 
and  Winchester,  and  that  in  the  present  state  of  the  law  it  is  not  in  the 
power  of  the  Bishop  to  assemble  his  Clergy  in  Convocation  without 
special  permission  from  the  Crown — and  if  it  were  assembled  it  would 
not  perhaps  prove  satisfactory,  as  the  Convocations  in  our  Church  have 
been  always  confined  to  the  Clergy. 

'*  At  the  same  tiipe,  I  am  sensible  that  the  present  state  of  the 
Colonial  Church  is  in  some  respects  deficient,  arising  chiefiy  from  its 
rapid  extension  and  increasing  wants — nor  am  I  indisposed  to  consider 
what  steps  may  be  safely  taken  to  remedy  such  deficiencies. 

"  But  I  am  not  prepared  to  suggest  any  without  much  further 
inquiry  from  my  Clergy — the  annals  and  laws  of  the  Church,  and  also 
reference  to  my  brother  Prelates  of  Canada  East. 

"  In  the  meantime  I  regret  the  movement  which  has  been  so  irregu- 
larly made  during  my  absence  in  England,  and  more  especially  as  the 
subject  of  Convocation  was  fully  noticed  in  my  first  Charge,  which  was 
delivered  on  the  9th  September,  1841. 

'*  In  labouring  to  obtain  what  may  be  wise  and  good,  we  mus(  pro- 
ceed in  harmony  and  good  faith  among  ourselves,  and  on  the  principles 
which  have  directed  the  Synods  and  Convocations  of  former  ages. 

"  Above  all,  we  must  respect  the  law  as  it  now  stands,  and  the 
acknowledged  prerogative  of  the  Crown — and  if  they  interfere  with  the 
natural  and  divine  action  of  the  Church,  we  must  seek  for  their  modifi- 
cation on  that  behalf,  by  humble  and  respectful  representations  to  the 
powers  which  can  award  relief." 

Diocese  of  Toronto — Church  University, — After  his  return  to  his 
Diocese,  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Toronto  convened  a  Meeting  of  the  Church 
University  Board,  for  the  21st  of  December,  1850,  when  his  Lordship 
made  a  full  report  of  his  proceedings  in  Europe,  relative  to  the  proposed 
University,  and  to  the  present  state  of  the  undertaking.  From  this 
report  it  appears  that  the  following  contributions  have  hitherto  been 
obtained : — 
Subscriptions  in  Upper  Canada  in  land,  estimated  at  •     £7,562  15     0 

In  money,  amounting  to *     .     .      16,708     2     6 

3,391  Acres  not  valued,  at  the  usual  estimation  of  one 

pound  per  acre 3,391     0     0 

Two  Town  Lots,  not  valued,  but  assumed  to  be  worth  50     0    0 


£27,711  17  6 
Donations  in  England  to  the  amount  of  10,000^. 
sterling,  including  the  grants  of  the  Society  for  Pro- 
pagating the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Farts,  the  Society 
for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge,  and  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  currency  about        12,444     0    0 

Grant  of  land  by  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the 

Gospel,  and  within  the  city  of  Toronto,  estimated  at       3,000     0    0 

£43,155  17    6 
The  Report  next  considers  the  most  ^lo^ei  modft  oC  luvesting  this 


Foreign  and  Colonial  InUlUgenee.  233i 

roperty  until  the  new  institution  shall  obtain  a  corporate  character, 
ther  by  an  Act  of  ^he  Legislature  or  by  Royal  Charter.  For  this 
arpose  the  Bishop  proposes  the  appointment  of  a  Council,  composed 
r  a  limited  number  of  gentlemen,  to  advise  him  in  all  matters  respecting 
le  College  and  its  property,  until  a  more  formal  constitution  shall  be 
btained.  In  the  meantime  he  proposes  the  property  to  be  vested  in  a 
mited  number  of  Trustees,  v?ho  are  to  act  under  the  instructions  of 
iie  Council. 

The  Bishop  further  states  that,  while  in  England,  he  had  made  appli- 
ation  to  the  Colonial  Secretary  for  a  Charter  for  the  proposed  College, 
nd  having  been  requested  to  furnish  the  heads  of  such  a  Charter  as  he 
bought  desirable,  had  framed  a  draft,  a  copy  of  which  accompanied  the 
eport,  on  the  model  of  the  original  Charter  of  King's  College,  and  of 
he  system  adopted  in  Bishop's  College,  Lennoxville,  and  his  lordship 
dds  that  since  the  Government  has  granted  to  the  Roman  Catholics, 
he  Presbyterians  and  Methodists,  Charters  of  Incorporation  for  Col- 
^es  of  their  own,  he  will  not  suppose  it  possible  that  they  will  with- 
hold the  same  advantage  from  the  Church. 

The  Report  further  states,  that  a  site  has  been  procured  for  the  Uni- 
rersity,  twenty  acres  of  land,  very  eligibly  situated,  having  been  pur- 
chased for  the  purpose.  The  Bishop  also,  while  in  England,  procured 
he  plan  of  a  new  College,  intended  to  be  erected  in  Liverpool,  which 
ippeared  to  him,  with  some  modifications,  suited  to  the  purpose,  and 
be  expects  that  a  sufficient  portion  will  have  been  completed  before 
next  winter,  to  commence  the  course  of  instruction. 

Foundation  of  the  new  Cathedral, — The  foundation  stone  of  the  new 
Cathedral  of  Toronto  was  laid  by  the  Bishop  on  Wednesday,  the  20th 
of  November  last.  The  edifice  will  be  in  the  English  decorative  style 
of  early  architecture.  The  body  of  the  church  will  consist  of  a  centre 
and  side  aisles,  marked  by  two  lines  of  cut  stone,  clustered  columns 
and  lancet  arches,  with  a  clerestory  pierced  by  triple-light  columniated 
stone  windows.  The  total  external  length  will  be  204  feet,  and  the 
width  117  feet;  the  internal  dimensions  of  the  main  body  being  112 
feet,  by  75  feet.  The  height  of  the  centre  aisle  will  be  80  feet,  and  that 
of  the  side  aisles  42  feet,  clear  of  the  ceilings.  The  roofs  will  be  open 
to  the  Church,  the  framing  being  of  a  rich  Gothic  character  throughout, 
except  in  the  chancel,  which  will  have  a  groined  ceiling,  with  moulded  riles 
and  foliated  bosses.  The  chancel  will  be  38  feet,  9  inches  in  depth  by 
42  feet  in  width,  the  back  being  semi-octagonal  in  form,  and  the  five 
sides  pierced  by  windows  of  rich  and  varied  design,  all  executed  in 
stone. 

Diocese  of  Montreal. — Church  Society, — A  Church  Society  has  been 
established  for  the  diocese  of  Montreal,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Bishop. 

China. — Edict  against  Christianity, — The  following  curious  edict 
against  Christianity  has  been  issued  in  China : — 
"  Wan,  Prefect  of  the  lower  district  of  Ying-Chan,  removed  to  hia 


234  Fareiffn  and  Cdonial  Iwklligenee. 

present  post  from  another  of  the  same  rank,  and  ten  times  honourably 
mentioned,  issues  this  solemn  appeal,  in  order  that  the  hearts  of  men  may 
be  guided  in  the  right  way,  and  more  respect  be  paid  to  the  laws.  Be 
it  known  unto  you,  that  diere  is  in  the  western  world  a  doctrine  of  tlie 
Lord  of  heaven,  the  author  of  which  is  Jesus.  So  long  as  the  bar- 
barians practise  or  propagate  this  among  themselves,  expounding  their 
books,  and  worshipping  according  to  the  precepts  of  that  doctrine,  theie 
is  no  occasion  for  us  to  take  notice  of  it ;  but  it  is  not  permitted  to 
them  to  enter  the  Inner  Land,  and  there  to  propagate  this  doctrine ;  and 
natives  of  the  Inner  Land  who  invite  men  from  far  places  to  come  hither, 
with  a  view  to  their  abetting  them  in  inflaming  and  unsettling  tbe 
minds  of  the  people,  and  inveigling  females  to  join  their  sect,  or  other- 
wise to  violate  the  law,  are  punishable  under  the  statute  still  in  force. 
The  provisions  of  the  code  are  explicit ;  who  shall  venture  to  act  con- 
trary to  them  ?  Nevertheless  it  has  come  to  my  knowledge  that  the 
simple  and  unenlightened  population  of  the  village  of  Chid-kang  and 
its  vicinity  have  latterly  invited  such  persons  from  a  distance,  and  have 
seduced  some  to  enter  into  communion  with  them,  and  that  even 
females  have  joined  their  society — a  serious  breach  of  the  law!  It  will 
be  my  duty  to  search  out  the  guilty,  and  to  punish  them  severely. 
Moreover  I  publish  this  appeal  for  the  comprehensive  instruction  of 
the  military,  of  the  common  people  and  others. 

"  You  should  know  that  Jesus,  born  in  the  time  of  Ngai  Ti, 
of  the  Han  dynasty,  ranks  no  higher  than  Hwa  T6h,  Chuh-yu,  and 
others  of  the  same  class,  having  merely  possessed  ability  to  heal  the 
sick.  His  power  of  breaking  seven  cakes  into  food  for  three  thousand 
men,  is  nothing  more  than  the  witchcraft  of  the  rationalists,  by  which 
things  are  shifted  from  one  place  to  another :  in  other  ways  he  had  no 
peculiar  power.  As  to  his  extravagant  title  of  the  lord  who  made 
heaven,  remember  that  tbe  Three  Sovereigns  (B.C.  3369-2632),  the 
Five  Emperors  (2169),  Yau,  Shun,  Yu.  T'ang  (1743),  Wan,  Wu  (1105), 
the  Prince  of  Chan,  and  Kung  the  Philosopher  (Confucius — 500),  spread 
abroad  civilization,  as  the  messenger  of  heaven,  hundreds  and  thousands 
of  years  before  Jesus.  The  different  countries  beyond  the  sea  had  from 
an  early  date  rulers,  and  peoples,  forms  of  government,  and  laws  to 
punish  crime :  did  none  of  these  exist  until  Jesus  appeared  to  create 
them  in  the  time  of  the  Han  ? 

'*  The  tale  of  the  crucifixion  of  Jesus  and  of  his  ascension  into  heaven 
resembles  the  legend  invented  concerning  Sun-nyam,  who,  having  been 
drowned  after  the  defeat  of  his  army,  became  a  Water  Spirit,  as  bis 
adherents  say.  It  also  bears  some  likeness  to  what  the  rebels  of  the 
white  lily  allege,  who  assert  that  the  spirits  of  their  brethren,  executed 
with  long  and  ignominious  torments,  rose  into  heaven  from  their  bodies, 
and  are  there  called  to  a  new  life  among  the  heavenly  existences. 

"  This  doctrine,  moreover,  boasts  that  it  encourages  to  virtue  and 
represses  vice  ;  but  this  our  learned  men  have  constantly  maintained. 
The  dogma  that  those  who  believe  in  the  Lord  will  be  happy,  and  that 
after  death  their  spirits  will  ascend  to  heaven,  while  the  anbelievers  will 


Formgn  and  Colonial  InUUiffenos.  235 

be  miserable,  and  after  death  their  sools  will  be  doomed  to  eternal  im- 
prisonment in  hell,  says  precisely  the  same  as  the  word  of  Wu 
San-sz-— '  Those  who  are  good  to  me,  are  good ;  those  who  are  evil  to 
me,  are  evil.'  Supposing,  then,  that  the  believers  in  the  Lord  were 
robbers,  or  else  vicious  persons,  they  must  nevertheless  all  be  made 
happy  ;  those  on  the  contrary,  who  are  not  believers  in  the  Lord,  but 
otherwise  just  and  deserving  men,  should  after  death  be  all  doomed  to 
misery.  Never  before  was  the  true  order  of  reward  for  virtue,  and 
punishment  for  vice,  so  perverted  and  confused.  Is  not  such  a  religion 
fiital  to  the  notions  of  good  and  right  as  taught  us  by  heaven  ? 
.  **  Again,  the  terms  'palace  of  heaven'  and  'prison  of  hell'  are 
simply  pirated  from  the  lowest  class  of  Budhistic  writings ;  nevertheless 
the  believers  in  Jesus  vilify  the  Budhists  as  people  doomed  for  ever  to 
the  prison  of  hell.  Of  all  the  nations  beyond  the  sea,  none  believes  so 
much  in  this  Lord  of  heaven  as  the  Germans,  and  yet  the  inhabitants  of 
Germany  are  scattered,  their  power  is  broken  to  pieces,  and  their  ter- 
ritory has  been  more  than  once  divided.  Why  then,  since  they  believe 
in  the  Lord  of  heaven,  is  no  happiness  bestowed  upon  them  ?  On  the 
contrary,  of  all  those  who  do  not  believe  in  the  Lord  of  heaven,  no 
nation  can  compare  with  the  Japanese ;  on  a  quay  in  their  port  a 
crucifix  is  engraven,  and  every  merchant  who  lands  there,  and  does  not 
tread  on  the  crucifix,  is  forthwith  beheaded  as  a  warning  to  others* 
Besides,  there  is  before  the  gate,  an  image  of  Jesus  sunk  into  the 
ground,  so  that  it  may  daily  be  i^n^ominiously  trampled  on.  And  yet 
Uiis  kingdom  has  endured  for  2000  years :  why  has  not  the  Lord  of 
heayen  smitten  it  with  calamity  ?  It  follows,  then,  that  the  statement 
regarding  the  power  of  the  Lord  of  heaven  to  confer  happiness  or 
misery,  is  wholly  without  foundation  ;  it  will  merely  make  the  simple 
people,  in  this  life,  deprive  their  ancestors  of  the  enjoyment  of  the 
oblations  of  sweet-smelling  incense,  and  of  the  ofierings  which  should 
be  set  before  them  in  sacrificial  vessels ;  whil^  after  death,  they  will 
become  blind  spirits,  undergoing,  moreover,  the  torments  of  burning  till 
their  bones  are  reduced  to  ashes.  What  happiness  results  from  such  a 
doctrine  ? 

"  Again,  as  to  the  adoration  of  the  crucifix,  it  is  derived  from  the 
stone  tablet  of  the  *  luminous  doctrine,'  signed  with  a  cross,  to  deter- 
mine the  four  quarters  of  the  heavens,  whence  the  professors  of  this 
creed,  it  is  not  known  at  what  period,  devised  the  tale  of  the  cruci- 
fixion ;  but  even  if  this  tale  were  true,  it  would  still  be  quite  inex- 
plicable why  the  worshippers  of  Jesus  should  adore  the  instrument  of 
his  punishment,  and  consider  it  so  to  represent  him  as  not  to  venture 
to  tread  upon  it.  Would  it  be  common  sense,  if  the  father  or  ancestor 
of  a  house  had  been  killed  by  a  shot  from  a  fowling-piece,  or  by  a 
wound  from  a  sword,  that  his  sons  or  grandsons  should  adore  a  fowling- 
piece,  or  a  sword,  as  their  father  o>  ancestor  ? 

**  Although  an  edict  of  recent  date  has  permitted  the  barbarians  to 
expound  their  religious  books  to  one  another,  it  has  not  given  them 
leave  to  proceed  into  the  Inner  Land,  there  to  mix  with  the  ^eo^le^  and 


236  Foreign  and  Colonial  IwtdUgenee^ 

to  propagate  their  doctrine  ;  and  if  there  are  Chinese  who  invite  th^^ 
from  distant  places,  and  join  with  them  in  exciting  and  confounditf^ 
men*s  minds,  beguiling  women,  or  otherwise  offending  against  the  lai^if 
they  will  be  punished,  as  of  old,  according  to  the  law  of  the  land,  either 
summarily,  or  after  imprisonment,  with  death  by  strangulation,  or  ymM 
transportation  to  a  greater  or  less  distance,  or  with  blows  from  the 
heavy  bamboo ;  the  law  admits  of  no  indulgence.  But  if  subjects  pie* 
sent  themselves  before  the  authorities,  and  declare  that  they  repent,  and 
therefore  tread  upon  the  crucifix,  their  punishment  shall  be  mitigated  bj 
me  in  degree.  The  laws  of  the  state  are  of  strict  severity,  but  they  hava 
always  made  account  of  men*s  repentance  for  their  faults.  If,  thereforei 
there  are  men  among  you,  simple  people,  who  have  suffered  themselvM 
to  be  instigated  or  misled  in  manner  aforesaid,  awake  without  lost  cf 
time,  and  make  haste  to  save  yourselves  from  the  meshes  of  the  lam 
But  you  who  view  this  decree  with  an  unfriendly  eye,  and  continue  ta 
indulge  your  humour,  be  it  known  to  you,  that  it  will  be  my  duty  to 
curse  you,  and  to  bring  you  to  justice  and  punishment,  as  a  warning  to 
the  foolish  and  the  perverse.     Take  heed  to  this,  tremble  and  obey ! " 

France. — The  Lying  Wonder  $  of  the  Romish  Church, — ^The  Romiah 
Church  in  France  has  latterly  exhibited  the  ridiculous  spectacle  of  pn>« 
claiming  two  astounding  miracles,  and  subsequently  revoking  thenu 
The  first  is  the  miraculous  appearance  of  the  Virgin  at  La  Salette» 
which  we  have  formerly  noticed ;  and  in  connexion  with  it  the  wonder- 
working fountain  said  to  have  sprung  up  on  the  spot  on  which  tho 
Virgin  stood.      With   regard   to   the.  latter,   a  letter  appeared  quite 
recently  in  the  Tablet,  from  the  Brothers  Perrin,  the  "Levites*'ia 
attendance  upon  the  idol  of  '*  our  Lady,"  who,  in  acknowledging  a 
donation  of  2/.  from  England,  state,  as  they  themselves  affirm,  **  with 
truth,"  "  that  our  Lady  of  Reconciliation  has  admirably  continued  these 
two  years  to  work  many  bodily  and  spiritual  conversions  in  favour  of 
those  who  invoke  her,  and  who  make  use  of  the  water  of  the  privileged 
fountain.     We  reckon  up,"  they  say,  **  above  a  hundred   which  all 
exhibit  a  supernatural  character.     The  most  striking  have  lately  beeo 
published  in  a  second  volume  by  the  Abbe  Rousselot,  Vicar- Greneral  ot 
our  diocese.      And  his  Lordship  has  given  his   approbation  to  this 
volume,  as  to  the  first.     We  entreat  you.  Sir,  if  you  have  already  beea 
able   to  procure  it,   to   have  this  work  translated   into  the  English 
language.     It  would  assuredly  give  pleasure  to  the  Catholics  of  yoot 
country,  and  ev^n  the  heretics  would  <read  it  with  advantage.     When* 
ever  you  have  occasion  for  the  water  of  the  fountain  of  La  Salette,  or 
of  books,  medals,  and  images,  all  of  them  having  the  representation  of 
the  glorious  apparition,  you  have  only  to  address  the  order  to  us,  and 
we  shall  hasten  to  satisfy  your  pious  desire.     We  have  inscribed  all  the 
names  sent  in  the  register  of  the  Confraternity  of  our  Lady  of  Recon* 
ciliation  of   La  Salette.      It  now   reckons  more   than   20,000  asso- 
ciates.    It  is  sufficient  to  recite  each  day  the  Our  Father  and  the  Hail 
Mary." 


Fareiffn  and  CoUmial  Intelligence.  237 

In  direct  and  somewhat  awkward  contrast  with  this  statement,  the 
de  la  Religion  contains  a  circular  addressed  by  the  Bishop  of 

fiip,  in  whose  diocese  La  Salette  is  situate,  to  his  Clergy,  in  which 
\'  ditt  Prelate  complains  in  indignant  terms  of  the  republication,  in  spite 
I  if  a  former  remonstrance  on  his  part,  of  a  private  letter  which  he  wrote 
r  nmewhat  unguardedly  in  reply  to  the  first  report  made  to  him  of  the 
1  deged  miraculous  event,  and  to  which  "  interested  parties  have  endea* 
'  mred  to  give  an  official  character.''  "  We  are  in  duty  and  conscience 
^nd,"  the  Bishop  says,  "  to  warn  the  Clergy  and  the  faithful  that  we 
pn  strangers  to  this  manoeuvre,  and  that  they  will  be  the  dupes  of  a 
gsilty  intrigue,  and  a  base  speculation,  if  they  suffer  themselves  to  be 
fersuaded  that  we  patronize  a  fact  with  which  we  neither  can,  nor 
^igfat,  nor  are  willing,  to  have  any  concern  whatever.  Several 
limtenlous  cures  are  spoken  of  as  having  happened  in  our  diocese ;  we 
declare  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  verify  a  single  one  ;  even  the  one 
vfaich  is  announced  in  our  letter  before  referred  to,  has  not  been  satis- 
&ctorily  proved,  and  cannot  therefore  be  cited  as  an  evidence  of  the 
siraculous  appearance  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  at  La  Salette.  Yon  are 
to  advise  religious  persons  to  be  on  their  guard  against  tales  of  mira- 
eolous  cures,  when  such  cures  have  not  been  verified  by  scrupulous  and 
pradent  inquiries  on  the  part  of  the  ecclesiastical  authority.  There 
k  in  circulation  also,  in  the  diocese  of  Gap,  an  office  called  the  '  Office 
)>f  La  Salette.'  The  lessons  of  the  second  nocturn  of  Matins  are  the 
tile  of  the  apparition  as  told  by  the  two  shepherd  boys.  Never  has 
diere  been  a  book  of  this  kind  more  opposed  to  the  holy  liturgical  rules, 
vfaich,  with  so  much  reason,  forbid  the  composition  of  fresh  legends, 
iq)ecially  upon  the  ground  of  facts  not  recognised  by  the  Church. 
Accordingly,  we  strictly  forbid,  throughout  our  diocese,  the  recital  of 
the  Office  of  Za  Salette^  until  it  shall  have  been  approved  by  our  Holy 
Father  the  Pope." 

The  other  **  lying  wonder  **  is  of  more  recent  date.     A  short  time 

^p  the  French  Papers  contained  a  long  and  circumstantial  account, 

endorsed  by  the  testimony  of  medical  men,  of  magistrates,  and  officers 

of  gens  d'armes,  of  a  miraculous  picture  representing  the  descent  from 

the  cross,  in  the  Church  of  St.  Saturnin,  at  Apt,  in  the  department  of 

Tancluse.     According  to  the  account  given,  blood  had  been  repeatedly 

oosing  out  from  the  wounds  in  the  side,  the  hands,  and  feet  of  the 

Saviour ;    and  while  the  most  careful  examination  of  the   painting 

Culed  to  discover  any  contrivance  for  producing  this  effect,  the  blood 

had  been  ascertained  by  a  chemical  analysis  to  be  real  human  blood. 

On  this  miracle  a  Commission  has  since  been  appointed  by  the  Arch* 

bishop   of  Arigua,   whose   report   is  unfavourable  to  the  miraculous 

nature  of  the  transaction,  on  the  ground  chiefly  of  the  unsatisfactory 

character  of  the  **  ecstatica  "  who  announced  the  flowing  of  the  blood 

beforehand,   and  whose  proceedings  have,  in  more  than  one   respect, 

given  rise  to  suspicion. 

The  Temple  of  all  Religions  at  Paris. — Our  readers  will  no  doubt 


238  Foreign  and  Cohnial  InMiffence. 

remember'  an  extraordinary  order  given  during  the  days  of  tlie  ^ff§ 
▼incial  Government  by  M.  Ledru  RoUin,  for  a  series  of  pictures  U»  ^ 
executed  in  the  Pantheon  by  an  artist  of  the  name  of  Chena? and,  j\ 
whom  a  period  of  eight  years  was  granted  for  the  execution  of  tM^ 
design,  with  an  allowance  of  4000  francs  per  annum, — the  total  expen^^ 
of  the  decoration  being  estimated  at  upwards  of  300,000  or  400,000 
francs.  At  the  recent  Congress  of  the  Academies  of  France,  the  subjeet 
was  brought  under  notice ;  but  from  the  monstrous  character  of  the  dei^lif 
as  contained  in  the  programme  published  at  the  time,  the  Congress  !•• 
fused  to  believe  that  it  was  more  than  a  transient  whim  which  had  beta 
long  abandoned.  On  inquiry,  however,  it  was  found  that  the  order  of 
M.  Ledru  Rollin  was  still  uncancelled,  and  that  the  artist  was  actoalhf  i 
proceeding  with  the  cartoons,  which  were  to  be  fixed  up  to  try  the  efliMMi  ^  - 
before  the  execution  of  the  frescoes.  A  report  was  drawn  up  in  eon* 
sequence,  from  which  we  transcribe  the  following  passage  :— *•  The 
plan  of  the  mural  paintings  in  the  Pantheon,  as  it  has  been  designed 
and  is  in  progress  of  execution,  is  an  unprecedented  pSle^mele  of  die 
most  contradictory  ideas,  the  most  different  creeds,  and  the  most 
opposite  symbols.  All  the  gods  of  Greece  and  India,  as  well  as  those 
of  Rome  and  Scandinavia,  occupy  in  it  a  place  equal  with  that  assigned 
to  the  true  God ;  Olympus  and  Walhalla  rank  in  it  as  high  as  Calvary. 
This  is  not  all.  There  are  apotheoses  for  the  famous  philosophers  of  all 
ages,  and  even  for  the  Utopian  visionaries  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
Pythagoras  and  Andre  Fourrier — shall  we  venture  to  say  it  ? — an 
represented  by  the  side  of  the  Son  of  God !  Next  to  the  paintings 
intended  to  exhibit  what  is  called  'the  Christian  system  and  the 
exaggeration  of  the  glorification  of  the  spirit,*  there  are  others  on  which 
*  the  rehabilitation  of  the  flesh '  is  displayed  in  scenes  which  our  pen    -; 

cannot  describe ; as  if  this  was  the  great  progress  of  our  age;  as  if   j 

the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  animates  and  pervades  our  society,    \ 
our  families,  and  our  very  hearts,  were  no  longer  any  thing  but  an   4 
antiquarian  curiosity,  fit  at  the  most  to  be  mentioned,  by  the  way,  in 
this  species  of  museum  of  eclecticism  and  modem  pantheism.**    The 
report  concludes   with   a  resolution,    unanimously   adopted    by  the 
Congress   of  Academies,  which,  "in  the   name  of  Christian   civiliia- 
tion,  of  morality  and  good  taste,"  denounces  as  "  a  scandal  and  a  pro-    j 
fanation  "  the  execution  of  a  "project  founded  on  the  pantheistic  idea  of 
pagan  Rome,  and  placing,  side  by  side  with  the  true  God,  the  false  gods 
of  the  past,  and  the  false  prophets  of  future  times." 

Gekmavy.— Activity  of  the  Romish  Church. — The  •*  Catholic  Union 
of  Germany,"  at  its  last  meeting,  appointed  a  committee  which  is  to  pnt 
itself  in  communication  with  poets,  artists  and  others,  as  well  as  with 
the  heads  of  the  Church,  with  a  view  to  the  revival  of  "  Catholic 
art,"  as  a  means  to  the  propagation  of  Romanism  in  Germany.  The 
resolution  of  the  "  Union  **  also  recommends  the  active  distribution  of 
tracts  and  other  publications.     The  local  branches  of  the  "  Union  "  are 

•  See  English  Review,  toI.  x.  p.  242. 


Foreign  and  Colonial  InteUigmee.  2S9 

tojoioed  to  use  their  endeavours  for  the  establishment  of  St.  Paul  de 

Vincent  associations  among  the  working  classes  ;  and  their  attention  is 

^  jwlicoiarlj  directed  to  the  manufacturing  population.     Copies  of  the 

.:  wolutions  adopted  were  ordered  to  be  transmitted  to  all  the  sovereigns 

L  ti  Germany^    In  Bavaria  the  Bishops  have  addressed  a  memorial  to  the 

I  libg,  protesting  against  such  provisions  of  the  new  Constitution,  and 

^  I||un8t  all  such  previous  edicts  as  are  at  variance  with  the  terms  of  the 

Cboeordat,  as  well  as  against  any  interference  whatever,  on  the  part  of 

Ifce  civil  power,  with  matters  of  worship,  and  calling  upon  the  latter  to 

nforce  the  law  against  the  profanation  of  Sundays  and  holidays,  either 

Ij  work  or  by  public  amusements  and  exercises.     In  Baden,  on  the 

notion  of  Carl  von  Hirscher,  the  first  Chamber  has  voted  an  address 

to  the  Government,  praying  for  the  appointment,  with  the  concurrence 

«f  the  Episcopate,  of  a  Commission,  which  is  to  prepare  such  laws  and 

ocdinances  as  shall  secure  greater  independence  and  efficacy  to   the 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  to  place  sufficient  funds  at  the  disposal  of 

the  Bishops  for  extending  the  education  of  young  men  for  the  Romish 

j^sthood.     In  Rhenish  Prussia  the  Romanists  are  contemplating  the 

establishment  of  *'  a  purely  Catholic  University  "  in  connexion  with  the 

Cathedral  at  Cologne. 

Growth  of  Popish  Superstition, — ^While  every  effort  is  being  made  by 
0ie  Ultramontane  party  in  Germany,  to  push  the  cause  of  their  Church 
in  the  higher  ranks  of  life,  by  the  appliances  of  art,  literature,  and  learn- 
ing, and  through  political  influence,  the  masses  are  operated  upon  by 
the  revival  of  the  ancient  superstitions.  In  Bavaria  and  the  Tyrol 
the  old  mysteries  are  being  revived,  and  the  passion  of  our  Lord 
is  made  the  subject  of  scenic  exhibition.  A  couple  of  Capuchin  friars 
are  travelling  about  in  the  characters  of  thaumaturgs,  attended  by 
crowds,  pretending  to  perform  miraculous  cures  by  the  laying  on  of 
their  hands,  and  anointing  with  oil.  The  extent  to  which  these 
dungs  are  not  only  connived  at  but  countenanced  by  the  authorities, 
may  be  collected  from  the  fact  that  Dr.  Kreuzer,  Professor  at  the  Ye- 
termary  College  at  Munich,  has  been  peremptorily  removed  from  his 
office,  in  consequence  of  his  having  in  his  lectures  adverted  to  the 
iuperstitious  practice,  of  which  some  recent  instances  had  occurred,  of 
die  people  calling  in  the  Franciscans,  to  read  masses  for  their  cattle 
daring  an  epidemic. 

The  Free  Congregations,'^^ An  application  for  the  "  Fre6  Congrega- 
tions "  to  be  enrolled  among  the  religious  communities  of  the  kingdom, 
and  as  such  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  other  religious  bodies,  has 
been  refused  by  the  Government  of  Saxony,  on  the  express  ground, 
that,  although  they  call  themselves  "  Christian "  associations,  they 
have  not  in  reality  any  religious  character  whatever.  "  Their  leaders," 
so  says  the  official  document,  "declare  the  belief  in  God  to  be  a 
matter  of  indifference.  They  recognize,  it  is  true,  an  all-creating  and 
sustaining  power,  but  leave  every  man  free  to  form  what  notion  he 
pleases  of  that  power,  to  consider  it  either  as  the  supreme  and  most  per- 
fect Spirit,  or  as  a  mere  force  which  operates  without  will  or  conscience. 


240  Foreign  and  Colonial  InteUigenee. 

They  denounce  the  Christian  faith,  even  to  the  last  remnants  of  it,  as 
error  and  superstition,  and  endeavour  to  supplant  it  by  philosophic 
speculations,  based  on  this  world  only.     They  make  war  apon  all  re- 
ligious bodies  which  take  into  account  the  relation  of  man  to  God,  on 
the  plea  that  a  rational  religion  has  to  do  only  with  the  relations  be- 
tween man  and  man.     They  reject  all  religious  belief,  and   give  tbe 
mere  outlines  of  a  system  of  ethics,  summed  up  in  the  notions  of 
**  liberty,  truth,  and  fraternity."     They  pretend  to  follow  the  Apostolie 
injunction,  "  prove  all  things,  hold  fast  that  which  is  good  ;''  but  they 
overlook  the  fact  that  this  principle  is  to  be  carried  out  to  the  end  of 
life.     After  a  short  trial  they  reject  every  thing  that  may  not  be  handled 
with  hands,  and  in   the  void  which  they  have  thus  created  they  find 
nothing  worthy  to  be  held  fast.     They  aim  at  making  human  society, 
according  to  the  precept  of  the  Gospel,  one  flock ;  not,  however,  a 
flock  under  a  pastor,  but  a  flock  which,  without  shepherd,  runs  astray. 
Yet,  without  any  faith,  without  a  definite  idea  of  God,  there  is  no  re- 
ligion, no  worship,  no  religious  communion."     In  proof  of  the  correct- 
ness of  this  picture,  the  rescript  quotes  the  very  words  of  the  petition 
itself: — ••  The  Free  Congregation  rejects  the  fundamental  doctrines  of 
theological  Protestantism  ;  it  has  no  dogmas,  and  can  admit  none ;  for 
the  ideas  of  '  God  and  immortality '  no  faith  is  required,  since  they 
result  from  the  wisdom  and  eternal  consistency  of  the  creation  ;  harmony 
between  the  life  and  the  moral  law,  is  the  main  object  kept  in  view  by 
the  Free  Congregations  ;  forms  of  worship  they  want  only  for  mutual 
edification,  and  in  order  to  cherish  the  idea  of  the  divine  majesty  of 
man."     In  consequence  of  the  ill  odour  into  which  the  Free  Congrega- 
tions have  fallen  by  their  open  avowal  of  the  most  advanced  principles  of 
infidelity,  many  of  the    *' German  Catholic"  congregations,  in  which 
an  element  of  primitive  faith  is  still  lingering,  have  officially  disavowed 
all  connexion  with  them  ;  a  measure  the  more  necessary  as  their  own 
recognition  by  the  State  was  made  dependent  on  their  declaration  on 
this  point.     Among  the  Free  Congregations  themselves,  too,  dissensions 
have  arisen,  and  some  of  the  leading  bodies  among  them,  that  at  Xicipzig 
for  example,  are  fast  approaching  their  dissolution. 

Singular  Defence  against  a  Charge  of  Blasphemy* — A  cause  is 
pending  before  the  Prussian  tribunals,  in  which  a  party  is  charged 
with  blasphemy,  on  account  of  irreverent  language  uttered  against  the 
person  of  Christ.  The  first  Court  convicted  him;  the  Court  of  Appeal 
reversed  the  sentence,  on  the  ground  that  Christ  and  God  were  not 
identical,  and  the  offence,  therefore,  not  against  God,  but  only  against 
the  society  of  Christians.  This  decision  has  also  been  appealed  against, 
on  the  ground  that  Christ  is  one  with  God.  The  tribunals  before  which 
the  question  is  pending,  are  the  usual  tribunals  of  civil  and  criminal 
jurisprudence. 

• 

India. — Diocese  of  Calcutta  and  Borneo  Missions, — The  Bishop  of 
Calcutta  has  been  engaged  on  a  visitation  tour  to  the  Malayan  Peninsula 
and  Borneo,     His  Lordship  left  Calcutta,  on  the  Hth  of  Nov.,  accom- 


Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence.  241 

panied  by  Archckacon  Pratt,  and  by  Mr.  C.  J.  Fox,  a  student  of 

Bishop's  College,  who  was  to  remain  in  Borneo  as  Catechist.     To 

qualify  himself  for  this  post,  he  would,  as  appears  by  a  letter  from  the 

Kev.  F.  T.  M'Bougall,  the  laborious  Missionary  of  Sarawak,  have  to 

bestow  two  years  in  the  study  of  the  Malay  language,  to  acquire  it 

sufBciently  for  his  Missionary  work  among  the  Dyaks ;  after  which,  he 

would  have  to  learn  the  dialects  of  the  tribes  he  may  be  placed  with,  as 

head  men  only  speak  Malay,  and  the  rest  know  nothing  but  the  Dyak 

of  their  district.     Another  qualification  for  Missionary  labour  in  those 

parts  is  a  knowledge  of  Arabic,  which  is  both  useful  in  learning  the 

Malay  language,  and  a  great  recommendation  among  the  Malays,  who 

look  up  to  any  one  who  understands  the  language  of  the  Koran.     From 

the  John  Dull  we  learn,  that  this  interesting  Mission  is  about  to  be 

reinforced  by  a  Clergyman  from  England,  the  Rev.  W.  Chambers,  curate 

of  Bentley,  Derbyshire,  who  has  been  appointed  by  the  committee  of 

the  Borneo  Mission  as  one  of  their  Missionaries,  with  the  especial 

object  of  extending  the  mission  to  the  Dyak  tribes  in  the  interior ;  the 

letters   lately  received  from    Mr.  M'Dougall  and  Sir  James  Brooke, 

expressing  a  decided  opinion  that  the  attempt  may  now  be  made  with 

every  prospect  of  success. 

Diocese  of  Madras, — Declaration  on  the  Gorham  case,-^The  follow- 
ing document  has  been  transmitted  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury : — 

"  To  the  Most  Reverend  Father  in  God,  John  Bird,  by  Divine  Pro- 
vidence, Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Primate  of  all  England,  and 
Metropolitan. 

"May  it  please  your  Grace, — We,  the  undersigned,  the  Bishop, 
Archdeacon,  and  Clergy  of  the  diocese  of  Madras,  desire  to  approach 
your  Grace  with  the  expression  of  our  humble  and  affectionate  sympathy 
and  regard,  under  the  trying  circumstances  in  which  you  have  been 
placed,  connected  with  the  late  judgment  of  her  Majesty  in  Council,  in 
the  case  of  *  Gorham  v.  the  Bishop  of  Exeter.* 

'•  We  respectfully  thank  your  Grace  for  your  temperate,  and  at  the  same 
time,  firm  conduct,  in  resisting  efforts  to  introduce  into  our  Reformed 
Church  a  system  of  exclusiveness  inconsistent  with  the  character,  and 
tending  to  rend  asunder  the  greatest  and  purest  establishment  that  has 
existed  under  this  present  dispensation.  We  cannot  refrain  fiom  ex- 
pressing our  sorrow  that  so  wi«e  a  judgment,  concurred  in  by  two  Arch- 
bishops, should  not  have  given  more  general  satisfaction. 

**  Deeply  lamenting  the  unseemly  attacks  which  have  been  made  upon 
your  Grace,  and  praying  that  your  valuable  life  may  be  long  spared  for 
the  glory  of  God  and  the  strengthening  of  our  Zion, 
**  We  are,  may  it  please  your  Grace, 

"  Your  Grace's  affectionate  and  dutiful  servants, 
(Signed)  **  Thos.  Madras, 

"  Vincent  Shortland,  Archdeacon, 
and  seventy-three  out  of  the  eighty-five  Clergymen  labouring  in  this 
diocese,  including  all  the  Missionaries  of  the  Society  for  the  Propa- 
gating the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts." 

VOL.  XV. KO.  XXIX.—MABCIT,  1851.  'ft. 


242  Foreign  and  Cohnial  Intelligence. 

New  Church  Organ* — A  new  Church  organ  has  lately  been  started 
at  Madras,  under  the  title  of  *'  The  Churchman."  From  the  numben 
before  us,  it  appears  to  be  conducted  on  moderate  but  definite  and  dis- 
tinctive Church  principles. 

Visit  of  the  Bishop  of  Colombo  to  the  Mauritius. — The  Bishop  of 
Colombo  has  been  paying  a  visit  to  the  Mauritius,  which  has  led  to 
the  formation,  in  August  last,  of  a  Church  Association  for  the  island, 
under  the  name  of  **  The  Mauritius  Church  Association."  The  prin- 
cipal objects  contemplated  by  the  Association  are  : — 1.  To  promote  the 
diffusion  of  Christian  Knowledge,  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of 
the  Church,  by  means  of  education,  the  dissemination  of  religious  pub- 
lications, and  catechetical  instruction. — 2.  To  assist  in  the  erection  of 
Churches,  the  fitting  up  of  Places  of  Worship,  and  the  support  of  Mi- 
nisters of  Religion  in  those  parts  of  the  island  which  are  unprovided 
with  Clergy. — 3.  To  establish  a  Mission  for  the  conversion  and  in- 
struction of  the  Indian  immigrants,  who  now  form  so  large  a  portion 
of  the  resident  population,  through  the  agency  of  Catechists  and  Teachers 
acquainted  with  their  native  languages. — 4.  And,  generally,  to  direct 
the  attention,  and  to  concentrate  the  energies,  of  the  members  of  the 
Church  in  the  Mauritius,  towards  the  prosecution  of  measures  conducive 
to  its  welfare. 

The  funds  of  the  Association  are  to  be  applied  in  aid  of  the  erection 
of  Churches,  the  fitting  up  of  places  of  worship,  the  support  of  Minis- 
ters, Catechists,  and  Scripture  Readers,  and  the  establishment  and 
maintenance  of  Schools  in  the  Colony  and  its  Dependencies.  A  sub- 
scription of  2L  per  annum,  or  45.  per  mensem,  or  a  Life  Subscription 
of  10/.  in  one  payment,  constitutes  membership,  with  the  right  of  voting 
at  all  meetings.  Subscriptions  and  donations  may  be  given  specifically 
for  particular  objects.  The  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  is  to  be  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  Association,  and  is  to  be  assisted  in  the  management  of 
its  affairs  by  a  Committee  composed  of  the  Clergy  of  the  island  and  its 
dependencies  as  ex^officio  members,  and  of  nine  laymen  chosen  annu- 
ally) by  ballot,  from  among  the  members,  and  re- eligible. 

Italy. — Statistics  of  the  Romish  Church, — The  following  account  is 
given  by  the  Ami  de  la  Religion  of  the  Romish  Episcopate  throughout 
the  world  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  1851. — Europe :  6  Suburbi- 
carian  Bishoprics  ;  78  Bishoprics  under  the  immediate  jurisdiction  of 
the  Pope;  104  Archbishoprics;  419  Suffragan  Bishoprics;  25  Dele- 
gations and  Apostolic  Prefectures. — Asia :  6  Patriarchates  ;  6  Arch- 
bishoprics ;  46  Bishoprics  ;  43  Apostolic  Prefectures. — Africa :  6 
Bishoprics;  14  Vicariates  and  Prefectures. —  America:  16  Arch- 
bishoprics; 85  Bishoprics;  10  Vicariates. — In  Partibus :  5  Patri- 
archates; 65  Archbishoprics;  211  Bishoprics.  Of  the  foregoing,  45 
Bishoprics  and  Apostolic  Vicariates  are  established  within  the  domi- 
nions of  the  British  Crown. 

The  Doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception, — A  correspondent  of  the 
Tablet t  writing  from  Rome,  says, — **  It  will  be  cheering  to  you  to  hear 


fbreiffn  and  Colonial  InteUiff&nee:  243 

that  his  Holiness  is  anxious  to  press  on  as  fast  as  possible  the  exami- 
nation of  the  doctrine  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  with  the  view  to 
publish  his  solemn  definition.     A  commission  has  been  appointed  to 
occupy  itself  with  this  important  question  :  some  learned  theologians 
are  to  examine  the  ancient  liturgies,  others  the  Fathers,  others  the  peti- 
tions of  the  Bishops  of  every  part  of  the  Church.     It  is  expected  that 
in  a  very  short  time  his  Holiness  will  be  able  to  publish  his  final  de- 
cision, and   to  console  the  Faithful  who  are  anxious  to  increase  the 
honours  due  to  the  Holy  Virgin."   Among  the  replies  sent  to  the  Pope 
from  diflferent  parts  of  the  world,  one  of  the  most  important  is  that  of 
Cardinal  Romo,  Archbishop  of  Seville,  which  fills  an  entire  volume, 
and  concludes  with  the  most  ardent  wishes  for  the  immediate  declara- 
tion of  the  doctrine  as  an  article  of  the  faith.     As  regards  the  historical 
view  of  the  question,  the  Cardinal  adopts  a  most  convenient  line  of 
argument.     He  admits  that  '*  if  the  matter  depended  on  the  opinion  of 
the  ancient  scholastic  writers,  it  would  present  no  more  probability 
than  the  Copemican  system,  when  referred  to  a  similar  tribunal  ;**  and 
he  therefore  proposes  to  "  take  for  his  guide  tradition  alone,  and  for  his 
sole  torch  the  true  light  which  the  Lord  vouchsafes  to  us  through  the 
Holy  Church."     Following  out  this  principle,  he  alleges  various  indi- 
cations of  the  honour  paid  to  the  Virgin,  and,  concluding  from  the 
silence  observed  by  the  writers  of  the  first  ages  on  the  subject  of  origi- 
nal sin  in  her,  that  her  immaculate  conception  was  taken  for  granted,  he 
accumulates  proofs  of  the  growth  of  the  doctrine  in  successive  ages,  down 
to  the  year  1843,  when  the  petition  of  the  General  of  the  Dominicans, 
for  leave  to  his  order  to  celebrate  the  Immaculate  Conception  in  the 
same  terms  as  the  Franciscans,  removed  the  last  opposition  to  the  doc- 
trine, and  caused  the  worship  of  the  Virgin  to  become  the  universal 
practice  of  the  Romish  Church. 

Tuscany, — Popish  Intolerance. — A  diplomatic  difficulty  has  occurred 
at  Florence,  where  a  Protestant  chapel  has  existed  for  twenty  years  past, 
for  the  use  of  the  Swiss  Protestants.     Among  these  are  several  hun- 
dred Grisons,  whose  habitual  idiom  is  Italian,  and  for  whose  benefit, 
therefore,  one  of  the  services  is  conducted*  in  that  language.     Of  this 
sernce  the  Government  of  Tuscany  has  complained  to  the  Prussian 
Ambassador  at  Rome,  who,  being  himself  a  papist,  advised  the  Protes- 
tant Consistory  at  Florence  to  hold  their  Italian  service  with  closed 
doors,  to  abstain  from  all  measures  whatever  for  the  propagation  of  Pro- 
testantism, and  especially  from  the  distribution  of  the  Bible,  and  to 
turn  away  any  Florentines  who  might  present  themselves  at  the  doors 
to  take  part  in  the  service.     The  Consistory  having  refused  to  comply 
with  this  advice,  the  Florentine  Government  has  employed  gens  d'armes 
to  attend  the  service,  and  note  down  the  names  of  any  subjects  of  the 
Tuscan  government  who  were  present.     The  parties  whose  names  are 
taken  down  are  afterwards  summoned  before  the  police  authorities,  and 
required  to  give  a  pledge  that  they  will  not  repeat  their  attendance ; 
failing  which,  they  are  served  with  a  notice  prohibiting  their  attend- 
ance, under  a  penalty  varying  from  five  days  to  two  moivtW  im\|nsoa- 
*  r2 


244  Foreign  and  Colonial  IfiUilligmc$i 

meat.  The  Consistory  has  since  been  induced,  by  a  repealed  remon^ 
strance  from  the  Ambassador,  M,  Reumont,  to  substitute  a  French  for 
an  Italian  service ;  but  intends  to  lay  the  case  before  the  king  of 
Prussia,  \vlth  a  view  to  the  restoration  of  the  Italian  service. 

Switzerland. — Collision  niih  the  Papacy, — The  Great  Council  of 
the  canton  of  Freiburg  having,  on  the  11th  of  October  last,  issued  a 
decree  against  the  publication  of  ecclesiastical  rescripts  and  documents 
without  the  consent  of  the  civil  power,  the  Papal  chargS  d'affaires  iu 
Switzerland,  Mr.  Rovieri,  has  addressed  two  formal  protests,  one  to  the 
Council  of  State  of  the  Canton,  the  other  to  the  Federal  Council, 
against  this  "  gross  violation  of  the  divine  constitution  of  the  Church,  the 
authority  of  the  Episcopate,  the  rights  of  the  holy  Apostolic  See,  and 
the  supreme  authority  of  the  Church/'  and  demanding,  by  way  of  repara- 
tion, **  entire  liberty  for  the  Church  in  the  canton,  for  its  Bishop  (M. 
Marilley),  and  its  ministers.*'  In  the  protest  addressed  to  the  Federal 
Council,  Mr.  Bovieri  further  complains,  that  three  of  his  notes  addressed 
to  the  Federal  Council  in  1848,  in  reference  to  the  dispute  touching  M. 
Marilley,  have  remained  unanswered,  and  presses  for  a  reply.  On  the 
other  hand  the  Council  of  the  Canton  of  Freiburg  has  addressed  to  the 
Federal  Council  a  memorial  requesting  that  hody  to  take  steps  for  ob- 
taining from  the  Pope  the  appointment  of  a  successor  to  M.  Marilley ; 
but  with  this  request  the  Federal  Council,  anticipating  no  doubt  the 
result  of  such  an  application,  has  refused  to  comply.  Meanwhile  the 
Pope  has  conferred  upon  M.  Marilley,  as  a  token  of  his  favour,  the 
dignity  of  Assistant  Prelate  to  the  Pontifical  Throne. 

United  States. — Trial  for  Heresy, — Considerable  attention  has 
been  excited  by  a  trial  for  heresy  before  an  Ecclesiastical  Court,  com- 
posed of  Presbyters,  in  the  Diocese  of  Massachusetts.  The  Rev.  O.  S. 
Prescott,  late  Assistant-Minister  at  the  Church  of  the  Advent,  at  Boston, 
was  charged,  on  the  prosecution  of  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  dio- 
cese, with  **  entertaining  and  believing  certain  doctrines  not  held, 
nor  allowed  to  be  held,  by  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  the 
United  States,  but  condemned  by  the  Standards  of  the  said  Church  as 
wrong,  unsound,  and  heretical ;  and  with  having  promulgated,  taught, 
and  defended  the  said  doctrines,  to  the  detriment  of  religion,  the  scandal 
of  the  Church,  and  the  great  injury  of  the  cause  of  Christ;  moreover, 
-with  having  adopted,  and  encouraged  others  to  adopt,  certain  forms  and 
ceremonies  not  allowed  by  the  Church,  but  contrary  to  her  teachings 
and  Standards,  and  opposed  to  the  general  usage  and  immemorial  cus- 
toms of  the  Church,  and  in  violation  of  her  common  law,  to  the  pre- 
judice of  the  gospel  and  of  the  salvation  of  souls." 

The  unsound  doctrines  charged  were : —  1 .  The  doctrine  of  the  immacu- 
late nature  and  character  of  the  Virgin  Mary  ;  that  she  was  without 
sin  ;  that  prayers  may  be,  or  should  be,  addressed  to  her ;  that  ^he  may 
be,  or  should  be,  regarded  as  an  intercessor ;  that  it  is  right,  or  proper, 
or  allowable,  for  Christians  to  use  the  "  Hail  Mary'*  in  their  devotions: 


Foreign  and  Colonial  Inielligence.  245 

•  This  doctrine  of  Transubstantiation  :  3.  The  doctrine  that  Auricular 
Confession  to  a  priest,  on  the  part  of  the  members  of  the  Church,  is 
troper,  allowable,  and  profitable ;  adding,  that  he  has  allowed  members 
»f  the    Church  to  come  to  him,  and  make  confession  of  their  sins,  in 
Banner  and  form  not  allowed  or  sanctioned  by  the  Church  :  4.  The 
loctrine    that  Priestly  Absolution,  in  connexion  with  Auricular  Con- 
fession, is  allowable,  desirable,  and  profitable ;  and  that  he  has  heard 
private  confession  of  sins  from  sundry  persons,  and  has  pronounced  ab- 
solution in  behalf  of  such  persons,  on  occasions  and  under  circum- 
stances not  contemplated  by  the  Church,  and  in  violation  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Church,  as  set  forth  in  her  Standards,  and  contrary  to  her 
established  customs  and  usages :  5.  Under  the  head  of  customs  and 
practices  repugnant   to   the  teaching  of  the  Church,  contrary  to  the 
spirit  and  meaning  of  her  Standards,  and  against  the  common  order  and 
established  usages  of  the  Church,  and  in  violation  of  her  common  law, 
it  was  charged,  in  addition  to  the  practice  of  both  making  and  hearing 
auricular  confession,  that  he  has  been  in  the  habit,  in  performing  divine 
service,  of  turning  his  back  to' the  people,  while  reading  the  Psalter, — 
offering  up  prayers, — and  reciting  the  creed, — contrary  to  the  practice 
and  custom  of  the  Church  in  the  diocese,  since  its  first  organization, — 
that  he  has  practised  these  violations  of  the  common  law  of  the  Church 
against  the  well-known  and  ofBcially-declared  admonitions  and  counsels 
of  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese, — that  in  making  the  usual  ascription  to 
the  Holy  Trinity,  at  the  close  of  the  sermon,  he  has  turned  his  back  to 
the  people,  and  his  face  to  the  Lord's  Table  as  to  the  most  holy  place,— 
that  he  has  paid,  by  divers  turnings,  or  bowings,  or  genuflections,  that 
reverence  to  the  Lord's  Table,  which  is  indicative  of  a  belief  in  the  doc- 
trine that  the  real  body  and  blood  of  Christ  are  really  and  truly  offered 
up  thereupon,  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine  of  Transubstantiation,— 
that  he  has  allowed  or  approved,  or  permitted,  in  celebrating  public 
service,  at  morning  and  evening  prayer,  portions  of  the  Psalter  to  be 
song,  in  place  of  the  psalms  and  hymns  in  metre,  which  the  Church  has 
set  forth  for  that  purpose. 

To  this  presentment  the  Rev.  O.  S.  Prescott  took  exceptions  on 
a  variety  of  technical  grounds,  the  principal  of  which  were  the  follow- 
ing:— Because  the  presentment  did  not  recite  that  information  of  the 
offence  had  been  first  given  in  writ-ing  to  the  Standing  Committee,  by  a 
member  of  the  Church.  Because  it  did  not  set  forth  that  upon  the  said 
information  having  been  given  to  said  Committee,  they  proceeded  to  a 
preliminary  consideration  of  the  case  before  making  said  presentment, 
and  then  saw  fit  in  their  discretion  to  make  said  presentment.  Because 
the  said  presentment  and  preliminary  consideration  thereto  (if  any  such 
consideration  was  had)  ought  to  have  been  made  by  the  clerical  mem- 
bers of  the  Standings  Committee  ;  whereas  the  same  purported  to  have 
been  made  (if  said  consideration  was  had  at  all)  by  the  whole  Standing 
Committee,  a  majority  of  whose  quorum  might  be  laymen.  Because  it 
did  not  in  any  of  the  charges  and  specifications  thereunder,  specify  the 
offences  of  which  the  ac.used  was  charged,  with  reasonable  certainty  as  to 


246  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence. 

time,  or  place,  or  circumstances.  Because  the  nature  of  some  of  the  chaigA' 
were  of  a  kind  over  which  the  Court  had  no  jnrisdictioti.     After  a  coa^ 
siderahle  discussion  the  Court  decided  in  favour  of  the  exceptions,  sat 
the  presentment  thus  fell  to  the  ground.     Mr.  Prescott  then  applieAt 
through  his  counsel,  for  leave  to  read  a  short  responsive  statement  oi 
the  merits  of  the  question ;  hut  this  the  Court  refused.     The  statemelil 
intended  to  he  read  by  Mr.  Prescott,  and  since  transmitted  to  the 
Bishop,  is  to  the  following  effect : — 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  Amen  !     I,  Oliver  S.  Prescott,  Presbyter  of 
the  Diocese  of  Massachusetts,  now  under  presentment  by  the  Standing 
Committee  of  said  Diocese,  for  trial,  for  violation  by  word  and  deed  of 
my  ordination  vows,  do  solemnly  declare,  that  I  '  willingly  subscribe  to 
the  Word   of  God,  attested  in  the  everlasting  Scriptures — to  all  the 
Primitive  Creeds — to  the  four  General  Councils — and  to  the  common 
judgment  of  the  Fathers  for  six  hundred  years  after  Christ ; '  I  own  my- 
self bound  by  the  following  declaration  :  *  I  do  believe  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures of  the  Old  and  New  Testament  to  be  the  Word  of  God,  and  to 
contain  all  things  necessary  to  salvation ;  and  I  do  solemnly  engage  to 
conform   to    the    doctrine  and  worship  of  the   Protestant   Episcopal 
Church  in  the  United  States.*     I  acknowledge  my  duty  of  obedience  to 
the  Right   Reverend  Fathers,   the  Bishops  of  said   Church,   as  the 
supreme  authority  therein,  and  the  sole  representative  to  me  of  the 
Catholic  Church  of  God.     To  her  have  I  devoted  myself,  body,  soul^ 
and  spirit,  and  am  still  devoted.     In  her  I  am  willing  to  live,  in  her  I 
desire  to  die,  with  no  other  preparation  than  worthily  receiving  the  Body 
and  Blood  of  Christ  which  she  dispenses.     Haply  I  may  err  in  trifles, 
but  an  heretic  or  an  apostate,  by  the  grace  of  God,  I  can  and  will  never 
be.     If  one  year  of  quietness  and  peace  in  believing,  and  four  of  prepa- 
ration for  the  Sacred  Priesthood,  to  which  I  believe  myself  *  inwardly 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,*  and  *  truly  called,  according  to  the  will  oi 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Canons  of  this  Church;*  and  if  three 
years  of  active  service  in  this  office,  be  not  a  sufficient  refutation  of  the 
charge  that  my  life  during  that  time  has  been  a  deception  and  a  lie, 
studiously  followed  before  the  face  of  God  and  man  without  an  object 
or  effect,  unless  it  be  the  service  of  the  father  of  lies,  I  know  not  how 
one  can  be  furnished  by  a  mere  declaration,  or  even  a  solemn  oath. 
Yet  I  would  give  my  asseveration,  and  invoke  the  sacred  name  of  God, 
and  call  my  life  for  the  eight  years  last  past  to  witness  to  the  truth  of 
this  declaration." 

Bisiiop  Onderdonk. — An  arrangement  has  been  made  for  the  publi- 
cation of  a  selection  from  the  works  of  Dr.  Onderdonk,  with  a  view  to 
his  benefit,  in  two  octavo  volumes.  The  communications  which  hav6 
passed  on  the  subject,  show  the  strong  feeling  which  is  entertained  in 
favour  of  the  Bishop  by  his  friends  in  the  diocese.  The  originators  of 
the  design,  in  their  application  on  the  subject  to  the  Bishop,  say : — 

"  Your  friends  in  this  Diocese  cannot  forget  the  valuable  instruction 
and  the  high  gratification  which  they  received  from  your  Sermons,  yoat 
Episcopal  Charges,  and  other  compositions,  while  you  had  the  care  at 


Fi^reign  and  Colonial  Intelligence.  247 

%ke  Church  in  this  State.  Their  recollection  of  this  benefit  heightens 
4ie  regret  ^hich  they  feel  at  the  present  moment,  that  you  have  not 
liearestorid  to  the  exercise  of  your  functions,  in  compliance  with  the 
Ipeorded  whh  of  the  Diocesan  Convention,  and  at  their  being  thus  de- 
jrired  for  some  further  time  of  the  profit  of  hearing  you  in  the  public 
lenrices  of  the  Church. 

"  In  reflecting  upon  this  subject,  it  has  occurred  to  the  undersigned, 

tbt  tbey  may  alleviate  this  loss  to  themselves,  to  their  families,  and  to 

Ike  public,  if  they  can  prevail  upon  you  to  publish  an  edition  of  such  of 

nor  sermons  and  works  as  you  shall  think  best  calculated  to  supply  to 

9iem  the  want  of  your  personal  ministrations.     Wc  are  of  opinion  that 

Mich  a  publication  will  have  the  further  effect  of  raising  your  already 

ffiinent  reputation  as  a  preacher  and  theologian ;  and  it  will  give  us 

great  pleasure,  if  you  accede  to  our  wish,  to  see  that  the  work  shall  not 

involve  you  in  pecuniary  loss,  and  to  endeavour  to  make  it  also  the 

lource  of  some  indemnity  to  you,  for  a  part  of  the  inconvenience  you 

kive  sustained  for  several  years  from  not  receiving  any  professional 

mpport." 

The  Bishop,  in  his  reply,  assures  them  of  his  deep  gratitude  for  the 
kind  manner  in  which  they  have  adverted  to  his  position  and  affairs. 

Perversion  to  Popery. — The  New  York  Churchman  introduces  the 
bet  of  a  perversion  which  has  recently  taken  place,  and  is  likely  to  be 
followed  by  others,  with  the  following  indignant  comments  : — "  We 
learn  from  the  Freeman* t  Journal  that  the  Rev.  F.  £.  White,  of  this 
diocese,  has  violated  his  ordination  vows  by  uniting  himself  with  the 
Koman  schism  in  this  country.  Mr.  White  had  no  pastoral  charge  at 
the  time  of  his  perversion,  but  officiated  in  St.  Luke's  church  for  some 
time  after  the  secession  of  its  late  rector.  The  same  paper  states  that 
tkere  are  some  other  clergymen  of  the  Church  who  are  prepared  to  fol< 
low  this  sad  example.  We  suppose  they  will  do  so  when  they  fnl 
^  convenient.  Probably  these  were  among  the  dutiful  Protestants  who 
congratulated  Archbishop  Hughes  on  his  accession  to  his  new  dignity, 
as  he  himself  states.  Why  are  not  the  names  forthcoming  ?  It  might 
Benre  to  accelerate  their  steps,  either  forwards  or  backwards.  It  would 
at  least  be  more  manly  and  honourable  than  the  present  course  of  dis- 
affection and  treachery  sketched  by  the  Papist  organ." 

The  Standing  Committee  of  the  Diocese  of  New  York,  in  which  Mr. 
White  last  officiated,  have  made  application  to  the  Bishop  of  New 
Hampshire  for  a  regular  sentence  of  Deposition  to  be  pronounced  on 
him,  on  the  ground  of  his  having  renounced  the  ministry  of  the  Church, 
and  given  information  that  he  had  made  his  submission  to  the  authority 
of  the  Roman  See. 

Election  of  Bishops, — The  Rev.  F.  H.  Rutledge  has  been  elected  to 
the  See  of  Florida.  Bishop  Southgate  has  declined  to  accept  the 
Bishopric  of  California,  to  which  he  had  been  elected. 

Church  Statistics.— The  following  data,  illustrative  of  the  increase  of 
the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  United  States,  are  given  by  the  Banner  of 
ike  Cross.     In  1800,  that  Church  had  7  Bishops,  with  220  Clergymen; 


248  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelliffenee, 

in  1819,  18  Bishops,  with  281  Clergymen;  now  the  numbers  are  32 
Bishops,  with  1589  Clergymen. 

The  Romish  Church, — The  Prefect  of  the  Propaganda  has  informed 
the  Archbishop  of  Baltimore  of  the  approbation  given  by  the  Pope  and 
the  Sacred  College  to  the  decrees  of  the  Council  recently  held  at  Balti- 
more, and  especially  to  the  measures  following  : — The  erection  of  new 
provinces,  together  with  the  designation  of  the  suffragans,  as  yrcll 
for  the  new  Archiepiscopal  Sees  as  for  the  Archiepiscopal  See  of  St. 
Louis,  previously  existing ;  the  erection  of  new  Sees  in  the  cities  of 
Savannah,  Wheeling,  and  St.  Paul's,  Minesota ;  and  the  appointment  to 
the  See  of  Monterey,  in  California,  of  Father  Joseph  Alemany,  who  has 
already  been  consecrated  at  Rome.  In  pursuance  of  this  increased 
organization,  the  Romish  hierarchy  in  the  United  States  is  composed 
as  follows: — 1.  Archbishopric  of  Baltimore,  with  the  suffragan  Sees  of 
Philadelphia,  Richmond,  Charleston,  Pittsburgh,  Wheeling,  and  Savan- 
nah. 2.  Archbishopric  of  New  Orleans,  with  the  suffragan  Sees  of 
Mobile,  Natchez,  Little  Rock,  and  Galveston.  3.  Archl^shopric  of 
New  York,  with  the  suffragan  Sees  of  Boston,  Buffalo,  Hartford,  and 
Albany.  4.  Archbishopric  of  St.  Louis,  with  the  suffragan  Sees  of 
Nashville,  Dubuque,  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  and  St.  Paul's.  5.  Arch- 
bishopric of  Cincinnati,  with  the  suffragan  Sees  of  Louisville,  Detroit, 
Cleveland,  and  Vincennes.  6.  Archbishopric  of  Oregon  city,  with  the 
suffragan  Sees  of  Walla  WalJa,  Nesqualy,  Fort  Hall,  and  Colville. 
There  are,  besides,  the  See  of  Monterey  in  Upper  California,  and  two 
Apostolic  Vicariates  of  New  Mexico  and  of  the  territory  east  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains. 

The  South  Carolinian  states  that  the  newly-elected  Romish  Bishop 
of  California  is  charged,  in  addition  to  his  spiritual  duties,  with  the 
duty  of  examining  and  exhibiting  the  titles  of  the  old  Jesuit  property 
in  California,  with  a  view  to  lay  claim  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions 
of  dollars*  worth  of  land,  as  the  property  of  the  early  Jesuit  missionaries 
in  that  country. 

West  Indies. — Diocese  of  Barbados, — Establishment  of  an  EccU' 
siastical  Board, — The  Bishop  of  Barbados  has  established  in  his  Dio- 
cese an  Ecclesiastical  Board,  for  the  purpose  of  conference  and  consul- 
tation on  matters  affecting  the  external  well-being  and  efiiciency  of  the 
Church.  The  Board  consists  of  the  Bishop  and  the  eleven  Rectors, 
includinor  the  Archdeacon,  with  a  Lay  Deputy  from  each  Parish,  chosen 
by  the  Vestry,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Diocese,  and  a  Magistrate, ,  nomi- 
nated by  the  Governor  as  the  representative  of  the  Queen  ;  every  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  being  necessarily  a  communicant  of  the  Church. 
Although  the  resolutions  of  the  Board  are  not  in  law  binding  upon  the 
Rectors  or  Vestries,  still  much  good  is  expected  to  arise  from  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  various  questions  affecting  the  efficiency  of  the  Church. 
Two  meetings  have  already  been  held  by  the  Board  :  one  in  February, 
the  other  in  September  of  last  year,  the  principal  subject  for  considera- 
tion being,  at  the  former  meeting,  education ;  at  the  latter,  Church 
extension ,  The  future  meetings  vrVW  laVe  "^\«i^^  m "ivxw^  ^\i^  \^^<s.^mber, 
as  being  the  seasons  of  the  year  most  <roTi\^metv\.  Iot  \\i^^\«\jci^^. 


THE 

ENGLISH    REVIEW. 


JUNE,  1851. 


Art.  I. — 1.  Entire  Alaoluiion  of  the  Penitent.  A  Sermon 
preached  be/ore  the  University  of  Oxford.     By  the  Rev,  E.  B. 

PUSEY,  D,D. 

2.  The  Church  of  England  leaves  her  Children  free  to  whom  to 
open  their  Griefs.  A  Letter  to  the  Bev.  W.  U.  Richards.  By 
the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pdsey,  D.D. 

3.  A  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London.    By  Dr.  Pdsey' 

4.  A  few  Comments  on  Dr.  Ptisey'^s  Letter  to  the  Bishop  ofLonchn. 
By  William  Dodswobth,  M.A. 

5.  Renewed  Easplanations^  in  consequence  of  Mr.  Dodsworth'*s 
Comments.    By  Dr.  Pusey. 

6.  Further  Comments  on  Dr.  Pusey'*s  Renewed  Explanation.  By 
William  Dodsworth,  M.A. 

7.  Auricular  Confession.  A  Sermon^  toith  Notes^  and  an  Ap- 
pendix.   By  W.  F.  Hook,  J9.Z>.,  Vicar  of  Leeds. 

In  the  Pastoral  Letter,  recently  issued  to  the  Clergy  of  his 
Diocese,  the  Bishop  of  Exeter  thus  introduces  a  statement  re- 
specting the  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  to  Confession 
and  Absolution : — 

"  Why  have  I  deemed  it  necessary  to  trespass  on  your  patience 
with  this  detail  of  matters,  which  are,  I  doubt  not,  already  known  to 
you  ?  Because  among  the  particulars  which  were  the  subject  of  the 
loudest  clamour  during  the  late  exhibition  of  rampant  Puritanism,  this 
power  of  Absolution,  most  solemnly  given  to  the  Church  by  our  Lord, 
after  his  resurrection,  was  assailed  with  every  invective  which  lawless 
and  triumphant  ignorance  could  heap  upon  all  who  adhere  to  the  faith 
*  once  delivered  to  the  saints.'  '* 

From  a  somewhat  similar  reason,  we  have  determined  to 
devote  this  paper  to  an  examination  of  the  theory  of  Confession 
and  Absolution,  as  inculcated  by  Dr.  Pusey,  in  the  series  of 
writings  we  have  placed  at  its  head.  Not,  indeed,  that  any 
mere  "  exhibition  of  rampant  Puritanism,''  would  have  led  us  to 
consider  the  question  at  any  length,  did  we  not  firmly  believe  also 
that  there  is  a  deep-seated  feeling  of  anxiety  and  alarm  prevalent 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  ^ 


250  Spiritual  Direction. 

among  the  soundest  members  of  our  own  Church  on  this  subject; 
were  we  not  convinced  that  the  time  has  come,  when  the  in- 
terests of  the  Church  of  England  imperatively  demand  that  the 
subject,  in  all  its  bearings,  should  be  calmly,  quietly,  and  dis- 
passionately discussed ;  that  it  should  be  distinctly  ascertained 
to  what  the  theory  and  practice  of  Dr.  Pusey  and  his  foUowere 
really  extend ;  whether  there  is,  in  fact,  any  real  and  essential 
difference  between  their  teaching  and  the  teaching  of  the  Church 
of  Bome,  on  this  most  important  subject ;  whether  that  teach- 
ing is,  or  is  not,  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Church 
of  England,  as  that  doctrine  is  embodied  in  her  own  authorized 
formularies.  The  many  lamentable  examples  of  perversion  to 
the  Romish  communion,  which  have  lately  occurred  on  the  part 
of  those  who   have   been  notoriously  and   avowedly  putting  in 

Eractice  the  system  which  Dr.  Pusey  has,  for  many  years,  been 
ibouring  to  recommend  in  the  English  Church,  and,  especially, 
the  wholesale  instances  of  perversion,  on  the  part  of  those  clergy- 
men, who,  under  Dr.  Pusey's  own  immediate  auspices,  were 
lately  ministering  at  St.  Saviour^s,  Leeds,  do,  as  it  seems  to  us, 
render  it  absolutely  necessary  that  the  system  itself  should  be 
carefully  and  minutely  examined  ;  that  we  should  ascertain  whe- 
ther, so  far  as  Confession  and  Absolution  are  concerned,  per- 
version to  Rome  is,  or  is  not,  the  natural,  we  had  almost  said  the 
inevitable  termination,  of  the  principles  which,  on  that  subject.  Dr. 
Pusey  has  been  inculcating  amongst  us.  There  are,  indeed,  two 
reasons  why  we  enter  upon  the  examination  of  this  subject  ^ith 
very  great  reluctance.  The  one  is,  lest  we  should  be  supposed,  for 
a  moment,  to  do  so  with  any  feeling  of  hostility  towards  Dr.  Pusey 
personally :  the  other,  lest  we  should  be  deented  to  undervalue 
that  deep  feeling  of  contrite  penitence,  and  childlike  humility, 
which,  we  sincerely  believe.  Dr.  Pusey  labours  to  build  up  in  the 
souls  of  all  those  persons  who  are,  m  any  way,  exposed  to  his 
influence.  With  regard  to  the  first  point,  we  will  only  say,  and 
we  trust  our  readers  will  give  us  credit  for  expressing  our  honest 
and  conscientious  conviction,  that,  without  the  slightest  personal 
acquaintance  with  him,  we  entertain  for  Dr.  Pusey  personally 
the  very  highest  respect.  We  sincerely  believe  that  ne  has  in 
his  teaching  " desired \''  to  use  his  own  words,  "honestly  to  carry 
out  the  principles  and  mind  of  the  Church  of  England."  We 
believe  that  he  has  been  actuated  by  a  single  desire  to  win  soub 
to  Chkist  ;  that  his  aim  has  been  "simply  to  exercise,  in  obe- 
dience to  the  Church,  '  the  office  and  work  of  a  priest,  com- 
mitted unto  him  by  the  imposition  of  the  bishop^s  h^ds,^  for  the 

>  Letter  to  Bishop  of  London,  p.  2. 


Spiritual  Direction,  251 

relief  of  those  souls  who  came  to  him  for  that  end  *.'*'  We  believe 
that  he  has  never  had  the  slightest  wish  to  desert  himself,  or  to 
induce  others  to  desert,  the  communion  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. But  we  believe  also,  or  this  paper  would  never  have 
been  written,  that  Dr.  Pusey  has  not  seen,  in  its  entirety,  the 
practical  bearing  of  his  own  system.  We  think,  moreover,  that 
that  system,  as  he  has  himself  developed  it,  is  practically  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  Romish  Church,  and  altogether  contrary  to 
the  mind  and  intention  of  the  Church  of  England  ;  therefore  is 
it,  and  therefore  only,  that  we  purpose  to  examine  minutely  into 
its  details.  With  regard  to  the  second  point,  we  will  only  say 
this  !  If  we  thought  that  Confession,  as  inculcated  by  Dr.  Pusey, 
were  essential  to  the  growth  and  the  well-being  of  the  inward 
q^iritual  life, — if  we  thought  that  the  practice  of  Confession,  as 
a  rule  of  life,  were  recommended  by  the  authorized  formularies  of 
the  English  Church,  no  consideration  whatever  should  induce  us 
to  say  one  word  on  this  subject  in  opposition  to  Dr.  Pusey. 
But  we  do  not  think  so.  We  believe,  rather,  that  Dr.  Pusey's 
system,  legitimately  carried  out,  does,  undoubtedly,  tend  to  make 
Auricular  Confession  the  rule,  and  not  the  exception,  believing 
also  that  the  Church  of  England  makes  it  the  exception,  and  not 
the  rule.  We  believe,  moreover,  that  the  Church  of  England, 
while  making  Auricular  Confession  the  exception,  and  not  the 
rule,  does  yet  afford  the  fullest  opportunity,  does  yet  supply  the 
fullest  materials,  for  the  most  unfeigned  humility,  the  deepest 
contrition,  the  most  abiding  penitence.  It  is  because  of  this  con- 
viction, that  we  have  determined  to  examine  at  length,  to  enter 
minutely  into,  the  question  of  Spiritual  Direction;  to 
consider  whether  it  is  the  mind  and  intention  of  the  Church  of 
England  that  every  one  of  her  baptized  children  should,  habi- 
tually, use  Confession  to  a  priest,  as  a  means  of  grace,  for  the 
sake  of  obtaining  the  benefit  of  Absolution.  This,,  in  fact,  is 
the  real  question  at  issue.  It  is  not,  whether  our  spiritual 
Mother  "  allows  ^^  the  use  of  Confession ;  not,  whether  she 
'*  recommends  ^'  it  to  those  who  cannot  "  quiet  their  con- 
sciences "*"*  without  it;  but  whether  she  regards  it  as  a  means 
of  grace  to  be  used,  habitually^  by  all  earnest-minded  Christians. 
This,  we  undertake  to  prov^,  is  the  system  of  Dr.  Pusey,  carried 
to  its  fair  and  legitimate  conclusion  ;  and  this,  we  undertake  to 
prove  also,  is  not  the  system  of  the  Church  of  England. 

We  do  not  purpose  to  enter  at  any  length,  further  than  is  ne- 
cessary to  the  due  elucidation  of  our  subject,  into  the  questions 
between  Messrs.  Allies,  Maskell,  and  Dodsworth,  on  the  one 

*  Letter  to  Bishop  of  London,  p.  2. 

■    s  2 


252  Spiritual  Direction. 

hand,  and  Dr.  Pusey  on  the  other,  which  gave  rise  to  the  publi- 
cations which  head  this  paper  ;  suffice  it  to  say,  briefly,  with  regard 
to  the  two  former  gentlemen,  that,  shortly  before  their  perversion 
to  Rome,  they  addressed  to  Dr.  Pusey  the  following  question: 
"  Has  the  Church  of  England  left  the  power  of  the  keys  unre- 
strained in  the  hands  of  her  presbyters,  so  that  they  may  use  it 
freely  for  all  who  come  to  unburthen  their  griefs  to  them  V* 

In  this  is  involved  the  further  question,  ^'  Has  the  Church  of 
England  the  right  to  leave  the  power  of  absolving,  freely  in  the 
hands  of  her  presbyters,  without  restricting  them  V 

In  answer  to  these  questions  Dr.  Pusey  has  proved  to  de- 
monstration, in  his  letter  to  Mr.  Richards,  that  the  Church  of 
England  does  leave,  and  has  a  right  to  leave,  '^  her  children  free 
to  whom  to  open  their  griefs  ;**'  in  other  words,  that  she  fully 
allows  the  practice  of  confession  to  any  of  her  children,  who  €<Mr 
not  quiet  their  consciences  without  iY,  and  moreover  that  any  priest 
of  our  communion  is  at  liberty  to  confess  and  to  absolve  all  those 
who  have  recourse  to  his  ministiy.  Such  is  briefly  the  history  of 
Dr.  Pusey''s  letter  to  Mr.  Upton  Richards.  With  regard  to  Mr. 
Dodsworth,  the  case  stands  thus  :  After  the  delivery  of  the  Gor- 
ham  judgment,  Mr.  Dodsworth  was  very  earnest  in  his  endeavours 
to  obtain  some  emphatic  declaration,  on  the  part  of  the  Church  of 
England,  with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of  Regeneration  in  Holy 
Baptism ;  such  a  declaration,  in  fact,  as  should  drive  out  of  the 
Church  all  those  who  difiered  from  him.  Finding  that  Dr.  Pusey, 
with  that  charity  and  kindly  feeling  to  which  we  gladly  bear  t^ 
timony,  was  not  disposed  to  have  recourse  to  this  extreme  measure, 
Mr.  Dodsworth  addresses  to  him  a  letter,  in  which  he  charges 
Dr.  Pusey  with  acting  on  this  question  in  direct  opposition  to  all 
his  former  teaching  on  the  subject  of  Sacramental  Grace;  in 
which  he  asserts  that  Dr.  Pusey  had  "  encouraged  every  where, 
if  not  enjoined  Auricular  Confession  ;^'  had  taught  "  the  pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  as  applicatory  of  the  one 
Sacrifice  of  the  Cross  f '  had  recommended  the  use  of  crucifixes, 
and  divers  other  practices,  which  were  not  a  little  startling  to  the 
minds  of  all  sober  members  of  the  Church  of  England.  This 
statement  of  Mr.  Dodsworth  was  noticed  by  the  Bishop  of  Lon- 
don in  his  Charge  of  1850,  whereupon  Dr.  Pusey,  having,  if  we 
mistake  not,  been  previously  urged  by  the  Bishop  of  Oxford  to  do 
so,  published  a  "  Defence  of  his  own  principles ''  in  a  letter  to  the 
first-named  bishop.  Mr.  Dodsworth  replies  to  this  letter ;  where- 
upon Dr.  Pusey  puts  forth  his  "  Renewed  Explanation  in  con- 
sequence of  Mr.  Dodsworth'^s  Comments.'^ 

With  regard  to  Mr.  Dodsworth's  share  in  this  matter,  we 
think  it  right  to   make   one  or  two  brief  remarks,      A   very 


Spiritual  Direction.  253 

strong  feeling  of  indignation  was  excited  against  that  gentle- 
man on  the  appearance  of  his  letter  to  Dr.  Pusey.  That 
letter  was  considered,  whether  rightly  or  wrongly  we  do  not 
presume  to  say,  but  at  all  events  it  was  considered,  in  nearly  all 
Larte,^,  as  l  piece  of  petty  spite  against  his  former  leiier. 
because  Dr.  Pusey  did  not  choose  to  follow  Mr.  Dodsworth 
in  his  crusade  against  the  Evangelical  party.  Mr.  Dodsworth 
thinks  this  very  unreasonable.  He  labours  very  hard  to  prove 
that,  so  far  from  wishing  to  attach  any  stigma  to  Dr.  Pusey  in 
the  eyes  of  all  sound  English  Churchmen,  he  was  really  only 
anxious  to  do  him  a  very  great  service ;  that  he  simply  wished  to 
hold  him  ^^  to  a  consistent  course  of  conduct '  f  ^  that  he  ^'  made 
the  statement  originally,  and  still  adheres  to  it,  not  as  in  its  lead* 
iog  features  disparaging  to  Dr.  Pusey,  but,  as  to  his  honour.^^ 
The  "  Dublin  Review  "  of  last  April,  in  an  article  from  which  we 
diall  have  occasion  to  quote  hereafter,  thus  speaks  on  this  point : — 

"  Mr.  Dodsworth  is,  we  are  satisfied,  too  kind  and  amiable  a  man  to 
have  any  thought  of  what  is  commonly  called  *  showing  up'  his  friend 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Protestant  public.  He  meant  to  state  facts,  and 
tiiese  facts  Dr.  Pusey  has  acknowledged.  He  meant  no  more,  as  we 
are  bound  to  understand  him,  than  to  contrast  Dr.  Pusey's  apparent 
wavering  about  the  Gorham  case,  with  the  known  character  of  his 
teaching  and  practice.*' 

Now,  we  have  really  no  wish  to  judge  Mr.  Dodsworth  unfairly, 
but  we  must  say  that  it  is  a  little  too  much  to  apply  the  terms 
"kindness^'  and  "amiability"  to  his  conduct  to  Dr.  Pusey. 
What  would  the  Dublin  Reviewer  say,  if  the  Bishop  of  Exeter 
should  hereafter  state,  with  regard  to  his  pastoral  letter  (of  which, 
by  the  way,  we  deeply  regret  to  be  obliged  to  say  that  we  wish 
it  had  never  been  published),  that  he  simply  intended  to  do  an 
act  of  especial  kindness  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  !  All 
we  will  say  is  this,  that  if  Mr.  Dodsworth  did  not  design  to  "  show 
up'^  his  friend,  as  the  Dublin  Reviewer  says,  he  might  have  used 
a  less  public  method  of  admonition  towards  him — that  if,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  did  intend  to  do  so,  he  could  not,  if  he  had  tried 
his  hardest,  have  used  means  better  calculated  to  attain  the  end 
he  desired. 

But  we  must  say  a  few  words  with  respect  to  another  ex- 
pression of  Mr.  Dodsworth,  which  certainly  does  seem,  upon 
the  face  of  it,  of  a  very  singular  nature.  He  insinuates,  in  a  note 
attached  to  his  "  Comment  on  Dr.  Pusey's  letter,''  that  Dr.  Pusey 
did  actually  countenance  a  more  stringent  declaration  with  respect 
to   Holy  Baptism,   in   consequence   of    Mr.   Dodsworth's  first 

9  Comments,  &c.  p.  1. 


254  /Spiritual  Directian. 

**  friendly"^  letter  to  him.  Dr.  Pusey  clearly  enough  shows  th» 
not  to  have  been  the  case,  but  with  that  we  have  obviously  nothing 
to  do.  We  merely  allude  to  the  matter  for  the  purpose  of  draw- 
ing attention  to  the  following  strange  assertion  of  Mr,  Dodsworth, 
He  says, 

"  Had  Dr.  Pusey  used  this  strong  language  from  the  first,  a  dif- 
ferent result  might  (sic)  have  followed  from  the  united  efforts  of  High 
Churchmen.  As  it  was,  happily,  as  1  must  now  think  it.  Dr.  Pusey's 
retractation  or  change  of  opinion  came  too  late  to  be  of  any  effect." 

Now,  if  these  words  mean  any  thing,  they  must  mean  this ;  that, 
if  Dr.  Pusey  had  been  content,  in  conjunction  with  Mr.  Dods- 
worth, to  anathematize  all  who  differed  from  him,  Mr.  Dodsworth 
mighty  quod  cHctu  foddma  est,  have  still  been  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  England.  Now,  let  it  be  remembered  that,  bef&re 
publishing  these  "  Comments,^'  Mr.  Dodsworth  had  subscribed 
the  creed  of  Pope  Pius  IV.,  had  been  received  into  the  bosom  of 
the  so-called  Catholic  Church,  and,  Hke  all  the  recent  converts  of 
any  note,  with  one  bright  exception,  had  done  his  best  to  vilify 
the  Church  of  England,  by  the  publication  of  a  pamphlet  called 
"  Anglicanism  in  its  Results,'^  to  which  we  may  possibly  allude 
somewhat  more  at  length,  in  our  next  number.  What  fmist  we 
think  of  the  common  honesty,  or  the  common  discernment,  of  a 
man  who,  situated  as  Mr.  Dodsworth  then  was,  could  make  such 
an  assertion  as  that  on  which  we  comment?  Mr.  Dodsworth,  if 
Dr.  Pusey  had  been,  on  one  subject,  a  little  more  decided,  "  mighf^ 
still  have  been  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England! — of  that 
Church  which  has,  according  to  his  own  showing,  no  priesthood,  no 
sacraments,  no  spiritual  character,  no  any  thing  which,  as  Mr.  Dodsr 
worth  imagines,  is  a  mark  or  note  of  the  true  Church  of  Christ ! 
Surely  the  alternative  is  obvious.  If  Mr.  Dodsworth  can  assert, 
after  the  publication  of  "  Anglicanism  in  its  Results,^'  that  he 
"  mighf  have  been  still  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  we  are 
driven,  in  consequence  of  that  publication,  to  one  of  two  conclusions 
— either  Mr,  Dodsworth  would  have  remained  in  our  communion, 
as  a  dishonest  man,  or  else  he  can  now  be  very  insufficiently 
qualified  to  give  any  opinion  on  the  merits  of  the  controversy 
between  the  two  Churches.  We  leave  Mr.  Dodsworth  to  exphin 
this  statement  as  he  best  can.  Until  he  does  explain  it,  any 
candid  mind  can,  we  imagine,  think  very  little  of  his  value,  as  a 
pervert  to  Romanism ;  can  attach  very  little  importance  to  any 
attack  it  may  please  him  to  make  upon  the  Church  of  England. 

But  it  is  time,  that,  leaving  the  consideration  of  Mr.  Dods- 
worth'^s  conduct,  we  return  to  the  subject  we  propose  to  investi- 
gate in  this  paper.     We  shall  endeavour  to  show  first,  to  what 


Spiritual  Direction.  255 

extent  the  writings  of  Dr.  Pusey  show  that  he  inculcates  the 
practice  of  Auricular  Confession.  Sec(HidIy,  we  shall  inquire 
whether  Dr.  Pusey^s  teaching  is  in  accordance  with  the  doctrine 
of  the  Church  of  England ;  and  then,  thirdly,  how  far  the  use  of 
Confession  to  a  Priest,  as  a  means  of  grace,  is  encouraged  by  the 
teaching  of  Holy  Scripture,  and  by  the  teaching  and  practice  of 
the  Primitive  Church. 

We  need  hardly  remind  our  readers,  what  is  the  doctrine  of 
the  Church  of  Borne  with  respect  to  Auricular  Confession.  The 
Council  of  Lateran,  in  1215,  laid  down  the  following  rule,  '^  That 
all  the  faithful  of  both  sexes  should,  as  soon  as  they  come  to 
years  of  discretion,  faithfully  confess  all  their  sins  in  private,  at 
least  once  a  year,  to  their  own  priest:"  while  it  was  deqreed  by 
the  Council  of  Trent,  that,  "  to  confess  to  a  priest,  all  and  every 
mortal  sin,  which  after  diligent  inquiry  we  remember,  and  every 
evil  thought  or  desire,  and  the  circumstances  which  change  the 
nature  of  the  sin,  is  necessary  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  of 
divine  institution ;  and  he  that  denies  this  is  to  be  anathema." 
Here,  at  least,  the  doctrine  is  laid  down  in  terms  unmistakably 
clear.  Let  us  now  proceed  to  examine  whether  there  is  any  dif- 
ference in  fact  between  the  theories  of  Dr.  Pusey  and  the  Church 
of  Rome  with  respect  to  Confession.  It  may  be  well,  however, 
first  to  state,  to  avoid  any  mistake  on  so  important  a  point,  how 
far  we  go  along  with  Dr.  Pusey  with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of 
Sacerdotal  Absolution.  Our  difference  with  him  is  not  as  to  the 
doctrine  itself,  but  simply  as  to  its  practical  appUcation. 

"  We,"  to  use  his  own  words,  **  believe  in  common,  that  the  power 
to  absolve  from  sin  in  Christ's  name,  is  given  to  all  priests  through 
their  ordination.  We  believe  that  this  power  is  committed  to  them  by 
Christ  himself,  through  the  imposition  of  the  bishop's  hands  with  the 
words,  *  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  office  and  work  of  a  priest  in 
the  Church  of  God,  now  committed  unto  thee,  by  the  imposition  of  our 
hands.  Whose  sins  thou  dost  forgive  they  are  forgiven,  and  whose  sins 
thou  dost  letain  they  are  retained.'  We  believe  also  that  the  power  of 
excommunicating,  or  absolving  from  excommunication,  is  reserved  for 
the  highest  order  only.  We  believe,  that  on  full  confession  of  all  the 
sins  that  burthen  the  conscience,  with  true  repentance,  the  priest  may, 
by  Christ's  authority  committed  unto  him,  absolve  the  penitent  from  all 
his  sins  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  and  that  what  he  looses  on  earth  is  loosed  in  heaven^." 

Thus  far  there  can  be  no  difference  of  opinion  between  those 
who  are  content  to  take  the  formularies  of  our  Church  in  their 
natural  sense.     But  here  we  must  stop  in  our  agreement  with 

*  Letter  to  Mr.  Richards,  p.  7« 


256  Spiritual  Direction. 

Dr.  Pusey,  Unless  we  have  grievously  mistaken  the  tenor  of  Mb? 
writings  on  this  subject,  there  is  no  one  class  of  persons  to  whom 
he  would  not  recommend  the  habitual  use  of  Confession  as,  nexl 
to  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  one  of  the  very  highest 
means  of  grace.  We  believe,  most  fully,  that  to  no  one  does  he 
"  enjoin''  Confession ;  we  believe,  equally,  that  there  is  no  one  to 
whom  he  would  not  strenuously  recommend  its  habitual  use.  Let 
us  see  how  far  Dr.  Pusey's  own  writings  bear  out  this  view  of  the 
case.     He  says: — 

"  I  could  not  enjoin  what  the  English  Church  leaves  free.  I  recom- 
mended it  in  my  University  Sermons  to  those  who  felt  that  their  caie 
needed  it'," 

The  question,  then,  obviously  is,  who  are  they,  who,  in  Dr. 
Pusey's  judgment,  ought  "  to  feel  that  their  case  needed  itT 

Let  us  examine  this  question.  In  his  sermon,  "  Entire  Abso- 
lution of  the  Penitent,''  the  following  words  occur : 

"  The  object  of  this  sermon  is  the  reli/«»&n)f  individual  penitents. 
Consciences  are  burtbened.  There  is  a  provision  on  the  part  of  God 
in  his  Church  to  relieve  them." 

Again : 

"  They  cannot  estimate  their  own  repentance  and  faith.  God  has 
provided  physicians  of  the  soul,  to  relieve  and  judge  for  those  who 
•  open  their  griefs*  to  them"."  "  Yet  such,"  he  says,  **  are  not  the  only 
cases  to  which  the  provisions  of  our  Church  directly  apply.  She  ex- 
plicitly contemplates  another  class,  tender  consciences,  who  need  com- 
fort and  peace,  and  reassurance  of  the  favour  of  their  heavenly  Father. 
For  (blessed  be  God)  there  are  those  who  feel  the  weight  of  any  slight 
sin,  more  than  others  do  *  whole  cartloads:*  and  who  do  derive  comfort 
and  strength  from  the  special  application  of  the  power  of  the  keys  to 
their  own  consciences.** 

He  then  refers  to  the  well-known  words  of  our  Communion 
Service,  and  thus  continues  : 

"  What  minister  of  Christ  then  should  take  upon  himself  to  drive 
away  *  his  lambs,*  as  if  persons  were  to  have  less  of  the  ministry  of 
comfort,  the  less  they  had  offended  God?  As  if  any  thing  ought,  in 
the  estimation  of  the  Christian  minister,  to  be  of  slight  account,  which 
disturbs  the  peaceful  mirror  of  the  soul  wherein  it  reflects  God," 

Now,  in  order  to  estimate  the  full  force  of  these  very  solemn 
words,  and  we  trust  our  readers  will  give  us  credit  for  approaching 
the  consideration  of  this  subject  with  a  deep  feeling  of  respect  for  the 
earnest  love  of  souls  which  dictated  them,  we  must  place  in  juxta- 
position to  them  a  passage  from  Dr.  Pusey's  letter  to  Mr.  Richwds. 

•*  All  ^"  he  says,  "  who  have  any  experience  in  Confession,  know 
«  Letter  to  Mr.  Richards,  p.  6.  «  Ibid.  p.  ^,  f  p.  70. 


Spiritual  Direction.  257 

lat  tbe  minds  of  many  are  as  much  disquieted  by  those  slighter  sins, 
rhich  are  called  '  veniaJ,'  as  others  are  by  those  called  '  deadly '  sins. 
?hey  will  frequently  be  a  suhject  of  Confession,  and  are  a  legitimate 
abject  of  Confession  among  us  also,  for  the  Church,  in  her  exhorta- 
ion,  invites  all  who  cannot  quiet  their  conscience.  They  will  often  be. 
If  the  soul  grows  in  grdce,  the  only  sins  to  he  confessed*  Yet  the  soul 
jrows  in  grace  through  their  Confession,  The  power  of  the  keys  is 
fxercised  as  to  these  also ;  and  God  does  give  grace  on  its  use  '.'* 

Now  the  first  thing  which  strikes  us  in  these  two  passages  is 
the  meaning  which  Dr.  Pusey  would  attach  to  the  word  "  Peni- 
tent." Doubtless,  in  one  sense,  all  Christian  men  must  be  peni- 
tents, and,  doubtless,  also,  the  more  the  spiritual  life  is  built  up, 
sind  confirmed,  and  strengthened  within  them,  the  deeper  will  be, 
day  by  day,  their  penitential  sorrow  for  past  sin.  But  surely 
these  are  not  the  class  of  persons  to  whom,  in  its  strictest  sense, 
the  word  penitent  ought  to  be  applied.  Surely,  at  least,  it  was 
not  so  in  the  Primitive  Church.  We  know  perfectly  well  who 
were  there  meant  by  the  "  Penitents."  They  were  not  persons 
whose  consciences  were  disquieted  by  those  sins  of  infirmity  to 
which  all  men,  as  long  as  they  are  '*  burthened  by  the  infirmity 
of  the  flesh,''  must  ever  be  subject,  but  rather  persons  who,  in 
consequence  of  some  sin  of  a  grave  character,  were  debarred 
from  communion  with  the  faithful,  until  they  were  restored,  after 
a  long  course  of  penitence,  by  public  Confession  and  by  public 
Absolution.  But  now,  obviously,  the  penitent,  to  whom  Dr. 
Pusey  alludes,  will  be  very  frequently  such,  in  a  very  different 
sense  indeed  to  the  penitent  of  the  early  Church,  and,  as  we 
firmly  believe,  taking  the  word  in  its  strictest  sense,  of  Holy 
Scripture.  The  penitent,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  will  be  every 
one^  who  feels  himself  burthened  with  a  consciousness  of  sin.  To 
every  one^  who  does  so  feel.  Dr.  Pusey  holds  up  Confession  to  a 
priest,  and  Absolution  at  his  hands,  as  one  of  the  greatest  means 
of  comfort  and  consolation.  But  now  surely  the  grand  doctrine 
of  Holy  Scripture  and  of  the  Church  of  Christ  is,  that  all  men, 
however  high  may  be  their  attainments  in  holiness,  are  daily 
sinning,  and  "  coming  short  of  the  glory  of  God ;''  that  all  men, 
even  the  greatest  saints,  do  daily  commit  "  sins  of  thought,  word, 
and  deed  against  the  Divine  Majesty,''  and  therefore  surely  it  is 
evident,  that,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  the  use  of  Confession  to  a 
priest,  as  a  means  of  grace,  must  be,  in  its  practical  application, 
absolutely  unlimited.  If  the  power  of  the  keys,  in  Confession 
and  Absolution,  ought  to  be  applied  to  all  individually  who  feel 
their  consciences  burthened  by  sin,  of  whatever  character,  and  if 
this  mtist  be  the  case  with  all  true  Christians,  and  the  more  so 

'  The  italics  are  ours. 


258  Spiritual  Direction. 

the  hiflrher  they  advance  in  spiritual  attainments,  then  surely  \i 
will  follow,  as  the  only  legitimate  conclusion,  that  all  true  Chris- 
tians are  bound,  as  they  value  their  souFs  health,  to  have  recourse 
to  Auricular  Confession,  in  order  that  they  may  receive  the  bene- 
fit of  individual  Priestly  Absolution, 

But,  moreover,  Dr.  Pusey  tells  us,  that  the  Church  of  England, 
in  her  exhortation,  when  notice  is  given  of  the  Holy  Communion, 
"  explicitly  contemplates  another  class,  tender  consciences,  who 
need  comfort,  and  peace,  and  reassurance  of  the  favour  of  their 
heavenly  Father."     To  these  is  Confession  especially  salutary,  as 
a  means  of  grace.     Now  we  beg  to  ask,  who  are  they  who,  being 
Christians  indeed,  do  not  come  under  this  category  ?     Can  there 
be  one  man  living,  having  any  knowledge  of  his  own  condition  as 
a  guilty  sinner  in  God"'s  sight,  having  any  desire  and  yearning  for 
God"'s  love  and  favour,  who  does  not,  daily   and  hourly,  need 
"  comfort,   and  peace,  and   reassurance   of  the   favour    of  his 
heavenly  Father  C  who  does  not  long  for  a  daili/  assurance  that 
God  is  to  him,  personally  and  individually,  a  "  reconciled  Father 
in  Christ  Jesus  V     Well  then,  if  this  be  so,  surely  it  will  follow 
again,  that  all  such  persons,  in  other  words,  all  sincere  Christians, 
act  most  rashly  and  unadvisedly,  who  do  not,  according  to  Dr. 
Pusey,  have  habitual  recourse  to  Auricular  Confession,  as  one  of 
the  most  direct  means  of  obtaining  comfort  and  peace  of  mind. 
Therefore  do  we  say,  that,  even  from  the  passages  we  have  now 
quoted,  and,   did  time  allow,  they  might  be  multiplied  tenfold, 
the  theory  of  Dr.  Pusey  with  respect  to  spiritual  direction  is 
briefly  as  follows :    A  "  Physician  of  souls ''  is  provided  for  the 
relief  of  "  penitents,**'  and  "  tender  consciences.'*'*     Inasmuch  then 
as  all  true  Christians  are  penitents  ;  inasmuch  as  the  consciences 
of  all  such  will  necessarily  be  tender ;  therefore,  for  all  true  Chris- 
tians does  the  Church  provide  a  Physician  of  souls,  and  the  re- 
medy he  administers  is  Auricular  Confession,  and  special,  per- 
sonal, Absolution. 

And  now  that  we  have  clearly  shown  the  universality  of  Dr. 
Pusey ""s  theory  with  regard  to  Confession,  let  us  see,  in  the  next 
place,  whether  his  practice,  so  far  as  that  practice  can  be  gathered 
from  the  writings  before  us,  is  coextensive  with  it.  That  Dr. 
Pusey  does  not  in  terms  "enjoin'*'  Confession  we  are  quite  sure, 
but  that  he  does  so  represent  its  value,  2^  practically  to  enjoin  it, 
we  have  no  doubt  whatever.  In  other  words,  to  state  our  mean- 
ing as  broadly  as  possible,  we  are  quite  convinced  that,  were  Dr. 
Pusey  a  parish  priest,  there  would  not  be  a  single  person  in  his 
parish,  provided  he  steadily  acted  up  to,  and  practically  carried 
out.  Dr.  Pusey '*s  teaching  and  ministerial  guidance,  who  would 
not,  habitually,  and  systematically,  use  Confession,  either  to  Dr. 


\ 


Spiritual  Directum.  259 

Pusey  himself  or  to  '^  some  other  '^  priest  of  the  Anglican  Church. 

liBt  vs  then  endeavour  to  substantiate  this  position,  premising 

that  we  are  not  now,  in  any  wise,  considering  whether  Dr.  Pusey'^s 

teaching  and  practice  on  this  subject  be  right  or  wrong,  be,  or  be 

not,  in  accordance  with  the  mind  and  intention  of  the  English 

Church,  but  simply,  what  is  the  real  nature,  the  actual  extent,  of 

that  teaching,  as  it  is  carried  out  in  practical  operation.     We 

will  quote,  in  the  first  place,  a  passage  from  the  letter  to  Mr. 

Bichards : — 

'*  In  their  plain  and  natural  sense  •/*  says  the  writer,  "  the  words, 
*  Let  him  come  to  me,  or  unto  some  other  discreet  and  learned  minis- 
ter of  God's  Word,'  do  (as  all  must  have  felt,  and  as  we  have  all  shown  by 
our  actions,  whether  in  confessing  or  in  receiving  confessions  \)  leave  it 
quite  open  to  any  of  us  to  choose  whom  we  think  best  fitted  for  our 


own  case." 


Now  be  it  remembered  that  Dr,  Pusey  is  writing  to  a  priest  of 
the  English  Church,  at  the  request  of  certain  other  prieste,  and 
in  so  doing  he  states  that  they  have. a//  practically  carried  out 
their  view  of  the  exhortation  in  our  Communion  Service,  by 
having  recourse  to  special  Confession  to  a  priest.  Who  can 
doubt,  for  a  moment,  that  every  one  brought  within  the  sphere  of 
their  influence,  would,  by  their  distinct  and  explicit  recommenda- 
tion, have  recourse  to  the  same  method  of  obtaining  comfort  and 
consolation  i 

Again,  in  discussing  the  question  whether  "  bishops  and  clergv 
were  allowed  by  the  positive  law  to  choose  their  own  confessor,  ** 
Dr.  Pusey  proves,  clearly  enough,  according  to  the  practice  of  the 
Bomish  Church,  the  afiirmative  of  the  position,  and  then  he  adds : — 

"  Much  more  may  we,  priests  or  laymen,  submit  ourselves,  for  the 
time,  to  those  to  whom,  as  ministers  of  God,  we  lay  open  the  wounds 
of  our  souls  ^" 

Again  he  says  : — 

"  But  bishops  are  not  limited  to  their  own  priests,  nor  is  this  even 
suggested  by  the  decretal.  If  the  bishop  were  to  confess  to  another 
bishop  (and  surely  it  would  be" — not,  observe,  would  have  been,  but 
Would  be — **  nothing  strange,  that  a  bishop  should  use  Confession  to 
another),  he  would  be  submitting  himself  to  one  to  whom  he  could  in 
no  way  give  jurisdiction  ;  and  who,  of  himself,  had  none  over  him." 

We  quote  this  passage  as  proving,  when  taken  in  connexion 
with  those  already  quoted,  that,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  no  one,  no 
class,  no  individual,  from  the  humblest  "  penitent,''  using  the  word 

•  Letter  to  Mr.  Richards,  pp.  17>  18' 

*  It  may  be  well  to  state  that  the  italics  are  our  own,  unless  where  otherwise 
specified. 

'  Letter  to  Mt.  Richards,  p.  38. 


260  Spiritual  Direction. 

in  its  strictest  sense,  to  the  greatest  saint,  from  the  lowest  minister 
about  holy  things,  to  those  who  sit  in  the  highest  places  as  ^^  over- 
seers of  the  flock  of  God,"*^  ought  so  far  to  undervalue  his  spiritual 
privileges,  as  to  neglect  the  habitual  use  of  special  Confession  to  a 
priest,  as  one  of  the  greatest  means  of  grace. 

But  there  is  one  case  to  which,  on  this  point,  we  must  refer 
more  at  length,  because  it  illustrates,  still  more  precisely,  Dr. 
Pusey^s  teaching  and  practice.  Perhaps  we  had  better  give  the 
statement  of  the  matter  as  it  appears  in  Mr.  Dodsworth'^s  ^^  Com- 
ments on  Dr.  Pusey'^s  Letter  to  the  Bishop  of  London.^  Mr. 
Dodsworth  is  endeavouring  to  do  that  which, — we  are  sorry  to  be 
obliged  to  say  so  in  connexion  with  Mr.  Dodsworth — we  are  also 
doing,  viz.  to  prove  the  universality  of  Dr.  Pusey^s  teaching  and 
practice  with  respect  to  Confession.     He  says : — 

''  Dr.  Pusey  and  I  had  been  associated  together  in  the  establishment 
of  a  Sisterhood  of  Mercy ;  and  it  was  certainly  an  understood  thing, 
though  not  absolutely  enforced,  that  the  Sisters  should  use  Confession ; 
as  they  all^  in  fact,  do*,*' 

Now,  what  is  Dr.  Pusey'^s  answer  to  this  statement !  He  says, 

"  I  am  quite  sure  that  the  accurate  statement  would  have  been, 
'  we  certainly  anticipated  that  the  Sisters  would  use  Confession  '  (sic). 
This,  certainly,  I  did  anticipate.  From  my  experience  as  to  the  class 
of  minds  likely  to  be  drawn  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  devote  themselves 
to  the  service  of  Christ  in  his  poor,  /  could  not  doubt  thai  the  same 
minds  would  most  probably  be  drawn  to  Confession,  I  should  expect 
this  of  any  institution  formed  by  any  one  in  the  English  Church, 
which  (on  whatever  principle  it  was  established)  should  propose  as  its 
end  and  aim,  to  serve  Christ  himself  in  his  poor  and  sick.  /  should 
expect  that  it  would  either  melt  away,  or  that  its  members  would  sooner 
or  later,  one  by  one,  come  to  use  Confession,  But  I  should  think  it 
wrong  to  aid  in  forming  a  society  in  which  it  should  be  *  an  implied  and 
understood  thing,'  that  the  members  *  should  use  Confession^.'" 

And  then  Dr.  Pusey  goes  on  to  protest  against  any  further 
allusion  to  the  practice  of  these  Sisters  of  Mercy,     He  says, 

"  Confession  being,  amongst  us,  a  voluntary  act,  ought  to  be  held 
sacred;  and  no  one  has,  I  think,  a  right  to  publish  to  the  world, 
whether  ladies,  who  have  retired  from  the  world  to  serve  Christ  in  his 
poor,  do  or  do  not  use  Confession.  It,  as  well  as  every  other  circum- 
stance of  their  devotional  life,  is  sacred  between  God  and  their  own 
souls." 

It  may  be  well,  before  commenting  on  this  passage,  to  give 
Mr.  Dodsworth's  further  reply  to  it.     He  says . 

"  I  feel  bound,  reluctantly,  to  state  the  grounds  upon  which  I  made 
'  Comments,  &c.  p.  6.  *  Renewed  Explanations,  p.  21. 


Spiritual  Direction,  261 

de  original  assertion,  '  by  encouraging  every  where,  if  not  ei^oining, 
Auricular  Confession.'     I  had  then  the  following  circumstance  in  my 
xnind.     Soon  after  the  establishment  of  the  Sisterhood  of  Mercy  in  my 
late  parish,  a  young  woman  came  to  the  house  with  the  view  of  being 
admitted  as  a  '  lay*  or  '  serving*  sister.     On  my  calling  to  see  her  soon 
after  her  arrival,  she  told  me  at  once  she  could  not  stay,  because  from  a 
conversation  which  she  had  had  with  Dr.  Pusey,  she  found  that  she  would 
be  required  to  use  Confession ;  and  under  this  impression,  she  actually 
left  the  institution.     Dr.  Pusey  tells  me  that  he  does  not  remember  this 
case ;  but  it  made  too  vivid  an  impression  on  my  mind  to  be  easily 
efiaced.     I  can  only  place  my  recollection,  which  is  as  clear  and  distinct 
as  if  the  circumstance  had  occurred  yesterday,  against  his.     Again,  in 
the  original  rules  drawn  up  for  the  Sisterhood,  under  which  they  lived 
for  some  time,  and  which  were  read  over  every  week  in  the  community, 
there  was  a  rule,  a  copy  of  which  is  now  before  me,  *  on  Confession.' 
It  begins  as  follows,  *  Whenever  you  use  Confession,  make  your  pre- 
paration as  follows,  &c.**** 

Now,  there  are  two  observations  suggest  themselves  with  refer- 
enee  to  this  question.  It  does,  in  the  first  place,  seem  to  us 
absolutely  inconceivable,  how  Dr.  Pusey,  with  a  knowledge  of 
these  facts  before  him,  could  possibly  object  to  Mr.  Dodsworth's 
statement,  that  he  had  "  encouraged  everywhere,  if  not  enjoined, 
Auricular  Confession.^'  Leaving  the  "  serving  sister''  out  of  the 
question,  let  us  take  the  case  as  Dr.  Pusey  himself  puts  it.  A 
Sisterhood  of  Mercy  is  founded,  consisting  of  ladies  who  desired 
"  to  serve  Christ  in  his  poor,"  by  devoting  themselves  to  wbrks  of 
charity  and  mercy.  Of  this  Sisterhood  Dr.  Pusey  says  empha- 
tically, "  we  certainly  anticipated  that  the  Sisterhood  would  use 
Confession."  He  says,  moreover,  "  I  should  expect  that  any 
such  institution  would  either  melt  away,  or  that  Its  members 
would  sooner  or  later,  one  by  one,  come  to  use  Confession." 
Then,  further,  distinct  rules  for  Confession  are  drawn  up,  which 
rules  are  read  over  every  week  in  the  community.  And  yet,  with 
marvellous  inconsistency.  Dr.  Pusey  adds,  "  But  I  should  think 
it  wrong  to  aid  in  forming  a  society  in  which  it  should  be  ^  an 
implied  and  understood  thing'  that  the  members  should  use  Con- 
fession." Now  we  do  not  wish  for  a  single  moment  to  charge 
Dr.  Pusey  with  wilful  misrepresentation,  but  we  must  say,  that, 
if  ever  there  was  a  case  in  which  any  thing  was  *'  implied  and 
understood,"  using  these  words  in  their  ordinary  sense,  then  was 
it  "  an  understood  and  implied  thing,"  that  these  Sisters  of  Mercy 
should  use  Confession. 

Dr.  Pusey  states,  again,  that  he  did  not  "  enjoin  "  Confession. 
We  fully  believe  it,  as  he  says  so ;  but,  surely,  there  is  such  a 

^  Further  Comments^  &c.  p.  4. 


262  Spiritual  Direction. 

thing  as  moral  force,  and  moral  compulsion.  As  Mr.  Dodsworft 
very  truly  observes,  "  I  might  be  of  opiuion  that  a  course  of  advice 
amounts  in  effect  to  the  enjoining  of  the  practice,  which  he 
thinks  no  more  than  an  encouragement  to  it.^^ 

But  then  comes  the  further  question.  Ought  not  Dr.  Pusey,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  showing,  to  have  enjoined  Confession  upon  these 
Sisters  of  Mercy?  He  wishes  to  establish  a  certain  institution; 
he  thinks  that  every  one  who  joins  it,  will,  in  time,  use  Confession; 
he  thinks  that  if  Confession  be  not  used,  the  institution  must  fall 
to  the  ground :  and,  moreover,  one  of  the  rules  of  the  institution 
itself  is,  how  Confession  should  be  used.  Surely,  then,  the  more 
straightforward  course  would  have  been  to  have  said  in  terms, 
that  which  really  was  the  case  practically,  that  the  use  of  Con- 
fession to  a  priest  should  be  one  of  the  fundamental  conditions  of 
joining  the  institution. 

But  we  must  notice,  secondly.  Dr.  Pusey's  very  singular 
sensitiveness  as  to  the  practice  of  these  Sisters  of  Mercy,  with 
respect  to  Confession.  Mr.  Dodsworth  has  put  this  point  very 
forcibly.     He  says ", — 

"  Before  I  leave  this  subject  of  Confession,  I  must  say  that  I 
cannot  understand  how  Dr.  Pusey  can  esteem  it  a  betrayal  of  con- 
fidence, simply  to  state  the  fact  that  the  Sisters  do  use  Confes- 
sion. Is  it  not,  according  to  his  own  showing,  an  excellent  and 
edifying  practice  ;  nay,  and  essential,  in  his  view,  to  the  very  existence 
of  such  an  institution  ?  Can  it,  then,  be  wrong  to  have  stated  that 
this  practice,  essential  to  its  permanence,  is  to  be  found  in  the 
institution  ?  " 

We  are  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  say,  that  we  fully  agree  with 
Mr.  Dodsworth  on  this  point.  We  beg  to  ask,  would  Dr.  Pusey 
esteem  it  a  breach  of  confidence  if  any  one  were  to  state  that,  in 
an  institution  founded  by  him,  the  Sisters  must  have  been  ad- 
mitted into  the  English  Church  by  the  Sacrament  of  Holy 
Baptism?  Would  it  be  a  breach  of  confidence  to  state  that 
they  habitually,  and  at  stated  intervals,  partook  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist?  We  apprehend  that  Dr.  Pusey  would  not  assert 
this.  Inasmuch,  then,  as  we  have  clearly  shown  that  Dr.  Pusey 
regards  the  habitual  use  of  Confession  to  a  priest  as  a  means  of 
grace,  second  only  in  value  to  Baptism,  and  the  Holy  Eucharist, 
it  surely  would  redound,  according  to  his  own  principles,  to  the 
honour,  rather  than  to  the  discredit,  of  the  Sisters  to  state  that 
they  habitually  had  recourse  to  that  means  of  grace  which  their 
founder  so   strenuously   recommends.      The  mere   fact  of  Dr. 

•  Further  Comments,  &.c.  p.  6. 


Spiritual  Direction.  263 

'usey  objecting,  not,  as  he  might  fairly  enough  have  done,  to 
Ifie  manner,  but  to  the  matter,  of  Mr.  Dodsworth's  statement, 
especting  the  Sisterhood,  shows,  in  our  judgment,  most  clearly, 
.hat  he  has,  unwittingly,  placed  himself  in  an  utterly  ialse  posi- 
don,  with  respect  to  his  recommendation  of  the  use  of  Auricular 
Confession. 

But  now  we  ask  our  readers,  have  we,  or  have  we  not,  proved 
to  demonstration  the  position  we  set  out  to  establish,  that,  accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Pusey,  it  is  sit  once  the  bounden  duty  and  the  highest 
interest  of  every  sincere  Christian,  as  he  values  his  spiritual  wel- 
fare,  to  carry  out  in   detail  a   system   of  Spiritual  Direction, 
differing  in  no  one  essential  particular,  in  no  practical  respect 
whatever,  from  that  of  the  Roman  Church  i     In  other  words,  to 
use,  habitually  and  systematically.  Confession  to  a  priest^  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  the  benefit  of  Absolution.     The  details  of 
^nfession   are,  as  Mr.  Dodsworth  asserts,  and  as   Dr.  Pusey 
perforce  admits,  completely  identical  in  the  Bomish  usage,  and 
the  usage  of  Dr.  Pusey  and  his  followers.     In  fact,  in  his  answer 
to  Mr.  Dodsworth's  Comments,  Dr.  Pusey  makes  the  following 
startling  acknowledgment, — an  acknowledgment  over  which  Mr. 
Dodsworth  does  not  forget  to  sing  an  lo  Psean : — 

"/  certainly  do  believe  that  the  great  change  which  the  English 
Church  made  as  to  Confession  mas,  that  it  ceased  to  be  compulsory. 
Confession,  when  made,  must  be  made  in  one  and  tjjje  same  way  ;  only,  in 
^  English  Church,  it  is,  from  beginning  to  end,  voluntary.** 

And  this,  then,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  was,  so  far  as  Auri- 
cular Confession  was  concerned,  the  whole  and  sole  result  of  the 
Reformation  !  This  it  was  which  alone  Bishop  Jeremy  Taylor, 
and  Bramhall,  and  Usher,  and  a  host  of  others,  laboured  to 
establish  !  When  these  great  pillars  of  the  English  Church 
denounced,  as  Dr.  Pusey  knows  full  well  they  did  deAounce,  the 
Romish  Confessional,  they  objected,  not  to  the  system  of  the 
Romish  Church,  not  to  the  details  of  that  system,  but  simply  to 
its  compulsory  nature !  They  wished  to  make  no  alteration 
whatever  in  the  practice,  but  simply  wished  to  leave  it  an  open 
question,  simply  a  matter  of  voluntary  choice,  whether  members 
of  the  English  Church  should  or  should  not  adopt  it !  We  can 
Only  say  that  we  "  would  not  hear  the  enemy  ^'  of  the  Church  of 
England  make  such  an  assertion,  for  sure  we  are  that  no  heavier 
charge  could  be  brought  against  our  Reformers  than  Dr.  Pusey  has 
by  implication  brought  against  them.  All  that,  forsooth,  they  and 
the  great  divines  of  the  seventeenth  century  did  in  this  point,  was 
deliberately  to  leave  it  an  open  question,  a  matter  of  free  choice, 
whether  Christian  men  should  of  should  not  use  one  of  the  most 
valued  means  of  grace  to  which  they  could  possibly  have  re- 


264  Spiritual  Directum. 

course !     As  if  that  Church  would  not  show  the  greatest  loie 
for  the  souls  of  her  children,  which,  taking  Dr.  Pusey'^s  view  witk 
regard  to  Confession  as  the  correct  view,  should  not  leave  i 
a  voluntary  question,  whether  so  beneficial  a  practice  should  or 
should  not  be  universally  adopted,  but  should  insist  rather  upoi  k 
aU  her  children  adopting  it.     In  opposition  to  Dr.  Pusey'*s  tea<eh-  ■- 
ing  on  this  point,  we  will  simply  quote  the  following  passage  from 
Usher'^s  "  Answer  to  a  Jesuit,"*^  and  then  leave  our  readers  i» 
judge  whether,  in  the  opinion  of  Usher,  "  the  great  change  whiek 
the  English  Church  made  as  to  Confession  was,  that  it  ceased 
to  be  compulsory/' 

'*  Be^  it  therefore  known  unto  him  (the  Jesuit)  that  no  kind  of  Con- 
fession, either  public  or  private,  is  disallowed  by  us,  that  is  any  way 
requisite  for  the  due  execution  of  that  ancient  power  of  the  keys  which 
Christ  bestowed  upon  his  Church.  The  thing  which  we  now  reject,  is 
that  new  picklock  of  sacramental  Confession,  obtruded  upon  men's  con- 
sciences, as  a  matter  necessary  to  salvation,  by  the  canons  of  the  late 
conventicle  of  Trent,  where  those  good  Fathers  put  their  curse  upon 
every  one  that  either  shall  deny  that  sacramental  Confession  was  o^ 
dained  by  Divine  right,  and  is  by  the  same  right  necessary  to  salvation. 
This  doctrine,  I  say,  we  cannot  but  reject,  as  being  repugnant  to  that 
which  we  have  learned,  both  from  the  Scriptures,  and  from  the  Fathers. 

*'  For  in  the  Scriptures  we  find,  that  the  confession  which  the  penitent 
sinner  maketh  to  God  alone,  hath  the.  promise  of  forgiveness  annexed 
unto  it,  which  no  pritst  upon  earth  hath  power  to  make  void,  upon  pre- 
tence that  himself  or  some  of  his  fellows  were  not  first  particularly 
acquainted  with  the  business,  *  I  acknowledge  my  sin  unto  thee,  and  | 
mine  iniquity  have  I  not  hid :  I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgressions  • 
unto  the  Lord  ;  and  thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin.'  And  the 
poor  publican,  putting  up  his  supplication  in  the  temple  accordingly, 
'  God  be  merci^l  to  me  a  sinner,'  went  back  to  his  house  justified, 
without  making  confession  to  any  other  ghostly  father,  but  only  the 
Father  of  Spirits ;  of  whom  St.  John  giveth  us  this  assurance,  that  '  if 
we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and 
to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness.'  Which  promise,  that  it  apper- 
tained to  such  as  did  confess  their  sins  to  God,  the  ancient  Fathers  were 
80  well  assured  of,  that  they  cast  in  a  manner  all  upon  this  eonfessmt 
and  left  Utile  or  nothing  to  that  which  was  made  unto  man.  Nay,  they 
do  not  only  leave  it  free  for  men  to  confess,  or  not  confess  their  sins 
unto  others,  which  is  the  most  that  we  could  have ;  but  some  of  them 
also  seem,  in  words  at  least,  to  advise  men  not  to  do  it  at  all,  which  is 
more  than  we  seek  for," 

And  now  then,  let  us  see  how  far  the  view,  which  Dr.  Pusey 
has  taken  of  Auricular  Confession,  is  justified  by  an  appeal  to  the 

'  Quoted  by  Dr.  Hook  in  Appendix  to  Auricular  Confession,  note  F.  p.  58. 


Spiritual  Direction,  265 

athorized  formularies  of  the  Church  of  England.  It  may  be  well, 
lerhaps,  to  state  here  once  for  all,  that  we  use  the  term  ^'  Auricu- 
ar'*^  in  no  invidious  sense,  but  simply  as  the  only  term  which  will 
properly  express  Confession  to  a  priest,  in  contradistinction  to 
Confession  to  the  Almighty. 

Let  us  then  suppose  a  case.  Let  us  imagine  an  enlightened 
Soman  Catholic,  having  no  knowledge  whatever  of  the  Church  of 
England  system,  with  no  prejudices  either  for  or  against  it,  to  sit 
down  to  the  perusal  of  the  writings  of  Dr.  Pusey  on  the  sub- 
ject of  Auricular  Confession  and  Absolution.  If  he  reads  these 
'writings  attentively,  the  conclusion  at  which  he  must  arrive  will  be, 
that  Dr.  Pusey,  professing  to  act  in  accordance  with  the  mind 
and  intention  of  the  English  Church,  sets  the  highest  conceivable 
value  upon  Auricular  Confession,  as  a  means  of  grace ;  that  he 
asserts  in  plain  terms  that  there  is  no  difference  whatever  between 
the  doctrine  of  the  two  Churches  on  this  point,  except  that,  in 
the  one,  Confession  is  voluntary,  in  the  other,  compulsory. 

Then  let  us  suppose  further  that  our  Romanist,  having  fully 
ascertained  Dr.  Pusey ^s  mind  and  intention  on  this  matter,  applies 
himself  to  a  careful  study  of  the  formularies  of  the  English  Church. 
Now  what  will  he  expect  to  find  in  them,  reasoning  from  the  prac- 
tice of  his  own  Church!  He  finds  there  Auricular  Confession 
inculcated,  and  practised,  as  a  system.  He  finds  the  ^' Confes- 
sional^^ set  up  m  every  Church.  He  finds  the  priesthood  re- 
gularly trained  up  in  all  the  details  of  this  system.  He  finds  a 
body  of  divinity,  carefully  compiled  by  some  of  the  most  eminent 
theologians,  for  the  express  guidance  of  "  Confessors,'^  He  finds 
"  manuals  of  Confession '^  meeting  him  at  every  turn,  drawn  up  with 
the  express  object  that  nothing  may  be  omitted,  which  is  essential 
to  the  use  of  so  important  a  means  of  grace.  Now,  then,  what 
will  he  find  corresponding  to  all  this  in  the  system  of  the  Church 
of  England i  He  will  find  four  authorized  exponents  of  that 
system,  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  the  two  Books  of  Homilies, 
the  Constitutions  and  Canons  Ecclesiastical,  and  the  Thirty-nine 
Articles.  He  turns  then  to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer  as  the 
most  important  of  these,  and  what  does  he  find  there  ?  He  finds 
that  Confession  to  a  priest  is  never  once  mentioned  from  one  end 
of  the  Prayer  Book  to  the  other,  except  in  the  Ofiice  for  the 
Visitation  of  the  Sick,  and  there  only  as  a  hypothetical  case, 
where  it  is  said  :  "  Here  shall  the  sick  person  be  moved  to  make 
a  special  confession  of  his  sins,  if  he  feel  his  conscience  troubled 
mil  any  weighty  matter^  He  finds  in  the  Communion  OflBce 
the  following  sentence : — "  And  because  it  is  requisite  that  no 
plan  should  come  to  the  Holy  Communion,  but  with  a  full  trust 
in  God's  mercy,  and  with  a  quiet  conscience  ;  therefore  if  there 

VOL.  XV. — KO,  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  T 


266  Spiritual  Direction. 

be  any  of  you  who,  by  this  means,  cannot  quiet  his  own  conscienee 
herein,  but  requireth  further  comfort  or  counsel,  let  him  come  to 
me,  or  to  some  other  discreet  and  learned  minister  of  Ood's 
Word,  and  open  his  grief;  that  by  the  ministry  of  Gt)d*s  Holy 
Word  he  may  receive  the  benefit  of  Absolution,  together  with 
ghostly  counsel  and  advice,  to  the  quieting  of  his  conscience,  and 
avoiding  of  all  scruple  and  doubtfulness.''^ 

But  now,  from  the  Prayer  Book,  our  inquirer  turns  to  the  Homi- 
lies. In  the  second  part  of  the  Sermon  on  Repentance,  he  finds 
it  specified,  that  "  there  be  four  parts  of  Eepentance.*"  Ist,  A 
diligent  perusal  of  the  Scriptures ;  2nd,  '^  An  unfeigned  Confession 
and  acknowledging  of  our  sins^' — not  to  the  priest,  but — "  unto 
God.'^  3rd.  Faith  in  Christ ;  and,  lastly,  A  new  life.  But  this 
is  not  all  that  he  finds  in  this  sermon.  He  finds  an  especial 
reference  to  the  practice  of  the  Church  of  Bome,  with  respect 
to  Confession,  which  is  thus  noted  in  the  margin.  "  Anstoer 
to  the  adversaries  which  maintain  Auricular  Confession^  the  re- 
ference itself  being  as  follows : — 

"  And  whereas  the  adversaries  go  about  to  wrest  this  place," — allud- 
ing to  the  well-known  passage  in  St.  James — **  for  to  maintain  their 
Auricular  Confession  withal,  they  are  greatly  deceived  themselves  and  do 
shamefully  deceive  others:  for  if  this  text  ought  to  be  understood  of 
Auricular  Confession,  then  these  priests  are  as  much  bound  to  confess 
themselves  unto  the  lay  people,  as  the  lay  people  are  bound  to  confess 
themselves  unto  them.  And  if  to  pray  is  to  absolve,  then  the  laity  by 
this  place  hath  as  great  authority  to  absolve  the  priests,  as  the  priests 
have  to  absolve  the  laity," — "  I  do  not  say,"  it  is  added,  **  but  that, 
if  any  do  find  themselves  troubled  in  conscience^  they  may  repair  to  their 
learned  Curates  or  Pastors,  or  to  some  other  learned  godly  man,  and 
show  the  trouble  and  doubt  of  their  conscience  to  them,  that  they  ma^ 
receive  at  their  hand  the  comfortable  salve  of  God's  Word ;  but  it  u 
against  the  true  Christian  liberty,  that  any  man  should  be  bound  to  the 
numbering  of  his  sins,  as  it  hath  been  used  heretofore  in  the  tims  ^ 
blindness  and  ignorance,** 

— in  the  time,  i.  e.  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  when  *'  the  adversarj/"^ 
did,  precisely  that  which  the  Church  of  England  does  now, 
except  only,  that  she  made  Confession  compulsory ! 

And  now  let  us  turn  to  the  '^  Constitutions  and  Canons  Eccle- 
siastical.'*^ What  does  our  inquirer  Bnd  there  with  respect  to 
Auricular  Confession!  Not  one  single  word  from  beginning  to 
end.  The  subject  is  not  even  alluded  to,  and  more  than  tnis, 
there  is,  if  we  may  so  speak,  a  studied  silence  respecting  it.  Id 
these  Canons,  we  find  full  directions  about  "  things  appertaining 
to  Churches  f  ^  for  instance,  it  is  directed  that  there  shall  be,  in 
every  Church,  the  great  Bible,  and  Book  of  Common  Prayer; 


/^ritual  Directum.  267 

%  font  of  stone  for  Baptism ;  a  decent  communion  table ;  a  pulpit; 
Ik  chest  for  alms ;  and  so  on ;  but  there  is  not  one  word  with 
regard  to  the  ^^  Confessional^  or  place  for  hearing  Confessions, 
which  used,  in  mediaeval  times,  to  be  set  up  in  every  Church. 
rTherefore,  we  say,  that  the  '^  Canons,^''  practically  ignore  the  use 
of  Confession,  as  part  of  the  system  of  the  Church  of  England. 
And  now,  lastly^  our  inquirer  turns  to  the  Thirty-nine  Articles. 
Does  he  find  Auricular  Confession  either  enjoined,  or  recom- 
mended, here!  On  the  contrary,  he  finds  much,  both  directly 
juid  by  implication,  against  it.  For,  first,  it  is  asserted,  that  that 
.which  Romanists  call  the  sacrament  of  penance,  with  which,  in 
tiieir  Church,  Confession  is  closely  connected,  is  spoken  of  as  ^'  not 
-to  be  counted  for  a  sacrament  of  the  Gospel,'*^  but  as  having 
.'**  grown  partly  of  the  corrupt  following  of  the  Apostles ;  partly  ^ 
as  being  in  common  with  other  rites,  a  ^^  state  of  life  allowed  in 
the  Scriptures,^^  but  yet  having  not  like  nature  with  Baptism  and 
the  JLiord^s  Supper,  for  that  it  has  not  "  any  visible  sign  or  cere- 
mony ordained  of  God/'  And,  secondly,  the  Homilies — and, 
therefore,  all  that  they  say  with  respect  to  Auricular  Confession, 
are  spoken  of  as  **  containing  a  godly  and  wholesome  doctrine.'^ 
But,  besides  this,  having  gone  through  our  formularies,  our 
Boman  Catholic  querist  must  take  into  consideration,  the  feeling 
of  the  popular  mind  in  the  two  Churches,  with  respect  to  Con- 
fession. In  his  own  Church  the  practice  is  regarded  not  only  as  a 
legitimate  but  as  an  essential  part  of  the  system.  In  the  Church 
of  England,  on  the  contrary,  ne  will  find  that  any  direct  approxi- 
mation to  the  Bomish  system  on  this  point  is  looked  upon  (and 
may  it  ever  continue  to  be  so !)  with  the  greatest  possible  sus- 
picion. And  now,  then,  we  would  ask,  what  mttst  be  the  conclu- 
won  of  any  enlightened  Roman  Catholic  who,  with  no  prejudices, 
but  simply  seeking  for  the  truth,  should  thus  place  the  system 
of  Dr.  Pusey  in  juxtaposition  with  the  system  of  the  Church  of 
England,  as  he  himself  has  deduced  that  system  from  her  own 
authorized  formularies !  Would  he  not,  tmtst  he  not,  say,  either 
that  Dr.  Pusey  has  most  grievously  not  misrepresented,  for  that 
we  are  sure  he  would  not  do,  but  most  grievously  mistaken  the 
mind  and  intention  of  the  Church  of  England,  with  respect  to 
Auricular  Confession ;  or  else,  that  the  system  of  the  Church  of 
England  is  a  mockery,  a  delusion,  and  a  snare  ? — a  system  which 
pulls  down  with  one  hand  that  which,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  it 
builds  up  with  the  other — a  system  which,* according  to  the  same 
authority,  differs  in  no  way  practically,  with  respect  to  Auricular 
Confession,  from  that  of  the  Church  of  Rome ;  and  yet,  not  only 
does  not  say  one  single  word  in  recommendation  of  Confession  to 
a  Priest,  but  does,  both  dircictly  A»d  by  implication,  condemn  the 

t2 


268  Spiritual  Direction. 

system  of  the  Bomish  communion !  Surely,  judging  as  an  honest 
man  ,he  would  say,  in  the  language  of  the  "  Dublin  Review,''  and 
sorry,  most  sorry,  are  we  to  be  obliged  to  agree  with  any  thing, 
in  reference  to  Dr.  Pusey's  teaching  on  this  subject,  which  ema- 
nates from  such  a  quarter,  that  the  words  of  our  Communion 
service  are — 

"  Words  which  certainly  justify  an  Anglican  clei^man  in  receiving 
a  Confession,  on  some  special  point  of  conscientious  difficulty,  with  a     'A 
view  to  holy  communion.     It  is,  however,  quite  a  diflferent  question, 
and  one  which,  we  should  have  thought,  required  a  distinct  reference  to    J 
ecclesiastical  authority,  whether  these  words,  quite  unsupported  by  the   ^ 
general  practice  of  the  Church  of  England  at  any  period  of  its  history,     \ 
can  be  considered  to  form  a  warrant  for  that  extensive  administration  of 
the  Confessional  powers  which  Dr.  Pusey  founds  upon  them.    For  such 
a  construction  of  these  words  will  be  seen  to  transfer  the  judgment  of 
the  necessity   for   Confession   from   the  penitent  to  the  clergy,  and 
to  change  the  rare  occasion  of  an  individual  and  partial  scruple  into  an     ' 
habitual   and   conscientious   requirement ;    in  short,   it  supposes  the    '^ 
clergyman  to  say  to  his  flock :    '  If  you  have  no  such  scruples  about    i 
going  to  holy  communion,  you  ought  to  have  them.'  "  ^ 

We  have  inserted  these  remarks  of  "  the  adversary,*'  because 
we  honestly  believe  that  they  put  the  only  interpretation  upon  the 
oft-quoted  passage  of  our  Communion  service,  of  which  that  pas- 
sage will  fairly  admit.  It  will  be  our  object,  in  the  next  place,  to 
justify  that  passage;  in  other  words,  to  show  that,  when  the 
Church  of  England  allows  Auricular  Confession,  not  as  a  general 
rule  of  life,  but  simply  as  a  special  remedy  for  some  special  dis- 
quietude of  conscience,  she  is  perfectly  right  in  so  doing.  We 
purpose  to  inquire  whether  Auricular  Confession  is  sanctioned,  as 
a  rule  of  life,  by  the  practice  of  the  elder  dispensation ;  by  the 
teaching  of  Holy  Scripture ;  and  by  the  teaching  and  practice  of 
the  Primitive  Church. 

First,  then.  How  stood  the  case  among  the  Jews  ?  The  best 
authorities  justify  us  in  saying  that  Confession  to  a  priest  was  a 
practice  utterly  unknown  to  the  Jewish  Church.     Galmet  tells 


us' 


"  In  the  ceremony  of  the  solemn  expiation,  under  the  Mosaic  law, 
the  high  priest  confessed  tn  general  his  own  sins,  the  sins  of  other 
ministers  of  the  temple,  and  those  of  all  the  people." 

He  says,  also,  that  the  Jews,  at  the  present  day,  make  private 
Confession  of  their  sins  in  the  day  of  solemn  expiation.  Thjs  they 
call  Cippur;  but  this  Confession  is  made  not  to  a  priest,  but 


•  yoLi.S88. 


S^ritual  Direction.  269 

Qutually  to  one  another^  and  it  is  attended  with  mutual  scourg- 
ng.     And  Broughton  also  tells  us' : — 

**  But  besides  this  general  Confession,  the  Jews  were  obliged,  during 
the  ten  days  preceding  the  feast  of  expiation,  to  make  a  particular  Con- 
fession of  their  sins,  either  to  God  alone,  or  in  the  presence  of  a  few 
persons.  If  their  sins  were  a  breach  of  the  first  table,  or  offences 
against  God  only,  they  were  not  obliged  to  confess  them  before  men ; 
and  Maimonides  says,  it  would  have  been  a  piece  of  impudence  to  do  so. 
But  violations  of  the  second  table,  or  offences  against  their  neighbour, 
were  to  be  acknowledged  in  presence  of  their  brethren." 

Thus  much,  then,  for  the  practice  of  that  elder  Church,  in 
whose  footsteps,  be  it  ever  remembered,  Christianity  was  originally 
modelled.  Such  was  the  working  of  that  system  which  was  a 
figurative  introduction  to  Christianity. 

And  what,  in  the  next  place,  does  Holy  Scripture  assert 
with  respect  to  Confession  to  a  priest  ?  We  reply,  in  the  words 
of  one  who  has  proved  himself  a  staunch  and  consistent  English 
Churchman^: — 

"  Search  the  Scriptures  from  one  end  to  the  other ;  from  Moses  to 
Malachi,  and  from  Matthew  to  the  Apocalypse,  and  not  one  word  in  all 
the  Bible  will  you  find  about  Confession  to  a  priest.  If  Confession  to 
a  priest  were  necessary,  if,  that  is  to  say,  it  were  a  means  of  grace,  surely 
we  should  find  some  express,  some  unequivocal  injunction  for  the  ob- 
servance of  it.  But  not  only  is  it  not  enjoined;  it  is  not  even 
suggested." 

There  are,  indeed,  some  who  will  "  wrest''  a  certain  passage  of 
Scripture  in  defence  of  the  practice  of  Auricular  Confession.  Like 
the  Pontiff,  who,  because  Scripture  tells  us  that  there  were  "  two 
great  lights,  the  greater  light  to  rule  the  day  and  the  lesser  light 
to  rule  the  night,''  therefore,  at  once,  drew  the  conclusion  that 
the  temporal  sword  was  subordinate  to  the  spiritual ;  so,  because 
our  Saviour  said,  on  healing  the  leper,  "  Go  thy  way,  show  thyself 
to  the  priest,"  therefore  our  Lord  "  recommended,"  if  He  did  not 
"enjoin,"  Auricular  Confession.  Let  us  hear  the  Homily  on 
this  point : — 

**  Do  they  not  see  that  the  leper  was  cleansed  from  his  leprosy,  afore 
he  was  by  Christ  sent  unto  the  priest  for  to  show  himself  unto  him  ? 
By  the  same  reason  we  must  be  cleansed  from  our  spiritual  leprosy ;  I 
mean,  our  sins  must  be  forgiven  us,  afore  that  we  come  to  Confession. 
What  need  we,  then,  to  tell  forth  our  sins  into  the  ear  of  the  priest,  sith 
that  they  be  already  taken  away  ?" 

And  now  let  us  see  what  was  the  practice  and  the  teaching  of 
the   Primitive  Church  with  respect   to   Auricular  Confession. 

^  History  of  Religion,  folio,  1—271.  ^  Auricular  Confession,  p.  18. 


270  Spiritual  Directum. 

There  is  no  doubt  upon  one  point,  that  Confesfiion  was  not  onlj 
"recommended/'*  but  "enjoined**"  by  the  early  Ohurch,  in  the 
case  of  those  persons  who  had  fallen  into  grievous  sin.  There  is 
no  doubt  also,  that  this  Confession  differed  very  materially  indeed 
from  Auricular  Confession  as  it  is  "enjoined"*'  by  the  Church  of 
Rome,  and  as  it  is  "  recommended"*'  by  Dr.  Pusey.  The*  Con- 
fession of  the  early  Church  was  public  Confession  of  the  "  peni- 
tents," delivered,  after  a  long  and  laborious  penance,  before  the 
whole  congregation  ;  but  it  had  no  reference  whatever  to  private 
and  Auricular  Confession.  And  in  like  manner  the  office  of  the 
penitentiary  priest,  to  whom  Romanists  refer  with  such  triumph, 
and  whose  office  was  aboh'shed  by  Nectarius,  Bishop  of  Constan- 
tinople, in  the  time  of  Theodosius,  was  a  very  different  person 
indeed  from  the  "confessor"*'  of  the  Bomish  Church.  Great 
scandal  was  sometimes  caused  by  the  public  confessions  of  grosser 
sins ;  and  therefore  the  penitentiary  priest  was  appointed,  not 
"  *to  receive  private  confessions  in  prejudice  to  the  public  disci- 
pline, much  less  to  grant  absolution  privately  upon  bare  con- 
fession before  any  penance  was  performed,  which  was  a  practice 
altogether  unknown  to  the  ancient  Church ;"  but  simply  to  decide 
whether  the  particular  sin  confessed  was  of  a  character  to  be 
expiated  by  public  or  private  penance.  To  use  the  striking 
language  of  Hooker : — 

"They,"  the  Romanists,  "are  men  that  would  seem  to  honour 
antiquity,  and  none  more  to  depend  upon  the  reverend  judgment 
thereof.  I  dare  boldly  affirm,  that  for  many  hundred  years  after  Christ 
the  Fathers  held  no  such  opinion  ;  they  did  not  gather  by  our  Saviours 
words  any  such  necessity  of  seeking  the  priest's  absolution  from  sin  by 
secret,  and,  as  they  now  term  it.  Sacramental  Confession.  Public  Con- 
fession they  thought  necessary  by  way  of  discipline,  not  private  Con- 
fession, as  in  the  nature  of  a  sacrament,  necessary." — Eccl,  Pol,  6.  4. 

Let  us  see,  in  the  next  place,  what  was  the  teaching  of  the 
early  Church  on  this  subject : — 

**  St.  Chrysostom*,"  says  Archbishop  Usher,  "  of  all  others  is  most 
copious  in  this  argument.  '  It  is  not  necessary/  saith  he,  *  that  thou 
shouldest  confess  in  the  presence  of  witnesses ;  let  the  inquiry  of  thy 
offences  be  made  in  thy  heart;  let  this  judgment  be  without  a  witness; 
let  God  only  see  thee  confessing.'  Again,  '  Therefore  I  entreat  and 
beseech  and  pray  you,  that  you  would  continually  make  your  confession 
to  God.  For  I  do  not  bring  thee  into  the  theatre  of  thy  fellow-servants, 
neither  do  I  constrain  thee  to  discover  thy  sins  unto  men :  unclasp  thy 
conscience  before  God,  and  show  thv  wounds  unto  Him,  and  of  Him 
ask  a  medicine.     Show  them  to  Him,  that  will  not  reproach,  but  heal 

*  See  Bingham,  18,  3.  »  Ibid.  18, 11. 

*  Answer  to  a  Jesuit    Quoted  by  Dr.  Hook,  pp.  00^-62. 


Spiritual  Direction.  271 

thee.     For  although  thou  hold  thy  peace.  He  knoweth  all.     Let  us  not 
call  ourselves  sinners  only,  but  let  us  recount  our  sins,  and  repeat  every 
one  of  them  in  special.     I  do  not  say  unto  thee,  Bring  thyself  upon  the 
stage,  nor,  Accuse  thyself  unto  others ;  but  I  counsel  thee  to  obey  the 
prophet,  saying,  Reveal  thy  way  unto  the  Lord.     Confess  them  before 
God,  confess  thy  sins  before  the  Judge,  praying,  if  not  with  thy  tongue, 
yet  at  least  with  thy  memory,  and  so  look  to  obtain  mercy.' "     To  use 
the  words  of  the  same  great  divine,  "  St.  Augustine,  Cassiodore,  and 
Gregory  make  a  further  observation  upon  that  place  of  the  thirty-second 
Psalm,  '  I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  the  Lord,  and 
thou  forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin,'  that  God,  upon  the  only  promise 
and  purpose  of  making  this  confession,  did  forgive  the  sin.     *  Mark,' 
laith  Gregory,  '  how  great  the  swiftness  is  of  this  vital  indulgence,  how 
great  the  commendation  is  of  God's  mercy,  that  pardon  should  accom- 
pany the  very  desire  of  him  who  is  about  to   confess,  before   that 
repentance  do  come  to  afflict  him ;  and  remission  should  come  to  the 
heart,  before  that  confession  did  break  forth  by  the  voice.' " 

Usher  then  proceeds  to  quote  St.  Basil,  St.  Ambrose,  Ma&imus 
Taurinensis,  and  Prosper,  and  thus  concludes: — 

"  By  this  it  appeareth,  that  the  ancient  Fathers  did  not  think  that 
the  remission  of  sins  was  so  tied  unto  external  confession,  that  a  man 
might  not  look  for  salvation  from  God,  if  he  concealed  his  faults  from 
man ;  but  that  inward  contrition,  and  confession  made  to  God  alone, 
were  sufficient  in  this  case." 

There  is  no  doubt,  indeed,  that  the  early  Church  did  not 
only  allow,  but  recommend,  private  Confession ;  but  this  was 
only  in  some  special  cases'.  Thus,  in  the  case  of  lesser  sins, 
men  were  advised  to  confess  mutually  to  one  another;  and  in 
the  case  of  private  injuries,  to  confess  and  ask  pardon  of  the 
injured  party.  And  so,  if  men  could  not  quiet  their  consciences 
without  it,  they  were  advised  to  have  recourse  to  a  priest,  not  for 
the  purpose  of  sacramental  Confession,  but  that  he  might  give 
them  spiritual  counsel,  and  also  advise  them  whether  it  was  pro- 
per for  them  to  expiate  their  sin  by  public  penance.  In  the  words 
of  Hooker : — 

**  Men  being  loathe  to  present  rashly  themselves  and  their  faults  unto 
the  view  of  the  whole  Church,  thought  it  best  to  unfold  first  their  minds 
to  some  qne  special  man  of  the  clergy,  which  might  either  help  them 
himself,  or  refer  them  to  a  higher  court,  if  need  were." — EccL  PoU  6. 4. 

In  fact,  their  practice  was  exactly  identical  with  that  of  our 
own  Church.  They  neither  "  enjoined^  Auricular  Confession,  as 
does  the  Church  of  Rome,  neither  did  they  "  recommend''  it  as  a 

*  Bingham,  18,  3. 


272  Spiritual  Direction. 

rule  of  life,  as  does  Dr.  Pusey ;  but  they  simply  "  allowed''  it  as 
a  means  of  special  comfort  and  consolation  to  those  who  could  not 
without  it  "  quiet  their  own  consciences."" 

"  Neither  they  nor  we,"  as  Usher  well  says,  "  do  debar  men  from 
opening  their  grievances  unto  the  physicians  of  their  souls,  either  for 
their  better  information  in  the  true  state  of  their  disease,  or  for  the 
quieting  of  their  troubled  consciences,  or  for  receiving  further  direction 
from  them  out  of  God's  Word,  both  for  the  recovery  of  their  present 
sickness,  and  for  the  prevention  of  the  like  danger  in  time  to  come." 

And  now  we  trust  we  have  clearly  shown  that  Dr.  Pusey  can 
find  no  warrant  in  the  authorized  formularies  of  the  English 
Church  for  making  Auricular  Confession  the  rule  of  life.    We 
trust  we  have  shown  also,  that  the  view  taken  of  Confession  by 
the  Church  of  England  is  justified,  not  only  by  the  perfect  silence 
of  Scripture,  but  by  the  teaching  and  practice  of  the  Primitive 
Church.     But  then,  perchance,  it  may  be  objected,  that  the  view 
we  have  taken  of  Auricular  Confession  must  also  tend  to  the  dis- 
paragement of  the  benefit  and  comfort  of  Sacerdotal  Absolution,    \ 
to  which,  beyond  all  manner  of  doubt,  the  Church  of  England    i 
attaches  a  very  high  value.     We  answer,  that  we  do  nothing  of   j 
the  kind — that  the  two  cases  are  perfectly  distinct.     Dr.  Pusey,    1 
indeed,  more  than  any  man  living,  has  by  his  writings,  unwit-    | 
tingly  we  fully  believe,  disparaged  the  forms  of  Absolution  which,    ; 
in  her  daily  service,  and  in  her  Eucharistic  oflSce,  the  Church  of 
England  has  supplied  for  the  comfort  and  consolation  of  her  chil-    ' 
dren.     This,  in  fact,  is  our  heaviest  complaint  against  Dr.  Pusey, 
that  he  has,  by  his  recommendation  of  private  Confession,  with  a 
view  to  private  Absolution,  tended  to  make  the  public  forms  of  Con- 
fession and  Absolution,  which  our  Church  enjoins,  comparatively 
worthless.     Let  it  be  assumed,  that  the  earnest-minded  Christian 
does  require  a  daily  assurance  of  God's  love  and  favour, — does 
dailt/  need  to  be  told  that  God  has,  upon  his  sincere  repentance, 
pardoned  his  sins,  and  blotted  them  out  from  his  remembrance. 
We  say,  that  the  Church  of  England  does,   in  her   daily  ser- 
vice, supply  such  an  assurance, — an  assurance  sufficiently  pre- 
cise, sufficiently  comprehensive,  for  all  ordinary  occasions.     Let 
us  hear  one  of  our  most  eminent  ritualists  on  the  Confession  and 
Absolution  of  our  daily  service,  quoted,  strange  to  say,  by  Dr. 
Pusey  himself,  in  the  appendix  to  his  Sermon  at  Oxford* : — 

"  This  Confession,"  says  Dr.  Bisse,  •*  is  in  its  form  most  solemn,  in  its 
extent  most  comprehensive ;  for  it  takes  in  all  kinds  of  sin,  both  of 
omission  and  of  commission.  And  whilst  every  single  person  makes 
this  general  Confession  with  his  lips,  he  may  make  a  particular  Confes- 

*  Entire  Absolution  of  the  Penitent,  p.  69. 


Spiritual  Direction.  273 

ion  "witb  bis  heart ;  /  meanf  of  his  own  personal  sins,  knonm  only  to 

wod  and  himself  ,  which,  if  particularly,  though  secretly,  confessed  and 

'epented  of,  will  assuredly  be  forgiven.     This  is  the  privilege  of  our 

Confession,  that,  under  the  general  form,  every  man   may  mentally 

unfold  *'  the  plague  of  his  own  heart,'  his  particular  sins,  whatever  they 

be,  as  effectually  to  God,  who  '  alone  knoweth  his  heart,'  as  if  he  prO" 

nounced  them  in  express  words.     And  this  Confession  of  sins  being  duly 

made  by  the  whole  congregation,  then  the  priest  standing  up,  doth,  in 

the  name  and  by  the  commission  of  God,  pronounce  the  Absolution  ; 

which,  if  rightly  understood,  believed,  and  embraced  by  the  confessing 

penitent,  ought  to  be  of  like  comfort  to  him  as  that  declaration  of 

Christ  was  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy,  *  Be  of  good  cheer ;  thy  sins  be 

foigiven  thee.'  " 

And  yet  Dr.  Pusey  prefaces  this  view  of  the  public  Absolution, 
80  "  solemn  and  comprehensiver  as  it  is,  with  a  remark  which  goes 
very  far  indeed  to  deprive  it  of  all  its  force  and  all  its  efficacy  in 
the  opinion  of  those  who  carry  out  bis  teacbing  : — 

"  This  view,"  he  says,  "  is  the  rather  added,  because,  until  individual 
Confession  is  more  common,  it  may  often  he  a  very  great  comfort  thus  to 
include  each  person's  own  burden  of  sin  in  the  general  Confession ;  it  will 
be  more  real,  and  the  Absolution  more  availing ! " 

In  otber  words,  this  "  solemn  and  comprehensive ''  form  of  Con- 
fession and  Absolution,  complete  and  perfect  in  itself,  according  to 
Dr.  Bisse,  will,  according  to  Dr.  Pusey,  do  very  well  for  a  makeshift, 
but  will  be,  comparatively,  of  no  value  whatever  when  the  "  peni- 
tent ^  has  had  recourse  habitually  to  private  Confession  and  private 
Absolution  !  We  do  not,  of  course,  intend  to  charge  Dr.  Pusey 
with  any  intentional  disrespect  to  the  forms  of  Confession  and 
Absolution  in  our  daily  service ;  but  he  has,  assuredly,  used  lan- 
guage which  will  fully  justify  the  inference  we  have  drawn  from  it. 

But  we  have  further  testimony  as  to  the  completeness  of  these 
forms.     Our  own  Hooker  thus  speaks  of  them^ : — 

"  Seeing  day  by  day  we  in  our  Church  begin  our  public  prayers  to 
Almighty  God  with  public  acknowledgment  of  our  sins,  in  which  Con- 
fession every  man,  prostrate  as  it  were  before  his  Glorious  Majesty,  crieth 
against  himself,and  the  minister  with  one  sentence  pronounceth  universally 
all  clear  whose  acknowledgment  so  made  hath  proceeded  from  a  true 
penitent  mind  ;  what  reason  is  there  every  man  should  not,  under  the 
general  terms  of  Confession,  represent  to  himself  his  own  particulars 
whatsoever,  and  adjoining  thereunto  that  affection  which  a  contrite  spirit 
worketh,  embrace  to  as  full  effect  the  words  of  divine  grace,  as  if  the 
iame  were  severally  and  particularly  uttered  with  addition  of  prayers, 
imposition  of  hands,  or  all  the  ceremonies  and  solemnities  that  might  be 
used  for  the  strengthening  of  men's  affiance  in  God's  peculiar  mercy 

»  6,  4. 


274  Spiriiual  Diredum. 

tmrards  them  !    Such  complements  are  helps  to  support  our  weaknc 
and  not  causes  that  serve  to  procure  or. produce  his  gifts,  as  Dai 
speaketh.     The  difference  of  general  and  particular  forms  in  Confessi 
and  Absolution  is  not  so  material  that  any  man's  safety  or  ghostly  gt 
should  depend  upon  it." 

But  we  have  not  yet  done  with  the  public  service  of  oar^j 
Church.     There  is  another  form  of  Confession  and  Absolution,  tf 
possible,  even  more  solemn,  more  comprehensive,  than  that  m 
our   Order  for   Morning  and  Evening   Prayer, — a  form,  be  ii 
specially  remembered,  which  it  is  the  earnest  wish  of  Dr.  Pusej 
and   his    followers   to    brin?  into   daily  use.      We   allude  to 
the   form   in  our  Eucharistic  oflBce.     We   would  ask  any  on%: 
carefully  to  read  over  the  Confession  and  Absolution  provided 
for  us  in  that  office,  and  then  to  say  whether  it  is  possible  to 
provide  forms  better  calculated  to  afford  comfort  and  peace  of 
mind  to  the  true  penitent, — to  say  whether  it  can  be  in  any  wise 
desirable,  practically,  to  supersede  their  use  by  the  adoption  of 
private  Confession  and  private  Absolution, — whether  it  can  be 
desirable  to  teach,  if  not  in  terms,  yet  virtu^ly  to  teach  that,  to 
use  again  the  words  of  Hooker^  ^^  it  standeth  with  the  righteous- 
ness of  God  to  take  away  no  man''s  sins  until,  by  Auricular  Con- 
fession, they  be  opened  unto  the  priest.'*^ 

And  now,  then,  we  are  in  a  position  to  argue  this  question  upon 
the  lower  ground  of  expediency.  If,  as  we  have  proved.  Auricu- 
lar Confession  was  wholly  unknown  to  the  Elder  Church ;  if  it  is 
wholly  unsanctioned  by  Scripture ;  if  its  use,  as  a  rule  of  life,  is 
entirely  unsupported  by  the  practice  and  teaching  of  the  early 
Christians;  if  it  is  neither  enjoined  nor  even  recommended, 
except  in  certain  special  cases,  by  the  Church  of  England ;  we  are 
entitled  to  ask  now.  Is  it  expedient  to  make  Auricular  Confes^on 
the  rule  of  life ;  to  hold  it  up  as  a  means  of  grace,  second  only  in 
value  to  Baptism  and  the  Holy  Eucharist ;  to  represent  it  as  a 
privilege,  which  ought  to  be  eagerly  and  thankfully  embraced  by 
all  true  Christians  ?  We  will  briefly  state  the  reasons  why  we  think 
it  is  not  expedient.  We  object,  then,  in  the  first  place,  to  the 
revival  of  Auricular  Confession  in  the  English  Church,  b^ause  it 
is  a  practice  which  never  can  by  any  possibility  be  regarded  in 
any  other  light,  than  with  the  greatest  suspicion,  by  the  vast 
majority  of  English  Churchmen.  We  are  fully  convinced  that  it 
is  a  system  to  which  it  is  impossible  that  popular  opinion  can 
ever  be  reconciled.  Men  cannot  forget,  if  they  would,  the  fearful 
evils  which  have  been  committed,  the  horrible  abominations  which 
have  been  mixed  up  with  this  practice  in  the  Church  of  Rome. 
We  would  pass  very  lightly  over  this  painful  part  of  the  subject, 
but  we  cannot  but  feel  that  there  is  no  security  against  the  same 


Spiritual  Dir^eHon.  275 

*^  and  the  same  abomiDatioDS,  being  mixed  up  with  the  system 
^  this  country,  if  the  teaching  of  Dr.  Pusey  and  his  followers, 
Jwe  ever  carried  out  to  its  full  extent,  especially  when  it  is  con- 
SJered  that  the  same  school,  by  which  the  system  of  Auricular 
3oofession  is  adopted,  strongly  recommends,  if  it  does  not  enjoin, 
^bacy  among  the  clergy. 

But  we  object  to  the  revival  of  Auricular  Confession,  secondly, 
■leause  it  is  a  system  which  of  all  others  has  the  strongest 
4ndency  to  render  those,  especially  the  younger  clergy,  by 
■liom  it  is  adopted,  dissatisfied  with  the  teaching  of  our 
MFD  Church,  and  therefore  to  lead  them  on,  insensibly,  to 
be  Church  of  Rome.  Experience  and  reason  alike  demon- 
itnite  the  truth  of  this  assertion.  There  is  no  denying  the 
■et,  that  they  who  have  left  us,  were  the  very  men  who  carried 
«it  this  system  in  its  fullest  details.  Witness  the  clergy  at  St. 
(aviour'^s,  Leeds.  Witness  Mr.  Maskell,  Mr.  Dodsworth,  and 
oany  others  who  might  be  named.  Reason  proves  this  also. 
L  young  priest  enters  upon  the  duties  of  the  parochial  ministry, 
leeply  imbued  with  Dr.  Pusey'*s  teaching  upon  this  subject.  He 
legins  by  introducing  Auricular  Confession,  as  one  of  the  most 
mportant  features  of  his  parochial  system.  He  finds  himself,  in 
.  very  short  time,  regarded  with  grave  suspicion.  He  finds  him- 
df,  whether  rightly  or  wrongly  we  say  not,  but  the  fact  is  so, 
iranded  as  a  ^^  Bomanizer.^^  He  is  charged  with  introducing  the 
lomish  system  into  the  Cliurch  of  England.  What  is  the  natu- 
al  consequence  \  He  begins  to  compare  the  merits  of  the  Angli- 
an and  Roman  Communions.  He  argues,  not,  under  the  circum- 
itances,  v^y  unreasonably,  that,  if  Confession  to  a  priest  be  so 
^reat  a  means  of  grace  as  he  considers  it,  that  Church  must 
itand  on  the  higher  ground,  which  enforces  it  upon  her  members, 
vbich  does  not  leave  its  observance  an  open  question,  and  thus  is 
le  led,  insensibly,  to  take  refuge  in  that  communion,  where  alone 
le  can  be  at  liberty  to  carry  out  the  system  to  its  fullest  possible 
Jxtent. 

But  we  object,  lastly,  to  the  revival  of  Auricular  Confession 
in  the  Church  of  England,  because,  instead  of  fostering  that 
manly  independence  of  character  which,  as  we  contend,  the 
Church  of  England  does  foster  among  her  members — an  independ- 
ence perfectly  compatible  with  the  deepest  personal  humility,  with 
the  deepest  individual  penitence — it  tends  rather  to  foster  a  sickly 
ientimentalism,  a  morbid  state  of  feeling  and  temperament,  alto- 
gether alien  to  the  natural  character  of  the  English  people.  We 
bave  no  wish  to  press  this  point  invidiously,  but  still  we  would 
ask  any  one  to  compare  the  Italian  peasant,  taught,  as  he  is, 
to  put  God's  minister  between  the  Almighty  and  himself ;  taught, 


276  Spiritual  Direction. 

as  he  is,  to  regard  the  priest  as  one  who,  by  his  ovmipse  dixil^ 
open  or  shut  to  him  the  kingdom  of  heaven ;  with  the  EngUshi 
of  a  similar  station,  carefully  trained  in  the  true  system  of 
English  Church;  taught  to  look  up  to  his  parish  priest, 
affectionate  reverence,   as   the   dispenser  of   God"'s    Word 
sacraments ;  as  his  guide,  his  friend,  and  his  adviser ;  but 
taught  to  look  upon  himself  as  a  responsible  being,  accountable 
God  alone,  and  to  no  human  authority,  for  the  use  he  makes, 
of  the  talents  entrusted  to  his  care,  as  well  as  of  those  means 
grace  which  the  Church  affords  him ; — we  ask  any  man  to 
this  comparison,  and  then  to  say,  on  which  side  lies  the 
truthfulness  of  character,  the  higher  rectitude  of  principle, 
stronger  stedfastness  of  moral  purpose.     Sure  we  are  he  will  findt 
that  the  comparison  is  immeasurably  in  favour  of  the  system  of  the 
Church  of  England,  provided  that  system  be  carried  out  in  to 
own  legitimate  method.     Let  any  one,  again,  compare  the  genoil 
state  of  society  in  Italy  and  in  England,  and  then  say,  whether  i( 
is  desirable  to  establish  a  system  of  ^^  Spiritual  Direction,^^  in  our 
happy  English  homes,  akin,  in  any  respect,  to  that  system  of 
Auricular  Confession,  which  is,  avowedly,  the  keystone  of  the 
Bomish  communion.     Let  us  not  be  misunderstood.     We  are  fiff 
from  supposing  that  Dr.  Pusey  wishes  to  introduce,  or  to  carry 
out  any  such  system,  as  that  to  which  we  allude ;  but  we  say 
confidently,  that  it  is  impossible  for  any  man  to  draw  the  line 
where  he  pleases ;  that  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  Dr.  Pusey,  or 
any  one  else,  to  say  with  certainty  that  he  can  prevent  a  recur- 
rence of  "  those  inconveniences  which  the  world  hath  by  experience 
observed' ^'  in  Auricular  Confession  as  practised  by  the  Bomish 
Church  "  heretofore.''     We  do  contend  that  the  whole  system  of 
Spiritual   Direction   is,  from   its   very   nature^  Uable  to   be  so 
fearfully  misapplied,  that   it   is  very   far  better,   unless  a  ne- 
cessity of  adopting  it  is  laid  upon  us,  to  avoid  its  introduc- 
tion under  any  shape,  and  in  any  way  whatever. 

But  perhaps  it  will  be  said,  that  this  necessity  does  now  exist 
amongst  us  ;  that  the  practice  of  Auricular  Confession  is  essen- 
tial to  the  full  development  of  that  deep  humility,  that  earnest 
penitence,  which  are  inherent  characteristics  of  the  true  Chris- 
tian. We  think  not.  Dr.  Pusey  has  drawn  a  very  striking 
picture,  in  his  Letter  to  Mr.  Bichards,  of  the  benefits  which  have 
already  resulted  from  the  employment  of  Auricular  Confession ; 
but  the  question  is.  Are  these  results  necessarily  tied  to,  and 
altogether  dependent  upon,  the  employment  of  such  a  system  ? 
For  our  own  parts,  we  are  perfectly  satisfied  that,  so  far  as  these 

•  Hooke 


Spiritual  JDirectian.  277 

Its  arise  from  a  healthy,  and  not  a  morbid,  state  of  feeh'ng, 
y  are  not  so  tied,  they  are  not  so  dependent.     We  are  fulty 

vinced»that  they  will  rather  be  the  natural  fruits  of  an  earnest 
e,  on  the  part  of  every  individual  parish  priest,  for  the  souls  of 

people ;  the  natural  consequence  of  a  careful  training  in  the 

em  of  the  Church  of  England,  as  that  system  is  embodied 
her  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  We  are  not  now  speaking  of  ex- 
tional  cases.  We  are  not  considering  the  instances  of  persons 
laimed  from  a  long  continued  course  of  licentious  profligacy,  or 
m  a  state  of  debasing  ignorance  bordering  on  heathenism, 
e  are  speaking  of  those  who  have  been  carefully  trained,  at  the 

£rent'*s  knee,  in  the  system  of  the  Church  of  England ;  who 
ve  been,  from  their  childhood,  taught  their  responsibility  before 
God,  taught  to  cherish  their  Christian  privileges :  and  we  say 
(hat,  for  such  persons,  the  system  of  the  English  Church,  legi- 
timately interpreted,  is  all-sufficient.  And  so  with  respect  to  Holy 
Communion.     Dr.  Pusey  thus  speaks  on  this  point : — 

"  This  is  most  certain,  that  to  encourage  indiscriminately  the  ap- 
proach to  the  Holy  Communion,  without  a  corresponding  inward 
•ystem,  whereby  they,  who  are  entitled  to  do  so,  should  know  inti- 
mately the  hearts  of  those  whom  they  so  encourage,  has  brought  with 
it  an  amount  of  carelessness  and  profanation,  which,  if  known,  would 
make  many  a  heart  of  those  who  have  so  done,  sink  and  quake '." 

We  say,  first,  that  there  are  none  so  "  entitled ;''  that  there 
are  none,  who,  in  Dr.  Pusey^s  sense,  have  a  right  "  to  know 
intimately  ^"^  the  hearts  of  their  people ;  none,  who  have  a  right 
to  demand  that  "  every  man  S'^  to  use  again  the  words  of  Hooker, 
'^  should  pour  into  their  ears  T^hatsoever  hath  been  done  amiss."*^ 
We  say,  secondly,  that  if  this  grievous  profanation,  and  most 
grievous  would  it  be,  has  occurred,  it  has  arisen,  not  from  a 
neglect  of  Auricular  Confession,  but  from  gross  neglect  of  his 
hounden  duty  on  the  part  of  the  parochial  minister.  We  assert 
confidently  that,  if  persons  come  to  the  Holy  Communion  unpre- 
pared ;  if  they  approach  God's  altar  "lightly,  unadvisedly,  and 
wantonly  ;'**  the  guilt  of  that  profanation  lies  at  the  door  of  those 
who  should  have  taught  them  better ;  that  th^  are  responsible 
who  have  not,  habitually,  taught  their  flocks  to  consider  "  the 
dignity  of  that  holy  mystery,  and  the  great  peril  of  the  unworthy 
receiving  thereof ;''  who  have  not  urged  upon  them  diligently 
and  carefully  to  "  examine  themselves,  before  they  presume  to 
eat  of  that  bread  and  drink  of  that  cup.''  It  is  most  unreason- 
able to  charge  such  profanation  upon  the  neglect  of  Auricular 

'  Entire  Absolution,  &c.  p.  49.  ^  6, 4. 


280  Spiritual  Directum. 

recently  to  adopt.  They  have  wantonly  thrown  aside  a  { 
opportunity  of  doing  their  duty  to  the  English  Church,  a 
the  same  time,  hy  doing  their  duty^  of  acquiring  the  confide 
the  English  people.  And  what  have  they  gained  by  their  p] 
position  \  Simply  this ;  they  have  alienated  the  support  of 
sands,  who  would  have  sided  with  them  heart  and  soul,  ( 
questions  affecting  the  Ghurch.  If,  instead  of  allowing  disgi 
the  Durham  letter  to  turn  them  from  the  paramount  du 
defending  the  Ghurch  of  England,  they  had  quietly,  in  theii 
several  spheres,  collectively  and  individually,  done  their  duty, 
might  have  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of  well-nigh  all  by  ' 
they  were  heretofore  suspected.  The  English  people  are  a 
and  generous  people.  They  will  respect  those,  however 
may  differ  from  them,  who  are  sincere  and  straighlforwan 
they  turn  with  indignation  from  men  who,  calling  them; 
English  Churchmen,  allow  the  insults  of  a  latitudinarian  1 
Minister  to  divert  them  from  the  path  they  ought  to  fo 
who,  by  not  assisting,  betray  the  Church  of  England  ii 
hour  of  her  greatest  need.  And  let  Dr.  Pusey  be  we 
sured  that  this  feeling  is  not  confined  to  the  '*  rampant 
tanism"  lately  exhibited.  It  is  spreading  very  widely  am 
the  clergy  also.  Surely  recent  events  prove  this.  No  pen 
common  capacity  for  judging,  and  of  unprejudiced  mind 
doubt  this,  who  looks  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  Na 
Society  in  its  true  light.  Why  did  the  largest  meeting  of  c 
which  has  assembled  together  since  the  Gorham  meeting  r 
by  so  large  a  majority,  Mr.  Denison^s  motion  ?  Not  because 
differed  from  Mr.  Denison  substantially  ;  not  simply,  as  D. 
complacently  imagines,  because  of  the  advice  of  the  Bish< 
the  diocese;  but  because  they  could  not  trust  the  part 
whom  Mr.  Denison  was  principally  supported ;  because 
had  no  security  but  that  they  who,  at  that  meeting,  clara( 
the  loudest  in  support  of  the  "  Catholic  faith,'^  would, 
of  them,  as  others  have  done,  by  whom  he  was  supportec 
year,  go  over  to  the  greatest  enemy  of  that  faith,  and 
more  refuse  to  defend  the  Church  of  England  against 
enemy**s  invasion.  We  do  not  speak  idly  on  this  point. 
know  that  this  feeling  had  great  influence  upon  the  mee 
and  we  confidently  assert,  that  it  ought  to  have  operate 
it,  in  fact,  did.  Men  have  got  tired  of  co-operating  with 
who  are  always  talking  about  the  "  Church,**'  but  who, 
the  "  Church  of  England"'  is  wantonly  and  insolently  atta 
not  only  will  do  nothing  themselves  to  defend  her,  but  impug 
motives,  and  throw  every  obstacle  in  the  way,  of  those  who 
to  do  so.     We  warn  Dr.  Pusey  and  his  followers,  that  the  ti 


SpirUfMl  Direction.  281 

reaction  is  rapidly  setting  in ;  that,  unless  it  be  arrested,  incal- 
ediable  mischief  will  be  the  result ;  and  for  that  result  they,  and 
ihey  alone,  will  be  responsible.  We  are  quite  satisfied  that  that 
result  may  be  prevented  even  yet.  We  are  quite  persuaded  that 
the  vast  majority  of  the  English  people  are  as  yet  true  to  the  real 

rinciples  of  our  Church ;  but  we  will  not  answer  for  them  long, 
they  see  much  more  of  such  gross  violations  of  good  faith  as  we 
kave  lately  witnessed  at  St.  Saviour^s,  Leeds, — if  they  see  the 
•o-called  ^^  friends  of  the  Church^'*  standing  aloof  from  her  in  the 
j^Dor  of  her  greatest  necessity,  and  leaving  her  defence  to  those 
riio  are  only  too  glad  to  assume  the  foremost  position.  Depend  on 
k,  the  people  of  England  will  never  sympathize  with  '^  Bomanism^ 
within  the  Church  in  any  shape,  or  under  any  circumstances ; 
aeitber  will  they  tolerate  the  teaching,  which,  whether  premedi- 
tatedly  or  unwittingly,  has  a  tendency  to  lead  to  it.  If  in  their 
dislike  of^ne  extreme,  they  are  led  to  incline  to  its  opposite,  they 
will  be  responsible  who  might  have  restrained  them  within,  2y 
teeping  there  themselves^  the  middle  path  of  safety.  If  the  *'  whirl- 
wind and  the  storm  ^^  do  ever  overwhelm  the  Catholic  faith  of  the 
English  Church,  it  will  only  be  from  the  open  treachery,  or  the 
lukewarm  supineness,  of  those  who  might  nave  ^'  ridden^^  upon 
the  one,  who  might,  by  the  commonest  prudence,  have  guided 
and  ^^  directed^  t£e  other. 


VOL.  XV. NO.  XXX,— JUNE,  1851. 


282  The  Church  in  Ireland. 


Art.  II. — 1.  The  Annah  of  Ireland  hy  Friar  John  Clyn,  (jf 
the  Convent  of  Friars  Minors,  Kilkenny ;  and  Thady  DowHuf^ 
Chancellor  of  Leighlin.  Together  with  the  Annals  of  Rm 
Edited  from  MSS.  in  the  Library  of  Trinity  College,  Duiiki 
with  Introductory  Remarks.  By  the  Very  Bev.  EicHAWi 
Butler,  A,B.,  M.B.8.A.,  Dean  of  Clonmacnois.  DuWmi 
Printed  for  the  Irish  Archaeological  Society. 

2.  Original  Letters  and  Papers  in  illustration  of  the  History  of  ^, 
Church  in  Ireland,  during  the  reigns  of  Edward  VI.,  J^^^flj 
and  Elizabeth.    Edited,  with  Notes  from  Autogramhs  in  m 
State  Paper  Office,  by  Evelyn  Philip  Shirley,  Esq.,  MA, 
London:  Bivingtons. 

3.  Bise  and  Progress  of  the  Irish  Chmch  Mission  Society :  ik§ 
Beformation  in  Connemara,  DvhUn,  ibcj  and  the  Journal  of  4 
Tour  in  the  Coimty  of  Galway,  in  company  with  the  Bev.  Ak9: 
ander  B.  C.  Dallas,  M.A.,  in  June,  1850.  Second  Edition, 
Dublin  :  W.  Curry  and  Co.  London  :  Hatchafd ;  Nisbet  wA 
Co. ;   Wertheim  and  Macintosh. 

4.  Early  Fruits  of  Irish  Missions.  A  Letter  from  an  Eye-toitness 
after  a  Missionary  Tour  during  June  and  July,  1850.  Second 
Edition.  London :  Published  by  the  Society  for  Irish  Church 
Missions,  14,  Exeter  Hall,  Strand. 

5.  Eleventh  Beport  of  the  Church  Education  Society  for  Ireland, 
being  for  the  Year  1850. 

When   we  look   back  for  a   few  years,    and  recall  to  mind 
the  opinions  which  then  seemed  to  have  gained  almost  general 
acceptance  with  regard  to  the  Church  question  in  Ireland,  and 
when  we  compare  those  views  with  the  more  enlightened  senti- 
ments which  nave  been  gradually  superseding  them  of  late,  we 
cannot  but  recognize  the  working  of  a  Higher  Power,  in  bringing 
about  a  change  which,  as  far  as  it  has  proceeded,  is  replete  with 
consolations  to  every  faithful  adherent  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
England  and  in  Ireland.     This  alteration  in  the  public  mind  has 
not  been  the  result  of  any  efforts  or  exertions  made  by  the  advo- 
cates of  sound  principle ;    for  they  had  ineffectually  protested, 
almost  despairingly,    against    the    successive   steps    by  which 
Romanism  was  being  gradually  invested  with  power,  and  per- 
mitted to  crush  and  to  subveH  the  Established  Church.     It  was 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  283 

in  vain  that  the  adherents  of  England  and  of  her  faith  pointed  out 

the  danger  and  the  manifold  evils  of  giving  to  Romanism  the 

4iractical   ascendancy   in   Ireland.      It   was  in  vain   that   they 

lamented   and   protested   against    the    endowment    of    Romish 

•eminaries,  and  the  recognition  of  Romish  bishops.     They  saw 

4tomanism  advancing  witn  rapid  steps  to  absolute  ascendancy  and 

^  ^Mninion,  and  were  continually  expecting  the  spoliation  of  their 

MH  Church.     Each  concession  made,  had  only  inflamed  the  pride 

md  increased  the  enmity  of  Romanism ;  yet  each  Ministry,  as 

ji  succeeded  to  the  reins  of  power,  seemed  to  vie  with  its  pre- 

ieoessors  in  anxiety  to  gratify  the  wishes  of  that  priesthood.     It 

UBS  difficult  to  say  whether  Tories,  or  Whigs,  or  Radicals  were 

prepared   to   go   to   the  greatest  lengths,   or  to  depend  more 

implicitly  on  the  Church  of  Rome  for  the  means  of  governing 

beland.     It  seemed  to  be  generally  held,  that  a  great  mistake 

having  been   committed   in  attempting  to  rule  Ireland  on  the 

ininciples  of  Protestant  ascendancy,  the  only  safe  course  was  to 

invoke  the  aid,  or  rather  to  conciliate  the  friendship,  of  those 

iriiose  influence  over  the  majority  of  the  population  was  evident 

and  undeniable.     It  was  supposed  that  means  might  be  found  to 

•obtain  effective  influence  over  those  clerical  leaders,  by  holding 

out  to  them  the  prospect  of  endowment  by  the  State ;  and  it  was 

not  disguised  that  hopes  were  entertained  that  they  might  thus  be 

made  useful  instruments  in  promoting  the  order  and  peace  of  the 

community. 

With  such  views,  the  statesmen  of  England  supported,  session 
after  session,  the  demands  of  the  Roman  Catholic  party.  They 
were  refused  nothing  except  the  absolute  destruction  of  the 
Church  of  Ireland,  for  which  the  country  was  not  yet  prepared. 
They  were  permitted  to  pass  measure  after  measure  favourable  to 
their  own  system — were  gratified  by  concessions  of  all  kinds — and 
urere  enabled  to  remove  many  of  the  bulwarks  which  the  old 
testation  of  England  and  Ireland  had  raised  against  Papal 
tisurpation  and  error.  Nor  was  this  all.  The  Parliament  of 
England  was  seen  to  court  tlie  friendship  of  the  Papacy,  by 
passing  a  Bill  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  diplomatic  inter- 
I  course;  doubtless  with  the  hope  of  gaining  influence  over  the 
[  Irish  Roman  Catholic  priesthood  ;  while  the  Sovereign  was 
advised  to  express  her  sympathy  with  the  Pope  in  his  expulsion 
by  the  Roman  people ;  and  the  Ministry  of  England  appeared 
tefore  the  public  as  correspondents  of  the  Papal  Nuncio  at  Paris, 
and  as  well-wishers  to  the  restoration  of  the  Papal  dominion  over 
an  oppressed  and  reluctant  nation. 

In  short,  Romanism  was  making  rapid  strides  towards  the 
accompUshment  of  its  various  objects  under  the  patronage  of  suc^ 

172 


284  The  Ckurek  in  Irdamd. 

cessive  Ministries,  who  were  deceived  as  to  its  real  charadei^ 
We  have  no  doubt  that  the  Ministries  of  Lord  Liverpool,  and  thtj 
Duke  of  Wellington,  and  Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  Lord  John  BuBsel^; 
all  of  whom,  in  their  turn,  did  whatever  was  in  their  power  t|; 
gratify  the  Boraish  Church,  were  actuated  by  the  wish  to  promote; 
the  general  interests  of  the  country ;  but  they  were  deceived  ii: 
to  the  real  tendencies  or  character  of  Bomanism,  in  ihe9e  countM 
at  least ;  and  have  been  grasping  after  a  shadow  in  their  attemptl 
to  rule  Ireland  through  the  Bomish  priesthood. 

And  of  this  many  of  our  politicians  seem  to  be  partially  eottr 
vinced.  Lord  John  Bussell  has  apparently  altered  his  view  of 
Bomanism.  He  has  acknowledged — and  we  honour  him  for  tk 
candour  and  manliness  of  the  avowal — that  when,  some  yeaiy 
since,  he  was  of  opinion  that  territorial  titles  ought  to  be 
conceded  to  the  Bomish  Episcopate,  he  was  under  very  difi^rent 
impressions  of  the  character  of  Bomanism  from  those  which  he 
now  entertains.  It  is  obvious  also,  that  a  vast  change  has  been 
wrought  in  the  minds  of  Liberal  politicians  generally,  with  the 
exception  of  the  remains  of  Sir  Bobert  Peel'^s  party ;  and  on  the 
whole,  indeed,  it  seems  somewhat  doubtful  which  section  of  the 
political  world  in  England  has  receded  furthest  firom  the  doctrines 
which  were  prevalent  till  within  the  last  year  or  two. 

Borne  boasts,  with  some  reason,  of  her  success  in  effectii^ 
conversions:  but  in  the  present  case,  she  has  worked  almost 
a  miracle.  She  has  converted  a  thoroughly  Liberal  l^islatore, 
intent  only  on  gratifying  her  in  all  ways,  into  a  hostile,  irritated, 
and  jealous  body  of  men.  She  has  convinced  the  most  liberal 
that  it  is  impossible  to  reconcile  freedom  with  the  P^ttl 
ascendancy.  She  has  succeeded  in  awakening  the  public  mind  in 
England  to  an  hostility  to  her  claims,  which  has  not  been  equalled 
on  any  occasipn  since  the  Bevolution,  and  perhaps  scarcely  since 
the  Beformation  itself.  She  has  had,  however,  the  satisfaction  of 
holding  a  Synod  in  defiance  of  the  Grown  and  Grovemment  of 
England,  and  of  exercising  the  power  of  ecclesiastical  censures 
for  the  purpose  of  extinguishing  the  liberal  institutions  for  educa- 
tion which  hid  been  established  with  a  view  to  gratify  her.  She 
has  had  the  satisfaction  of  ignoring  the  English  and  the  Irish 
Church,  and  of  setting  aside  the  Boyal  Supremacy,  by  establish- 
ing a  new  hierarchy  in  England,  and  issumg  Bulk  for  erecting 
new  bishoprics  in  Ireland.  She  has  had  the  satisfaction  of 
trampling  on  the  ancient  aild  modem  laws  of  England,  in  ap- 
pointing and  sending  cardinals,  and  legates,  and  bishops  by  her 
own  authority.  She  has  exulted  in  the  successive  insults  which 
she  has  been  enabled  to  offer  to  the  Crown,  Parliament,  and 
people  of  England.     Did  the  Government  and  the  whole  Liberal 


{ 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  28$ 

|arty  remonstrate  against  the  proceedings  of  the  Thurles  Synod, 
Imd^  evince  the  utmost  soreness  and  annoyance  at  so  great 
in  insult !  the  reply  of  Borne  was,  to  issue  the  Bull  appointing 
the  pseudo-hierarchy  in  England,  and  to  create  Dr.  Wiseman  a 
^Jarainal.  Were  the  English  nation  and  the  Crovemment 
^censed  to  the  most  extreme  degree  at  so  outrageous  a  violation 
M  the  national  rights,  liberties,  and  laws  ?  the  reply  of  the 
papacy  was,  in  the  midst  of  the  turmoil,  to  issue  a  Bull  erecting 
the  See  of  Boss  in  Ireland,  in  direct  defiance  of  the  law !  Did  the 
Parliament  and  the  people,  with  wonderful  unanimity,  but  won- 
;^rful  moderation,  proceed  to  take  steps  for  the  purpose  of 
iSBerting  the  laws  of  England^  and  at  least  claiming  the  old 
Bghts  of  the  Crown?  the  answer  of  the  Papacy  has  been — ^a 
confirmation  of  the  decrees  of  the  Svnod  of  Thurles,  and  an 
anathema  against  the  Government  Colleges!  In  short,  the 
course  pursued  by  Bome  has  been  pretty  much  that  of  a  man 
who  begins  by  calling  you  by  some  opprobrious  epithet ;  and, 
when  remonstrated  with,  endeavours  to  mend  matters  by  kicking 
ou;  and,  when  you  get  very  angry,  concludes  the  matter 
y  tweaking  your  nose,  spitting  in  your  face,  and  breaking  his 
stick  on  your  back  !  Such  is,  positively,  the  sort  of  treatment 
which  the  British  nation  has  been  undergoing  of  late ;  and  while 
it  is  never  the  practice  of  England  to  threaten,  or  to  express  in 
strong  or  exaggerated  terms  the  national  feeling.  We  trust  that 
Bome  will  yet  have  reason  to  know  that  she  has  succeeded 
in  putting  an  end  to  all  friendly  feelings  on  the  part  of  England ; 
and  that  not  only  her  partisans  in  these  countries,  but  the  Papal 
Government  itself,  will  have  reason  hereafter  to  regret  their  pre- 
sent insolence  and  defiance  of  the  English  laws. 

The  tone  of  the  Press  exhibits,  in  the  most  striking  way,  the 
change  which  has  been  effected  in  public  opinion.  ,  When  we 
remember  that  for  a  series  of  years  the  "  Times''  had  been 
amongst  the  warmest  advocates  of  all  measures  tending  to  pro- 
mote the  interests  of  the  Church  of  Bome ;  when  we  bring 
to  mind  its  unwearied  exertions  to  obtain  the  endowment  of  the 
Romish  priesthood  in  Ireland,  as  a  measure  dictated  by  the  wisest 
policy,  and  as  holding  out  the  only  prospect  of  keeping  that 
country  in  peace  and  good  order ; — it  is  curious  to  mark  the 
alteration  in  its  tone,  which  recent  events  have  effected.  Who 
could  recognize,  in  the  following  remarks,  the  identity  of  this 
journal  with  the  "  Times''  of  1848,  which  supported  the  interests 
of  the  Papacy,  assailed  the  cause  of  Italian  liberty,  and  urged  the 
endowment  of  the  Bomish  priesthood  ? 

"There  appears  too  much  reason  to  fear  that  the  same  spirit  of 
intolerant  and  narrow-minded  bigotry  iKrhich  has  induced  the  Pope  to 


286  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

sacrifice  the  substantial  interests  of  the  Roman  Catholics  of  England  is 
about  to  achieve  a  second  triumph,  not  so  much  over  the  Protestant 
Government  as  over  the  moral  and  material  advancement  of  the  Iriili 
people.  Under  the  evil  guidance  of  those  whom  Lord  Shrewsburi 
appropriately  calls*  in  his  letter  to  Lord  John  Russell,  the  anti-Englisa 
party,  Pius  the  Ninth  is  reported,  and  we  fear  with  truth,  to  have 
resolved  on  proscribing  the  Queen's  Colleges  in  Ireland,  forbidding 
positively  the  priests  from  having  any  connexion  with  them,  and 
threatening  the  disobedient  laity  with  all  the  vengeance  of  ecclesiastictl 
censure.  The  boon  which  Parliament,  in  its  wisdom  and  liberality, 
bestowed  on  the  Irish  people  is  snatched  away  from  them  by  their  i 
spiritual  head,  and  the  doctrine  is  broadly  avowed  that  the  free  antf  ^ 
impartial  instruction  of  the  laity  in  secular  knowledge  is  found  in  thk  ^ 
nineteenth  century  to  be  utterly  inconsistent  with  the  advancement  oi 
even  the  existence  of  the  Catholic  faith.  The  same  power  whose 
adherents  so  earnestly  insist  upon  the  compatibility  of  allegiance  to  hti 
commands  with  loyalty  to  the  sovereign  and  obedience  to  the  law,  now 
puts  aside  these  flimsy  professions,  and  tells  us,  through  the  voices  of 
her  best  accredited  organs,  that  she  will  endure  no  rival  in  the  mind  oc 
in  the  kingdom  in  which  she  has  once  obtained  a  footing.  In  her  view, 
no  department  of  secular  knowledge  is  innocent  or  admissible  which  is 
not  taught  under  the  immediate  superintendence  of  ecclesiastics,  whose 
ignorance  and  shallow  presumption  may  represent  the  truth  of  science 
as  a  profane  fiction,  and  the  magnificent  march  of  nature  as  a  splendid 
phantasmagoria.  To  give  just  enough  knowledge  of  these  things  to 
counteract  the  influence  and  dispel  the  charm  of  their  norelty  and  their 
grandeur — to  inspire  just  so  much  taste  for  the  arts  as  may  train  the 
senses  to  take  delight  in  pompous  processions  and  empty  decorations, 
without  permitting  the  mind  to  go  deep  enough  into  their  study  to  feel 
the  worthlessness  of  tawdry  and  flaunting  ceremonies — to  mutilate  and 
interpolate  the  page  of  history  till  its  darker  or  more  startling  warnings 
lose  their  significance — to  emasculate  philosophy  and  poetry, — these  are 
duties  which  the  Church  wisely  trusts  to  no  profane  hand,  but  reserves 
to  herself  as  most  able  to  fulfil  them.  No  wonder  that  the  spectacle  of 
a  PontiflP — ^who  but  a  few  years  ago  astonished  Europe  by  the  proofs 
which  he  gave  of  the  sincerity  of  his  belief  that  the  cause  of  the  Church 
of  Rome  was  not  inconsistent  with  intellectual  progress — now  formally 
recanting  his  error,  and  striving  to  obtain  the  most  despicable  of  ends 
by  the  most  odious  of  means,  by  employing  ecclesiastical  tyranny  as  the 
means  of  intellectual  degradation — should  fill  with  transport  the  popish 
press,  the  only  portion  of  our  periodical  literature  for  which  an  English- 
man is  ever  called  on  to  blush.  It  is  not  alone  the  triumph  of  ignorance, 
nor  the  palmy  prospect  which  intellectual  impotence  opens  to  bigotry, 
nor  yet  the  arbitrary  and  un-English  manner  in  which  these  rtandatel 
of  intolerance  are  to  be  enjoined  upon  the  clergy  and  forced  upon  the 
laity,  that  charms  them.  These  things  undoubtedly  are  sweet  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  clergy  of  Ireland  ;  but,  to  use  tlie  words  of  their  own 
national  poet,  there  is  in  the  conduct  of  the  Propaganda  something  more 


Tie  Church  in  Ireland.  287 

exquisite  still.  It  is  the  gross  and  studied  insult  to  the  Queen  of  these 
xealms,  who  has  condescended  to  accept  the  patronage  of  the  institutions 
il  which  the  meddling  and  mischie?ous  priesthood  of  Italy  are  hurling 
tlieir  anathemas ;  it  is  the  insult  to  our  national  honour  and  independ- 
ence, the  injury  done  to  those  patriotic  feelings  which  Englishmen  of 
every  creed  and  shade  of  opinion  once  combined  to  cherish  and  en- 
tourage, which  is  to  the  organs  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priesthood  the 
daintiest  dish  in  the  banquet  of  intolerance  o?er  which  they  riot  and 
level.  It  is  much  to  have  stricken  down  knowledge,  to  have  blighted 
diat  humanizing  and  conciliating  influence  which  the  early  association 
of  men  of  the  most  different  creeds  and  opinions  never  fails  to  produce ; 
kit  it  is  the  shock  given  to  our  characteristic  and  almost  superstitious 
teneration  for  our  ancient  laws  and  institutions,  to  all  which  makes  us 
irhat  priest-ridden  countries  are  not  and  never  can  be,  which  fills  the 
Popish  press  with  jubilant  exultation.  We  shall  not  follow  the  bad 
example  set  us  of  affecting  to  despise  and  undervalue  the  mischief  which, 
IB  this  their  hour,  it  is  granted  to  these  men  to  do.  They  cannot,  as 
^y  pretend,  control  our  Parliament  or  make  void  our  legislation  ;  but 
they  can  undoubtedly,  by  the  systematic  abuse  of  their  spiritual  influ- 
ences and  the  prostitution  of  the  ordinances  of  the  Church  for  the  pur- 
poses of  a  base  conspiracy  against  the  progress  and  happiness  of  their 
flocks,  effect  much  evil.  Still,  we  question  whether,  misled  by  previous 
successes  of  the  same  kind,  the  Church  of  Rome  has  not  fallen  into  the 
enor  of  overrating  her  powers  of  mischief,  and  mistaken  the  intenseness 
of  her  evil  will  for  the  extent  of  her  power.  No  doubt  the  leaders  of 
tbe  counter-revolutionary  party  throughout  Europe,  in  their  abject  dread 
of  another  political  crisis,  and  their  desire  to  cling  to  and  to  employ  in 
their  defence  every  reactionary  tendency  which  society  contains,  have 
ilang  themselves  into  the  armis  of  the  Pope,  and  have  hartered  their 
fature  destiny  and  their  progress  for  the  support  of  the  spiritual  power. 
Spain  has  submitted  and  Austria  tamely  bowed  her  head  to  the  yoke. 
No  doubt,  also,  in  the  extreme  ultramontane  party  in  Ireland  Rome  has 
instruments  as  ardent  and  unscrupulous  as  ever  employed  the  resources 
of  civilization  to  reproduce  barbarism,  and  the  cultivation  of  the  intellect 
to  insure  its  degradation." 

At  a  time,  then,  when  public  opinion  seems  to  have  righted 
itself  to  a  certain  degree — ^at  a  time  when  statesmen  and  politicians 
bave  learnt  by  bitter  experience  that  in  dealing  with  the  Church 
>f  Rome,  they  must  not  expect  to  control  that  Church  for  the  pro- 
notion  of  English  political  objects,  but  must  expect  to  be  con- 
trolled by  it  to  the  unhesitating  promotion  of  exclusively  Roman 
[latholic  objects;  and  instead  of  exercising  authority  over  it, 
nust  submit  to  its  dictation — to  the  dictation,  too,  of  the  "  Irish 
Brigade'' — at  such  a  moment,  perhaps,  there  may  be  some  chance 
3f  a  fair  hearing  for  the  Church  in  Ireland — for  that  Bkanch 
OF  OUR  National  Church,  which  has  been,  to  a  great  extent, 
given  up  to  the  demands  of  Bomish  faction — which  has  for  years 


288  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

felt  itself  perpetually  on  the  eve  of  being  oflTered  up  as  a  holocau^^^ 
to  appease  the  rage  of  Bomish  intolerance. 

We  trust  that,  in  pleading  for  that  branch  of  the  Uni 
Church,  in  endeavouring  to  show  that,  on  every  ground  of  hoiw 
and  justice,  and  even  of  sound  policy,  it  should  be  maintaiiK 
and  not  merely  maintained,  but  encouraged,  and  strengthen 
and  befriended  in  all  fair  and  lawful  ways ;  in  endeavouring 
prove  that  whatever  faults,  and  defects,  and  failures  may  be  caff 
nected  with  it  in  the  public  opinion,  are  not  inherent  in  li 
system,  but  are  easily  separable  from  it,  and  are  not  justly  to  1»»*^-* 
imputed  to  it, — we  shall  be  doing  some  service  at  the  preseil 
time  both  to  Church  and  State,  and  may  be  listened  to  wiik 
more  impartiality  of  judgment  than  we  could  have  hitherto 
anticipated. 

We  believe  that  we  may  fairly  reckon  the  Protestant  populatioft 
of  Ireland  at  about  two  millions,  of  whom  the  great  majority  are 
resident  in  the  province  of  Ulster,  being  descended  from  Engliah 
and  Scottish  ancestors,  who  settled  there  in  the  reign  of  Elizar' 
beth  and  James  the  First.  The  descendants  of  the  Scottish 
settlers,  probably  to  the  number  of  about  700,000,  continue  for 
the  most  part  Presbyterians;  but  they  have,  on  the  whole, 
remained  on  amicable  terms  with  the  Established  Church,  and 
attached  to  the  English  connexion,  feeling,  probably,  the  necessity 
of  mutual  support  in  the  presence  of  an  intolerant  and  violent 
Popish  majority. 

The  number  of  Bomanists  in  Ireland  was  about  six  millions, 
previous  to  the  late  famines  and  pestilences ;  but  this  number 
must  have  been  largely  diminished  within  the  last  few  years. 
The  causes  which  have  led  to  diminution  of  population  have 
operated  chiefly  in  those  parts  of  Ireland  where  Romanism  is  the 
religion  of  the  population  ;  and  we  think  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  while  Romanism  has  lost  a  million  of  population.  Protestantism 
has  lost  nothing.  Thus,  then,  we  have  two  millions  of  Protes- 
tants on  the  one  side,  and  j'Jw  millions  of  Bomanists  on  the  other. 

Now  it  must  be  admitted,  with  great  regret,  that  the  Protes- 
tants are  in  a  considerable  minority  in  Irdand.  We  shall  here- 
after touch  on  the  reasons  why  they  are  so.  But,  notwithstanding 
this,  they  are  a  numerous,  a  courageous,  and  a  Ugh-spirited  body 
of  men ;  and  they  constitute  the  only  part  of  the  population 
which  is  really  attached  to  England.  Had  England  to  hold 
possession  of  Ireland  merely  by  military  force,  without  the  presence 
of  a  body  of  Protestant  inhabitants,  the  tenure  would  be  far  more 
costly  than  it  is,  and  perhaps  it  would  be  impossible  eventually  to 
retain  that  country ;  for  instances  are  but  rare  in  which  an  army 
has  been  able  permanently  to  occupy  an  extensive  territory^  where 


fhe  Church  in  Ireland.  289 

he  whole  population  were  combined  in  a  resolution  to  resist  it. 
The  Bomish  population  of  Ireland  has,  at  all  times,  from  various 
sauses,  been  turbulent,  and  willing  to  throw  off  the  English 
lominion.  The  Protestant  population,  on  the  contrary,  has 
been,  from  various  causes,  as  a  general  rule,  orderly,  obedient  to 
bhe  laws,  loyal,  and  attached  to  the  interests  of  England.  Thus 
Oie  existence  of  Protestantism  in  Ireland  is  a  positive  benefit  to 
the  empire ;  it  is  a  means  of  maintaining  its  integrity,  and  of 
preventing  a  large  and  important  island  from  being  separated 
from  England,  and  falling  under  the  influence  of  some  foreign 
power,  such  as  France. 

And,  in  addition  to  this,  it  may  be  observed  (in  reference  to 
the  question  of  the  day),  that  the  Qvbe&rCs  supremacy  is  only  recog- 
nized in  Ireland  by  the  Protestants.  That  doctrine,  grounded  so 
deeply  in  the  English  law,  has  always  been  openly  rejected  by  the 
Bomish  priesthood  and  population  in  Ireland.  Its  recognition 
or  rejection  has  been  the  great  question  for  ages  between 
Romanists  and  Protestants.  The  latter  all  acknowledge,  as  the 
former  universally  deny,  that  the  Queen  has  a  supremacy  in 
ecclesiastical  causes.  The  latter  admit  the  right  of  the  crown  to 
appoint  bishops;  the  former  reject  it.  If,  therefore,  the  royal 
supremacy  is  to  be  maintained  at  all,  it  can  onlv  be  so  by  sus- 
taining, more  or  less,  the  cause  of  the  Church  m  Ireland.  To 
relinquish  that  course  would  be  merely  to  give  the  See  of  Rome 
the  undivided  supremacy  over  the  whole  of  Ireland, — to  restrict 
the  Queen^s  supremacy  to  England. 

But  the  events  of  the  last  few  years  have  shown  that  the  supre- 
macy in  England  itself  is  not  perfectly  secure  against  all  attacks. 
It  has  been  seen  that,  amidst  the  stir  and  excitement  of  these 
times,  the  royal  supremacy  itself  has  been  called  in  question; 
that  the  extent  of  its  power  has  been  narrowly  scanned  and 
scrutinized;  that  the  tribunals   of  law   have   been,  on  several 
occasions,  appealed  to  against  alleged  abuses  of  the  supremacy ; 
that  men  have  learnt  to  argue  figainst  the  absolute  and  uncon- 
ditional power  of  the  crown,  or  rather  of  its  ministers,  in  eccle- 
siastical matters.     It  has  been  thus  seen  that  the  supremacy  in 
England  itself  is  not  so  impregnably  seated  that  no  argument  can 
touch  it  or  weaken  it ;  and  uiis  gives  a  weight  and  significance 
to  the  assertion  or  denial  of  that  principle  in  Ireland  which  it 
would  not  otherwise  possess.     If  the  supremacy  be  relinquished 
in  Ireland, — if,  in  one  part  of  the  empire,  the  crown  permits  its 
ecclesiastical  supremacy  to  be  rejected  or  set  aside, — a  dangerous 
precedent  is  established  for  England  itself.     The  Queen  holds 
the  same  royal  dignity  in  Ireland  as  in  England ;  if  her  eccle- 
.  siastical  supremacy  is  relinquished  in  one  country,  there  can  be 


290  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

no  principle  to  retain  it  in  the  other:  it  can  be  no  longer  ail 
essential  prerogative  of  the  crown :  it  may  be  abolished,  for  good 
reasons,  in  England  also. 

It  is  clear  that  the  maintenance  of  the  Boyal  Supremacy  in 
England  is  materially  connected  with  its  maintenance  in  Ireland; 
and  if  it  be  maintained  in  Ireland,  it  must  be  by  upholding  the 
only  body  of  men  who  really  acknowledge  it,  i.  e.  the  members  of 
the  Established  Church.  That  body  is  indeed  a  minority ;  but 
still  it  holds  its  ground  very  firmly :  it  has  courage  and  perseye^ 
ance  ;  and  it  ensures  a  certain  recognition  of  the  Boyal  power  in 
Church  and  State,  which  renders  it  eminently  serviceable  to  the 
English  Crown.  It  may  be  an  English  garrison  or  advanced 
guard  in  a  hostile  country,  as  it  has  sometimes  been  called ;  but 
wherever  it  exists,  the  Supremacy  of  the  Crown  exists  along  with 
it ; ,  and  where  it  does  not  exist,  the  Supremacy  of  the  Crown  is 
rejected  with  insult. 

To  many  of  our  readers — and  to  the  majority  of  the  English 
people,  the  Church  in  Ireland  will  commend  itself  on  still  higher 
grounds  than  those  we  have  adverted  to.  They  will  feel  that  it 
upholds  the  same  religious  truth  which  is  enshrined  in  the  affec- 
tions of  the  people  of  this  country — that  it  is  upholding  that  truth 
in  the  midst  of  foes — that  it  is  a  mission  carrying  the  word  of  the 
Gospel  amidst  the  dark  and  almost  heathen  superstitions  which 
enshroud  the  minds  of  our  fellow-countrymen.  And  to  those  who 
wish  for  the  progress  of  Gospel  truth,  it  miist  ever  be  a  matter  of 
the  deepest  interest  and  of  the  most  earnest  anxiety,  that  the  Church 
in  Ireland  may  not  only  be  maintained  in  the  possession  of  her 
miserably  scanty  endowments,  but  may  be  rendered  in  the  highest 
degree  efficient ;  and  that  every  possible  care  may  be  taken  to 
appoint  none  but  men  of  piety,  ability,  and  zeal  to  her  various 
offices.  The  Church  in  Ireland  is  holding  her  ground,  and  even 
gaining  ground,  in  the  midst  of  enemies  who  are  thirsting  for  her 
destruction ;  and  she  has  been  preserved,  as  it  were  by  miracle, 
amidst  the  revolutions  of  these  times.  Those  who  look  beyond 
mere  human  and  secondary  causes,  will  connect  this  almost  mira- 
culous preservation  of  the  Church  with  her  undoubted  maintenance 
of  truth  ;  and  will  feel  that  God  has  Himself  protected  this  wit- 
ness, when  all  men  seemed  leagued  together  against  her ;  and  will 
thence  gather  hope  that  some  great  work  is  yet  in  store  for  her. 

To  the  Church  in  England,  the  preservation  and  the  advance- 
ment of  HER  OWN  CAUSE  in  Ireland  is  a  matter  of  the  deepest 
moment  to  her  own  well-being  and  security.  The  attacks  of  her 
enemies  have  been  directed  against  the  Irish  branch  of  the  United 
Church,  as  weaker  numerically  and  politically ;  but  the  same  fell 
spirit  of  enmity  which  thirsts  for  the  overthrow  of  the  one,  looks 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  291 

to  it  chiefly  in  the  hope  and  expectation  of  gaining  a  vantage 
ground  for  the  overthrow  of  the  other ;  and  if  the  Church  of 
England  was  ever  tempted  to  withdraw  herself  from  the  contest 
and  permit  her  sister  or  dautrhter  Church  to  perish  unaided  in 
Ireland,  she  has  learnt  at  length  that  the  common  enemy  is  bent 
equally  on  her  own  destruction.  She  has  seen  her  existence 
ignored,  and  her  hierarchy  confronted  by  a  Bomish  hierarchy 
daiming  the  allegiance  of  the  people  of  England  in  tones  in  which 
undisguised  hatred  and  contempt  for  herself,  are  mingled  with  the 
loftiest  assertions  of  spiritual  authority,  and  the  most  unbending 
resolution.  The  thorough  sympathy  between  her  own  immediate 
rivals  and  the  Bomish  hierarchy  in  Ireland  has  appeared  in  the  most 
striking  way  of  late.  The  enemies  of  the  Church  in  Ireland  are 
combined  with  those  of  the  Church  in  England,  and  there  can  be 
no  doubt  now,  that  in  maintaining  her  sister  Church  in  Ireland, 
the  English  Church  will  be  merely  protecting  her  own  most  vital 
interests. 

But  from  such  considerations  we  would  turn  to  others  of  a  dif- 
ferent description.  We  would  appeal  to  those  sentiments  of 
honour  and  generosity,  the  claims  of  which  the  people  of  England 
never  fail  to  recognize — nay,  we  would  appeal  to  their  sense  of 
justice  itself — whether  the  invariable,  stedfast,  and  much  endear- 
ing loyalty  and  fidelity  of  the  Protestants  of  Ireland,  does  not  de- 
serve the  protection  and  favour  of  this  country -r-whether  those 
who  are  allied  to  us  in  blood,  in  religion,  in  political  faith,  and 
who  have  ever  stedfastly  upheld  the  union  of  the  empire  and  the 
rights  of  the  Crown,  have  not  a  just  claim  on  the  Government 
and  the  nation  for  encouragement  and  for  support.  They  have 
been  maintaining  England^s  cause,  because  they  were  English  in 
religion,  and  in  principle  and  feeling ;  and  it  would  be  little  con- 
sistent with  the  generosity  of  England,  to  consent  that  they  should 
be  exposed  to  any  discouragement.  It  is  rather  the  part  of  the 
Government  now  to  extend  its  favour  aa  f«)r  as  may  be,  to  the 
friends  of  English  connexion,  and  the  consistent  and  faithful  ad- 
herents of  the  Crown. 

It  is  not  our  intention  to  pass  any  censure  on  the  conduct  of 
former  governments  in  their  dealings  with  the  Protestants  of 
Ireland ;  but  we  think  that  every  candid  observer  must  admit  that 
their  loyalty  has  not  been  untried — that  they  have  not  been  with- 
out discouragements.  It  was  the  policy  of  England,  from  the 
time  of  King  William  III.,  to  place  the  Government  of  Ireland 
in  the  hands  of  the  Protestant  party,  just  as  it  has  latterly  been 
the  object  to  entrust  it  to  the  Bomish  priesthood.  The  Protes- 
tants were  deprived  of  this  old  ascendancy  within  our  own  recol- 


292  The  Church  in  Irekmd. 

lection,  with  all  the  influence,  power,  emolument,  and  advantages 
of  all  kinds  connected  with  it.  But  scarcely  had  this  cha^ 
taken  place,  when  they  found  the  Government,  under  an  influence 
hostile  to  them,  withdrawing  its  aid  fi*om  all  charitable  and  educa-  . 
tional  institutions  which  h^  been  instituted  for  the  purpose  of  a 
maintaining  the  established  religion,  or  which  even  poss^sed  a  1 
Protestant  character.  They  beheld  their  clergy  reduced  to  the  ■". 
verge  of  starvation  by  a  general  combination  amongst  the  Bomaa 
Oatholics  to  withhold  their  tithes,  and  obliged  to  exist  on  puUie 
subscriptions  and  alms.  They  witnessed  the  extinction  of  neaily 
half  their  episcopate  for  the  gratification  of  their  truculent' and 
exulting  enemies.  They  saw  year  after  year  the  resolution  of 
politicflj  parties  in  Parliament,  almost  carried  into  effect,  to  ex- 
tinguish the  provision  for  the  established  worship,  wherever  the 
Bomanists  had  gained  an  ascendancy  in  point  of  numbers.  They 
saw  the  old  loyal  processions,  which  had  been  customary  from  the 
days  of  King  William,  suppressed  by  force,  and  treated  as  riots: 
they  saw  the  pecuniary  assistance  of  Parliament  withdrawn  from 
an  education  society  formed  on  the  most  liberal  principles,  simply 
because  it  prescribed  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures ;  and  they 
saw  those  funds  transferred  to  another  society  formed  for  the 
purpose  of  gratifying  the  Roman  Catholics,  and  which  has  fallen 
under  their  management.  They  saw  their  old  political  franchises 
and  corporations  changed,  with  a  view  to  give  to  Bomanism  a 
general  ascendancy.  They  saw  the  most  eminent  lawyers  sys- 
tematically passed  over,  because  they  were  Protestants,  and  third- 
rate  barristers  placed  over  their  heads,  because  they  were  Ro- 
manists. Their  associations  in  defence  of  the  laws  and  consti- 
tution were  denounced  as  illegal.  Their  leaders  were  attacked  in 
Parliament,  and  frowned  on  by  the  State.  And  yet,  they  have 
passed  through  this  long  and  severe  trial  with  untainted  loyalty, 
and  in  unswerving  obedience  to  the  law.  They  never  yielded  to 
the  temptations  held  out  to  them  by  the  Bomish  or  the  Bicpeal 
party.  They  have  remained  firm  in  their  attachment  to  the 
Crown  of  England ;  and  they  have  been  ready  at  any  moment 
to  come  forward  with  fearless  and  ardent  loyalty  in  defence  of 
the  rights  of  that  mother  country  which  has  so  ill  requited  their 
stedfastness. 

Assuredly  England  is  bound  in  honour,  and  in  justice,  and  with 
a  view  to  her  own  security,  and  the  maintenance  of  her  hold  on 
Ireland,  to  extend  some  degree  of  encouragement  to  the  Protes* 
tants  of  Ireland ;  to  evince  some  sense  of  gratitude  for  their 
most  deserving  conduct ;  and  to  assist,  in  all  fair  ways,  in  strength- 
ening their  cause.     We  have  no  Wish  to  see  them  resume  their 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  293 

Ibnner  ascendancy,  even  if  it  were  possible :  all  they  could  now 
look  to,  is  fiill  protection  for  their  lives,  properties,  and  institu- 
tions, and  fair  treatment  in  every  way. 

We  will  take  the  chief  grievance  under  which  they  are  now 
labouring.     The  exclusion  of  the  Irish  Church  Education  Society 
from  all  aid  by  Government,  is  a  harsh  and  unfriendly  proceeding. 
The  Government  may  be  of  opinion  that  the  opposition  made  to 
^  Board  of  Education  is  unreasonable ;  but  still  it  evidently 
|foceeds  from  conscientious  motives,  and  has  been  sustained  at 
Aeavy  sacrifices  of  all  kinds,  and  it  certainly  does  seem  that  when, 
in  England,  the  Government  is  obliged  to  compromise  education 
matters  in  the  best  way  circumstances  will  admit  of,  and  when  it  is 
even  ready  to  approve  a  system  so  completely  founded  on  a  system  of 
eompronuse  with  different  sects  and  denominations  as  the  Manches- 
ter and  Salford  Education  scheme, — it  does  seem,  we  say,  harsh 
and  inconsistent,  to  press  for  the  establishment  of  a  uniform 
system  throughout  Ireland.     We  think  there  ought  not  to  be  any 
real  difficulty  in  settling  the  difference  between  the  Government 
and  the  Church  of  Ireland  in  relation  to  the  education  question ; 
and  that  there  would  not  be,  if  there  were  a  disposition  on  both 
sides  to  act  in  a  conciliatory  spirit.     All  the  Church  asks  is  sup- 
port for  schools  conducted  on  principles  she  approves  of.     She 
DDght  not,  in  our  opinion,  to  interfere  with  the  National  system  as 
carried  out  in  existing  schools,  or  with  any  future  proceedings  of 
(Government  in  supporting  schools  of  the  Bomish,  or  Presbyterian, 
or  Dissenting  bodies,  if  such  steps  should  necessarily  follow  from 
any  arrangement  with  regard  to  Church  schools.     We  trust  that 
the  National  or  Government  system  is  doing  good  in  Ireland: 
nay,  we  feel  assured  that  it  is  so ;  because  any  education  which 
communicates  the  power  of  reading,  is  calculated  to  shake  the 
dominion  of  Romanism  sooner  or  later.     We  believe,  therefore, 
that  the  National  schools  are  preparing  the  way  for  something 
better ;  but,  if  the  Protestants  of  Ireland  feel  themselves  pre- 
cluded by  religious  principle  (however  mistaken  that  principle  may 
be  supposed  to  be)  from  cordially  taking  part  in  the  National 
plan  of  education,  assuredly  they  ought  not  to  be  pressed  further, 
nor  should  they  be  left  without  aid  or  support  in  their  effort  to 
promote  the  education  of  the  poor.    Without  the  slightest  assist- 
ance from  the  State,  they  educate  upwards  of  100,000  children  \ 
about  one-fifth  of  the  number  educated  in  the  National  schools 

*  The  Report  of  the  Church  Education  Society  for  Ireland  for  1850,  states  the 
number  of  schools  at  1882,  and  of  scholars  at  108,450.  For  the  support  of  these 
schools  the  large  sum  of  3iB,258^.  was  raised  in  Ireland  in  1850.  We  trust  that 
this  most  deserving  society  may  be  enabled  to  continue  its  exertions  on  their  pre- 
sent scale ;  but  the  finances  evidently  need  continual  care,  and  require  to  be 
recruited  by  aids  from  England. 


a: 


294  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

managed  by  the  Romish  priests,  the  Presbyteriali  ministers,  ml 
the  friends  of  the  Government  policy,  which  must,  of  course,  be   !^' 
attended  by  considerable  numbers  of  Protestant  children  aiao. 

We  are  aware  that  the  subject  is  one  in  which  the  interesli 
and  the  feelings  of  Irish  Protestants  are  deeply  bound  up ;  anl 
it  may  perhaps  appear  somewhat  presumptuous  in  us  to  offer  aoj  ^^ 
suggestions  on  the  subject,  to  those  who  have  borne  themsdvn  f^> 
so  nobly  in  the  contest  for  great  principles,  as  the  clergy  of  thi 
Irish  Church  have  done ;  yet  still,  as  spectators  standing  some- 
what aloof  from  the  contest,  we  may  possibly  be  enabled  to  take 
a  calmer  survey  of  the  general  character  and  tendencies  of  that 
conflict  than  those  who  are  directly  engaged  in  it,  and  may  be  l?i 
enabled  to  express  an  opinion  dictated  by  a  regard  to  the  wider  fit 
interests  connected  with  the  subject,  apart  from  all  personal  con- 
siderations and  party  associations. 

On  a  survey  of  the  present  state  of  the  question,  it  seems  to  in 
us  that  it  would  be  highly  desirable,  were  the  Church  ere  long  to 
initiate  some  negotiations  with  Government,  with  the  view  of  en- 
tering into  an  agreement,  without  further  appeal  to  Pai'liament, 
by  which  the  Church  might  obtain  aid  from  Parliamentary  grants 
without  compromising  her  own  principles. 

It  must  be  needless  here  to  refer  in  detail  to  the  reasons  which 
may  be  adduced  to  show  the  desirableness  of  removing  the  ob- 
stacles to  agreement  on  this  important  subject.  That  some 
settlement  of  the  question,  which  would  enable  the  Church  in 
Ireland  to  receive  aid  from  Government,  is  desirable ;  that  the 
funds  for  Church  education  are  inadequate,  and  are  raised  with 
very  considerable  difficulty,  may  be  inferred  from  the  applications 
made  to  Parliament  for  participation  in  the  Parliamentary  grants 
for  educational  purposes,  and  from  the  numerous  and  largely- 
signed  petitions  presented  from  the  clergy  *  and  laity  of  Ireland, 
in  support  of  these  applications. 

But,  omitting  various  inconveniences  of  a  practical  nature  aris- 
ing out  of  the  present  state  of  things,  we  would  refer  only  to  the 
serious  evil  of  a  permanent  state  of  difference  between  the  Govern- 
ment and  the  great  body  of  the  Established  Church  in  Ireland. 
To  the  members  of  a  Church  which  has  ever  been  distinguished 
for  its  loyalty,  and  which  recognizes  the  Royal  Supremacy  in 
ecclesiastical   matters,   it   must  assuredly  be  a  matter  of  deep 

*  It  is  a  fact  most  honourable  to  the  clergy  of  Ireland,  that  notwithstanduig  the 
avowed  resolution  of  the  Government  to  restrict  its  patrona|;e  to  those  who  sup- 
port the  Government  plan  of  education,  there  are  less  than  200  of  the  Irish  clergy 
out  of  a  body  of  2000,  who  are  favourable  to  that  plan.  See  the  "  Speeches  of  the 
Bishops  of  Ossory  and  Cashel"  at  the  Dublin  Meeting,  1850,  published  by  the 
Church  Education  Society,  p.  30. 


I%9  Church  in  Ireland.  296 

Tegret,  to  find  themselves  compelled  to  adopt  any  course  which  is 
not  in  harmony  with  the  policy  of  Government  in  matters  of  a 
religious  nature;  and  nothing  less  than  the  conviction  that  a 
great  and  vital  principle  was  compromised  in  the  National 
veheme  of  education  for  Ireland,  could  have  weighed  with  the 
Primate  and  the  majority  of  the  Irish  prelates,  and  almost  the 
^ole  of  the  inferior  clergy,  to  take  steps  for  carrying  on  inde- 

Sidently  the  work  of  education  in  Ireland.  The  Reports  of  the 
urch  Education  Society,  and  the  declarations  of  its  leading 
mpporters,  warrant  us  in  saying,  that  such  is  a  correct  statement 
t>f  their  views,  and  that  political  and  party  views  of  any  kind  are 
yien  from  their  purposes  and  object.  Whether  the  Church,  in 
fiust,  judged  aright  in  this  point — whether  a  vital  and  essential 
principle  was  involved  in  the  question — will,  doubtless,  furnish 
matter  of  question  and  doubt  to  many  persons :  we  must  confess, 
that  it  has  always  appeared  to  us  one  of  those  mixed  and  compli- 
cated cases,  in  which  men  of  equal  piety  and  sincerity,  and 
attachment  to  the  Church,  might  be  found  on  different  sides  of 
the  question.  But,  the  position  assumed  by  the  majority  of  the 
Irish  Church,  is,  at  all  events,  clearly  and  unequivocally  based  on 
principle ;  and  from  that  principle  it  is  impossible  that  they  can 
now  recede.  They  are  pledged  to  maintain  in  their  schools  the 
•effective  use  of  the  Bible.  They  have  upheld  that  principle  in  the 
face  of  the  world ;  and  their  character,  as  a  body,  is  involved  in 
the  maintenance  of  the  ground  they  have  selected. 

Having  thus  briefly  adverted  to  the  present  position  of  the 
Church  in  relation  to  the  education  question,  we  would  offer  some 
few  remarks  on  the  position  of  Government.  Independently  of 
the  general  interest  of  the  State  in  the  adjustment  of  differences 
and  the  removal  of  disquietude  from  all  classes  of  Her  Majesty's 
subjects,  there  is,  in  this  case,  a  special  inconvenience  arising 
from  the  high  character  and  station  of  many  of  those  by  whom 
the  Government  plan  of  education  has  been  disapproved,  and  by 
"the  consequent  disapprobation  of  that  class  of  the  community 
which  it  ought  to  be  the  wish  of  the  State  to  conciliate  in  every 
way.  There  is  also  the  inconvenience  arising  from  the  apparent 
harshness  and  injustice  evinced  in  refusing  to  the  Established 
Church  in  Ireland  any  aid  for  schools  conducted  on  the  same 

?rinciple  as  those  to  which  aid  is  freely  extended  in  England, 
n  addition  to  this,  the  principle  of  scriptural  education  is  one 
which,  at  all  times,  appeals  effectively  to  the  national  feeling  in 
England.  Recent  events  have  largely  strengthened  that  feeling ; 
and,  amidst  the  struggles  of  party,  it  would  be  difficult  to  predict, 
with  any  certainty,  the  issue  of  renewed  attempts  in  Parliament 
-to  obtain  for  the  Irish  Church  Education  Society  a  share  of  the 


296  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

educational  grants.  If  that  point  were  gained,  the  State  wooUi 
be  then  supporting,  in  fact,  two  rival  Societies,  without  exercisiog 
any  control  over  one  of  them.  And,  be  it  remembered,  that  tbe 
minorities  in  favour  of  the  Church  Education  Society  have  beoi 
increasing,  and  that  on  the  last  occasion  no  less  than  144  Mein- 
bers  supported  by  their  votes  Mr.  Hamilton's  motion. 

Under  these  circumstances,  it  would  certainly  seem  to  be 
worthy  of  consideration,  whether  some  means  might  not  be  found 
for  avoiding  any  further  trials  of  strength,  and  for  adjusting  the 
question  in  an  amicable  spirit.  We  might  suggest,  that  at 
a  time  when  the  Government  have  evinced  their  desire,  to  % 
certain  extent,  to  maintain  the  rights  of  the  Episcopate  of 
Ireland  against  foreign  and  domestic  usuipation,  it  might  neither 
be  an  unpropitious  season,  nor  an  ungraceful  action,  were  the  Irish 
Ohurch  to  seek  for  the  amicable  ao^'ustment  of  her  existing  di& 
ferences  with  the  Government,  and  thus  present  herself  in  favoiu^ 
able  contrast  to  Bomish  sedition  and  intolerance. 

We  now  proceed  to  offer  a  few  suggestions  which  may, 
perhaps,  contribute  to  those  more  practically  conversant  with  the 
question  some  little  aid  towards  the  removal  of  the  difficulties 
connected  with  it. 

The  object  of  the  Church,  as  far  as  we  can  gather  it,  is  simply 
to  maintain  schools  formed  on  such  principles  as  she  approves. 
She  does  not  attempt  to  interfere  with  Government  m  the 
disposal  of  the  educational  funds.  If  the  Gk)vemment  choose  to 
apply  those  funds  to  the  support  of  schools  in  which  the  Church 
does  not  recognize  a  desirable  system  of  teaching,  the  Church  is 
not  responsible  for  it,  and  is  not  on  that  account  bound  to  refuse 
Government  aid. 

An  arrangement,  then,  which  seems  to  meet  some  at  least  of 
the  difficulties  of  the  case,  might  be,  to  place  the  schools  of  the 
Church  Education  Society  for  Ireland  in  connexion  with  the 
National  Board,  by  giving  to  the  Jatter  the  right  of  inspection  by 
inspectors  approved  by  the  archbishops — ^those  schools  to  be  eoiy- 
ducted  hereafter  on  their  present  principles. 

The  existing  schools  in  connexion  with  the  Board  of  Education 
would  continue  to  he  conducted  on  their  present  system ;  and  thus  a 
very  large  amount  of  mixed  education  would  be  given  on  the 
Government  principle. 

In  the  case  of  schools  to  be  founded  hereafter,  the  founders  might 
be  allowed  the  option  of  establishing  them  on  the  Government 
system,  or  on  that  of  the  Church  Education  Society ;  or  even  to 
make  them  Boman  Catholic  or  Presbvterian  schools.  We  should 
not  suppose  that  the  two  latter  classes  of  schools  would  be 
founded  to    any  great  or   inconvenient  extent ;    because  the 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  297 

Government  system  has  been  already  adopted  by  the  Romish  priest- 
liood  and  by  the  Presbyterians.  Should  they  be  sought  for,  it 
irould  be  for  the  Education  Board  to  make  arrangement  for  their 
]iiq)ection  in  whatever  mode  they  might  deem  advisable. 

The  Government  having  in  England  adopted  a  system  analogous 
in  many  respects  to  the  above,  and  a  favourable  opinion  having 
been  expressed  by  Members  of  Government  of  the  proposed  Man- 
diester  and  Salford  education  scheme,  which  extends  aid  to  all 
the  existing  schools  of  different  denominations,  it  would  seem, 
that  in  point  of  principle  there  is  nothing  to  prevent  them  from 
recognizing  a  system  of  a  similar  character  in  Ireland,  and  thus  at 
once  removing  the  chief  obstacle  to  the  settlement  of  the  educa- 
tion question. 

Such  a  plan  as  that  suggested,  would  leave  each  party  in  the 
full  possession  of  their  present  position.  It  would  secure  to  the 
Ohurch  its  actual  schools  with  the  power  of  increasing  them.  It 
would  secure  to  the  Government  the  continuance  of  their  own 
system  in  the  great  majority  of  the  schools  throughout  Ireland^  with 
the  power  of  increasing  them.  It  would  leave  to  Roman  Catholics 
and  Presbyterians  no  grounds  of  complaint  on  the  score  of 
injustice ;  while  it  would  hold  out  little  prospect  of  such  an 
increase  of  sectarian  schools  as  might,  on  the  whole,  frustrate  the 
objects  of  Government  in  establishing^  a  united  education.  We 
should  suppose  that  the  Board  of  Education  might  very  fairly 
hereafter  refuse  ite  aid  to  new  schools  in  any  locality  which  might 
be  established  on  a  different  principle  from  its  own ;  unless  it 
could  be  proved  on  certain  data,  that  there  was  ample  room  for 
both.  It  could  not  be,  we  think,  expected  to  contribute  to  the 
erection  of  schools  in  local  opposition  to  ite  own,  and  which  might 
have  the  eflfect  of  emptying  the  latter.  Having  thus  stated  our 
views  of  the  possibility  of  some  arrangement  between  the  Church 
and  the  Government  on  the  question  of  education,  which  we  trust 
will  be  taken  in  good  part,  we  would  turn  to  a  very  cheering  and 
gratifying  subject — the  prospects  of  Church  Missions  in  Ireland. 

The  patient  and  Christian  conduct  of  many  of  the  Irish  clergy 
during  the  privations  to  which  they  have  been  frequently  reduced 
— the  large  benevolence  which  they  exhibited  during  the  years  of 
pestilence  and  famine  which  have  lately  afflicted  Ireland — and 
their  assiduity  in  the  discharge  of  their  sacred  oflBces — opened  te 
them  the  hearts  of  a  suffering  and  afflicted  people,  and  prepared 
the  way  for  the  work  of  Christian  missions.  The  possibility  of 
triumphing  over  the  prejudices  so  deeply  implanted  in  the  minds 
of  the  native  Irish,  had  been  already  demonstrated  by  the  success 
of  the  missions  established  and  maintained  for  a  series  of  years  in 
the  island  of  Achill,  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Nangle ;  and  at  Dingle, 

VOL.  XV.— NO.  XXX, — JUNE,  1851.  X 


298  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

in  the  south-west  of  Ireland,  a  siniilar  work  had  been  crowned 
with  success,  not>vith8tandinff  the  most  violent  persecutions. 

From  time  to  time  the  labours  of  some  assiduous  preacher, 
such  as  the  Bev.  Mr.  Murray,  at  Askeaton,  in  Limerick,  or  ths 
clergyman  at  Castle-island  in  Kerry,  had  been  met  by  the  conTe^ 
sion  of  hundreds  of  his  parishioners.  Such  oases  proved,  beyond 
question,  the  impressibility  of  the  Irish  mind,  and  held  out  en- 
couragement to  systematic  exertion  at  a  favourable  season.  Such 
a  season,  as  we  have  observed,  did  at  length  arrive ;  and  the  work 
of  missions  amongst  the  Romanists  in  Connaught  was  commeneed 
with  singular  judgment,  zeal,  and  success.  The  work  has  gn* 
dually  proceeded,  enlisting  in  its  aid  the  services  of  Irish  teachers, 
and  converted  Romish  priests,  until,  in  the  diocese  of  Tuam  alone, 
the  bishop  has  recently  been  obliged  to  make  an  appeal  for  aid 
towards  the  building  of  no  less  than  ten  new  churches  for  as  many 
congregations  of  converted  Romanists. 

At  the  commencement  of  this  article  will  be  found  the  title  of 
a  little  publication,  which  comprises  a  series  of  deeply  interesting 
and  delightful  details  on  the  origin  and  progress  of  this  greal 
work.  We  have  before  us  several  other  publications  connected 
with  this  movement,  which  bear  testimony  to  the  piety,  and  tbe 
excellent  judgment  of  those  who  have  taken  its  direction,  and  to 
the  admirable  organization  which  they  have  brought  to  bear  on 
the  object  to  which  their  energies  are  directed ;  but  we  do  not 
deem  it  necessary  to  enter  into  details  on  this  point,  and  shall 
content  ourselves  with  observing  that  the  arrangements  are  cal- 
culated to  enlist  at  once  the  most  intelligent  of  the  population  in 
furtherance  of  the  work — to  approach  them  in  the  way  least  cal- 
culated to  awaken  prejudice — and  to  make  their  peculiar  tastes 
and  feelings  subservient  to  the  promotion  of  the  work  of  conver- 
sion ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  the  most  unremitting  labour  and 
assiduity  are  ensured. 

On  the  general  mode  of  action  we  have  to  ofier  one  or  two  re- 
marks. It  is  conducted  to  a  very  great. extent  by  lay  agents: 
that  is,  all  the  subordinate  and  preparatory  work  is  carried  on  by 
schoolmasters,  readers,  &c.  Now  we  are  aware  that  in  the  mindi 
of  many  persons  there  is  a  kind  of  apprehension  that  the  adoption 
of  lay  agency  in  a  case  like  this  is  a  species  of  irregularity — an 
infringement  on  the  office  of  the  ministry — and  that  missions 
ought  to  be  conducted  only  by  ordained  ministers.  But  we  think 
that,  if  they  will  take  the  trouble  to  peruse  the  publications  of  the 
^'  Irish  Church  Mission  Society,^^  they  will  find  that  such  appre- 
hensions are  not  borne  out  in  this  instance.  They  will  find  there, 
that  lay  missionaries  are  employed  where  it  would  be  impossible 
for  the  clergy  to  obtain  a  hearing — where  all  the  prejudices  of  the 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  299 

people  would  be  up  in  anna  against  them — and  where  it  is  neces- 
sary to  prepare  the  way,  by  exciting  attention  and  communicating 
knowledge^  before  the  clergy  can  be  called  in.  When  that  point 
has  been  attained  the  ordained  missionary  is  eagerly  sought  for, 
and  the  Church  is  constituted,  and  placed  in  connexion  with  the 
lawful  authorities.  Every  experienced  clergyman  will  feel  that 
there  are  times  and  circumstances  in  which  the  co-operation  of 
some  agency,  not  wearing  a  formal  and  authoritative  character,  is 
eminently  desirable ;  ana  this  is  supplied,  as  it  seems  to  us,  ex- 
actly in  the  right  way,  in  the  Irish  Ohurch  Missions.  The  lay 
agency  is  introductory  and  ancillary  to  that  of  the  clergy. 

The  latter  work  to  which  we  have  referred  commences  its  in- 
teresting narrative  with  the  year  1846,  at  which  time  the  impulse 
was  first  given — and  remarkable  to  say — from  England.  This  is 
9Qt  the  first  instance  in  which  the  work  of  missions  has  been 
attempted  more  successfully  by  comparative  strangers  than  by 
the  inhabitants.  The  missions  of  Augustine  and  of  the  Irish  suc- 
ceeded in  England  in  the  sixth  and  seventh  centuries,  while  the 
native  Britons  were  unable  to  undertake  the  work.  The  enmity 
and  prejudices  which  often  exist  amongst  neighbours  inter[>ose 
difficulties,  while  some  third  party  may  mterfere  with  much  more 
eflCecti  Thus  it  was  in  this  case  :  many  of  the  Irish  Protestants 
looked  on  the  attempt  to  convert  Romanists  as  perfectly  hopeless, 
in  consequence  of  the  overwhelming  power  of  the  Irish  priesthood ; 
but  the  work  was  commenced  with  success  by  earnest-minded 
men  from  this  country,  and  it  has  been  successful. 

The  following  account  of  the  steps  taken  in  this  work  will  be 
perused  with  interest ' : — 

**It  appears  that,  since  the  fiamine  in  1846,  the  minds  of  the  people 
have  been  gradually  prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  faithful  and  affec- 
tionate preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Some  simultaneous  movement  was 
made  in  England  at  this  time,  on  behalf  of  the  Romanist  population  in 
Ireland,  to  supply  some  thousands  of  them  with  tracts  (it  is  computed 
not  less  than  20  or  30,000,  at  the  least),  through  the  medium  of 
the  Post-office  :  leading  them  to  suspect  that  their  priests  had  an  object 
hi  keeping  them  from  reading  the  Word  of  God ;  some  important  texts 
of  which  were  also  enclosed,  together  with  an  account  of  the  reformation 
then  going  on  in  Germany  under  Ronge  and  Czerski,  with  copies  of  the 
Articles  of  Faith,  which  *  The  German  Catholic  Church  *  drew  up. 
These  tracts — one  in  Irish  and  the  other  in  English — the  titles  of  which 
were,  *  A  Voice  from  Heaven,*  and  *  A  look  out  of  Ireland  into  Ger- 
many,' produced  a  most  extraordinary  effect  upon  the  people — the 
tradesmen  and  farmers  to  whom  they  were  addressed  ;  Romanists  only 


'  Rise  and  Progress  of  Irish  Church  Mission  Society,  pp. 

x2 


SOO  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

received  them,  but  no  one  knew  whence  they  came,  or  by  whom  tbey 
were  sent. 

"  This  well-devised  and  extensive  scheme  was  not  the  only  one  of  the 
kind,  for,  in  August  and  September  following,  a  similar  mode  of  iropartF' 
ing  knowledge  and  diffusing  light  amongst  the  benighted  Irish  was 
adopted  with  still  greater  success.  Upon  the  second  occasion  the 
people  generally  seemed  to  profit  by  the  experience  of  the  past ;  and 
great  numbers  of  persons,  who  were  suspected  of  having  received  a 
letter  took  every  possible  care  to  conceal  the  fact,  lest  the  priest  should 
denounce  them  from  the  altar,  and  demand  that  the  tracts  be  burned. 
Most  of  the  letters  on  this  occasion  came  from  Edinburgh,  though  some 
passed  through  the  office  in  London.  The  title  of  the  tract  referred  to 
is, '  Irishmen's  Rights.*  It  is  written  in  a  homely,  cheerful  style,  in 
the  form  of  a  dialogue,  proving  that  every  Irishman  has  a  right  to  read 
the  Bible  for  himself. 

"  A  third  letter,  enclosing  a  copy  of  the  *  Food  of  Man,'  was  also 
forwarded  soon  afterwards,  followed  by  three  important  addresses  to 
the  priests,  all  which  are  published  at  length  in  a  work  entitled — '  The 
Point  of  Hope  in  Ireland's  present  Crisis.'  " 

The  way  was  also  prepared  by  the  rigour  with  which  the 
Bomish  priesthood  exacted  their  fees  and  dues  from  the  people, 
and  the  failure  of  the  miracles  which  they  pretended  to  work  for 
the  cure  of  the  potato-disease  by  sprinkling  holy  water  on  the 
potato-stalks ! 

At  this  crisis  the  Eev.  A.  B.  C.  Dallas,  an  English  clergyman, 
whose  extensive  and  practical  acquaintance  with  the  Bomish 
system  during  his  residence  in  foreign  countries,  and  his  frequent 
controversies  with  intelligent  Bomanists,  combined  with  an  early 
familiarity  with  the  habits  of  military  organization  and  discipline, 
eminently  fitting  him  for  the  arduous  undertaking  of  establish- 
ing missions  in  Ireland,  undertook  an  extensive  tour  through- 
out that  country,  and  addressed,  in  1846,  to  the  editor  of  the 
"  Morning  Herald ''  a  letter  comprising  the  following  passages  :— 

** '  The  present  crisis  is  one  which,  amongst  other  symptoms,  leaves 
the  door  wide  open  for  an  extension  of  those  efforts  which  have  been 
hitherto  so  blessed.  The  progress  already  made  has  prepared  the  minds 
of  the  people  ;  and  I  cannot  but  consider  the  machinery  of  the  Society, 
already  referred  to,  as  a  peculiar  adaptation,  by  the  providence  of 
God,  for  the  crisis  that  has  now  arisen.  There  is  no  time  to  form  any 
other  plan,  or  to  organize  any  other  machine ;  and  none  could  be  more 
suitable  for  the  occasion,  to  the  requirements  of  which,  however,  it  must 
rise  in  power,  in  order  to  fulfil  the  great  purpose  in  view. 

**  *  The  present  concurrence  of  facilities  invites  to  a  decided  and 
prompt  effort  for  the  enlightening  and  spiritual  emancipation  of  the 
Irish  people  ;  but  the  moment  must  not  be  lost.  The  current  of  feel- 
ing now  agitating  the  Irish  heart  flows  fast,  and  it  must  be  taken  at  the 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  301 

lop  of  the  tide.  The  emergency  is  pressing,  and  it  calls  for  an  imme- 
diate addition  of  power  to  the  engine,  by  which  adequate  help  is  to  be 
afforded.  At  least  a  hundred  Irish  readers  should  be  immediately  en- 
gaged and  located  in  districts  all  over  the  west  of  Ireland.  Thirty 
pounds  is  all  that  would  be  required  to  pay  each  of  these  for  a  year  ; 
aad  within  that  time  the  crisis  would  have  been  directed  for  good,  by 
their  instrumentality.  But  the  effort  would  not  be  complete  without  a 
simultaneous  offer  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  in  Irish  and  in  English.  Fifty 
or  sixty  colporteurs,  carrying,  amongst  other  things,  very  cheap  Testa- 
ments, in  both  languages,  and  travelling  in  every  direction,  would  sup- 
ply this  want.  I  would  venture  to  suggest  that  some  properly  qualified 
parsons  should  undertake  to  propose  to  the  people  of  England  the 

gathering  of  a  special  fund  to  be  thus  employed And  why 

should  not  those  among  us,  who  know  the  value  of  religious  truth,  and 
have  the  means  at  their  command,  employ  those  means  in  seizing  this 
favourable  opportunity  V  " 

The  result  of  Mr.  Dallas^s  exertions  was  the  collection  of  a 
large  fund  in  England — which  was  applied  in  aid  of  existing 
Church  Societies,  and  especially  in  furtherance  of  Church  Mis- 
sions. The  plans  of  those  who  were  engaged  in  this  truly  blessed 
work  gradually  expanded,  and  it  was  resolved  to  establish  regularly 
organized  missions  in  various  parts  of  Ireland.  We  shall  only 
produce  one  instance  of  the  course  which  was  adopted ;  and  it  is 
in  truth  one  which  is  enough  to  make  '^  our  hearts  bum  within 
us:"— 

"  The  first  place  chosen  for  operations  of  a  permanent  nature',  under 
the  more  immediate  superintendence  of  Mr.  Dallas  (whilst  seeking  re- 
creation and  health  in  a  ramble  through  the  mountains  of  Galway),  was 
a  poor  and  miserable  locality  on  the  beautiful  shores  of  Lough  Corrib, 
called  Castelkerke,  where  the  school-house,  originally  built  by  the  Rev. 
Edwin  Moore  and  Captain  and  Mrs.  Blake,  was  soon  considerably  en- 
larged. The  nearest  place  of  Protestant  worship  was  fully  fourteen 
English  miles  off,  at  Cong,  which  belongs  to  the  same  parochial  division 
—the  parish  being  eighteen  miles  in  length,  and  nearly  half  as  much 
in  breadth. 

"  In  the  space  of  about  five  English  miles,  in  which  Castelkerke 
stands  centrally,  there  is  a  population  of  full  2000  souls  ;  of  these,  in 
consequence  of  early  marriages,  there  are  at  least  500  children  within 
the  reach  of  the  school-house.  Upon  opening  the  school,  thirty-nine 
children  were  enrolled  upon  the  list,  thirty  of  whom  were  Roman 
Catholics ;  and,  as  it  is  placed  in  connexion  with  the  Church  Education 
Society  of  Ireland,  two  important  objects  have  been  secured — first,  that 
the  children  attending  shall  receive  a  good  sound  secular  education  in 
coi^nexion  with  the  unrestricted  use  of  the  Scriptures,  which  alone  can 
•  make  them  wise  unto  salvation;'  and  secondly,  that,  during  the  school 
hours  at  least,  they  shall  be  kept  from  the  baneful  infiuence  of  the 


302  The  Church  in,  Ireland. 

priests  of  Rome,  who  are  not  allowed  to  exercise  any  authority  whatever 
in  the  schools  of  the  Church  Edacation  Society  fbr  Ireland. 

*'  The  Ladies'  Auxiliary  of  that  most  excellent  institution,  the  Irish 
Society,  assisted  by  the  *  Special  Fund  for  the  Spiritual  Exigencies  of 
Ireland/  lent  their  assistance  in  procuring  the  means  of  supporting  an 
Irish  reader  among  the  people;  and  soon  the  school-house  was  filled  to 
excess  on  Sundays,  and  on  other  occasions,  to  hear  the  glad  tidings  of 
salvation  declared  to  them.  Mr.  Dallas  afterwards  procured  for  them  the 
blessing  of  an  ordained  resident  missionary,  whose  labours  in  another 
sphere  we  shall  have  occasion  to  refer  to.  The  kindness  of  several 
Christian  friends,  who  interested  themselves  in  procuring  food  and  cloth- 
ing for  the  famishing  bodies  of  the  poor  in  this  locality,  can  never  be 
forgotten  ;  and  the  care  the  people  of  Wonston  took  to  supply  their 
souls  with  the  still  more  necessary  food,  even  '  the  bread  of  life,*  in 
undertaking  to  collect  the  salary  of  the  Scripture- reader  who  n^as  then 
settled  there,  will  prove,  in  the  great  day  of  the  Lord,  that  *  their  labour 
was  not  in  vain,*  and  will  be  remembered  to  them  (Heb.  vi.  10)  through- 
out eternity,  when  time  shall  be  no  more. 

'*  The  increased  number  of  children  attending  the  Castelkerke  schools 
from  the  opposite  side  of  the  lough,  now  made  it  necessary  to  provide  a 
larger  and  safer  ferry-boat  to  convey  them  to  and  fro,  called  '  the  school 
boat,*  the  materials  having  been  liberally  supplied  by  Captain  Blake, 
the  excellent  resident  landlord,  whose  exertions,  combiiied  with  those 
of  Mrs.  Blake  (which  have  since  proved  more  than  her  slender  frame 
and  tender  sympathies  could  bear),  have  greatly  tended  to  advance  the 
cause  of  the  missions  throughout  the  whole  district  from  the  first. 

•*  An  evening  school  was  also  opened,  which  has  proved  of  great 
value;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  has  been,  that  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1847)  as  many  as  fifty-four  persons  expressed  their  determina- 
tion to  leave  the  Church  of  Rome.  On  the  8th  of  April,  the  number 
on  the  day-roll  was  one  hundred  and  sixteen,  and  on  the  night  one, 
forty-three,  exclusive  of  stragglers  not  entered ;  and  on  the  22nd  day 
of  the  same  month  a  letter  was  written  to  Mr.  Dallas,  by  Captain  and 
Mrs.  Blake,  from  which  I  quote  the  following : — 

'*  *  The  school  is  still  increasing.  I  must  enlarge  the  school-room. 
What  was  intended  as  accommodation  for  the  master  was  built  as  a 
continuation  of  the  school- room,  and  only  requires  to  have  the  end  wall 
taken  away  to  make  the  necessary  addition :  it  is  now  ready  for  roofingi 
and  will  soon  be  completed.  One  hundred  and  fifty-three  liast  Sunday 
at  morning  school,  upwards  of  forty  at  lecture,  and  thirty  at  afternoon 
class ;  about  twelve  at  the  Irish  class. 

"  *  April  26. — ^You  would  have  been  much  delighted  had  you  been 
with  us  yesterday.  The  school-house  was  quite  crammed  at  Sunday 
school ;  and  there  were,  at  least,  eighty  at  lecture ;  they  paid  great 
attention. 

**  *  May  4. — Thank  God  the  schools  are  not  affected  by  any  thing, 
but  continue  daily  to  do  well. 

** '  May  22. — On  Sunday  two  classes  had  to  be  taught  in  the  open 


The  Church  in  Ireland,  303 

ftir.  It  was  a  pleasant  sight  to  see  the  poor  ignorant  people  sitting 
round  the  teachers  on  the  ground,  listening  to  the  Word  of  Life  in  their 
own  tongue,  and  apparently  with  deeply-interested  attention  :  few  re- 
Ctise  to  hear  the  Word  now ;  of  course  the  object  of  many  is  very 
^aestionable,  but  who  can  tell  where  an  arrow  may  strike.' 

*•  These  pleasing  reports  which  Mr.  Dallas  received,  during  the  sum- 
mer of  1847»  of  the  progress  of  the  spiritual  work  at  the  little  missionary 
station  at  Castelkerke  induced  him  to  visit  Lough  Corrib  again  in  De- 
cember, and  encourage  the  labourers  in  their  work.  *  Mass '  was  to  be 
said  on  the  following  day  by  the  priest,  in  the  mass-house  (which  was 
oaaal  on  every  third  Sunday) ;  moreover,  a  faction-fight  had  been  ap- 
pointed tx>  take  place  'after  mass,'  very  near  the  spot  where  mass  was  said, 
which  was  sure  to  draw  a  number  of  idlers  together ;  yet  upwards  of  160 
adults,  and  147  children,  all  Romanists,  attended  Mr.  Dallas's  lecture 
in  the  school-room,  when  he  tested  the  feelings  of  his  auditors  by  asking 
for  a  show  of  hands,  from  **  as  many  as  were  willing  to  form  themselves 
into  a  regular  congregation,  if  he  should  be  able  to  obtain  for  them  a 
regular  ministry  in  their  own  Irish  tongue,  separating  themselves  from 
the  bondage  of  that  yoke  of  falsehood  which  had  so  long  enslaved  them, 
and  seeking  to  be  admitted,  through  the  knowledge  of  Christ,  into  the 
glorious  liberty  of  the  children  of  God.'  He  bid  all  who  felt  thus  to 
*  hold  up  their  hands  ; '  on  which,  when  the  Irish  Scripture  Reader  had 
interpreted  to  them,  m  Irish,  what  was  not  so  well  understood  by  them 
in  English,  every  arm  was  raised/ 

"  The  Rev.  Edwin  Moore,  Rector  of  Cong,  had  not  been  unmindful 
of  the  state  of  things  in  this  extreme  end  of  his  parish.  He  had  fre- 
quently, although  at  great  labour,  given  a  large  share  of  his  attention 
to  the  people  residing  in  and  about  Castelkerke ;  from  the  earliest 
formation  of  the  school  he  superintended  the  teaching,  and  devoted  one 
week-day  in  every  alternate  week  to  spiritual  instruction  in  the  school- 
room, which,  under  all  the  circumstances  of  his  extensive  charge,  in  a 
time  of  extraordinary  destitution  and  distress,  was  more  than  could  have 
been  expected  ;  nor  was  the  bishop  of  the  diocese  kept  in  ignorance  of 
diis  great  movemi^nt ;  on  being  made  acquainted  with  the  facts,  he 
manifested  every  disposition  to  do  whatever  could  be  done  with  pro- 
priety in  the  matter,  and  having  made  every  inquiry,  his  lordship,  on 
the  personal  representation  of  Mr.  Dallas  and  the  Rector  of  Cong,  con- 
sented to  ordain  Mr.  O'Callaghan,  an  intelligent  Irish-speaking  mis- 
sionary, well  suited  for  the  work,  whom  Mr.  Dallas  had  previously  in 
training  at  Wonston,  and  engaged  on  the  missions  in  Connemara  from 
the  first; -the  foundation-stone  of  whose  parsonage  was  laid  by  Mr. 
Dallas  and  Captain  Blake,  on  the  17th  day  of  February,  1848." 

We  would  not  give  much  for  the  principles  or  feelings  of  any 
Churchman  who  would  not  from  his  inmost  heart  rejoice  to  read 
of  such  things,  and  who  would  not  cordially  aid,-  as  far  as  he 
could,  in  the  support  of  a  work  like  this.  It  is  true  that  the 
leaders  of  the  Society  are,  we  believe,  of  the  class  usually  called 


S04  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

Evangelical,  but  a  work  like  this  evidently  requires  perfect  har- 
mony of  view  and  action  amongst  its  managers ;  and,  be  the  views 
of  those  managers  what  they  may,  they  are  engaged  in  a  work 
second  in  importance  to  no  missionary  work  of  our  times.  We 
would  gladly  transfer  to  our  pages  much  of  what  is  comprised  in 
the  interesting  tract  which  appears  last  on  our  list,  '^  Early  Fruits 
of  Irish  Missions  C  but  here  is  some  little  account  of  the  state 
of  things  after  only  four  years^  exertion  in  this  promising  field  of 
missionary  labour : — 

"  But,  turning  from  the  entreaties  for  help  which  the  Secretary  has 
received  from  the  clergy  in  various  parts  of  the  country — calls  which 
the  funds  of  the  Society  make  it  impossible  to  respond  to — the  ques- 
tion of  a  subscriber  will  naturally  be,  What  has  the  Society  done  among 
the  people  ?  and  to  this  inquiry  my  visit  to  Dublin  in  the  first  place 
would  supply  ample  materials  for  a  satisfactory  answer.  Mr.  McCarthy, 
the  valuable  clerical  agent  of  the  Society  here,  bears  testimony  to  the 
continually  progressive  work  of  reformation,  which  is  evident  amongst 
the  Romanists  of  this  city,  and  the  blessing  which  is  attending  the  va- 
rious means  the  Society  is  employing  for  their  conversion.  A  sermon 
on  some  point  of  the  Romish  controversy  is  preached  at  St.  Michan's 
every  Thursday.  I  heard  one  by  Mr.  Nangle,  on  the  doctrine  of  Tran- 
substantiation  ;  and  another  on  the  Invocation  of  Saints,  by  Mr.  Dallas; 
in  both  cases  the  church  was  crowded,  and  the  attention  riveted,  and 
the  readers  assured  me  that  there  were  several  hundred  Romanists. 
The  effect  is  so  felt,  that  Roman  Catholic  missionaries  have  come  for- 
ward to  endeavour  to  controvert  the  subjects  of  the  sermons  on  the 
Thursdays,  and  to  stem  the  torrent  of  heresy  which  they  feel  breaking 
in  among  their  people  ;  for  it  is  a  fact,  that  many  who  constantly  attend 
both  churches  have  their  eyes  thus  opened  to  judge  of  truth  and  error 
by  the  standard  of  the  Word  of  God. 

**  Another  great  means  of  blessing  is  a  class  of  inquirers  which  Mr. 
McCarthy  holds  every  Friday  evening ;  and  a  more  interesting  scene  it 
is  impossible  to  describe  than  the  one  at  which  I  was  present.     There 
were  sixty-two  sitting  around  him  with  their  Bibles  in  their  hands — all) 
except  six,  either  just  come  out  of  Popery,  or,  if  still  within  its  pale, 
having  taken  that  first  great  step  which,  as  it  were,  unlocks  the  heaviest 
bolt  of  the  dungeon — all  brought  to  inquire  of  Scripture  as  the  rule  of 
faith — to  bring  their  long-embraced  errors  *  to  the  law  and  to  the  testi- 
mony.*    The  fifth  of  Romans  was  the  subject  of  one  evening,  and 
the  doctrine  of  justification,  from  ver.  1 — 5,  was  powerfully  urged  upon 
them  by  Mr.  McCarthy,  who  showed  them  the  fallacy  of  the  Romish 
doctrines  in  all  its  coils  of  error,  questioning  them  so  that  by  their  own 
mouths  they  were  condemned,  and  wresting  from  them  every  refuge  of 
lies.     I  noticed  one  among  them  gradually  remove  from  the  class,  and 
at  last  leave  the  room,  saying,  *  The  Priest  has  satisfied  my  mind  on  this 
point,  and  I  do  not  want  to  hear  any  more.'     Others,  and  among  them 
some  very  respectable  tradesmen,  appeared  to  feel  the  power  of  truth, 


Ths  Church  in  Ireland.  S05 

and  to  receive  it  in  love — their  countenances  quite  beamed  with  the  light 
that  shone  on  their  hearts.  This  school  of  inquiry  was  begun  and 
ended  with  prayer  for  the  light  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  I  believe  similar 
classes  have  been  commenced  by  other  clergymen,  in  other  parts  of  the 
city;  and  their  tendency  is  uniformly,  to  lead  many  minds,  like  the 
Bereans,  to  search  the  Scriptures  daily. 

"  There  are  now  readers  in  various  parts  of  Dublin  under  this  Society, 
whose  work  is  to  visit  exclusively  the  Roman  Catholics.  These  are 
superintended  by  M.  McGuigan,  who  has  been  twelve  years  employed 
in  missionary  work,  and  who  unites  with  ardent  love  to  the  souls  of  his 
fellow-creatures,  singular  simplicity  of  purpose  and  discrimination  of 
judgment ;  and  all  these  men  are  under  Mr.  McCarthy,  who  is  parti- 
cularly fitted  for  his  work,  adding  to  all  the  qualifications  of  a  Christian 
minister  much  sound  scholarship  and  critical  accuracy  of  mind  in  the 
handling  of  controversial  subjects.  He  receives  the  journals  of  the 
readers,  and  instructs  them  in  their  work  once  a  week.  Mr.  Dallas  met 
them  to  inquire  into  the  conduct  of  each  ;  and  he  rejoiced  to  receive 
such  a  testimony  as  proved  that  they  were,  as  a  body,  self-denying, 
active,  and  obedient  agents  in  the  work." — pp.  8 — 10. 

From  the  missions  in  Dublin,  the  writer  next  takes  us  to  those 
in  the  west  of  Ireland,  and  thus  describes  the  present  state  of 
things  there : — 

"  Mr.  Dallas  has  been  endeavouring  to  put  the  whole  of  this  neg- 
lected country  under  missionary  agency,  and  in  nothing  has  the  hand  of 
God  been  more  manifest  than  in  the  supply  of  those  agents,  and  in 
their  peculiar  adaptation  to  the  work.  Within  the  last  two  years,  five 
have  been  ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  Tuam ;  all  having  been  first  proved 
as  lay  assistants  ;  and  two  are  now  sent  into  the  southern  parts,  men 
Well  approved  and  preparing  for  ordination.  Mr.  Conelly  will  there 
be  missionary  clergyman  over  the  district  which  extends  from  Galway  to 
Lettermore,  and  Mr.  Jagoewill  be  the  pastoral  superintendent  of  Erris- 
anna.  Mr.  R.  Ryder,  a  reformed  priest,  has  the  district  of  Ballyconree ; 
Mr.  Conerney,  the  wild  region  of  Sellema ;  Mr.  Kilbride,  that  of 
Brrismore ;  Mr.  Kennedy  has  Salruck ;  and  Mr.  Moinah  is  stationed 
at  Olan  and  Oughterard.  These  have  all  readers  and  schoolmas- 
ters under  them,  and  in  some  cases  Irish  teachers.  The  Bishop  of 
Tuam  bears  the  strongest  testimony  to  the  value  of  these  missionary 
clergymen.  To  the  praise  of  that  grace  which  has  fitted  them  for  their 
work,  their  simplicity  of  spirit,  their  diligent  self-denial,  and  their  faith- 
ful constancy  in  the  midst  of  persecution  and  insult,  are  manifest  to  all. 
Perhaps  the  strongest  testimonies  to  them  are  afforded  by  the  array  of 
opposition,  and  the  weapons  with  which  the  enemy  seeks  to  crush  them 
and  their  work. 

**The  agents,  working  under  them,  are  also  efficient  and  faithful. 
They  were  all  inspected  upon  the  occasion  of  this  journey.  At  Ough- 
terard Mr.  Dallas  met  twenty-two — ^heard  the  testimony  of  their  super- 
intendents— altered  or  changed  their  labours — and  gave  them  a  solemn 


306  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

address,  urging  them  in  meekness  to  instruct  those  that  oppose  them- 
selves ;  and  arming  them  against  the  fiery  trial  they  have  to  encounter. 
At  Ciifden  Castle  (where  they  have  hitherto  been  sheltered  and  encou- 
raged by  those  whose  Christian  love,  and  holy  zeal,  and  wise  judgment 
have  been  a  rich  blessing  to  ^U  around)  thirty-six  of  the  Society's 
agents  assembled  to  meet  Mr.  Dallas.  It  was  a  day  of  arduous  work 
to  listen  to  each  separately — give  to  each  their  work  afresh  (having  first 
conferred  with  all  the  clergy,  and  arranged  every  district) — and  tlien  to 
address  them  all  on  the  spirit  in  which  they  should  go  forth,  and  the 
encouragements  which  were  before  them.  He  urged  them  to  be  faithful 
and  courageous,  taking  as  the  groundwork  of  his  address.  Judges  vii. 
1 — 8,  and  Matt.  x. ;  and  closing  with  fervent  prayer  for  grace,  and  for 
blessing  on  them  and  their  work.  It  was  striking  in  every  meeting  of 
this  kind  how  little  there  was  to  reprove,  and  how  much  had  been  done 
by  these  poor  men,  who  were  evidently  growing  in  their  work — watered 
themselves,  as  they  watered  others,  from  the  living  spring. 

'*  The  residences  of  the  missionaries  are  but  a  few  degrees  bett^  than 
the  cabins  around  them  ;  and  the  simplicity  of  their  mode  of  living  in 
these  barren  wilds  would  somewhat  astonish  the  most  unaspiring  of  the 
English  clergy. 

**  But  one  more  testimony  must  yet  be  referred  to, — the  fruits  of  the 
mission  among  the  people  generally.  Had  it  been  permitted  to  the 
labourers  of  the  last  two  years  only  to  sow  in  hope  and  to  exercise 
long  patience,  it  would  have  afforded  no  cause  for  wonder ;  but  it  is 
given  them  to  gather  already  a  harvest  of  souls — to  see,  as  well  as  to 
hope,  that  their  labour  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Ijord.  The  Society  has 
been  the  means  of  forming  thirteen  congregations  of  converts,  who 
unite  in  the  school-room  or  cabin  to  join  in  the  Irish  service,  or  to  hear 
the  word  preached  in  their  own  tongue.  Their  attention  is  very  marked. 
To  select  one  instance  alone.  We  attended  the  service  one  Sunday  at 
Sellerna,  seven  Irish  miles  from  Ciifden,  a  wild  district  along  the  bay 
of  the  Atlantic.  When  Mr.  Dallas  first  visited  this  people  two  years 
ago,  they  were  without  school,  Bible,  or  any  means  of  grace.  He  as- 
sembled the  people  by  the  road-side  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  He 
then  offered  to  obtain  for  them  a  school,  provided  they  would  promise 
to  attend  themselves,  and  send  their  children.  The  question  was  re- 
peated in  Irish,  adding,  '  let  those  who  are  thus  disposed  hold  up  their 
hands.'  The  hands  of  all  assembled  were  held  up  at  once.  The  school 
was  promptly  built  through  individual  liberality.  The  mission  was 
begun — their  present  devoted  minister,  Mr.  Conerney,  was  ordained  by 
the  Bishop  of  Tuam,  and  is  now  resident  amongst  them  ;  and  the  early 
fruit  of  his  missionary  ministry  is  evident  in  harvest  sheaves  of  blessing. 

**  The  neat  white  school-room  was  crammed  with  people.  At  least 
between  four  and  five  hundred  were  waiting  for  the  service  when  we  ar- 
rived ;  and  this  in  spire  of  threats  from  the  Romanists,  in  the  previous 
week,  that  they  would  pull  down  the  house  if  he  preached  there.  The 
service  was  read  in  Irish  by  Mr.  Conerney ;  and  though  a  mob  assem- 
bled near  the  house,  and  their  appearance  was  most  disturbing,  the 


The  Church  in  Ireland*  307 

people  showed  no  alftrm,  and  were  distracted  in  attention  only  for  a 
Kbort  tinve.     The  sermon,  hy  Mr.  Dallas,  was  evidently  felt ;  and  the 
leoinniunion  was  afterwards  administered  hy  him  and  the  other  clergy 
present,  to  seventy-one  persons ;  ahout  sixty  of  whom  were  converts, 
^faose  reverent  demeanour  was  most   striking.     Mr.   Conerney  said 
&itt  there  were  hetween  sixty  and  seventy  catechumens,  who  had  ear- 
nestly desired  to  join  the  communion  that  day;  but  he  had  not  admitted 
them,  that  he  might  have  more  time  to  judge  of  their  consistency,  and 
Tight  apprehension  of  the  Sacrament.    He  also  added  that,  in  this  district 
«f  2000,  he  thooj^ht  that  at  least  half  were  ready  to  become  Protestants 
in  profession.     But  the  barrier  of  most  fearful  opposition  has  as  yet 
kept  many  from  coming  out  publicly  in   the   midst  of  persecution, 
ivhich  leaves  the  converts  without  work,  starved  and  naked  ;  the  land 
wound  them  having  been  lately  bought  by  Papists,  the  converts  are 
eicposed  to  suffering  beyond  many  of  the  stations.     The  details  of  the 
opposition  which  we  witnessed  you  have  read  in  the  clergyman's  let- 
ters I  have  referred  to ;  and  you  will  rejoice  to  hear,  that  in  all  this 
most  persecuted  district  only  one  convert  has  relapsed.    The  inhabitants 
of  all  the  district  earn  their  scanty  subsistence  by  fishing.     The  priests 
not  only  influenced  the  masters  to  exclude  every  convert  from  the  fish- 
ing trade,  but  also,  hy  cursing  them  and  their  boats,  made  the  people 
around  believe  that  no  success  could  possibly  attend  them  if  they  had 
'jumpers,'  as  they  call  them,  in  their  crews.     Numbers  of  these  poor 
people  Would  have  died  of  starvation,  had  not  some  Christian  friends 
exerted  themselves  on  their  behalf.     With  subscriptions,  chiefly  from 
Scotland,  they  bought  two  boats  for  convert  fishermen,  and  bad  them 
taught  how  to  cure  their  fish  in  an  improved  way,  which  secured  to  them 
increased  custom,  beyond  their  old  companions.     When  we  were  at 
Sellema,  there  had  been  no  fishing  weather  for  some  days ;  and  on  that 
Sunday  morning  Mr.  Dallas  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  evidence 
of  their  consistency  in  the  observance  of  the  Sabbath.     The  sea  to  the 
ftx  distant  horizon  was  dotted  with  fishing  boats,  of  which  twenty-three 
were  counted ;  two  boats  were,  however,  in  the  bay  by  the  quay  un- 
manned.    On  asking  why  those  boats  were  not  out  with  the  others,  the 
reply  from  a  Romanist  was, '  Those  are  the  jumpers*  boats,  and  they  do 
not  go  out  on  a  Sunday.' 

"  There  was  indeed,  at  every  station,  precious  evidence  that  the  Lord 
is  working  with  his  ministers,  and  '  confirming  the  word  with  signs 
following.*  At  Ballyconree,  Mr.  Ryder  mentioned  that,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  families,  he  might  consider  the  whole  village  as  being 
favourable  to  the  truth.  Here  also  Mr.  Dallas  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper,  for  the  first  time,  to  sixty-five  converts,  who  had  been  under 
preparatory  instruction  from  their  minister  since  their  Confirmation. 
He  afterwards  baptized  two  children  at  this  station.  At  the  same  time 
the  first  stone  of  a. new  school-room  was  laid;  the  cabin  where  the 
school  was  kept,  and  in  which  also  they  met  for  service,  being  too  small 
for  one-third  of  the  congregation  who  attended.  .  I  must  pass  over  two 
other  most  interesting  scenes  of  a  similar  kind,  one  at  Derrigimla,  and 


SOS  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

another  at  Glan ;  in  each  of  which  a  new  school-room,  to  serve  also  as 
a  church,  has  been  commenced :  and  the  sites  were  densely  filled  with 
congregations  of  several  hundreds,  who  with  joyous  hearts  listened  to 
Mr.  Dallas's  address,  and  joined  in  his  prayer  for  a  blessing  upon  the 
work,  with  the  life  of  feeling,  the  expression  of  which  is  so  peculiar  to 
Ireland.  In  all  these  placcR,  the  increase  of  converts,  and  of  scholars, 
had  made  the  present  hovel  school-houses  quite  incapable  of  containing 
the  children  qr  the  congregations. 

'*  I  cannot  close  without  one  word  on  the  instruction  supplied  to  the 
children.  The  Society  has  twenty-eight  schools  in  this  county.  To 
each  of  those  we  visited  there  has  been  fearful  opposition  by  the  priests; 
who,  by  bribes  and  by  punishments  of  no  gentle  measure,  endeavour  to 
bring  the  children  back  to  their  schools.  Can  it  be  expected  that  these 
blind  leaders  of  the  blind  should  witness  2500  children  rescued  from 
their  grasp  without  vexation  and  dismay  ?  Can  we  wonder  that  every 
effort  should  be  used  by  the  powers  of  Satan  to  regain  possession  of  the 
future  generation  of  Ireland,  and  to  destroy  that  seed  of  Scriptural 
truth,  which  shall  ultimately  be  their  ruin  ?  Yet  in  these  schools  do 
we  witness  the  strength  of  God  perfected  in  weakness, — his  praise  out 
of  the  mouth  of  babes  and  sucklings.  Some  few  have  been  drawn 
away  for  a  time ;  but  in  no  school,  mnch  as  the  children  suffer  from 
hunger,  is  there  long  or  material  diminution  of  numbers.  Every  new 
school  that  is  established  is  quickly  filled ;  in  many  the  power  of  the 
truths  they  learn  is  manifest,  out  of  school,  in  their  answers  to  the 
Romanists ;  and  the  beating  and  ill  treatment  these  little  ones  have 
received  has  only  made  them  more  firm  and  bold  in  confessing  the  fjEiith 
of  Christ,  having  an  answer  from  the  Bible  always  ready  for  the 
opposer." 

After  perusing  these  remarkable  and  striking  accounts  of  the 
Irish  missions,  we  may  fairly  appeal  to  our  readers,  whether 
any  instances  can  be  pointed  out  in  the  history  of  modern  mis- 
sions in  which  a  greater  measure  of  success  has  attended  the 
exertions  of  Christian  missionaries.  There  is  no  comparison 
between  the  effects  produced  here,  and  those  produced  in  heathen 
countries.  And  yet  the  general  opinion — and  we  own  ourselves 
to  have  shared  in  that  opinion — was,  that  the  persecution  of 
converts  was  so  violent  in  Ireland,  and  the  prejudices  of  the 

f)eople  so  strong,  that  a  mission  to  the  heathen  would  be  more 
ikely  to  be  successful  than  one  to  the  Romanists  of  Ireland.  Its 
diiBculties  are  undoubtedly  great ;  and  we  must  say  that,  humanly 
speaking,  nothing  else  except  the  remarkable  combination  of 
Christian  wisdom  with  charity  which  was  shown  in  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Irish  missions  could  have  rendered  them  successful. 
To  the  Rev.  A.  Dallas  the  cause  appears  to  be  chiefly  indebted, 
and  yve  must  say,  that  his  labours  and  his  zeal  appear  to  be  truly 
apostolical. 


I%e  Church  in  Ireland.  S09 

And  now,  having  endeavoured  to  present  a  brief  outline  of  the 
issions  of  the  Church  in  Ireland,  which  bid  fair  to  be  as  success- 
il  as  the  most  earnest  of  her  well-wishers  could  desire,  we  would 
pneal  to  every  one  who  really  prefers  Protestantism  to  Bomanism, 
rh^er  a  Church,  which  is  ^>able  of  carrying  od  such  missions; 
3  not  doing  its  work  in  Ireland,  and  whether  the  imputation  of 
ipathy,  or  indolence,  or  inefficiency,  can  any  longer  be  with  justice 
ipplied. 

We  are  far  from  meaning  to  deny  that  until  recently  the 
Church  of  Ireland  has  remained,  to  a  great  degree,  stationary — 
that  in  some  districts  it  may  even  have  lost  ground  within  the 
last  century — that  the  Reformation  was  never  carried  out  success- 
fully in  Ireland — and  that  the  objects  which  the  State  hoped  to 
have  seen  carried  out  through  the  Church  Establishment  have 
been  but  partially  realized.  But,  admitting  all  this,  we  are  pre- 
pared to  show  that  the  Church  is  not  fairly  chargeable  with  these 
evils  ;  that  they  are  attributable  to  the  state  of  society  in  Ireland, 
and  to  the  neglect  of  former  Governments ;  and  that,  as  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  the  Church  now  stands  are  different  from 
those  in  which  she  formerly  stood,  it  may  be  reasonably  expected 
that  a  success  will  now  attend  her  efforts  which  did  not  attend 
them  formerly. 

The  Reformation  was  successful  in  England  in  carrying  with  it 
the  great  mass  of  the  people.  In  Ireland  the  case  was  not  so. 
The  Reformation  was  planted  in  a  soil  unGtted  to  retain  it; 
it  was  not  supported  by  adequate  power  :  it  was  violently 
assailed  before  it  had  time  to  take  root ;  and  it  was  made 
unpopular  by  its  connexion  with  the  English  Government.  The 
Episcopate,  the  clergy,  and  most  of  the  laity  conformed  for  a 
time ;  but  rebellion,  stirred  up  by  foreign  powers,  and  continued 
for  a  whole  generation,  detached  the  greater  part  of  the  popula- 
tion from  their  bishops  and  from  the  Reformed  Church,  and  re- 
established the  power  of  the  Papacy.  The  condition  of  Ireland 
was  extremely  unfavourable  to  the  Reformation.  In  the  six- 
teenth century  there  was  neither  civilization,  education,  or  settled 
law — Ireland  was  in  a  state  of  barbarism.  There  were  no  schools 
or  universities ;  unlike  England,  which  could  boast  of  the  Uni- 
versities of  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  and  the  Colleges  at  Eton,  and 
Winchester,  and  elsewhere  ;  and  the  whole  population  were  sunk 
in  dense  ignorance.  The  invention  of  printing,  which  in  other 
countries  promoted  inquiry,  was  unknown  for  a  long  time  in  Ire- 
land— in  fact,  till  hng  after  the  introduction  of  the  Reformation  : 
the  Irish  language,  then  nearly  universal,  opposed  an  impediment 
in  the  way  of  English  preachers.  The  country  had  been  in 
a  state  of    barbarous  anarchy  for  three  centuries,  during  which 


310  Tie  Church  in  Ireland. 

England  had  not  thought  it  worth  her  while  to  do  more  than 
retain  a  certain  territory  in  Ireland  called  the  English  ^'  pate,"" 
with  the  nominal  suzerainty  over  the  remainder.  The  greater 
part  of  Ireland  was  under  the  dominion  of  petty  kings,  priDoea, 
and  chieftains  of  various  kinds,  and  presented  a  strange  scene  of 
never-ending  tumult,  outrage,  murder,  and  piUage, — only  varied  by 
occasional  rebellion  against  the  English  power. 

The  historical  work,  the  title  of  which  we  have  first  mentioned 
at  the  commencement  of  this  Article,  is  one  which  throws  much 
light  on  the  state  of  society  generally  in  Ireland  during  the  ages 
which  preceded  the  Reformation.  It  consists  of  the  Latin  annals 
of  Ireland,  compiled  by  John  Glyn,  a  friar  of  the  Franciscan  Con- 
vent at  Kilkenny,  in  the  fourteenth  century,  with  continuations 
by  other  bands ;  together  with  a  chronicle  of  about  the  same 
date,  written  at  the  Abbey  of  New  Boss,  in  Wexford;  and  a 
later  chronicle  compiled  by  Thady  Dowling,  Chancellor  of  the 
Cathedral  of  Leighhn,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  These 
curious  chronicles,  which  form  a  part  of  the  valuable  series  of 
publications  on  Irish  history  and  antiquities  undertaken  by  the 
Irish  Archseological  Society,  have  been  most  ably  and  carefully 
edited  by  the  Very  Bev.  B.  Butler,  Dean  of  Clonmacnois,  whose 
reputation  as  a  scholar  and  an  antiquarian  is  fully  sustained  by 
the  work  before  us.  The  preface  which  Dean  Butler  has  prefixed 
to  his  edition  of  Clyn^s  Annals  exhibits  a  thorough  acquaintance 
with  the  state  of  Ireland  during  the  period  preceding  the  Be- 
formation ;  and  v/e  feel  that,  in  quoting  the  words  of  so  careful  a 
student  of  history,  we  are  in  no  danger  of  over-stating  the  case. 

Dean  Butler  observes  that,  during  the  reigns  of  King  John 
and  Henry  III.,  the  English  authority  appeared  about  to  con- 
solidate itself  in  Ireland.     The  country  was  divided  into  shires; 
the  king'*s  justices  made  their  circuits ;  the  bishoprics  were  filled 
with  the  royal  licence ;  the  Irish  chieftains  paid  their  tribute, 
and  obeyed   the  royal  summons,  and  seem  to  have  considered 
themselves    as    English  lords :    the   country  was   peaceful  and 
prosperous,  and  the   English  treasury  was  enriched  by  money 
transmitted  from  Ireland.     Feuds  there  were  between  different 
families,  but  not  to  the  extent  to  which  they  afterwards  arose. 
But  in  the  reign  of  Edward  I.  the  English  Government  appears 
to    have   withdrawn  attention   from   Ireland   to   Scotland,   and 
advantage  was  taken  of  this  remissness  by  Edward  Bruce,  who, 
with  a  Scottish  army,  invaded  and  laid  waste  a  great  part  of 
Ireland, — an  event  from  which  the  decline  of  the  English  power, 
and  the  commencement  of  Irish  anarchy,  may  be  dated.     To  cite 
Dean  Butler'*s  words: — 

"Many   gener^jn^iaased  before   the  devastating  effects  of  the 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  311 

^^^littish  kivaskm,  passing  thus  like  a  stream  of  lava,  through   the 

itiy,  were  done.  away.    The  aoimosity  between  the  English  and 

Irish  was  embittered,  the  sense  of  the  greatness  of  the  English 

1^4     {ftlrer  was  diminished,  the  authority  of  law  and  order  was  impaired,  the 

/^     fltot/e  and  the  farm-house  were  alike  ruined.     The  oastle  was  more 

^inlj  rebuilt  than  the  more  important  farm-house.     The  noble  may 

'Qftve  had  other  resources ;  in  later  times  we  know  that  his  castle  was 

X^pured  at  the  expense  of  the  district ;  he  was  bound  by  stronger  ties 

to  the  country;,  and  when  his  castle  was  rebuilt,  it  was  at  least  com- 

JMratively  secure :  but  when  the  homestead  was  wrecked  and  burned, 

nod  the  haggard  robbed  of  its  stacks,  and  the  bawn  left  without  horse 

or  eow,  and  *  all  his  gear  were  gone,'  the  farmer,  as  he  looked  about 

lum  m  despair,  might  well  be  excused  if  he  fied  away  to  some  safer 

•Duntry  ;  or  if,  listejiing  to  hunger,  that  evil  counsellor,  he  became  an 

jdilnian  or  a  kerne,  ready  to  plunder  as  he  had  been  plundered,  and 

eating  up  the  produce  of  other  men's  labours. 

"  If  be  endeavoured  to  remain,  what  was  before  him,  but,  poor  and 
dispirited,  deprived  of  bis  accustomed  comforts,  and  of  his  comparative 
respectability,  to  sink  hopelessly  into  a  lower  stage  of  society,  and  to 
yield  to  its  customs ;  or  rather  to  turn  in  sullen  or  in  passionate  anger 
from  the  civilization  in  which  he  no  longer  had  a  share,  and  to 
resent,  as  an  injury,  the  existence  of  comforts  which  were  his 
once,  but  were  to  be  his  no  more,  and  to  hate  and  to  scorn  their 
possessors  ? 

"  Such,  doubtless,  was  the  history  of  the  degradation  of  many 
English  freeholders  consequent  upon  the  Scottish  invasion  ;  nor  could 
the  degradation  be  limited  to  the  retainer  alone.  In  a  country  in  which 
there  is  no  foreign  interference,  no  rank  of  society  can  stand  apart  from 
others,  and  in  proportion  to  its  height  it  needs  the  more  numerous 
supporters.  The  castle-walls  can  no  more  keep  out  the  influence  of  the 
social  maxims  and  principles  of  the  lower  ranks  of  the  people  than  they 
can  keep  out  the  contagion  of  their  diseases,  and  the  lord  necessarily 
partook  of  the  degradation  of  the  vassal. 

"  To  the  Scottish  invasion,  then,  may,  at  least  partly,  be  ascribed  the 
barbarism  and  the  consequent  weakness  of  the  English  in  Ireland 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  fourteenth  and  the  whole  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  In  the  thirty  years  that  elapsed  between  that,  event  and  the 
close  of  Clyn's  Annals,  that  barbarism  had  made  great  progress.  The 
power  of  the  central  government  grew  weaker ;  the  lords,  whether  of 
Irish  or  of  English  blood,  became  more  independent  and  irresponsible, 
and,  consequently,  more  arbitrary  and  tyrannical ;  and  private  feuds, 
resulting  in  open  violence,  became  of  more  frequent  occurrence.  The 
control  of  law  nearly  ceased,  and  little  remained,  as  a  rule  of  conduct, 
except  the  will  of  the  stronger.  It  then  became  a  question  whether 
this  anarchy  should  continue,  or  whether  it  should  result  in  the  preva* 
lence  of  either  the  English  or  the  Irish  system,  or,  as  seemed  more 
probable  and  more  reasonable,  whether  some  third  system  should  not 


SIS  Tie  Ciurck  im  Irdcmi. 

be  derelopecL  Jbrmed  from  tiie  imalganuition  of  these  two,  and  tkl 
juannl  irrowtb  of  tbe  drcamitaiioes  of  this  country. " — pp.  15,  16. 

IVeftn  Butler  tmces.  with  much  distinctness,  the  progress  of 
deCTft^tSoD  bv  wUch  mil  Imws.  whether  English  or  Irish,  became 
gndinlhr  obsvJete.  mod  the  oountiy  presented  a  scene  of  savage 
disstension  sod  amrrhT.  He  prooiBeds  to  some  further  detail, 
nUch  we  mnsi  pUce  before  the  reader : — 

**  Daring  the  times  cootiined  in  these  mnnsls  the  English  Goven- 
nent  hsd  diM  power  to  oontiol  the  excesses  of  its  subjects,  or  to  reprea 
the  ST  ticks  of  its  oppooents.  The  great  Anglo-Irish  families  had  become 
septs.  In  Clyn's  Latin,  the  St.  Anbjns,  now  cormpted  into  Tobini, 
and  the  Archdeacons*  now  tnnslbnned  into  the  patronymic  Mac  Odos, 
or  Cod3rs,  are  *  naciovies  et  ec^rnomina ;'  and  he  speaks  of  the  Hoddi- 
Beis  and  Cantetons,  *cnm  mollis  de  sanguine  eorum.'  If  the  Irah 
chiefs  acknovledged  no  common  authority,  and  felt  no  common  interest, 
the  same  diTision  prerailed  amongst  the  lords  of  English  descent 
Enirlishman  was  nov  opposed  to  Englishman,  and  sought  to  revenge 
himself  hy  xhe  help  of  the  Irish ;  nor  did  the  English  refuse  their  aid 
to  the  Irish  when  plundering  their  own  countrymen.  When  Brien 
O'Brien  raraged  O^tt,  and  slew  the  loyal  English  of  Aghaboe  and 
Agharoacart,  he  had  the  help  of  the  English  of  Ely. 

**  The  country  was  fast  veiging  towards  anarchy,  and  it  was  not 
easy  to  suy  its  descent.     The  svord  of  the  Lord  Justice,  if  pat  into 
the  hands  of  any  of  the  native  Lords,  of  the  Ormondes  or  of  the  Kil- 
daies«  was  used  as  an  instrument  to  avenge  their  own  wrongs,  or  to 
promote  their  own  interests,  rather  than  to  execute  impartial  jastice, 
and  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  whole  country.     Such  also  was  the 
ease  during  the  lieutenancy  of  any  of  the  great  English  lords,  who  had 
estates  or  claims  in  Ireland,  such  as  the  great  Mortimers  ;  and,  perhaps, 
nothing  brought  the  royal  authority  into  greater  disrepute  than  the  use 
of  it  by  these  men  as  a  cover  for  private  revenge  or  for  private  gain. 
Nor  were  the  evils  fewer,  if  the  administration  of  the  government  was 
intrusted   to   Englishmen   unconnected   with   this  country.      Men  of 
eminence,  so  situated,  would  scarcely  accept  the  office  ;  we  know  that 
Pemhridge  altogether  refused  it ;  and  men  of  inferior  rank  and  repu- 
tation,  when   invested   with    deputed   and   transient   authority,   were 
scorned  by  the  haughty  Irish  lords,  and  were  freely  charged  by  them, 
and  perhaps  justly  charged,  with  the  grossest  peculation  and  malver- 
sation.   The  castles  of  Athlone,  Roscommon,  Rinduin,  and  Bunratty, — 
say  the   Irish  lords   to   Edward   in    1343,  —  were   lost,   because   his 
treasurers   did   not   pay  the  constables   the   wages   charged  in    theif 
accounts;  and   they  continued   to  charge  for  castles  and  constableSf 
after  the  castles  had  been  destroyed.     Officials  liable  to  such  impU"* 
tations  could  have  no  moral  influence ;    and  when  some  sturdy  and 
honest  man,  like  Sir  Thomas  Rokeby,  who  sold  his  plate  to  pay  his 
soldiers,  saying  that  he  would  eat  off  wooden  platters  and  pay  in  gold 
and  silver, — or  when  some  bold  and  vigorous  soldiers,  like  Sir  Robert 


Tie  Church  in  Ireland.  313 

Jfford,  or  Sir  Anthony  Lucy,  held  the  King's  commission, — they 
nrere  hampered  hy  the  narrowness  of  their  allowances,  and  were 
;hwarted  hy  the  old  peers  and  ancient  officials.  The  very  success  of 
^eir  exertions  brought  with  it  no  lasting  national  advantage.  If  they 
lut  down  disturbance  for  a  time,  and  reduced  the  English  dominions 
:o  order  and  submission,  yet,  at  the  termination  of  their  authority, 
;here  was  a  renewal  of  lawlessness;  and  the  only  lasting  effect  of 
:heir  vigour  was  the  weakening  of  the  national  props  and  buttresses 
3f  internal  government,  and  the  consequent  increase  of  anarchy  and 
^sturbance. " — pp.  1 9 — 2 1 . 

A  melancholy  and  dark  picture  indeed  !  And  this  was  the 
state  of  things  which  continued  almost  to  the  period  of  the 
Beformation,  and  formed  the  minds  and  habits  of  the  people  who 
were  to  be  reformed  !  There  could  not  well  be  a  more  unfavour- 
able soil  for  reformation  of  any  kind  to  take  root  in.  These 
people  were,  without  doubt,  superstitious,  but  religion  had  no 
nold  in  them ;  they  were  utterly  demoralized  and  degraded. 

"  The  social  evils  of  Ireland,"  says  Dean  Butler,  "  in  the  time  now 
under  our  review,  seem  to  have  been  but  little  mitigated  by  the  influence 
of  religion.  When  the  Anglo-Irish  nobles  were  gradually  falling  into 
Irish  customs,  and  were  confederating,  whenever  it  served  their  purpose, 
as  readily  with  Irish  against  English  as  with  English  against  Irish,  we 
find  national  differences  and  dissensions,  where  we  should  least  wish 
to  find  them,  in  the  monastery  and  the  convent.  Although  the  autho- 
rities, as  well  ecclesiastical  as  civil,  favoured  the  English  party,  the 
strife  seems  not  to  have  been  altogether  unequal.  *  In  1325,*  writes 
Clyn,  '  there  was  discord,  as  it  were  universally,  amongst  all  the  poor 
^Hgious  of  Ireland,  some  of  them  upholding,  promoting,  and  cherishing 
tbe  part  of  their  own  nation,  and  blood,  and  tongue ;  others  of  them 
J^anvassing  for  the  offices  of  prelates  and  superiors.'  And  he  adds,  that 
iQ  the  same  year,  at  the  general  chapter  of  the  Order,  held  at 
tyons,  the  convents  of  Cork,  Buttevant,  Limerick,  and  Ardfert,  were 
^ken  from  the  Irish  friars,  and  assigned  as  a  fifth  custody  to  the 
English. 

"  In  those  evil  days  neither  the  persons  nor  the  places  dedicated 
^  religion  were  safe  from  violence.     We  read  in  Clyn  : 

"  *  In  the  year  1323,  on  the  Friday  within  the  octaves  of  Easter, 
Philip  Talon,  with  his  son  and  about  twenty-six  of  the  Codhlitanys, 
»as  slain  by  Edmund  Butler,  Rector  of  TuUow,  who,  aided  by  the 
vantitons,  dragged  them  out  of  the  church,  and  burned  the  church  of 
Phamolyn,  with  their  women  and  children,  and  the  reliques  of  Saint 
kfolyng. 

"  •  In  1336,  on  Thursday,  the  3rd  Ides  of  April,  Master  Howell  de 
Sathe,  Archdeacon  of  Ossory,  a  man  of  literature  and  munificence, 
with  Andrew  Avenel  and  Adam  de  Bathe,  was  killed  by  the  O'Brynys 
}f  Duffyr,  in  defence  of  the  goods  of  his  church  and  parish.' 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  Y 


314  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

**  But,  perhaps,  the  most  striking  entry  on  this  subject  is  the  fol< 
lowing : 

**  *  In  1346,  on  Friday,  the  drd  Nones  of  May,  Dennicius  MacGilpa- 
trick  (surnamed  Monoculns,  in  Irish  Caeock),  who  ever  gave  himself 
up  to  plots  and  treacheries,  little  regarding  perjury,  burned  the  town 
of  Achabo,  having  taken  and  brought  O'CarroU  with  him,  and  raging 
against  the  cemetery,  the  church,  and  the  shrine  of  St.  Canice,  that 
most  holy  abbot,  the  patron  of  the  county  and  the  founder  of  the  abbey, 
like  a  degenerate  son  against  a  father,  he  burned  them  and  consumed 
them  in  unsparing  fire.' " 

In  the  pages  of  Dowling,  the  later  annalist  in  Dean  Butler's 
collection,  the  state  of  Ireland  is  described  in  the  same  tone. 
One  fact  is  sufficient  to  show  the  condition  of  the  Church  at  that 
time.  In  1522,  Mauritius  Deoran,  Bishop  of  Leighlin,  was 
murdered  by  the  Archdeacon  of  the  diocese,  because  he  had 
reproved  him  for  sin,  and  intended  to  proceed  by  ecclesiastical 
censures.  To  this  we  may  add  the  testimony  of  one  of  the 
records  preserved  in  the  State  Paper  Office,  and  describing  the 
state  of  Ireland  in  1515. 

"  Some  sayeth,  that  the  prelates  of  the  churche  and  clergye  is  mucbe 
cause  of  all  the  mysse  order  of  the  land ;  for  ther  is  no  archebysshop, 
ne  bysshop,  abbot,  ne  pryor,  parson,  ne  vycar,  ne  any  other  person  d 
the  Churche,  highe  or  lowe,  greate  or  smalle,  Englyshe  or  Iryshe,  that 
useyth  to  preache  the  worde  of  Godde,  saveing  the  poor  fryers  beggers; 
and  there  wodde  [where  word]  of  Godde  to  cesse,  ther  canne  be  no 
grace,  and  wythoute  the  specyall  (grace)  of  Godde,  this  lande  may 

never  be  reformyd Also  the  Churche  of  thys  lande  use  not  to 

leme  any  other  scyence,  but  the  Lawe  of  Canon,  for  covetyse  of  lucre 
transytory  ;  all  other  scyence  whereof  grows  none  suche  lucre,  the 
parsons  of  the  Churche  dothe  despyce." — State  Papers,  Part  III.  Vol. 
ii.  pp.  15,  16. 

We  think  that  the  evidence  we  have  produced  as  to  the  utterly 
demoralized,  lawless,  and  ignorant  state  of  the  Irish  clergy  and 
laity  in^  the  sixteenth  century,  goes  far  to  explain  the  want  of 
success  in  the  attempt  to  introduce  the  Reformation  th^re.  It  is 
very  true  that  Christianity  has  often  been  introduced  amongst 
barbarous  and  savage  nations,  and  has  civilized  them ;  but  it  has 
generally  been  a  slow  and  gradual  process,  and  has  been  preceded 
or  accompanied  by  some  instruction  and  training  of  the  faculties. 
In  England,  the  Reformation  had  not  only  to  deal  with  an  orderly 
and  civilized  people,  but  was  enabled  to  make  use  of  the  press  for 
the  advancement  of  its  cause.  Its  adherents  were  amongst  the 
best  scholars  and  divines  of  the  day.  Yet,  even  so,  it  was  nearly 
twenty  years  after  the  abolition  of  the  Papal  supremacy  in  Eng- 
land, before  any  effectual  reformation  took  place. 


Tie  Church  in  Ireland.  81 5 

Agiun,  in  Scotland,  the  Reformation  was  preached  for  a  great 
length  of  time  before  it  was  finally  adopted  by  the  nation.     A 
iifttong,  and  even  violent  party,  was  gradually  formed  in  its  behalf. 
Bat  in    Ireland  the  case  was  quite  different.     There  were  no 
■materials  for  constructing  a  religious  party  in  Ireland  at  that 
time.     The  clei^  were  ignorant  and  depraved;  the  laity  were 
profoundly  ignorant  and  irreligious.     There  were  no  universities, 
mMkd  no  scholars  to  prosecute  inquiry.     The  art  of  printing  had 
not  been  introduced.     Educated  Englishmen  could  not  preach  in 
Irish.     Archbishop   Brown,  the  chief  promoter  of  the   Refor- 
mation during  the  reigns  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Edward  VI.,  was 
an  Englisiiman ;  and  so  were  the  only  other  prelates  of  note,  or 
mbiKty,  or  activity,  of  whom  we  hear  in  these  times.     Thus  the 
Irish  part  of  the  population  were  not,  in  fact,  prepared  in  any 
wiay  by  instruction  to  receive  the  truths  of  the  Reformation ;  and 
it  can  surely  be  no  matter  of  surprise  that  they  were  but  little 
inclined  towards  them.     Without  doubt  the  government  acted 
in  the  only  way  in  its  power  for  the  promotion  of  the  Refor- 
mation in  Ireland;  that  is  to  say,  it  enacted  laws,  issued  pro- 
clamations, saw  that  they  were  attended  to,  and  appointed  the 
best  men  that  it  could  find  to  vacant  bishoprics ;  but  the  circum- 
stances of  the  times  were  most  unpropitious.    Had  Ireland  been 
ruJly  subject  to  the  English  dominion,  the  authority  of  the  State 
would  probably  have  been  sufficient  to  cause  the  Irish  to  adopt 
[     tke  Reformation  permanently,  as  they  did,  in  fact,  for  a  time. 
[     Had  education  and  effective  preaching  prepared  the  way,  the 
[    imtive  population  would  have  probably  accepted  the  Reformation. 
But,  in  tne  absence  of  such  conditions  of  success,  it  is  not  a 
matter  of  the  least  surprise   that  the  issue   was  the  virtual 
triumph  of  Romanism,  and  the  secession  of  the  greater  part  of 
the  population  from  their  Bishops  and  clergy. 

The  materials  for  the  history  of  the  Reformation  in  Ireland  are 

by  no  means  abundant :  such  as  they  are,  they  will  be  found  in 

Bishop  Mant'^s  History  of  the  Irish  Church.     But  an  important 

addition  has  recently  been  made  to  Irish  Church  history  by  the 

publication  of  all   the  documents  in   the   State   Paper   Office 

relating  to  the  Irish  Church  during  the  reigns  of  Edward  VI., 

Mary,  and  Elizabeth.     This  highly  valuable  work,  the  title  of 

which  will  be  found  at  the  commencement  of  these  pages,  is  the 

result  of  the  well-directed  researches  of  Mr.  Evelyn  P.  Shirley, 

who   has   added   many   notes  and    illustrations   evincing  much 

careful   investigation,   and  very  full   knowledge   of  his  subject. 

Mr.  Shirley  has  very  judiciously  preserved  all  the  characteristics 

of  the  original  autograph  documents  from  which  he  has  made 

transcripts ;    and   although  to  the   more  common  reader  the 

Y  2 


316  ne  Church  in  Ireland. 

extremely  antiquated  spelling,  and  the  nameroas  faults  of  the 
originals  will  operate  as  a  bar  to  the  perusal  of  the  work,  these 
very  circumstances  will  only  enhance  its  value,  as  a  faithM 
and  accurate  transcript,  to  the  careful  investigator  of  history. 

The  series  of  documents  commences  a.d.  1547,  the  first  year 
of  Edward  VI. ;  and  almost  at  the  commencement  we  have  a 
scheme  of  George  Browne,  Archbishop  of  Dublin,  for  the  erection 
of  a  University  in  Dublin  (p.  5).  This  plan,  which  reflects  the 
highest  credit  on  its  author,  contemplated  the  restoration  of  the 
Cathedral  Church  of  St.  Patrick  (lately  suppressed),  and  its  be- 
coming at  once  a  College  and  a  Chapter,  like  Cardinal  Wolsey^s 
foundation  at  Oxford,  with  its  lecturers,  fellows,  students,  &c. 
The  plan  did  not  take  effect :  in  fact,  there  was  no  University  in 
Ireland  till  1591,  upwards  of  forty  years  after  the  introduction  of 
the  Reformation,  and  apparently  no  schools;  the  monasteries 
having  been  the  only  places  in  which  any  knowledge  of  letters 
was  preserved  or  imparted.  We  must  extract  a  few  passa^ 
from  Archbishop  Browne'^s  Device,  or  Petition,  to  the  English 
Government,  which  refer  to  other  matters  of  interest : — 

^^  Itm,  That  comission  under  the  kings  great  seall  here  maye 
be  directed  to  suche  as  to  his  hieghms  shalbe  thoght  good,  ad 
audiendas  et  terminandas  causas  ecciiasticas,  to  th'*intent  that 
thereby  the  people  may  be  occasioned  to  leave  and  omitt  the 
popishe  trede,  whiche  many  of  them  now  imbraseth,  and  also  to 
swere  all  bysshoppes  and  preistes  to  the  obedience  of  the  Kings 
maiestie  and  his  successou''*  as  their  immediate  bed  and  gouno' 
under  god  and  for  th'^executio"  of  other  his  Ma**  pcedings  accord- 
ing th*order  used  in  Inglande. 

"Itm,  That  twoo  Archedeacons  of  Dublin  may  be  againe 
restored  to  ayde  and  assist  th*'archebysshop  there  for  the  tyme 
being  whiche  was  taken  awaie  at  the  supp^ssion  of  Saint  Patricks, 
and  this  the  rather  that  there  is  no  bysshop  in  Christendome 
w^owte  an  archdeacon,  but  onely  Dublin,  and  so  the  saide  Arche- 
bysshop  the  wors  hable  to  suppUe  his  chardg  who  had  befor  the 
saide  supp'sion  ij  Archedecons. 
[they  to  nnde  ij  lectours.] 

"Itm,  That  now  immediately  may  be  sent  thither  Hi  to  be 
Bysshoppes  and  to  preche,  eiiy  one  of  theym  to  have  a  sufficient 
lyving  to  th'intent  that  neither  they  throughe  default  or  lyving 
be  bordenous  to  any  pson,  and  yet  may  withoute  that  care  moste 
diligently  and  ernestly  travaill  in  setting  forthe  to  the  people  by 
an  uniforme  doctryne  the  words  of  god  and  the  Chry***°  pceding* 
of  the  Kinges  Ma*^«  as  it  is  here  in  Inglande. 

"ffyrste  for  th'erecton  of  an   unyversitie  to  be  established 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  317 

w%iii  the  Realme  of  Irlande  by  Dublin  to  be  ther  remanent  for 
ever  as  well  for  th'^encreace  of  gods  divine  8''vice  as  the  Kings 
Ma^^''  immortall  fame,  &  the  unspeakeable  reformacoh  of  that 
realme  and  for  educacion  of  students  &;  youth,  whiche  may  from 
tyme  to  tyme  growe,  aswell  in  the  knowlege  of  god  th*'auto'  of  all 
goodnes,  w%ut  whom,  the  knowledge  of  the  kinge,  the   obe- 
dience of  his  Lawes,  shall  neu  be  hade  ther,  the  laeke  wherof 
hathe  been  only  the  ruyne  &  decaye  of  that  realme,  and  so  by 
pees  of  tyme  the  same  students  beynge  repay  red  to  ther  natyve 
shyres  shall  by  ther  learnynge  and  goode  educacion  be  bothe 
example  of  goode  ly vinge  &;  also  a  lyvely  trompe  to  call  that  bar- 
barous nacion  from  evill  to  goode,  &;  consequently  from  goode  to 
bett",  &  so  to  be  pfight  &  Civill/' — pp.  9 — 11. 

These  extracts  touch  on  some  of  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
ihie  Reformation  at  that  time.    The  first — the  reluctance  of  some 
of  the  bishops  and  clergy  to  permit  any  alterations  or  reform — 
was  to  be  expected ;  but  although,  during  the  reign  of  Edward  VI., 
this  acted  as  a  serious  impediment,  that  difiiculty  ceased  in  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth,  when  the  whole  hierarchy  adopted  the  Re- 
formation.    But  the  petition  next  but  one,  requesting  that  three 
men  should  be  sent  over  from  England  to  be  bishops  and  to 
**  preach,*"  indicates  a  more  serious  diflSculty — a  tvant  of  proper 
agents  in  Ireland,     To  obtain  preachers  of  the  right  sort  it  was 
necessary  to  send  to  England  !     But  then  these  preachers,  when 
they  came,  could  be  of  almost  no  use  in  three  out  of  four  pro- 
vinces of  Ireland,  where  the  Irish  language  and  habits  almost 
exclusively  prevailed.     Here  was  the  grand  difiiculty.     Where 
were  the  means  for  reforming  the  native  Irish  ?     \Vhat  means 
were  there  for  "  calUng  that  barbarous  nation  from  evil  to  good  ?*" 
Archbishop  Browne  rightly  looked  to  the  University  for  this ; 
but  "the  University  was  not  yet  founded. 

The  bishops  and  clergy  were,  in  many  cases,  miserably  poor. 
As  to  the  latter,  we  should  suppose  their  tithes  must  have  been 
about  as  valuable  as  the  tithes  of  the  American  "  backwoods," 
the  products  being  little  more  than  timber  and  peat.     The  tithe 
of  Agistment  indeed  gave  them  meat  to  eat,  but  cattle  could 
have  been  scarcely  saleable  in  such  a  wild  state  of  society.     The 
bishoprics   were  but   poorly  endowed  in  many  cases ;   so  that, 
altogether,  the  clergy  were  in  a  very  destitute  state  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  the  churches  fell  to  ruin  in  the  time  of  war, 
which  was  almost  perpetual.     In  the  paper  before  us,  we  find 
Archbishop  Browne  requiring  especially  that  the  bishops  to  be 
sent  over  should  have  competent  maintenance ;  and,  further  on  in 


31 8  Th^  Church  in  Ireland, 

the  volume,  we  find  various  instances  in  which  bishopries  m 
sought  for  particular  persons,  on  account  of  their  small  value, « 
are  recommended  to  be  held,  in  commendam^  with  other  bishopna 
or  benefices,  for  the  same  reason. 

The  next  letters  in  this  collection  are  valuable^  as  showing;  the 
succession  of  the  Episcopate  in  Ireland.  We  have,  first,  a  letter 
from  Edmund  Butler,  Archbishop  of  Cashel,  who  had  been  eoa- 
secrated  archbishop  in  1527,  long  before  the  abolition  of  the  Papal 
jurisdiction.  This  prelate  was  now  a  willing  advocate  of  tbe 
Reformation  introduced  by  King  Edward  VI.  We  extract  the 
letter  itself,  addressed  to  Seymour,  Duke  of  Somerset,  Lord  Pio- 
tector : — 

"  Pleasid  yo'  noble  grace  to  be  adutisid  how  hitherto  accord- 
ing the  charge  comittid  to  me  I  haue  done  the  best  I  coude  for 
the  quiete  of  thies  pties  sithnes  th  deptu'  of  the  countess  doager 
of  Chtiiionde,  &  althogh  sundrie  roberres  and  offences  have  bene 
committid  sithens,  as  I  hau  certefied  therther,  yet  be  reas<Mi  of 
yo'  graces  lettres  at  sundrie  times  sent  hither,  &  other  prudent 
devices  addressed  from  them,  many  inconueniences  haue  the  lees 
taken  effect,  &  do  stande  in  such  case  of  reformacon  as  god  will- 
ing things  shalbe  w^^out  dificultie  redressid,  and  for  asm^  as  I 
doubt  not  yo'  good  grace  w***  that  moste  noW®  oounseili  will  pvyde 
redresse  in  sundrie  things  worthi  reformacon,  I  putt    in  sue- 
pence  toto  truble  the  same  w^  any  further  partiouiariter*  being 
the  hering  &  discussing  of  the  circumstance        (illegible) 
tak  bett'  place  here  then  elswhere,  as  for  c^cumstances  &  pol- 
lecies  in  reformacon  of  the  people  here,  I  neu"  sawe  the  waye  for 
to  prosper  therin  as  M'  Belli nghame  attempt"^  &  achevid  in  so 
short  a  time,  who  hath  oppenid  the  veri  gate  of  the  right  refor- 
macon, whos  nature  as  I  judge  will  not  triffiU  w^  any  unfruitfull 
c^custance.     There  repairith  thather  Walt'  Cowley  at  this  time, 
whos  truth  &  his  fathers  doth  nowe  apere  in  many  things,  &  out 
of  doubt  in  myne  opinion,  is  a  great  discoraging  uniusally  here 
to  the  people,  seinge  theire  distruccon,  for  their  earnest  truth  in 
declaracon  of  abuses,  and  forasm*^*^  as  the  one  deyed  there,  in 
p'sute  thereof,  &  the  other  repairing  thother,  who  hath  aft"  longe 
durans  sustainM  m^*^  domadge,  I  beseech  yo'  grace  to  be  his  good 
Loi*de  &  to  geve  him  wherebi  occason  may  grow  to  encorradge 
the  comen  people  to  be  ernest  in  awanusing  thing"  tending  to  the 
King'  Ma"*"  bono'  &  the  surti*  of  this  his  highnes^  pore  realme ; 
so  as  be  meanes  therof  truth  shalbe  the  less  extinct,  assurring  yo' 
Grace  that  I  knowe  him  to  be  of  honeste  disposicon,  &  one  that 
hath  great  experience,  who  can  dp   right  good  Syvice.     thus 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  3 1 9 

%fa)igfati  god  send  unto  yo'  noble  grace  yo'  valiant  hartes  diaure, 
4kMD  kilkenny  the  xxv^  day  of  febniari 

"  Yo'  Oracs  bounden  orato' 
''  Edmud  of  Gasshell. 
^*  To  the  Duck  of  Somsettfi  right  noble  grace  Lord  Qou^no'  of 
the  king"  Ma"*«  mooste  Boyall  psone  ptecto'  of  his  highnes" 
Bealms  &  Doraynions  &  highe  Thesaurer  of  England/^ 

Walter  Cowley,  who  is  so  highly  commended  in  the  abovQ 
letter,  which  was  written  in  1548,  was,  as  Mr.  Shirley  remarks, 
general  surveyor  of  the  abbey  lands  in  Ireland,  and  a  decided 
partisan  of  the  reformed  faith.  Archbishop  Butler  died  about 
two  years  after  in  possession  of  his  see.  The  case  of  Christopher 
Bodekin,  Archbishop  of  Tuam,  a  letter  from  whom  is  printed,  is 
still  more  remarkable.  He  was  appointed  Bishop  of  Kilmacduagh 
in  1533  or  1534,  and  held  this  see  with  that  of  Tuam,  to  which 
he  was  translated  in  1536.  This  prelate  retained  his  see,  from  the 
period  of  his  appointment  by  King  Henry  V III.,  up  to  the  year 
1572,  fourteen  years  after  Queen  Elizabeth  had  come  to  the  throne. 

It  seems  that,  for  a  considerable  time,  Archbishop  Browne 
laboured  in  the  cause  of  the  Reformation  in  Ireland  without  aid 
from  any  of  the  bishops,  except  Staples,  Bishop  of  Meath,  who, 
like  himself,  was  an  I^nglishman.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  reign 
of  Edward  VI.,  however,  he  was  further  aided  by  Bale  and  Good- 
acre,  who  were  consecrated  to  Ossory  and  Armagh  ;  the  former 
of  which  sees  was  vacant  by  death,  and  the  latter  by  the  retirement 
of  Dowdal  to  the  continent,  after  his  opposition  to  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer.  Just  previously  to  the 
account  of  this,  we  have  a  letter  from  Sir  James  Croft,  Lord 
Deputy  of  Ireland,  to  Sir  William  Cecil,  complaining  of  the  igno- 
rance and  negligence  of  the  Irish  bishops,  and  requesting  learned 
men  to  be  sent  over  from  England,  in  the  following  terms : — 

^^  Beyng  a  man  not  learned,  nether  sene  in  any  other  thing 
worthie  of  the  chardge  corny tted  to  me,  I  am  besyde  myne  other 
cares,  burdened  with  the  setting  forth  of  religion,  wiche  to 
my  skyll  I  cause  to  be  amended  in  euery  place  where  I  travail : 
taid  nevertheless  through  the  neglicence  of  the  Bysshopes  and 
other  spyrituall  mynistres,  it  is  so  barely  looked  unto,  as  the  olde 
seremomes  yet  remayne  in  meny  places  /  The  Busshops  as  I 
find,  be  negligent  and  fewe  lerned,  and  none  of  any  good  zeale  as 
it  semeth,  wherfor  yf  it  wolde  please  yo^  to  move  the  Counsaill 
that  for  suche  busshoppricks  as  be  here  voyde,  some  lerned  men 
mought  be  sent  ouer  to  tak  chardg,  and  so  to  preche  and  sett  forth 
the  kings  pcedinge,  I  wolde  trust  so  to  mayntayne  them,  as  they 
mought  do  good  to  meny,  and  sett  forth  this  as  it  ought  to  be  / 


320  The  Church  in  Ireland. 

And  yf  this  cannot  be  brought  to  passe,  I  pray  yo^  sende  me 
some  lerned  man  to  remayne  with  me,  by  whose  counsaill  I  may 
the  better  direct  the  biynd  and  obstinate  busshops,  and  what 
stypend  soeuer  yo^  pmys  I  will  gyve  it  /  praying  yo^  to  heipe  me 
with  spede,  for  I  have  gret  want  of  suche  a  one,  so  I  betak  yo^  to 
god,  ffrom  Kylmanam  the  xv**^  of  Marche  1551 . 

u  Yo"  to  comaund 

"  James  Croft. 
"  To  the  right  honorable  Willin  Ceyeill 

knight  one  of  the  two  pryneipall  Se-  ! 

creteries  to  the  Kings  Majestie/'  \ 

One  especial  value  of  Mr.  Shirley'*s  publication  will  be,  to 
furnish  additional  and  conclusive  evidence  of  the  erroneousness  of 
the  statements  often  put  forward  in  Parliament  and  elsewhere 
by  the  opponents  of  the  Church.  Nothing  is  more  common  than 
the  argument,  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  having  been 
deprived  of  its  property  by  the  State,  and  the  Established  Church 
having  been  endowed  therewith^  the  Roman  Catholics  have  been 
most  cruelly  and  unjustly  treated,  and  the  Established  Church 
may,  and  ought  to  be  deprived  of  property  to  which  it  has 
no  right  except  what  arises  from  a  mere  Act  of  Parliament.  It 
is  represented  as  a  sect  which  arose  at  -the  Reformation,  and 
which,  in  fact,  plundered  the  rightful  owners  of  their  property, 
with  the  aid  of  the  civil  power.  Now  the  real  state  of  the  case, 
as  Mr.  Shirley'^s  work  very  plainly  shows,  is,  that  the  archbishops, 
and  bishops,  and  clergy  of  Ireland  generally  consented  to  the 
Reformation  in   the  time  of  Elizabeth.     The  Roman  Catholic 

Erelacy  and  clergy  of  Queen  Mary*'s  reign  became  the  reformed 
ishops  and  clergy  of  Elizabeth's ;  the  people,  to  a  great  extent, 
conformed  to  the  worship  of  the  Reformed  Church ;  and,  the 
Church  of  Ireland  being  thus  freed  from  the  Papal  dominion  and 
errors,  the  Pope  sent  missionary  after  missionary  into  Ireland  to 
regain  his  dominion,  ordained  bishops  to  sees  that  were  already 
occupied — schismatical  bishops ;  and  stirred  up  the  King  of 
Spain,  in  conjunction  with  the  native  Irish  chieftains,  to  make 
war  on  England.  Hence  a  series  of  bloody  rebellions,  during 
which  the  Jesuits  and  other  Romish  emissaries  were  enabled  to 

Eoison  the  minds  of  a  large  proportion  of  the  people  against  their 
ishops  and  clergy  as  adherents  of  the  English.  The  English 
religion  became  unpopular,  because  the  English  name  was  hated : 
to  this  day  "  Sassenach^'  implies  "  Protestant**^  as  well  as  English- 
man, and  conveys  the  notion  of  an  enemy.  Romanism  was  really 
established  by  the  sword  in  Ireland ;  for,  had  not  rebellion  broken 
out,  Ireland  would  probably,  in  the  course  of  Elizabeth'^s  reigo, 
have  been  brought  into  obedience  to  the  Reformation. 


The  Church  in  Ireland.  321 

The  undeniable  fact,  that  Ireland  was  not  really  subject  to  the 
British  Crown  till  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Elizabeth — that  the 
English  laws  were  not  received  in  the  greater  part  of  Ireland  at 
the  period  of  the  Beforraation — ^and  that  the  people  were  wholly 
unprepared  by  education  for  any  alteration  in  religion,  being,  in 
fact,  ignorant  of  the  first  elements  of  religious  truth — and  the 
total  want  of  fit  agents  for  conducting  a  movement  in  favour  of 
"the  Reformation — will,  to  any  reasonable  mind,  sufficiently  account 
£or  the  comparative  failure  of  the  attempt,  in  the  time  of  Eliza- 
"fceth,  to  remove  the  evil  of  Popery.     Then  followed  the  concilia- 
iiion  and  encouragement  held  out  to  Bomanism  in  the  reigns  of 
James  I.  and  Charles  I.  by  the  Government — a  system  of  policy 
xemarkably  parallel  to  that  recently  adopted  by  the  State,  and 
liaving    the    same    efiect — the   continual   increase   of    Bomish 
«f;gres8ion,  insolence,  and  intolerance.  Then  followed  the  massacre 
of  150,000  Irish  Protestants  by  the  Romanists,  and  a  general 
lebellion.     Cromwell  extinguished  this  rebellion  in  blood,  and 
leBtored  the  dominion  of  England.     Scarcely  had  the  Church 
time  to  take  root  again  in  Ireland  after  the  Restoration,  when  the 
Popish  party,  under  James  II.,  rose  in  arras ;    and,  when  Pro- 
testant ascendancy  was  established  by  force  of  arms  under  King 
William,  the  Government  henceforth  seem  to  have  looked  merely 
to  Protestantism  in  Ireland  as  a  useful  political  faction — ^a  con- 
v^ent  instrument  of  Government,  and  to  have  absolutely  put 
aside  all  notion  of  rendering  the  Church  efficient  by  a  careful  em- 
ployment of  patronage,  or  of  encouraging  any    efforts  for  the 
oonversion  of  the  Romish  population.     A  period  of  apathy  on  the 
part  of  the  Church  herself  supervened  :  it  was  deemed  a  hopeless 
or  an  unnecessary  task  to  attempt  the  conversion  of  Romanists ; 
and  it  has  only  been  within   the  last  twenty  years,  when  the 
dangers  of  the  times,  and  the  religious  movements  of  the  age, 
bave  shaken  men  out  of  many  of  their  antiquated  notions,  and 
pointed  out  to  them  the  path  of  duty,  that  the  work  has  been 
begun  in  earnest,   and  with   so  much  success  as  to  afford  the 
Highest  encouragement  to  those  who   are   engaged  in  it,   and 
grounds   of  thankfulness   to   all   who   wish   for  the  prevalence 
of  truth  over  error.     The  clergy  of  Ireland  at  the  present  day  are 
a  widely  different  class  from  those  wealthy  sinecurists  of  the  last 
century,  whose  woridliness  and  self-indulgence  are  quoted  by  the 
enemies  of  religion,  and  assumed  to  characterize  the  Church  in 
Ireland.     They  are  now  a  conscientious,  a  zealous,  and  an  im- 
poverished body ;    and  the  principles  which  have  carried  them 
Btedfastly  and  uncomplainingly  through  trials  and  sufferings,  hold 
out  reasonable  security  for  their  perseverance  in  accomplishing 
the  arduous  mission  intrusted  to  them. 


822  AchillPi  Dealings  tcith  tie  InfwitUkn. 


Art.  III. — Dealings  mth  the  Inquisition ;  or,  Papal  Rm 
Priests  and  her  Jesuits:  with  Important  Disclosures. 
Bev.  Gtacinto  Achilli,  />./>.,  tate  Prior  and  Visitor 
Doivinican  Order ^  Head  Professor  of  Theology^  and  V 
the  Master  of  the  Sacred  Apostolic  Palace^  <kc,  L" 
Arthur  Hall,  Virtue,  and  Co.     1861. 

"  How  can  you  trust  the  word  of  a  renegade  ?'*  exclai 
Romanist,  and  echoes  the  Romanizer.     If  again  we  ap 
the  well-authenticated  accounts  of  Anglican  travellers, 
immediately  told   that  they  were  all  narrow-minded    ^^ 
tant**'  bigots,  who  saw  every  thing  "  Catholic'''*  with  thatt 
intolerance  of  vision  which  characterizes  the  genuine  Engli 
a  perverse  and  pragmatical  species  of  barbarian,  who  wil 
upon  calling  black  black,  and  white  white,  in  spite  of 
overwhelming  evidence  which  proves  to  demonstration  I 
.  tenableness  of  such  an  old-fashioned  notion.     If  again  wc 
to  the  disclosures  made  by  those  still  living  in  the 
Church,   we  discover  immediately  that  the  very  fact  o 
making  such  statements  is  enough  to  destroy  their  cre« 
And  laMly.,  when  we  cite  history — acknowledged  history- 
witness-box,  we  are  told  that,  deeply  as  such  things  art 
deplored,  they  are  now  no  longer  in  existence,  in  short  tl 
is,  "  wms  avons  changS  tout  cela  !^ 

Now  uncandid,  and  illiberal,  and  unpious  though  it 
cannot  conceal  it  from  ourselves,  and  we  will  not  conceal 
our  readers,  that  all  these  objections  are,  in  our  opinio 
temptible  and  dishonest  subterfuges ;  and  that  all  these 
of  evidence  are  to  be  admitted  into  court  when  we  arrai 
Church  of  Borne  of  ^^  having  a  golden  cup  in  her  han( 
abominations.'*'' 

As  to  the  first  kind  of  evidence,  it  is  certainly  not  inft 
that  of  an  accomplice  or  accessory  who  turns  king'*s  ev 
and  yet  our  civil  courts  admit  this.  It  is  not  less 
trusted  than  that  of  a  military  deserter ;  and  yet  our  gre« 
manders  listen  to  the  tales  of  such  men ;  ay,  and  not 
quently  act  upon  the  information  thus  gained.  Of  course 
must  be  used  and  discretion  exercised  m  both  instances :  1; 
is  all.  Let  us  take  another  case.  Do  we  disbelieve  the  a 
of  heathen  abominations  which  are  extant  in  the  works  < 


AehiUfs  DeaUngi  with  the  Inquisition.  323 

Christians,  or  even  early  heretics^  because  those  Christians  or  here- 
tics had  once  themselves  been  heathens,  or  had  perhaps  officiated 
as  priests  in  the  temples  of  those  idols  whose  rites  they  divulge ! 

We  are  inclined,  too,  to  admit  the  testimony  of  Anglican 

travellers  as  to  matters  of  fact.     However  insular  prejudice  may 

warp  the  judgment,  or  at  times,  we  regret  to  say,  and  that  not 

onfrequently,  close  the  heart  of  the  Englishman  ;  it  does  not 

take  from  him  the  use  of  his  eyes,  nor  prevent  his  being  able  to 

inscribe   in   his  journal   information   derived   from   authentic 

lources.     For  instance,  he  sees^  as  we  have  seen^  two  images  of 

the  same  saint  (we  do  not  like  to  mix  up  with  the  pollutions  of 

Ilomish  idolatry  the  name  of  her  who  is  blessed  among  women) 

brought  from  distant  places  to  meet  each  other ;  he  hears  greater 

miraculous  virtue  attributed  to  one  image  than  to  another  image 

of  the  same  person*     Are  we  to  disbelieve  our  own  eyes  and  ears, 

then,  because  we  are  English  Churchmen  i 

With  regard  to  the  third  class  of  evidence,  we  shall  perhaps 
be  better  understood  if  we  cite  two  or  three  of  the  many  facts  of 
the  kind  which  have  come  under  our  own  observation. 

A  French  lady  expressed  to  an  English  woman,  on  whose 
veracity  we  can  rely,  the  exceeding  uneasiness  which  she  felt  at 
the  thought  of  sending  her  little  girl  for  the  first  time  to  confes- 
gion ;  her  uneasiness  arising  from  the  obscene  questions  which 
dte  knew  would  be  addressed  by  the  priest  to  the  child. 

Thus  does  Rome  feed  the  lambs  of  Christ^s  flock  with  the 
apples  of  Sodom  and  the  grapes  of  Gomorrah  ! 

A  Roman  Catholic  friend  told  us  the  following  anecdote : — A 
kdy  went  to  a  priest  to  confess ;  who,  the  same  day,  seeing  a 
young  friend  of  his,  said,  "  Do  you  know,  this  morning  there 
came  to  me  to  confession  a  lady  who  has  an  amour  with  her  man- 
servant.*" 

So  much  for  the  inviolability  of  the  seal  of  confession  ! 

Now  we  know  these  and  similar  facts  to  be  true,  and  we  see 
no  reason  for  disbelieving  them  because  they  were  related  by 
Romanists. 

To  render  the  last  head  of  evidence  available,  we  must  com- 
pare facts  and  statements,  documents  and  depositions ;  and  the 
result  of  such  an  investigation  is,  that  however  the  eagles  of 
Pagan  Rome  may  have  belied  the  motto,  the  crimes  of  Papal 
Bome  have  fully  realized  the 

**  Vestigia  nulla  retrorsum" 
of  her  ancient  poets. 

We  have  been  led  into  a  longer  discussion  on  this  preliminary 
subject  than  we  had  intended,  and  shall  therefore  do  little  more 
than  select  some  of  the  most  striking  passages  from  the  work 


324  AehillVs  Dealings  toith  the  Inqtdsitum. 

before  us.  We  know  nothing  of  the  writer,  except  from  common 
report,  beyond  what  these  pages  convey.  We  regret  to  see  that, 
in  throwing  off  the  errors  of  Rome,  he  has  adopted  others  of  a 
most  pernicious  nature ;  that  he  denies  the  office  and  powers  of 
the  apostolical  ministry,  and  necessarily  holds  inadequate  and,  in 
some  cases,  erroneous  views  on  the  Sacraments  of  the  Gospel 
and  the  ordinances  of  the  Church.  We  should,  however, 
rather  pity  and  pray  for,  than  harshly  condemn,  the  victim  of 
that  fearful  •system  from  which  but  few  escape  without  bearing 
marks  of  the  fire.  Dr.  Achilli,  indeed,  appears  to  us  to  be  a 
sincere  believer  in  the  Bible,  and  a  devout  worshipper  of  Christ ; 
though  he  has  a  zeal  for  God  which  is  not  according  to  know- 
ledge. We  should  conceive  him  to  be  a  man  of  earnest  mind 
and  kind  heart,  but  somewhat  deficient  in  taste  and  judgment. 
The  work,  however,  bears  upon  it,  even  in  its  egotism  and  ver- 
biage, the  stamp  of  truthfulness  of  heart  and  simplicity  of  pur- 
pose. 

The  first  extract  which  we  shall  give  is  from  t)r.  Achilli'^s  first 
letter  to  the  late  Pope,  Gregory  XVI.,  as  giving  a  fair  state- 
ment of  facts: — 

"  Who  are  generally  the  most  wicked  persons  in  every  locality  ?  (I 
am  speaking  only  of  Italy,  indeed  of  Southern  Italy — a  country  em- 
phatically Roman  Catholic.)  Forgive  roe,  holy  father;  but  it  is  s 
matter  of  fact, — priests  and  monks;  whatever  iniquity,  wickedness,  and 
ahomination  has  ever  existed  upon  the  earth,  you  will  find  among 
them.  Haughtiness,  luxury,  ambition,  pride, — where  do  they  most 
abound  ?  In  your  temples.  There  the  excessive  love  of  money,  false- 
hood, fraud,  duplicity,  cover  themselves  with  a  sacred  veil,  and  are 
almost  in  security  from  profane  censures.  And  oh  !  how  great  are  the 
horrors  of  the  cloisters  {sepulchra  dealbata\  where  ignorance  and 
superstition,  laziness,  indolence,  calumny,  quarrels,  immorality  of 
every  description,  not  only  live,  but  reign  !  The  most  abominable 
vices,  long  banished  from  all  society,  have  there  taken  refuge,  and 
there  they  v^rill  continue  miserably  to  dwell,  until  God,  outraged  by 
them,  shall  rain  down  upon  them  the  curse  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah." 
— ^p.  62. 

Let  us  remind  our  readers  that  sanctity  is  one  of  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  true  Church,  and  that  the  holy  celibacy  of  the 
Romish  clergy  is  one  of  those  points  which  excites  the  reverential 
awe  and  fervent  admiration  of  those  who  halt  between  England 
and  Rome. 

The  following  passage,  occurring  in  a  second  letter  to  the 
same  Pontiff,  puts  the  matter  oi  practical  idolatry  in  its  true 
light.     The  italics  are  our  own. 

"  Who  is  there  among  you  that  does  not  adore  the  saints,  does  not 


AehiUPs  Dealings  with  the  Inquisition.  325 

lore  and  kiss  their  relics  ?  It  is  useless  to  urge  the  distinction  about 
>rts  of  worship  which  you  make  in  the  schools.  The  people  know  it 
ol,  because  they  have  never  been  taught  it.  It  is  shut  up  in  your  books^ 
rom  whence  it  never  comes  out,  except  to  be  learnt  by  those  who  have 
lo  support  and  defend  it  against  attack.     In  short  it  is  the  ooc- 

lEINE    OF    controversy,    NOT    OF    PRACTICE. 

*•  If  you  regulated  the  practice  by  the  doctrine,  you  would  prohibit 
kneeling  before  images  and  relics ;  but  you  are  the  first  to  kneel.  You 
would  not  permit  the  use  of  incense  to  relics  and  images,  practised  from 
antiquity  in  honour  of  God  alone,  but  it  is  you  who  offer  incense  to 
them."— p.  70. 

He  afterwards  adds, — 

"  You  come  upon  us  with  the  distinction  of  the  school,  between  the 
worship  and  adoration  of  images. 

"  Who  are  you  that  dare  to  distinguish  where  the  law  precludes  all 
distinction  ?  It  is  God  who  says,  in  the  second  commandment,  '  thou 
sbalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to  them,  nor  serve  them.'  ** 

In  our  opinion  the  Catholic  deserts  his  rightful  vantage-ground, 
when  he  condescends  to  argue  with  the  Bomanist  as  to  the  theo- 
retical nature  of  an  overt  act  of  sin.  Idolatry  is  as  clearly 
forbidden  as  adultery ;  and  though  we  are  well  aware  that  the 
absence  of  the  outward  act  does  not  necessarily  imply  the  ab- 
sence of  inward  guilt  in  either  case,  yet  it  is  equally  certain  that 
the  commission  of  the  outward  act  does  equally  in  both  cases 
involve  the  transgression  of  the  divine  command. 

We  have  heard  of  the  name,  though  we  have  never  perused 
the  pages  of  a  work,  entitled,  The  Innocent  Adulteress;  surely 
such  a  title  would  well  suit  an  apology  for  the  Church  of 
Borne: — 

"  But  let  us  inquire  what  is  the  Inquisition  of  the  present  day  in 
Rome  ?     It  is  the  very   same  that  was  instituted  at  the  Council  of 
Verona,  to  burn  Arnold  of  Brescia ;  the  same  that  was  established  at 
the  third  Council  of  the  Lateran,  to  sanction   the  slaughter  of  the 
Albigenses,  and  the  Waldenses,  the  massacre  of  the  people,  the  de- 
struction of  the  city ;  the  same  that  was  confirmed  at  the  Council  of 
Constance,  to  bum  alive  two  holy  men,  John  Huss  and  Jerome  of 
Prague  ;  that  which  at  Florence  subjected  Savonarola  to  the  torture ; 
^d  at   Rome  condemned  Aonio   Paleario,  and    Pietro   Carnesecchi. 
h  is  the  self-same  Inquisition,  with  that  of  Pope  Carafia,  and  of  Fr. 
Michele  Ghislieri,  who   built  the  Palace,  called  the  Holy  Office^  where 
*o  many  victims  fell  a  sacrifice  to  their  barbarity,  and  where,  at  the 
present  moment,  the   Roman    Inquisition  still  exists.     Its  laws  are 
always  the  same.      The  Black  Book,  or  Praxis  Sacrce  Romance  Inqui- 
fitionis,  is  always  the  model  for  that  which  is  to  succeed  it.     This  book 
^8  a  large  manuscript  volume,  in  folio,  and  is  carefully  preserved  by  the 
head  of  the  Inquisition.     It  is  called  Libra  Nero^  the  Black  Book, 


326  AchiU%*8  Dealings  with  ike  Inquintum. 

because  it  has  a  cover  of  that  colour ;  or,  as  an  Inquisitor  explaioed  t#^ 
me,  Libio  NecrOf  which,  in  the  Chreek  language,  signifies  '  the 
of  the  dead.* 

"In  this  book  is  the  criminal  code,  with  all  the  punishments 
every  supposed  crime  ;  also  the  mode  of  conducting  the  trial,  so  as  ti^ 
elicit  the  guilt  of  the  accused,  and  the  manner  of  receiving  the  accaii* 
tions.  I  had  this  book  in  my  hand  on  one  occasion,  as  I  have  related 
above,  and  read  therein  the  proceedings  relative  to  my  own  case ;  toil 
I  also  saw  in  this  same  volume  some  very  astounding  particuiant 
for  example,  in  the  list  of  punishments  I  read  concerning  t'le  bit,  of,- 
as  it  is  called  by  us,  the  mordacchia^  which  is  a  very  simple  coin 
trivance  to  confine  the  tongue,  and  compress  it  between  two  cylindera, 
composed  of  iron  and  wood,  and  furnished  with  spikes.  This  honible 
instrument  not  only  wounds  the  tongue,  and  occasions  excessive  pain, 
but  also,  from  the  swelling  it  produces,  frequently  places  the  sufferer 
in  danger  of  suffocation.  This  torture  is  generally  had  recourse  to  io 
cases  considered  as  blasphemy  against  God,  the  Virgin,  the  Saints,  or 
the  Pope  ;  so  that,  according  to  the  Inquisition,  it  is  as  great  a  crime 
to  speak  in  disparagement  of  a  Pope,  who  may  be  a  very  detestable 
character,  as  to  blaspheme  the  holy  name  of  God.  Be  that  as  it  mvf^ 
this  torture  has  been  in  use  till  the  present  period ;  and,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  exhibitions  of  this  nature  which  were  displayed  in  Romagna, 
in  the  time  of  Gregory  XVI.,  by  the  Inquisitor  Ancarani,  in  Umbria, 
by  Stefanelli,  Salva,  and  others,  we  may  admire  the  inquisitorial  zeal 
of  Cardinal  Feretti,  the  cousin  of  his  present  Holiness,  who  con- 
descended more  than  once  to  employ  these  means,  when  he  was  Bishop 
of  Rieti  and  Fermo." — p.  110. 

Such  is  the  maternal  tenderness  which  "the  mother  of 
Churches  *"  evinces  towards  her  children,  if  she  entertains  the 
slightest  suspicion  of  their  undutifulness,  and  which  we  can 
only  compare  to  the  parental  fondness  of  those  who  passed  their 
sons  and  their  daughters  through  the  fire  to  Moloch : — 

•*  Concerning  the  method  of  conducting  a  process,"  says  Dr.  Achilli, 
*'  I  read  in  the  Libra  Necro  as  follows : — With  respect  to  the  examina- 
tion, and  the  duty  of  the  examiners,  either  the  prisoner  confesses,  and 
he  is  proved  guilty  from  his  own  confession,  or,  he  does  not  confess, 
and   is  equally   guilty  on    the  evidence  of  witnesses.     If  a  prisoner 
confesses  the  whole  of  what  he  is  accused,  he  is  unquestionably  guilty 
of  the  whole ;  but  if  he  confesses  only  a  part,  he  ought  still  to  be 
regarded  as  guilty  of  the  whole,  since  what  he  has  confessed,  proves 
him  to  be  capable  of  guilt  as  to  the   other  points  of  accusation.     And 
here  the  precept  is  to  be  kept  in  view,  *  no  one  is  obliged  to  condemn 
himself,*  nemo  tenetur  prodere  seipsum.     Nevertheless,  the  judge  should 
do  all  in  his  power  to  induce  the  culprit  to  confess,   since  confession 
tends  to  the  glory  of  God.     And  as  the  respect  due  to  the  glory  of 
God  reqidres  that  no  one  particular  should  be  omitted,  not  even  a 


AehiUfi  DeaUng$  mih  the  InquUitwn.  327 

attempty  so  the  judge  is  bound  to  put  in  force,  not  only  the 
means  which  the  Inquisition  possesses,  but  whatever  may 
Iter  into  his  thoughts,  as  fitting  to  lead  to  a  confession.  Bodily  tor- 
has  ever  been  found  the  most  salutary  and  efficient  means  of  leading 
its  spiritual  repentance.  Therefore,  the  choice  of  the  most  befitting 
:BKKie  of  torture  is  left  to  the  judge  of  the  Inquisition,  who  determines 
according  to  the  age,  the  sex,  and  the  constitution  of  the  party.  He 
will  be  prudent  in  its  use,  always  being  mindful,  at  the  same  time,  to 
Mocure  what. is  required  from  it, — the  confession  of  the  delinquent. 
If,  notwithstanding  all  the  means  employed,  the  unfortunate  wretch 
idll  denies  his  guilt,  he  is  to  be  considered  as  a  victim  of  the  devil, 
and,  as  such,  deserves  no  compassion  from  the  servants  of  God,  nor 
the  pity  or  indulgence  of  holy  mother  Church ;  he  is  a  son  of  perdition. 
Let  him  perish,  then,  among  the  damned,  and  let  his  place  be  no 
ioDger  found  among  the  living  1 " — p.  111. 

We  own  an  obligation,  which  we  hasten  to  acknowledge,  to  the 
compilers  of  the  Xiiro  Nero,  We  never,  until  reading  the  para- 
ffraph  which  we  have  just  transcribed,  fully  comprehended  the 
force  of  the  Psalmist'^s  words,  when  he  says,  The  tender  mercies  of 
A$  wicked  are  cruel. 

Such  is  the  Libro  Nero,  It  would  seem,  however,  that  the 
authors  and  perpetrators  of  these  atrocities  forget  that  there  is  a 
book  of  a  still  darker  hue,  of  a  more  fearful  import, — that  there  is 
a  dungeon  far  gloomier  than  that  of  the  Inquisition. 

We  speak  strongly,  for  we  feel  strongly  ;  neither  have  we  the 
wish  or  the  intention  of  doing  otherwise.  We  desire  not  either 
that  bastard  charity,  or  that  iron  self-control,  which  can  speak  or 
Write  without  expressing  loathing  and  abhorrence  for  the  Koinish 
Inquisition. 

Dr.  Achilli  gives  us  an  interesting  account  of  the  mode  in  which 
this  terrible  tribunal  proceeds  to  obtain  a  conviction  : — 

"  Titius  is  accused  of  having  eaten  meat  on  Friday  or  Saturday. 
The  Inquisition  does  not  permit  the  name  of  the  accuser  to  appear, 
neither  those  of  the  witnesses.  The  accusation  is  laid  that  Titius  has 
eaten  meat  in  the  house  of  Caius.  Sempronius  is  the  accuser,  and  he 
summons  the  family  of  Caius  to  give  evidence ;  but  as  these  have  been 
accomplices  in  the  same  affair,  they  cannot  be  induced  to  depose  against 
Titius.  Perhaps  other  witnesses  may  be  brought  who  may  be  equally 
incompetent ;  in  which  case,  the  wary  judge  endeavours  to  draw  from 
the  prisoner  himself  sufficient  to  inculpate  him.  He  will  inquire 
respecting  several  other  families  the  points  which  he  wishes  to  know 
with  regard  to  that  of  Caius.  He  will  try  to  learn  at  what  other 
houaea  Titius  has  been  accustomed  to  eat,  in  order  to  know  concerning 
the  house  of  Caius  where  the  meat  was  eaten.     The  accusation  sets 


328  AehilKs  Dealings  with  the  Inquisition. 

forth,  that  on  such  a  day,  at  sach  an  hoar,  Titius  went  to  the  h(wu>i^. 
Caius,  where  the  whole  family  were  present;   and  that  all  sat  dowtf*"^ '^ 
table,  &c.  &c.     If  Titius  admits  all  the  circumstantial  matters  bra 
forward  by  the  accuser,  with  respect  to  time,  place,  and  persons,  but i 
silent,  or  denies  entirely  the  only  crime  imputed  to  him,  he  stands  ooi^ 
victed  ;  the  accuser  has  no  necessity  to  bring  forward  witnesses ;  judg* 
ment  is  pronounced. 

"  This  practice  is  still  employed  by  the  Inquisition.  In  the  yesr 
1842  I  was  accused  of  having  spoken  in  a  certain  house  against  tbft 
worship  of  saints.  If  the  judge  had  made  my  accusation  known  (as  it 
the  case  in  all  other  tribunals  throughout  the  world),  saying  tome,  *Tob 
are  accused  of  having,  in  such  a  house,  spoken  of  such  and  such  matters, 
in  the  presence  of  so  and  so,* — I  should  have  known  nay  accuser  by  the 
part  he  would  take  in  the  question.  But  instead  of  interrogating  me  ia 
a  straightforward  manner,  I  was  made  to  give  a  description  of  the 
house  in  question,  together  with  that  of  several  other  houses;  to 
describe  the  persons  belonging  to  it,  and  many  other  persons  at  the 
same  time  ;  to  discuss  the  real  subject  of  the  accusation,  mixed  up  with 
other  irrelevant  matters,  in  order  to  mislead  me  as  much  as  possible, 
and  prevent  me  from  getting  any  insight  whatever  of  the  points  of  which 
I  was  accused,  or  of  the  persons  who  had  accused  me.  Whether  I  con- 
fessed or  not,  I  was  to  be  declared  guilty,  or,  as  they  term  it,  reo  con- 
vinto" — p.  113. 

This  trickery  and  falsehood,  so  widely  practised,  so  systemati- 
cally maintained,  so  deteiminately  defended  by  the  Roman 
Church,  is,  in  our  opinion,  one  of  the  clearest  proofs  that  she  is 
not  ^'  led  by  the  Spirit'*'' — we  do  not  say  that  she  is  devoid  of 
the  Spirit.  The  Church  Catholic,  as  a  whole,  and  the  body  of 
each  of  the  baptized  in  particular,  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  but,  as  an  individual  member  of  Christ'^s  body,  who 
is  systematically  guilty  of  lying,  is  most  undoubtedly  not  "  led  hy 
THE  Spirit,''''  and  though  a  child  of  Abraham  according  to  the 
flesh,  is  inwardly  a  child  of  him  who  is  a  liar  and  the  father  of  it: 
so  in  like  manner  a  branch  of  Christ'^s  Church  which  is  guilty  of 
the  same  sin,  adopts  the  same  parent. 

There  is  no  point  which  is  represented  in  Scripture  as  more 
essentially  distinguishing  the  Powers  of  Good  and  Evil — ^the 
Heavenly  King  and  the  Prince  of  Darkness,— than  Truth,  or  the 
absence  of  it.  And  there  is  no  point,  we  unhesitatingly  assert, 
which  more  strikingly  and  essentially  distinguishes  the  principles 
and  the  practice  of  England  and  Rome,  than  this — that  the 
Church  of  England  is  free  from  falsehood,  whilst  the  Church  of 
Rome  abounds  with  it. 

We  will  not  press  the  argument  at  present  to  its  full  extent; 
but  we  cannot  help  observing,  en  passant,  that  the  dishonesty, 


AeAiUi's  Dealings  with  the  Inqmsitum.  329 

duplicity,  and  double  dealing  exhibited  by  nearly  all  those  who 
kye  left  our  Church,  both  before  and  after  their  secession,  and 
by  many  of  those  who  still  halt  between  two  opinions,  tells 
plainly  enough  by  what  spirit  they  are  led. 

But  we  must  return  to  Dr.  Achilli,  and  extract  two  painfully- 
interesting  passages,  which  show  how  the  Roman  Church  inflicts 
upon  her  children  that  most  fearful  of  the  curses  which  God 
denounced  against  his  people — The  tender  and  delicate  woman 
among  yoUy  which  would  not  adventure  to  set  the  sole  of  her  foot  upon 
the  ground  for  delicateness  and  tenderness^  her  eye  shall  he  evil 
toward  the  husband  of  her  hosom^  and  toward  her  son,  and  toward 
her  daughter,  and  toward  the  young  one  that  cometh  out  from  between 
her  feet,  and  toward  her  children  that  she  shall  bear, — and,  illus- 
trating the  manner  in  which  they  who  "lord  it  over  God'^s 
heritage'*'*  instruct  "the  wife**'  to  "reverence  her  husband.**' 

We  are  indeed  in  this,  as  in  other  cases,  strongly  reminded  of 
the  judicial  blindness  which  God  inflicts  as  a  punishment  for 
idolatry :  "  God  gave  them  over  to  a  reprobate  mind,  to  do  those 
things  which  are  not  convenient,  ....  whisperers,  backbiters, 
....  covenant-breakers,  without  natural  affection,  implacable, 
wymercifuV  In  truth,  however,  there  are  other  points  in  which 
the  Papal  Rome  of  our  day  resembles  the  Pagan  Rome  of 
St.  PauFs  celebrated  description.     But  we  tarry. 

"  During  nay  residence,"  says  Achilli,  "  at  Viterbo,  my  native  town, 
where  I  was  public  professor  and  teacher  in  the  Church  d%  Gradi,  I  was 
one  day  applied  to  by  a  lady  of  prepossessing  appearance,  whom  I  then 
saw  for  the  first  time.  She  requested  with  much  eagerness  to  see  me 
in  the  sacristy  ;  and,  as  I  entered  the  apartment  where  she  was  waiting 
for  me,  she  begged  the  sacristan  to  leave  us  alone,  and,  suddenly  closing 
the  door,  presented  a  moving  spectacle  to  my  eyes.  Throwing  off  her 
bonnet,  and  letting  loose  in  a  moment  her  long  and  beautiful  hair,  the 
lady  fell  upon  her  knees  before  me,  and  gave  vent  to  her  grief  in 
abundance  of  sighs  and  tears.  On  my  endeavouring  to  encourage  her, 
and  to  persuade  her  to  rise  and  unfold  her  mind  to  me,  she  at  length, 
in  a  voice  broken  by  sobs,  thus  addressed  me ; — 

"  *  No,  father,  I  will  never  rise  from  this  posture,  unless  you  first 
promise  to  pardon  me  my  heavy  transgression.'  .  .  . 

"  *  Signora,*  replied  I,  *  it  belongs  to  God  to  pardon  our  transgres- 
sions. If  you  have  in  any  way  injured  me,  so  far  I  can  forgive  you  ; 
but  I  confess  I  have  no  cause  of  complaint  against  you,  with  whom, 
indeed,  I  have  not  even  the  pleasure  of  being  acquainted.' 

"  *  I  have  been  guilty  of  a  great  sin,  for  which  no  priest  will  grant 
me  absolution,  unless  you  will  beforehand  remit  it  to  me.* 

"  *  You  must  explain  yourself  more  fully ;  as  yet  I  have  no  idea 
of  what  you  allude  to.* 

"  *  It  is  now  about  a  year  since  I  last  received  absolution  from  my 

VOL.  XV. NO.  XXX. JUNE,  1851.  ^ 


330  AchiUts  Dealings  toith  the  Inquisition. 

confessor ;  and  the  last  few  days  he  has  entirely  forbid  me  his  pre- 
sence, telling  me  that  I  am  damned.  I  have  tried  others,  and  all  tell 
me  the  same  thing.  One,  however,  has  lately  informed  me,  that  if  I 
wished  to  be  saved  and  pardoned,  I  must  apply  to  you,  who,  after  the 
Pope,  are  the  only  one  that  can  grant  me  absolution.' 

'* '  Signora,  there  is  some  mistake  here ;  explain  yourself:  of  what 
description  is  your  sin  ?  * 

"  *  It  is  a  sin  against  the  Holy  Office." 

"  •  Well,  but  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  Holy  Office.' 

"*How?  Are  not  you  Father  Achilli,  the  Vicar  of  the  Holy 
Office?' 

*'*You  have  been  misinformed,  Signora  ;  I  am  Achilli,  the  deputy 
master  of  the  Holy  Palace,  not  Office :  you  may  see  my  name,  with 
this  title,  prefixed  to  all  works  that  are  printed  here,  in  lieu  of  that  of 
the  master  himself.  I  assure  you  that  neither  my  principal  nor  myself 
have  any  authority  in  cases  that  regard  the  Inquisition.' 

**  The  good  lady  hereupon  rose  from  her  knees,  arranged  her  hair, 
wiped  the  tears  from  her  eyes,  and  asked  leave  to  relate  her  case  to  me; 
and,  having  sat  down,  began  as  follows: — 

"  '  It  is  not  quite  a  year  since  that  I  was  going,  about  the  time  of 
Easter,  according  to  my  usual  custom,  to  confess  my  sins  to  my  parish 
priest.     He  being  well  acquainted  with  myself,  and  all  my  family, 
began   to  interrogate  me  respecting  my  son,  the  only  one  I  have,  a 
young  man,  twenty-four  years  of  age,  full  of  patriotic  ardour,  but  with 
little  respect  for   the  priests.     It   happened  that  I  observed  to  the 
curate,  that,  notwithstanding  my  remonstrances,  my  son  was  in  the 
habit  of  saying,  that  the  business  of  a  priest  was  a  complete  deception, 
and  that  the  head  of  all  the  impostors  was  the  Pope  himself.     Would 
I  had  never  told  him !     The  curate  would  hear  no  further.     *  It  is 
your  duty,'  said  he,  *  to  denounce  your  son  to  the  Inquisition.'     Ima- 
gine what  I  felt  at  this  intimation !     To  be  the  accuser  of  my  own 
son  !     '  Such  is  the  case,'  observed  he  ;  *  there  is  no  help  for  it.    I 
cannot  absolve  you,  neither  can  any  one  else,  until  the  thing  is  done/ 
And  indeed  from  every  one  else  I  have  had  the  same  refusal.     It  is 
now  twelve  months  since  I  have  received  absolution ;  and  in  this  pre- 
sent year  many  misfortunes  have  befallen  roe.     Ten  days  ago  I  tried 
again,  and  promised,  in  order  that  I  might  receive  absolution,  that  I 
would  denounce  my  son  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  until  I  had  actually 
done  so.     I  inquired,  then,  to  whom  I  ought  to  go  to  prefer  the  accusa- 
tion ;  and  I  was  told,  to  the  Bishop  or  the  Vicar  of  the  Holy  Office ; 
and  they  named  yourself  to  me.     Twice  already   have  I  been  here 
with  the  intention  of  doing  what  was  required  of  me,  and  as  often 
have  I   recollected  that  I  was  a  mother,  and  was  overwhelmed  with 
horror  at  the  idea !     On  Sunday  last  I  came  to  your  church  to  pray 
to  the  Virgin  Mother  of  Christ  to  aid  me  through  this  difficulty  ;  and 
I  remember  that  when  I  recited  the  rosary  in  her  honour,  I  turned  to 
pray  also  to  the  Son,  saying,  '  O  Lord  Jesus,  thou  wast  also  accused 
before  the  chief  priests  by  a  traitorous  disciple :  but  thou  didst  not 


Achillas  Dealings  wUh  the  InquisUum.  .  331 

•permit  that  thy  Mother  should  take  part  in  that  accusation.  Behold, 
then,  I  also  am  a  mother  ;  and  though  my  son  is  a  sinner,  whilst  thou 
wast  most  just,  do  not,  I  implore  thee,  require  that  his  own  mother 
should  be  his  accuser ! '  Whilst  I  was  making  this  prayer,  the  preach- 
ing began.  I  inquired  the  preacher's  name,  and  they  told  me  yours. 
I  feigned  to  pay  attention  to  the  discourse,  but  I  was  wholly  occupied 
in  looking  at  you,  and  reflecting,  with  many  sighs,  that  1  was  under 
the  obligation  to  accuse  to  you  my  own  child !  In  the  midst  of  qny 
agitation,  a  thought  suddenly  relieved  me, — I  did  not  see  the  Inquisitor 
in  your  countenance.  Young,  animated,  and  with  marks  of  sensibility, 
it  seemed  that  you  would  not  be  too  harsh  with  my  son  ;  I  thought 
I  would  entreat  you  first  to  correct  him  yourself,  to  reprimand,  and  to 
threaten  him,  without  inflicting  actual  punishment  upon  him.-" — 
p.  119. 

Achilli  advised  her  to  change  her  confessor,  and  be  silent 
about  her  son  ;  a  course  which  she  gratefully  adopted.  We  regret 
that  space  precludes  us  from  quoting  the  eloquent  burst  of  noble 
indignation,  which  '^  this  horrible  act  of  treason  '*'*  calls  forth  from 
fche  writer : — 

"In  what  is  called  the  Holy  Office,"  adds  he,  "every  thing  is 
allowable  that  tends  to  their  own  purposes  (of  the  inquisitors).  To 
gain  possession  of  a  secret  no  means  are  to  be  disregarded.  .  .  .  And 
this  most  infamous  Inquisition,  a  hundred  times  destroyed,  and  as 
often  renewed,  still  exists  in  Rome,  as  in  the  barbarous  ages  ;  the  only 
difference  being,  that  the  same  iniquities  are  at  present  practised  there 
with  a  little  more  secrecy  and  caution  than  formerly  :  and  this  for  the 
sake  of  prudence,  that  the  Holy  See  may  not  be  subjected  to  the 
animadversions  and  censure  of  the  world  at  large." — ^p.  120. 

We  proceed,   then,  to  the    second  narrative  of  the   same 
kind : — 

"  One  day,  when  I  was  busy,  a  lady  was  announced,  who,  without 
sending  in  her  name,  earnestly  desired  to  see  me.  I  imagined  she  only 
came  with  some  request  concerning  the  delegate,  and,  therefore,  sent 
word  that  I  was  too  much  occupied  at  that  moment  to  be  able  to  see 
her.  The  lady  persisted,  and  I  sent  the  same  excuse.  At  last,  seeing 
that  I  was  firm,  the  lady  handed  a  letter  to  the  lay-brother,  sealed  with 
a  large  seal,  and  directed  to  •  The  Very  Reverend  Father,  Professor 
G.  Achilli,  Gradi,  Viterbo.'  The  seal  was  that  of  the  Roman  In- 
quisition, signed  by  the  Commissary- General.  The  letter  was  as 
follows : —  ... 

"  *  Very  Reverend  Father, — The  Sacred  Congregation  of  the 
most  Eminent  and  Reverend  Cardinals,  in  their  sitting  of  Wednesday, 
the  ...  .  have  desired  me  to  hand  over  to  you  the  enclosed  form  of 
denunciation,  according  to  which  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  exa- 
mine and  interrogate  the  lady,  who  is  the  bearer  of  it,  avoiding  to  ask 

z2 


333  AehiUi^B  DeaUngs  with  the  Inquisition. 

her  her  name,  the  place  she  comes  from,  and  her  connexion  with  the 
party  accused  ;  all  which  are  already  known  to  the  Sacred  Congrega- 
tion. For  this  purpose  I  am  authorized  to  invest  you  with  all  neces- 
sary authority  on  this  particular  occasion,  and  for  this  time  only.  1 
recommend  to  you  all  necessary  prudence,  and  to  he  mindful  of  the 
inviolahle  secrecy  due  to  the  Holy  Office,  the  slightest  breach  of  which 
is  punished  with  ecclesiastic  censure,  and  is  finally  referred  to  the 
Pope, 

"  *  You  will  have  the  goodness  to  send  back,  with  all  diligence,  after 
the  performance  of  this  duty,  not  only  the  formula  of  questions,  with 
the  answers  to  them,  but  also  the  present  letter,  of  which  no  copy  is  to 
be  taken. 

"  •  May  the  Lord  prosper  you  ! 
"  *  Rome,  from  the  Palace  of  the  Holy  Office, 

March,  1832/ 

"  When  I  had  finished  reading  this  letter,  I  felt  a  curiosity  to  see 
this  mysterious  visitor.  I  therefore  descended  to  the  apartment  where 
she  was  waiting  for  me,  and  I  saw  a  lady  of  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
well  dressed,  and  in  a  style  that  announced  her  to  belong  to  the 
wealthier  class :  her  accent  showed  that  she  came  from  another  part 
of  the  country.  She  received  me  with  some  degree  of  consternation  in 
her  manner,  and  replied  to  me,  half  trembling,  and  with  downcast 
eyes,  and  evident  anxiety 

*'  *  Signora/  said  Acbilli,  *  I  have  received  a  letter  through  you ;  the 
contents  must  be  known  to  you.  Will  you  inform  me  in  what  manner 
you  obtained  it  ?  * 

"  *  From  my  confessor  :  I  do  not  know  whether  directly  from  Rome, 
or  through  the  Bishop.* 

"  *  Can  you  make  it  convenient  to  prefer  your  accusation  another 
time  ? ' 

*•  *  I  pray  you,  let  me  do  so  at  present,  since  to-morrow  I  am  obliged 
to  return  home.' 

#  *  *  *  *  * 

"  *  Well,  then,'  said  I,  *  let  us  to  business :  I  should  imagine  it 
would  not  occupy  much  time — what  is  your  opinion  ? ' 

"  I  then  sat  down  before  a  table  and  unfolded  the  formulary  of 
questions,  which  were  comprised  in  a  printed  sheet.  I  looked  over  the 
paper  to  ascertain  its  tenor,  and  of  what  it  treated.  I  thought  no  more 
of  the  lady  ;  my  mind  was  entirely  occupied  in  considering  how  I  should 
proceed,  when  a  deep  sigh  aroused  me,  and  made  me  turn  my  eyes 
towards  her.     She  began  to  weep  outright. 

*|  *  What  is  the  matter,  Signora?  why  do  you  weep  ?' 

"Tears  and  sobs  were  her  only  reply.  I  endeavoured  to  speak 
comfort  to  her.  * 

*  *  *  *  #  # 

"  She  grew  calmer  by  degrees,  and  I  began  my  task.  The  formula 
was  m  Latm  :  I  had  to  translate  it  into  Italian:  her  own  answers  were 
to  be  written  down  exactly. 

***** 


Aehill€8  Dealings  toith  the  InquisiHati.  '    333 

*•  *  Now,  Signora,  you  must  remember  that  it  is  your  duty  to  declare 
the  truth.      I  suppose  it  is  no  trifling  affair  that  has  induced  you 
to  denounce  a  person  to  the  Inquisition ;  above  all,  I  desire  to  know 
what  may  have  been  your  motives.' 
"  *  To  save  me  from  a  hell.' 

"  •  Sometimes  it  happens  that  in  seeking  to  avoid  one  hell,  we  may 
fall  into  another ;  that  in  endeavouring  to  silence  a  scruple,  we  incur 
remorse  ;  and  that  the  means  we  take  to  save  the  soul  of  another,  may 
endanger  our  own.  Tell  me,  from  what  kind  of  hell  do  you  seek  to  be 
delivered  by  this  act  ? ' 

"  *  The  hell  that  I  experience  in  entering  a  church.  It  is  not  every 
one  who  goes  there  that  finds  it  a  paradise.  God  is  there,  Jesus  Christ, 
the  most  holy  Madonna,' saints,  angels,  and  holy  water.  It  is  there  we 
are  baptized,  confess,  and  receive  the  grace  of  God.  I  alone  participate 
in  none  of  these  ordinances  in  the  church ;  therefore  it  has  become 
hateful  to  me^  and  the  priests  are  odious  in  my  sight.' 
"  *  And  how  does  all  this  happen  ?' 

**  *  Father,  it  is  as  I  say.     You  will  understand  it  all.     Relieve  me 
from  this  load,  and  I  shall  hope  afterwards  to  make  peace  with  God  and  - 
the  saints,  and  be  delivered  from  this  hell.' 
"  *  Well,  what  is  the  deposition — the  accusation  you  have  to  make  ? ' 
"  *  Allow  me,  oh  father,  to  relate  my  story  from  the  beginning — I 
cannot  tell  you  by  halves.' 

"  So  saying,  she  remained  thoughtful  a  few  moments,  and  then 
exclaimed, — 

"  *  I  hardly  know  where  to  begin.     I  would  inform  you — ^but* — 
'*  '  Courage  !    relate  the  affair  simply  as  it  is.     I  wish  not  to  know 
either  more  or  less  than  you  choose  to  tell  me.     For  example,  I  ask 
neither  your  name,  your  place  of  residence,  nor  what  connexion  you 
have  with  the  party  accused.' 

'*  '  Ah  !  father,  these  are  the  express  conditions  on  which  I  consented 

to  disclose  what  I  have  to  unfold Oh !   is  it  possible  that  at 

this  price  alone  I  am  to  recover  my  peace ! — at  this,  and  at  no  other,  to 
be  admitted  anew  to  the  privilege  of  confession,  and  the  benefit  of  the 
other  sacraments !  That  to  be  a  Christian  I  must  consent  to  betray 
another ! — to  betray  the  person  whom  in  all  the  world  I  best  love  I — 
enjoined  to  do  so  both  by  Divine  and  human  laws  I ' 

*'  As  she  concluded,  she  arose,  and  I  observed  that  with  the  fingers  of 
her  right  hand  she  pressed  upon  her  left,  and  turned  round  a  ring  that 
was  there  on  the  annular  finger.     She  then  resumed, — 

"  *  Where,  then,  shall  we  in  future  hope  to  place  confidence  ?  how 
trust  in  the  sacredness  of  vows  pledged  at  the  altar  ?  ....  Oh  !  what 
would  he  say  if  he  knew  what  occupies  me  at  this  moment  ?  And  can 
I  return  joyfully  to  him  who  little  suspects  what  I  am  doing,  to  still 
live  with  him,  and  call  him  by  the  tenderest  names,  until  the  day 
comes,  or  perhaps  the  night,  when  the  officers  of  justice  shall  secretly 
enter  the  house,  apprehend,  and  take  him  away — ^and  to  what  place  ? 
To  the  dungeons  of  the  Holy  Office !     And  who  would  have  placed  him 


334  '  AekiUCs  DeaUngs  with  (he  InquisUidn. 

there  ?  I  myself  by  the  very  act  I  am  going  to  commit.  But  if  1  do 
not  do  80,  I  am  in  a  state  of  perdition,  since  thei«  wifl  be  no  longer 
pardon  or  absolution  for  me.  Excommunication^  from  which  no  one 
can  deliver  me,  will  be  my  fate.  And  he  also  will  be  excommnnicated. 
His  soul  will  be  for  ever  lost,  unless  it  be  purified  m  the  Inquisition. 
Both  of  us  to  lose  all  hope  of  salvation  and  eternal  life !  and  that 
because  we  refuse  to  make  fitting  sacrifice  on  earth.  These,  father,  a^e 
the  thoughts  that  agitate  me,  that  divide  my  soul,  that  have  led 
me  here,  and  that  have  since  sealed  my  lips.  What  ought  I  to  do  ?  what 
reveal  ?  I  am  miserable,  because  I  listen  at  once  to  the  flesh  and  the 
Spirit,  and  which  ever  way  I  force  myself  to  act,  I  am  always  divided 
against  myself.  Oh  !  why  are  not  you  who  are  called  fathers,  husbands 
as  well ;  then,  as  other  men,  you  would  hav^  wives  to  love ;  and  yoa 
would  better  comprehend  these  matters,  and  would  see  the  value  of  the 
text,  *  Do  not  to  others  what  ye  would  not  that  men  should  do  unto 
you !  * 

"  *  Let  us  come  to  an  end,  Signora.  You  have  promised  the  Inqnisi- 
tion  to  make  an  accusation,  and  that  as  a  matter  of  duty,  or  rather,  firom 
scruples  of  conscience.  When  you  made  this  promise,  you  no  donht 
imagined  you  did  what  was  right* 

**  *  No,  father,  I  do  not  deceive  myself;  I  never  thought  I  was  doing 
right :  in  every  point  of  view  I  considered  T  was  doing  wrong.  Never- 
theless, I  judged  it  necessary,  as  it  is  necessary  to  have  an  arm  or  a 
foot  cut  off  that  is  in  a  state  of  gangrene.  I  looked  upon  it  as  a  castiga- 
tion  from  the  Almighty,  as  if  my  house  had  been  burned,  or  a  heavy 
beam  had  fallen  on  my  shoulders.  I  thought  that  God  was  angry  with 
me  on  account  of  my  sins,  and  that  to  appease  Him  I  must  sacrifice  to 

Him  what  was  most  dear  to  me Father,  I  am  here  to  make  a 

sacrifice  of  myself  on  the  altar,  I  regret  to  isay  it,  of  the  Inquisition/ 

**  *  And  do  you  desire,  Signora,  that  I  should  be  the  priest  on  the 

occasion  ?     It  is  an  office  I  have  never  performed I  thought 

that  you  were  come  to  make  your  deposition  voluntarily,  of  your  own 
free  will ;  and  even  in  that  dase  I  should  have  had  some  hesitation  in 

receiving  it In  the  present  case,  I  will  by  no  means  lend  my 

hand  to  an  act  of  violence.  .  .  •  .  I  find  throughout  the  whole  of  the 
Bible  a  continual  invitation  to  seek  God,  and  to  find  Him  there  is  but  one 

way,  which  is  Jesus  Christ Moreover,  He  says  to  us,  •  Come 

unto  me  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest.'  And  this  is  more  particularly  addressed  to  sinners,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  go  to  Christ ;  and  it  is  ours  to  endeavour  to  invite,  to  lead,  to 
bring  them  to  Him.  Do  you  understand  me,  Signora — to  Him,  and 
not  to  thfe  Inquisition?*  '* — pp.128— 131. 

The  gratitude  expressed  by  the  lady  to  her  deliverer  was  most 
intense ;  and  she  gladly  promised  not  to  betray  him.  She  had 
revealed  to  her  confessor  some  intemperate  language  which  her 
husband  had  uttered  regarding  the  Pope,  the  bishop,  and  the 
priests.     "  I  told  my  confessor  of  this,''  she  said,  "  not  to  accuse 


AehiUts  Dealings  with  the  Inquisition.  335 

my  husband,  but  to  learn  what  course  I  had  better  pursue  with 
hua;^  adding,  that  at  times  he  was  so  excited  as  scarcely  to 
know  the  meaning  of  the  words  he  uttered.  "But,  without 
further  inquiry,  my -confessor  enjoined  me  to  denounce  him  to  the 
Inquisition.'*^  And  to  prevail  on  her  to  commit  this  atrocious 
crime,  the  confessor  assured  her,  that  unless  ^e  perpetrated  it, 
both  her  husband  and  herself  "  would  be  undoubtedly  damned.^^ 

"  *  And  in  confirmation  of  this/  she  added,  *  I  once  read  in  some  old 
work  a  story  of  a  certain  woman  who  had  refused  before  her  death  to 
make  one  of  these  disclosures  ;  and  in  consequence,  not  only  was  her 
seal  condemned  to  the  torments  of  hell,  but  her  body  also  found 
no  rest  in  the  grave,  being  continually  forced  to  leave  it,  until,  being 
coDJared  with  holy  water  to  declare  the  cause  of  its  disquiet,  it  replied, 
that  it  was  so  punished  because  it  had  not  obeyed  the  injunction  it  had 
received  to  aceuse  certain  heretics  to  the  Inquisition  ;  but  as  all  present 
earnestly  prayed  to  the  Madonna,  it  was  granted  to  this  unhappy  body 
to  return  to  life  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  that  it  might  prefer  its 
accusation  to  the  Inquisition  ;  after  which  it  died  anew.' 
"  •  And  do  you  believe  this  story  V 

"  *  I  was  unwilling  to  do  so  ;  but  the  priest  showed  me  that  the  book 
was  printed,  con  Itcenza  de  superioru  To  tell  the  exact  truth,  my 
intention  was  to  obey  our  holy  Church  in  this  barbarous  law,  and  then 
to  Commit  suicide,  leaving  behind  me  a  letter  to  my  husband,  ex- 
plaining the  motives  that  had  led  me  to  the  act.* " — p.  133. 

After  some  further  conversation  Achilli  and  his  visitor  de- 
parted. The  priest  immediately  destroyed  the  papers,  and  the 
lady  sought  a  new  confessor.  "She  died/'  adds  our  author, 
"  like  a  good  Christian,  loving  Jesus,  her  Redeemer,  and  believing 
in  his  good  tidings,  and  detesting,  with  all  her  heart,  the  errors 
of  the  Church  of  Rome." 

This  was  not  a  solitary  case.  "  I  have  given,''  says  Achilli, 
"but  one  instance,  but  could  relate  many  more  of  the  same 
character.  The  wife  of  a  bricklayer,  whose  name  I  never  knew, 
about  the  same  time,  came  to  me  at  Viterbo,  to  accuse  her 
husband,  by  order  of  her  confessor.  She  came  from  Vitorchiano^ 
a  fief  of  the  Roman  Senate.  I  sent  her  away,  however,  telling 
her  that  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Inquisition.  Several  came 
to  me  from  other  parts,  no  fewer  than  four  or  five;  and  all 
these  were  wives,  who  had  come  to  denounce  their  husbands  to 
the  Inquisition.  I  took  care  to  give  them  all  the  same  answer. 
And  if  so  many  cases  of  this  sort  came  to  my  own  knowledge, 
how  many  more  must  there  not  have  been,  who  have  applied 
to  the  vicars  themselves,  or  to  the  inquisitors  of  the  Holy 
Office?" 

There  has  been  of  late  an  unwise  reserve,  a  culpable  reticence 


336  Aehilir$  Dealings  with  the  Inquisition. 

about  the  crimes  of  the  Bomish  clergy.  For  our  own  part, 
are  of  opinion  that  the  more  that  the  real  working  of  the  celil 
system  is  known,  the  less  will  any  persons  of  sound  mind 
inclined  to  look  on  it  with  favour  or  toleration.  At  all  tii 
the  truth  should  be  spoken ;  but  at  the  present  crisis  he  is  guil 
of  treason  who  conceals  it.  A  chilli  mentions  a  report,  that 
Ancona  two  inquisitors  had  seduced  wives  and  daughters,  'i 
order  to  induce  them  to  accuse  their  respective  husbands 
fathers.  From  what  we  have  seen  and  heard,  we  should  thinl 
this  more  than  probable.  He  also  relates,  as  a  matter  of  fcd^\ 
that,  during  his  stay  there,  in  September,  184f2,  an  inquisitor 
endeavoured  to  persuade  two  virtuous  girls  to  accuse  their  uncb 
of  some  alleged  profanation,  in  order  to  have  a  pretext  for  his 
impeachment.  The  inquisitor  was  angry  with  this  honest  man, 
because  he  had  forbidden  him  his  house,  and  thought,  by  throwing 
him  into  prison,  to  be  able  at  all  hours  to  visit  the  nieces,  erro- 
neously imagining  them  to  be  favourably  disposed  towards 
him. 

We  would  also  observe  that  the  following  particulars  of  the 
asceticism,  practised  by  the  Dominicans,  do  not  appear  altogether 
agreeable  to  the  Catholic  standard. 

"  They,'**  said  A  chilli,  "profess  never  to  eat  meat  in  the  refec- 
tory, or  room  for  their  common  meals  ;  and  it  is  true  that  in  the 
refectory  itself  they  do  not  eat  it ;  but  there  is  another  room  near 
it,  which  they  call  by  another  name,  where  they  eat  meat  con- 
stantly. On  Good  Friday  they  are  commanded  by  their  rules  to 
eat  bread  and  drink  water :  but,  having  done  so^  for  the  sake 
of  appearance,  they  go  one  after  the  other  into  another  room, 
where  a  good  dinner  is  prepared  for  them  all."*' 

We  have  kept  our  most  astounding  extract  for  the  last ;  an 
extract  which  shows  that  even  now  the  Holy  OflBce  is  spreading 
the  branches  of  its  upas-tree  into  realms  that  own  the  enlightened 
sway  of  England : — 

"  '  I  am  a  Roman  Catholic  priest,'  says  the  writer  of  this  singular 
communication,  '  and  as  soon  as  I  was  ordained,  being  very  anxious  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor  Hindoos,  I  left  Rome,  on  the  2nd  of 
March,  1840,  being  then  twenty-three  years  of  age,  and  was  sent 
by  Propaganda  Fide  to  India;  and  there  being  able  to  speak  the 
English  language,  I  was  appointed,  by  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of 
Bombay,  as  military  chaplain,  and  was  sent  to  a  military  camp  at  Bel- 
gaum.'  " 

These  circumstances  induced  him  to  examine  the  evidences  for 
the  distinctive  doctrines  of  Romanism,  and  he  became  con- 
vinced that  they  were  "  in  perfect  contradiction  to  the  word  of 
God,"  &c. 


AchUKs  Dealings  mth  the  Inqtiilsition.  337 

Therefore  I  opened  my  mind  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Jackson,  who  was 
military  Protestant  chaplain  at  Belganm,  and  a  great  friend  of 
le.      He  advised  me  to  write  to  Dr.  Carr,  Bishop  of  Bombay,  which 
^^dd,  and  his  lordship  was  pleased  to  answer  me  in  a  very  polite 
mer,  begging  me  to  write  my  sentiments  about  the  real  presence  of 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  the  sacrament,  and  a  treatise  on  the  spiritual 
jwer  of  the  Pope,  which  I  also  did ;  and  then  he  wrote  to  me  to  go  to 
ibay  where  I  embraced  the  Protestant  religion,  that  is  to  say,  the 
religion  of  the  Gospel."     [After  ihese  occurrences,] 
^  A  Spanish  Jesuit  priest,  whom  I  never  saw  before,  called  on  me 
a  secular  dress  ;  and  speaking  the  Italian  language  well,  he  told  me 
he  was  an  Italian  layman,  and  having  heard  that  I  was  an  Italian 
>,  he  called  on  me :  but  he  did  not  mention  any  thing  about  religion, 
ing  he  did  not  care  about  it ;  and  he  was  very  kind  to  me.     He 
«  "imlled  on  me  four  or  five  times ;  till  one  day,  being  a  very  agreeable 
T^   evening,  he  begged  me  to  take  a  round  with  him,  which  I  did.     And 
^-    we  went  near  the  [Roman]  Catholic  Church,  and  to  my  great  sur- 
%     prise,  I  was  taken  by  four  men,  and  forced  to  go  to  the  vicar-general, 
f       where  they  forced  me  to  write  a  letter  to  the  Protestant  minister,  Mr. 
!•       Valentine,  in  whose  house  I  lived,  stating  my  intention  to  return  to  the 
[Roman]   Catholic  religion ;  which,  I   am   very   sorry  to  say,   I  did. 
They  then  closed  me  in  a  room  till  Sunday,  when   the  vicar  took  me 
by  force  to  the  pulpit,  and  dictated  to  me  what  I  was  to  say  to  the 
congregation ;  and  he  obliged  me  to  declare  that  I  left  the  [Roman] 
Catholic  religion  for  worldly  motives  ;  which  was  quite  contrary  to  my 
sentiments.     When  night  came  they  took  me  from  the  room  where  I 
was  closed  and  delivered   me   to  a  captain  of  a  French   ship,  as  a 
prisoner,  with  the  order  to  take  care  of  me  to  Marseilles,  where  he  deli- 
vered me  to  the  bishop,  who,  with  a  French  priest,  sent  me  to  Rome. 
From  Rome  I  was  sent,  as  a  punishment,  to  a  convent  at  Perugia, 
where  I  remained  for  five  years,  till  I  got  again  my  liberty  and  returned 

to  Rome ;  this  was  in  November,  1848,"  &c. 

»  »  »  » 

"  Rome,  26th  of  February,  1850." 

And  now  we  bid  adieu  to  this  exceedingly  interesting  volume, 
and  its  very  agreeable,  though  decidedly  heterodox,  author.  Yet, 
ere  we  conclude  this  essay,  we  must  remind  and  urge  upon  our 
readers  that  it  is  no  system  of  bygone  ages,  no  narrative  of  long 
past  events,  which  we  have  been  considering,  but  the  outward 
action  and  the  inward  life,  the  inherent  nature,  and  the  essential 
being  of  that  tremendous  Power  which  aims  at  nothing  less  than 
the  closing  our  Bibles  and  enslaving  our  souls,  the  destruction  of 
our  faith,  the  pollution  of  our  worship,  and  the  annihilation  of 
our  Church. 

One  would  have  thought  that  no  lover  of  either  "  civil  or  reli- 
gious liberty"  could  have  sympathized  with  the  Church  of  the 
Inquisition ;  that  no  sincere  Christian,  who  had  not  the  misfor- 


338 


AekiiK$  DealingB  toUh  the  InquidHan. 


tuoe  to  be  bom  within  her  pale,  could  have  viewed  her  manifold  i 
corruptions  of  the  primitive  faith  and  practice  without  raising  his 
voice  in  clear  and  indignant  condemnation  of  her  errors  and  her 
crimes ;  that  no  true-hearted  Englishman  but  would  be  shocked 
and  disgusted  by  the  treachery  of  her  principles  and  the  pro- 
fligacy of  her  priests. 

Yet  this  is  the  Church,  which  has  been  favoured  by  Conservi^' 
tive  and  flattered  by  Whig,  endowed  by  Peel  and  patronized  bjr 
'Russell ;  this  is  the  Church,  whose  chief  pastor  has  been  throsl 
back  upon  his  reluctant  people  by  the  bayonet  of  Republican 
who  have  once  more  re-establilBhed  the  Holy  Inquisition  ;  this  is 
the  Church,  whose  aggression  upon  ourselves  we  are  called  upoij 
to  bear  with  passiveness  and  silence  ;  this  is  the  Church,  whoai 
system,  whose  doctrine^  whose  devotion,  and  whose  practicil, 
working  are  held  up  to  our  eyes  as  models  of  all  but  perfeel 
excellence  by  men  who  have  been  fed  from  the  bosom  and  tau^ 
at  the  knees  of  our  English  Mother. 


CMmgwooi'B  Sermons.  839 


AT.  IV. — The  Church  Apostolic^  Primitive,  and  Anglican. 
A  Series  of  Sermons.  By  the  Rev.  Johh  Colling  wood,  M.A,, 
^Minister  of  Duke-street  Episcopal  Chapel,  Westminster ;  one  of 
llbr  Masters  of  Chrisfs  Hospital,  Ac.  Published  hy  reqttest. 
London :  Bivingtons. 

SiiB  events  which  are  passing  before  oui^jeyes  are  applying  a 
0j  severe  test  to  the  principles  of  Churchmen  in  more  senses 
Ittn  one.  Men  of  learning,  of  ability,  and  of  piety,  have  been 
riBng  away  from  our  communion,  and  adopting,  in  their  ex- 
ranest  developments,  the  errors  of  the  Church  of  Rome  ;  and, 
lowever  we  may  explain  the  fact,  such  persons  have  all,  previously 
o  their  secession,  been  advocates  of  what  they  have  called 
'  Church  principles,*"  or  "  Catholic  principles.''  The  world,  in 
^eral,  connects  these  circumstances  together  in  its  own  way, 
nd  very  naturally  concludes  that  what  are  called  "  Church  prin- 
siples/'  lead  to  Romanism ;  and,  in  one  sense,  the  world  is 
right  in  its  inference.  '*  Church  principles  "  of  a  certain  sort — 
DT  what  are  called  "  Church  principles  "  by  those  who  hold  them 
—have  doubtless  paved  the  way  for  secession  to  Rome.  But  the 
expression  has  really  become  so  vague,  in  consequence  of  the 
very  different  opinions  included  under  it,  that  to  the  generality 
of  persons  it  appears  to  convey  no  distinct  notions  at  all. 

For  instance,  it  has  become  apparent  for  a  considerable  time, 
that  persons  of  ability  and  of  education  are  able  to  persuade 
themselves  that  they  may  hold  almost  all  the  tenets  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  while  still  remaining  in  the  external  communion 
of  the  EngHsh  Church.  Now,  when  such  persons  speak  of 
"  Church  principles,"  as  they  often  do,  they  mean  nothing  more 
or  less  than  "  Roman  Catholic "  principles.  The  supremacy  of 
the  See  of  Rome  is  one  of  their  "  Church  "  principles ;  transub- 
stantiation  is  another ;  the  adoration  of  the  host,  another ; 
general  conformity  to  Rome,  another. 

Here,  then,  is  one  view  of  Church  principles.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  suppose  that  persons  who  think  thus  could  form  a 
party  in  the  Church  of  England  for  any  length  of  time ;  but  the 
evidence  of  fact  establishes  it  beyond  all  doubt.  Ten  years  have 
now  elapsed  since  Messrs.  Ward  and  Oakley  first  publicly 
ivowed  and  maintained  the  principle,  that  it  was  possible  to  hold 
the  whole  cycle  of  Roman  doctrine  in  the  Church  of  England ; 


340  CoUingtooocTs  Sermons. 

and,  although  the  original  propounders  of  the  notion  have 
since  found  their  position  untenable,  and  have  actually  u 
themselves  to  the  communion,  whose  tenets  they  had  embi 
there  has  been,  ever  since,  a  class  of  men  who  have  acted  on 
same  principles :  and  these  men  have  always  been  warm 
cates  of  "  Church  principles.'*''     Messrs.  Ward,  Oakley,  Mi 
Allies,  Wilberforce,  the  clergy  of  St.  Saviour'^s,  and  others 
have  followed  their  example,  have  been  amongst  the  most 
asserters  of  "  Church  '^  or  "  Catholic  **'  principles,  previously 
their  secession. 

But  there  is  another  view  of  Church  principles,  and  one 
is  much  more  prevalent.  We  refer  to  the  class  of  doctrines 
distinguish  those  who  are,  in  the  most  correct  application 
term,  "  Tractarians.''  The  section  of  the  Church,  here  refe 
to,  and  which  is  also  sometimes  designated  by  the  name  of  I 
individual,  is  virtually  under  the  direction  of  the  chief  remain" 
authors  of  the  "  Tracts  for  the  Times.'*'  The  majority  of 
more  conspicuous  and  learned  advocates  of  what  are 
"  Church  principles,''*'  are  either  directly  associated  with  thftj 
leaders  of  this  section  of  the  Church,  or  under  their  influence;! 
If  such  men  do  not  always  openly  co-operate  with  the  "  Tracttrl 
rian '''  body,  they  are,  at  least,  influenced  by  it,  and  take  ca»-l 
never  to  oppose  it.  Numbers  of  persons,  however,  chiefly  amoif ' 
the  younger  clergy,  and  those  laity  who  have  been  at  either 
University,  are,  to  a  great  extent,  disciples  of  the  "  Tractarian'* 
school.  With  all  this  section  of  the  Church,  speaking  in  general 
terms,  *'  Church  principles ''  mean  something  different  from  that 
which  Bomanizers  understand  by  the  expression.  They  mean 
that  class  of  principles  which  took  their  general  shape  and 
colouring  from  the  "  Tracts  for  the  Times,"  and  their  leading 
authors.  Now  the  abiding  characteristic  of  this  system  is,  we 
think,  a  theoretical  view  of  the  unity  of  the  Church,  which  it  is 
anxious  to  realize,  in  spite  of  all  obstacles  which  present  them- 
selves in  the  way.  It  is  a  system  which  is  impatient  of  every 
thing  that  appears  to  interpose  a  barrier  to  the  restoration  of 
external  and  visible  Christian  communion  between  Apostolically 
descended  Churches  throughout  the  world.  It  is  disposed  ac- 
cordingly to  dwell  only  on  the  points  of  resemblance  and  union 
between  the  English  and  the  Roman  communions,  and  to  avoid 
every  expression  and  argument  which  tends  to  keep  up  dififer- 
ences  of  tenet,  and  to  prevent  intercommunion.  It  seeks  to 
soothe  prejudice  and  irritation  on  either  side,  by  taking  the  most 
favourable  views  of  Roman  doctrine ;  accepting  the  explanations 
which  its  best  defenders  have  offered ;  bringing  out  the  merits, 
beauties,  and  excellencies  which  it  discovers  in  the  Church  of 


CollinffwoocTs  Sermons.  341 

ie ;  and  in  all  respects  treating  that  Church  as  a  sister,  or  a 

ler  Church,   reunion  with  which  is  in  the  highest  degree 

kble,  or  even  essential.     At  the  same  time,  the  Church  of 

rland  is  recognized  as  a  branch  of  the  one  Catholic  Church, 

which  it  is  not  right  to  separate ;  while  all  censure,  how- 

r,  of  those  who  actually  join  the  Church  of  Rome,  is  refrained 

and  such  a  step  is  not  regarded  as  involving  any  schism, 

heresy,  or  grievous  sin. 

Now,  it  is  evident  that  "  Church,^'  or  "  Catholic"  principles, 
toaongst  those  who  entertain  this  class  of  views,  mean  something 
jnt  from  what  other  Churchmen  understand  by  the  expres- 
They  do  not,  indeed,  involve  actual  submission  of  indi- 
Is  to  the  See  of  Rome ;  but  they  mean  the  suppression  of  the 
srences  between  the  Church  of  Rome  and  the  Church  of  England 
le  gradual  undoing  much  of  the  work  of  the  Reformation,  which 
regsuxled  with  undisguised  hostility — the  removal  of  the  Pro- 
mt and  negative  aspect  of  the  English  Church,  and  the  re- 
jtoodelling  of  her  doctrine  and  discipline  on  what  is  conceived  to 
9fce  the  Catholic  ideal  of  a  Church — a  system  which  varies  accord- 
ing to  the  notions  of  individuals,  but  which  is  generally  com- 
pounded of  primitive  and  mediaeval  doctrine  and  practice,  with,  in 
4Dany  cases,  a  large  infusion  of  modern  Romanism.  Such  are 
'•*  Church  principles"  as  understood  by  the  leading  minds  of  the 
Tractarian  body,  and  more  or  less  carried  out  throughout  the 
whole  connexion,  and  by  its  press. 

And  then,  in  the  third  place,  there  is  no  inconsiderable  number 
of  persons  who  have  maintained  "  Church  principles"  in  various 
ways,  but  in  a  very  different  sense  indeed  from  either  of  the 

Krties  above  referred  to.  We  allude  to  such  writers  as 
r.  Hook,  Dr.  Wordsworth,  Messrs.  Perceval  and  Palmer,  Chan- 
cellor Harrington,  Mr.  Morgan,  and  the  author  of  the  volume 
of  Sermons  before  us,  who,  amidst  all  their  maintenance  of  the 
rights  and  spiritual  characteristics  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  have 
never  hesitated  to  denounce  the  errors  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
or  shrank  from  defending  substantially  the  cause  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. The  difference  between  the  principles  of  this  class  of  men 
and  the  others  of  whom  we  have  spoken  above,  appears  to  consist  in 
this — that  while  in  the  one  case  the  desire  for  unity  is  so  intense 
that  all  obstacles  are  either  overlooked  or  else  attempted  to  be 
removed  ;  in  the  other,  the  desire  for  unity  throughout  Christen- 
dom is  balanced  by  the  strongest  resolution  to  adhere  to  known 
truth  at  all  hazards,  and  even  if  it  should  apparently  prevent  the 
realization  of  unity.  "  Church  principles,"  in  their  view,  involves 
no  suppression  of  the  errors  of  Romanism,  no  withholding  of 
witness  ;    but,  on  the  contrary,  the  boldest  and  fullest  testimony 


342  CoUingwoocTs  SermoM. 

against  them,  as  well  as  against  ev&ry  species  of  error  opp( 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel  as  set  forth  by  the  Church  of 
*'*'  Church  principles^'*  may  involve,  in  their  opinion,  the  si 
of  a  ministry,  with  its  vaJid  ordinations,  and  its  peculiar  and 
exclusive  right  of  administering  the  sacraments,  derived 
mately  from  the  commission  of  our  L<»rd,  addressed  to 
Apostles, — may  involve  the  duty  of  submitting  private  ju(" 
to  the  lawful  spiritual  authority  of  our  own  branch  of  the  ^ 
Church,  and  still  more  to  the  judgment  and  doctrine  of  all 
from  the  beginning, — may  involve  the  continuity  of  the  Chi 
England  as  a  branch,  but  a  reformed  branch,  of  the 
universal,  inheriting  all  the  rights,  powers,  and  privileges 
ferred  by  the  Apostles  on  those  Churches  which  they  fom 
may  regard  the  Church  as  more  than  a  merely  voluntary 
human  association, — may  view  its  sacraments  as  not 
emblems,  but  as  means  of  grace.  All  this,  and  more,  may 
conceived  by  such  men  to  be  included  in  Church  priiidpkAi| 
They  may,  to  some  extent,  go  along  with  '^  Tractarians^  in 
assertion  of  the  truths  they  hold  in  common  ;  but  the  great  aaij 
essential  difference  between  their  principles  is  this — that  the  ooe 
class  frames  an  ideal  of  Church  unity  and  order,  and  will  nol 
recognize  the  practical  impediments  existing  in  the  Churdi  of 
Borne  to  the  realization  of  unity,  but  seek  to  throw  down  our  own 
barriei^,  and  trust  to  the  good  feelings  of  our  opponents ;  while 
the  other  would  maintain  our  barriers  until  Borne  shall  relinquish 
her  errors :  their  love  of  unity  is  not  greater  than  their  love  of 
truth.  The  one  class  excludes  the  notion  of  Protestantism  from 
its  Catholicism,  or  Church  principles ;  the  other  holds  Pro- 
testantism (as  included  in  the  Formularies  of  the  Church  of 
England)  as  an  essential  element  in  its  Catholicism. 

Now  here  are  three  clearly-marked  divisions  amongst  those  who 
profess  to  hold  "  Church  principles  ;**'  or,  in  other  words,  here  are 
three  different  sets  of  principles  included  under  that  designation. 
This  appears  to  involve  the  use  of  the  term  in  great  difficulty :  it 
tends  to  confound  together  the  most  strongly-marked  differences. 
Persons  may  denounce  "  Church  principles,"  and  they  may  not  be 
blameable  for  so  doing,  because  they  may  reject  what  is  blameable. 
As  long  as  all  persons  professing  to  hold  "  Church  principles'" 
were  understood  to  be  opposed  to  Bome  and  Bomish  doctrine, 
there  was  no  great  risk  of  material  confusion  in  men"*s  minds; 
but  the  case  is  very  different  now,  when  "  Church  principles'*'  ia 
some  men's  mouths  mean  "  Boman  Catholic"  principles,  and  in 
others  "Anti-Protestant"  principles.  The  expression  has  an 
objectionable  meaning  in  all  such  cases,  and  this  appears  to 
involve  in   considerable    difficulty   those    sound    and    orthodox 


CoUinffwoocTa  Sermom.  843 

iWobers  of  the  Ghurch  of  England  who  may  employ  it  as 
Awe  of  their  own  views,  without  distinctly  specifying  the 
of  opinions  which  are  accepted  or  rejected  in  these  uses  of 
term.     We  should  be  disposed  to  say,  indeed,  that  it  would 

preferable  for  those  writers  who  do  not  wish  to  support  the 
of  the  two  first  classes  above  alluded  to,  to  make  use  of  such 
as  "  Church  of  England,^  or  "  Anglican,^  in  prefetence  to 
lurch,''  or  '^Catholic"  principles,  the  former  terms  being 
ly  if  ever  used  by  the  classes  alluded  to  for  the  purpose  of 
tting  their  principles.  At  present,  we  confess  that  we  do 
fept  understand  a  man's  meaning  when  he  professes  to  advocate 
P^Ghurch  principles."  Some  years  ago,  there  was  less  difficulty 
Sn  understanding  the  term;  but  now  we  do  not  know  what 
il  intended  by  it.  We  see  men  advertising  books  in  support  of 
^Church  principles,"  or  hear  them  claiming  sympathy  and  co- 
iperation  on  the  ground  of  '*  Ghurcb  principles ;"  but  we  know 
sot  whether  they  are  friends  or  foes. 

We  have  observed,  at  the  commencement  of  this  paper,  that 
tbese  times  are  peculiarly  trying  to  men's  principles.  They  must 
lead  every  thoughtful  member  of  the  Ghurch  of  England,  who  is 
really  attached  to  that  communion  in  which  he  is  placed,  and  who 
maintains  ^^  Ghurch  of  England  principles,"  to  examine  whether 
his  own  views  necessarily  conduct  to  Bomanism.  He  will  feel^ 
that  if  indeed  his  principles  do  naturally  and  necessarily  tend  to 
that  result,  there  must  be  some  great  and  grievous  flaw  in  them. 
He  may  be  deceived  in  his  Ghurch  theories ;  but  he  cannot  be 
deceived  as  to  the  positive  sinfulness  of  worshipping  images  and 
prajring  to  saints,  or  as  to  the  error  of  purgatory,  of  indulgences, 
or  of  the  Papal  Supremacy.  These  are  points  on  which  no 
adequately-informed  Ghurchman  can  entertain  any  doubt  whether 
the  Church  of  Bome  be  in  error  or  no ;  so  that  the  discovery  tliat 
his  principles  led  to  the  adoption  of  those  errors  could  have  no 
other  effect  but  that  of  causing  him  to  distrust  those  principles, 
and  to  examine  them  more  narrowly.  And  there  are  plenty  of 
p^i-sons  in  all  directions  to  assure  him  that  his  principles  will  infal- 
libly land  him  at  Bome.  The  Bomanist,  and  the  Latitudinarian, 
and  the  Dissenter,  all  concur  in  the  assurance,  and  he  might 
attach  some  weight  to  their  statements  were  they  less  evidently 
dictated  by  the  desire  of  promoting  their  respective  views ;  for 
Romanism  would  willingly  be  placed  in  contrast  with  a  system 
which  did  not  claim  to  be  a  Ghurch ;  and  Dissent  and  Lati- 
tudinarianism  would  gladly  remove  those  principles  which  prevent 
the  triumph  of  their  own. 

But  we  think  that,  deeply  trying  as  these  times  undoubtedly 
are,  no  true  advocate  of  "  Church  of  England"  principles  will  find 


344  CoUingwoocTs  Sermons. 

reason  to  be  distrustful  of  those  principles,  if  he  carefully  exai ' 
them.  Those  principles  have  been  held  by  most  of  our 
theologians  and  writers  since  the  period  of  the  Beformation, 
yet  none  of  them  fell  away  to  Romanism.  Hooker  and  Aik' 
drewes,  Gosin,  Bramhall  and  Laud,  Taylor,  Mede,  Hammond, 
and  Beveridge,  Ball,  Pearson,  and  Bingham,  Daubeny,  3^'^ 
Van  Mildert,  and  Rose,  were  men  who  advocated,  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent,  those  principles  which  we  are  assured  lead  to- 
Romanism  ;  nevertheless,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  Romanism  found 
amongst  these  men  its  most  powerful  opponents.  Pearson,  and 
Beveridge,  and  Van  Mildert,  who  revered  the  authority  of  the 
primitive  Church,  did  not  find  themselves  obliged,  in  conse- 
quence, to  acknowledge  that  of  the  Papacy.  Hall,  Jeremy 
Taylor,  Hammond,  and  others  who  maintained  the  Divine  right 
of  Episcopacy,  or  allowed  the  necessity  of  valid  ordination,  did  not 
forsake  the  communion  of  the  English  Church,  even  when  it  was 
abolished  by  law.  In  short,  the  principles  of  Churchmen  have  been 
proved,  by  the  experience  of  three  centuries,  not  to  lead  practically 
to  Romanism.  The  most  learned  and  pious  of  our  divines  have 
always  upheld  them.  They  have  been  the  principles  of  many  of 
our  most  eminent  Archbishops  and  Bishops ;  and  never  have 
they  paved  the  way  to  Romanism.  It  is  only  within  the  last  ten 
or  twelve  years  that  so-called  "Church  principles''  have  led  to 
secessions  from  the  Church  of  England  ;  but  the  influence  of  the 
new  school  or  party  is  there  clearly  perceptible.  No  two  systems 
are  more  essentially  different  than  that  of  the  old  "Anglican'' 
theology,  still  upheld  by  a  large  class  of  men  in  this  country,  and 
the  new  '^Tractarian''  theology,  which  omits  the  Protestant 
element  altogether.  A  sound  English  Churchman  is  protected 
by  his  position  against  tendencies  to  Rome.  If  he  be  in  orders, 
he  has  subscribed  Articles  which  involve  a  distinct  repudiation  of 
Romish  errors,  and  which  he  cannot  rightly  have  subscribed  without 
having  ascertained  for  himself  the  truth  and  reasonableness  of  the 
doctrine  which  they  teach.  Here,  therefore,  is  a  strong  founda- 
tion laid,  which  must  necessarily  define,  to  a  great  degree,  his 
future  course  of  thought.  If  he  engages  in  speculations  or 
inquiries  in  reference  to  the  Church  or  to  Christian  doctrine,  he 
has  still  to  bring  his  speculations  or  inferences  to  the  test  of  the 
original  principles  which  lie  at  the  foundation  of  his  doctrine.  As 
a  member  of  the  Church  of  England,  he  has  no  right  to  permit 
his  speculations  and  theories  to  run  counter  to  the  doctrines  of 
his  own  Church,  which  he  has  deliberately  subscribed.  If  he  has 
thoroughly  done  his  duty  to  God,  and  to  the  obligations  of 
conscience,  in  subscribing  the  Articles  of  the  Church,  he  will  be 
little  likely  to  be  shaken  in  his  faith  afterwards. 


ColUngwootTs  Sermons.  345 

In  making  these  remarks,  we  have  been  addressing  ourselves 
eiiefly  to  those  Churchmen  who  prefer  the  old  Theology  of  the 
Church  of  England  to  the  new  Tractarian  Theology — who  have 
never  placed  much  confidence  in  the  latter,  though  unwilling  to 
make  common  cause  with  any  class  of  men  whose  tendencies  are 
decidedly  towards  Dissent  or  Rationalism ;  and  there  is  such  a 
class  amongst  Evangelicals,  though  we  shall  be  far  from  imputing 
such  views  to  all  who  act  with  them.     We  cannot  expect  that  our 
remarks  will  have  any  weight  with  those  who  are  decided  par- 
tisans of  the  Tractarian  school ;  still  there  are  others,   many 
others,  who  are  as  yet  substantially  right,  and  to  whom  we  would 
venture  to  offer  a  few  words  of  caution.     Recent  secessions  must^ 
we  think,  have  led  many  such  persons  to  doubt  whether  the 
system  which  is  productive  of  such  results  is  altogether  a  trust- 
worthy one.     We  know  that  it  is  not  unusual  to  point  out  other 
causes  for  those  secessions ;  and  very  probably  there  is  more  or 
less  truth  in  the  assertion,  that  some  persons  may  have  fallen 
away  in  consequence  of  the  interference  of  the  State  in  Church 
questions  of  importance,  or  because  the  liberties  of  the  Church, 
or  its  discipline,  or  its  principles,  or  its  ritualism  have  not  been 
carried  out  sufficiently.     Doubtless  individuals  may  have  been 
more  or  less  influenced  by  such  considerations  in  separating  from 
the  Church  of  England :  but  we  must  say,  that  it  would  be  most 
delusive  to  ascribe  the  secessions  to  such  causes  alone.     Those 
causes  would  never  have  produced  the  results  to  which  they  have 
led,  if  men^s  minds  had  not  been  for  a  series  of  years  taught  to 
overlook  the  differences  between  the  Church  of  Rome  and  the 
Church  of  England,  in  the  effort  to  realize   a   general   union 
between  all  branches  of  the  Christian  Church,  reformed  and  un- 
reformed.     When  men  had  been  taught  for  years  to  discover 
every  fault  and  short-coming  in  their  own  Church,  and  to  over- 
look or  explain  away  every  error  and  corruption  in  another  ; — 
when   they  had   been  taught  to  admire  and  practise  as  far  as 
possible  the  devotions  of  a  corrupt  Church,  to  peruse  its  thef)logy, 
to  imitate  its  ceremonial,  and  to  look  with  displeasure  on  all 
attempts  to  point  out  its  idolatry  and  its  errors ; — when  the  Re- 
formation has  been  for  a  series  of  years  denounced  as  uncatholic, 
and  when  no  warning  is  ever  heard  against  the  errors  which  it  re- 
sisted, and  which  survive  to  the  present  day  in  an  exaggerated 
form ; — when  this  system  has  been  pertinaciously  continued  without 
change,  year  after  year,  notwithstanding  the  secessions  to  which 
it  has  given  rise  ; — we  do  say,  that  when  all  this  is  considered,  it 
appears  to  be  the  most  absolute  infatuation  to  omit  the  influence 
of  "  Tractarianism,''  when  the  causes  of  the  secessions  are  re- 
ferred to.     Of  course  the  Tractarian  press,  and  the  leaders  of 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. —  JUNE,  1851.  A  a 


346  CoUinffwoocTs  Sermons. 

the  party,  cannot  be  expected  to  admit  that  their  own  principles 
and  teaching  have  contributed  to  the   secessions ;    but  others 
may  exercise  a  more  independent  judgment,  and  may,  before  it 
is  too  late,  extricate  themselves  from  a  dangerous  connexion. 
We  would  remind  them,  that  experience  has  led  many  a  sound 
and  honest  Churchman  ere  now  to  sever  himself  from  Airther 
association  with  those  whose  course  he  perceived  to  be  deviating 
from  the  way  of  truth.     Tractarianism  at  its  commencement,  and 
for  a  time,  retained  more  or  less  of  a  Church  of  England  and 
Protestant  character,  as  Archdeacon  Sinclair  has  pointed  out, 
in  his  recent  Charge  to  the  Clergy  of  Middlesex ;  and  while  it 
retained  that  character  in  a  degree,  and  was  frank  and  open  in 
its  opposition  to  Bomanism,  it  received  the  aid  and  countenance 
of  many  men,  who  were  reduced  to  silence  and  estrangement,  or 
brought  to  open  opposition,  as  its  character  gradually  changed, 
and  became  more  strongly  developed.     We  have  now  seen  under 
the  influence  of  this  system  changes  of  opinion  which  could  little 
have  been  anticipated.     Who  could  have  imagined,  some  years 
since,  that  such  men  as  Mr.  Manning  would  have  altered  their  views 
so  widely  ?     We  remember  publications  of  his,  and  of  others  who 
have  also  left  us,  which  appeared  to  afford  reasonable  pledges  for 
the  soundness  of  their  belief;  and  yet  we  have  seen  the  ultimate 
effects  of  their  continued  association  with  the  Tractarian  body. 
Such  facts  as  this  are  replete  with  warning  to  younger  men ; 
and  we  trust  that  those  amongst  them,  who  can  now  subscribe  the 
Articles  of  the  Church  of  England  with  a  sincere  and  honest 
adhesion,  will  be  induced  to  be  on  their  guard,  and  not  permit 
themselves  to  be  led  by  any  evidence  of  piety,  of  learning,  or  of 
zeal,  to  associate  themselves  any  further  with  a  system  which  has 
been  proved    to  lead    to   unsettlement   of  belief.      What  has 
already  led  to  such  lamentable  results,  will,  beyond  doubt,  con- 
tinue to  produce  them ;  and,  on  a  full  survey  of  probabilities, 
we  must  express  an  apprehension  that,  sooner  or  later,  the  leaders 
of  ihS  Tractarian  body  will,  for  the  most  part,  unless  they  adopt 
a  very  different  course  from  what  they  are  now  doing,  become 
members  of  the  Church  of  Bome.     We  believe  them  to  have  no 
present  intention  of  joining  that  communion;  they  have  as  little 
mtention  as  Messrs.  Newman,  Oakley,  or  Manning  had  some 
years  since;  but,  nevertheless,  we  fear  that  the  policy  they  have 
pursued  for  years,  and  their  obstinate  persistance  in  that  policy, 
notwithstanding  the  effects  it  has  produced,  and  the  consequent 
excitement  of  the  public  mind,  will,  in  the  end,  induce  them,  or 
compel  them  to  secede.     What  will  then  be  the  position  of  their 
present   followers?     In  the  contemplation  of  such  possibilities, 
should  not  every  prudent  and  sincere  member  of  the  Church  of 


CoUiuffwoocTa  Bermons.  347 

England  hasten  to  withdraw  from  the  risk  of  being  involved  in 
such  temptation  as  may  thence  arise !  And  is  it  not  his  wisest 
and  best  course  to  rally  around  the  Church  herself  as  far  as  he 
may,  instead  of  following  party  leaders  ;*  to  endeavour  to  occupy 
in  die  most  efficient  manner  the  position  in  which  Divine  Provi- 
dence has  placed  him ;  to  give  his  support,  as  far  as  possible,  to 
the  episcopate  of  his  Church,  which  is  now  assailed  in  every 
direction,  and  to  declare  himself  openly  and  manfully  in  behalf  of 
those  Reformation  doctrines  of  the  Church,  which  are  ignored  or 
attacked  at  the  present  time  \ 

These  are  not  times  in  which  Churchmen  should  scrutinize  with 
an  unfriendly  eye  the  actions  of  their  bishops.  We  all  know  that 
the  prelates  of  the  Church  are  not  infallible,  and  that  this  or  that 
individual  bishop  may,  especially  in  these  times  of  perplexity  and 
difficulty,  not  exhibit  the  gentleness,  or  the  leniency,  or  the 
firainess,  or  the  courage,  or  the  clear-sightedness,  or  the  strict 
correctness  of  doctrine,  that  we  might  desire.  But  we  must  not 
let  ourselves  be  carried  away  by  the  evil  advice  of  partisans,  to 
unite  in  any  factious  opposition,  any  disrespectful  or  proud-spi- 
rited independence  of  action,  or  any  appeals  to  the  public  against 
the  authority  of  bishops.  There  may  be  great  temptations  to  do 
so,  when  individuals  or  their  friends  are,  in  their  opinion,  harshly 
treated ;  but  it  is  the  duty  of  Churchmen  to  consider  the  general 
interests  of  the  whole  Church  in  the  first  place,  and  to  permit 
no  private  feelings  to  influence  them  to  a  questionable  course  of 
proceeding.  In  thus  acting  they  would  be  merely  playing  the 
game  of  ^1  the  enemies  of  the  Church  of  England,  whose  hopes 
of  witnessing  her  destruction  depend  almost  entirely  on  the  dis- 
sensions amongst  her  members  ;  and  they  would  be  acting  under 
the  direction  of  a  party,  which  is  at  present  in  a  transition 
state,  without  fixed  principles,  and  gradually  passing  over  to 
fiome. 

We  have  been  led  to  these  reflections  by  the  perusal  of  the 
very  sound  and  ably-written  work,  the  title  of  which  we  have 

E laced  at  the  commencement  of  this  paper.  Its  object  is  to  lay 
efore  English  Churchmen  a  brief  and  popular  statement  of  some 
of  the  chief  grounds  on  which  our  attachment  is  claimed  for  the 
Church  of  England  as  a  true  branch  of  the  Christian  Church. 
The  firm  and  clear  statements  of  principle  in  this  series  of  Ser- 
mons, coupled  with  its  publication  ^'  oy  request,^^  furnishes  an  addi- 
tional proof  (if  it  were  wanting)  that  even  notwithstanding  all  the 
prevalent  jealousy  in  such  matters,  caused  by  the  extravagancies 
and  treacheries  of  so  many  nominal  Churchmen,  there  is  still  a 
full  and  a  favourable  hearing  for  those  who  seek  to  maintain  the 
rights  of  the  Church  of  England  as  an  Apostolical  Churchy  against 

Aa2 


348  ColUnfffooocTs  Sermons. 

the  levelling  principles  of  Dissent  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  inso- 
lent aggressions  of  Romanism  on  the  other. 

In  Mr.  CoUingwood  we  recognize,  with  the  highest  satisfac- 
tion, a  writer,  whose  principles  are  thoroughly  trustworthy,  and 
who  has  the  courage  to  think  for  himself,  and  to  express  with 
frankness  and  independence  of  mind  those  principles  of  fidelity  to 
the  English  Church,  which  it  has  been  the  fashion,  amongst  cer- 
tain classes  of  soi-disant  Churchmen,  to  ridicule  and  condemn  as 
"  Anglican,"  '«  Protestant,"  and  "  Uncatholic." 

The  general  outline  of  the  argument  in  the  volume  before  us 
is  to  point  out  the  claims  of  the  Church  of  England  as  a  true  and 
Apostolical  Church,  possessed  of  a  legitimate  ministry,  and  to 
contrast  therewith  the  position  of  Dissent,  as  existing  in  a  state 
of  unauthorized  separation,  and  destitute  of  a  lawful  ministry. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  errors  of  Bomanism  and  the  unfounded- 
ness  of  its  claims  are  distinctly  and  ably  argued,  with  a  view  to 
maintain  the  protest  of  the  Church  of  England.  We  must  here 
introduce  the  reader  to  Mr.  CoUingwood,  and  permit  the  latter 
to  reply  in  his  own  words  to  the  objections  which  may  be  raised 
to  his  work : — 

"With  regard  to  the  principles  advocated  in  these  Sermons,  it  is  pos- 
sible that  objections  may  be  raised  against  them  from  two  opposite  quar- 
ters.    The  tear  may  be  entertained  by  some,  that  they  must  necessarily 
have  a  tendency  towards  Romanism,  because  priests  of  the  English 
Church,  by  whom  principles,  in  a  very  limited  degree  similar,  were 
formerly  advocated,  have  already  joined,  while  others  are  said  to  be 
about  to  join,  the  Romish  communion.     It  might  be  sufficient  on  this 
point  to  say,  that  no  abuse  or  perversion  of  any  thing  in  itself  lawful 
can  thereby  destroy  its  lawful  use.     But,  moreover,  it  is  not  true,  in 
fact,  that  any  have  joined  the  Romish  Church,  because  of  the  principles 
advocated  in  these  Sermons;  but  rather  because,  instead  of  taking 
those  principles  as  their  foundation,  they   have  used   them  simply  as 
means  to  an  end.     Men  have  joined  the  Romish  Church,  some  from 
morbid  enthusiasm,  some  from  an   unsound  theory  of  Catholicism; 
some  from  disappointed  ambition  and  wounded  vanity ;  all  from,  more 
or  less,  regarding  our  spiritual  mother  ah  extra  instead  of  ah  intra. 
They  formed  to  themselves  a  false  ideal  of  a  Christian  Church;  and 
then,  because  the  Church  of  England  did  not  come  up  to  their  own 
unreal  standard,  therefore  they    forsook  her  communion,  dazzled  by 
the  apparently  greater  similarity  of  that  subtle  Church  which,  if  we 
may  apply  the  passage  without  irreverence,  is  willing  and  anxious  to 
be,  in  a  very  different  manner  to  the  great  Apostle,  all  things  to  aU 
men,  if  hy  any  means  she  may  lure  some  to  her  fold.     They  who  have 
forsaken  the  Ansrlican  Church  were,  it  is  notorious,  accustomed  to  adopt 
an  apologetic,  a  half-compassionate  tone  towards  her ;  a  tone  very  dif- 
ferent indeed  to  that  in  which  any  true-hearted  English  Churchmaii 


ColUnfffcoodPs  Sermons.  349 

speaks  of  the  Church  of  his  baptism.     They  have  gone  out  from  her, 
because  they  were  never,  in  reality,  of  her ;  because  their  real  principles 
and  the  principles  of  the  Church  of  England  are  contrary  the  one  to  the 
other" — pp.  vi.  vii. 

There  is  much  truth  in  these  remarks :  the  unhappy  persons 
here  referred  to  never  appear  to  have  realized  the  character  and 
position  of  the  English  Church :  Catholicism  was  to  them  an 
" ideal '""  from  the  beginning:  the  English  Church  was  never  re- 
garded as  its  embodiment — as  a  system  to  be  contended  for — even 
as  preferable  to  Bomanism.  The  tone  was  always  as  is  here 
observed,  "  apologetic**'  and  "  half-compassionate.'^  It  never  was 
a  tone  of  cordial,  earnest  trust  in  the  Church  of  England.  On 
the  other  hand,  it  gradually  ceased  to  express  any  repugnance  to 
Borne:  it  became  imbued  with  a  false  charity  and  liberality 
which  would  not  even  tolerate  the  exposure  of  Bomish  error. 
Mr.  CoUingwood  refers  to  this  amiable  but  mistaken  feeling  in 
the  following  passage : — 

"  But  it  may  be  that  a  different  charge  may  be  brought  against  some 
portions  of  this  volume;  a  charge  of 'throwing  stones;'  a  charge  of 
wantonly  and  maliciously  attacking  that  which  one,  deservedly  honoured 
by  the  English  Church,  has  so  well  called  a  '  rival  communion ;'  a 
charge  which  would,  if  urged  from  some  quarters,  be  of  a  very  painful 
nature.     It  so  happened  that  when  preparing  the  materials  for  the 
lectures  on  the  papal  supremacy,  the  arrogant  and  insolent  denuncia- 
tion of  the  English  Church,  which  Dr.  Wiseman  put  forth  to  '  the 
&ithfu],'  in  his  Lenten  Indult,  fell  into  my  hands.     I  confess  that  my 
indignation,  as  a  priest  of  that  Church,  was  very  strongly  excited,  and 
I  may  have  gone  into  the  question  at  greater  length  than  1  should 
otherwise  have  done.     But,  to  throw  aside  the  plea  of  special  provoca- 
tion, surely  there  is  very  much  higher  ground  to  be  taken  on  this  sub« 
ject.     Is  it  not  a  fact  that,  from  an  amiable  but  mistaken  feeling,  the 
suppressio  veri  with  regard  to  Rome  has  been  too  long  tried  ?     Is  it  not 
a  fact  that  a  delusive  notion  of  charity,  a  desire  of  '  winning  by  gentle 
love,'  have  had  too  much  weight  with  many,  who  are  yet  amongst  the 
staunchest  and  soundest  ministers  of  the  English  Church  ?     Is  it  not 
true,  not  that  our  Gatholicism  has  been  brought  too  prominently  for- 
ward, for  that  can  never  be,  but  that  our  Protestantism  has  been  too 
much  kept  in  the  back  ground  ?     And  what  has  been  the  result  ?     Let 
the  *  Lenten  Indult,'  and  the  *  Final  Appeal'  of  Dr.  Wiseman ;  let  the 
perversions  to  Rome  which  ever  and  anon  show  us  too  plainly  that 
men,  holding  '  all  Roman  doctrine,'  alas,  that  it  should  again  be  said ! 
have  long  been  ministering  at  England's  altars,  supply  an  answer  to 
the  question." — pp.  vii.  viii. 

Undoubtedly  there  can  be  no  more  serious  and  important  ques- 
tion than  that  which  refers  to  the  reasons  which  determine  us 
to  be  or  remain  attached  to  a  religious  communion.     To  those 


350  ColUngwood'i  Sermant, 

who  are  wholly  irreligious,  of  course,  this  question,  or  any  other 
affecting  religious  duty,  will  be  wholly  uninteresting.  They  care 
not  whether  truth  or  falsehood  obtain  the  upper  hand,  and  re- 
cognize no  claims  except  those  of  "  the  god  of  this  world.''  And 
others  who  are  not  without  religious  feelings,  are  unhappily  led 
by  prevalent  errors  and  want  of  knowledge  to  views  in  reference 
to  the  Church  which  are  in  a  high  degree  absurd  and  unreason- 
able. There  is  a  prevalent  want  of  intelligence  on  the  subject 
which  it  is  not  difficult  to  account  for ;  but  which  is  most  un- 
desirable, especially  in  the  present  times.  Mr.  CoUingwood 
touches  on  the  subject  thus : — 

**  If,  for  instance,  we  were  to  put  the  question  to  you  individually, 
Why  do  you  belong  to  the  Church  ?  the  replies  would  probably  be 
well-nigh  as  various  as  the  persons  by  whom  they  would  be  delivered. 
One  perhaps  would  say,  I  belong  to  the  Church,  because  I  was  bap- 
tized into  it  by  the  early  care  of  pious  parents ;  another.  Because  the 
Church  is  established  by  the  civil  power  of  this  kingdom ;  another, 
Because  I  admire  the  sublimity  of  its  Liturgy  and  the  beautiful  order 
of  its  services  ;  but  how  very  few,  comparatively,  are  there  who  would 
say, — simply  because  they  have  never  had  such  a  view  of  the  subject 
put  before  them,  and  demonstrated  to  them, — T  belong  to  the  Church, 
because  the  Church  is  a  divinely  constituted  society,  founded  by  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  *  One  fold  under  One  Shepherd' — as  the  only 
appointed  channel  of  his  grace,  the  only  appointed  means  of  spreading 
bis  religion  over  the  whole  world  :  because,  through  the  ordinances  of 
the  Church  only,  can  I  be  certain  that  the  merits  of  my  Redeemer's 
death  and  passion  are  applied  to  my  individual  soul,  in  the  way  in 
which  that  Divine  Redeemer  Himself  directed  they  should  be  applied. 
Again,  with  respect  to  our  own  particular  branch  of  the  Universal 
Church,  how  general  is  the  misconception  which  prevails  concerning  it 
How  very  many  persons  there  are  who  say,  and  think,  that  the  Church 
of  England  dates  her  existence  from  the  sixteenth  century,  from  the 
Reformation;  that  our  venerable  Reformers  were  her  founders;  that 
she  stands  on  precisely  the  same  level  with  regard  to  authority,  as  any 
other  of  the  numerous  bodies  of  Christians,  which  have  existed  since 
that  time,  and  which  still  continue  to  exist ;  a  necessary  and  natural 
consequence  of  which  opinion  is,  that  Church  Membershipy  as  such,  is, 
by  those  persons,  very  little  regarded.  Too  many  think  that,  provided 
•  they  name  the  name  of  Christ,'  provided  they  believe  in  the  Son  of 
God,  provided,  in  short,  they  are  Christians,  whether  they  are  or  are 
not  Churchmen  is  a  matter  of  very  small  importance.  They  distinguish 
between  Doctrine  and  Discipline ;  they  regard  one  as  of  divine,  the 
other  as  of  human  origin,  and  therefore  deem  themselves  warranted  in 
holdmg  to  the  one,  and  despising,  or  at  least  disregarding,  the  other. 
Ihey  consider  men  may  be  just  as  acceptable  in  God's  sight,  without 
cohtorming  to  any  particular  system  of  ecclesiastical  polity  as  of  Divine 
ongin.  — pp.  2,  3. 


Oottingwood*8  Sermane.  361 

The  course  of  instruction  comprised  in  these  discourses  is  com- 
menced by  an  outline  of  the  establishment  of  the  Jewish  Church 
with  its  priesthood,  and  of  the  substitution  of  the  Christian 
Church  in  its  place  with  an  Apostolical  ministry.  In  the  second 
Sermon  the  Church  is  considered  as  a  spiritual  knd  a  visible 
society :  and  the  nature  of  its  government  is  then  introduced  in 
the  following  manner : — 

"  But  it  is  time  that,  leaving  the  consideration  of  this  branch  of  our 
subject,  we  examine  the  very  important  question.  How  was  the  Church, 
which  we  have  traced  from  its  foundation  by  Jesus  Christ,  governed  ? 
bow,  or  rather,  by  whom,  were  its  divinely  constituted  ordinances  ad- 
ministered ?  who  were  they,  who,  as  the  branches  of  the  Vine,  were 
gradually  spread   round  about  the  parent  stem,  were  invested  with 
authority  to  minister  about  holy  things  ?     That  there  must  have  been, 
independently  of  the  testimony  of  Scripture,  that  there  must  have  been, 
in  the  very  nature  of  things,  a  system  of  government  organized,  and  a 
body  of  men  appointed  and  selected,  by  whom  that  government  was  to 
be  carried  on,  is  surely  a  self-evident  proposition.   Inasmuch  as  no  well- 
regulated  society  ever  did  or  can  subsist  without  officers  to  govern  it, 
and  without  some  subordination  among  those  officers,  and  inasmuch  as 
it  appears  that  the  Christian  Church  is  a  regularly  organized  society,  it 
must  of  necessity  have  an  organized  system  of  government,  a  regularly 
appointed  body  of  officers.     *  For  as,'  to  use  the  words  of  Bishop 
Beveridge,  'there  is  no  nation  in  the  world,  but  where  they  profess 
some  kind  of  religion  or  another,  so  there  is  no  religion  professed  in 
the  world,  but  where  they  have  some  persons  or  other  set  apart  for  the 
celebration  of  the  several  rites  and  ceremonies  in  it — without  which  it 
i%  impossible  that   any  religion  should  subsist.      For  if  no   places 
were  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  God,  men  would  soon  worship  Him  no 
where  ;  if  no  time,  they  would  never  worship  Him  ;  so  if  no  persons 
were  set  apart  for  it,  none  would  ever  do  it  at  all,  at  least  not  so  as  they 
ought.'     •  When  we  think  of  the  Church  as  a  kingdom,'  says  a  modern 
writer,  *  we  are  led  to  consider  its  outward  form  and  development.    We 
look  for  a  positive  institution  and  a  visible  order.     There  must  be  a 
sovereign,  the  Father  of  his  people,  ruling  with  absolute,  yet  paternal 
authority  over  a  given  realm.     There  must  be  dutiful,  affectionate,  and 
loyal  service.     We  anticipate  a  settled  policy,  laws,  and  ordinances, 
some  of  permanent,  others  of  occasional  obligation.     We  expect  to  find 
delegated  powers ;  an  appointed  legislature  and  executive  ;  we  are  not 
surprised  when  we  hear  of  official  distinctions,  a  succession  of  persons, 
temporal  and  local  relations.     In  a  word,  we  are  prepared  to  meet  the 
question  of  Church  Government.'  " — pp.  37 — 39. 

The  three  theories  of  Church  Government  are  then  stated — 
viz.,  Independency — Presby  terianism — and  Episcopacy.  To  these 
might  be  added  another  theory  which  Mr.  CoUingwood,  perhaps 
discreetly,  omitted  to  notice.  We  refer  to  that  notion,  or  theory, 
or  claim,  which  is  now  so  frequently  put  forward— the  government 


352  CoUingtooocTs  Sermons. 

of  the  Church  by  the  laity.    In  fact,  we  now  hear  sentiments  fre- 

Juently  expressed,  which,  under  the  pretence  of  jealousy  of  priestly 
omination,  go  to  the  absolute  subjugation  of  the  clergy  to  the 
will  of  the  populace.  The  declarations  which  are  heard  on  this 
subject  appear  to  be  not  unfrequently  dictated  rather  by  a  spirit 
of  pride  and  insubordination  which  will  not  brook  control,  than  by 
any  desire  for  the  religious  welfare  of  the  community  ;  and  while 
we  admit,  with  regret,  that  some  few  individual  clergy  have 
been  less  conciliatory  and  humble  in  their  tone  than  they  ought 
to  have  been,  we  must  add  that  some  of  the  laity  have  evinced  an 
intemperance  and  a  pride  which  may  cause  uneasiness  and  anxiety 
in  the  Church  at  large,  but  can  neither  tend  to  the  promotion  of 
true  religion,  the  strengthening  of  the  Church,  the  healing  of  her 
divisions,  or  even  the  attainment  of  the  objects  aimed  at  by  the 
persons  referred  to.  Every  sincere  member  of  the  Church  would 
rejoice  to  see  the  laity  take  a  still  more  lively  interest  in  all 
its  concerns  than  they  do;  and  we  believe  there  are  but  few 
amongst  the  bishops  and  clergy  who  would  not  be  willing  to  see 
the  laity  aiding  amongst  us,  as  they  do  in  America,  in  Church 
legislation,  more  especially  in  temporal  matters  ;  but  really,  when 
we  see  so  much  jealousy  exhibited  towards  the  clergy  in  some 
directions,  it  is  almost  enough  to  make  us  pause  before  we  actually 
consent  to  subject  the  Church  to  the  strife  likely  to  be  caused  by 
an  infusion  of  such  dangerous  elements  into  her  government.  The 
truth  however,  we  believe,  is,  that  such  schismatical  and  unrea- 
sonable doctrines  as  we  refer  to,  are  not  generally  approved  by  any 
class  of  men  in  the  Church  of  England,  except  by  the  irreligious, 
or  by  those  who  would  not  only  overthrow  the  Church  government 
of  the  English  Church,  but  its  Creeds,  Articles,  and  Liturgy,  and 
remodel  our  ecclesiastical  system  on  the  examples  supplied  by 
Germany.  The  genuine  members  of  the  Church  of  England— 
the  communicants  of  the  Church — who  evince  their  interest  in 
that  Church  by  partaking  of  the  means  of  grace  she  is  empowered 
to  offer — are  not  amongst  the  brawlers  against  priestly  power; 
and  to  them  might  safely  be  entrusted  a  share  in  the  government 
of  the  Church.  In  the  present  state  of  England,  we  conceive 
that  nothing  could  be  more  dangerous  than  the  indiscriminate  ad- 
mission of  the  laity  to  any  Church  legislature :  there  are  men 
who  in  Parliament  and  elsewhere  are  for  ever  intermeddling  in 
Church  matters,  in  the  most  offensive  way — whose  violence  and 
almost  brutality,  are  an  absolute  profanation  to  the  sacred  sub- 
jects on  which  they  touch— and  whose  bitter  and  savage  person- 
alities do  not  spare  the  most  exalted  station,  or  the  purest  and 
most  admirable  conduct.  We  should  be  sorry  to  see  tlie  Church 
subjected  to  the  iarbitrary  dictation  of  men  like  these,  or  even 


ColKngwoocTs  Sermons.  353 

iable  to  their  interference  in  any  way.  It  is  amon^t  our  deepest 
iegradations  that  men  of  this  class  should  be  able  to  set  up  as 
C5hurch  Beformers.     But  we  must  return  to  Mr.  Collingwood. 

His  third  Sermon  commences  with  a  full  and  satisfactory  ex- 
position of  the  doctrine  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  reference 
to  the  form  of  Church  government,  gathered  from  the  whole  of 
the  authorized  formularies.  He  next  proceeds  to  state  the  nature 
of  the  proofs  for  Episcopacy  and  the  succession  of  the  ministry, 
which  are  deducible  from  holy  Scripture,  and  then  enters  on  his 
argument  in  support  of  the  following  propositions  :  "  First,  that 
the  government  of  the  Church  and  the  power  of  ordination  were 
vested  in  the  holy  Apostles ;  secondly,  that  during  the  lifetime 
of  the  Apostles  there  existed  in  the  Church  a  threefold  order  of 
the  ministry ;  and,  thirdly,  that  to  the  first  order  alone,  and 
exclusively,  was  delegated  by  the  Apostles  the  government  of  the 
Church,  and  the  power  of  ordination."  The  inference  to  be 
drawn  from  these  facts  is,  that  in  the  Church  ^^  no  one  can  have 
a  right  to  minister  about  holy  things,  unless  he  can  prove  his 
commission  to  do  so  by  direct  and  unbroken  succession  from  the 
Apostles ;  unless,  in  other  words,  he  has  received  Episcopal  ordi- 
nation. It  will  follow  also  that  it  is  the  bounden  duty  of  all 
Christians  to  live  under  one  system  of  Church  government ;  to 
be,  in  fact,  and  not  in  name  only,  one  fold  under  one  sliepherd, 
Jesus  Christ  the  righteous,**^ — p.  59. 

We  ghall  not  follow  the  argument  through  its  various  branches 

80  ably  and  well  propounded  in  the  succeeding  discourses.     We 

have  seldom,  if  ever,  seen  a  plainer  and  more  popular  exposition 

of  the  subject  than  in  Mr.  CoUingwood's  pages.     His  style  is 

not  above  the  comprehension  of  any  educated  congregation ;  his 

argument  is  clear  and  forcible,  neither  obscured  by  redundancy 

of  fact  and  quotation,  nor  so  condensed  as  to  task  the  attention 

of  his  hearers  too  severely.     He  carries  us  with  him  entirely  in 

his  demonstrations  from  Scripture  of  "the  Apostolical  origin,  and 

the  obligation  of  Episcopacy,  and  of  an  Apostolical  ministry  in 

the  Christian  Church,  and  in  his  subsequent  proof  that  this  form 

of  government  existed,  and  was  held  binding  in  the  primitive 

Church.     But  we  would  refer  the  reader  to  the  volume  itself,  in 

preference  to   any  attempt  to  take  him  over  ground,  which  must 

be  more  or  less  familiar  to  many  who  peruse  these  pages. 

We  would  now  refer  to  that  portion  of  Mr.  CoUingwood^s 
work,  in  which  he  meets  the  objections  which  are  raised  to  all 
such  statements  of  principles  as  he  has  so  far  made ;  nor  can 
we  do  better  than  state  these  objections  in  his  own  words,  which 
will  at  once  prove  how  fully  alive  he  is  to  the  antagonism  which 


354  CoUinffwoocTs  Sermons. 

in  every  direction  encounters  us,  and  furnish  an  outUne  of 
mode  in  which  he  meets  the  opponents  of  his  principles  :•— 

**  Now  we  are  perfectly  aware  that  different  kinds  of  objections  ifl* 
be  taken  to  much  that  we  have  said,  especially  in  the  last  two  1^0^ 
tures,  by  very  different  classes  of  persons.  These  objections  may  be 
fitly  ranged  under  three  heads.  Many  who,  we  doubt  not,  feel  the 
strongest  love  for  the  Church  of  their  Baptism,  will  probably  acknow- 
ledge the  abstract  truth  of  the  position  we  have  taken,  and  of  tbe 
arguments  we  have  brought  forward  to  establish  it,  but  at  the  same 
time  will  doubt  the  propriety,  or  the  expediency,  of  advocating  that 
position  dogmatically.  They  will  shrink  from  establishing  the  tmA 
of  their  own  principles,  if  such  a  course  must  necessarily  convict  every 
one  who  differs  from  those  principles  of  unsoundness.  Others,  who  as 
well  belong  to  our  communion,  will  probably  be  afraid  of  the  source 
from  whence  many  of  the  arguments  in  support  of  the  Apostolical 
succession,  and  the  exclusive  right  of  bishops  to  ordain,  are  derived. 
They  have  been  so  accustomed  to  confound  together  primitive  Chris* 
tianity  and  popery  ;  so  accustomed  to  think  every  thing  prior  to  the 
Reformation — not  positively  scriptural^  not,  that  is,  clearly  laid  down 
in  detail  in  the  pages  of  Scripture — as  papistical,  and  therefore  con- 
trary to  the  principles  of  every  true  Protestant,  that  they  are  afraid,— 
and  God  forbid  that  we  should  venture  to  blame  them  for  entertamng 
that  fear,  provided  always  it  be  not  inaccessible  to  sound  argument— 
they  are  afraid  to  attach  so  high  a  value  to  Church  membership,  and  to 
Church  discipline,  lest  they  should  unwittingly  verge  upon  popish 
error ;  lest  they  should  be,  unawares,  drawn  into  the  snare  of^Romish 
superstition.  We  have  to  the  first  objection  a  twofold  answer :  we 
say,  as  we  said  in  our  first  Lecture,  it  does  seem  the  duty  of  every 
minister  of  the  English  Church  to  set  before  those  whom  God  has 
committed  to  his  charge,  the  ai^uments  by  which  she  can  be  proved 
to  be  a  true  and  living  branch  of  the  '  One  Holy  Catholic  and  Apos- 
tolic Church,'  quite  independently  of  any  controversy,  either  with  the 
Romish  or  Protestant  dissenter.  We  say  Romish  dissenter,  because 
never  forget,  that  if  the  Church  of  England  be  a  true  Church,  the 
Romanist,  in  this  country,  is  quite  as  much  guilty  of  the  sin  of  scbisQi} 
only  in  a  different  way,  as  the  Protestant  dissenter.  The  one  denies 
the  authority  of  the  Church  altogether  ;  the  other,  false  to  the  princi- 
ples of  his  own  primitive  purity,  knowing  well  that  there  ought  to  be 
in  one  place  neither  *  many  shepherds,  nor  many  flocks,'  still,  as  Nova- 
tian  did  against  Cornelius,  schismatically  sets  up  bishop  against  bishopi 
priest  against  priest,  and  altar  against  altar. 

"  But  we  say  more  than  this.  We  say  that  schism,  or  separation 
from  the  visible  Church  of  Christ,  either  is  sinfiil,  or  it  is  not.  If  it 
be  not,  why  do  we  pray,  as  we  have  just  prayed,  that  God  would 
deliver  us  from  it  ?  Why  do  the  holy  Scriptures  every  where  denounce 
it  ?     Why  did  the  early  Christians  shrink  from  it  with  such  honor  as 


^^'' 


CoUingvDood'a  Sermons.  S55 

'  an  unheard-of  thing  ? '  But  if  it  be  a  sin  causelessly  to  rend  asunder 
by  divisions  the  Church,  that  body  of  which  Christ  is  the  Head,  then 
do  we  confidently  say  that  we  are  bound,  by  every  tie  of  duty  to  that 
Divine  Master,  whose  tve  are,  and  whom  rve  serve,  by  every  tie  of  love 
and  affection  for  you  over  whom  we  are  placed  in  the  Lord,  not  only 
to  set  before  you  the  duty  of  conforming  to  the  Church,  but  also  the 
arguments  whereby  nonconformity,  as  a  violation  of  Christian  unity, 
is  proved  to  be  contrary  alike  to  the  teaching  of  God's  word,  and  the 
practice  of  those  who  lived  the  nearest  to  the  Apostolic  times.  We 
say  that  no  imputation  of  want  of  charity  can  fairly  be  laid  at  the 
door  of  any  minister  of  the  Church,  who  endeavours  firmly  and  faith- 
fully, but  yet,  withal;  calmly  and  temperately,  in  a  spirit  of  love  to- 
wards all  men,  but  especially  towards  them  which  are  of  the  household 
of  faith,  to  set  before  his  people  the  great  duty,  and  the  inestimable 
privilege  of  Church  membership  ;  to  point  out  to  them  the  great  re- 
sponsibility which,  by  virtue  of  their  high  position,  attaches  to  them 
as  very  members  incorporate  of  the  body  of  Christ,  *  in  order  that,'  to 
apply  the  words  of  Cyprian, — *  in  order  that,  while  the  discrimination 
of  truth  may  be  a  test  to  our  hearts  and  minds,  the  perfect  faith  of 
them  that  are  approved  may  shine  forth  in  the  manifest  light.' 

*'  And  with  regard  to  the  second  objection,  the  fear,  viz.,  of  the 
source  from  which  the  arguments  of  our  two  last  Lectures  have  been 
derived,  the  fear  of  verging  upon  Romish  error  and  Romish  supersti- 
tion— the  fear  is,  in  truth,  altogether  groundless ;  and  for  this  very 
plain  reason  : — The  ecclesiastical  writers,  from  whose  works  we  have 
drawn  such  striking  testimony  in  support  of  the  Apostolical  succes- 
sion, in 'support  of  the  view  we  have  taken  with  respect  to  the  Christian 
Church,  and  the  Christian  ministry,  all  lived  long  before  any  thing 
whatever  had  been  heard  of  the  monstrous  claim  to  an  universal  supre- 
macy, which  the  Bishop  of  Rome  has,  since  those  times,  set  up  and 
maintained.  In  the  times  of  which  we  have  been  speaking,  the  Bishop 
of  Rome — we  say,  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  for  the  term  pope  was  then 
common  to  all  bishops, — the  Bishop  of  Rome  possessed  precisely  the 
same  kind  of  authority  which  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  possesses 
now  :  he  governed  his  own  province,  and  that  only  ;  and  possessed  no 
authority  whatever  over  any  other  bishop,.  We  will  demonstrate  this, 
if  God  will,  when  the  course  of  our  subject  brings  us  to  speak  of  our 
Reformation ;  we  mention  it  now,  simply  that  you  may  not  entertain 
the  slightest  fear  that  we  have  been  treading  on  Romish  ground,  or 
bringing  forward  Romish  arguments." — pp.  148 — 162. 

We  pass  over  with  reluctance  the  interesting  Lectures  in 
which  Mr.  CoUingwood  describes  the  state  of  the  primitive 
Church,  and  details  their  sentiments  in  reference  to  Baptism  and 
the  holy  Eucharist ;  including  the  subjects  of  infant  baptism, 
confirmation,  the  rules  for  administering  the  Lord's  Supper,  and 
the  abuses  and  errors  of  Romanism  in  reference  to  that  sacrament, 
the  primitive  worship,  prayers  for  the  dead,  the  ancient  discipline 


356  Collingwood*8  Sermons. 

and  penances.  We  must  also  dismiss,  with  only  a  passing  word 
of  commendation,  the  well-written  discourse  in  which  the  Apos- 
tolical origin  and  early  independence  of  the  British  Church  are 
detailed,  and  in  which  the  alleged  rights  of  the  Roman  Pontiff,  as 
grounded  on  the  mission  of  Augustine,  are  fairly  and  fully  di- 
cussed,  and  proved  to  be  without  reasonable  foundation. 

We  come  now  to  the  eleventh  Sermon,  "  on  the  Supremacy  of 
St.  Peter,"^  in  which  the  scriptural  argument  on  that  important 
subject  is  detailed.  The  passage  of  Scripture  chiefly  under  con- 
sideration is  Matt.  xvi.  17 — 19,  on  which  Mr.  GoUingwood 
makes  the  following  comments  : — 

"  Let  us  then  see,  in  the  first  place,  what  is  meant  by  the  tenn, 
Supremacy  of  the  Pope  ;  what  dominion  it  is  which  he  claims  to  exer- 
cise over  the  whole  Christian  world.  Let  us  see  the  nature  of  *  that 
copestone/  we  use  the  words  of  a  modern  Romanist,  '  that  copestone  to 
the  entire  edifice,'  that  is,  to  the,  so  called,  Catholic  Church,  '  whereby 
it  is  fastened  and  held  together,  and  close  united,  and  at  the  same  time 
crowned  ;  that  which  at  once  secures  and  adonis,  strengthens  and 
completes  it.'  The  Supremacy  of  the  Pope,  then,  *  signifies  nothing 
more,  than  that  the  Pope,  or  Bishop  of  Rome,  as  the  successor  of 
St.  Peter,  possesses  authority  and  jurisdiction,  in  things  spiritual,  over 
the  entire  Church  ;  so  as  to  constitute  its  visible  head,  and  the  vice- 
gerent of  Christ  on  earth.'  " — p.  229. 

"  The  Romanist  contends,  that  by  the  words  of  the  text,  *  St.  Peter 
was  invested  by  our  Saviour  with  a  superiority  not  merely  of  dignity, 
but  of  jurisdiction  also,  over  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,'  a  superiority  not 
merely  personal,  but  extending  to  every  Bishop  of  Rome,  for  the  time 
being,  as  St.  Peter's  successor.  The  principal  other  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture which,  as  they  say,  corroborate  this  theory,  are  one  in  the  21st 
chapter  of  St.  John,  extending  from  the  15th  to  the  I7th  verse,  where 
St.  Peter  is  three  times  charged  to  feed  the  lambs  and  t/te  sheep  of 
Christ,  and  another  in  Luke  22nd,  ver.  31st,  where  our  Lord  tells  Peter, 
that  he  had  prayed,  that  Satan  might  not  have  power  over  him.  It  is 
indeed  most  painful  to  be  forced  to  inquire  into  a  subject  of  such 
a  nature,  to  be  compelled  to  institute  any  examination  respecting  the 
position  in  the  Christian  Church  of  the  great  Apostle  of  the  Circum- 
cision. On  their  heads  must  the  responsibility  rest,  who  have  exalted 
thCf  so  called,  successor  of  St.  Peter,  to  a  position  which  that  piliar  of 
the  Church  never  thought  of  claiming  for  himself. 

•*  With  regard  to  the  words  of  our  text,  without  going  into  any 
detailed  etymological  criticism  concerning  them,  suffice  it  to  say,  that 
the  closest  version  of  the  original  in  English  would  be.  Thou  art  a  slone^ 
and  on  this  rock  will  I  build  my  Church.  According  then  to  the 
Romish  theory,  the  moment  these  words  were  pronounced,  St.  Peter 
acquired  a  dignity  and  a  jurisdiction  also,  in  perpetuity,  superior  to  tho 
rest  of  the  Apostles.  Let  us  see  how  this  theory  is  borne  out  by  otbet 
passages  of  Scripture.     You  remember,  on  one  occasion,  the  mother  of 


CoUingwoocTa  Sermons.  357 

ames  and  John  desired  a  superior  place  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord  for 
ler  sons.     We  read,  And  when  the  ten  heard  it,  they  were  moved  with 
ndignation  against  the  two  brethren.     Now  mark  this,  remembering 
ilways  that  these  words  were  uttered  after  the  declaration  to  St.  Peter, 
But  Jesus  called  them  unto  him  and  said,  Ye  know  that  tJie  princes  of  the 
Gentiles  exercise  dominion  over  them,  and  they  that  are  great  exercise 
mUkority  upon  them.     But  it  shall  not  be  so  among  you  :  but  whosoever 
mUl  be  great  among  you,  let  him  be  your  minister :  And  whosoever  will 
U  chief  among  you,  let  him  be  your  servant.     Again  our  Lord  says  to 
all  the  Apostles,  Be  not  ye  called  Rabbi :  for  one  is  your  master,  even 
Christ ;    and  all  ye  are  brethren.     Again  we  read,   Then  there  arose  a 
reasoning  among  them,  which  of  them  should  be  greatest.     And  Jesus, 
ferceiving  the  thought  of  their  heart,  took  a  child,  and  set  him  by  him^ 
And  said  unto  them,    Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child  in  my  name, 
reeeiveth  me :  and  whosoever  shall  receive  me  receiveth  him  that  sent  me : 
for  he  that  is  least  among  you  all,  the  same  shall  be  great.     Clearly, 
therefore,  neither  Peter  nor  his  brethren  could  have  understood  the 
promise  of  Christ  to  St.  Peter,  as  the  Romanists  understand  it ;  if  they 
had,  they  surely  would  not  have  disputed,  which  of  them  should  be  the 
greatest.     They  must  have  looked  on  that  question  as  perfectly  settled 
in  St.  Peter's  favour,  and  would  have  regarded  him  with  deference  accord- 
ingly.    And  with  regard  to  the  commission,  or  power  of  the  keys, 
promised  to  St.  Peter  in  the  text,  we  find  the  very  same  power  actually 
conferred,   after  the  resurrection,  upon  all  the  Apostles.     We  read. 
Then  said  Jesus  to  them  again,  Peace  be  unto  you :  as  my  Father  hath 
unt  me,  even  so  send  I  you.     And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on 
them,  and  said  unto  them.  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost:   Whose  soever  sins 
ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them ;  and  whose  soever  sins  ye  retain, 
they  are  retained.     Sacerdotal  power  was  promised  to  St.  Peter  before, 
bat  not  conferred  till  after  the  resurrection,  and  then  on  him  in  common 
with  the  other  Apostles.     Now,  my  brethren,  we  say  confidently,  that, 
even  could  we  offer  no  feasible  explanation  of  the  words  of  our  text, 
the  passages  of  Scripture  we  have  adduced,  do  completely  negative  the 
supposition,   that  any  jurisdiction  over  the  rest  of  the  Apostles  was, 
thereby,  conferred  upon  St.  Peter." — ^pp.  231 — 234. 

We  look  on  this  argument  against  the  Bomish  interpretation 
of  the  text,  Matt.  xvi.  17 — 19,  as  amounting  to  demonstration. 
It  is  clear,  that  if  the  Apostles  had  understood  that  text  as 
Bomanists  do,  they  could  not  have  disputed  for  the  supremacy  as 
they  did,  or  Peter  would  have  asserted  his  supremacy  in  case  of 
any  dissension.  The  subject  is  further  discussed  in  reference  to 
the  subsequent  history  of  the  New  Testament,  and  it  is  shown 
clearly  that  St.  Peter  never  did,  in  fact,  exercise  any  jurisdiction 
over  the  other  Apostles.  It  would  indeed  be  almost  incredible,  that 
intelligent  and  educated  persons  should  persuade  themselves  that 
the  Papal  Supremacy  is  traceable  in  holy  Scripture,  had  not  con- 


358  CoUingwood's  Sermons, 

tinual  experience  evinced  the  unhappy  aptitude  of  the  hum: 
mind  to  believe  any  thing  or  nothing,  as  it  pleases.     Truth 
no  compulsory  power,  as  they  might  remember  who,  on  all  occa-.. 
sions,  would  leave  it  unaided  to  gain  the  ascendancy.     Educate 
men  have  disbelieved  the  Christian  religion ;  educated  men  ha 
denied  the  inspiration  of  Scripture ;  educated  men  have  believL^,^. 
the  revelations  of  Mormonism,  or  the  miracles  of  Irvingism ;  anff^ 
therefore  it  can  be  little  matter  of  surprise  that  educated  m 
have  found  the  supremacy  of  St.  Peter  and  of  the  See  of  Rome  i 
the  holy  Scripture.     It  would  be  difficult  to  imagine  what  the; 
would  not  see  there,  if  the  Church  of  Borne  directed  them 
do  so. 

But  there  is  another  view  of  the  question,  the  importance  of  ^- 
which  we  are  glad  to  see  Mr.  Collingwood  fully  aware  of.  We 
refer  to  the  very  different  accounts  which  the  advocates  of  Home  ^- 
give  of  the  origin  of  the  Papal  Supremacy.  The  inconsistency  p 
and  contradiction  which  those  writers  have  evinced,  furnish  suf-  f ^ 
ficient  evidence  of  the  eri'or  of  the  system  they  uphold.  If  St 
Peter  was  made  Primate  and  Vicar  of  Christ,  with  powers  of  *^ 
transmitting  his  authority  to  the  bishops  of  Rome,  we  should  of 
course  expect  to  see,  not  only  St.  Peter  himself,  but  his  succes- 
sors acting  as  primates  and  recognized  as  such  in  the  Church. 
Accordingly,  the  great  mass  of  Romish  writers,  from  the  time  of 
the  Reformation,  boldly  asserted  that  the  Popes  were  always  re- 
cognized as  Primates  and  Vicars  of  the  Christ.  They  produced 
their  proofs  in  abundance  from  early  history.  They  referred  to 
the  decretals  of  the  Popes  in  the  first  and  second  centuries,  in 
which  those  bishops  exercised  very  satisfactorily  "  the  plenitude 
of  the  Apostolical  power.''  But  as  ill  luck  would  have  it,  an  age  of 
criticism  had  at  length  come ;  and  these  decretals  and  all  their 
other  early  evidences  were  proved,  and  at  length  admitted  re- 
luctantly, to  be  spurious ;  or  else  weak,  insufficient,  and  even  in- 
consistent with  the  claims  of  the  Papacy.  At  length,  after  en- 
deavouring for  ages  to  prove  that  the  Papal  Supremacy  had  been 
universally  acknowledged,  even  from  the  beginning,  the  advocates 
of  Rome  have  found  it  necessary  to  give  up  the  point.  It  is  now 
admitted  that  the  Supremacy  did  not  exist  always:  that  the 
Apostles  probably  knew  nothing  of  it — that  St.  Peter  himself 
appears  not  to  have  understood  it — that  it  was  hidden  from  the 
early  fathers,  and  from  the  Churches  of  the  first  three  centuries— 
that  it  began  to  develop  itself  in  the  fourth  century,  and  gra- 
dually increased  in  after  ages.  Such  is  the  "Development'' 
theory  of  th*^  Papacy,  which  resigns  to  us  the  Scriptures  and  the 
first  three  lienturies,  as  furnishing  no  clear  evidence  of  the  ex- 
istence of  the  supremacy  of  St.  Peter  or  his  successors.     Mr. 


ColKnfffcoocTs  Sermons,  859 

Jlingwood  makes  the  following  remarks  in  referenoe  to  this 

bject : — 

**  Let  us,  then,  see,  first  of  all,  by  the  testimony  of  another  Romanist, 
lat  jurisdiction  the  Bishop  of  Rome  now  claims.  The  tenth  session 
the  council  of  Florence,  held  in  1573,  for  the  execution  of  the  de- 
!es  of  the  council  of  Trent,  asserted  that  *  full  power  was  delegated  to 
i  Bishop  of  Rome,  in  the  person  of  Peters  to  feed,  regulate^  and 
^ern  the  universal  Church,  as  expressed  in  the  general  councils  and 
y  canons.'  *  This,'  says  the  writer  we  are  quoting,  ^  this  is  the 
;trine  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  on  the  authority  of  the  Pope.' 
tarly,  therefore,  if  St.  Peter  did  not  possess  any  supremacy  himself, 
could  delegate  none  to  his,  so  called,  successor.  But,  leaving  the 
iptural  evidence  for  a  moment  out  of  the  question,  if  the  Bishop  of 
me  had  any  just  claim  to  universal  dominion,  that  dominion  will 
w  itself^  clearly  and  plainly,  in  the  very  earliest  ages :  if  we  can  find 
traces  of  it,  therefore,  in  the  times  immediately  succeeding  the  age  of 

Apostles,  we  have  a  fair  right  to  say,  that  such  a  dominion,  as  ex- 
ised  in  medieval  and  modem  times,  is  a  manifest  usurpation.     We 

perfectly  aware  that  the  modern  Romanist  will  deny  the  validity  of 
I  conclusion. — He  will  say  that  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope,  by 
ine  right,  existed  from  the  beginning,  but  that  it  was  not  developed 

three  or  four  hundred  years.  An  ingenious  theory,  only,  unfor- 
ately  for  those  who  advance  it,  it  is  suicidal — it  is  self-destructive, 
smuch  as  it  cuts  the  ground,  at  once,  from  under  the  feet  of  those 
),  for  many  hundred  years,  maintained,  most  strenuously,  that  the 
nitive  Fathers  always  acknowledged  the  supremacy  of  the  Pope ; 
b  the  primitive  bishops  always  obeyed  it : — inasmuch  as  it  contradicts 
ly  the  testimony  of  one  of  the  ablest  of  their  own  writers,  to  which 

before  referred : — inasmuch  as  one  of  the  greatest  bishops  that 
Dce  ever  produced,  writing  against  this  very  theory  of  development, 
m  propounded  by  a  French  Calvinist,  says  distinctly,  that  *  the  faith 
?r  varies  in  the  Church  ;  that  the  faith  which  came  from  God  had  its 
summation  at  once ;  that  it  was  well  known  from  the  beginning : ' — 
imuch  as  the,  so  called,  *  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  London  district,' 
y  a  few  Sundays  ago,  asserted,  *  that  during  the  first  three  hundred 
rs  of  the  Church,  her  form,  her  constitution,  her  canons,  her  whole 
icture,  were  essentially  and  completely  formed  :' — inasmuch  as, 
ther  Romish  writer  says,  *  It  is  most  true,  that  the  Roman  Catholics 
eve  the  doctrines  of  their  Church  to  be  unchangeable ;  and  that  it  is 
met  of  their  Creed,  that  what  their  faith  ever  has  been,  such  it  was 
n  the  beginning f  such  it  now  is,  and  such  it  ever  will  be.*  It  is  not, 
3ed,  difiicult  to  understand  the  origin  of  this  theory ;  but  what  can 
say  of  the  Church  which  adopts  it  ?  The  Church  of  Rome  knows 
iectly  well  that,  if  she  appeals  to  primitive  antiquity,  the  supremacy 
he  Pope,  the  invocation  of  saints,  the  worship  of  image%  transub- 
^tiation,  purgatory,  the  excessive  honour,  to  use  the  n  '!dest  term, 
I  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  cannot,  for  one  moment,  be  defended  as  arti- 


360  Collingwaod's  Sermons. 

cles  of  faith  held  by  the  early  Christians  ;  and  therefore,  throwing  I 
the  winds  the  testimony  of  the  Fathers,  she  tells  us  now^  that  all  tha 
doctrines  existed,  in  embryo,  in  the  early  Church,  but  were  not  defB 
loped  till  a  subsequent  period.  Why,  my  brethren,  talk  of  the  *  yarb 
tions  of  Protestantism  !'  talk  of  the  divuioM  of  English  Churchmen,  d 
the  inconsistency  of  the  Anglican  Church  !  Surely  that  Church  basH 
right  to  cast  a  stone  at  any  other,  which,  in  the  days  when  Scriptoii 
was  a  sealed  book  to  all  but  the  clergy,  and  to  very  many  even  o{thm^ 
made  Scripture  her  great  authority ;  which,  in  the  days  when  tb 
writinj^s  of  antiquity  were  buried  in  the  library  of  the  monastery,  «•• 
fidently  appealed  to  the  records  of  primitive  Christianity ;  but  whit 
now,  when  the  invention  of  printing  has  opened  to  all  men  the  saeni 
Scriptures  and  the  writings  of  the  Fathers,  has  recourse  to  a  miseraUi 
theory  of  development,  a  theory  *  subversive  of  all  that  is  most  valnakll 
and  sacred  in  morals,  politics,  and  religion:' — a  theory  by  which tli 
Bible,  Ecclesiastical  History,  the  faith  once  for  all  delivered  to  thesahiit 
are  made  absolutely  dead  letters;  and  Christian  doctrine  is  made d» 
pendent  upon  frail  and  fallible  men,  who  shall  add  to  the  creed  of  dv 
holy  Catholic  Church,  by  developing  new  articles  of  the  Christian  faith 
Let  Rome  harmonize  her  own  *  variations' before  she  taunts  us  witi 
inconsistency.  Let  her  say  to  which  system  she  chooses  to  adhere, t 
that  of  Rome  primitive,  Rome  medieval,  or  Rome  modern  ?  To  Ecdc 
siastical  History  or  to  Development?  to  Bossuetor  to  Newman?" 

From  the  discussion  of  the  Papal  Supremacy,  Mr.  CoUingwoo 
turns  to  the  causes  and  the  results  of  the  Reformation.  We  nee 
not  say  that  the  writer  before  us  is  not  one  of  those  who  a 
ashamed  of  the  Reformation,  or  who  adopt  in  its  behalf  any  feel: 
or  apologetic  tone.  His  vindication  of  the  Reformation  is  plac 
on  the  right  grounds — the  absolute  necessity  of  the  case.  1 
describes  the  state  of  the  Church  before  the  Reformation  in  1 
language  of  those  who  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  corruptions  tl 
deplored.  He  shows  the  contrast  between  medieval  en-ors  s 
the  truth  which  superseded  them«  He  rebuts  the  charge 
schism  advanced  by  the  advocates  of  superstition  against  those 
the  Reformation,  and  shows  that  on  all  grounds  and  in  all  wj 
the  Church  of  England  at  least  is  free  from  the  imputation 
having  needlessly  divided  the  communion  of  Christendom. 

Space  forbids  our  following  Mr.  Coilingwood  through  this  C( 
eluding  portion  of  his  sound  and  able  work ;  but  we  can  say  tl 
we  have  risen  from  its  perusal  with  renewed  gratitude  for  the  p 
session  of  a  faith  so  capable  of  full  and  satisfactory  defence, 
that  which  the  Church  of  England  inculcates ;  and  with  no  or 
nary  satisfaction  in  the  knowledge  that,  amidst  the  extreme  tri 
which  beset  the  faith  of  Churchmen  in  the  present  day — ami( 
the  temptations  to  degenerate  from  the  sound  and  high  princip 
of  our  old  divines,  towards  Popery,  or  Puritanism,  or  RationaKs 


CollingtooocTs  Sermons^.  361 

—there  are  still  to  be  found  not  a  few,  who  like  the  excellent  and 
tonest  author  of  the  work  before  us,  keep  on  the  steady  tenor  of 
heir  way,  turning  neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left — men 
who  love  the  Church  of  England  because  they  are  satisfied  that 
ler  constitution  and  succession  are  Apostolical,  and  that  her  faith 
Mid  doctrines,  in  their  natural  sense,  are  in  all  points  in  accordance 
with  God'^s  Holy  Word.  Those  who  are  thus  minded,  are,  what- 
B^er  else  they  may  be,  faithful  members  of  the  Church  of  England ; 
B^nd  we  confess  that  as  we  can  scarcely  think  that  faithfulness  to 
the  Church  implies  less  than  this,  so  we  do  not  see  that  it  implies 
more.  We  trust  that,  notwithstanding  the  dissensions  of  the 
present  times,  the  number  of  those  who  are  thus  faithful  to  the 
Church  of  England,  is  not  diminishing  but  increasing ;  nor  are 
^e  without  hopes,  that  various  circumstances  may  tend  to  lessen 
gradually  the  divisions  which  unhappily  exist.  To  that  desirable 
Tesxli  we  conceive  that  the  publication  of  works  like  that  before 
us  will  contribute,  in  convincing  men  that  fidelity  to  the  Church 
4U)d  its  Episcopacy,  as  Apostolical,  involves  no  diminution  of  the 
]>rotest  against  Bomish  error — no  joining  in  fellowship  with  thos§ 
i?ho  have  ceased  to  make  that  protest  and  to  act  upon  \i, 


VOL.   XV. — KO,  XXX. — ^JUNE,  1851.  'ft'Xi 


362  Lavengro  and  &#ar^  Borrow. 


V^ 


Aet.  V.  —  Lavengro:  The  Scholar — Hie  Gyp9y — The  Priesl. 
By  Gkorge  Borrow,  Author  of  "  The  Biole  in  Spaing  and 
"  The  Gypsies  in  Spain."^    In  3  vols.     London  :  Murray.  1851. 

A  sTRAKGE  book  IS  the  book  before  us,  and  a  strange  mind  bas 
its  concoctoF  George  Borrow,  the  missionary  and  the  boxer ;  but, 
above  all,  the  sardonic  humorist.  There  is  something  of  the  Me- 
phistopheles  in  his  composition,  and  something  of  the  Don  Quixote ; 
and  we  must  say,  that  a  more  extraordinary  and  incongruous  con- 
junction of  ideas  could  scarcely  be  imagined  than  that  suggested 
by  the  vagrant  tastes  and  the  solemn  profession  of  this  most 
eccentric  of  mortals.  Yea,  oddity ;  that  is  the  one  essentia 
characteristic  of  the  man  and  of  his  book  ; — ^now  we  are  pleased, 
now  we  are  offended ;  now  we  are  amused,  now  we  are  bored : 
but  the.  one  perpetual  running  commentary  must  ever  be.  How 
very  odd  ! 

Mr.  Borrow'^s  politics,  religion,  and  philosophy  are  staunch 
and  English  in  the  main,  though  a  little  one-sided,  and  of  a 
somewhat  old-fashioned  school ;  but  perhaps  none  the  worse  for 
that.  We  certainly  do  not  love  "her  of  Rome:"  no  one  can 
accuse  us  of  a  latent  affection  for  that  antiquated  damsel,  who 
has  bewitched,  alas  !  so  many  "  red-cross  knights  ;"*'  yet  our 
author'^s  antipathy  exceeds  our  mark  by  some  inches  at  the  least. 
But  what  then?  We  need  not  ask  for  a  theologian  in  Mr. 
Borrow.  His  antipathies  are  wholesome,  most  of  them  at  least, 
and  do  not  seem  to  have  seared  his  heart  or  affections. 

Then,  again,  it  is  not  necessary  to  hate  foreigners.  Frenchmen, 
for  instance,  now-a-days, — which,  as  we  opine  at  least,  our  author 
does  devoutly,  and  as  a  matter  of  religious  principle.  Nor  is 
German  literature  absolutely  good  for  nothing,  though  George 
Borrow  passes  such  condign  judgment  on  it ;  but  "  Wilhelm 
Teir'  is  a  dull  play  (he  is  right  there) — not  Schiller'^s  finest,  as 
Augustus  Schlegel  said  with  his  usual  pompous  pedantry,  but 
decidedly  his  most  laboured  and  least  genial,  despite  the  beauty  of 
its  lyrics.  But  Mr.  Borrow  is  no  critic ;  he  says  so  himself ;  so 
we  need  not  dispute  concerning  tastes  with  him.  We  would  rather 
wander  at  his  side  within  the  bounds  of  his  own  enchanted  child- 
hood, and  dwell  in  fancy  over  some  of  his  earlier  and  happier 
adventures,  which  have  a  peculiar  wild-wood  freshness  and 
fragrance  of  their   own;    for  as  for  his  London  life,  he  must 


Latengro  and  George  Barrow.  SQA 

Wdon  us  for  saying  that,  in  our  estimation,  it  is  well-nigh 
**  nought/' 

•  Indeed,  when  Mr.  Borrow  describes  ordinary  mortals  of  this 
work-a-day  world,  he  generally  seems  to  deal  with  them  as 
strangers,  as  though  he  felt  there  were  a  gulf  betwixt  him  and 
them, — ^that  they  were  creatures  of  various  spheres  ;  he  sees  all 
such  men  and  things  through  a  peculiar  medium  of  his  own,  much 
$A  one  from  a  far-distant  land  might  survey  us  Englishmen, 
liaving  slight  cognizance  of  our  language,  habits,  ways  of 
fimikmg.  Indeed,  Mr.  Borrow  seems  almost  a  denizen  of  another 
world  from  that  of  the  majority  of  his  fellow-men :  he  is  amongst 
iiSy  yet  not  of  us.  We  are  almost  tempted  to  conjecture,  that 
some  mistake  must  have  been  made  at  his  birth, — that  if  it  be 
not  irreverent  to  say  so,  the  heavenly  spirit  entrusted  to  bear  his 
aoul  to  its  mortal  tenement  below  went  wrong  in  his  star 
altogether, — that  the  Borrow  soul  was  intended  for  either  Mer* 
etury  the  volatile,  or  Mars  the  combative,  or  perhaps  some 
jdanet  out  of  our  system,  ten  billion  leagues  away,  scarcely  a  fixed 
star,  but  very  possibly  a  comet.  However  this  may  be,  here  we 
have  him  on  mother  earth ;  and,  so  having,  we  niust  deal  with 
him  as  best  we  may,  and,  "  as  a  stranger,  give  him  welcome.**' 

To  begin  with  the  beginning,  though  we  by  no  means  promise  to 
end  with  the  end,— our  patience  may  break  down  at  any  moment 
^and  so,  no  doubt,  may  our  readers',  who  are  at  perfect  liberty 
accordingly  to  betake  themselves  at  once  to  more  solid  and 
serious  fare), — ^but  to  begin  with  the  beginning,  thus  quoth 
George  Borrow  :    "  On  an  evening  of  July,  in  the  year  18 — ,  at 

East  D ,  a  beautiful  little  town  in  a  certain  district  of  East 

Angliay  I  first  saw  the  light."  East  AngUa !  what  a  charac- 
teristic localization !  Would  one  not  suppose  the  writer  were 
born  at  least  a  thousand  years  ago !  He  was  the  son,  we  learn, 
of  a  Cornish  "  gentill^tre,"  or  one  possessing  old  armorial  bear- 
ings, but  neither  rich  nor  mighty,  and  a  mother  of  French  and 
Huguenot  descent ;  despite  which  fact,  and  his  real  affection  for 
his  mother,  Mr.  Borrow,  as  we  have  said,  can  plainly  not  abide 
the  French.  His  father  held  his  Majesty's  commission;  and, 
marching  with  the  regiment  from  post  to  post,  his  family  seem  to 
have  traversed  almost  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  British 
Islands.  Our  hero  had  an  elder  brother,  whom  he  describes 
enthusiastically,  and  seems  to  have  loved  very  dearly :  indeed, 
some  of  the  passages  referring  to  him  go  farther  to  redeem  his 
heart  than  any  thing  else  in  "  Lavengro,"  or  "The  Bible  in 
Spain '^  either. 

Mr.  Borrow  himself  was  an  extraordinary  child  of  course : 
dark,  silent,  sullen,  backward  in  the  extreme,  and  inordinately 

Bb2 


364  Lavengro  and  George  Barrow. 

queer ;  at  first  very  delicate,  subsequently  hardy  and  robust.  He 
was  generally  disliked ;  but  one  man  formed  a  good  opinion  of 
him,  a  wandering  Jew.  Here  is  the  strange,  though  not  pecu- 
liarly "  eventfur*  history.  It  is  abundantly  characteristic : —  • 
**  There  was,  however,  one  individual  who,  in  the  days  of  my  child- 
hood, was  disposed  to  form  a  favourable  opinion  of  me.  One  day,  • 
Jew — I  have  quite  forgotten  the  circumstance,  but  I  was  long  subse* 
quently  informed  of  it — one  day  a  travelling  Jew  knocked  at  the  door 
of  a  farm-house  in  which  we  had  taken  apartments ;  I  was  near  at  hand 
silting  in  the  bright  sunshine,  drawing  strange  lines  on  the  dust  with  my 
fingers,  an  ape  and  dog  were  my  companions ;  the  Jew  looked  at  me 
and  asked  me  some  questions,  to  which,  though  I  was  quite  able  to 
speak,  I  returned  no  answer.  On  the  door  being  opened,  the  Jew,  after 
a  few  words,  probably  relating  to  pedlery,  demanded  who  the  child  was, 
sitting  in  the  sun ;  the  maid  replied,  that  I  was  her  mistress's  youngest 
son,  a  child  weak  here^  pointing  to  her  forehead.  The  Jew  looked  at 
me  again,  and  then  said,  *  Ton  my  eonscience,  my  dear,  I  believe  that 
you  must  be  troubled  there  yourself  to  tell  me  any  such  thing.  It  is 
not  my  habit  to  speak  to  children,  inasmuch  as  I  hate  them,  because 
they  often  follow  me  and  fling  stones  after  me ;  but  I  no  sooner  looked 
at  that  child  than  I  was  forced  to  speak  to  it — his  not  answering  me 
shows  his  sense,  for  it  has  never  been  the  custom  of  the  wise  to  fling 
away  their  words  in  indifferent  talk  and  conversation  ;  the  child  is  a 
sweet  child,  and  has  all  the  look  of  one  of  our  people's  children.  Fool, 
indeed !  did  I  not  see  his  eyes  sparkle  just  now  when  the  monkey 
seized  the  dog  by  the  ear  ? — they  shone  like  my  own  diamonds — does 
your  good  lady  want  any — real  and  fine  ?  Were  it  not  for  what  you 
tell  me,  I  should  say  it  was  a  prophet's  child.  Fool,  indeed  !  he  can 
write  already,  or  1*11  forfeit  the  box  which  I  carry  on  my  back,  and  for 
which  I  should  be  loth  to  take  two  hundred  pounds  !'  He  then  leaned 
forward  to  inspect  the  lines  which  I  had  traced.  All  of  a  sudden  he 
started  back,  and  grew  white  as  a  sheet ;  then,  taking  off  his  hat,  he 
made  some  strange  gestures  to  me,  cringing,  chattering,  and  showing 
his  teeth,  and  shortly  departed,  muttering  something  about  '  holy  letters,' 
and  talking  to  himself  in  a  strange  tongue.  The  words  of  the  Jew  were 
in  due  course  of  time  reported  to  my  mother,  who  treasured  them  in 
her  heart,  and  from  that  moment  began  to  entertain  brighter  hopes  of 
her  youngest  born  than  she  had  ever  before  ventured  to  foster.** — 
Vol.  i.  pp.  14—16. 

Strange  this,  is  it  not  ?  exceedingly  so ;  yet  we  apprehend,  true 
in  the  main,  though  perhaps  a  story  which  has  lost  nothing  of 
oddity  in  the  telling.  There  are  strange  things  in  heaven  and 
in  earth.  We,  who  are  superstitious,  pleasantly  so^  we,  at 
least,  make  no  scruple  in  admitting  the  fact.  There  is  one  thing, 
however,  for  which  we  rather  distrust  Mr.  Borrow :  it  is  his  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  Snakes:  we  must  confess  to  an  antipathy  to 
that  reptile,  partly  constitutional,  and  partly,  tr^  ^Am^,  Christian ;  re- 


La'omgro  and  George  Borrow.  86a 

lembering  the  awful  purpose  to  which  the  creature  was  once  abused 
—remembering  also  the  curse  still  borne  by  his  race ;  and  snake^ 
lealers  and  snake-worshippers  have  always  in  our  eyes  something 
)eculiarly  mysterious  and  suspicious  about  them  and  their  dealings. 
We    really  entertain  our  doubts  whether  a  certain  amount  of 
Black  Art  may  not  enter  into  the  incantations  of  Indian  jugglers, 
[remember  the  magicians  of  Egypt!)  and  we  read  with  no  little 
horror  of  those  Moorish  disciples  in  Africa,  of  that  Saint  of  Snakes, 
Seedna  Eiser,  who,  when  under  the  influence  of  their  maddening 
make-worship,  receive  what  would  otherwise  be  mortal  wounds 
from  the  most  venomous  of  serpents  without  permanent  injury, 
only  falling  into  temporary  trances  as  the  consequence  (this  is  a 
well-authenticated  fact),  and  who  actually  devour  the  large  com- 
Baon  snake  of  their  country,  "  the  father  of  tumefaction,''  as  he  is 
called,  alive^  beginning  at  the  tail,  whilst  the  head  and  body  are 
writhing  round,  and  inflicting  wounds  on  their  almost  insane 
devourers.      We   suspect   that   such    men   are   under   nothing 
less  than  satanic  influence,  however  enlightened  wiseacres  may 
sneer,  and  our  hearts  scarcely  warm  towards  Mr.  Borrow  for  his 
curious  serpent-reminiscences,  though  we  do  not  suspect  him  of 
certain  evil-doings !    He  tells  how,  at  the  age  of  three,  he  grasped 
a  viper  in  his  play,  which  seemed  gratified  rather  than  otherwise 
by  his  tender  attentions,  but  was  infuriated  by  his  brother,  who 
wanted  to  protect  little  George  from  the  bright  yellow  reptile. 
Mr.  Borrow  intimates  here,  that  he  possesses  a  power  over  sundry 
wild  animals ;  and  we  learn  from  subsequent  relations  that  he  and 
the  horse  are  remarkable  good  friends.    This  we  allow  to  be  a  per* 
missible  liaison;  but  we  cannot  say  as  much  for  flirting  with 
snakes — cold,  slimy,  mysterious,  and  to  our  feelings  essentially 
disagreeable  creatures.     We  have  seen  pet  snakes,  of  course  per- 
fectly harmless,  crawling  about  rooms  and  winding  up   ladies' 
dresses,  arms,  and  necks,  but  we  were  not  quite  comfortable,  and 
never  should  be  in  such  vicinity.     However,  to  this  pressure  of 
the  snake  by  his  childish  hands,  Mr.  Borrow  apparently  attributes 
his  becoming  hale  and  vigorous ;  so,  of  course,  on  this  view  of  the 
case,  he  is  bound  to  be  grateful  to  the  tribe.     Later,  he  catches  a 
viper  and  tames  it,  and  frightens  some  gypsies  with  it,  who  do 
him  the  honour  of  taking  him  for  a  little  fiend,  whom  the  said 
gypsies  accordingly  at  once  proceed  to  worship,  their  religion  ap- 
pearing to  consist  in  the  adoration  of  the  Prince  of  Darkness  and 
his  satellites^  if  we  may  use  the  term.     But  the  king  of  serpent- 
stories  is  certainly  that  concerning  the  king  of  the  serpents,  and 
this  we  shall  accordingly  proceed  to  extract,  though  the  said  extract 
be  somewhat  long.     This  story,  we  must  premise,  is  told  by  an 
old  man  of  the  same  tribe  with  Wordsworth's  '*  leech-gatherer 


866  fjav&ngro  and  George  jBarraw. 

on  the  lonely  moor,'^  who  makea  a  livelihood  by  collectiog  faerbfli 
and  hunting  vipers  to  obtain  their  oil.  He  is  of  course  familiar 
with  the  serpentine  tribe,  and  sometimes  takes  them  home  ta 

Elay  with,  but  owns  to  having  become  a  little  nervous  from  his 
aving  once  seen  the  king  of  the  vipers  f     Here  we  start : 

*"  The  king  of  the  vipers T  said  I,  interrupting  him;  'have  the 
vipers  a  king  ?  *  'As  sure  as  we  have/  said  the  old  man — '  as  sure  as 
we  have  King  George  to  rule  over  us,  have  these  reptiles  a  king  to  rale 
over  them.'  *  And  where  did  you  see  him  ?'  said  I.  *  I  will  tell  you/ 
said  the  old  man,  '  though  I  don't  like  talking  about  the  matter.  It 
may  be  about  seven  years  ago  that  I  happened  to  be  far  down  yonder 
to  the  west,  on  the  other  side  of  England,  nearly  two  hundred  miles 
from  here,  following  my  business.  It  was  a  very  sultry  day,  I  remem- 
ber,  and  I  had  been  out  several  hours  catching  creatures.  It  might  be 
about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  found  myself  on  some 
heathy  land  near  the  sea,  on  the  ridge  of  a  hill,  the  side  of  which,  nearly 
as  far  down  as  the  sea,  was  heath ;  but  on  the  top  there  was  arable 
ground,  which  had  been  planted,  and  from  which  the  harvest  had  been 
gathered — oats  or  barley,  I  know  not  which- — but  I  remember  that  the 
ground  was  covered  with  stubble.  Well,  about  three  o'clock,  as  I  told 
you  before,  what  with  the  heat  of  the  day  and  from  having  walked 
about  for  hours  «in  a  lazy  way,  I  felt  very  tired ;  so  I  determined  to 
have  a  sleep,  and  I  laid  myself  down,  my  head  just  on  the  ridge  of  the 
hill,  towards  the  field,  and  my  body  over  the  side  down  amongst  the 
heath ;  my  bag,  which  was  nearly  filled  with  creatures,  lay  at  a  little 
distance  from  my  face ;  the  creatures  were  struggling  in  it,  I  remember, 
and  I  thought  to  myself,  how  much  more  comfortably  off  I  was  than 
they ;  I  was  taking  my  ease  on  the  nice  open  hill,  cooled  with  the 
breezes,  whilst  they  were  in  the  nasty  close  bag,  coiling  about  one 
another,  and  breaking  their  very  hearts,  all  to  no  purpose :  and  I  felt 
quite  comfortable  and  happy  in  the  thought,  and  little  by  little  closed 
my  eyes,  and  fell  into  the  sweetest  snooze  that  ever  I  was  in  in  all  my 
life ;  and  there  I  lay  over  the  hilKs  side,  with  my  head  half  in  the  field, 
I  don't  know  how  long,  all  dead  asleep.  At  last  it  seemed  to  me  that 
I  heard  a  noise  in  my  sleep,  something  like  a  thing  moving,  very  faint, 
however,  far  away  ;  then  it  died,  and  then  it  came  again  upon  my  ear 
as  I  slept,  and  now  it  appeared  almost  as  if  I  heard  crackle,  crackle; 
then  it  died  again,  or  1  became  yet  more  dead  asleep  than  before,  I 
know  not  which,  but  I  certainly  lay  some  time  without  hearing  it.  All 
of  a  sudden  1  became  awake,  and  there  was  I,  on  the  ridge  of  the  hill, 
with  my  cheek  on  the  ground  towards  the  stubble,  with  a  noise  in  my 
ear  like  that  of  something  moving  towards  me,  amongst  the  stubble  of 
the  field  ;  well,  T  lay  a  moment  or  two  listening  to  the  noise,  and  then 
I  became  frightened,  for  I  did  not  like  the  noise  at  all,  it  sounded  so 
odd  ;  so  I  rolled  myself  on  my  belly,  and  looked  towards  the  stubble. 
Mercy  upon  us!  there  was  a  huge  snake,  or  rather  a  dreadful  viper,  for 
it  was  all  yellow  and  gold,  moving  towards  me,  bearing  its  head  about 


Lawngro  and  Charge  Borrow.  367 

Ikiooi  mad  a  half  above  the  ground,  the  dry  stabble  oraekling  beneath 
^fm  outrageous  belly.  It  might  be  about  five  yards  off  when  I  first  saw 
^  making  straight  towards  me,  child,  as  if  it  would  devour  me.  I  lay 
quite  still,  for  I  was  stupified  with  horror,  whilst  the  creature  came  still 
Bearer ;  and  now  it  was  nearly  upon  me,  when  it  suddenly  drew  back 
a  little,  and  then — what  do  you  think  ? — it  lifted  its  head  and  chest 
bigh  in  the  air,  and  high  over  my  face  as  I  looked  up,  flickering  at  me 
with  its  tongue  as  if  it  would  fly  at  my  face.  Child,  what  I  felt  at  that 
moment  I  can  scarcely  say,  but  it  was  a  sufficient  punishment  for  all 
the  sins  I  ever  committed ;  and  there  we  two  were,  I  looking  up  at  the 
▼iper,  and  the  viper  looking  down  upon  me,  flickering  at  me  with  its 
tongue.  It  was  only  the  kindness  of  God  that  saved  me :  all  at  once 
diere  was  a  loud  noise,  the  report  of  a  gun,  for  a  fowler  was  shooting  at 
a  covey  of  birds,  a  little  way  off  in  the  stubble.  Whereupon  the  viper 
sunk  its  head,  and  immediately  made  off  over  the  ridge  of  the  hill,  down 
in  the  direction  of  the  sea«  As  it  passed  by  me,  however — and  it 
passed  close  by  me — ^it  hesitated  a  moment,  as  if  it  was  doubtful  whether 
it  should  not  seize  me ;  it  did  not,  however,  but  made  off  down  the  hill. 
It  has  often  struck  me  that  he  was  angry  with  me,  and  came  upon  me 
unawares  for  presuming  to  meddle  with  his  people,  as  I  have  always 
been  in  the  habit  of  doing.' 

"  '  But,*  said  I,  '  how  do  you  know  that  it  was  the  king  of  the 
▼ipers  ? ' 

"  *  How  do  I  know  1 '  said  the  old  man  ;  *  who  else  should  it  be  ? 
There  was  as  much  difference  between  it  and  the  other  reptiles  as 
between  King  George  and  other  people.* " — ^Vol.  i.  pp.  54 — 57- 

This,  we  think,  is  a  capital  story  in  its  way,  told  aftei^  a  very 
characteristic  fashion:  it  breathes,  too,  that  mysterious  horror 
for  the  serpent  tribe  which  we  ourselves  have  not  been  backward 
in  confessing.  Few  things  are  more  pleasant,  we  think,  than  a 
fictitious  shudder,  not  too  real  or  overpowering,  but  just  that 
slight  creeping  sensation  which  seems  to  make  you  feel  that 
mysteries  on  eveiy  side  surround  you ;  that  you  Are  girt  with  an 
atmosphere  of  wonder.  Mr.  Borrow,  like  ourselves,  is  super- 
stitious; this  we  gather  from  his  repeated  references  to  fairy 
bre.  In  ghosts  he  seems  less  learned;  the  more  the  pity;  for 
nothing  do  we  like  better  than  a  good  ghost  story.  We  shall  pass, 
however,  to  its  best  substitute,  an  Irish  incident,  connected  with 
"  the  good  people,^'  to  which  Mr.  Borrow  professes  to  bear 
evidence,  and  which  will  afford,  at  the  same  time,  a  specimen  of 
one  of  those  many  pugilistic  encounters  with  which  the  pages  of 
Lavengro  are  studded.  A  great  lover  of  pugilism  is  Mr.  Borrow, 
and  even  regrets  the  pdmy  days  of  "  the  ring,"  in  which  he  is  quite 
right  in  thinking  that  there  was  something  to  admire,  namely,  the 
powers  of  both  physical  and  mental  endurance  displayed  by  the  vota- 
ries of  the  aict  of  Pollux.   Certainly  pugilistic  encounters,  barf>arous 


368  Lavengro  and  George  Borroto. 

as  they  always  must  seem,  when  two  men  stand  up  to  maul  and 
perhaps  to  kill  one  another  for  numey^  have,  in  other  respectsi 
never  been  so  humanized  as  amongst  ourselves,  owing  to  the 
frank  and  generous  tone  of  feeling  in  which  the  combatants  were 
at  least  supposed  to  test  their  abilities,  and  the  many  rules  and 
regulations  which  rendered  it  very  possible  for  courage  and 
endurance  to  win  the  day  against  vastly  superior  powers,  when 
unsupported  by  a  like  degree  of  pluck.  Nevertheless,  such  a 
national  diversion  as  ^^  the  ring,^^  though  certainly  far  less  dis- 
graceful than  the  ancient  circus,  is  not,  we  think,  to  be  encouraged; 
it  involves  too  reckless  a  disregard  for  human  life,  and  must,  we 
suspect,  always  tend  to  brutalize^  more  or  less,  both  the  par- 
takers and  beholders.  Wrestling,  as  practised  in  Cornwall  and 
the  lake  districts,  seems  to  us  far  less  open  to  serious  objections, 
and  perhaps  deserving  of  encouragement,  when  placed  under 
proper  regulations,  and  separated  from  some  of  its  usual  con- 
comitants. It  has  (who  can  deny  i)  a  decided  tendency  to  harden 
the  frame  and  to  invigorate  the  spirit,  and  may  possibly  be  made 
the  occasion  for  the  display  of  generous  feeling.  We  are  aware 
of  the  moral  and  religious  objections,  that  it  tends  to  foster  senti- 
ments of  rivality,  and  a  taste  for  combativeness;  but  in  the  present 
condition  of  man,  it  must,  we  fear,  be  confessed  that  the  roots  of 
evil  are  closely  interwoven  with  all  pleasures  and  diversions  what- 
ever ;  notwithstanding  which,  these  must,  we  think,  be  sanctioned 
and  provided.  The  sport  of  archery  is  extinct ;  nor  see  we,  under 
existing  circumstances,  how  it  can  be  generally  or  beneficially 
revived.  Firing  at  a  mark  is  dangerous,  and,  we  suspect, 
only  a  provocative  to  poaching.  Gymnastics,  in  the  shape  of 
climbing  poles,  &c.,  are  fitter  for  boys  than  youths  or  men,  and 
have  rather  a  tendency,  we  think,  to  degrade  an  adult  population 
which  should  too  frequently  indulge  in  them.  What  remains 
save  our  glorious  national  game  of  cricket,  which  supersedes  in 
itself  a  host  of  minor  diversions,  we  admit, — of  which,  as  English- 
men, we  can  scarcely  be  too  proud,  and  of  which  we  can  scarcely 
endeavour  to  spread  the  delight  too  widely, — furnishing,  as  it  does, 
an  occasion  for  the  display  of  athletic  force,  artistic  skill,  and  even 
active  grace, — bringing  men  for  the  time  back  to  the  condition  of 
happy  children  ; — the  most  innocent,  the  most  healthful,  the  most 
noble,  perhaps,  of  all  mere  diversions.  But  still  cricket  can  scarcely 
stand  quite  alone ;  it  is  not  all  times  of  the  year  in  which  it  can  be 
played ;  and  so  wrestling,  we  think,  may  come  in,  occasionally  at 
least,  as  a  subordinate  diversion,  not  without  its  own  practical 
uses.  VVe  have  omitted  from  our  list  the  one  only  rustic  or 
national  sport  in  which  women  can  take  an  active  part, — we 
mean  dancing.     This  is,  of  course,  attended  with  many  grave  ob- 


Lavengro  and  George  Barrow.  369 

jections,  yet  we  do  believe  the  advantages  immensely  to  outweigh 
tiiem  ;  but  then,  strange  as  the  assertion  may  appear  to  some  of 
our  readers,  we  should  think  dancing  among  the  poor,  where 
Church  principles  and  the  Church  system  were  not  brought  to 
bear  upon  them,  in  the  highest  degree  injurious :  and  this  last 
remark  applies  in  no  small  measure  to  wrestling  also ;  for  it  is 
religion,  and  true  religion,  wide  and  deep,  which  finds  a  place,  for 
all  that  is  innocent  and  happy, — which  can  alone  counteract  man^s 
natural  tendency  to  abuse  the  powers  and  enjqyments  God  has 
bestowed  upon  him.  To  render  dancing  at  all  harmless,  or  com- 
paratively so,  preferable  in  the  main  to  the  dulness  and  barbarism 
which  result  from  the  confinement  of  the  wives  and  daughters  of 
the  poor  to  their  homes,  and  the  consequent  isolation  of  the 
sterner  sex  at  all  seasons  of  popular  rejoicing  (the  one  circum- 
stance this^  we  need  not  say,  to  wnich  the  too  common  boorishness 
of  our  English  poor  is  to  be  attributed)  ;  to  render  dancing 
innocuous,  we  say,  there  must  be  a  constant  intercourse  betwixt  the 
clergy  and  the  working  classes ;  a  sympathetic  and  benevolent  pas- 
toral superintendence  must  ordinarily  be  exercised  over  all  sports. 
The  clergyman,  the  squire  of  the  parish,  ay,  and  their  wives  also, 
must  resort  together  to  the  wrestling-grounds,  or  the  village 
green,  for  the  dance  around  the  maypole ;  the  use  of  bad  words 
must  be  checked,  nay,  must,  as  far  as  possible,  be  rooted  out ; 
(it  is  one  of  the  most  crying  sins  of  our  country,  and  its  conse- 
quences are  truly  awful!) — modesty,  grace,  and  liveliness  must 
be  encouraged  to  consort  together ;  and  if  all  this  be  done,  our 
readers  may  rest  assured  that  the  conventicle  will  have  few 
charms  for  such  a  people. 

We  have  been  led  far  further  than  we  intended  in  this  our 
digression  "  apropos'^  of  pugilistic  encounters,  and  Mr.  Sorrow's 
laudations  of  them,  but  there  are  few  subjects  of  more  serious 
importance  in  the  present  day  than  that  of  popular  sports  and 
diversions,  concerning  which  we  have  been  led  thus  briefly  to 
indicate  a  few  of  our  most  deeply-rooted  practical  convictions. 
The  sooner  this  matter  is  taken  in  hand  by  our  lords  of  the  manor 
generally,  the  better ;  though  no  doubt  a  very  serious  obstacle 
is  presented  by  the  present  disastrous  economical  experiment 
which  the  nation  is  trying,  in  the  mad  pursuit  of  cheapness,  at 
the  cost  not  only  of  national  security,  but  eventually  (if  persisted 
in),  of  the  very  existence  of  the  most  healthful  portion  of  the  work- 
ing classes ;  we  mean  the  agricultural  labourers.  But  not  to  rush 
into  the  wide  field  of  political  economy  (merely  recording  our 
opinion  that  whilst  the  science  is  fully  to  be  recognized,  its  main 
exponents  amongst  ourselves,  ^  from  Adam  Smith,  downwards, 
have  been  characterized  by  a  melancholy  deficiency  in  the  breadth 


370  Lavengro  and  George  Borrow. 

of  their  mental  powers,  and  a  singularly  unfortunate  misappie^ 
hension  of  first  principles) — leave  we  these  addle-pated  theorists, 
to  return  to  Ireland  and  its  fairies  in  the  company  of  Mr.  Borrow. 
He  has  now  become  a  boy  of  fourteen  or  fifteen,  and  has 
already  had  the  hap  to  witness  and  take  part  in  pugilistic  en- 
counters  apparently  innumerable,  in  England  and  her  northern 
sister,  Scotia.  Scotch  boys  he  describes  as  peculiarly  pugnacious, 
but  less  scientific  than  the  English  in  their  practice  of  the  national 
art :  by  the  by,  we  may  take  occasion  to  remark  here  that  Mr. 
Borrow,  though  evidently  a  superior  pugilist,  does  not  exhibit 
vanity  or  pretension  in  the  record  of  his  own  valorous  deeds,  and 
never  seems  unpleasantly  anxious  to  shine :  in  fact,  his  manner  of 
recording  sundry  incidents  which  do  not  reflect  a  splendid  light 
on  his  own  personal  prowess, — (witness,  for  instance,  vol.  i.  p.  99, 
and  again,  p.  106,) — goes  farther  than  any  thing  else  in  these 
volumes,  perhaps,  to  impress  us  with  a  general  sense  of  his  regard 
for  truth.  Otherwise,  we  might  be  tempted  to  suspect  him  of 
too  often  indulging  in  the  marvellous  and  the  inventive.  How- 
ever, he  is  now  in  Ireland,  with  his  father  and  brother,  and  a 
detachment  of  the  regiment,  learning  Irish,  (he  has  a  positive 
rage  for  all  languages,  French  of  course  excepted,)  and  apparently 
idling  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  He  goes  to  see  his  brother,  his 
"  darling  brother,^'  as  he  calls  him  somewhere, — for  though  three 
years  younger,  George  Borrow  seems  somehow  rather  to  patronise 
his  elder,  who,  though  a  fine  fellow,  is  not  quite  as  tall  and  large- 
limbed  as  he,  endowed  with  gentler  and  finer  tastes,  and  a  less 
roving  and  eccentric  spirit ;  however  he  pays  John  a  visit,  and 
John  tells  him  a  story  of  a  certain  Irish  peasant,  called  Jerry 
Grant,  a  fairy  man,  that  is,  ^^  a  person  in  league  with  fairies  and 
spirits,  and  able  to  work  much  harm  by  supernatural  means,  on 
which  account  they''  (the  peasants)  "hold  him  in  great  awe." 
It  seems  moreover  that  he  is  a  mighty  strong  and  tall  fellow. 
Indeed  George  has  just  met  him  himself  out  on  the  moor,  accom- 
panied by  a  certain  mysterious  dog,  and  he  has  carried  away  the 
impression  that  the  dog  and  his  master  were  decidedly  "  eerie.'' 
Now  it  seems  that  a  certain  corporal  in  the  regiment,  a  very  Her- 
cules of  a  man,  called  Bagg,  has  also  come  across  this  wonderful 
individual.  George  recounts  how  Bagg  started  for  a  certain  old 
ruined  castle  on  the  moor,  rather  expecting  to  meet  the  redoubt- 
able Jerry,  and  wishing  to  fathom  "  the  mystery  of  his  history:" 
being  a  soldier,  not  a  sailor,  he  had  of  course  a  less  craving  appe- 
tite for  the  supernatural;  nevertheless  his  curiosity  had- been 
excited  by  the  strange  rumours  he  had  listened  to,  and  besides  he 
held  the  man  for  a  rebel  and  robber,  whom  his  military  duty 
almost  enjoined  him  to  apprehend.     And  so  follows  this  story. 


Lawngro  and  George  Borroa.  S7t 

which  it  will  be  understood  that  John  is  telling,  and  George  i« 
listening  to : — 

'*  *  It  was  now  late  in  the  afternoon,  near  sunset,  when  about  half-way 
over  the  bog  he  met  a  man ' 

" '  And  that  man  was * 

"  *  Jerry  Grant !  there's  no  doubt  of  it.     Bagg  says  it  was  tl»e  most 
sudden  thing  in  the  world.     He  was  moving  along,  making  the  best  of 
his  way,  thinking  of  nothing  at  all  save  a  public-chouse  at  Swanton 
Morley,  which  he  intends  to  take  when  he  gets  home,  and  the  regiment 
is  disbanded — though  I  hope  that  will  not  be  for  some  time  yet :  he  had 
just  leaped  a  turf-bole,  and  was  moving  on,  when,  at  the  distance  of 
labout  six  yards  before  him,  he  saw  a  fellow  coming  straight  towards 
him.     Bagg  says  that  he  stopped  short,  as  suddenly  as  if  he  had  heard 
the  word  halt,  when  marching  at  double  quick  time.     It  was  quite  a 
surprise,  he  says,  and  he  can't  imagine  how  the  fellow  was  so  close  upon 
him  before  he  was  aware.    He  was  an  immense  tall  fellow — Bagg  thinks 
at  least  two  inches  taller  than  himself — very  well  dressed  in  a  blue  coat 
and  buff  breeches,  for  all  the  world  like  a  squire  when  going  out  hunt- 
ing.    Bagg,  however,  saw  at  once  that  he  had  a  roguish  air,  and  he  was 
on  his  guard  in  a  moment.     '  Good  evening  to  ye,  sodger,'  says  the 
fellow,  stepping  close  up  to  Bagg,  and  staring  him  in  the  face.    *  Good 
evening  to  you,  sir !  I  hope  you  are  well,'  says  Bagg.     '  You  are  look- 
ing after  some  one  ? '  says  the  fellow.     *  Just  so,  sir,'  says  Bagg,  and 
forthwith  seized  him  byvthe  collar  ;  the  man  laughed,  Bagg  says  it  was 
such  a  strange  awkward  laugh.     *  Do  you  know  whom  you  have  got 
hold  of,  sodger  ? '  said  he.     '  I  believe  I  do,  sir,'  said  Bagg,  '  and  in 
that  belief  will  hold  you  fast  in  the  name  of  King  George,  and  the 
quarter  sessions  ; '  the  next  moment  he  was  sprawling  with  his  heels 
in  the  air.     Bagg  says  there  was  nothing  remarkable  in  that ;  he  was 
only  flung  by  a  kind  of  wrestling  trick,  which  he  could  easily  have 
baffled,  had  he  been  aware  of  it.     *  You  will  not  do  that  again,  sir,* 
said  he,  as  he  got  up  and  put  himself  on  his  guard.   The  fellow  laughed 
again  more  strangely  and  awkwardly  than  before ;  then,  bending  his 
body  and  moving  his  head  from  one  side  to  the  other  as  a  cat  does  before 
she  springs,  and  crying  out,  *  Here's  for  ye,  sodger ! '  he  made  a  dart 
at  Bagg,  rushing  in  with  his  head  foremost.     *  That  will  do,  sir,'  'say» 
Bagg,  and,,  drawing  himself  back,  he  put  in  a  left-handed  blow  with 
all  the  force  of  his  body  and  arm,  just  over  the  fellow's  right  eye — Bagg 
is  a  left-handed  hitter,  you  must  know — and  it  was  a  blow  of  that  kind 
which  won  him  his  famous  battle  at  Edinburgh  with  the  big  Highland 
sergeant.     Bagg  says  that  he  was  quite  satisfied  with  the  blow,  more 
especially  when  he  saw  the  fellow  reel,  fling  out  his  arms,  and  fall  to  the 
ground.     *  And  now,  sir,*  said  he,  *  I'll  make  bold  to  hand  you  over  to 
the  quarter  sessions,  and,  if  there  is  a  hundred  pounds  for  taking  you, 
who  has  more  right  to  it  than  myself?'     So  he  went  forward,  but  ere 
he  could  lay  hold  of  his  man  the  other  was  again  on  his  legs,  and  was* 
prepared    to   renew  the  combat.;     They  grappled  each  other — Bagg 


372  Lavengro  and  Charge  Barrote. 

says  he  had  not  much  fear  of  the  result,  as  he  now  felt  himself  the  best 
man,  the  other  seeming  half  stunned  with  the  blow — but  just  then  there 
came  on  a  blast,  a  horrible  roaring  wind  bearing  night  upon  its  wings, 
snow,  and  sleet,  and  bail.  Bagg  says  he  had  the  fellow  by  the  throat 
quite  fast,  as  he  thought,  but  suddenly  he  became  bewildered,  and  knew 
not  where  he  was  ;  and  the  man  seemed  to  melt  away  from  his  grasp, 
and  the  wind  howled  more  and  more,  and  the  night  poured  down  darker 
and  darker ;  the  snow  and  the  sleet  thicker  and  more  blinding.  *  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  us!'  said  Bagg.*" — Vol.  i.  pp.  160 — 163. 

We  think  this,  too,  a  good  story  in  its  way.  Singular  are  the 
powers  of  the  "smith'*'  recounted  in  the  next  chapter,  who,,  by 
the  utterance  of  a  certain  word,  or  words,  influences  the  authors 
steed  to  madness,  and  even  gives  him  an  extraordinary  thrill  for 
the  moment ;  calming  the  animal  again,  who  rears  and  kicks  with 
the  utmost  desperation,  by  the  utterance  of  another  word  in  a 
voice  singularly  modified,  but  sweet  and  almost  plaintive.  We 
believe  this  story,  wonderful  as  it  may  appear,  for  there  are  indis- 
putable facts  on  record  which  prove  the  existence  of  the  powers 
attributed  to  the  smith.  Must  there  not  be  sorcery  m  this 
matter !  Gould  mere  sound  produce  such  an  effect !  But  we  do 
not  wish  to  plunge  back  again  into  the  recondite  question  of 
dealings  with  the  wicked  one.  and  shall  not  be  seduced  by  the 
tempting  nature  of  the  inquiry.  Of  his  first  ride  Mr.  Borrow 
gives  us  a  characteristic  and  spirited  description  :  he  loves  horses, 
and  writes  well  of  them  as  follows,  though  we  see  not  why  the 
skit  at  the  canine  race  was  needed  in  such  a  passage :  the  dog  is 
indeed  more  dependent  than  the  horse,  but  is  he  not  the  emblem 
of  strength,  fidelity,  and  loyalty  i  unquestionably  admirable  quali- 
ties, though  the  two  latter  may  seem  a  little  out  of  fashion : — but 
hear  our  author : — 

'*  It  was  thus  that  the  passion  for  the  equine  race  was  first  awakened 
within  me — a  passion  which,  up  to  the  present  time,  has  been  rather 
on  the  increase  than  diminishing.  It  is  no  blind  passion  ;  the  horse 
being  a  noble  and  generous  creature,  intended  by  the  All- Wise  to  be 
the  helper  and  friend  of  man,  to  whom  he  stands  next  in  the  order  of 
creation.  On  many  occasions  of  my  life  I  have  been  much  indebted  to 
the  horse,  and  have  found  in  him  a  friend  and  coadjutor,  when  human 
help  and  sympathy  were  not  to  be  obtained.  It  is  therefore  natural 
enough  that  I  should  love  the  horse,  but  the  love  which  I  entertain  for 
him  has  always  been  blended  with  respect ;  for  I  soon  perceived  that, 
though  disposed  to  be  the  friend  and  helper  of  man,  he  is  by  no  means 
inclined  to  be  his  slave ;  in  which  respect  he  differs  from  the  dog,  who 
will  crouch  when  beaten ;  whereas  the  horse  spurns,  for  he  is  aware  of 
his  own  worth,  and  that  he  carries  death  within  the  horn  of  his  heel.  If, 
therefore,  I  found  it  easy  to  love  the  horse,  I  found  it  equally  natural 
to  respect  him."— Vol.  i.  pp.  170,  171* 


Lavengro  and  George  Barrow.  878 

f  Our  author  now  leaves  Ireland,  and  returns  for  a  little  while  to 
a  calmer  English  life :  there  is  much  that  is  entertaining  here- 
abouts ;  the  portraiture  of  the  "  emigr^'^  priest,  the  interview  with 
the  quaker-banker,  and  again  the  meeting  with  the  gypsies  who 
call  God,  Duvel.  Then  comes  the  first  great  sickness  in  our 
author^s  life,  and  his  first  attack  from  a  certain  nameless  dread  or 
horror,  which  nearly  drives  him  to  frenzy,  and  to  which  he  appears 
to  be  constitutionally  liable  at  seasons.  Then  we  have  his  re- 
covery ;  his  employment  in  an  attorney'*s  ofiice  for  long  and  weary 
hour^;  his  discovery  of  the  great  Welsh  bard  '*  Ab  Gwilym,''  one 
of  the  five  or  six  mightiest  spirits,  he  assures  us,  which  have 
illumined  by  their  genius  this  nether  world  of  ours ;  then  we  have 
6eorge''s  strange  outlandish  ways,  which  give  his  worthy  father  no 
little  trouble ;  and  his  elder  brother  John^s  selection  of  the  profes* 
sion  of  an  artist,  a  painter,  and  departure  for  Rome  accordingly, 
George  thinks  he  would  have  achieved  great  things  had  he  not 
been  unhappily  deficient  in  perseverance,  without  which,  as  he  most 
wisely  remarks,  nothing  great  is  to  be  achieved,  at  least  in  art ; 
(we  are  not  sure  that  this  holds  good  in  poetry  as  emphatically 
as  in  painting  or  music,  because  the  former  art  is  so  much  the  less 
technical,  and  all  things  may  be  said  to  minister  to  it,  all  study, 
all  experience,  all  knowledge  of  men  and  things ;)  then  again  we 
have  our  author''s  lighting  upon  a  Danish  treasure,  certain  glorious 
lawless  ballads,  which  fill  his  soul  with  joy  and  wonder  as  they 
did  that  of  "  Fouqu^''  before  him.  Then  comes  a  really  admirable 
chapter  concerning  an  individual  of  the  Hazlitt  class^  a  Germaniser 
and  philosophical  unbeliever ;  it  is  no  caricature,  but  a  perfect 
portraiture,  and  yet  how  splendidly  does  it  convey  the  vanity  of 
the  fellow.  We  recommend  the  study  of  this  chapter  xxiii.  to 
most  men,  and  are  all  but  tempted  to  extract  it  ^^  in  extenso.^^ 

After  this,  we  have  a  country  squire  of  the  old  school,  not 
dashed  off  so  badly;  more  pugilists;  itinerary  methodists,  for 
whom  Mr.  Borrow  has  a  special  aflection;  gypsies;  battles 
royal;  family  discussion:^  respecting  George's  future  fortunes, 
for  it  seems  admitted  that  he  will  never  do  for  an  attorney ;  his 
father'^s  sickness  unto  death  ;  his  brother^s  return  to  receive  his 
last  blessing ;  and  that  father''s  closing  scene.  As  a  specimen  of 
Mr.  Borrow'*s  more  moving  style,  we  shall  extract  this  last, 
which  seems  to  us  very  striking  in  its  way,  and  which  also  ends 
the  first  volume : 

"  At  the  dead  hour  of  night,  it  might  be  about  two,  I  was  awakened 
from  sleep  by  a  cry  which  sounded  from  the  room  immediately  below 
that  in  which  I  slept.  I  knew  the  cry,  it  was  the  cry  of  my  mother  ; 
and  I  also  knew  its  import,  yet  I  made  no  effort  to  rise,  for  I  was  for 
the  moment  paralyzed.     Again  the  cry  sounded,  yet  still  I  lay  motion-* 


374  Lawnpro  and  Cfemye  Barrm^* 

less — tbe  stupidity  of  horror  ww  upon  me,  A  third  time,  and  it  was 
then  that,  by  a  violent  effort,  bursting  the  spell  which  appeared  to  bind 
tne,  I  sprang  from  the  bed  and  rushed  down  stairs.  My  mother  was 
running  wildly  about  the  room ;  she  had  awoke,  and  found  my  father 
senseless  in  the  bed  by  her  side.  I  essayed  to  raise  him,  and  after  a 
few  efforts  supported  him  in  the  bed  in  a  sitting  posture.  My  brother 
now  rushed  in,  and,  snatching  up  a  light  that  was  burning,  he  hdd  it 
to  my  father's  face.  *  The  surgeon,  the  surgeon ! '  he  cried ;  then, 
dropping  the  light,  he  ran  out  of  the  room  followed  by  my  mother ;  I 
remained  alone,  supporting  the  senseless  form  of  my  father  ;  the  light 
had  been  extinguished  by  the  fall,  and  an  almost  total  darkness  reigned 
in  the  room.  The  form  pressed  heavily  against  my  bosom — at  last 
methought  it  moved.  Yes,  I  was  right,  there  was  a  heaving  of  the 
breast,  and  then  a  gasping.  Were  those  words  which  I  heard  ?  Yes, 
they  were  words,  low  and  indistinct  at  first,  and  then  audible.  The 
mind  of  the  dying  man  was  reverting  to  former  scenes.  I  heard  him 
mention  names  which  I  had  oflen  heard  him  mention  before.  It  was 
an  awful  moment ;  I  felt  stupified,  but  I  still  contrived  to  support  my 
dying  father.  There  was  a  pause,  again  my  father  spoke  :  I  heard  hini 
speak  of  Minden,  and  of  Meredith,  the  old  Minden  sergeant,  and  then 
he  uttered  another  name,  which  at  one  period  of  his  life  was  much  in 

his  lips,  the  name  of but  this  is  a  solemn   moment !     There 

was  a  deep  gasp:  I  shook,  and  thought  all  was  over;  but  I  was 
mistaken — my  father  moved,  and  revived  for  a  moment ;  he  supported 
himself  in  bed  without  my  assistance.  I  make  no  doubt  that  for  a 
moment  he  was  perfectly  sensible,  and  it  was  then  that,  clasping  his 
hands,  he  uttered  another  name  clearly,  distinctly — it  was  the  name  of 
Christ.  With  that  name  upon  his  lips,  the  brave  old  soldier  sank  back 
upon  my  bosom,  and,  with  his  hands  still  clasped,  yielded  up  his  soul." 
—Vol.  i.  pp.  358—360. 

And  here  we  almost  think  that  our  quotations  must  find  their 
term.  The  youthful  Borrow  starts  for  London :  he  resolves  to 
live  by  literature,  especially  by  the  publication  of  his  wonderful 
translations  from  Ab  Gvvilym  and  the  Danish,  of  which  he  gives 
us  a  few  crackjaw  and  most  prosaic  specimens.  Here  we  find  the 
portraiture  of  a  rationalistic  publisher,  not  peculiarly  engaging, 
and  so  very  singular,  as  to  be  decidedly  abnormal  in  his  idiosyn- 
crasy. Then  we  have  London  Bridge,  and  a  certain  old  woman 
who  keeps  a  stall  on  it,  and  possesses  a  book  which  she  values  as 
her  only  treasure,  De  Foe's  Life  of  Moll  Flanders,  with  whom 
Mr.  Borrow  strikes  up  a  hasty  friendship.  Then  we  have  the 
starting  of  a  review,  abuse  of  criticism  and  literary  men,  all  sorts 
of  out-of-the-way  literary  experiences ;  some  amusing  matter,  but, 
we  think,  more  trash.  Then  a  certain  tiresome  Armenian  bothers 
us  a  good  deal ;  we  have  also  a  gypsy  adventure  at  Greenwich 
fair, — not  devoid  of  a  certain  wild  originality ;— we  have   the 


JL€n€ngro  and  George  Borrow.  375 

aceoont  of  a  composition  of  a  species  of  early  novel  or  tale, 
which  Mr.  Borrow  seUs  for  twenty  pounds ;  and  various  encoun- 
ters with  a  certain  Francis  Ardry,  "  and  his  lady,'^  neither  of  the 
twain  remarkably  respectable.     We  are  glad  when   Mr.  Borrow 
tarns  his  back  upon  the  great  city,  where  he  certainly  seems  any 
thing  but  in  his  element,  and  gets  out  into  the  woods  and  fields 
again.     Then  we  have  mystic  roamings  on  Stonehenge,  confabu- 
lations with  returned  convicts,  a  visit  to  a  certain  queer  literary  hu^- 
morist, — also  a  country  gentleman, — possessed  with  an  almost 
insane  passion  for  originality,  and  addicted  to  (otiching  all  manner 
of  things  by  way  of  a  charm  against  misfortune.     Mr.  Borrow 
speaks  of  this  as  an  extraordinary  habit :  we  believe  nothing  to 
be  more  common  amongst  imaginative  boys:    if  We  be  not  an 
Eidolon,  or  a  myth,  but  actually  be  allowed  to  possess  a  substantive 
individuaUty,  toe  will  venture  to  say  that  our  boyhood  was  very 
familiar  with  similar  temptations  and  sensations,  to  which  Dr. 
Johnson  was  subject  all  his  life,  and  all  fanciful  men  are  likely 
to  be  who  do  opt  struggle  resolutely  against  such  tendencies. 

Thus  have  we  galloped  through  vol.  ii.,  vastly  inferior  to  its 
elder  brother,  and  pass  to  the  third  and  last,  which  is  a  decided 
improvement  on  the  second,  though  it  scarcely  rises  perhaps  to 
the  level  of  the  first-born  in  freshness  or  interest.  More  espe* 
cially,  we  have  to  protest  against  a  most  ^Mame  and  impotent 
condosion,'"  in  the  shape  of  a  silly  story  told  by  a  postilion, 
and  would  strongly  recommend  to  our  clever,  spirited,  harum- 
scarum  author  the  omission  of  his  last  fifty  pages,  which  are 
worse  than  useless.  Had  he  terminated,  however  abruptly,  with 
chapter  xxx«,  leaving  the  postilion's  tale  to  the  imagination,  we 
assure  him  that  the  efiect  would  have  been  far  more  piquant,  a 
*  substantial  peroration  having  been  provided  in  the  indicated  union 
of  our  hero  and  his  lady-love, — a  certain  strapping  amazon,  as 
tall,  or  taller  than  our  author's  self,  with  beautiful  flaxen  or 
golden  hair,  blue  eyes,  and  a  form  of  regal  majesty  and  grace, 
the  very  ideal  (if  a  damsel  so  peculiarly  substantial  is  not 
wronged  by  such  an  epithet)  of  the  Danish  warrior-maiden  of  the 
olden  days.  How  our  author  falls  in  with  her  we  shall  not 
attempt  to  indicate :  the  whole  history  of  the  Tinker  Slingsby 
driven  off  his  ancient  haunts  by  the  gigantic  brute  of  a  Flaming 
Tinman,  who  at  last  meets  with  his  deserts  in  a  fistic  enconnter 
with  our  hero,  (who  ascribes  no  merit  to  himself,  however,  being 
only  saved  by  a  providence,)  has  no  small  amount  of  stirring  life 
and  energy ;  and  so  have  the  curious  gypsy-scenes,  the  hideous 
Mother  Heme,  the  amicable  Petulengro,  who  will  fight  however 
to  prove  his  friendship  (we  have  known  schoolboys  do  so  in  our 
own  school  days),  all  these  things  are  animated  and  graphic :  but 


376  Lavengro  and  George  Barrow. 

we  do  not  mean  to  dwell  on  them,  extracted  as  they  have  beenm 
well-nigh  every  newspaper  within  these  realms ;  nor  will  we  dweB 
on  the  exaggerated  attack  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  Platitude,  a  full-blown, 
specimen  of  the  worst  order  of  Romanizers:  the  Jesuit,  too,  in« 
troduced  under  the  guise  of  "  the  black  man,"  seems  out  of 
keeping  with  life  and  nature.     We  cannot  help  fancying  that 
very  much  of  this  third  volume  must  be  pure  fiction :  if  not,  we 
think  we  should  have  been  provided  with  a  distinct  assurance  to 
the  contrary.      What  strikes  us  most  in   this  volume,  is  the 
episode  of  Peter  Williams  and  his  wife,  the  wandering  Welsh 
preacher,  who  fancies  he  has  sinned  the  sin  against  the  Holy 
Ghost:    this   is   a  graphic,   earnest  portraiture,  worth  all  the 
rest  of  the  volume  put  together;    and  it  suggests  grave  ques-. 
tions  to  the  mind  respecting  the  advisability  of  really  authorizing 
the  going  forth  of  peripatetic  preachers  to  evangelize  the  masses ; 
but  we  believe  the  time  is  not  yet  fully  ripe ;  we  must  first  have 
more  internal  unity  among  ourselves,  that  our  home-missionaries 
may  not  contradict  one  another  too  frequently,;    and  we  are 
sanguine  enough  to  believe  that  this  period  of  union  is  not  so 
distant  as  most  men  fancy,  despite  some  present  appearances  to 
the  contrary.     We  doubt  whether  our  parochial  system  alone  can 
regain  the  alienated  aifections  of  the  masses ;  and  true  it  is  that 
certain  men  possess  especial  powers  for  moving  the  hearts  of 
assembled  multitudes.     God  gave  those  powers :  should  they  not 
be  employed?    nay,  had  we  not  better  risk  a  little  erroneous 
teaching  than  allow  people  to  slumber  on  for  ever  spiritually  dead 
in  life  2     No  doubt  such  preachers  must  not  be  Antinomian :  it  is 
an  indispensable  condition  that  they  should  insist  on  practical 
obedience  and  the  fruits  of  love,  humility,  long-suffering,  industry, 
courage,  loyalty ;  but,  this  once  admitted,  surely  they  can  scarcely 
preach  too  emphatically.  Redemption  through  the  one  Sacrifice ! 
No  doubt,  they  should  tell  the  people  that  those  amongst  them 
who  having  been  baptized  are  living  in  open  sin,  are  under  a  more 
grievous  condemnation  than  their  brethren ;  but  still  they  should 
proclaim  that  there  is  hope  for  all,  mercy  for  all,  and  draw  all  by 
the  Holy  Spirit's  help,  towards  the  Cross  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour. 
Then,  if  pastoral  intercourse  were  only  generally  re-established,  no 
danger  but  that  the  sinner,  awakened  to  a  sense  of  his  condition, 
would  resort  to  his  pastor  for  aid,  if  not  for  guidance ;  manifestly 
the  peripatetic  preacher  would  have  no  time,  independent  of  his 
having  no  mission,  to  supersede  the  ordinary  duties  of  the  parish 
priest.     But  we  will  not  enlarge  upon  this  theme.     We  could 
not  pass  it  by  without  some  indication  of  our  hopes ;  but  our 
paper  reminds  us  that  we  must  draw  these  lucubrations  to  a 
close. 


Lwoemgro  and  George  Sorrow.  377 

Mr.  Sorrow's  book,  then,  in  our  opinion,  is  on  the  whole  very 
r    lively  and  animated,  strange,  indeed,  as  we  started  by  aflSrming, 
but  graphic ;  giving  no  very  distinct  image  of  the  ordinary  world 
around   us,    but  revealing  a    new   world   of   gypsies,    tramps, 
boxers.  Flaming  Tinmen,  and  oddities  of  every  shape  and  kind, 
with  which  readers  are  far  less  likely  to  be  acquainted.     We 
have  called   Mr.  Borrow  a  humorist,  yet  he  is  scarcely  this; 
not  in  the  same  sense,  at  least,  with  that  at  once  most  ludicrously 
comical  and  most  pathetic  of  writers,  Charles  Dickens ;  nor  does 
he  bear  any  affinity  to  the  genius  of  Thackeray,  who  conceals 
beneath  a  li^t  exterior  a  depth  of  meaning  and  a  world  of  thought 
which  Mr.  JBorrow  would  not  fathom  ;  nor  has  he  even  the  play- 
fulness of  that  really  charming  novelist   Sir   Edward   Bulwer 
Lytton  (whatever  be  thought  of  his  plays  and  his  poetry)  : — some- 
thing of  the  same  boldness  and  directness  which  are  characteristic 
of  Mr.  Kingsley  (witness  these  two  powerful  works  "  Yeast"  and 
"  Alton  Locke")  may  perhaps  be  discovered  here.     But,  after 
all,  Mr.  Borrow  has  a  world  of  his  own  and  a  genius  of  his  own, 
and  can  no  more  be  classed  with  Cervantes  (with  whom  a  French 
reviewer  ranked  him  the  other  day),  than  with  Shakspeare,  or 
Douglas  Jerrold,  or  Tom  Paine,  or  Bishop  Butler !     He  is  "  sui 
generis,"  emphatically,  and  stands  apart  and  aloof  from  all  his 
literary  compeers,  whom  he  seems  to  pummel  with  a  most  peculiar 
zest  in  the  performance  of  that  duty.     We  suppose  we  shall 
meet  him  and  the  American  lady  again,  and  hear  more  gypsy 
wonders,  and  wonders  of  all  kinds.     He  must  confe&s  in  the 
meanwhile  that  he  has  met  with  genial — we  will  not  affi'ont  him 
by  saying  lenient — auditors  in  us. 


VOL.  XV. NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  C  C 


878  Early  EngU$h  Prmc€ue$. 


Aet.  VI. — Liioes  of  the  Princesses  of  England  from  the  Noram 
Conquest,  By  Maey  Anne  Eveeett  Gbeen,  Editor  of  ib 
''  Letters  ofBoyal  and  lUustriom  Ladiss.^  London  :  Go&um. 
3  vols.     1860,1851. 

Of  the  many  childish  illusions  that  fade  away  before  the  scorch- 
ing light  of  maturer  years,  there  is  none  perhaps  at  once  more 
fair  and  more  fallacious  than  the  ideal  princess  of  our  yom^ 
imagination.  The  princess  of  our  fairy  tales  is  a  being  in  whom 
centres  every  charm,  every  power,  and  every  bliss ;  her  beauty  is 
unrivalled,  her  heart  the  home  of  every  glad  emotion,  the  shrine 
of  every  noble  aspiration ;  a  child  of  nature  in  all  that  nu&es 
nature  attractive  with  only  so  much  of  art  as  to  set  off  to  their 
full  advantage  the  glittering  gifts  of  the  mighty  mother ;  and, 
bright  in  herself,  her  path  is  one  career  of  life,  and  light,  and 
hope,  and  love,  and  glory.  Woes  she  may  encounter,  but  they 
dim  not  her  eye  ;  trials  she  may  endure,  but  they  pale  not  the 
rose  upon  her  cheek ;  dangers  fright  her  not,  foes  ha^  her  not ; 
and,  however  dark  clouds  may  hover  over  her  cradle,  or  haunt 
her  earlier  years,  they  are  sure  to  give  place  to  a  noon  of  dazzling 
rapture,  and  an  eve  of  delicious  repose. 

Alas  !  how  diflferent  is  the  real  princess  from  her  ideal  coun- 
terpart !  How  seldom  is  her  lot  one  of  happiness  !  How  fre- 
quently is  it,  on  the  contrary,  one  of  deep  affliction  !  Like  the 
North  American  negro,  she  is  born  and  bred  a  slave  with  as 
little  chance  of  release  or  relief  as  that  miserable  victim  of  re- 
publican rapacity  !  Yes ;  she  is  doomed  from  her  very  birth ! 
For  her  friendship  is  a  nullity,  and  love  a  forbidden  thing.  In 
the  splendour  of  her  brilliant  thraldom  she  moves  in  irons,  which 
pierce  not  the  less  into  her  soul,  because  they  are  brightly  gilded, 
and  richly  jewelled.  Her  feelings,  her  thoughts,  her  wishes,  her 
words,  her  actions,  must  all  be  ruled  by  the  remorseless  law  of 
an  unrelenting  conventionalism ;  her  heart  must  be  tutored 
like  that  of  the  recluse  immured  in  the  prison-house  of  Romish 
conventualism :  yet  must  she  be  as  prompt  and  passive  as  an 
Eastern  slave,  when  family  interest  or  state  policy  would  consign 
her  to  the  arms  of  a  stranger,  or  even  an  enemy. 

**  The  destinies  of  the  royal  daughters  of  England,  associated  as  they 
inevitably  are  with,  and  dependent  upon,  those  of  their  relatives  of  the 
other  sex,  will   frequently  be  found  to  take  their  tone  and  colouring 


Early  JSnffUeh  PrificegMs.  879 

from  the  character  of  their  sires  or  brothers.     While  the  respect  com- 
manded by  an  energetic  and  able  English  monarch  rendered  an  alliance 
with  him  an  object  of  anxious  emulation  among  the  continental  princes, 
the  female  relatives  of  a  feeble  sovereign  were  almost  invariably  saeri* 
Seed  to  the  timid  policy  which  endeavoured  either  to  bribe  its  enemies, 
or  reward  its  adherents  by  such  boons.     Very  sad  has  often  been  the 
history  of  these  royal  marriages ;  yet  when  we   consider   the  utter 
neglect  of  attention  either  to  age,  suitability  of  character*  or,  in  fact,  to 
any   thing  but  state  policy,  with   which   they  were  contracted,   the 
marvel  is,  not  that  they  should  have  been  frequently  unhappy,  but 
that  they  have  occasionally  proved  so  fortunate." — Vol.  i.  p.  378. 

The  volumes  under  review  contain  the  biographies  of  the  royal 
daughters  of  England,  from  the  days  of  WiUiam  the  Conqueror, 
to  those  of  Edward  IV.  They  are  compiled  with  great  care, 
great  judgment,  and,  what  is  even  more  rare,  and  at  least  equally 
important,  with  great  impartiality.  The  design  has  been  well 
conceived,  and  well  executed ;  and,  as  we  read  on,  we  are  often 
reminded  of  the  faults  of  other  historians,  biographers,  and 
archaeologists,  by  the  absence  of  those  blemishes  which  disfigure 
the  greater  number  of  works  that  treat  of  the  earlier,  or  even 
the  later,  periods  of  modem  history.  We  earnestly  hope  that 
the  authoress  may  be  permitted  to  conclude  the  very  valuable 
collection  which  she  has  begun,  and  that  the  remaining  volumes 
may  be  fully  worthy  to  stand  by  the  side  of  their  prede- 
cessors. 

Faults  of  course  there  are ;  but  they  are  rather  those  of  in- 
advertence, than  intention — of  manner,  than  of  matter.  The 
Saxons,  for  example,  are  twice  called  ^^  the  Ancient  Britons  ;'*^ 
and  there  are  blemishes  of  style  and  conventionalisms  of  ex- 
pression, which  might  be  altered  with  advantage  in  a  second 
edition.  These  imperfections,  however,  do  not  detract  from  the 
mterest,  or  the  instruction  with  which  these  pages  abound.  The 
work  possesses  a  peculiar  charm  of  variety  from  the  fact  that  its 
successive  heroines  figured  in  widely  difierent  characters  on  widely 
distant  stages ;  so  that  our  attention  is,  in  turn,  arrested  by  the 
doister,  the  court,  and  the  camp  ;  and  we  wander  now  amid  the 
rugged  fastnesses  of  Wales  or  Scotland,  now  through  the  gloomy 
forests  of  Germany,  now  over  the  sunny  meads  of  Languedoc, 
Sicily,  or  Palestine. 

It  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  give  any  iull  account,  or  accurate 
description  of  the  present  work ;  because  each  life  being  perfect 
and  separate  in  itself,  would  in  such  case  require  to  be  treated  in 
succession.  We  shall,  therefore,  content  ourselves  with  briefly 
adverting  to  some  of  the  most  striking  incidents  or  passages 
which  occur  in  the  course  of  these  volumes,  and  select  for  a  closer 

c  c2 


S80  Early  Engluih  Princesses. 

survey  one  or  two  out  of  the  many  deeply  interesting  biograpUa 
before  us. 

The  series  commences,  as  we  have  already  indicated,  with  the 
daughters  of  William  the  Conqtferor,  that  mighty  plunderer,  that 
magnificent  marauder,  that  heroic  oppressor,  the  fate  of  whose 
family  forms  one  of  the  many  illustrations  of  the  prophet'^s  words: 
^^  Woe  unto  him  that  coveteth  an  evil  covetousness  to  his  house, 
to  set  his  nest  on  high,  that  he  may  be  delivered  from  the  power 
of  evil !  Thou  hast  consulted  shame  to  thy  house  by  cutting  off 
many  people,  and  hast  sinned  against  thy  soul.  For  the  stone 
shall  cry  out  of  the  wall,  and  the  beam  out  of  the  timber  shall 
answer  it.  Woe  to  him  that  buildeth  a  town  with  blood,  and 
stablisheth  a  city  by  iniquity.^ 

It  is  a  curious  illustration  both  of  the  character  of  William  and 
Matilda,  and  of  the  spirit  of  the  age  in  which  they  lived,  that  *'in 
order  to  reconcile  the  See  of  Rome  to  their  union,  which  was  for- 
bidden on  the  pretext  of  their  being  within  the  forbidden  degrees 
of  consanguinity,'*^  they  '^  vowed  each  to  erect  and  endow  a  stately 
monastery.^ 

"  St.  Stephen's  Abbey,  and  that  of  the  Holy  Trinity  at  Caen,  the  one 
for  monks  and  the  other  for  nuns,  both  the  most  splendid  monastic 
establishments  of  their  time  in  Normandy,  proved  how  well  they  per- 
formed their  promise ;  and  as  a  consummation  of  their  oflfering,  the 
sealons  pair  determined  to  devote  their  eldest  daughter  to  the  service  of 
God  within  the  cloistered  walls  of  the  latter  edifice," — Vol,  i.  p.  4. 

In  order,  then,  to  be  themselves  permitted  to  enjoy  the  sweets 
of  domestic  Ufe,  the  maid  and  her  lover  take  the  surest  means  of 
excluding  others  from  them,  and  selfishly  devote  the  fruit  of  their 
own  passion  to  the  loveless  seclusion  of  the  cloister.  This 
vicarious  self-denial  is  still  practised  to  a  lai^  extent  in  those 
countries,  which  acknowledge  the  supremacy  and  receive  the  faith 
of  Rome.  It  was  no  uncommon  circumstance  a  few  years  since 
for  an  unmarried  woman  to  devote  her  unborn  o&pring  to  the 
convent  as  an  atonement  for  her  own  breach  of  chastity. 

Trained,  then,  from  her  early  youth  for  that  life  to  which  she 
had  been  devoted  before  her  conception,  Cecilia,  the  eldest  daugh- 
ter of  Wilham  of  Normandy,  by  his  wife  Matilda  of  Flandera, 
entered  the  Convent  of  the  Holy  Trinity— of  which  in  due  course 
of  time  she  became  the  Abbess.  Her  life  appears  to  have  been 
one  of  tranquillity  and  devotion— her  mind  of  a  high  order— her 
rule  (when  raised  to  authority)  mild  and  firm.  It  is  interesting 
to  know,  too,  that  she  as  well  as  many  of  the  other  high-bom 
ladies  of  this  and  the  succeeding  age,  was  weU  skilled  in  the  Latin 
language,  and  not  unacquainted  with  other  brancheB  of  knowledge. 


Early  English  Princesses.  381 

The  fate  of  her  sister  Matilda  was  far  more  troublous. 

"  After  the  conquest  of  En;r1ancl,  King  William,  in  order  to  secure 
the  fidelity  of  Edwin  Earl  of  Chester,  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the 
Saxon  nobles,  promised  him  one  of  his  daughters  in  marriage,  and  the 
Lady  Matilda,  who,  after  the  profession  of  Cecilia  and  the  death  of  Ade- 
laide, was  the  eldest  princess  at  court,  was  to  become  the  bride  of  the 
handsome  young  Saxon." — Vol.  i.  p.  16. 

A  deep  and  fervent  attachment  seems  to  have  sprung  up 
between  the  young  people.  It  was,  however,  destined  to  that 
cruel  disappointment  which  so  often  attends  the  hopes  and  wishes 
of  youth,  and  which  dogs  like  an  aveng^ing  spirit  the  footsteps  of 
the  daughters  of  kings.  The  fate  of  Edwin  is  too  well  known  to 
be  more  than  alluded  to  in  this  place.  And  her  father,  after  his 
death,  accepted  for  her  the  proposals  of  marriage  made  hy  Al- 
phonso,  the  sovereign  of  Leon  and  Gastille. 

"  Haunted  as  she  was  with  the  memory  of  the  past,  she  manifested 
the  strongest  reluctance  to  the  connexion  thus  marked  out  for  her. 
But  t.he  embassy  sent  to  demand  her  was  numerous  and  splendid,  the 
alliance  was  highly  honourable,  and  the  Conqueror  was  not  of  a  temper 
to  be  lightly  moved  by  the  tears  of  a  reluctant  girl."— Vol.  i.  p.  22. 

The  preparations,  therefore,  went  on  upon  a  most  magnificent 
scale :  tor  the  Conqueror  spared  nothing  to  shed  all  the  glory  of 
this  world  over  the  sacrifice  which  he  demanded,  the  victim  whom 
he  devoted.  His  will,  however,  was  at  length  bowed  before  that 
mightier,  sterner  Will  which  the  most  imperious  potentates  must 
succumb  to. 

"  For  several  long  years  Matilda  had  endeavoured  by  prayer  and 
other  acts  of  devotion  to  gain  repose  to  her  wounded  spirit,  and  so 
assiduous  was  she  in  these  exercises,  that  after  her  death  a  hard  sub- 
stance was  found  to  have  been  formed  upon  her  knees,  the  result  of  her 
long  and  frequent  prayers.  Her  dread  of  her  unknown  Spanish  spouse 
was  so  excessive,  *  that  she  supplicated  the  Omnipotent  with  floods  of 
tears,'  that  He  would  rather  take  her  to  Himself  than  permit  her  to 
fulfil  the  detested  union.  Her  earnest  desires  paved  the  way  for  their 
own  accomplishment.  She  set  out  on  her  journey. towards  Spain  with 
a  brilliant  cortege^  but  had  scarcely  reached  the  frontiers,  when  she 
sickened  and  died.  Sorrow  had  done  its  work,  and  the  cords  of  the 
young  and  gentle  spirit,  too  tightly  strained,  had  snapped — her  death  is 
universally  attributed  to  a  broken  heart." — Vol.  i.  p.  22. 

Yet  sad  as  her  fate  appears,  it  was  in  reality,  a  blessed  one. 
For  better  was  it  to  die  in  the  unsullied  purity  of  her  virgin  grief, 
than  to  live  for  the  pollution  of  a  compulsory  and  unholy  mar- 
riage— better,  far  better,  was  it  to  weep  over  the  grave  and  follow 


382  Early  English  Princesses. 

the  steps  of  the  unfortunate  Saxon,  thaa  to  share  in  the  pros- 
perity, the  pride,  the  cruelty  of  her  father  s  evil  house. 

Far  different  were  the  fortunes  of  Adela,  the  fifth  and  youngest 
of  the  undoubted  daughters  of  William  and  Matilda,  from  those 
of  any  of  her  sisters, 

*'  There  was  a  certain  youth,  of  aae  of  the  noblest  families  of  France, 
though  he  possessed  no  higher  sounding  name  than  that  of  Simon 
Crispin,  Earl  of  Amiens,  the  son  and  heir  of  Ralph,  Earl  of  Yalois  and 
Mantz,  who,  in  order  that  he  might  become  an  accomplished  chevalier, 
was  sent  by  his  father  to  be  educated  in  the  court  of  William  of  Nor- 
mandy. Here  the  gallant  boy  became  such  a  fi&vourite  with  both 
William  and  Matilda,  that  they  determined  in  due  time  to  bestow  upon 
him  the  hand  of  his  young  playmate  the  Princess  Adela — and  the  thing 
was  looked  upon  as  settled.  Whether  the  young  lady  herself  regarded 
him  with  an  equally  partial  eye  we  cannot  ascertain ;  but  the  presump- 
tions are,  that  he  entertained  for  her  a  sincere  and  strong  affection.*' — 
Vol.  i.  p.  35. 

The  circumstance  by  which  this  engagement  was  broken  off,  is 
so  strikingly  charactenstic  of  the  times  in  which  it  occurred,  that 
we  shall  transcribe  it  in  extenso : — 

"  Bred  in  the  court  of  the  pious  Matilda  of  Flanders,  SinK)n  had  im- 
bibed an  early  reverence  for  justice  and  humanity,  and  was  greatly 
shocked  to  find,  that  the  father  of  whom  he  had  seen  so  little  had  been 
guilty  of  many  cruel  acts  of  oppression,  and  that  even  his  burial-place, 
the  castle  of  Montdidier,  had  been  wrongfully  and  fraudulently  obtained. 

"  Full  of  pious  concern  for  the  soul  of  his  parent,  he  consulted  Pope 
Gregory  on  the  subject ;  and  the  pontiff  commanded  that  his  body 
should  be  removed  from  such  unhallowed  ground,  and  masses  daily  said 
for  his  soul.  The  son  hastened  to  comply  ;  a  tomb  was  prepared  in 
consecrated  ground,  and  the  remains  disinterred  from  their  resting-place 
in  the  castle  of  Montdidier.  When  the  coffin  was  brought  above  ground 
a  strong  desire  possessed  the  mind  of  Simon  to  gaze  once  more  upon 
the  face  of  his  buried  sire ;  but  the  earl  had  now  occupied  the  house 
appointed  for  all  living  upwards  of  three  years,  and  decay  had  made 
rapid  progress.  The  ghastly  spectacle  presented  before  the  eyes  of  the 
terrified  youth,  when  the  lid  of  the  coffin  was  raised,  produced  such  an 
effect  upon  his  mind,  that  from  that  moment  it  took  a  completely  new 
bias. 

"  His  splendid  dominions,  his  noble  exploits,  his  young  betrothed, 
were  all  forgotten  in  the  horrid  spectacle  of  the  final  destiny  of  frail 
mortality,  and  he  resolved  from  that  hour  to  devote  himself  exclusively 
to  preparation  for  a  world  where  death  and  decay  are  no  more.  Just 
in  the  crisis  when  his  mind  was  struggling  beneath  the  weight  of  these 
emotions,  he  was  summoned  to  the  court  of  King  Willian^,  to  consum- 
mate his  marriage  with  the  Lady  Adela,  who  had  reached  the  mature 
age  of  fifteen.    Thither  accordingly  he  repaired,  not  to  fulfil  his  engage- 


# 

E(itl/y  English  Princesses.  383 

ment,  but  to  request  that  on  account  of  the  plea  of  consangainity  which 
he  urged^  he  might  be  permitted  first  to  take  a  journey  to  Rome  and 
sue  for  a  dispensation.  This  was  willingly  granted ;  but  no  sooner  bad 
he  passed  the  limits  to  which  the  power  of  his  intended  father-in-law 
might  be  supposed  to  extend,  than  he  turned  aside  to  a  German  monastery, 
and  there  took  the  decisive  vows.  Here  he  gave  himself  up  to  the  most 
rigorous  fasting  and  penance ;  but  still  not  satisfied,  he  shortly  after- 
wards resolved  to  lead  the  life  of  a  hermit ;  and  during  the  remainder 
of  his  existence,  a  single  meal  a  day,  composed  of  bread  and  water  with 
wild  apples  or  a  few  vegetables,  formed  his  sole  sustenance.  His  con- 
duct, however,  excited  no  displeasure  in  the  minds  of  William  and 
Matilda ;  for  in  the  year  1081,  when  the  object  of  his  once  passionate 
attachment  had  left  her  father's  court  as  the  bride  of  another,  the  lonely 
hermit  now  celebrated  over  half  Europe  for  his  sanctity  and  austerity, 
paid  a  visit  to  these  his  early  friends,  and  endeavoured  to  reconcile  the 
dissensions  which  had  sprung  up  between  King  William  and  his  eldest 
son  Robert.  The  following  year  terminated  the  life  of  this  singular 
character :  he  died  at  Rome,  whither  he  had  gone  on  an  important  mis- 
sion. In  honour  of  his  sanctity  he  was  honoured  with  a  burial  in  the 
vault  of  the  popes;  and  Queen  Matilda  showed  her  respect  for  his 
memory  by  making  a  munificent  present  of  gold  and  silver  for  the 
erection  of  his  tomb,  which  to  the  present  day  is  an  object  of  curiosity 
to  travellers." — Vol.  i.  pp.  37,  38. 

We  observe,  indeed,  throughout  these  volumes  nfeny  traces  of 
that  spurious  devotion,  and  misdirected  self-sacrifice  which  blemish 
the  character  and  conduct  of  most,  but  not  all  the  good  and  holy 
men  of  those  ages — and  of  that  fanaticism  of  hypocrisy,  that  self- 
delusion  of  wickedness,  which  gave  a  quasi  rehgious  colouring  to 
the  lives  and  even  the  crimes  of  the  monsters  of  cruelty,  avarice, 
lawlessness,  and  lust,  which  then  abounded.  Still  there  is  a 
striking  difference,  a  broad  distinction  to  be  drawn  between  the 
religion  of  Mediaeval  Europe,  in  the  centuries  emphatically 
called  the  dark  ages,  and  that  of  Modem  Rome.  Corruptions 
there  were  indeed  many  and  gross — errors  wide  spread  and  dan- 
gerous— and  each  generation  gave  fresh  strength,  and  form,  and 
authority,  to  the  leaven  of  evil  that  had  been  working  from  the 
days  of  the  Apostles  downwards.  But  in  the  eleventh  century 
many  of  the  evils  now  established  were  only  tolerated,  others  were 
unknown ;  and  as  a  whole,  we  may  safely  say,  that  the  supersti- 
tion of  that  era  had  obscured,  but  not  superseded  the  religion  of 
the  Bible.  Nor  ought  we  to  lose  sight  of  this  very  important 
principle,  that  there  is  a  great  difference  both  in  theory  and  in 
practice,  between  holding  superstitions  in  addition  to,  or  together 
with  the  truth,  and  holding  them  either  to  the  exclusion  of,  or  as 
integral  and  co-ordinate  portions  of  it.  The  cataract  had  alas 
already  proceeded  far  in  tne  course  of  its  formation,  but  it  had  not 


384  Early  English  Princesses. 

yet  shut  out  the  light  from  the  eye  of  faith.  The  Churches 
of  mediaeval  Europe,  though  their  sight  became  dimmer  and 
dimmer,  were  still  capable  of  seeing  their  way,  were  still  capable 
of  being  restored  to  full  vision  by  skilful  and  stern  remedies  such 
as  those  of  the  English  Reformation.  Modern  Rome  has  passed 
that  limit — she  must  be  couched  ere  she  can  see. 

One  point  which  strikes  us  particularly  in  reading  the  lives  of 
these  Jlorman  Princesses,  is  the  absence  of  any  indication  of  that 
blasphemous  worship  which  the  Romish  Church  pays  nomimlly 
to  the  blessed  Virgin — nominally,  we  say,  for  the  "  cultus,"  as  it 
is  gently  termed  by  Romanists  and  Romanizers,  and  others,  who 
whilst  not  sharing  the  error  or  the  sin,  hesitate  to  denounce  itia 
adequate  terms,  the  "  cultus'"''  in  question,  is  merely  a  revival  of 
the  ancient  worship  of  Astaroth,  the  queen  of  heaven. 

But  to  return  to  the  thread  of  our  narrative.  The  Princess 
Adela  was  not  destined  to  share  the  fate  of  either  of  her  sisters. 
In  1080  she  married  Stephen,  Earl  of  Meaux  and  Brie,  son  and 
heir  of  Theobald,  Earl  of  Blois  and  Chartres.  This  marriage 
gave  great  satisfaction  to  both  families,  and,  which  is  of  more 
substantial  importance,  to  the  handsome  bridegroom  and  his  beau- 
tiful bride.  In  her  married  life,  however,  she  had  the  advantage 
or  the  misfortune,  which  ever  we  deem  it,  of  being  far  superior  to 
her  husband  «n  point  of  mental  and  moral  power,  and  this  circum- 
stance somewhat  diminished  her  happiness,  though  it  advanced 
her  prosperity,  as  well  as  that  of  her  lord. 

During  Stephen^s  absences  in  the  Holy  Land  or  elsewhere,  his 
talented  partner  was  left  to  discbarge  the  office  of  regent.  We 
have  great  pleasure  in  quoting  from  the  first  of  two  letters  still 
remaining,  addressed  to  his  wife  by  the  crusader : — 

*'  Earl  Stephen  to  the  Countess  Adela,  his  sweetest  friend  and  wife, 
sendeth  whatever  his  mind  can  devise  of  best  or  most  benignant.  Ee 
it  known  to  thee,  beloved,  that  I  had  a  pleasant  journey,  in  all  honour 
and  bodily  safety  as  far  as  Rome.  I  have  already  written  from  Con- 
stantinople very  accurately  the  particulars  of  my  peregrination,  but  lest 
any  misfortune  should  have  happened  to  my  messenger,  I  rewrite  these 
letters  to  thee.  I  came  by  God's  grace  to  the  city  of  Constantinople 
with  great  joy.  The  emperor  received  me  worthily  and  most  cour- 
teously, and  even  lovingly,  as  his  own  son,  and  gave  me  roost  liberal 
and  precious  gifts,  so  that  there  is  not  in  the  whole  army  duke,  or  earl, 
or  any  potentate  whom  he  more  trusts  or  favours  than  me.  Indeed,  my 
beloved,  his  imperial  majesty  has  and  still  does  often  recommend  to  me, 
that  we  should  send  to  him  one  of  our  sons,  and  he  promises  to  bestow 
on  him  so  many  and  great  honours,  that  he  shall  have  no  cause  to  envy 
us.  I  tell  you  in  truth  that  there  is  not-  such  a  man  living  under  hea- 
ven  ;  he  enriches  all  our  princes  most  liberally,  relieves  all  the  soldiers 


Early  English  Princesses.  385 

^th  gifts,  refresbes  all  the  poor  with  feasts.  Near  the  city  of  Nice 
tkre  is  a  castle  called  Civitot,  near  which  runs  an  arm  of  the  sea»  by 
-irbicb  the  emperor^s  ships  sail  day  and  night  to  Constantinople,  bearing 
jbod  to  the  camp  for  innumerable  poor,  which  is  daily  distributed  to 
them.  Your  father,  my  beloved,  has  done  many  and  great  things,  but 
be  is  nothing  to  this  man.  These  few  things  have  1  written  to  you 
about  him,  that  you  may  have  some  idea  what  he  is." — Vol.  i.  p.  50. 

We  cannot,  however,  aiford  much  more  space  to  the  haughty 
and  able  countess,  and  her  amiable  though  volatile  husband. 
After  his  death  she  conducted  the  government  of  his  territories 
and  the  education  of  his  children  with  judgment,  boldness,  and 
discretion  ;  and  at  length  resigned  his  domains  to  her  second  son, 
Theobald,  gradually  resigning  the  reins  of  government  into  his 
hands  as  he  became  able  to  guide  them. 

"  In  the  midst  of  more  stirring  occupations,  Adela  was  not  neglectful 
of  the  interests  of  learning ;  for  it  was  at  her  request  that  Hugh  of 
St.  Mary,  a  Benedictine  monk  of  Fleury,  wrote  his  history  of  France, 
the  latter  part  of  which,  after  her  death,  was  dedicated  to  her  niece,  the 
Empress  Matilda. 

**  At  length,  worn  out  with  the  toils  of  a  long  and  active  life,  and 
feeling  the  infirmities  of  old  age  gradually  stealing  upon  her,  the 
venerable  countess  resolved  to  retire  from  the  world This  re- 
solution  appears  to  have  been  taken  partly  in  compliance  with  the 

wishes  of  Archbishop  Anselm The  place  of  retreat  which  she 

selected  was  the  Cluniac  Priory  of  Marcigny,  a  small  town  situated  on 
the  river  Loire,  in  the  diocese  of  Autun." — Vol.  i.  pp.  64,  65. 

Had  the  convents  confined  themselves  to  receiving  into  their 
bosom  recluses  of  such  an  age  and  such  a  character,  who  required 
after  a  life  of  active  duty  a  season  of  preparation  for  the  life  to 
come,  and  the  temporary  shelter  of  the  young,  the  defenceless, 
and  the  penitent ;  had  they  occupied  themselves  only  in  the 
rational  and  lawful  practices  of  devotion,  and  the  exercise  of  all 
the  charities  of  life,  our  judgment  of  them  would  have  been  far 
different  from  that  which  we  are  now  compelled  to  pronounce. 
But,  alas  !  how  often  have  they  been  the  abodes  of  misery,  folly, 
and  even  vice,  the  nurseries  of  error,  superstition,  bigotry,  and 
fanaticism  !  How  often,  instead  of  refuges,  have  they  become 
prisons ;  instead  of  retreats,  sepulchres  !  How  often,  too,  have 
they  afforded  an  excuse,  as  well  as  a  facility,  for  the  desertion  of 
clear  and  positive  duties !  Nor  should  we  ever  forget,  whilst 
considering  the  desirableness  of  having  collegiate  asylums,  and 
the  benefits  which  have  actually  occurred  to  mankind  from  con- 
ventual institutions,  that  those  of  mediaeval  times  and  those  of 
modem  Rome  were  universally  based  on  two  erroneous,  nay, 
hereiicaly  foundations,  namely,  1,  the  intrinsic  superiority  of  the 


3  86  Earfy  JSnglish  Prvneeues. 

celibate  to  the  conjugal  state  ;  and,  %  the  aati^ekristian  doctriM 
of  Evangelical  Counsels,  or  CounselB  of  Perfection, — a  doctriao 
which  assumes  that  we  may  do  more  than  our  duty,  and  give  a 
free  gifb  to  the  All  Giver ;  and  that  they  were  and  are  con- 
solidated and  defended  by  an  unlawful,  a  pernicious,  and  a 
sacrilegious  vow. 

**  The  death  of  the  Countess  Adela  took  place  in  1 137,  when  she 
had  attained  to  the  advanced  age  of  seventy-four  or  seventy-five  yean. 
Her  remains  were  conveyed  back  to  her  native  province  of  Caen,  and 
deposited  with  those  of  her  mother,  and  her  sister  Cecilia,  in  the 
Abbey  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  that  city,  where  the  simple  inscription 
of  '  Adela  filia  regis,'  *  Adela,  the  daughter  of  the  king,'  pointed  out 
the  burial-place  of  this  last  surviving  child  of  William  the  Conqueror." 
— ^Vol.  i.  p.  71. 

She  was  the  mother  of  a  large  family.  Of  these  William,  the 
eldest,  did  not  succeed  his  father  in  the  earldom.  He  appears  to 
have  been  all  but  imbecile,  and  not  only  weak,  but  vicious.  He 
quietly  assumed  the  name  and  arms  of  his  wife  Agnes,  the 
daughter  and  heiress  of  Giles  de  Sully,  and  thus  became  the 
founder  of  the  celebrated  house  of  Sully  Champagne  : — 

*'  Theobald,  the  great  Earl  of  Blois,  his  mother's  darling  son,  inhe- 
rited his  father's  dominions,  and  became  the  progenitor  of  a  long  line 
of  noble  descendants.  His  only  daughter,  Adela,  named  after  his 
mother,  became  the  second  wife  of  Louis  VII.  of  France,  and  the 
mother  of  his  heir,  Philip  Augustus,  thus  mingling  the  blood  of  the 
Conqueror  of  England  with  that  of  the  Capetian  dynasty  in  the  veins 
of  the  most  famous  of  their  descendants. '' — Vol.  i.  p.  70. 

Her  third  son  was  the  celebrated  Stephen,  who  succeeded  in 
mounting  the  throne  of  England,  to  the  prejudice  of  his  cousin 
Matilda,  the  empress.  It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  Stephen 
was  the  third  son  of  the  daughter  of  William  of  Normandy, 
whilst  Matilda  was  the  only  daughter  of  the  third  son  of  the 
Conqueror. 

Amongst  her  other  children  we  may  mention  her  youngest  son 
Henry,  "  the  talented,  but  unprincipled  and  versatile  Bishop  of 
Winchester,  so  famous  in  later  years.^' 

Her  daughter  Adela  was  given  in  marriage  "  to  Milo  de  Brai, 
Lord  of  Montlheri  and  Viscount  of  Troyes :  but  Bishop  Ivo,  who 
really  seems  to  have  been  the  evil  genius  of  all  love-marriages, 
found  or  framed  a  plea  of  illegality  in  the  union,  and  appealed  to 
the  Pope.  In  consequence  of  his  relentless  pertinacity,  to  the 
great  grief  of  the  bridegroom,  the  marriage  was  annulled.'' 

The  life  of  Matilda,  only  daughter,  and  after  the  unfortunate 
death  of  her  brother  William,  sole  heiress  of  Henry  the  First,  is 


JE!arljf  English  Princesses.  387 

U  of  stirring  incident  and  lively  interest-Hsfae  was  bom  in  1102, 
le  second  year  of  her  father'^s  reign.  Both  she  and  her  brother 
ere  placed  under  the  care  of  Anselm :  but  she  had  little  time  to 
rofit  by  the  instructions,  or  become  subject  to  the  influence  of 
36  Archbishop ;  for — 

•*  She  had  only  just  attained  her  seventh  year,  when  a  stately  em- 
assy  arrived  from  Henry  Y.,  Emperor  of  Germany,  a  monarch  old 
nongh  to  be  her  father,  to  demand  her  in  marriage  ....  In  the 
lUowing  year  the  little  lady,  glittering  with  innumerable  jewels,  and 
inply  endowed  with  splendid  gifts,  bearing  in  her  train  a  dowry  of 
O,CH)0  marks  of  silver,  was  committed  to  the  care  of  Roger  Fitz 
Uchard,  a  trusty  baron,  who  with  a  noble  train  of  knights  accompanied 
icr  to  Germany. 

**  On  approaching  the  confines  of  the  empire,  she  was  every  where 
cceived  with  due  magnificence.  At  Utrecht  she  was  met  by  her  future 
mr6 ;  and  during  the  approaching  festival  of  Easter,  the  nuptial  solem- 
nties,  or  rather  those  of  the  betrothal,  were  performed.  We  do  not 
earn  how  the  juvenile  bride,  who  was  said  to  be  '  very  wise  and 
raliant  and  beautiful,'  was  taught  to  play  her  part  in  these  royal 
Mgeants  ;  but  on  her  coronation,  which  took  place  almost  immediately 
iftec  at  Mayence,  the  Archbishop  of  Treves  '  reverently '  held  the  child 
n  his  arms,  while  the  Archbishop  of  Cologne,  surrounded  by  all  the 
lignitaries  of  the  empire,  placed  upon  her  brow  the  imperial  diadem  of 
the  CaBsars.'*" — ^Vol.  i.  pp.  35,  86. 

Poor  little  thing !  it  was  early  indeed  to  be  initiated  into  the 
Domps  and  vanity  of  that  world  which  she  had  so  lately  renounced 
MO  her  baptism ;  nor  need  we  wonder  if  the  evil  pride  of  her 
liaughty  mmily  grew  up  into  an  arrogance  which  turned  warm 
fiiends  into  bitter  enemies,  when  it  was  thus  nurtured  in  a  hotbed 
«f  adulation.  She  seems,  however,  to  have  had  naturally  much 
of  goodness  and  kindness  in  her  disposition,  if  we  are  to  judge 
ftom  the  interest  and  regard  which  she  excited  in  the  breasts  of 
ler  husband^s  subjects.  And  the  bitter  lessons  which  she  received 
in  after  years  were  the  means  of  taming  her  fierce  spirit,  and 
bringing  her  rebellious  will  into  subjection  to  that  of  her  Divine 
Master. 

"  The  provision  made  by  the  emperor  for  the  household  of  Matilda, 
was  on  a  scale  corresponding  to  her  dignity ;  *  for,*  says  our  troubadour 
chronicler,  *  it  was  his  desire  that  she  should  be  nobly  brought  up  and 
honourably  served,^  and  that  she  should  learn  German,  and  the  customs 
and  laws,  and  all  that  pertains  to  an  empress  now  in  the  time  of  her 
youth.'  "—Vol.  i.  p.  87. 

Henry's  conduct  in  this  instance  is  deserving  of  the  highest 
commendation ;  for  in  so  doing  he  endeavoured  to  enable  her  to 


388  Early  English  Princesses. 

do  her  duty  in  that  state  of  life  to  which  it  had  pleased  God 
call  her,  and  to  fulfil  his  own  duty  also  to  his  subjects. 

"It  would  appear  that  her  progress  was  satisfactory  to  her  lord, 
was  certainly  old  enough  to  judge ;  for  in  the  year  1114,  young  as  8l 
was,   he   chose   to  consider  her  education  as  completed.      A  splendi 
court  was  held  at  Mayence,  to  which  all  the  nobility  of  the  empiie] 
crowded ;  and  on  the  7th  of  January  their  nuptials  were  again  cele-tj 
brated.     The  ceremony  of  coronation  was  also  repeated,  after  whicl 
Matilda  was  removed  from  her  tutelage,  and  took  up  her  residence  with] 
her  imperial  spouse. 

"  Henry's  personal  appearance,  as  depicted  in  his  seal,  is  juvenile, 
and  somewhat  pleasing.     He  is  represented  as  a  beardless  youth,  dressed^ 
in  an  elegant  tunic  reaching  to  his  ankles,  over  which  is  thrown  the  im< 
perial  mantle ;    he  bears  in  his  right  hand  the  sceptre  crowned  willi| 
lilies,  and  in  his  left  the  orb  surmounted  by  a  cross.     The  impressiotl 
from  which  the  engraving  here  described  is  taken,  is  from  a  deed  hearing! 
date  1112  ;  but  probably  the  seal  itself  may  have  been  cast  somewhat  |- 
earlier." — Vol.  i.  p.  88. 

We  cannot,  however,  tarry  longer  at  the  Grerman  Court  |. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  in  her  twenty-second  year  "  Matilda  the 
Empress  ^^  was  left  a  widow,  though  a  doubt  has  been  raised  as 
to  whether  her  husband  was  actually  dead,  or  had  secretly 
I'etired  into  seclusion.  We  are  decidedly  of  opinion,  that  he 
actually  departed  this  life  at  the  period  in  question.  Yielding  to 
the  urgent  intreaties  of  the  kipg,  her  father,  Matilda  set  forth 
from  that  land  where  she  had  passed  the  troublous  days  of  her 
splendid  youth. 

"  A  cortege  even  more  splendid  than  that  which  had  attended  her 
when,   an   almost  unconscious  child,   she  went  to  share  the  imperial 

throne,  was  sent  by  the  king  to  escort  the  widowed  Matilda 

The  king,  anxious  to  show  his  heiress  to  his  English  suhjects*  and  to 
secure  for  her  their  oaths  of  allegiance,  set  sail  with  her  and  Queen 
Adelicia,  in  1 1 2(),  for  England.  Here  she  was  met  by  her  uncle, 
David,  King  of  Scotland ;  and,  after  the  Christmas  festival  had  been 
observed  in  great  state  at  Windsor,  Henry,  taking  advantage  of  the 
presence  of  his  illustrious  guest,  assembled  at  London  a  council  of  all 
his  nobles  and  barons,  and  presenting  to  them  his  darling  daughter,  then 
in  the  prime  of  womanly  beauty,  he  lamented,  in  a  pathetic  speech,  the 
loss  he  had  sustained  in  the  premature  death  of  his  son ;  and,  pointing 
out  the  blessings  likely  to  ensue  from  the  undisputed  succession  of  the 
descendant  of  their  Norman  and  Saxon  monarchs,  demanded  their  oaths 
of  fealty  to  the  Lady  Matilda."— Vol.  i.  pp.  100,  101. 

The   ceremony  is  thus   described  in   "  Wintowni  Orygioale 
Chronykyl  of  Scotland  T^ — 

"  A  thowsand  a  hundyr  twenty  and  sevyn 
Fra  Mary  bare  the  Kyng  of  Heavyn, 


Earlp  English  Prine^sm.  S89 

Dawy,  than  Kyng  of  Scotland 

And  hale  the  states  of  Ingland, 

At  Lundyn  all  assembled  were. 

The  Kyng  of  Scotland,  Dawy,  there 

Gert  all  the  statis  bundyn  be 

Till  the  Emprys  in  Fewte. 

Hys  systyr  Dowchtyr,  Dame  Maid, 

Be  name  that  time  scho  wes  cald, 

On  the  Circumcysiownc  day 

This  othe  of  Fealte  thare  swore  thei." 

Vol.  i.  p.  101,  Note. 

This  homage  was  duly  recorded  in  a  signed  and  sealed  deed, 
which  King  David  took  back  with  him  to  Scotland.  Vol.  i. 
p.  101. 

**  Early  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  the  royal  party  left  London,  and 
went  to  reside  in  the  pleasant  summer  palace  of  Woodstock,  whence 
ihey  removed  at  Whitsuntide  to  Winchester  ;  but  although  the  Augusta 
had  no  establishment  of  her  own  in  the  kingdom  of  which  she  was  the 
acknowledged  heiress,  yet  she  occupied  a  conspicuous  station  in  her 
Ikther's  court.  The  contemporary  author  of  the  continuation  of  Florence 
of  Worcester  tells  us,  *  she  was  maintained  near  her  father  with  excellent 
honour. '  The  Saxon  annals  expressly  assert,  that  all  affairs  of  state 
were  transacted  with  her  advice  and  concurrence  ;  and  her  name  is  also 
found  afBixed  along  with  that  of  the  king  and  queen  to  state  docu- 
ments. 

**  Matilda  did  not  long  remain  in  this  position.  Her  hand  was  too 
tempting  a  prize  not  to  be  eagerly  courted  ;  and  Foulk,  Earl  of  Anjou, 
long  the  most  troublesome  enemy  of  Henry's  continental  possessions, 
entered  into  negotiations  to  unite  her  with  his  young  son  and  heir 
Geoffrey."— Vol.  i.  p.  103. 

The  empress  was  naturally  and  rightly  averse  to  unite  herself 
with  a  boy  nine  years  her  junior ;  but  her  father,  who  desired  by 
this  alliance  to  deprive  his  gallant  and  injured  nephew,  William 
Glito,  son  of  Duke  Eobert  of  Normandy,  and  thus  the  grandson 
and  lineal  heir  male  of  the  mighty  Conqueror,  of  his  last  and 
most  powerful  protector,  accepted  the  Angevin  proposals  with 
delight — if,  indeed,  he  did  not  himself  commence  the  negotiation. 
And,  despite  of  Matilda'^s  unconcealed  reluctance,  and  the  unpo- 

Eularity  which  the  marriage  was  expected  to  meet  with  in  Eng- 
md,  the  imperial  widow  was  compelled  to  wed  the  hot-headed 
stripling.  From  such  an  union,  thus  arranged  and  completed, 
owing  its  origin  to  an  act  of  cruel  injustice,  and  formed  in  contra- 
diction to  common  sense  as  well  as  delicacy,  no  happy  result  was 
likely  to  accrue.  Nor  did  the  event  belie  such  a  calculation.  Into 
the  miseries,  however,  of  Matilda^s  second  marriage  we  cannot 


390  EarUf  BnfflM  Princesses. 

enter,  nor  trace  the  course  of  that  long  struggle  which,  after  diM 
death  of  her  father,  she  waged  with  her  cousin  Stephen  for  tbe 
throne  of  England.     Nor  can  we  do  more  than  indicate  the  noUs 
constancy  and  sagacious  policy  of  Robert  of  Gloucester,  her 
tural  brother,  or  the  gentle  heroism  of  her  rival^s  wife ;  both 
which  are  fully  described  in  these  interesting  pages. 

Amongst  the  many  extraordinary  features  of  that  time,  perhaps 
the  strangest  is  the  character  and  conduct  of  Stephens's  younger 
brother,  who,  during  the  captivity  of  that  prince,  came  over  to 
MatildaS's  party. 

"  Meanwhile,  her  new  ally,  Henry  of  Blois,  Bishop  of  Winchester, 
assembled  a  synod  in  his  episcopal  city,  in  which  he  uttered  a  long 
harangue  in  censure  of  Stephen's  proceedings,  enlai^ng  on  the  obliga- 
tion of  the  previous  oaths  taken  to  Matilda ;  and,  notwithstanding  an 
eloquent  and  touching  appeal  from  the  unfortunate  consort  of  the  im« 
prisoned  king,  '  Matilda,  the  daughter  of  the  incomparable  King  Henry,' 
was  elected  as  '  Lady  of  England  and  Normandy.'  Such  an  unprece- 
dented step  as  the  election  of  a  sovereign  by  the  clergy  alone  excited 
great  surprise  in  those  members  of  the  council  who  had  not  previously 
been  initiated  into  its  object ;  but  the  legate  was  all-powerful,  and  sin- 
gular as  the  decree  was,  issuing  from  such  an  assembly^  it  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  voice," — ^Vol.  i,  p.  142, 

Anxious  as  we  are  for  the  revival  of  Diocesan  Synods,  as  sub- 
sidiary and  subservient  to  that  of  Convocation,  we  scarcely  need 
record  our  opinion,  that  the  assembly  in  question  dealt  on  the 
above  occasion  with  a  subject  totally  foreign  to  its  jurisdiction 
and  alien  to  its  province.  The  same  prelate  shortly  after  again 
convoked  his  synod,  with  the  view  of  declaring  the  deposition  of 
Matilda,  and  of  recognizing  her  rival  as  the  lawful  sovereign,  in 
which  he  was  equally  successful. 

Of  the  many  striking  incidents  connected  with  this  often-varying 
struggle,  we  can  select  but  one  more — that  which  was  the  tumiog 
point  in  Matilda'^s  career : — 

"  With  a  train  as  numerous  and  splendid  as  even  the  Augusta  herself 
could  desire,  a  few  days  before  Midsummer,  she  made  her  entry  into 
the  capital  of  her  ancestral  kingdom,  and  was  received  with  entha- 
siasm  by  many  of  the  citizens,  who  welcomed  in  her  the  daughter  of 
their  idolized  queen,  Matilda  the  Atheling,  the  lawful  heiress  of  their 
late  sovereign,  and  the  descendant  of  their  Saxon  monarchs.  She  fixed 
her  residence  in  the  palace  of  Westminster,  and  held  her  state  in  the 
midst  of  a  numerous  and  brilliant  court ;  while  her  brother,  the  Earl  of 
Gloucester,  by  the  courtesy  of  his  manners,  secured  the  good  will  of 
the  proud  barons,  and  made  great  exertions  to  reform  the  abuses  which 
had  crept  into  the  government  during  the  troublous  times  of  civil 
war."— Vol.  i.  p.  143. 


fv-Twr' 


JElarfy  English  Prinemes.  S91 

jr.*>  '''From  tke  time  of  her  landing  in  England,  tbe  excliequer  of  the 
-^VBpras  had  been  at  a  miserably  low  ebb;  bo  low,  indeed,  that  tbe 
%M7  equipment  of  ber  household  and  tbe  provisions  for  her  table 
were  provided  by  the  zeal  of  her  faithful  friend  Milo  Fitz-Walter. 
Jiaxioas  to  replenish  her  empty  cofifers,  she  opened  her  first  commu- 
nication with  tbe  City  of  London,  by  the  demand  of  an  enormous 
subsidy.  •  •  .  .  The  citizens,  who  had  already  been  sadly  drained  by 
dieir  contribntions  to  the  cause  of  the  imprisoned  Stephen,  begged 
ibr  pity,  or,  at  least,  for  a  little  delay.  '  The  king  has  left  us  nothing,' 
idd  the  deputies,  in  a  humble  tone.  '  I  understand  you  have  given 
all  to  my  enemy,  to  strengthen  him  against  me,'  was  the  haughty 
reply.  *Yon  have  conspired  for  my  ruin;  therefore  I  will  neither 
Bpare  you,  nor  relax  the  least  in  my  demand  of  money.'  Not  being 
-able  to  obtain  the  respite  they  desired,  the  deputies  ventured  to  be- 
'eeecb  that  she  would  govern  them  by  the  gentle  rule  of  her  Saxcm 
aaeeetor,  Edward  the  Confessor,  and  not  by  the  stem  laws  of  her 
Ikther  and  grandfather.  Matilda's  Norman  blood  boiled  within  her 
at  these  words ;  with  frowning  brow,  and  eyes  flashing  with  pas- 
sionate indignation,  she  fiercely  reproached  their  insolence,  and,  bidding 
Ihem  go  home  and  collect  their  subsidy,  drove  them  from  her  pre- 
jeaee.  And  they  did  retire;  but  it  was  not  to  their  homes.  The 
citizens,  assembled  to  hear  tbe  report  of  their  messengers,  were  pro- 
Toked  beyond  measure  at  the  relation  of  the  harshness  with  which 
they  had  been  treated  by  the  empress ;  the  secret  emissaries  of  Ste- 
plmi's  queea  had  alueady  been  busy  among  them,  jmd  their  resolutions 
woe  soon  taken.  While  tbe  Augusta  was  giving  a  splendid  banquet 
to  her  court  at  her  royal  palace  of  Westminster,  and  in  anticipation 
dreaming  over  the  ceremonials  of  her  approaching  coronation,  the 
mirth  of  the  festival,  was  broken  in  upon  by  the  arrival  of  a  secret 
messenger,  bearing  the  fearful  tidings,  that  the  city  was  up  in  arms. 

"  *  To  horse !  to  horse ! '  was  the  instantaneous  cry  ;  and  in  a  few 
minutes  the  empress  and  ber  nobles  were  mounted  and  ready  ;  but  not 
before  the  pealing  of  the  alarm-bells  from  every  church  in  the  tdty, 
the  clang  of  arms,  and  the  mustering  of  the  troops,  showed  that  no 
time  was  to  be  lost ;  and  scarcely  had  her  train  got  clear  of  the  palace, 
when  the  mob  entered  and  took  possession,  and  all  the  furniture  and 
plate  became  their  prey.  Tbe  band  of  stalwart  knights,  who  aocom- 
panied  the  empress  in  her  flight,  presented  too  formidable  an  appear- 
ance for  the  citizen  soldiers  to  attempt  a  pursuit ;  one  by  one,  however, 
Matilda's  followers  dropped  away,  and  her  faithful  brother,  the  Earl 
of  Gloucester,  with  Milo  Fitz-Walter,  were  the  only  nobles  who 
entered  with  her  the  city  of  Oxford,  which  she  had  chosen  as  the  place 
of  ber  retreat."— Vol.  i.  pp.  145,  146. 

We  cannot,  however,  forbear  noticing  a  circumstance  in  the 
history  of  this  princess,  which  illustrates  the  old  adage,  "  that 
necessity  is  the  mother  of  invention."  It  being  found  impossible 
to  elude  tbe  vigilance  of  Stephen's  partisans  by  any  of  the  ordi- 


392  Early  English  Princesses. 

nary  modes  of  epistolary  communication,  a  faithful  and  burly 
friar  was  found,  within  the  thickets  of  whose  bushy  beard  the 
letters  were  secreted,  and  thus  passed  unseen  and  unquestioned 
through  the  hosts  of  the  enemy. 

The  history  of  Maky,  daunrhter  of  King  Stephen,  is  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  which  these  volumes  contain.  From  her 
earliest  infancy  she  was  destined  by  her  parents  to  the  cloister,  j 
Professed  even  in  her  childhood,  in  course  of  time  she  became 
first  prioress  of  Lillechurch,  and  afterwards  abbess  of  Bumsey; 
the  first,  before  she  had  attained  to  womanhood ;  the  second,  ere 
she  had  completed  her  twentieth  year.  Of  a  gentle  temper  and 
retiring  disposition,  she  administered  her  authority  so  as  to  gain 
the  affection  as  well  as  esteem  of  her  sisterhood ;  and  lived 
happily  and  peacefully  for  some  years,  until  an  event  took  place 
which  strangely  altered  her  position  and  influenced  her  future 
destiny.  This  was  the  death  of  her  only  brother  William,  Earl 
of  Boulogne  and  Mortagne,  which  occurred  in  the  year  1160. 

*'  Of  all  the  flourishing  family  of  Stephen  and  Matilda,  the  young 
abbess  alone  was  left  as  the  sole  inheritor  of  the  honours  of  her  house. 
Her  English  estates  King  Henry  II.  disposed  of  without  hesitation; 
and  the  earldom  of  Mortagne,  given  by  his  grandfather  Henry  I.  to 
King  Steplien,  and  con  Armed  by  himself  to  that  monarch  and  his  suc- 
cessors, he  bestowed  as  an  appanage  upon  his  own  brother  William ; 
but  that  of  Boulogne  had  descended  to  Mary's  mother  from  a  long  line 
of  illustrious  ancestors,  and  the  inhabitants  would  consent  to  receive 
none  but  a  descendant  of  their  former  earls,  and,  though  far  away  in  a 
distant  English  monastery,  the  Lady  Mary  de  ^lois  was  universally 
acknowledged  by  them  as  their  countess.  Her  politic  and  unscrupulous 
relative,  Henry  II.,  availed  himself  of  this  predominant  feeling  in  the 
minds  of  the  Bolonese  to  make  her  the  tool  of  his  own  ambitious 
schemes.  Engaged  in  constant  struggles  with  Louis  in  France,  it  was 
of  great  importance  to  him  to  strengthen  his  continental  alliances,  and, 
with  this  view,  regardless  of  all  the  vows,  then  considered  so  sacred, 
which  bound  her  to  a  life  of  perpetual  virginity,  he,  in  IICO,  offered  the 
hand  of  the  young  abbess  to  Matthew  of  Alsace,  younger  son  of  Theo- 
doric  or  Thierry,  Earl  of  Flanders,  hoping  doubtless  that  by  thus  pro- 
viding an  appanage  for  his  younger  son,  he  might  secure  the  interest  of 
the  father.  The  scheme  thus  hastily  formed,  was  as  hastily  executed; 
Matthew,  elated  with  the  idea  of  bis  approaching  elevation,  did  not 
even  consult  his  father  or  brother  on  the  subject,  but  at  once  fell 
in  with  the  proposal  of  the  English  king.  Their  arrangements  were  of 
course  made  with  the  greatest  caution ;  the  helpless  and  frightened 
abbess  was  forcibly  conveyed  from  the  scenes  of  peaceful  retirement, 
over  ^hich  she  had  so  long  presided,  and,  before  she  had  time  to  re- 
cover from  her  astonishment,  or  comprehend  the  meaning  of  a  proceed- 
ing so  unlooked  for,  she  was  compelled,  by  an  authority  it  was  hopeless 


Earhf  English  Princesses.  393 

to  resist*  to  give  her  hand  to  one  she  had  never  before  seen,  and  to 
otter  at  the  nuptial  altar  vows  which  could  not  be  breathed  by  a  veiled 
nun,  without  the  most  fearful  violation  of  those  which  she  had  previously 
sworn.     No  resource,  however,  was  left  to  the  trembling  and  reluctant 
maiden ;  the  irrevocable  words  were  spoken  ;  the  young  nun  had  be*- 
eome  a  bride,  and  awoke  from  her  dream  of  terrified  surprise,  to  find 
herself  the  innocent  object  of  execration  to  the  whole  Catholic  world. 
Whether  she  found  in  her  spouse  those  qualities  which  compensated  her 
for  the  sufferings  she  had  to  undergo  on  his  behalf,  history  does  not  in- 
form as.     We  are  told  that  Matthew  was  handsome,  and  brave,  but  his 
late  proceeding  showed  that  he  was  violent  and  unscrupulous,  and  that 
he  paid  but  little  regard  to  the  obligations  of  that  religion  to  which  his 
gentle  consort  had  been  devoted  from  her  early  childhood.     He  was 
certainly  much  older  than  she,  for  we  find  him  occupying  an  important 
position  as  mediator  between  his  brother  and  the  Earl  of  Holland,  in 
the  year  1147.  thirteen  years  previous  to  the  date  of  his  marriage;  it 
was  probable  that  he  was  now  fast  verging  towards  forty,  whereas  his 
bride  could  not  be  more  than  twenty-three  or  four.     Mary  appears  to 
have  been  a  resigned  and  submissive,  though  it  is  doubtful  whether  she 
could  ever  be  called  a  happy,  wife."— Vol.  i.  pp.  196 — 198. 

The  countess  after  living  some  years  with  her  husband,  and 
becoming  the  mother  of  two  daughters,  retired  once  more  to  the 
seclusion  of  a  convent.  Her  children,  however,  were  formally 
legitimized,  and  one  of  them  became  the  ancestress  of  a  long  line 
of  noble  descendants.  Her  husband  had  conducted  his  contest 
with  the  See  of  Bome  in  a  manner  characterized  by  the  utmost 
daring  as  well  as  policy,  nor  would  he  have  allowed  her  to  depart 
had  he  not  lost  all  hope  of  her  becoming  the  mother  of  an 
heir  to  the  earldom  of  Holland,  which,  unlike  Boulogne,  was  a 
male  fief.  After  their  separation  he  married  again,  but  always 
treated  Mary  with  great  respect,  and  in  one  of  his  charters  calls 
her  still  his  wife. 

We  regret  our  inability  to  afford  any  space  for  the  biography 
of  Matilda,  eldest  daughter  of  Henry  the  Second,  who  was  given 
in  marriage  to  Henry  the  Lion,  Duke  of  Saxony,  and  thus  be- 
came the  mother  of  the  lineal  male  ancestor  of  the  house  of 
Brunswick.  We  must,  however,  find  room  for  an  anecdote  re- 
garding her  son  Henry,  as  it  stands  out  brightly  amidst  the  dark- 
ness of  many  sorrows  : — 

••  An  early  attachment  had  sprung  up  between  him  and  the  beautiful 
Agnes,  daughter  of  Conrad,  Earl  Palatine  of  the  Rhine,  who  was  the 
brother  of  the  Emperor  Frederic  I.,  and  consequently  uncle  to  his  son 
and  successor  Henry  VI.  An  alliance  had  been  projected  between 
them  which  the  long:  dissensions  of  the  two  houses  had  broken  off;  but 
still  the  image  of  her  young  lover  clung  to  the  memory  of  the  Lady 
Agnes.    Some  years  afterwards,  her  hand  was  demanded  in  marriage  by 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  I>  4. 


394  Early  Engliih  Prineesses. 

Philip  of  France,  who  had  jufit  divorced  his  former  wife,  Ingehurga 
of  Denmark.  Her  mother  announced  the  proposals  to  her :  '  My 
daughter/  said  she,  '  have  you  any  desire  for  an  honourable  marriage? 
It  may  be  accomplished,  for  the  King  of  France  has  sent  to  demand 
your  hand.*  *  Ah,  madam,*  said  Agnes^  *  I  have  heard  from  many  of 
this  king,  how  he  has  scorned  and  rejected  his  noble  consort,  the 
daughter  of  the  King  of  Denmark ;  and  after  such  an  example  I  fear 
him.*  '  And  whom  would  you  prefer  to  him  V  asked  the  mother,  sus- 
pecting some  love  affair  was  at  the  bottom  of  this  opposition.  '  If  I 
had  my  own  choice,  I  would  never  be  disunited  from  young  Henry  of  f 
Saxony,  to  whom  I  was  plighted  in  early  infancy.'  '  Trust  me,  my 
child,*  rejoined  her  mother,  '  you  shall  yet  escape  these  formidable 
nuptials,  and  be  united  to  the  man  of  your  choice.' 

*'  The  Countess  Palatine  now  set  to  woik  to  concert  a  scheme  for  the 
immediate  union  of  Agnes  and  her  lover ;  for,  as  the  damsel's  father 
was  intent  upon  the  French  alliance,  no  time  was  to  be  lost.  Agnes, 
at  her  mother*s  request,  wrote  letters  to  her  lover,  informing  him  of  her 
situation,  and  these  were  accompanied  by  a  message  from  the  countess, 
requesting  him  to  lose  not  a  moment  in  hurrying  to  their  castle,  as  Earl 
Conrad  was  then  absent  at  the  Imperial  Court.  The  expedition  was 
fraught  with  peril,  for  young  Henry  was  in  great  disgrace  with  the 
emperor,  and  could  not  set  foot  on  the  imperial  estates  without  incur- 
ring danger,  in  case  he  should  be  recognized.  He  hesitated  not,  how* 
ever,  to  obey  the  call  of  love,  and  made  such  good  speed,  that,  within 
a  few  days,  he  arrived  at  the  castle,  long  before  he  was  expected,  just 
at  the  hour  of  twilight,  and  presented  himself  to  the  astonished  Agnes 
and  her  mother.  No  time  was  lost ;  the  priest  immediately  summoned, 
and  that  night,  without  any  pomp  or  preparation,  their  vows  were 
plighted  to  each  other,  and  they  received  the  sacerdotal  benediction. 

'*  Great  was  the  indignation  of  the  Emperor  Henry,  when  he  found 
that  the  young  duke  had  thus  become  so  nearly  allied  to  the  imperial 
family,  and  it  was  some  time  before  his  uncle  Conrad  could  convince 
him  that  this  bold  plot  was  planned  and  executed  by  woman*s  ingenuity, 
and  without  his  connivance. 

"  The  tale,  however,  ends  happily ;  Conrad  was  soon  reconciled  to 
the  match,  and  at  his  intercession,  the  young  couple  were  received  into 
favour  by  the  emperor,  and  the  discords  that  had  long  existed  were 
thus  at  length  brought  to  a  conclusion." — ^Vol.  i.  pp.  259 — 261. 

The  fate  of  Eleanora,  second  daughter  of  Henry  the  Second, 
is  amongst  the  brightest  portions  of  these  annals.  Wedded  in 
her  ninth  year  to  Alphonso  the  monarch  of  Castille,  who  was 
under  fifteen,  the  boy  and  girl  attachment  of  herself  and  her 
playfellow  expanded  into  a  deep  and  ardent  love,  which  con- 
tinued throughout  the  entire  lives  of  this  happy  and  estimable 
pair.  Her  husband  is  more  like  a  hero  of  romance  than  a  being 
of  common  life,  and  his  beautiful  and  devoted  wife  was,  to  the 
very  last,  the  chief  object  of  his  regard  and  the  only  mktress  of 


Earlf/  English  Pnnce$ses.  395 

his  heart.  After  a  long  reign  of  glory  and  goodness  the  excellent 
king  died  on  the  6th  of  October,  1214,  in  the  fifty-ninth  year  of 
his  age  and  the  fifty-sixth  of  his  reign.  They  had  been  married 
forty-three  years,  and  so  great  was  Leonor's  grief  at  the  heavy 
and  unexpected  loss  of  one  whom  she  loved  so  well  and  so  de-. 
servedly,  that  she  only  survived  him  twenty-five  days,  and  ex- 
pired of  a  broken  heart  on  the  31st  of  October. 

The  life  of  her  sister  Joanna  was  less  fortunate,  partly  from 
the  death  of  her  first  husband,  and  the  calamities  of  her  second, 
partly  from  her  less  amiable  character.  She  was  married  when 
scarcely  twelve  years  of  age,  to  William  II.,  King  of  Sicily,  sur- 
named  William  the  Good,  who  was  in  his  twenty-fourth  year. 
He  was  handsome,  amiable,  brave,  and  wise.  The  ceremonies  of 
their  marriage 

**  consisted,  at  this  period,  in  the  mutual  exchange  of  the  plight  ring 
between  the  bride  and  bridegroom  ;  after  which  a  veil  was  thrown  over 
the  head  of  the  bride  :  they  were  then  both  crowned  with  flowers,  and 
led  in  state  to  the  home  prepared  for  them.  After  the  celebration  of 
her  wedding,  Joanna  was  crowned  with  regal  solemnity  the  same  day 
in  the  chapel  royal,  in  presence  of  the  Archbishop  of  York,  and  the 
other  English  ambassadors,  and  of  the  whole  nobility  of  Sicily. 

*'The  ceremonies  attending  the  coronation  of  a  queen- consort  of 
Sicily,  at  this  period,  are  minutely  detailed  by  Inveges,  as  those 
which  in  all  probability  took  place  on  this  occasion.  Two  couches 
were  prepared,  on  one  of  which  sat  the  king,  attired  in  his  regal 
robes,  while  the  other  was  occupied  by  the  archbishop,  surrounded  with 
his  prelates,  the  queen,  meanwhile,  taking  her  station  apart.  The 
service  commenced  by  the  performance  of  the  mass,  and,  at  the  chant- 
ing of  the  Hallelujah,  the  king,  wearing  his  crown,  with  the  sceptre  in 
his  hand,  and  the  sword  of  state  carried  before  him,  advanced  to  the 
altar,  and,  standing  before  the  footstool  of  the  archbishop,  who  sat 
mitred  on  his  throne  of  state,  he  took  off  his  crown,  and  thus  addressed 
him : — *  We  intreat,  O  reverend  father,  that  you  will  deign  to  bless 
and  adorn  with  the  crown  royal  our  consort  united  to  us  by  God,  to 
the  praise  and  glory  of  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.'  He  then  returned 
to  his  couch,  and  the  queen,  her  hair  loosely  floating  down  her 
shoulders,  and  her  head  veiled,  was  conducted  by  two  prelates  to  the 
archbishop,  who  still  remained  seated,  and  lowly  kneeling  before  him, 
and  kissing  his  hand,  seemed  silently  to  urge  the  petition.  On  this 
he  rose,  and,  still  wearing  his  mitre,  knelt  on  his  footstool,  while  the 
queen,  at  his  left  hand,  prostrated  herself  to  the  ground.  A  short 
litany  was  then  said,  after  which  the  archbishop  stood  up,  and,  un- 
covering himself,  pronounced  a  prayer  over  the  kneeling  queen,  and 
then  sitting  down,  anointed  her  with  the  holy  oil,  making  the  sign  of 
the  cross  on  the  wrist  and  elbow  of  her  right  arm,  and  between  her 
shoulders,  saying,  •  God  the  Father,'  &c.      She  then  withdrew  to  a 

Dd2 


396  Early  English  Princesses. 

pavilion,  where  she  assumed  the  royal  robes,  after  which  she  wai 
reconducted  to  the  archbishop,  and,  again  kneeling  before  him,  he 
placed  the  diadem  on  her  head,  saying,  '  Receive  the  crown  of  glory, 
that  thou  mayest  know  thyself  to  be  the  consort  of  a  king ;'  and, 
giving  her  the  sceptre,  said,  *  Receive  the  rod  of  virtue  and  equity, 
and  be  merciful  and  condescending  to  the  poor.'  After  this  the 
bishops  and  her  maids  of  honour  led  her  back  to  her  seat.  When  the 
offertory  was  finished,  the  king  and  queen  came  together  to  the  altar, 
and  presented  as  much  gold  as  they  thought  proper,  and  at  mass  they 
both  communicated. 

"  At  the  conclusion  of  these  ceremonials,  Joanna  was  proclaimed 
throughout  Palermo  as  Queen  of  Sicily." — Vol.  i.  pp.  318 — 320. 

Of  the  remainder  of  this  princesses  interesting  biography,  the 
death  of  William,  the  villany  of  Tanered,  and  the  very  laughable 
way  in  which  she  revenged  herself  on  him,  her  voyage  to  the 
Holy  Land,  with  Richard  of  the  Lion  Heart,  her  second  mar- 
riage with  Raymond,  Count  of  Toulouse,  and  the  many  other 
particulars  of  her  eventful  life,  we  can  say  nothing. 

Neither  can  we  stop  to  narrate  the  fate  and  fortunes  of  her 
namesake,  the  eldest  daughter  of  King  John,  wedded  to  Alex- 
ander of  Scotland.  In  fact,  we  have  delayed  so  long  in  the  first 
volume,  that  unless  we  hasten  our  steps,  we  shall  scarce  enter 
the  second : — Alas !  we  have  already  lost  all  hope  of  reaching  the 
third ;  for  these  pa^es  are  so  universally  attractive  and  interesting, 
that  the  diflSculty  is  to  leave  any  portion  which  we  have  once 
touched  upon. 

Isabella,  the  second  daughter  of  King  John,  was  given  in 
marriage  by  her  brother,  Henry  III.,  to  the  emperor,  Frederic 
II.  of  Germany, — a  not  very  enviable  lot,  though  the  sweetness 
of  her  disposition,  and  mild  virtues  of  her  gentle  and  enduring 
nature,  enabled  her  to  bear  what  many  of  the  daughters  of  her 
house  would  not  have  been  able  to  endure : — 

"  The  emperor,"  says  our  authoress,  **  sent  to  his  brother-in-law, 
King  Henry,  many  precious  gifts,  unknown  in  England  :  amongst 
them  were  three  leopards,  significant  of  the  royal  arms  of  England, 
which  were  then  said  to  be  three  leopards  passant.  They  were  after- 
wards called  lions,  but  the  change  was  merely  in  name  ;  for  certainly 
the  grim-looking  brutes,  with  claws  to  the  full  as  thick  as  their  bodies, 
which  are  depicted  on  the  ancient  royal  shield,  would  answer  just  as 
well  for  one  as  the  other,  since  it  would  puzzle  a  zoologist  to  discover 
which  they  were  most  unlike." — Vol.  ii.  p.  24. 

The  commencement  of  Isabella'^s  married  life  did  not  augur 
well  for  her  domestic  happiness,  or  indeed  comfort  or  enjoyment 
of  any  kind : — 

'*  No  sooner  had  King  Henry's  ambassadors  withdrawn,  than  the 


Early  English  Princesses.  397 

Miperor  thought  proper  to  dismiss  almost  all  Isahella's  Engh'sh  at- 
tendants of  both  sexes,  and  committed  her  to  the  care  of  Moorish 
foauchs,  and  haggard  old  women,  precluding  her  alike  from  the 
society  and  the  mode  of  life  to  which  she  had  been  accustomed,  and 
eondemning  her  to  an  almost  monastic  seclusion.  The  reason  assigned 
for  these  regulations  was,  that  the  empress  was  likely  in  time  to 
become  a  mother ;  and  that,  until  that  period  arrived,  it  was  requisite 
tbat  she  should  be  solely  in  the  hands  of  experienced  persons,  who 
would  take  every  possible  care  of  her.** — Vol.  ii.  p;  25. 

Much  of  her  after  life  was  spent  in  the  beautiful  island  of 
Sicily,  where  Frederic  located  her,  that  she  might  be  removed 
from  the  bustle  and  tumult  of  war.  A  curious  description  occurs 
of  the  dress  and  manners  of  the  Sicilian  peasantry  : — 

"  The  men  wore  a  close  fitting  dress  of  plates  of  iron,  forming  over 

the  head  a  hood,  called  maila their  other  garments  were 

of  unwrought  skins.  The  women  wore  tunics  of  wool,  combed,  but 
unwoven.  Gold  or  silver  ornaments  or  embroidery  were  scarcely 
known ;  the  married  women  were  distinguished  by  the  broad  vitlcBf 
or  bands  across  the  temples,  and  down  both  sides  of  the  face,  and 
festened  under  the  chin.  This  peculiarity  extended  also  to  the  higher 
ranks.      The  glory  of  the  men  was  in  their  horses,  their  arms,  and 

their  fortresses At  table  they  were  not  more  refined  ;  the  use 

of  separate  trenchers  was  unknown  :  the  food,  consisting  of  meat 
cooked  with  olives,  was  served  up  in  one  or  two  large  bowls,  out  of 
which  the  whole  family  helped  themselves,  using  nature's  own  imple- 
ments for  the  purpose  ;  while  at  supper,  candles  being  unknown, 
light  was  afforded  by  a  blazing  torch,  waved  in  the  hands  of  one  of 
the  party.** — ^Vol.  ii.  p.  37. 

In  the  summer  of  1241,  Prince  Bichard  of  England,  commonly 
known  as  Bichard,  Earl  of  Cornwall,  or  Bichard,  King  of  the 
Romans,  landed  in  Sicily,  where  the  imperial  court  was  then  re- 
siding, on  his  return  from  the  Holy  Land,  Frederic  received 
him  with  every  demonstration,  both  public  and  private,  of  respect 
and  affection.  Songs  and  music,  flower-garlands  and  palm- 
branches,  met  him  in  each  city  through  which  he  passed ;  and 
the  emperor  welcomed  him  with  kisses  and  embraces,  and  spent 
many  days  in  consultation  and  converse  with  him.  One  feature, 
however,  or  rather  defect  in  the  mode  of  his  reception,  must  have 
greatly  surprised  the  young  Englishman. 

"  Although  Isabella  had  been  so  long  parted  from  her  own  family, 
yet  it  never  seems  to  have  occurred  to  Frederic  that  it  would  be  ad- 
visable to  admit  her  to  a  share  of  the  society  of  her  brother;  and  when 
the  prince  had  courteously  waited  in  vain  a  considerable  time,  in  expec- 
tation of  the  empress*  appearance,  he  found  himself  compelled  to  make 
a  formal  demand  to  her  lord  to  be  admitted  to  an  interview.     His  re- 


398  Early  English  Prineesses. 

quest  was  granted,  not  by  a  saminons  to  Isabella  to  join  the  socnl 
circle,  but  by  the  appointment  of  a  day  on  which  Richard  was  to  Yisit 
his  sister  in  her  own  apartments,  where  preparations  were  made  for  his 
reception." — Vol.  ii.  p.  40. 

Richard  must  have  been  greatly  astonished  at  what  he  beheld 
in  the  scene  of  his  sister^s  strange  and  almost  Asiatic  seclusion : 

'*  After  the  first  salutations  were  over,  a  number  of  strange  and  fan- 
tastic games,  which  had  been  invented  and  frequently  performed  for  ^ 
amusement  of  the  empress,  were  gone  through,  greatly  to  the  wonder 
and  delight  of  the  prince  and  his  English  attendants.  After  divers  mar- 
vellous plays  had  been  acted,  four  globes  of  glass  were  brought  into  the 
apartment  and  laid  on  the  pavement ;  and  then  entered  two  young 
Saracen  girls,  of  the  most  exquisite  beauty  of  feature  and  gracefulness 
of  form,  and,  each  ascending  two  of  the  globes  and  clapping  their  hands, 
they  began  a  dance  on  their  slippery  pedestals ;  spurning  the  balls  with 
their  fairy  feet,  yet  never  dismounting  from  them  ;  bending  themselves 
into  the  most  fantastic  attitudes,  and  sporting  with  each  other  in  a  man- 
ner which  called  forth  from  the  spectators  the  most  rapturous  expres- 
sions of  admiration.'* — Vol.  ii.  p.  41. 

A  few  weeks  after  the  departure  of  her  brother,  whom  she 
does  not  appear  to  have  seen  except  on  the  specific  occasion  above- 
mentioned,  the  empress  died,  in  giving  birth  to  a  daughter,  at 
the  early  age  of  twenty-seven.-  Her  death,  however,  can  only  be 
looked  upon  as  a  happy  release  from  a  vexatious  though  luxurious 
bondage,  which,  to  most  Englishwomen  utterly  intolerable,  to  her 
must  have  been  only  just  endurable.  We  must  not,  however, 
close  this  biography  without  giving  one  more  extract,  having  a 
peculiar  interest  for  the  present  generation.  After  speaking  of 
the  wretched  fate  of  her  daughter,  the  authoress  says, — 

"  But  a  far  higher  destiny  awaited  her  remote  posterity.  Her  de- 
scendant of  the  fourth  generation,  Frederic  the  Warlike,  was  made 
Elector  of  Saxony,  and  his  offspring  were  the  progenitors  of  the  noble 
houses  of  Saxe  Cobourgh  and  Saxe  Gotha ;  so  that  the  blood  of  the 
Empress  Isabella  now  runs  in  the  veins  of  England's  Queen,  and, 
through  her  illustrious  consort  of  the  house  of  Saxe  Gotha,  blends  in  a 
twofold  stream  in  those  of  the  royal  infants — the  hope  of  the  nation— 
the  princes  and  princesses  of  England.'* — Vol.  ii.  p.  47. 

The  course  of  events  now  brings  us  to  one  of  the  most  inter- 
esting nanatives  in  the  whole  three  volumes,  that,  namely,  of 
Eleanora,  third  daughter  of  King  John,  the  wife  successively 
of  the  two  greatest  men  of  the  age — William,  son  of  the  great 
Earl  of  Pembroke,  and  Simon  de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Leicester. 
^  Various  diflSculties  arose  with  reference  to  the  princesses  mar- 
riage with  the  first  of  these  mighty  nobles :  they  were  all,  how- 
ever, at  length  got  over ;  and  in  the  year  1226,  when  Eleanora 


■* 


Early  Snglish  Prineesges.  399 

us  about  eleven  years  of  age,  and  William  above  forty,  the 
iHrriage  was  concluded, 

"  Owing  to  the  juvenility  of  the  Lady  Eleanora,  her  marriage  was 
for  some  time  merely  nominal,  and  she  remained  an  inmate  of  her  bro- 
ther's house  while  her  spouse  was  engaged  in  the  bustle  of  active  life : 
•  .  .  yet  the  repeated  mention  of  his  name,  as  witness  or  party  in 
almost  every  record  roll  of  this  period,  proves  that  he  was  a  frequent 
resident  at  court.  His  intimate  association  with  the  royal  family  gave 
him  every  opportunity  of  seeking  to  possess  himself  of  the  affections  of 
his  young  betrothed,  who  was  fast  springing  up  to  maidenhood.  That 
Eleanora  should  have  entertained  a  tender  regard  for  the  man  whom, 
almost  ever  since  her  mind  had  been  capable  of  admitting  an  idea,  she 
was  taught  to  look  upon  as  her  future  husband,  would  not  have  been 
extraordinary,  especially  considering  that  his  rank,  his  military  prowess, 
and  his  personal  character,  all  entitled  him  to  respect ;  but  that  she 
should  have  cherished  for  her  mature  spouse  a  passion  as  deep  and 
intense  as  though  he  had  wooed  her  with  all  the  fervour  of  impassioned 
youth,  is  somewhat  singular  ;  and  yet  after  circumstances  fully  proved 
that  this  was  the  case. 

**  The  period  at  which  the  Princess  Eleanora  fulfilled  her  marriage- 
vows  was  probably  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1229,  when  she  was  in 
her  fifteenth  year." — Vol.  ii.  pp.  52 — 54. 

But  her  wedded  happiness  was  of  short  duration,  for,  on  the 
15th  of  April,  1231,  the  Earl  of  Pembroke  died,  after  an  illness 
of  only  a  few  houi*s. 

"  Intense  and  passionate  was  the  grief  of  the  widowed  Eleanora,  and, 
in  the  first  transports  of  her  sorrow,  she  took  a  public  and  solemn  vow, 
in  presence  of  Edmund,  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  that  never  would 
she  become  a  wife,  but  remain  a  true  spouse  of  Christ ;  and  she  re- 
ceived from  him  the  spousal  ring  in  confirmation  of  her  pledge.*' — 
V<^.  ii.  p.  57. 

A  vow,  however,  made  under  the  pressure  of  powerful  and 
sudden  excitement,  was  not  very  likely  to  be  maintained  where 
there  existed  the  temptation  and  the  opportunity  to  break  it. 
The  impassioned  nature,  and  the  bold  spirit  of  the  young  girl, 
which  had  made  her  appreciate,  idolize,  and  mourn  over  one  hero, 
was  naturally  f6rmed  to  appreciate  the  surpassing  merits  of 
another ;  ana  the  very  early  age  at  which  her  first  bereavement 
occurred,  and  the  short  time  that  she  had  been  united  to  her  first 
husband,  whilst  they  increased  her  agony  for  the  moment,  ren- 
dered her  more  susceptible  of  powerful  apd  lasting  impressions 
when  Time,  that  mighty  comforter,  had  done  his  work. 

Amongst  the  many  judgments  of  contemporary  authorities, 
which  have  been  reversed  by  the  decisions  of  after  ages,  there  is 
none  more  striking  than  tiiat  which  refers  to  the  character  and 


400  Early  EngUsk  Princesses.    . 

conduct,  the  motives  and  actions,  the  wishes  and  intentions  of 
Simon  de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Leicester.  Admired,  esteemed,  and 
reverenced  by  the  great  body  of  the  nobles,  idolized  by  the  people, 
who  looked  on  him  as  their  deliverer,  and  jcanonized,  so  to  speak, 
by  the  universal  voice  of  the  clergy — he  obtained  the  love  and 
veneration  of  the  whole  English  nation,  with  the  exception  only 
of  an  imbecile  king,  an  ambitious  prince,  a  corrupt  court,  and  of 
those  who  either  from  attachment,  interest,  or  pique,  supported  j 
the  royal  cause :  whereas  after  ages  have  emulated  each  other  in 
their  eagerness  to  bury  under  a  mountain  of  contumely,  the  name 
of  this  able  statesman  and  dauntless  warrior. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  strict  impartiality  of  the  authoress  of 
these  volumes,  and  perhaps  it  is  no  where  more  apparent  than  in 
the  biography  under  consideration — for  whilst  joining  in  the 
common  cry  against  the  great  earl  and  his  princely  consort,  she 
furnishes  us  with  numberless  facts  which  tell  strongly  in  their  favour 
— and  has  the  candour  to  observe  with  reference  to  De  Montfort 
that — "  It  is  a  remarkable  fact^  that  all  the  writers  of  the  day, 
tpeak  ofhU  character  in  terms  ofmthusiastic  admiratum  "-yeiy  re- 
markable  indeed !  and  scarcely  reconcilable  with  his  being  the 
unprincipled  adventurer  he  is  usually  represented ! 

"Their  origin" — says  Mrs.  Green,  t.  e.  that  of  the  De  Montforts, 
"  has  been  the  subject  of  much  learned  disputation ;  but  the  most  pro- 
bable opinion  is,  that  they  descended  from  William,  Earl  of  Hainault, 
great-grandson  of  Baldwin,  with  the  iron  arm,  Earl  of  Flanders,  and  of 
Judith,  daughter  of  Charles  the  Bold,  King  of  France.  This  Earl 
William  married  the  heiress  of  the  house  of  Montfort ;  and  his  descend- 
ant, Almaric  II.,  became  Earl  of  Evreux,  by  his  marriage  with  Agnes, 
heiress  of  that  house,  and  a  descendant  from  Richard  I.,  Duke  of  Nor- 
mandy. Half  the  earldom  of  Leicester  devolved  upon  this  powerful 
family  from  the  marriage  of  their  descendant,  Simon  III.  with  Amicia, 
daughter  and  co-heiress  of  Robert  Fitz  Pamell,  Earl  of  Leicester,  in 
whose  right  he  obtained  the  title  of  earl,  with  the  hereditary  dignity  of 
Lord  Steward  of  England.  At  that  period,  the  Montforts  were  occa- 
sional residents  in  this  country,  where  they  enjoyed  a  high  degree  of 
consideration ;  but  their  French  descent  and  associations  having  induced 
them  warmly  to  countenance  the  pretensions  of  the  dauphin  Louis,  at 
the  close  of  King  John's  reign,  their  possessions  were  forfeited,  they 
were  banished  the  kingdom,  and  retired  to  their  own  domains.  Not 
only  the  earldom  of  Montfort,  but  that  of  Evereux  and  Narbonne,  with 
the  viscounties  of  Beziers  and  Carcassonne,  formed  their  proud  conti- 
nental possessions. 

"  On  the  death  of  Earl  Simon  IV.,  his  estates  descended  to  his 
eldest  son,  Almaric.  The  earldom  of  Leicester,  of  course,  was  included 
amongst  these  possessions ;  but,  though  Almaric  made  several  applica- 
tions to  the  king  to  restore  to  him  the  lands  and  revenues  which,  since 


'  Earhf  English  Princesses.  401 

their  forfeiture  had  heen  in  the  hands  of  the  Earls  of  Chester,  he  con- 
stantly failed  in  obtaining  his  suit,  on  account  of  the  jealous  feeling  with 
"which,  as  a  French  noble  possessing  extensive  continental  domains,  he 
was  regarded.  Finding  his  efforts  unsuccessful,  he  next  renewed  his 
applications  in  favour  of  his  youngest  brother  Simon,  against  whom  the 
same  objections  could  not  be  supposed  to  exist;  and  this  time  King 
Henry  lent  a  favourable  ear  to  his  petition.  He  promised  to  deliver 
the  lands,  consisting  of  the  town  of  Leicester,  and  the  moiety  of  the 
earldom,  with  the  ofEce  of  seneschal  to  Simon,  as  soon  as  he  could  get 
them  out  of  the  hands  of  Ralph,  Earl  of  Chester.  This  was  accom- 
plished the  following  year,  1231 ;  and  in  1232,  Simon  received  from  his 
brother  Almaric  a  formal  cession  of  the  rights  which  he,  as  the  elder, 
possessed  to  the  honours  in  question,  for  which  he  paid  1500  livres, 
French  money."— Vol.  ii.  pp.  64 — 66. 

The  young  earl  soon  became  a  great  favourite  with  the  king, 
and  a  frequent  guest  at  his  court.  Eleanora  was  now  twenty- 
three  years  of  age — her  beauty  had  rather  increased  than  dimi- 
nished during  the  time  of  her  widowhood — and  to  all  the  charms 
of  person  and  manner,  she  added  the  attractions  of  a  highly-edu- 
cated intellect,  a  powerful  mind,  and  a  loving  heart.  It  is  not 
wonderful,  then,  that  the  young  hero  should  fall  in  love  with  the 
beautiful  widow :  nor  that  the  princess  after  the  lapse  of  six  long 
years,  since  the  death  of  her  lamented  but  elderly  lord,  should 
have  reciprocated  the  affection  of  one  who  possessed  all  those 
qualities  of  person  and  mind  which  excite  either  the  admiration 
of  man  or  the  love  of  woman.  And  it  is  a  strong  testimony  to 
the  reality  of  De  Montfort^s  attachment,  as  well  as  the  estima- 
bleness  of  his  character,  that  the  high-spirited  Eleanora  retained 
to  the  last  the  same  devotion  to  her  husband,  which  induced  her 
in  the  first  instance  to  give'  him  her  heart  and  hand. 

A  difficulty,  indeed,  arose  in  the  fact  that  Eleanora  was  already 
devoted  to  perpetual  celibacy,  by  the  inconsiderate  vow  which  she 
had  made  in  the  moment  of  her  early  loss.  To  avoid  this  the 
lovers  were  in  the  first  instance  privately  married  in  the  most 
secret  manner  possible,  in  the  king'^s  private  chapel  by  his  own 
chaplain,  Henry  himself  giving  away  his  sister  to  the  bridegroom, 
who,  we  are  told  by  Matthew  of  Paris,  "  received  her  right  joy- 
fully, not  only  on  account  of  the  abundant  love  he  bore  her,  but 
also  for  the  loveliness  of  her  person,  the  nobleness  of  her  mind,  and 
the  honour  of  her  station  as  daughter  of  the  king  and  queen,  and 
sister  to  a  king,  a  queen,  and  an  empress."  The  authoress 
clearly  proves  the  falsehood  of  the  calumnious  accusation  that  De 
Montfort  had  previously  seduced  the  princess.  The  bride  and 
bridegroom,  however,  were  in  a  critical  position :  the  nobles  were 
in  the  first  instance  extremely  indignant  when  they  discovered 


402  Early  English  Princesses. 

that  Henry  had  sanctioned  the  marriage  without  their  concurreiiGe, 
and  the  clergy  and  nation  in  generid  were  loud  in  their  dentn^ 
ciations  of  the  broken  vow.  Under  these  circumstances  the 
princess  retired  to  the  castle  of  Kenilworth,  which  had  bera 
granted  to  her  by  her  brother,  whilst  Simon  proceeded  to  Borne, 
from  whence  he  speedily  returned, 

"  provided  with  a  full  dispensation  for  his  marriage,  and  with  letters 
from  his  Holiness  to  Otho  the  Papal  legate  in  England,  commandiDg 
him  to  authorize  and  ratify  it.  With  these  precious  documeuts,  Bail 
Simon  arrived  in  triumph  at  court  on  the  14th  October,  1238,  where  he 
was  favourably  received,  and  even  appointed  to  the  office  of  counsellor  to 
the  king ;  but  remaining  there  no  longer  than  was  absolutely  necessary, 
he  hastened  to  Kenilworth,  where  he  arrived  in  time  to  cheer  the 
drooping  spirits  of  his  wife,  and  by  the  good  news  he  brought,  to  cast 
a  gleam  of  brightness  over  the  birth  of  their  son,  which  took  place  very 
Boon  after,  on  Advent  Sunday,  the  28th  of  November." — Vol.  ii.  pp. 
72.  78. 

The  king  officiated  as  sponsor  at  the  baptism  of  this  infant,  who 
was  named  Henry;  and  in  the  course  of  the  next  year  De 
Montfort  was  called  upon  to  become  godfather  to  the  young 
Prince  Edward,  who  was  bom  on  the  16th  of  June,  1239.  This 
was  not,  however,  a  gratuitous  honour,  for  each  of  the  nim  god- 
fathers was  expected  to  present  the  child  with  costly  gifts.  Nor 
were  they  the  only  persons  taxed  on  the  occasion. 

"  Henry  dispatched  messengers  to  all  the  powerful  and  wealthy  noblea 
of  the  realm,  informing  them  of  the  birth  of  an  heir  to  the  crown ;  and 
none  of  these  bearers  of  good  tidings  were  expected  to  return  empty- 
handed.  If  the  value  of  the  gift  presented  did  not  come  up  to  the  ex- 
pectations of  the  royal  beggar,  he  indignantly  rejected  it,  and  sent  back 
the  messenger  with  a  mandate  on  his  peril*  not  to  return  till  he  had  se- 
cured a  richer  booty.  The  conduct  of  King  Henry  on  this  occasion 
gave  rise  to  a  cutting  sarcasm  from  a  Norman  jester, — '  God  has  given 
us  this  infant,'  said  he,  '  but  my  lord  the  king  sells  him  to  us.' " — 
Vol.  ii.  pp.  74,  75. 

Shortly  after  this,  however,  the  king,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
queen'^s  churching,  thought  proper  to  insult  the  Earl  and  Countess 
of  Leicester  in  a  most  public  and  outrageous  manner.  Fearing 
lest  he  should  proceed  to  personal  violence,  they  at  once  embarked 
for  France,  leaving  their  infant  son  at  Kenilworth.  The  king, 
however,  was  soon  reconciled  to  his  bfother-in-law ;  and  in  the 
spring  of  the  following  year  the  earl  returned  to  England  to  col- 
lect money  from  his  English  estates,  for  an  expedition  to  the 
Holy  Land.  Having  taken  his  infant  over  to  its  mother,  Simon 
set  forth  towards  Palestine.     Here,  we  are  told,^- 

"  He  must  have  succeeded,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  in  attracting  the 


Earfy  English  Prineesies.  4M 

JIMpaNl  and  admiration  of  the  inhabitants,  since  the  noUlity  of  Jerusalem 
fiuented  a  petitiod,  dated  the  7th  of  June,  1241,  to  entreat  the  £m- 
Jeror  Frederic  II.  to  appoint  him  their  governor  until  the  majority  of 
lis  son  Conrad,  who  was  the  heir  to  the  throne,  in  right  of  his  deceased 
Bother  Yolante.  They  sent  a  formal  written  engagement,  promising  to 
^eep  and  maintain  the  earl  in  his  office,  and  to  obey  him  as  they  would 
Hie  emperor  himself.  They  prayed  Frederic  to  seal  this  agreement  with 
golden  seal."^Vol.  ii.  p.  78. 


Frederic,  however^  did  not  accede  to  their  request,  and  Do 
Montfort  returned  to  England.  In  the  course  of  the  next  year, 
the  weak-minded  Henry,  at  the  instance  of  his  mother,  planned 
an  expedition  for  the  recovery  of  Poitou.  The  English  nobles 
vehemently  opposed  the  project,  and  even  refused  to  grant  the 
usual  supplies.  But,  on  finding  the  king,  who  was  as  obstinate 
as  he  was  weak,  determined  to  persist  in  his  plan,  many  of  them 
attended  him ;  and  amongst  them  his  brother-in-law,  accompanied 
by  the  devoted  Eleanora. 

"  The  particulars  of  this  luckless  and  ill-directed  expedition  belong 
to  general  history.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  De  Montfort  fully  established 
bis  claim  to  the  title  of  a  valiant  chevalier ;  and  at  the  battle  of  Xaintes 
especially,  so  unfortunate  for  the  English,  he  displayed  great  prowess, 
and  even  rescued  the  king,  who  was  in  danger  of  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,  by  the  efforts  of  his  personal  bravery.  On  the  disgrace- 
ful termination  of  the  campaign,  the  whole  court  reassembled  at  Bour- 
deaux,  where  the  queen,  the  Countess  of  Leicester,  and  the  ladies  of 
the  court  had  resided  during  its  progress  ;  but  so  great  was  the  dissa- 
tisfaction of  many  of  the  nobles,  that,  without  taking  leave  of  their 
royal  master,  they  returned  to  England.  The  Earls  of  Leicester  and 
Salisbury,  and  a  few  others,  still  remained  true  to  their  sovereign ; 
though  the  cost  at  which  they  preserved  their  allegiance  was  by  no 
means  trifling ;  for  they  were  left  altogether  to  their  own  resources,  and 
obliged  to  incur  large  and  daily  increasing  debts  to  meet  the  necessary 
expenses  of  their  household. 

"  The  character  of  the  king  is  presented  to  us,  at  this  period,  in  a 
most  despicable  light ;  for,  while  he  allowed  his  faithful  followers  to 
suffer  from  utter  destitution  of  those  things  which  it  should  have  been 
his  first  care  to  provide,  he  squandered  all  the  money  he  could  obtain 
upon  foreign  parasites.  Among  these  was  the  Countess  of  Bearne, 
mother  of  the  far-famed  Gaston  de  Bearne;  *a  woman,*  says  Paris, 
'singularly  monstrous  in  size,  and  prodigious  for  fatness.'  .  •  •  .  •  The 
Earl  of  Toulouse  and  the  King  of  Arragon  were  also  visitants  at  the 
court  of  Bourdeaux.  These  two  princes  still  retained  their  ancient 
animosity  to  the  Montfort  family,  embittered  by  so  many  years  of  con- 
flict during  the  Albigensian  wars ;  and,  by  their  frequent  insinuations, 
they  endeavoured  to  prejudice  the  wavering  mind  of  the  king  against 
Earl  Simon.     In  this  they  were  but  too  successful,  for  the  coolness  of 


404  Early  English  Princesses. 

the  king  rendered  his  situation  so  unpleasant  to  him,  that  he  andbk 
countess  took  their  departure  for  England." — Vol.  ii.  pp.  80,  81. 

This  coolness  was  of  short  duration,  and  on  the  king'*s  return 
to  England  in  the  autumn  of  1243,  the  Earl  of  Leicester  resumed 
his  former  place  at  court  and  council ;  and  the  beautiful  and  de- 
voted countess  was  permitted  for  the  few  ensuins;  years  to  enjoy 
that  domestic  happiness  for  which  she  was  so  well  fitted,  residing 
the  greater  part  of  her  time  at  her  castle  of  Kenilworth,  which 
had  been  lately  much  adorned  by  the  king,  and  to  which  great ' 

Erivileges  were  attached.  Henry,  her  eldest  son,  frequently  visited 
is  uncle'^s  court  as  the  playmate  and  companion  of  his  young 
cousin  Prince  Edward;  whilst  the  other  sons,  Simon,  Guy, 
Amalric,  and  Richard,  as  soon  as  they  became  old  enough,  were 
placed  under  the  tutelage  of  the  celebrated  Robert  Grosst&te, 
Bishop  of  Lincoln.  The  intimate  association  and  steady  friend- 
ship which  existed  between  this  distinguished  and  exemplary  pre- 
late, and  the  Earl  and  Countess  of  Leicester,  speaks  highly  in 
their  favour. 

**  He  was  the  confidential  adviser  of  Simon  in  all  cases  of  perplexity, 
and,  by  his  moderate  counsels,  often  succeeded  in  calming  the  irritated 
feelings  of  the  earl.  His  office  of  tutor  to  their  children,  which,  although 
himself  of  humble  birth,  he  discharged  admirably,  particularly  in  fitting 
them  to  fulfil  their  courtly  duties,  rendered  him  a  frequent  and  welcome 
guest  at  the  house  and  table  of  Simon  and  Eleanora.  He  also  introduced 
to  their  notice  and  favour  another  learned  priest,  to  whom  he  was  him- 
self warmly  attached,  whom  we  shall  have  frequent  occasion  hereafter 
to  notice.  This  was  Adam  de  Marisco,  nephew  of  Richard  de  Marisco, 
Lord  Chancellor  and  Bishop  of  Durham,  one  of  the  most  eminent  di- 
vines of  his  time,  who  took  a  doctor's  degree  at  Oxford.  He  seems  to 
have  occupied  much  the  same  position,  in  reference  to  the  Countess 
Eleanora  which  the  Bishop  of  Lincoln  held  with  her  lord.  He  was  her 
correspondent,  amanuensis,  counsellor,  and  friend.'* — Vol.  ii.  pp.  84, 85. 

The  correspondence  which  occurred  between  this  very  excellent 
priest  and  the  Countess  of  Leicester,  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing 
and  interesting  features  of  this  biography,  and  proves  beyond  all 
dispute,  that  however  proudly  the  heart  of  the  Princess  Eleanora 
may  have  throbbed  with  the  blood  of  her  Norman  and  Plantagenet 
ancestry,  she  was  ready  to  listen  with  dutiful  reverence  to  the 
commands  of  the  Gospel  and  the  counsels  of  the  Church.  It  is 
indeed  quite  cheering  to  be  brought  into  contact  with  the  Chris- 
tian life  of  such  holy  men  as  Grosstfete  and  Marisco,  who  would 
have  been  lights  of  the  Church  in  the  brightest  ages  that  she 
has  ever  seen :  and  it  is  equally  delightful  to  witness  the  dignified 
attention,  and  reasonable,  though  deep  respect  with  which  their 


Early  English  Princesses.  405 

rice  and  admonitions,  on  all  matters,  were  received  by  Simon 
de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Leicester,  and  the  Princess  Eleanora  his 
wife. 

We  may  here  mention  a  somewhat  singular  act  of  generosity 
on  the  part  of  Henry  III.  He  was  under  great  pecuniary  ob- 
b'gations  to  both  his  sister  and  brother-in-law^  and  he  therefore 
remitted  to  De  Montfort,  a  debt  which  the  earl  owed  to  an  un- 
fortunate Jew,  David,  of  Oxford,  not  paying  it  himself,  but  can- 
celling it  altogether !  He  further  proceeded  to  sell  to  him  the 
guardianship  of  one  of  his  wards,  which  proved  a  profitable  in- 
vestment to  the  purchaser,  as  the  revenues  of  minors  were  by  the 
existing  laws  enjoyed  by  their  guardians. 

How  much,  alas !  remains  to  be  said,  and  how  little  space  is  left 
for  saying  it !  we  must  extract  and  condense  as  best  we  may  : — 

"  The  Earl  of  Leicester  began  about  this  time  to  assume  a  more  im- 
portant  position  in  the  State  than  he  had  previously  occupied.  In 
1244,  he  was  one  of  a  committee  chosen  to  deliherate  upon  the  grant  of 
a  subsidy  to  the  king;  and  in  1246,  his  name  occurs  among  other 
nobles  in  an  appeal  to  the  Pope,  against  the  enormous  exactions  of  the 
Church  of  Rome.** — Vol.  ii.  p.  89. 

"  In  the  year  1248,  the  grand  movement  for  a  general  crusade,  made 
by  St.  Louis  of  France,  roused  once  more  the  chivalric  spirit  of  Europe. 

•  •  .  •  On  this  occasion  Simon  de  Montfort.  ....  once  more  mounted 
the  cross  and  determined  to  accompany  the  crusading  hosts.  •  .  •  • 
When  the  Countess  Eleanora  saw  the  red  cross  once  more  clasped  on 
the  bosom  of  her  lord,  she  determined  not  again  to  be  left  behind,  and 
with  eagerness  she  too  flew  to  assume  the  sacred  symbol.  Fired  by 
the  example  of  their  lord  and  lady,  the  warlike  retainers  of  De  Mont- 
fort, and  even  a  large  proportion  of  his  domestic  servants,  also  took  the 
cross.  ....  Her  resolution  was  not  however  put  to  the  test.  Scarcely 
had  Earl  Simon  taken  the  vows,  than  he  was  dispatched  by  the  king 
to   quell  an  insurrection  in   Gascony,  which  he  succeeded  in  doing. 

•  •  .  •  The  State  of  Gascony,  the  last  relic  of  the  continental  posses* 
sions  of  Henry  II.,  now  in  the  hands  of  his  degenerate  grandson,  was 
most  deplorable.  The  Gascons  hated  the  English  rule,  and  never  lost  a 
feasible  opportunity  of  trying  to  shake  it  off.  ....  At  length  the 
king  and  council  determined  that  the  bold  De  Montfort,  whose  energetic 
character  and  martial  prowess  well  fitted  him  for  the  office,  should  be 
again  sent  over.  Accordingly,  he  was  duly  invested  with  the  office  of 
Seneschal,  which  was  granted  him  by  letters  patent  for  six  years,  with 
the  custody  of  all  the  royal  castles,  and  he  took  his  departure  for  the 
continent.'* — Vol.  ii.  pp.  90,  91. 

The  conduct  of  De  Montfort  in  this  arduous  position  exhibits 
courage  and  ability  seldom  equalled,  whilst  the  loyalty,  and 
patience,  and  singular  forbearance,  which  he  exhibited  towards 
his  despicable  brother-in-law,  are  almost  beyond  praise.     During 


406  Early  English  PrincM0$. 

this  period,  however,  the  Nobles  and  Gommoiis  of  England  had 
grown  more  and  more  discontented,  and  as  the  king  had  declined, 
so  his  mighty  brother-in-law  had  risen  in  popularity.  At  length 
he  returned  to  England  for  good.  It  was  a  strange  time  that, 
which  preceded  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war : — 

*'  On  one  occasion,  Henry  had  taken  his  barge  to  go  up  the  Thames, 
then  the  grand  thoroughfare  of  London,  to  his  palace  of  Westminster, 
when  a  sudden  and  severe  storm  of  thunder  and  lightning  advised  him 
to  land  at  the  first  convenient  place.  This  chanced  to  be  near  Durham 
House,  the  palace  of  the  Bishop  of  London,  which,  during  a  temporary 
vacancy  of  the  See,  was  occupied  by  Earl  Simon.  The  earl  went  out 
to  meet  his  sovereign  with  every  mark  of  external  respect,  and  bade 
him  not  to  be  afraid  of  the  storm :  '  I  fear  thunder  and  lightning  beyond 
measure  ;  but  by  the  head  of  God  I  fear  you  more  than  all  the  thunder 
and  lightning  in  the  world,"  said  Henry.  '  My  lord,'  answered  Simon, 
'  it  is  unjust,  incredible  that  you  should  fear  me,  your  firm  friend, 
always  true  to  you  and  yours  the  kings  of  England :  fear  rather  your 
enemies,  destroyers,  and  slanderers.'  " — ^Vol.  ii.'  p.  120. 

"  During  the  commotions  that  ensued,  the  Countess  Eleanora  prin- 
cipally resided  in  her  castle  of  Kenilworth,  where  behind  its  strong 
entrenchments,  she  was  safe  from  any  sudden  surprise*  From  the  time 
that  the  Earl  of  Leicester  first  began  to  anticipate  the  probability  of 
a  bloody  termination  to  the  civil  contest,  he  had  taken  all  possible  pains 
to  fortify  this  stronghold.  Warlike  machines,  some  of  them  brought 
over  from  the  continent,  had  been  erected  at  great  expense,  the  walls 
and  towers  strengthened,  and  protected  by  a  strong  garrison  ;  and  Earl 
Simon  might  well  believe  from  the  dauntless  spirit  of  the  royal  Eleanora, 
that  her  presence  would  add  to  rather  than  diminish  the  efiSciency  of  re- 
sistance in  case  of  an  attack  upon  his  castellated  fortress.  Here  with 
her  only  daughter  she  passed  the  days,  and  long  and  anxious  must  they 
have  been,  while  her  sons  and  husband  were  engaged  in  active  combat 
Frequently,  however,  the  return  of  Earl  Simon  and  his  retainers,  or  the 
visits  of  the  nobles  of  his  party  afforded  animated  variety  to  her  ex- 
istence  At  length,  in  1264,  the  battle  of  Lewes,  which  placed 

King  Henry  and  Prince  Edward,  Richard  King  of  the  Romans  and  his 
son  Edmund  prisoners  in  the  hands  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  turned  the 

uncertain  scale  of  war The  Earl  of  Leicester  was  now  at  the 

height  of  worldly  prosperity,  and  he  celebrated  his  Christmas  with  un- 
usual splendour  at  Kenilworth  Castle  with  his  wife  and  family,  sur- 
rounded by  his  warlike  retainers,  of  whom  he  numbered  one  hundred 
and  forty  amongst  his  domestic  servants  only.  His  royal  captives  were 
probably  amongst  the  guests,  for  he  treated  them  with  the  courtesy  due 
to  their  high  rank,  and  Kenilworth  was  the  place  which  he  chose  as 
the  residence  of  several  of  them."— Vol.  ii.  pp.  123—125. 

The  kindness,  indeed,  with  which  De  Montfort  treated  his  un- 
gratetul  brother-in-law  and  his  hostile  famUy,  when  they  were 


Earhf  English  Pfineesse^  407 

entirely  in  his  power  and  utterly  at  his  mercy,  affords  a  striking 
contrast  to  many  who  went  before,  and  to  all  who  have  followed 
him.  Let  us  but  cast  our  eyes  on  the  barbarities  practised  on 
each  other  by  the  children  of  William  the  Conqueror,  on  the 
treachery  of  Stephen  and  the  cruelty  of  John — and,  following  the 
downward  stream  of  history,  who  will  venture  to  compare  Henry 
of  Bolingbroke,  Henry  of  Richmond,  Oliver  Cromwell,  or  William 
of  Orange  with  Simon  de  Montfort  and  his  worthy  consort — 
worthy  we  mean  of  being  the  wife  of  such  a  man — Ele^ora  of 
England  ? 

A  most  pleasing  illustration  of  the  personal  character  of  the 
countess  occurs  in  the  generous  consideration  with  which  she 
strove,  by  many  delicate  marks  of  attention,  to  minister  to  the 
comfort  of  her  imprisoned  relatives. 

"  The  provision  for  their  necessities  did  not  devolve  upon  her,  and  there- 
fore her  frequent  presents  to  them  may  be  regarded  purely  as  tokens  of 
good  will.  A  few  extracts  from  the  oft  quoted  household  roll  must  sufBce 
as  instances.  A  barrel  of  sturgeon  and  some  whale's  flesh  were  sent  to 
Wallingford  during  Lent  for  the  use  of  King  Henry.  Notice  also  occurs 
of  the  carriage  of  108  cod  and  ling,  32  congers,  and  500  hakes  from 
Bristol  to  Wallingford,  of  which  half  were  left  at  Wallingford,  the 
residence  of  Prince  Edward,  probably  for  his  use,  and  the  other  half 
sent  to  Odiham  :  200  figs  were  also  sent  to  Wallingford.  The  king  of 
the  Romans,  who  was  at  Kenilworth,  received  a  present  of  spices — 
20lbs.  of  saffron,  5lbs.  of  rice,  which  by  an  odd  missappropriation  of 
terms  was  then  considered  a  spice,  21bs.  of  pepper,  lib.  of  ginger,  2lbs. 
of  sugar,  &c.,  and  20  pieces  of  whale.  Eleanora  sent  him  shortly 
afterwards  a  quantity  of  raisins  and  two  measures  of  wine.  His  ward- 
robe, too,  was  handsomely  provided  for:  12  ells  of  scarlet  cloth  were 
purchased  for  the  robes  of  King  Richard  against  Easter,  while  his  son 
Edmund  had  a  suit  consisting  of  robe,  tunic,  and  cloak,  of  rayed  cloth 
of  Paris,  at  4*.  Sd,  an  ell,  a  satin  hood  also  was  bought  for  each. — ^Vol. 
ii.  pp.  134,  135. 

We  can  do  no  more  than  allude  to  the  haughty  conduct  of  the 
young  De  Montforts,  which  alienated  many  of  the  nobles — the 
jealousy  and  consequent  breach  between  the  Earls  of  Gloucester 
and  Leicester — ^and  the  escape  of  Prince  Edward,  which  gave 
the  royalists  an  acknowledged,  intrepid,  and  able  leader. 

At  length  it  came — that  fatal  field  of  Evesham,  the  event  of 
which  has  determined  the  judgment  of  historians  as  to  the  merits 
of  Simon  and  his  opponents.  Prince  Edward  had  succeeded  in 
intercepting  and  defeating  the  succours  which  the  younger  Simon, 
Leicester's  second  son,  was  bringing  to  his  aid,  and  advanced  at 
the  head  of  a  powerful  army  against  his  enemy. 

*'  Expecting  to  join  his  son's  forces,  Earl  Simon  marched  from  Here- 


408  Early  English  Princesses. 

ford  across  the  Severn  towards  Worcester,  and,  stajring  two  days  near 
Rumsey,  arrived  on  the  third  at  Evesham.  Scarcely  had  he  reached 
this  spot  than  the  floating  of  banners  approaching  from  the  north,  gave 
token  of  the  arrival  of  troops  in  the  direction  in  which  those  of  the 
young  De  Montfort  were  expected.  Considerable  excitement  prevailed 
concerning  the  advancing  host,  which  was  not  allayed  until  Nicholas 
the  barber  of  the  earl,  who  blended  some  knowledge  of  heraldry  with 
the  medley  of  medical  and  other  miscellaneous  learning,  which  tliea 
appertained  to  his  profession,  positively  declared  from  the  blazonry  on 
the  banners  that  they  belonged  to  the  party  of  young  Simon.  The 
earl,  however,  had  still  some  vague  suspicions  floating  in  his  mind: 
and  he  ordered  his  barber  to  mount  the  steeple  of  the  Abbey  of  Eve- 
sham, to  obtain  a  more  commanding  view  of  the  host.  On  approaching 
nearer  his  enemy,  Prince  Edward,  who  had  at  flrst  displayed  the  colours 
taken  at  Kenilworth,  in  order  to  deceive  the  Montfurts,  changed  his 
tactics ;  and  the  royal  banner  of  England,  with  those  of  the  Earl  of 
Gloucester,  and  Sir  Roger  Mortimer,  were  unfurled  to  the  breeze,  and 
filled  the  heart  of  the  worthy  Nicholas  with  dismay.  "  We  are  dead 
men !  *'  he  exclaimed  to  his  lord  as  he  conveyed  the  tidings.  De 
Montfort  himself  was  not  sanguine  as  to  the  result  of  a  contest  with 
such  unequal  forces  ;  but  he  assumed  a  cheerful  air,  and  encouraged  his 
soldiers  with  confident  expressions,  telling  them  it  was  for  the  laws  of 
the  land  and  the  cause  of  God  that  they  were  to  fight.  He  himself  led 
one  part  of  the  little  host,  and  his  eldest  son  Henry  the  other;  and,  to 
give  countenance  to  their  cause,  they  placed  King  Henry  among  their 
ranks.  As  the  royalist  troops  advanced,  their  number  and  martial 
array  struck  terror  into  the  heart  of  the  brave  De  Montfort.  •  By  the 
arm  of  St.  James,'  he  cried,  *  they  approach  in  admirable  order ;  they 
have  learned  this  style  from  me,  and  not  themselves* — adding  mourn- 
fully, *  let  us  commend  our  souls  to  God,  for  our  bodies  are  theirs.' 
His  son  Henry  endeavoured  to  cheer  him,  by  exhorting  him  not  to 
despair  so  soon.  '  I  do  not  despair,  my  son,'  replied  the  earl ;  '  but 
your  presumption,  and  the  pride  of  your  brothers,  have  brought  roe  to 
this  crisis ;  and  I  firmly  believe  that  I  shall  die  for  the  cause  of  God 
and  justice.' 

**  The  fight  commenced  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  4th 
of  August ;  but  the  daring  valour  of  Prince  Edward's  troops,  and  the 
pusillanimous  conduct  of  the  Welsh  soldiers  who  were  in  the  army  of 
the  earl,  soon  showed  how  the  scale  of  conflict  was  likely  to  turn.  The 
earl  and  his  son  performed  prodigies  of  valour ;  they  exerted  themselves 
to  stem  the  torrent  of  disaster,  and  each  led  their  men  to  a  renewed 
charge,  in  which  young  Montfort,  bravely  fighting,  fell.  The  news  of 
his  death  was  forthwith  communicated  to  his  father.  '  By  the  arm  of 
St.  James,'  he  cried,  vociferating  for  the  last  time  his  favourite  oath, 
'then  it  is  time  for  me  to  die!'  and,  grasping  his  sword  with  both 
hands,  he  rushed  upon  his  assailants,  striking  with  such  rapidity  and 
vigour,  that  a  witness  of  the  scene  asserted  that,  had  he  had  but  eight 
followers  like  himself,  he  would  have  changed  the  fortune  of  the  day. 


Early  English  Prinessses.  409 

Wounded,  however,  by  a  blow  from  behind,  be  was  struck  from  his 
horse,  and  instantly  dispatched ;  and  the  fate  of  the  battle  was  decided. 
So  great  was  the  exasperation  of  the  victors  against  the  Earl  of 
Leicester,  that  they  revenged  themselves  by  the  mutilation  of  his  dead 
body.  His  hand  was  cut  off  by  Roger  Mortimer,  and  sent  to  his 
countess,  at  once  as  a  present,  and  a  token  that  the  great  enemy  was 
slain."— Vol.  ii.  pp.  139—141. 

Thus  fell  one  of  the  bravest  warriors  and  ablest  statesmen  that 
England  ever  welcomed  to  her  shores.  Whether  he  were  the 
disinterested  patriot  and  sincere  Christian  which  his  contempo- 
raries conceived  him  to  be,  or  the  selfish  adventurer,  and  hypo- 
critical villain  which  he  is  now  generally  considered,  we  shall  not 
at  present  stop  to  inquire.  Facts,  however,  are  stubborn  things, 
and  we  trust  that  the  next  writer  who  undertakes  to  narrate  uie 
history  of  those  times,  will  carefully  examine  them,  and  not 
dismiss  with  supercilious  contempt  the  wail  of  a  whole  people 
mourning  over  the  mighty  dead. 

We  need  do  no  more  than  allude  to  the  well-known  fact  that 
De  Montfort  summoned  the  knights  and  burgesses  to  Parliament 
m  1264,  and  thus  revived  the  popular  element  in  the  English 
constitution.  One  point,  however,  is  perhaps  less  generally  recog- 
nized:— 

"  The  strong  hold  he  possessed  upon  the  affections  of  the  monkish 
orders,  who  were  the  sole  depositories  of  the  learning  of  the  day,  and 
enjoyed  the  exclusive  monopoly  of  authorship,  may  be  mainly  attributed 
to  his  energetic  resistance  against  the  oppressions  of  Rome."— -Vol.  \u 
p.  145. 

Is  it  possible  that  the  change  in  public  feeling  which  has  oc- 
curred in  the  matter  may  have  originated  in  the  relentless  ani- 
mosity of  that  Evil  Power  which  never  pardons  either  the  living  or 
the  dead  who  have  opposed  her  tyranny,  combated  her  errors, 
or  denounced  her  crimes?  The  matter  deserves  investigation. 
For  ourselves,  we  feel  disposed  to  take  up  the  burden  of  the 
mournful  old  ballad  : — 

"  Ore  est  occys  la  fleur  de  pris,  que  taunt  sauvoit  de  guerre, 
Le  quens  Montfort,  sa  dure  mort  molt  emplora  la  terre  1 " 

We  may  not  trace  further  the  fortunes  of  the  princess,  thus  a 
second  time  bereaved.  We  cannot,  however,  avoid  mentioning  a 
circumstance  which  shows  the  character  of  Edward  the  First  in  a 
worse  point  of  view  than  we  have  yet  seen  it  displayed. 

After  the  ruin  of  De  Montfort's  party,  the  Welsh  prince, 
Llewellyn,  continued  to  urge  his  suit  for  the  hand  of  his  beiautiful 
daughter,  to  whom  he  had  become  attached  and  engaged  in  hap- 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. JUNE,  1851.  E  0 


410  Early  English  Prim^esaes. 

pier  times.  The  younger  Eleanora  was  married  to  her  lover  by 
proxy  early  in  the  year  1275,  only  a  few  weeks  before  the  decease 
of  her  mother  in  France.  She  did  not,  however,  immediately  set 
out,  and  when  she  did  so,  in  company  with  her  brother  Amalric, 
her  voyage  was  any  thing  but  prosperous. 

"  The  young  fiancee  and  her  guardian  were  captured  off  the  Scilly 
Islands  by  four  Bristol  merchant  vessels,  and  conveyed  forthwith  to  the 
port  of  that  city.  Bartholomew  of  Norwich  and  other  chroniclers  affirm 
that  these  vessels  were  actually  commissioned  by  King  Edward  to  in* 
tercept  them.  At  any  rate,  his  appreciation  of  the  service  they  had 
performed  appears  by  a  gift  of  200  marks  to  their  crews.  The  illus- 
trious captives,  after  remaining  eight  days  in  Bristol  Castle,  were  sepa- 
rated. Amalric  was  placed  in  solitary  confinement,  first  at  Corfe,  and 
then  at  Sherborne  Castle,  while  his  sister  was  conveyed  to  Windsor 
Castle,  where,  if  she  were  not  subjected  to  rigorous  captivity,  she  was 
detained  in  a  sort  of  honourable  restraint.  .  .  .  Great  was  the  indigna- 
tion and  bitter  the  disappointment  of  the  Welsh  prince,  at  finding  his 
plighted  bride  thus  suddenly  snatched  from  him.  In  the  first  transports 
of  indignation,  when  the  news  reached  him,  he  made  hostile  demon- 
strations against  the  English  king ;  and  when  he  was  summoned  to 
appear  at  Parliament  he  refused  to  obey,  but  at  the  same  time  sent 
messengers,  demanding  peace  and  the  restoration  of  Eleanora,  and 
offering  for  her  immense  sums  of  money.  The  king  saw  his  advantage ; 
he  felt  that  he  possessed  a  strong  hold  upon  his  antagonist,  and  he  re- 
fused to  relinquish  Eleanora  except  on  his  own  terms.  These  terms 
Llewellyn  hesitated  to  accept.  It  needed  little  provocation  to  rouse 
the  warlike  Edward  against  his  rash  opponent.  He  advanced  into 
Wales :  county  after  county  yielded  to  his  victorious  arms,  and  Llewel- 
lyn was  compelled  to  sue  for  peace.     He  was  permitted  to  come  under 

a  safe  conduct  to  London,  where  the  terms  were  finally  arranged 

These  conditions  were  hard,  but  the  stern  monarch  was  inflexible  in 
the  exaction  of  them  :  it  was  only  by  swearing  an  oath,  which,  as  it 
rang  through  the  Welsh  mountains  and  valleys,  thrilled  the  heart  of 
every  son  of  Cambria  with  patriotic  sorrow,  and  woke  up  the  spirit  of 
its  bards  to  strains  of  enthusiastic  indignation  and  passionate  bewailing, 
that  the  ill-omened  nuptials  of  Llewellyn  and  Eleanora  were  concluded. 
They  were  married  at  Worcester  on  the  13th  of  October,  1278,  in  the 
presence  of  King  Edward  and  dueen  Eleanora,  and  the  whole  court. 
The  nuptials  were  performed  with  great  magnificence  at  the  expense  of 
Edward,  who  himself  gave  away  the  bride. — The  young  couple  im- 
mediately retired  to  Whales." — Vol.  ii.  pp.  163 — 165. 

And  here  we  must  bid  adieu  to  these  very  interesting  pages ; 
assuring  our  readers  that  it  is  from  want  of  space,  and  not  of  will, 
that  we  have  proceeded  rather  less  than  half  way  in  our  survey  of 
the  first  three  volumes  of  "  The  Lives  of  the  Princesses  of 
England."" 


Debarffs  Canary  Islands^  ^c,  411 


Art.  VII. — Notes  of  a  B^dence  in  the  Canary  Islands^  the  South 
of  Spain^  and  Algiers ;  illustrative  of  the  State  of  Religion  in 
those  Countries.  By  the  Rev.  Thomas  Debar y,  M,A.  London : 
Bivingtons. 

In  these  days  of  migratory  habits,  the  writer  of  travels  has  far 
less  chance  of  an  attentive  audience  than  in  days  when-  steamers 
and  railroads  were  unknown.  The  greater  part  of  the  Continent 
of  Europe  is  indeed  familiar  to  every  one,  either  by  guide- 
books, or  books  of  travels,  or  personal  visits — known,  that  is 
to  say,  in  its  outward  form,  i1^  scenery,  buildings,  and  other 
features  which  appear  on  the  surface  of  things.  But  what  a  world 
of  novelty  is  imperceptible  to  the  mere  traveller,  who  hastens  along 
from  city  to  city,  and  spends  his  time  in  seeing  the  ^^  lions !  ''^  The 
mind,  feelings,  opinions  of  the  people — and,  above  all,  their  re- 
ligion— not  merely  in  its  external  manifestations,  which  impress 
themselves  on  the  senses,  but  in  its  inner  operations  on  opinion 
and  practice — are  a  closed  book  to  the  ordinary  traveller ;  more 
especially  if  that  traveller  be,  as  he  very  frequently  is,  profoundly 
ignorant  of  the  religious  systems  of  those  amongst  whom  he 
travels,  and  perhaps  not  very  well  informed  as  to  his  own  religion. 
And  yet,  how  immeasurably  more  important  and  interesting  in 
every  point  of  view,  are  the  mental  characteristics  of  a  people, 
than  the  material  developments  which  present  themselves  to  the 
senses !  The  writer  who  is  enabled  by  circumstances  to  acquire 
an  insight  into  the  prevalent  views  and  sentiments  of  foreign  na- 
tions, is  contributing  a  most  valuable  addition  to  the  amount  of 
our  knowledge,  by  stating  the  result  of  his  inquiries.  Mr.  Debarjr 
18  one  of  those  writers  who  has  been  enabled,  from  various  causes, 
to  bestow  on  those  higher  subjects  of  inquiry,  an  attention  and  a 
research  such  as  rarely  lies  within  the  power  of  those  who  visit 
or  even  reside  in  the  countries  which  he  has  made  the  subject  of 
examination  in  the  volume  now  before.  His  general  acquaintance 
with  religious  subjects,  his  habits  of  observation  and  inquiry,  and 
bis  familiarity  with  foreign  languages,  afforded  peculiar  facilities 
for  investigations,  which  at  this  period  are  more  especially  in- 
teresting, as  bearing  upon  questions  which  engage  much  of  the 
public  attention.  But,  independently  of  the  graver  subjects  which 
the  author  more  particularly  examines,  there  is  very  much  to  en- 
gage and  to  interest  the  general  reader,  in  the  agreeable  pictures 

£  e  2 


412  IMary's  Canary  Islands^  Jko, 

of  scenery  and  manners  which  are  introduced,  and  the  varied 
characters  of  the  society  into  which  the  author  takes  his  readers. 

We  propose  to  touch  briefly,  in  the  first  instance,  on  those 
portions  of  Mr.  Debary''s  work  which  refer  to  more  general  sub- 
jects ;  and  subsequently  to  examine  the  evidence  which  he  supplies 
of  the  state  of  religion  amongst  the  native  population  of  the 
countries  which  he  visited. 

Our  author,  having  been  recommended  by  his  medical  adviser 
to  spend  a  winter  abroad^  embarked  in  one  of  the  regular  packets 
for  Madeira,  with  the  intention  of  making  a  stay  of  some  months 
there.     As  may  be  supposed,  most  of  his  companions  were  inva- 
lids, like  himself,  in  search  of  health.   This  circumstance,  however, 
did  not  prevent  the  discomfort  of  disputes  on  subjects  of  contro- 
versy— the   Madeira  chaplaincy  furnishing  material   for  much 
animated  debate^  and  ultimately  ranging  most  of  the  passengers 
on  either  one  side  or  the  other.     We  have  really  no  heart  to 
dwell  on  these  disputes,  or  the  opinions  expressed  by  Mr.  Debary 
in  reference  to  them.     We  confess  to  an  unfavourable  impression^ 
with  regard  to  the  conduct  of  almost  all  who  have  been  engaged  in^ 
that  controversy  ;  and,  after  recent  occurrences,  it  is  perhaps  just^ 
as  well,  that  there  should,  be  no  further  contest  going  on  there^ 
The  Bishop  of  London  has  been  most  improperly  treated  by  alL 
parties. 

At  length  we  arrive  at  Madeira,  where  our  author  thus  intro— 
duces  us  to  the  Bay  of  Funchal : — 

"  We  entered  the  Bay  of  Funchal  under  what  might  be  called  a  tropical 
moon.     The  fair  prospect  was  accordingly  idealized,  rather  than  con- 
cealed, by  the  shades  of  night ;  innumerable  white  quintas  sparkled  in 
the  basin  of  the  amphitheatre ;  the  sea  looked  too  calm  ever  again  to 
be  stirred  into  a  storm ;  the  voices  of  people  talking  on  the  decks  of 
the  neighbouring  ships  told  us  how  still  was  the  atmosphere  ;  but,  as  if 
to  remind  us  that  we  were  not  altogether  in  fairy-land,  from  one  of  these 
issued  a  grievous  smell ;  and  we  learnt  the  next  day  that  she  had  been 
a  slaver,  but  was  now  employed  to  carry  emigrants,  and  had  been  brought 
back  by  government  vessels  from  a  voyage  to  Demerara,  whither  she 
was  bound,  with  three  hundred  miserable  emigrants  on  board,  as  they 
had  not  obtained  the  proper  permission  to  leave  the  island.     But  for 
this  smell  we  should  have  thought  the  prospect  before  us  a  dream ;  but 
as  it  was,  we  were  happy  to  seek  an  oblivion  of  the  senses,  by  retiring 
to  rest. 

"  As  Madeira  is  a  place  so  constantly  visited  and  written  about,  the 
few  observations  I  have  to  make  upon  the  island  shall  be  made  in  as 
brief  a  way  as  possible.  If  the  transporting  the  habits  and  manners  of 
the  mother  country  pretty  perfectly  into  the  colony  or  settlement  be  a 
sign  of  good  colonization,  there  is  no  doubt  Madeira  was  well  colonized 
at  the  beginning.     Funchal  is  a  thoroughly  Portuguese  town ;  and,  as 


Debary's  Canary  Islands^  <tc,  413 

far  as  size  and  importance  goes,  bears  about  the  same  proportion  to  the 
other  towns  and  villages  of  the  island,  as  Lisbon  does  to  Portugal.  It 
seems  the  disposition  of  the  Portuguese  to  congregate  very  much  in  one 
large  city  or  capital,  and  that  of  the  Spaniards  to  settle  in  several  towns; 
so  that,  I  imagine,  if  we  except  the  Havannah,  the  Portuguese  can  show 
£ner  capitals,  in  proportion,  than  their  neighbours.  Funchal  is  a  very 
large  town  for  the  size  of  the  island,  and  a  great  part  of  it  being  built 
on  the  precipitous  sides  of  the  mountain,  it  shows  off  to  the  best  ad«- 
vantage.  Then  the  numerous  English  residents,  who  have  brought 
money  and  taste  to  erect  quintas  with,  have  added  somewhat  to  the 
splendour  of  the  coup  d^ceiL  The  character  of  the  Portuguese  street 
architecture  is  rather  of  the  majestic,  and  traces  of  this  taste  are  mani- 
fested in  some  streets  of  Funchal.'* — pp.  4 — 6. 

Madeira  does  not  seem  to  have  left  a  pleasing  impression  on 
the  author'*s  mind,  and  it  may  well  be  imagined  that  a  society  of 
invalids,  many  of  whom  survive  but  a  short  time  their  voyage 
thither,  must  have  any  thing  but  a  cheerful  tendency.  In  addi- 
tion to  this^  the  controversy  then  raging  in  the  island  furnished 
an  inducement  to  exchange  the  ^^  spell-bound^^  island,  for  the 
Canaries,  whither,  accordingly,  our  author  proceeded  in  the 
Brazil  packet.  Within  twenty-four  h^rs  after  leaving  Madeira 
they  could  discern  the  "  loom*"  of  Teneriffe :  they  had  the  whole 
south-east  side  of  the  island  before  them,  with  the  Peak  in  full  viefW 
— a  range  of  basaltic  mountains  covered  with  what  appeared  to  be  a 
thin  and  spotty  vegetation.  These  mountains  suddenly  fall  before 
coming  to  the  capital  of  the  province,  Santa  Cruz — the  Canary 
islands  being,  as  Mr.  Debary  says,  just  as  much  a  province  of 
Spain  as  Andalusia,  On  landing  the  travellers  were  surrounded 
by  a  singular-looking  rabble.  The  most  respectable  were  dressed 
in  long  cloth  cloaks,  notwithstanding  the  burning  heat  of  the  sun ; 
and  many  of  the  others  wore  common  blankets  over  their  shoulders. 
An  odd-looking  individual  half-English  half-Spanish,  who  saw 
the  travellers'"  surprise,  informed  them  that  this  strange  attire  was 
only  a  part  of  the  national  vanity — a  "  carpa  "  of  some  sort  must 
be  had,  and  those  who  cannot  afford  a  cloth  one,  content  them- 
selves with  a  blanket !  We  should  think  this  vanity  brings  an 
ample  punishment  along  with  it.  Imagine  men  broiling  in  blankets 
and  cloth  cloaks  under  a  tropical  sun  !  The  population  of  this 
place  is  about  8000  or  9000 ;  the  houses  are  furnished  with  win- 
dows of  a  peculiar  description.     They  are  only  partially  glazed. 

"  The  greater  part,"  says  our  author,  "  consists  of  a  sort  of  panelled 
shutter,  which  on  being  pushed  from  the  inside  lifts  up,  and  enables 
the  inmate  to  see  and  not  to  be  seen.  The  mystery  which  attaches  to 
these  shutters  certainly  furnishes  the  ladies  of  the  town,  who  are  re- 


414  Debary^B  Canary  Islands,  <te. 

markably  pretty,  with  a  powerful  means  of  flirtation.  A  stranger  baB 
to  pass  a  perfect  battery  as  he  walks  along.  A  shutter  flies  up,  a  face 
glances  at  the  stranger,  and  when  curiosity  is  satisfied  down  drops  the 
shutter  again,  and  the  house  looks  as  exclusive  as  a  convent." — p.  24. 

On  visiting  the  Captain- General  of  the  province,  they  were 
questioned  by  him  as  to  the  probability  of  Queen  Adelaide  (then 
at  Madeira)  visiting  Teneriffe.  He  then  began  to  speculate  on 
i^'hat  political  effects  to  Europe  would  be  the  result  of  Louis 
Philippe''8  death ;  little  imagining  at  the  time  that  the  French 
Bevolution  had  then  taken  place.  The  news  of  that  Revolution 
and  its  effects  throughout  Europe  arrived  in  a  few  weeks,  and  the 
author  remarks  on  the  perplexity  it  caused  even  in  those  remote 
islands.  Vessels  touching  at  Santa  Cruz  did  not  know  what  ships 
to  salute,  and  whether  they  were  at  war  or  peace  with  the  differ- 
ent countries  they  arrived  at.  The  actual  arrival  of  the  news  is 
thus  amusingly  described : — 

**  An  English  merchant  made  interest  for  us ;  and  procured  us  a 
lodging  in  the  house  of  one  Seiior  Martinez,  a  Spanish  gentleman  of 
rather  reduced  fortune,  but  ample  habitation.  He  was  literally  living 
in  a  palace,  by  himself;  a  terrible  Progresista  and  a  passionate  admirer 
of  Espartero ;  a  great  conner  of  the  little  scraps  of  paper  that  circulate 
here  as  newspapers,  and  the  very  centre  of  the  political  circle  of  the 
place. 

**  One  evening  we  were  sitting  at  our  evening  meal  with  Don  Mar- 
tinez, which  consisted  of  milk,  and  rice,  and  fruit.  Martinez  had  just 
got  his  letters  from  Spain,  and  was  reading  them  with  great  agitatioa, 
when  he  suddenly  got  up,  and  run  out  of  the  room,  leaving  us  listlessly 
looking  out  upon  the  evening  sky,  and  the  broad  leaves  of  the  banana, 
and  thinking  how  very  quiet  and  tranquil  every  thing  was,  but  yet  a 
little  surprised  at  the  agitation  of  our  host.  Suddenly  We  heard  a  great 
explosion,  and  immediately  saw  the  darting  light  of  rockets  as  they 
rose  one  after  another;  and  Martinez  returning  to  us,  exclaimed, 
'Cohete!*  *cohete!'  a  rocket!  a  rocket!  bravo!  there  is  a  republic  in 
France,  and  Louis  Philippe  is  dead.  Viva  La  Republica  I  May  the 
Republic  flourish ! "  Of  course,  having  no  respect  for  Spanish  intelli- 
gence, we  did  not  believe  Martinez,  and  only  concluded  it  must  be  some 
stir  amongst  the  Progresistas.  Martinez  evidently  regarded  it  as  the 
dawn  of  brighter  days  for  Spain,  although  he  did  not  consider  Spain 
was  yet  ripe  for  a  republic ;  but  he  said  Spain  was  terribly  governed, 
and  that  every  body  was  a  thief;  nor  did  he  spare  even  Narvaez."— 
pp.  61,  62. 

Sefior  Martinez,  if  he  be  alive,  must  have  long  since  bid  fare- 
well to  the  enthusiasm  with  which  he  hailed  the  approach  of 
political  liberty.  That  outbreak  has  been  succeeded  by  a  fearful 
reaction,  and  Absolutism  in  conjunction  with  Popery,  is  more 
thoroughly  in  the  ascendant  at  this  moment  than  it  has  been 


Debary'a  Canary  Islands^  <bc.  4  J  5 

within  the  memory  of  man.  The  Church  of  Borne  which  gate 
the  impulse  to  Revolution,  and  which  every  where  announced 
itself  as  the  advocate  of  popular  rights,  is  now  seen  in  its  real 
character,  as  the  aider  and  instigator  of  tyranny  and  persecution. 
What  the  result  will  be  it  is  difficult  to  foresee ;  but  we  believe 
Lord  John  Bussell  did  not  overstate  the  truth  when  he  spoke  of 
a  general  conspiracy  against  religious  and  civil  liberty.  In  point 
of  fact,  England  at  present  seems  to  be  the  only  free  country,  as 
two  years  ago  it  was  the  only  unrevolutionized. 

We  cannot  follow  our  author  in  his  interesting  account  of  the 
ascent  of  the  mountains  near  the  Peak  of  TenerifFe,  but  must 
pass  over  much  amusing  matter,  and  land  at  Cadiz,  whither  he 
went  from  the  Canary  Islands.  On  nearing  the  port,  several  boats 
with  big  eyes  painted  on  their  prows  to  look  like  dolphins,  came 
scudding  alongside,  with  ^^  Sanidad^^  written  on  the  sails;  they 
were  immediately  surrounded  by  the  boatmen  of  Cadiz,  with  their 
strong  national  expression  of  countenance — all  ^^  as  much  alike  as 
a  flock  of  sheep'*'' — with  "  pointed  features,  dark  passionate  eyes, 
and  yellow  complexion.''^  Almost  any  sea-port  town  is  agreeable 
to  the  tempest-tost  wanderer ;  but  Cadiz,  with  its  sparkling  white 
houses,  bright  green  shutters,  and  singing  birds,  making  the 
streets  ring  with  cheerful  sounds,  must  have  been  charming  to 
our  author ;  but  there  were  drawbacks  on  those  advantages  in 
the  rumours  of  "  ^meutes,"  and  "  martial  law,"  which  speedily 
greeted  him.  The  following  sketch  of  a  rencontre  with,  part  of 
the  royal  family  at  Osuna  is  amusing  enough : — 

"  We  found  the  somewhat  humble  town  or  village  full  of  life  and 
gaiety.  The  unglazed  windows  and  doorways  hung  with  coloured 
curtains,  flags  hanging  from  the  churches  and  balconies,  and  the  tra- 
velling cavalcade  of  the  Infanta  occupying  the  principal  street.  The 
Infanta  herself  was  at  Mass  in  the  small  church  which  stands  within  the 
keep  of  the  castle.  Let  not  the  reader  suppose  the  cavalcade  was  such 
as  used  to  be  seen  before  the  time  of  railroads  on  the  road  between 
London  and  Windsor.  The  first  carriage  was  a  tolerable  attempt  at  a 
coach ;  the  next  was  a  char-a-banc,  drawn  by  four  long-eared  mules ; 
and,  as  may  be  supposed,  delightfully  characteristic.  We  hastened 
through  the  throng  of  dark,  sunny,  handsome,  half-gipsy  faces,  that 
lined  the  steep  ascent  to  the  castle,  and  reached  the  gateway  just  as  a 
troop  of  little  girls  in  white,  carrying  garlands,  made  their  appearance 
preceding  the  Infanta,  who  followed  leaning  on  the  Duke  de  Montpen- 
sier's  arm  ;  behind  them  came  the  most  perfect  specimen  of  a  Spanish 
nurse  one  could  desire  to  see,  carrying  the  precious  baby  in  her  arms, 
guarded  by  four  soldiers  with  bayonets.  The  Infanta  looked  interest- 
ing, but  withal  pale,  and  delicate,  and  very  young,  as  did  her  husband, 
a  tall,  thin  youth  with  a  pointed,  sandy-coloured  beard.  The  Infanta 
might  very  easily  have  awakened  a  feeling  of  loyal  tenderness  in  the 


416  Debarffa  Canary  Islands^  &c. 

breasts  of  the  Spaniards ;  there  was  something  at  once  so  confiding  and 
anpretending  about  her  whole  carriage." — pp.  161,  162. 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  follow  Mr.  Debary  further  in  his  de- 
scriptions of  scenery  and  manners,  of  which  the  reader  has  now 
had  several  specimens.  We  now  turn  to  his  accounts  of  the  state 
of  religion  in  the  countries  he  visited,  to  which  it  is  in  our  power 
to  add  some  further  information  of  a  more  recent  date. 

He  remarks  (p.  55)  on  the  depressed  state  of  the  Bomish 
Church  at  Teneriife,  where  for  a  long  time  the  bishop  was  pro- 
hibited from  ordaining  any  more  clergy,  lest  the  responsibility  of 
supporting  the  newly  made  priest  should  fall  on  government. 
The  state  of  things  appears  to  be  similar  in  Spain  itself,  where  the 
author  tells  us  (p.  112)  of  an  itinerant  priest  who  lived  by  saying 
masses,  and  by  begging  of  English  travellers ;  and  he  mentions 
another  instance  in  which,  having  applied  to  a  priest  for  some  in- 
formation on  the  history  of  the  Spanish  Church,  which  he  could 
not  gain,  he  found  he  was  expected  to  give  this  priest  a  present, 
and  the  latter  actually  haggled  as  to  its  amount.  In  one  town 
where  they  arrived  (p.  Ill)  the  cur^  in  company  with  some 
others  had  just  murdered  the  governor,  and  was  obliged  to  take 
refuge  in  Barbary.  It  was  reported  that  some  of  the  mountain 
cur^s  were  not  men  of  peace,  and  that  a  few  of  them  corresponded 
with  smugglers.  In  their  appearance  they  were  as  little  like 
priests  as  possible  (p.  111).  The  monasteries  and  convents  were 
generally  m  ruins — sometimes  replaced  by  caf^ — sometimes  by 
manufactories — sometimes  converted  into  theatres  and  cockpits. 
The  greater  part  of  the  incomes  allowed  to  the  clergy  by  the 
legislature  were  absorbed  by  government,  so  that  the  clergy  were 
left  in  a  state  of  squalid  poverty ;  and  no  one  who  did  not  possess 
good  private  fortune  could  venture  to  accept  a  bishopric,  the  ex- 
penses of  which  would  entail  ruin  on  any  one  else. 

All  this  coincides  exactly  with  all  we  have  heard  elsewhere  of 
the  state  of  the  Spanish  Church.  The  clergy  have  been  starving 
for  years,  and  it  has  become  a  matter  of  extreme  difficulty  to  find 
candidates  for  orders  :  the  nation  generally  appears  to  feel  no  in- 
terest in  bettering  the  condition  of  the  priesthood — indeed  the 
concordat  recently  concluded  been  the  rope  and  the  Spanish 
Government  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  condition  of  the 
Church  there,  is  extremely  unpopular.  This  may  however  in  part 
arise  from  the  restoration  of  monasteries,  which  forms  a  part  of 
the  concordat.  The  Spaniards  appear  to  be  unanimous  in  their 
hatred  of  monasteries,  and  have  not  the  slightest  scruple  in  ap- 
plying the  suppressed  houses  to  any  mean  and  degrading  uses. 
Take  the  following  example : —  n 

"  I  determined  to  pay  the  suppressed  convent  of  the  Augustines,  in 


Dory's  Canary  Islands^  <tc.  '41 7 

which  these  exhibitions  were  held,  one  visit,  and  see  the  sort  of  company 
that  frequented  them.  I  am  not  one  of  those  Protestants  who  could  rejoice 
to  see  a  convent  perverted  to  these  uses,  and  it  was  not  without  repug- 
nance on  this  score  as  well  as  others  that  I  directed  my  footsteps  to  the 
place.     When  I  entered  the  ancient  cloisters,  the.  silence  was  as  profound 
as  in  those  days  when  the  building  was  in  the  occupation  of  men  under 
religious  vows ;  not  that  it  was  empty,  but,  on  the  contrary,  very  full. 
In  the  *  patio,'  or  quadrangle,  tiers  of  seats  were  raised  up  round  a  sort 
of  large  cage,  and  these  seats  were  crowded  with  attentive  spectators ; 
in  the  upper  corridors  or  cloisters  I  noticed  some  of  the  clergy  and 
principal  civil  and  military  officers  of  the  place.     I  mounted  up  here 
just  in  time  to  see  the  conclusion  of  one  of  the  fights ;  the  two  unfor- 
tunate birds  were  scarcely  able  to  peck  at  each  other  any  longer  ;  one 
just  contrived  to  drive  the  other  a  few  paces  on,  and  then  both  stood 
still,  as  inanimate  as  if  they  had  been  stuffed,  excepting  that  pools  of 
blood  began  to  form  under  the  respective  birds.  This  was  a  signal  for  the 
backers  to  enter  the  cage,  smooth  the  feathers,  and  try  and  stimulate  their 
fighting  propensities.     The  poor  spent  creatures  made  one  or  two  more 
fluttering  efforts  at  contention,  and  then  fell  back  lifeless.     When  I 
noticed  their  feathers  quivering,  I  felt  disgusted,  but  directly  a  new  and 
lively  couple  were  thrown  into  the  cage,  and  began  to  strut  round  and 
crow  for  the  combat,  the  interest  revived,  so  it  was  time  to  leave  this 
demoralizing  exhibition. 

"  The  convent  of  the  Augustines  was  doomed  to  a  double  profana- 
tion ;  for,  a  week  after  this,  an  awning  was  spead  over  the  patio,  and 
the  American  horses  were  exhibiting." — ^pp.  89,  90. 

Imagine  even  the  clergy  attending  a  cock-fight  in  the  cloisters  of 
an  Augustinian  friary  !  The  author  remarks  (p.  173)  that  nothing 
fills  a  Spaniard  with  greater  surprise  than  to  hear  an  Englishman 
regretting  the  suppression  of  the  convents — "what  can  he  be 
dreaming  about?  aon't  you  owe  all  your  prosperity,  which  is 
making  so  much  noise  throughout  the  world,  to  your  rejection  of 
this  system  of  chartered  indolence  i  and  now  you  reproach  us  for 
having  taken  one  of  the  first  steps  towards  the  aboution  of  sloth 
and  bigotry.''  The  truth  is  that  the  gross  and  notorious  immo- 
rality of  the  so-called  religious  orders  in  Spain  and  Portugal, 
utterly  destroyed  their  character  and  influence  long  before  they 
fell ;  and  now  their  very  name  is  odious. 

The  clergy  are  evidently  not  respected  by  the  people,  and 
there  is  but  little  sense  of  religion.  In  most  of  the  churches  the 
confessional  box  stands  as  lumber  (p.  55).  A  newly-appointed 
bishop,  arriving  at  his  see,  very  properly  preaches  against  cock- 
fighting  on  Sundays  in  Lent  (p.  87) — tries  to  arouse  the  apathetic; 
but,  says  this  author,  "  How  did  my  friends  generally  regard  it  ? 
— they  used  to  stroll  into  church  of  an  evening  for  a  few  minutes, 
and  then  come  out,  pronounce  him  a  Gatalonian,  and  begin  to 
-talk  of  their  cock-fights !''  (p.  89.)    At  Cadiz  the  travellers  met 


418  DAary'i  Canary  Idaoids^  Ac. 

a  Portuguese  family  of  rank,  who  said  they  confessed  only  once 
in  the  year,  in  Lent,  before  receiving  the  holy  communion ;  and 
on  the  remark  being  made  that  it  must  be  difficult  to  confess  at 
one  time  all  the  sins  committed  in  the  year,  the  answer  was,  "  We 
do  not  confess  by  word  of  mouth  every  thing  we  have  said  or  done 
wrong  in  the  year ;  but  our  confessor,  who  is  a  very  good  man, 
and  a  nobleman,  tells  us,  the  week  before  confession,  to  run  over 
in  our  minds  our  past  lives ;  so  that  when  he  asks  us  ^  if  we  have 
repented,**  we  can  say  '  yes  ;**  and  then  he  will  absolve  us*"  (p.  117). 
Certainly  this  is  a  very  harmless  kind  of  auricular  confession ; 
but  it  is  curious  that  such  things  should  be  in  a  professedly 
Boman  Catholic  country.  This,  we  suppose,  is  the  style  of 
confession  allowed  to  ladies  of  rank.  It  appears  that  there  are, 
here  and  there,  individuals  who  dislike  the  superstitions  of  their 
Church,  and  reject  them  privately.  Thus  a  professor  at  Granada 
is  mentioned  (p.  198),  who,  in  writing  to  an  Englishman  at 
Malaga,  speaks  of  the  appalling  immorality  and  superstition 
amongst  the  high  and  lower  orders,  particularly  of  the  towns  in 
the  interior,  and  of  the  attempts  to  arrest  the  wide-spreading 
indifference  or  infidelity  in  religious  matters,  by  the  invention  of 
miracles  and  new  saints ;  and  concludes  by  wishing  that  zealous 
Protestants  would  avail  themselves  of  the  travelling  propensities 
of  the  Contrabandistas  and  circulate  the  Bible  through  them.  He 
added  that  he  had  found  the  English  Prayer  Book  in  the  hands 
of  a  canon  of  Granada,  and  of  a  physician,  both  of  whom  com- 
mended it  highly. 

Instances  like  this  must,  we  apprehend,  be  rare  in  the  Penin- 
sula, of  persons  who  are  conscious  of  the  error  of  the  popular 
religion,   and  yet  have   not  altogether  thrown  off  belief.    At 
present  the  generality  of  those  who  Uve  in  professedly  Roman 
Catholic  countries  are  either  sceptics  or  bigots ;  either  the  very 
name  of  Christianity  is  scoffed  at,  or  else  the  most  absurd  and 
monstrous  fables  are  placed  exactly  on  a  level  with  the  truths  of 
revelation.     The  religious  Spaniard  believes  as  devoutly  in  the 
legend  of  St.  Christoval,  or  any  other  fable  of  the  kind,  as  he  does 
in  the  Gospels.     Nor  does  this  furnish  any  matter  of  surprise, 
when  it  is  remembered  that  the  sole  ground  of  faith  presented  to 
the  people  by  their  priesthood,  is  the  authority  of  the  Church. 
The   Church  alone  vouches  for    the   Bible;    the   Church  sdso 
vouches  for  the  story  of  St.  Christoval,  or  whatever  other  fables, 
or  inventions,  or  practices  are  customary  amongst  Romanists; 
so  that  if  any  of  the  latter  be  rejected,  the  sole  authority  on 
which  Christianity  is  supposed  to  depend  falls  along  with  it,  and 
the  result  is  absolute  infidelity.     All  this  system  of  teaching  in 
the  Church  of  Rome  has  arisen  since  the  Reformation,  and  in 
opposition  to  it.     The  Jesuits  prevailed  on  the  Romish  priest- 


Debarffs  Canary  Islarids^  Ae.  419 

iiood,  generally,  to  take  this  ground,  with  a  view  to  prejudice 
the  people  against  the  Reformation.     They  were  taught  that  any 
exercise  of  judgment,  or  any  inquiry,  was  certain  to  result  in 
infidelity,  because  authority  alone  vouched  for  the  truth  of  the 
Scripture,  and  for  all  Christian  doctrine.     The  Jesuits,  in  fact, 
preferred   that  their  disciples  should  incur  the  risk   of  being 
infidels,  to  that  of  being  Protestants  ;  calculating,  probably,  that 
there  was  little  chance  of  their  being  prepared  to  throw  off  all 
faith  at  once.     This  desperate  remedy  succeeded  for  a  long  series 
of  years,    but  it  has  at  length  borne   fruit, — it  has   been   the 
great  cause  of  infidelity  throughout  Europe.     The  moment  men 
were  led  to  inquire,  the  whole  fabric  of  belief  was  shaken.      The 
same  system,  however,  is  continued  without  any  alteration ;  the 
2eal  of  the  remaining  believers  is  excited  by  missionary  preachers, 
sew  relics,  miracles,  canonizations,  and  devotions.     Every  super- 
stition is  pushed  further  and  further ;   and  all  inquiry,  or  means  of 
inquiry,  are  more  and  more  rigorously  interdicted.     In  Roman 
Catholic  countries,  like  Spain,  or  Italy,  or  Portugal,  no  other 
religion  is  tolerated.     No  native  of  those  countries  is  permitted 
to  become  a  Protestant,  nor  is  any  one  permitted  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  them. 

While  the  Word  of  God  is  thus  withheld  from  the  deluded 
and  most  cruelly-treated  people  of  those  countries, — and  with- 
held by  that  wicked  priesthood  which  ought  to  have  been  the  first 
to  publish  its  blessed  truths, — the  word  of  man  has  acquired  an 
undisputed  dominion.  And  what  is  that  word  of  man  I  It  is  a 
system  which  substitutes  man  for  God, — which  invests  man  with 
the  attributes  of  Deity, — and  turns  aside  from  the  true  Mediator 
to  mediators  who  are  but  of  human  nature.  Here  is  a  specimen  of 
the  kind  of  worship  which  is  provided  as  most  in  accordance  with 
the  tastes  of  the  people,  and  meet  for  their  edification  : — 

*'  A  '  novena'  is  a  period  of  nine  days  preceding  the  saint's  day  to 
which  it  relates ;  during  which  interval  there  is  a  particular  service 
every  night,  concluding  with  a  prayer  to  the  saint,  and  a  sermon.  In 
the  novena  of  St.  Raphael  the  first  night's  prayer  implores  'the 
patronage  of  the  saint,  and  that  he  will  present  the  prayers  of  the 
faithful  before  the  divine  throne,  and  their  souls  when  released  from  the 
flesh.'  The  prayer  of  the  second  day  implores  the  angel  or  saint  *  to 
assist  the  minister  of  religion  in  the  salvation  of  souls ;  that  they  may 
attain  to  eternity,  and  with  them  for  ever  love  God.'  The  third  prays 
the  saint  or  angel  *  to  make  them  that  they  may  hear  the  voice  of  divine 
grace,  and  overcome  sin  in  the  flesh.'     The  fourth  prays  the  archangel 

•  to  overcome  in  them  the  foul  fiend.'     The  fifth  implores  the  archangel 

*  to  forgive  them  their  debts,  and  to  recover  for  them  their  lost  grace.' 
The  sixth  implores  the  archangel  *to  give  them  perseverance  in  prayer. 


420  Debarjfs  Canary  Islands^  Ac. 

and  constancy  in  good  works  ;  and,  this  life  ended,  that  their  souls  may 
be  crowned  in  glory.'  The  seventh  prays  the  archangel  '  that,  united, 
they  may  offer  prayers  to  him  which  he  may  present  to  the  Deity.' 
The  eighth  prays  the  archangel,  as  patron  of  those  who  are  obedient  to 
parents,  '  to  obtain  from  God  this  virtue  and  future  glory.'  The  ninth 
desires  the  angel  or  saint  '  to  present  all  their  supplications  to  the 
Deity ;  and  to  consider  their  needs  in  this  life,  and  to  give  them  glory 
in  another.' 

*'  The  novenas  and  octaves  are  quite  accidental,  and  depend  princi- 
pally upon  the  chance  liberality  of  individuals.  The  same  saint  who  is 
honoured  this  year  by  a  thousand  lights,  and  nine  or  eight  days  of 
special  prayers  and  sermons,  may  the  next  year  be  without  a  single 
light  burning  on  his  altar.  This  is  called  the  cultus  of  saints.  The 
splendour  of  the  novena  depends  upon  the  sum  given  for  it :  when  it  is  a 
large  sum,  of  course  the  best  musicians  and  preachers  are  obtained  to  grace 
the  festival.  The  form  of  prayer,  &c.,  used  on  these  occasions,  is  drawn 
up  by  some  clergyman  in  authority,  or  the  bishop." — ^pp.  151 — 153. 

This  is  the  sort  of  system  which  is  set  up  to  meet  the  inroads 
of  infidelity  :  there  is  no  alternative  between  unbelief  and  idolatry. 
It  is  a  fearful  state  of  things,  indeed,  in  which  it  is  difficult  to 
say  which  of  the  opposite  systems  is  more  injurious  to  the  spiritual 
and  temporal  interests  of  the  people.  The  Romish  priesthood 
have  gained  little  by  exchanging  the  influence  of  the  Reformation 
for  that  of  infidelity. 

Mr.  Debary  has  made  us  in  some  degree  acquainted  with  the  state 
of  religion  in  Spain ;  but  we  have,  in  addition,  the  evidence  sup- 
plied in  an  interesting  publication  by  the  Rev.  Frederick  Meyrick\ 
fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Oxford,  which  comprises  several  letters 
written  by  two  intelligent  and  educated  persons,  resident  in  an 
episcopal  city  in  Spain.  These  letters  fully  corroborate  the  state- 
ments in  Mr.  Debary'*s  work,  with  reference  both  to  the  degraded 
state  of  the  Church  in  Spain,  the  excessive  superstition  of  its 
adherents,  and  the  great  prevalence  of  infidelity. 

The  following  extract  shows  that  the  priesthood  are  rapidly 
losing  their  dominion,  and  gives  some  account  of  the  estimation 
in  which  they  are  held : — 

"  The  state  of  the  Church  here  (in  Spain)  is  very  low.  We  now  live 
among  Spaniards,  and  1  never  heard  more  rampant  *  Protestantism' 
than  I  have  heard  here.  People  do  not  go  to  confession,  and  justify  it 
openly,  some  by  saying  that  the  Church  commands  it  indeed,  but  they 
will  not  do  it,  because  the  priests  are  worse  than  themselves  :  others 
say,  that  they  neither  kill,  rob,  nor  cheat ;  and,  as  for  what  concerns 

*  "  What  is  the  working  of  the  Church  of  Spain  !  What  is  implied  in  submitting 
to  Rome  1  What  is  it  that  presses  hardest  upon  the  Church  of  England  !  A  Tract 
by  the  Rev.  Frederick  Meyrick,  M.  A.,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Oiiord."  Oxford : 
J.  H.  Parker. 


JMcuTj/^B  Canary  Islands^  Ac.  421 

their  souls,  that  is  l>etween  themselves  and  God,  and  no  man,  priest  or 
not,  has  any  right  to  interfere  in  it.  It  is  a  real  fact,  that  when  the 
law  admitted  no  man  to  hold  any  office  or  employment  under  Govern- 
ment, who  was  not  able  at  Easter  to  produce  a  certificate  from  a  priest 
that  he  had  confessed  and  communicated  within  the  year,  the  certificates 
were  commonly  sold  for  about  ten-pence  a  piece  ;  one  person  told  us, 
that  he  had  known  one  bought  for  five-pence.  However  they  were  ob- 
tained, whether  priests  sold  them,  or  laymen  confessed  and  communi- 
cated in  order  to  get  them  to  sell,  a  fearful  amount  of  sacrilege  and 
profanity  is  involved.  We  are  in  the  constant  habit  of  meeting  a  priest 
whom  I  like  very  much.  He  is  not  a  man  of  much  education  or  intel- 
ligence, and  has  not  any  appearance  of  what  one  would  call  sanctity  ; 
but  he  has  a  downright  straightforward  character,  and  a  great  love  for 
the  poor,  and  an  excellent  temper,  which  I  have  seen  much  tried.  He 
was  a  monk  in  one  of  the  richest  orders.  Fifteen  years  ago  the  monks 
were  turned  out,  their  lands  and  convents  seized,  and  their  pictures 
sold.  The  following  year  he  was  appointed  to  the  chaplaincy  of  a  hos- 
pital, which  he  has  held  ever  since,  saying  mass  every  morning  in  the 
church  attached.  He  does  not  dress  like  a  priest,  except  that  he  wears 
the  blue  neckcloth.  The  great  amusement  of  the  laymen  at  dinner  is 
to  attack  him  about  something ;  so  that,  unless  we  dine  with  him  alone, 
it  is  impossible  to  speak  to  him  on  any  subject  connected  with  his  pro- 
fession, for  fear  of  occasioning  some  irreverent  and  painful  discussion. 
His  brother,  who  is  also  a  priest,  and  formerly  a  monk  in  the  same 
order,  was  staying  with  him  for  a  month.  He  seems  to  feel  bitterly 
the  plundered  and  degraded  state  of  the  Church,  but  says  little  unless 
he  is  called  out.  I  think  that  he  must  be  confessor  to  some  nuns,  for 
I  used  to  be  quite  weary  of  the  way  in  which  the  laymen  would  go  on : 

•  Padre,  are  the  nuns  at pretty  ?  *     *  Now,  padre,  do  tell  me,  are 

they  pretty  ? '  '  Padrecito,  I  want  to  know  so  much  if  the  nuns  are 
pretty.'  *  Padre,  when  the  nuns  confess,  do  they  tell  you  long  stories 
about  one  another  ? '  Day  after  day  they  would  question  him  in  this 
way,  diversifying  the  amusement  occasionally  by  semi-sceptical  ques- 
tions on  the  Old  Testament,  as  one  of  them  chanced  to  be  in  the  pos- 
session of  a  Bible."— pp.  3,  4. 

This  Spanish  clergyman  informed  the  writer  that,  were  it  not 
for  the  poor,  "  there  would  be  no  worship  of  God  in  the  land.'' 
Fasting  on  Friday  has  gone  out  of  use  ;  for  the  bull  of  the  Cru- 
sades, of  which  every  one  can  take  the  benefit  for  about  five- 
pence^  gives  full  licence  to  eat  meat  on  fast-days.  When  a  fast- 
day  comes,  it  is  not  distinguished  by  any  remarkable  self-denial. 

''  There  has  been  one  Spanish  fast-day  since  we  have  been  here ;  the 
Vigil  of  All  Saints.  We  had  as  good  a  dinner  of  fish,  vegetables, 
sweets,  and  fruit,  as  any  one  could  wish,  but  it  made  some  of  the  guests 
very  cross.  They  discovered  that  the  rule  of  the  English  Church  was 
to  fast  on  Friday  ;  so  they  turned  round  upon  the  two  priests,  and 


422  Debarj/'s  Canary  Islands^  Sc. 

asked  why  they  did  not  fast  on  Friday  ?  Next,  they  went  on  to  rtite 
the  question,  whether  Protestants  would  go  to  glory ;  and,  if  they  did 
not,  where  they  would  go  :  one  of  them  who  had  picked  up  some  vague 
ideas  about  the  English  Church  suggesting  that  people  might  be  Catho< 
lies  without  being  Roman  Catholics.  Pickpockets  abound  here.  It 
is  said,  that  the  little  boys  who  are  employed  in  the  churches  to  assist 
at  the  mass  and  to  help  clean  the  church,  are  the  most  adroit.  It  may 
be  so,  for  constant  familiarity  with  holy  things,  if  it  does  not  do  good, 
must  do  harm  ;  and  the  idea  of  reverence  never  seems  to  enter  their 
head :  they  would  just  as  soon  stand  on  the  top  of  the  altar  as  any 
where.  On  All  Saints'  day,  being  the  Vigil  of  the  '  Animas,'  it  is  the 
custom  in  Spain  to  go  to  the  Campo  Santo  to  burn  lights  before  the 
niches  of  the  dead.  We  went  and  found  that  it  had  degenerated  into  a 
crowded  promenade,  where  people  meet  and  gossip,  and  look  at  each 
other.  There  can  be  no  holy  and  peaceful  thoughts  of  the  dead  in  such  a 
scene.  Little  stalls  were  set  up  all  round  with  refreshments." — pp.  6, 7* 

It  appears  that  the  writers  of  these  letters  bad  been,  when  in 
England,  associating  with  those  to  whom  the  defects  of  their  own 
Church  and  the  merits  of  the  Church  of  Rome  had  been  matter 
of  continual  uneasiness.  One  of  them  expresses  himself  in  the 
following  terms,  after  a  residence  in  Spain,  The  letter  is  dated 
January  28,  1851 : — 

"  I  cannot  but  be  grateful  to  have  learnt  in  daily  life  what  the  Roman 
Church  is.  1  have  just  been  reading  an  able  letter  in  the  Chronicle, 
signed  Gamaliel.  '  The  miseries  of  our  own  house  almost  drive  us 
forth,  but  we  are  deterred  by  finding  that  no  perfect  home  awaits  us.' 
While  ^you  are  fighting  against  evils  at  home,  which  seem  intolerable 
and  deadly,  I  am  constantly  witnessing  evils  here  (mingled  with  good) 
which  are  so  great  that  I  am  appalled  at  them.  The  rashness  with 
which  men  rush  out  of  our  Church  into  that  which  they  do  not  practi- 
cally know  is  like  the  state  of  mind  of  a  suicide,  who,  overwhelmed 
with  present  evils,  hurls  himself  out  of  life. 

"  We  are  oppressed,  enslaved,  by  the  power  of  the  State  at  home. 
Well,  here  every  bishop  is  nominated  by  the  Government,  subject  only 
to  the  approval  of  the  Pope :  the  clergy  are  paid  by  the  State  ;  and  as 
the  Esperanza,  the  High- Church  paper,  complains,  they  dare  not  oppose 
Government,  which  would  at  once  say,  *  Be  silent,  or  I'll  starve  you.* 
The  churches  are  kept  in  repair  (such  as  it  is)  by  the  State  :  the  edu- 
cation is  in  the  hands  of  the  State ;  the  schools  are  paid  for  and  the 
masters  appointed  by  the  State ;  the  clergy  can  only  give  a  little  in- 
struction in  the  schools,  and  do  not  catechise  in  the  churches.  Even 
the  seminaries  where  the  priests  are  educated  are  supported  by  the 
State ;  and  the  books  to  be  used  and  the  course  of  instruction  regu- 
lated by  the  Minister  of  Instruction. 

'*  We  complain  that  our  people  dishonour  and  despise  the  rules  of 
their  own  Church.  It  is  sadly,  miserably  true  ;  but  what  do  we  see 
here  ?   For  more  than  three  months  we  have  been  constantly  associating 


DAar^n  Canary  Islands^  itc.  423 

^«|Mi  Spaniards.  Well,  I  find  not  one  but  all  of  my  companions  openly 
^T^^jiKgleeting  and  refusing  confession,  and  professing  to  do  so.  I  have 
WM  to  them,  '  Why,  the  Church  commands  you  to  confess.'  *  Yes,' 
4vy  answer,  '  but  we  don't  do  it,  that  is,  the  men ;  many  of  the  women 
4ki.'  The  most  extreme  Protestant  opinions  are  upon  their  lips,  such 
fi  that  the  care  of  their  souls  is  a  matter  between  themselves  and  their 
Oody  and  they  do  not  see  what  any  one  else  has  to  do  with  it.  The 
legends  of  the  Roman  Saints  and  stories  of  miracles  are  wholly  repu- 
diated. I  got  the  priest,  with  whom  I  am  on  very  good  terms,  to  tell 
me  a  legend  of  an  iniage  in  his  church,  which,  as  the  story  ran,  had 
leached  out  its  arm,  and  given  absolution  to  a  penitent.  As  the  story 
ended,  one  of  the  laymen  came  in,  and  began  to  make  a  mock  of  it. 
It  is  a  most  unhappy  thing,  that  truth  and  falsehood  have  been  mingled 
together  in  their  miracles  and  legends,  and  many  of  them  have  been  put 
^  before  the  minds  of  the  people  as  of  equal  authority  with  Holy  Scrip- 
^  tore  :  e,  g,  there  is  not  a  devout  person  here  who  does  not  hold  it  quite 
IMI  certain,  that  the  thief  on  the  cross  was  called  Demas,  and  that  he  was 
foi^iven  at  the  intercession  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  as  that  he  was  crucified 
at  all.  Now  the  result  of  this  is,  that  while  among  the  uneducated  or 
little  educated  you  may  meet  with  much  devotion  and  faith,  you  find 
also  the  strangest  mixture  of  legend  and  holy  truth  intertwined  inex- 
tricably together :  while  among  the  more  educated  there  is  a  dangerous 
tendency  to  disbelieve  all.  They  find,  that  they  have  been  deceived 
and  imposed  on  in  some  things,  and  that  throws  a  doubt  on  all.  There 
are  very  many  who  believe  nothing.  Some  of  the  merchants'  sons  would 
like  to  come  to  our  service,  but*  it  is  not  permitted  by  law.     One  of 

them  said  to last  week,  *  We  could  believe  what  your  Church 

teaches,  we  cannot  believe  what  we  are  taught  here.'  I  know  one  sad 
case  myself.  Don  F.  is  a  thoroughly  educated  and  refined  gentleman, 
but  he  has  not  faith  in  what  is  taught  him  in  his  own  Church ;  he 
knows  the  priests  have  taught  him  some  falsehoods,  and  distrusts 
them  wholly.  I  look  upon  him  as  a  good,  honourable,  religious- 
minded  man,  but  without  religion.  And  the  people  have  not  the  Bible 
here  to  fall  back  upon.  Let  the  people  say  what  they  will  of  the  abuse 
of  that  Holy  Book,  and  the  wretched  way  men  too  often  deal  with  it, 
yet  think  what  it  would  be  to  be  robbed  of  it.  Practically,  people  here 
are  without  the  Bible.  1  shall  never  forget  the  eagerness  with  which 
Don  F.  borrowed  my  Spanish  Testament,  when  he  found  that  it  was 
what  be  called  *  puro.'  *  We  only  get  garbled  scraps  given  us  here,'  he 
said." — pp.  8—10. 

The  Church  of  Borne  has  adopted  the  system  of  revivals,  on 
very  much  the  same  system  as  the  American  Methodists  and 
Sectarians,  and  with  very  much  the  same  effects.  A  number  of 
preachers  arrive  at  a  town,  and  sermons  of  the  most  exciting 
nature  are  delivered  for  a  week  or  fortnight,  while  every  kind  of 
ceremony  and  worship  calculated  to  interest  the  people  is  brought 
into  play.     This  perpetual  excitement  at  length  overcomes  the 


424  Debarjfi  Ocmary  Islands,  &e. 

feelings  of  those  who  are  subjected  to  it :  the  women  get  into 
hysterics,  the  men  shed  tears — the  whole  population,  men,  women, 
and  children,  hasten  to  the  confessional ;  multitudes  come  to  the 
communion ;  the  missionaries  retire,  enchanted  at  the  success  of  ' 
their  ministry — ^and  then — matters  resume  their  ordinary  course. 
The  devotions  recommended  at  one  of  these  Roman  Catholic 
revivals  are  described  as  consisting  of  fifty  Aves,  five  Paters,  and 
five  Gloria  Patris,  with  prayers  and  hymns  addressed  to  the 
Virgin  under  the  title  of  the  Divine  Shepherdess.  Of  course, 
devotions  would  not  engage  the  feelings  of  the  people,  if  they  were 
not  chiefly  directed  to  the  Virgin.  The  following  remarkable  ex- 
tracts from  a  novena  to  the  Virgin,  in  use  in  Spain,  and  to  which 
indulgences  are  attached  by  an  archbiBhop  and  eight  bishops,  are^ 
as  well  as  the  remarks  of  the  writer  accompanying  them,  wdl 
deserving  of  attention.  They  will  show  the  tendency  of  the 
popular  religion  in  Spain  to  supersede  the  worship  and  love 
of  God  by  that  of  the  Virgin : — 

"  *  Ofihe  Charity  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 
"  '  As  the  eternal  Father  delivered  his  only  begotten  Son  to  death  in 
order  to  give  life  to  men,  so  this  admirable  Mother  of  love  delivered  her 
only  Son  Jesus  to  the  rigours  of  death,  that  all  might  be  saved.  She  did 
not  content  Herself  with  giving  to  the  Divine  Word  flesh,  wherein  to 
suffer  for  men :  She  Herself  sacrificed  Him.  Standing  at  the  foot  of 
the  cross,  whilst  her  Beloved  immolated  Himself  for  the  salvation 
of  mortals.  She  Herself  offered  the  sacrifice  of  this  unspotted  Victim, 
beseeching  of  the  Eternal  Father  that  He  would  receive  it  as  a  payment 
and  satisfaction  for  all  the  sins  of  the  world.  She  gave  to  men  all  that 
She  could  give,  and  She  loved  them  more.  She  gave  Herself,  and  if 
She  did  not  realize  the  sacrifice,  it  was  because  her  offering  had  all  the 
merit  of  which  it  was  capable. 

**  *  Of  the  Righteousness  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 
"  *  It  is  well  known,  that  Most  Holy  Mary,  instead  of  being  a  debtor, 
gave  so  abundantly,  that  all  remained  and  are  her  debtors  :  men  for 
redemption  :  angels  for  their  special  joy  :  even  the  Most  Holy  Trinity 
are  in  a  certain  way  a  debtor  to  her  for  the  accidental  glory  which  has 
resulted,  and  does  result,  to  them  from  this  their  Beloved. 

"  *  Of  the  Patience  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 
'*  '  She  suffered  in  Jesus,  and  with  Jesus,  as  much  as  Jesus  suffered. 

"  *  Of  the  Obedience  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 
'*  *  She  obeyed  more  than  all  creatures  united,  and  by  her  obedience 
supplied  the  want  of  obedience  of  all  the  evil  angels  in  heaven,  and  of 
all  the  ungrateful  men  on  earth. 

"  *  Of  the  Religion  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 
**  *  Blind  and  deceived  should  we  all  have  been,  if  Most  Holy  Mary, 
in  her  great  mercy,  had  not  given  us  in  Jesus  Christ  the  needful  know- 


Dehary*$  Canary  Islands^  Jkc.  425 

ledge  of  the  only,  sole>  and  true  religion.  Though  neither  angels  nor 
men  had  given,  nor  should  give,  to  God,  the  worship  and  veneration 
i^hich  they  ought ;  Most  Holy  Mary  would  have  fulfilled  all  the  duties 

laid  on  every  creature  by  the  necessity  of  the  virtue  of  religion 

Instructress  of  the  Church,  by  whom,  and  of  whom,  the  Apostles  learnt 
to  celebrate  the  mysteries  of  our  redemption,  to  frequent  the  Sacrament 
of  the  Eucharist,  to  venerate  the  holy  cross,  to  pray,  and  exercise  them- 
selves in  all  the  acts  of  religion,  I  adore  thee  ! 

**  *  Of  the  Hope  of  Most  Holy  Mary. 

"  *  She  Herself  was  the  object  of  the  hope  of  the  righteous,  and 
scarcely  did  She  show  Herself  in  this  world,  when  even  as  the  shadows 
of  the  night  begin  to  flee  away  before  the  coming  of  the  dawn,  so  at  the 
birth  of  Most  Holy  Mary,  the  Queen  and  Mother  of  Mercy,  fled  from 
many  their  doubts  respecting  the  coming  of  the  Messias.  She  Herself 
was  persuaded  that  He  was  at  hand.* 

"  In  these  extracts  you  will  see,  that  the  office  of  the  Father,  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  is  attributed  to  her.  She  sacrificed  her 
Son  for  our  salvation  :  we  are  redeemed  by  her  sufferings  :  she  was  the 
teacher  of  the  Apostles.  It  is  universally  understood  here,  and 
affirmed  in  sermons,  that  when  our  Lord  went  into  heaven.  He  gave  his 
Mother  to  be  the  guide  and  ruler  of  the  Church,  and  our  intercessor ; 
and  consequently,  as  the  Archbishop  said,  all  the  gifts  of  God  pass 
through  her  hands.  The  same  book  concludes  with  a  hymn  called 
*  the  Joys.*  The  following  verses  occur  in  it : — *  Life,  salvation,  and 
gladness,  all  was  lost  by  man  ;  but  in  Thee  he  found  all.  O  sweet 
Virgin  Mary !  what  would  be  our  fate  without  so  heavenly  a  Mother  ? 
Mother  of  Mercy,  deliver  us  from  all  evil.  God  angry  would  have 
punished  with  hell  man,  who  refused  to  respect  his  dominion  ;  but 
Thou,  Virgin  Mary,  didst  faithfully  succour  him.  Mother  of  Mercy, 
deliver  us  from  all  evil.  All  this  world,  buried  in  its  wickedness, 
sighed  and  found  no  remedy,  save  in  Thy  pity.  Thou  wert  the 
especial  remedy  of  such  great  iniquities.  Mother  of  Mercies,  deliver 
us  from  all  evil.  Thy  union  with  the  immense  God^  infinite  in  power, 
alone  could  merit  the  pardon  of  such  excesses.  Hereby  we  were  freed 
from  such  criminal  acts.  He  denies  Thee  nothing  who  created  Thee  so 
beautiful,  and  so  favoured  and  privileged  with  graces,  and  made  Thee  a 
Queen :  for  by  Thee  He  gave  all  to  unfaithful  man.  He  who  is  able 
made  Thee  arbiter  of  his  immense  stores,  that  none  in  the  most  fatal 
cases  might  fail  to  share  the  universal  protection  of  Thy  abundant 
wealth.     Mother  of  Mercy,  deliver  us  from  all  evil.* 

"  I  remember,  when  I  used  to  be  pained  at  finding  English  children 
learning  Watts'  Hymns,  which  represent  the  Father  as  an  angry  Judge, 
appeased  by  the  intercession  of  his  Son,  and  entirely  forgot  tliat  He  so 
loved  the  world,  that  He  sent  Him  to  redeem  us;  but  what  is  that  to 
this  bold  assertion,  that  the  angry  Judge  was  appeased,  not  by  the  Son, 
but  by  the  Virgin  !  The  assertion,  too,  that  our  redemption  is  due  to  the 
union  of  God  with  man,  not  in  the  Person  of  our  Lord,  but  of  the  Virgin 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNK,  1851.  F  f 


426  Dehary^s  Canary  Idands^  &c, 

Mary,  is  startling !    And  all  this  comes  <m  the  auihority  of  the  ChurcL' 
— pp.  19 — 22. 

It  is  really  painful  to  dwell  on  such  subjects  ;  but  still  it  is  of 
the  highest  importance  that  the  real  state  of  things  should 
be  understood,  and  that  persons  should  fully  understand  the 
system  which  has  reduced  Spain  to  its  present  lamentable  condi- 
tion, and  the  effects  produced  by  the  mingled  imposture  and  im- 
morality which  are  its  accompaniments.  Such  is  the  system 
which  some  persons  are  desirous  to  see  extended  with  every 
possible  freedom,  and  with  all  conceivable  advantages,  in  England 
Itself 

*'  The  attempts  to  forge  miracles  are  another  great  occasion  of  infi- 
delity. I  do  not  know  whether  the  late  attempt  in  France  has  reached 
the  English  papers.  Blood  was  said  to  flow  from  a  picture.  It  proved 
an  entire  forgery.  Yet  certainly  the  evidence  at  first  was  better  than 
any  given  for  Sta.  Rita's  miracles.  It  is  well  known,  that  in  some  of 
the  disgraceful  intrigues  in  the  royal  family  of  Spain,  a  very  important 
part  was  played  by  a  nun,  who  pretended  to  have  the  stigmata.  For  a 
time  she  was  venerated  as  a  saint,  and  some  of  her  visions  and  revela- 
tions were  used  to  separate  the  king  and  queen.  The  queen  is  bad 
enough,  but  if  any  thing  could  excuse  her  conduct,  it  would  be  the 
heartless  cruelty  with  which  she  was  treated,  and  the  way  in  which  the 
sanctions  of  religion  were  used  to  mislead  her.  The  fraud  was  disco- 
vered, the  king  and  queen  reconciled,  and  the  king's  confessor  sent 
away.  What  part  the  confessor  had  in  it  I  do  not  know,  for  the  news- 
papers were  not  allowed  to  say  any  thing  on  the  subject.  He  was 
recalled  some  months  ago.  What  effect  must  these  things  have  on  the 
minds  of  people,  who  are  required  to  believe  things  as  improbable  as 
those  which  are  proved  false,  and  have  no  standard  whereby  to  judge 
between  the  fundamental  truths  of  the  Gospel  and  the  wildest  fancies ! 

'*  The  bitter  hatred  against  the  friars  and  monks  is  quite  astonishing. 
None  of  them  were  murdered  here,  because  when  they  were  turned  out 
the  governor  gave  them  warning,  and  allowed  them  ten.  days  to  escape 
in  disguise,  before  the  people  knew  it.  An  Englishwoman  saved  one 
by  dressing  him  in  her  son's  clothes :  but  I  have  no  doubt,  that  now, 
if  one  made  his  appearance  in  his  monastic  dress,  he  would  be  torn  in 
pieces.  Not  even  the  courtesy  of  Spaniards  can  make  them  behave 
decently  to  a  priest.  The  priesthood  in  general  seems  to  be  thoroughly 
despised." — pp.  26,  27. 

The  inequality  of  privileges  afforded  to  the  rich  and  poor  re- 
spectively in  the  Church  of  Home  has  often  been  the  subject  of 
remark.  The  poor  man  is  excluded  from  the  benefit  of  having 
masses  said  for  his  soul,  and  being  thereby  released  from  purga- 
tory, while  the  rich  man  is  able  to  leave  sums  of  money  for  Uie 
benefit  of  his  soul.  This  injustice  is  the  subject  of  remark  even 
in  Spain. 


D^ry^B  Canwry  Islands^  Ac.  4S7 

'*  There  was  an  attack  made  upon  the  priest  the  other  day*  in  which 
the  laymen  had  got  hold  of  one  of  the  really  weak  points.  When  any 
one  dies  in  the  hospital,  he  is  buried,  as  they  say,  like  a  dog.  The  body 
it:  put  into -a  cart,  and  taken  off  to  the  Caropo  Santo,  where  it  is  thrown 
into  a  pit,  without  a  word  of  prayer.  The  laymen  asked  him,  '  Where 
are  the  souls  of  those  who  die  in  your  hospital  ? '  '  Those  who  are  not 
in  hell,  are  all  in  purgatory.'  One  of  them  turned  round,  *  These  peo- 
ple tell  us  that  all  are  equal  before  God,  rich  and  poor;  but  it  is  false. 
if  a  rich  man  dies,  his  friends  will  have  one  or  two  hundred  masses  said 
fat  him,  and  he  goes  to  heaven ;  while  these  poor  creatures  are  tor- 
mented in  purgatory.'  I  tried  to  turn  it  off  by  saying,  '  As  you  feel  so 
much  for  them,  of  course  you  have  masses  said  for  them.'  He  laughed 
at  the  suggestion,  and  said,  '  You  do  not  believe  all  these  things,  though 
you  believe  a  great  deal  more  than  we  do.'  All  that  the  good  padre 
was  able  to  say  was,  that  once  a  year  a  mass  is  said  for  all  who  have 
died  in  the  hospital.  Conceive  the  outcry  there  would  be  in  England 
if  the  bodies  of  our  poor  were  treated  in  such  a  way,  though  we  do  not 
believe  that  their  souls  are  suffering  in  consequence." — pp.  29,  30. 

The  mode  of  raising  funds  for  church  building  is  sometimes 
curious  enough.  In  one  case,  a  committee  having  been  formed, 
and  a  commencement  made,  funds  began  to  run  short,  so  they  had 
a  huU-figkt^  then  they  had  a  ^'  funcion^*  in  the  theatre ;  moreover, 
they  obtained  from  the  civic  authorities  the  assistance  of  several 
convicts.  They  then  tried  another  bull-fight,  and  another  "  fun- 
cion !  ^^  but  without  sufficient  success.  At  last  one  of  the  bishops 
on  the  committee  was  made  Archbishop  of  Toledo,  and  some 
funds  fell  into  his  hands  which  he  applied  to  the  church  building; 
and,  in  fine,  the  Government  offered  to  give  some  help,  and  it  is 
said  that  it  will  be  finished.  The  whole  is  told  in  an  Ecclesiastical 
Journal,  with  high  commendation  of  the  perseverance  of  the 
committee.  We  think  that  after  this  our  charity  bazaars  are  not 
worth  talking  of.  In  France  there  is  now  a  lottery  going  on 
under  the  patronage  of  a  cardinal  archbishop,  for  the  restoration 
of  a  church. 

Catechising,  though  it  is  ordered  on  Sundays,  and  in  Lent,  by 
the  canons,  has  gone  out  of  use  (p.  35).  It  is  one  of  those  old 
customs  which  has  been  superseded  by  new  rites  and  ceremonies. 

The  picture  which  these  publications  present  to  us  of  the 
state  of  religion  in  Spain  is  altogether  most  deplorable.  The 
combination  of  blind  credulity  and  obstinate  bigotry  with  moral 
corruption  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  deep-seated  scepticism  so 
widely  spread  on  the  other,  present  as  hopeless  a  case  as  well  may 
be.  And  now  the  Spanish  Government,  like  all  the  rest  of  the 
leading  continental  powers,  has  thrown  itself  wholly  into  the  hands 
of  the  Pope,  and  by  the  recent  concordat  has  declared  that  Ro- 
manism shall  have  exclusive  sway  and  dominioq ;  that  all  means 

Ff2 


428  Dekarjf^B  Caiutry  IslandSj  <ke. 

of  enlightening  the  popular  mind  and  removing  superstitions  shaD 
be  prohibited  ;  that  tne  bishops  and  clergy  shall  be  aided  by  the 
civil  power  in  preventing  the  circulation  of  the  Bible,  and  in  re- 

f>ressing  all  teaching  but  their  own.  Such  is  the  toferation  in 
oreign  countries  of  those  who,  in  this  country,  are  enraged  at  the 
idea  of  "toleration**' being  extended  to  themselves,  and  will  be 
satisfied  with  nothing  less  than  dominion.  The  "  Irish  brigade "" 
may  well  scoff  at  "  toleration ;''  their  brethren  in  Spain  and  Italy 
do  so  equally. 

It  may  seem  an  inconsistency,  and  perhaps  it  is  so,  to  recognize 
in  a  Church  like  that  of  Rome  any  part  of  Christianity,  to  admit 
it  to  be  a  branch  of  the  Christian  Church.  Undoubtedly  it  has  de- 
parted far  from  the  way  of  truth,  and  has  been  "  most  rebellious'' 
against  the  Divine  Head  of  the  Church.  And  yet,  after  all,  do 
not  those  who,  in  their  just  indignation  at  Bomish  errors,  alto- 
gether exclude  that  Church  from  the  Christian  name,  thereby  di- 
minish the  responsibility  and  extenuate  the  guilt  of  its  members! 
If  Rome  be  no  part  of  Christendom,  if  Divine  grace  is  in  no 
degree  imparted  to  its  members,  they  are  much  less  guilty  than 
they  would  be,  if  they  continued  to  sin  notwithstanding  the  gifts 
of  grace,  and  some  knowledge  of  the  Gospel.  So  that  the  se- 
verity of  those  who  exclude  Rome  wholly  from  the  pale  of  Chris- 
tian grace,  in  fact  defeats  its  own  purpose.  And,  however  it  may 
be  authorized  by  strict  logic,  it  is  little  in  harmony  with  the  word 
of  God ;  for  even  the  children  of  Judah  and  of  Israel  did  not  cease 
to  be  God's  people  when  they  fell  into  idolatry.  Nay,  even  after 
the  rejection  of  our  Saviour,  they  still  remained  in  some  sense  the 
people  of  God. 

It  is  the  assertion  of  many  persons  at  the  present  day,  that 
there  are  but  two  consistent  theories  of  faith — the  one  of  which 
makes  faith  wholly  dependent  on  the  authority  of  the  existing 
Church,  to  the  absolute  exclusion  of  all  private  judgment  or  liberty 
of  action  on  the  part  of  individuals ;  while  the  other  makes  faith 
wholly  dependent  on  the  free  choice  and  private  judgment  of  each 
individual,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  notion  of  authority  of  any  kind. 
Now,  without  doubt,  these  theories  are,  respectively,  clear,  intel- 
ligible, and,  to  a  certain  extent,  logical.  The  Roman  Catholic 
theory  professes  to  put  an  end  to  all  doubt,  perplexity,  and  diffi- 
culty, by  wholly  extinguishing  private  judgment,  and  giving  in- 
fallible authority  for  the  mind  to  rest  on  in  every  question 
that  may  arise.  And  this  looks  very  well  at  first ;  but  when  it  is 
closely  examined,  the  whole  fabric  of  reasoning  is  discovered  to  be 
illogical  and  inconsistent.  Private  judgment  is  set  aside  as  inca- 
pable of  being  the  foundation  of  faith.  And  yet  the  very  persons 
who  argue  that  ^fidelity  or  scepticism  must  be  the  result  of  trust- 


Debarys  Canary  Idands^  Jte.  429 

ing  to  private  jodpoient,  have  not  the  slightest  hesitation  in  asking 
us  to  build  onr  raith  in  tJkeir  Church  itself  on  our  private  judg- 
ment.    They  appeal  to  it  without  scruple  when  it  is  favourable  to 
them,  but  deny  it  when  it  is  exercised  against  them.     And  their 
inconsistency  goes  further  than  this.     The  Romanist  will  tell  you 
that  faith  which  does  not  depend  on  the  infallible  teaching  of  the 
Church  is  not  true  faith,  but  mere  private  opinion.     But  this  as- 
sertion of  his  is,  after  all,  an  act  of  private  judgment ;  for  the 
Ohurch  of  Borne  herself  has  never  asserted  her  own  infallibility  in 
any  decree  binding  on  all  her  members ;  its  assertion  is,  therefore, 
an  act  of  private  judgment,  and  arises  merely  from  a  chain  of 
reasoning,  in  the  same  way  as  the  denial  of  the  Churches  infalli- 
bility arises  from  another  species  of  reasoning.     And  even,  sup- 
posing the  infallibility  of  the  Church,  in  her  decisions  and  teaching, 
to  be  ever  so  clear,  still  the  clergy  of  that  Church  do  not  pretend  to 
be  individually  infallible ;  and  therefore  the  people  are  obliged  to 
resort .  to  private  judgment,  in  order  to  ascertain  what  the  real 
teaching  and  decisions  of  the  Church  are.     How  can  they  know 
that  the  Church  is  universal,  that  its  teaching  is  harmonious^  that 
it  has  made  decisions,  that  certain  books  purporting  to  contain 
such  decisions  are  genuine,  or  authentic,  or  rightly  translated,  or 
rightly  interpreted,  or  that  they  have  attained  a  knowledge  of  the 
true  sense  of  their  Church  \     In  all  these  cases  they  must  have 
recourse  to  private  judgment,  because  the  Church  herself  has 
not  solved  any  one  of  these  questions ;  and  thus  in  the  event  the 
faith  of  the  Romanist  depends  immediately  upon  the  very  same 
exercise  of  private  judgment,  which  he  denounces  in  others  as 
leading  to  heresy  and  infidelity. 

And  now  let  us  look  for  a  moment  at  those  "  consistent"  Pro- 
testants who  are  so  strongly  opposed  to  Rome  and  to  "  Pusey- 
ism,^^  and  so  anxious  tp  eradicate  all  principles  which  they  ima- 
gine to  be  in  any  way  tending  towards  Romanism.  They  imagine 
that  they  have  placed  themselves  in  an  impregnable  position  by 
asserting  the  absolute  and  unqualified  right  of  private  judgment, 
in  opposition  to  Church  authority  and  the  claims  of  every  hier- 
archy or  priesthood.  And,  without  doubt,  the  principle  they 
advocate  is  one  which  would  wholly  sweep  away  the  authority  of 
Romanism  ;  but  it  would  also  put  an  end  to  the  Christian  ministry, 
to  creeds  and  articles  of  faith,  and  to  Church  government  in  any 
shape  ;  for  all  of  them  are  either  checks  on  private  judgment,  or 
tend  to  impede  its  free  exercise.  They  tend  to  create  impressions 
in  favour  of  a  certain  set  of  views,  or  obligations  to  maintain  cer- 
tain tenets.  So  that,  if  there  are  any  advocates  of  those  princi- 
ples who  are  satisfied  to  allow  schools  in  which  particular  religious 
tenets  are  taught,  or  to  permit  articles,  and  creeds,  and  declara- 


4S0  Debary'B  Canary  Islands^  Ac. 

tions,  to  be  subscribed  by  candidates  for  degrees,  or  offices  in  the 
Universities,  or  by  the  clergy ; — if  they  are  contented  to  recog- 
nize the  Christian  ministry  as  a  distinct  order  or  body  of  men, 
peculiarly  set  apart  for  the  service  of  religion,  invested  with  any 
powers  which  are  not  exercised  indiscriminately  by  every  one,  and 
tied  to  teach  any  particular  form  of  faith ; — if  such  be  tneir  vie^ 
then  we  must  say  that  they  are  grossly  inconsistent  with  them- 
selves. They  may  assert  private  judgment  as  much  as  they 
please ;  but  they  are  consenting  to  a  limited  exercise  of  it :  they 
are  placing  authority  as  a  check  upon  it.  The  truth  is,  that 
neither  one  extreme  nor  the  other — neither  the  Romanist,  nor 
the  advocate  of  unlimited  religious  liberty,  attempts  to  carry  out 
or  to  act  on  its  abstract  principle.  The  one  admits  private  judg- 
ment, so  far  as  it  is  exercised  in  a  right  direction,  and  no  further; 
and  the  other  admits  authority,  so  far  as  it  is  exercised  in  a  right 
direction,  or  what  is  held  to  be  so.  So  that,  after  all,  these  ex- 
treme opinions  are  liable  to  exactly  the  same  charge  of  inconsis- 
tency which  their  advocates  make  against  men  of  more  moderate 
views. 

And  now,  to  consider  for  a  moment  what  these  more  moderate 
views  are.  In  the  first  place,  every  one  has  so  far  the  right  of 
private  judgment  that  he  may,  on  competent  evidence,  embrace 
the  truth  as  revealed  by  Jesus  Christ — as  taught  in  his  Holy 
Word.  As  a  minister  of  Christ,  he  may  teach  it ;  as  a  layman, 
he  may  receive  it.  But,  besides  this,  many  individuals  may  agree 
in  believing  and  teaching  the  truth ;  and,  when  they  do  so,  their 
teaching  has  a  greater  or  less  authority :  their  authority  arises 
from  the  combination  of  many  private  judgments.  But,  then,  the 
question  comes, — Are  individuals  bound  to  submit  their  own 
opinions  to  authority  of  this  kind  ?  We  can  only  say,  that  they 
are  bound  to  pay  deference  to  it,  in  proportion  to  the  .amount  and 
degree  of  its  authority.  They  cannot  diflFer  from  it  without  clear 
and  distinct  reason.  But,  if  they  differ  from  authority,  and  in  so 
doing  maintain  the  truth,  they  are  free  from  all  fault ;  or,  if  they 
are  misled  by  some  unavoidable  error  or  ignorance,  they  are  to  a 
certain  degree  excusable  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  authority 
from  which  they  dissent  is  entitled,  when  it  maintains  the  tm.th, 
to  exclude  from  communion  all  who  dissent  from  it.  The  Church, 
i.  e.  the  congregation  of  many  individuals,  may  be  wrong,  and  the 
individual  may  be  right ;  yet  the  Church  must  only  act  on  the 
best  of  her  judgment.  When  many  Churches  differ  from  few,  the 
truth  may  be  on  one  side  or  the  other ;  but  there  is  no  absolute 
obligation  on  the  minority  to  yield  to  the  judgment  of  the  majo- 
rity. And  thus  the  individual  is  neither  relieved  from  the  respon- 
silnlity  of  exercising  a  judgment.^  nor  k  he  authoriasd  to^r^rd 


Deharyi  Canary  Islands^  &c,  431 

the  opinion  of  others  possessing  authority.  He  is  not  to  imagine 
that  the  majority  must  necessarily  be  infallible,  and  thus  recog- 
nize it  as  the  rule  of  his  faith ;  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  is  he  to 
ima^ne  that  he  is  more  likely  to  judge  aright  than  all  other,  or 
ahnost  all  other,  Christians  in  the  world.  He  is  bound  to  com- 
bine an  humble  sense  of  his  own  liability  to  error,  with  a  sincere 
and  prayerful  endeavour  to  attain  the  truth,  both  by  studying  the 
Word  of  God  and  by  giving  their  due  weight  to  the  judgments 
and  teaching  of  the  whole  Christian  world  ;  and,  where  there  are 
divisions,  to  the  doctrines  of  that  part  of  the  Church  of  which  he 
is  a  member. 

It  is  our  opinion,  that  principles  such  as  these  will  be  found,  on 
examination,  quite  as  consistent  and  as  rational  as  those  of  others 
who,  at  first  sight,  may  appear  to  be  more  strictly  coherent  and 
logical,  and  who  are  loud  in  their  claims  to  the  exclusive,  posses- 
sion of  the  truth.  The  middle  course  of  the  Church  of  England 
in  denounced  by  these  extreme  partisans  as  utterly  self-contra- 
dictory and  inconsistent :  but  we  imagine  that  it  is  easier  to  make 
such  accusations  than  to  sustain  them  ;  that  an  authority  which 
involves  private  judgment,  and  is  based  on  it,  cannot  be  incon- 
sistent with  it. 

Bat  while  we  thus  plead  for  toleration  for  those  who  would  not 
consider  the  Churches  subject  to  Rome  as  altogether  cut  off  from 
the  people  of  God,  even  as  the  Israelites  of  old  were  not  wholly 
cut  off  from  the  covenant  though  they  had  rebelled  against  God, 
yet  we  do  say,  that  it  appears  to  be  high  time  for  all  parties  to 
act  together  against  their  common  foe.  It  is  impossible  to  mis- 
take the  Signs  of  the  times.  It  is  impossible  to  close  our  eyes  to 
the  impresdve  crisis  in  which  we  are  placed.  There  is  a  great 
war  of  pritciples  going  on  throughout  the  whole  of  Europe. 
Two  years  since,  the  democratical  and  anarchical  principle  gained 
the  ascendancj  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Europe.  Now  the 
principle  of  absolutism  and  arbitrary  power  has  gained  the  do- 
minion, and  democratic  leaders  and  Socialists  have  been  slaugh- 
tered, imprisoned,  or  exiled.  And  in  their  terror  at  the  demo- 
cratic prmciple,  vhe  absolute  sovereigns  of  Europe, — nay,  all 
sovereigns,  in  whose  dominions  Romanism  holds  influence,  have 
sought  the  alliance  dT  the  Roman  Church,  in  the  hope  of  employ- 
ing its  influence  to  subdue  the  turbulent  elements  by  which  they 
are  surrounded.  Accordingly,  a  sudden  change  has  taken  place 
in  the  position  of  Romanism  throughout  Europe :  it  is  now 
united  in  the  closest  lands  with  the  ruling  powers,  who  en- 
deavour in  all  ways  to  promote  its  influence.  In  Portugal,  the 
Pope  gains  whatever  he  seeks.  In  Spain,  the  Government  pro- 
pitiates him  by  a  Concordat,  and  is  preparing  to  restore  the  full 


432  Debarffs  Canary  Islands^  <kc. 

power  of  the  Spanish  Church.  In  France,  the  Jesuits  are  in 
the  ascendancy,  and  the  Government  actually  maintains  the  Pope 
on  his  throne  by  force  of  arms.  In  Belgium,  Popery  is  pre- 
dominant. In  Naples,  and  throughout  the  greater  part  of  Italy, 
the  Papacy  has  every  thing  its  own  way,  and  has  swept  away 
many  of  the  old  barriers  raised  by  Boman  Catholic  states  against 
its  aggressions.  Austria  has  relinquished  the  greater  part  of  its 
supremacy,  in  religious  matters,  to  the  Church,  and  is  vehemently 
bent  on  spreading  Romanism  throughout  Germany.  From  one 
end  of  Germany  to  the  other,  an  inundation  of  Bomish  preachers 
spread  themselves  over  the  country,  and  are  upheld  and  supported 
by  the  Governments,  Romanist  and  Protestant.  In  Hungary 
alone,  and  Piedmont,  Switzerland,  and  Holland,  there  is  still 
some  contest  against  Romanism.  These  countries,  with  the 
northern  kingdoms  of  Sweden  and  Denmark,  are  now  the  only 
parts  of  the  Continent  where  the  Papacy  is  not  making  rapid 
progress. 

We  live  in  an  age  of  sudden  and  strange  revolutions ;  but  thi? 
is  certainly  one  of  the  most  remarkable  we  remember.  The 
change  in  the  position  of  Romanism  within  two  years  is  astonish- 
ing ;  and,  of  course,  the  hopes  and  anticipations  of  its  adher^ts 
are  perfectly  boundless.  It  is  quite  natural  that  an  aggression 
should  be  made  and  carried  out  in  England.  The  Pope,  wjchout 
doubt,  considers  himself  now  strong  enough  to  do  any  thinj. 

The  Papal  aggression  on  England  has  been  carried  into  effect 
with  an  insolence  which  marks  in  the  strongest  way  the  ccmfidence 
of  strength  which  animates  the  Court  of  Rome,  and  the  contempt 
which  it  entertains  for  the  opposition  of  the  English  Gc^ernment. 
The  Court  of  Rome  could  not  have  dealt  with  EnglancJ  in  the  way 
we  have  seen,  had  it  not  known  that  Austria,  and  France,  and 
Prussia,  and  Russia,  Spain,  Naples,  and  Portugal  vere  its  allies, 
offensive  and  defensive.  It  was  the  consciousness  of  immense 
political  power  that  encouraged  Rome  to  create  aa  English  hier- 
archy, and  to  assume  the  lofty  tone  it  has  done. 

We  are  disposed  to  see  in  this  proceeding  ci  the  Papacy  the 
working  of  Divine  Providence  for  the  good  of  England.  What 
has  been  its  result  ?  It  has  reunited  the  wh)le  national  feeling 
of  England  :  never  was  there  so  perfect  an  wnanimity  of  opposi- 
tion to  the  Papacy.  It  has  turned  back  th/J  tide  which  had  been 
flowing  in  the  direction  of  favour  to  Rome  for  the  last  half  cen- 
tury. Our  statesmen,  and  our  legislaturJ  have  at  length  been 
arrested  in  their  course,  and  compelled  to  retrograde  ;  they  have 
been  forced  to  declare  themselves  opposed  to  Rome.  We  believe 
that  no  other  combination  of  circumstances  than  that  we  have 
witnessed  could  have  aroused  this  country  from  its  criminal  apathy 


Dehary's  Canary  Islands^  <bc.  433 

—from  its  increasing  indifference  to  all  those  principles  to  which 
it  owed  its  greatness. 

And  in  what  point  of  view  should  Churchmen  contemplate  the 
present  state  of  things  I  We  think  they  should  consider  it  as  a 
call  to  them  to  change  in  some  degree  their  measures  and  their 
objects.  We  are  now  in  a  different  position,  at  least  for  the 
time,  from  what  we  have  been  placed  in  since  1829.  The  State 
is  apparently  beginning  to  remember  its  principles  and  its  duties, 
from  which  it  so  grievously  deviated  in  that  fatal  year.  If  the 
State  is  disposed  to  adhere  to  those  great  principles  on  which  its 
alliance  with  the  Church  in  the  sixteenth  century  was  formed — if 
the  Supremacy  be  once  more  the  glorious  and  sacred  possession 
of  sovereigns  who  are  not  merely  in  name  but  in  deed,  ^'  Defenders 
of  the  faith  ^^ — then  we  say,  let  the  alliance  of  Church  and  State 
be  perpetual !  May  it  flourish  without  ever  decaying  or  diminish- 
ing! May  no  jealousies  ever  arise  between  powers,  which  are 
alike  constituted  by  God,  and  whose  objects  and  ends  ought 
never  to  be,  and  can  never  be  at  variance,  if  they  be  equaJly 
guided  by  the  sense  of  duty  to  God  !  True  Churchmen  will  seek 
to  guard  their  faith  against  violation  even  by  temporal  rulers ; 
but  they  will  feel  it  a  duty  and  a  delight  to  give  their  most  earnest 
support  and  their  most  dutiful  obedience  to  rulers  who  are  not 
ashamed  of  the  truth,  and  whose  aim  it  is  to  promote  those  high 
and  essential  principles  which  constitute  the  sacred  and  cherished 
inheritance  of  English  Churchmen.  We  would  appeal  to  the 
State  for  the  means  of  giving  the  fullest  efficiency  to  the  Church 
of  England.  Let  her  have  every  facility  for  developing  her  re- 
sources— for  completing  her  organization — for  regulating  all  that 
is  imperfect  and  out  of  order.  Let  devoted  and  faithful  men  be 
sent  forth  as  bishops.  Let  this  be  done,  on  avowedly  religious 
principles ;  and  the  State  itself  will  reap  its  reward  in  the  respect 
of  the  people — in  the  gratitude  of  the  Church — and  above  all,  in 
the  blessing  of  the  Almighty  and  Supreme  Disposer  of  all  earthly 
things. 


NOTICES  OF  RECENT  PUBLICATIONS, 

ETC. 


1.  Warter's  Plain  Protestant's  Manual.  2.  A  Letter  to  the  Eev.  J.  F,  Wilkinson. 
By  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Carter.  3.  The  Progress  of  Beguilement  to  Romanisni. 
By  Eliza  Smith.  4.  Letters  on  some  of  the  Errors  of  Romanism.  By  W. 
Palmer.  6.  The  Pattern  showed  on  the  Mount.  By  the  Rev.  G.  T.  Carter. 
6.  Wild  Life  in  the  Interior  of  Central  America.  By  George  Byam,  late  43rd 
Light  Infantry.  7.  A  Sermon  Preached  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Cuddesden, 
on  Sunday,  March  16th,  1861.  By  the  Rev.  H.  Hoskyns.  8.  The  Church 
Patient  in  her  Mode  of  Dealing  with  Controversies.  By  the  Rev.  Arthur  W. 
Haddon.  9.  Rev.  G.  Stanhope's  Paraphrase  and  Comment  upon  the  Epistles 
and  Gospels.  10.  Dr.  Cramp's  Text-Book  of  Popery.  11.  Two  Sermons. 
By  Rev.  J.  Rogers.  12.  Roman  Catholic  Claims  Impartially  Considered. 
By  Amicus  Veritatis.  13.  Speech  of  Henry  Drummond,  M.P.,  on  the  Second 
Reading  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Titles  Bill.  14.  The  Talbot  Case.  By  the  Rev. 
M.  H.  Seymour.  15.  Repentance :  its  Necessity,  Nature,  and  Aids.  By  the 
Rev.  J.  Jackson.     16.  Dr.  Scoresby's  Memorials  of  the  Sea. 


I, — A  Plain  Protestanfs  Manual;  or  Certain  Plain  Sermons  on 
the  Scriptures^  the  Churchy  and  the  Sacraments^  &c.  By  John 
Wood  Warter,  5.2>.,  Christ  Churchy  Oxford;  Viear  of  West 
Tarring^  <kc.     London  :  Bivingtons. 

The  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  times  have  called  for  pulpit 
instructions  of  a  controversial  nature ;  and,  while  it  is  undoubt- 
edly a  cause  for  regret,  on  some  accounts,  that  it  should  be 
necessary  to  exchange  the  more  practical  and  spiritual  office 
of  the  preacher  for  warning  against  error,  and  defence  of  the 
assailed  truth,  yet,  there  are  counterbalancing  benefits  which  are 
not  of  any  light  amount.  It  must  often  be  a  subject  of  regret 
to  observe  the  imperfect  intelligence  which  too  many  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  exhibit  in  regard  to  religious  topics,  and  which 
leaves  them  exposed  to  the  arguments  of  the  first  zealous  dis- 
senter or  Romanist  they  may  happen  to  meet.  If  the  excitement 
felt  on  religious  circumstances  in  the  present  day  should  enable 
the  clergy,  with  effect,  to  instruct  their  parishioners  on  the 
grounds  of  difference  between  the  Churches  of  England  and  of 
Rome,  and  to  guard  them  against  the  objections  which  dissenters 
are  wont  to  raise,  a  great  positive  good  will  have  been  effected. 

The  author  of  this  little  volume  before  us  has  availed  himself 
of  the  opportunity  to  d^elop  in  a  very  interesting  manner,  in  a 


Notices^  Sfc.  486 

series  of  popular  discourses,  the  principal  errors  of  Romanism. 
Like  Mr.  Warter^s  other  publications  it  is  quaint  in  style,  though 
far  from  being  above  the  intelligence  of  the  classes  to  whom  it  is 
addressed  ;  and  abounds  in  the  ideas  and  arguments  of  our  elder 
divines.  For  the  benefit  of  the  more  learned,  each  sermon  is 
preceded  by  a  series  of  quotations  from  the  early  Fathers  illus- 
trative of  the  subject.  The  Sermons  are  on  the  following  sub-' 
jects  : — The  Scriptures — ^the  Church — St.  Peter'*s  Confession — 
One  Mediator — Christian  Sacraments — Confession — The  Faith 
once  delivered  to  the  Saints,  &c.  In  the  first  discourse  the  prin- 
ciple of  Chillingworth  that  'Hhe  Bible  alone  is  the  religion  of 
Protestants,''  is  maintained  and  vindicated  in  its  right  sense,  as 
.opposed  to  the  Bomish  notion  of  a  tradition  supplementary  to 
Scripture.  That  doctrine  is  then  referred  to,  and  the  dealings 
of  the  Church  of  Rome  with  Scripture,  on  which  Mr.  Warter 
writes  thus  :— 

"  What  bowever  I  would  for  the  present  direct  your  attention  to,  is 
the  fact,  that  the  Church  of  Rome  permits  the  use  only  of  one  autho- 
rized version,  whether  translated  or  not — that  is  to  say,  the  Old  Vul- 
gate ;  and  from  this  if  she  can  establish  a  doctrine,  as  more  than  one 
she  doth,  no  appeal  is  allowed  ;  whereas  in  the  Church  to  which  we  are 
privileged  to  belong,  though  we  have  a  translation  (one  of  the  best  ever 
made)  *  appointed  to  be  read  in  churches,*  yet  for  all  that  we  are  not  de- 
barred from  the  use  of  the  inspired  originals,  whether  in  the  Hebrew  or 
the  Greek.  Such  as  can  use  them  may,  and  derive  comfort,  as  many 
do,  whilst  searching  for  hidden  treasure.  Beyond  a  doubt,  with  the 
originals  at  hand,  or  snch  a  translation  as  we  have,  there  is  no  palming, 
even  upon  the  most  ignorant,  what  are  called  in  our  Homily  •  the  stink- 
ing puddles  of  man's  traditions,  devised  by  man's  imagination,  for  our 
justification  and  salvation.'  It  was,  in  fact,  by  prohibiting,  or,  to  say 
the  least,  by  so  restricting  the  use  of  Holy  Writ  as  to  amount  to  a  pro- 
hibition, that  corruptions  gained  ground  in  the  Church  of  Rome— such 
corruptions  as  almost  to  overwhelm  her, — so  that  the  wisest  and  the 
best  of  her  own  sons  called  out  for  redress,  and  called  long  in  vain." — 
pp.  13,  14. 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Church,  the  claims  of  the  Church  of 
Borne  to  be  the  mother  and  mistress  of  all  Churches  is  ably  dis- 
cussed ;  and  while  it  is  held  that  Rome  is  not  altogether  excluded 
from  the  Church,  a  similar  view  is  held  of  dissent — though  we 
have  not  observed  any  admission  of  the  lawfulness  of  dissenting 
ministrations.  The  view  which  Mr.  Warter  here  takes  is  cer- 
tainly deducible  from  the  principles  laid  down  by  Hooker  and 
many  divineg.  We  must  refer  to  the  Sermons  on  St.  Peter'^s 
Confession,  on  the  practice  of  Confession  and  Absolution,  and  on 
the  One  Mediator,  as  pecuUarly  valuable  and  interesting. 


436  Notices^  Sfc. 


II. — A  Letter  to  the  Rev.  J.  F,  Wilkinson^  Priest  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Chapel^  at  Chtoer^  in  anstoer  to  Remarks  addressed  hy 
him  to  the  Parishioners.  By  the  Rev.  T.  T.  Garter,  Rector  of 
Clewer.     London :  J.  H.  Parker. 

It  is  not  very  often  that  local  controversy  presents  an  interest 
which  entitles  it  to  the  public  attention;  but  in  the  instance 
before  us,  there  is  something  which  really  deserves  notice,  and 
will  render  Mr.  Garter'^s  Letter  an  acceptable  gift  to  all  who  are 
interested  in  the  Bomish  controversy.  We  never  remember  to 
have  seen  so  complete,  so  popular,  and  so  satisfactory  a  collection 
of  evidence,  as  to  the  mode  in  which  the  perusal  of  the  Scriptures 
is  discouraged  and  prohibited  in  the  Ghurch  of  fiome.  The  facts 
which  Mr.  Garter  has  collected  with  great  care  and  research,  are 
perfectly  overwhelming.  The  contrast  between  the  Christian, 
and  yet  firm  tone  of  the  English  clergyman,  and  the  vulgar, 
insolent  bluster  and  braggadocio  of  his  Popish  antagonist,  is 
truly  refreshing ;  and  will,  we  doubt  not,  make  their  due  impres- 
sion in  the  inhabitants  of  Windsor.  Mr.  Carter  thoroughly 
understands  his  subject,  and  we  anticipate  much  benefit  to  the 
public  mind  from  his  being  thus  called  to  a  discussion  of  the 
controversy. 

III. — The  Progress  of  Begmlement  to  Romanism.  A  Personal 
Narrative.  By  Eliza  Smith,  Authoress  of  "  Five  Years  a 
Catholic.''''     London:  Seeleys. 

We  have  seldom  perused  a  more  instructive  and  interesting  little 
work  than  this,  it  details  the  process  by  which  a  mind  of  con- 
siderable cultivation  and  thoughtfulness  was  gradually  won  over 
to  Bomanism  by  theories  of  perfection,  and  anticipations  of  find- 
ing in  Rome  what  could  not  be  elsewhere  found.  Experience,  how- 
ever, gradually  opened  the  eyes  of  the  mistaken  but  conscientious 
inquirer.  The  tone  of  Bomish  society  was  so  far  remote  from  all 
her  anticipations,  so  worldly,  and  so  artificial ;  the  horrors  of  the 
confessional,  and  the  misconduct  of  those  who  availed  themselves 
of  its  power  for  the  most  criminal  purposes,  were  so  fully  con- 
firmatory of  all  the  objections  which  had  been  in  vain  urged  to 
prevent  secession  to  Rome ;  that  at  length  a  reaction  took  place, 
and  the  writer  escaped  from  bondage,  and  from  a  system  of  craft 
and  dishonesty,  to  the  possession  of  those  blessed  privileges  which 
she  had  lost.  The  details  of  her  experience  during  her  connexion 
with  Romanism,  are  affecting  and  instructive  in  a  high  degree. 


Notices^  <$•<?•  437 

IV. — Letters  on  some  of  the  Errors  of  Romanism  in  Controversy 
mth  the  Bev.  Nicholas  Wiseman^  D.D,  By  William  Palmer, 
M.A,^  Prebendary  of  Salisbury^  Vicar  of  Whitchurch  Co- 
nonicorvm.     Third  Edition.     London :  Bivingtons.     1851. 

In  the  present  distressed  and  distracted  state  of  the  English 
Church,  assailed  at  once  by  foes  from  without  and  traitors  from 
within,  it  is  cheering  to  see  any  intimation  of  unswerving  faith 
in  her  doctrines,  and  unhesitating  devotion  to  her  cause  in  those 
whose  duty  it  is  to  maintain  intact  and  unadulterated  the  whole 
counsel  of  Gon.  Alas !  that  such  should  be  the  case  !  But  so  it  is ; 
and  to  mince  the  matter  is  adopting  the  device  of  the  foolish  bird, 
which,  when  hotly  pursued  by  those  who  seek  its  capture  or  death, 
plunges  its  head  into  the  nearest  bush,  and  hopes,  by  avoiding  the 
sight,  to  escape  the  grasp  of  its  enemy.  We  are  externally 
attacked  at  once — by  the  aggression  of  the  Boman  Church — 
and  the  usurpation  of  the  Civil  Power — to  say  nothing  of  less 
important  antagonists — less  important,  we  mean,  at  the  present 
juncture ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  we  have  to  contend  with  in- 
ternal unfaithfulness,  more  or  less  fully  developed ;  the  unfaith- 
fulness of  those  who  would  make  the  Church  of  the  Living  God 
the  bondslave  of  a  world  that  lieth  in  wickedness  ;  of  those  who 
would  supplant  her  Catholic  and  eternal  faith  by  the  novel 
dogmata  of  heretics  and  schismatics,  or  the  form  of  philosophy, 
and  the  reality  of  infidelity ;  and,  lastly,  the  unfaithfulness  of 
those,  who,  from  whatever  cause,  decline  to  offer  a  bold,  straight- 
forward, honest,  and  uncompromising  opposition  to  the  usurpa- 
tions, the  errors,  and  the  idolatries  of  Rome. 

It  is  at  such  a  juncture,  then,  as  the  present,  cheering  to  find 
any  of  our  sentinels  standing  firmly  at  their  posts,  any  of  our 
watchmen  looking  out  fearlessly  into  the  night,  any  of  our  men- 
of-war  buckling  on  their  armour,  and  boldly  advancing  against 
the  approaching  foe. 

We  are  happy,  on  their  own  account,  to  see  these  Letters 

I)rinted  in  a  form  which  makes  them  accessible  to  the  public  at 
arge,  instead  of  their  being  confined  to  the  libraries  of  the 
studious,  or  the  wealthy ;  and  we  welcome,  with  much  satisfac- 
tion, the  '•^Introductory  Letter  to  the  Bev,  Nicholas  Wiseman^ 
jD.Z>.,  in  reference  to  the  Titular  Bomish  Episcopate^'"''  which  is, 
of  course,  entirely  new;  and  to  which,  therefore,  we  shall 
confine  ourselves  on  the  present  occasion : — 

"  I  trust,  sir,"  says  Mr.  Palmer,  **  that  any  little  lack  of  courtesy, 
which  I  and  others  may  have  apparently  evinced,  in  hesitating  to  concede 
to  you  a  spiritual  jurisdiction,  which  we  did  not  believe  you  to  possess, 
may  be  pardoned  by  yourself,  at  least,  in  consideration  of  the  promotion 


488  Notices^  ^e. 

which  you  have  sought  and  obtained,  with  a  view  to  defeat  our  argu- 
ments, and  to  compel  our  recognition  of  your  authority." — p.  ix. 

After  citing  various  passages  from  the  writings  of  Cardinal 
Wiseman  and  Mr.  Bowyer,  Mr.  Palmer  expresses  a  hope  that 
he  may  be  permitted  to  offer  a  few  comments  on  them  : — 

"In  the  first  place,  then,  it  is  clear,  both  from  your  own  admissions, 
and  those  of  Mr.  Bowyer,  that  Romanists  felt  there  was  too  much  weight 
in  the  arguments  which  Churchmen  directed  against  the  Romish 
hierarchy  under  its  late  organization.  It  was  felt  that  there  was  an 
'  advantage  of  ecclesiastical  position  *  on  the  part  of  the  Church  of 
England ;  that  many  minds  were  '  influenced  '  by  this  to  continue  in 
the  Church  of  England  ;  that  the  assertion,  that  Romanists  had  no 
real  Bishops,  was  a  *  sarcasm,'  which  it  was  '  a  point  of  no  light  weight 
and  no  indifferent  interest' to  silence  if  possible  ;  that  this  '  standard 
and  favourite  topic '  had  '  some  apparent  colour ;'  and  that  the  system 
of  *  Vicars  Apostolic,'  was,  no  doubt,  '  new '  and  '  anomalous.' 

''Such,  sir,  by  your  own  confessions,  was  the  position  of  Ho- 
nanism  in  England  till  the  month  of  October,  1850  !  Up  to  thai 
time  our  arguments  against  your  hierarchy  were  felt — acutely  and 
bitterly  felt — to  be  such,  that  it  was  a  matter  of  '  no  light  weight,  and 
no  indifferent  interest,'  to  endeavour  to  elude  them  by  a  change  in  your 
ecclesiastical  organization/  Permit  me,  sir,  to  remark,  that  you  have, 
according  to  your  own  statement  of  the  motives  which  induced  that 
alteration,  borne  the  most  satisfactory  testimony  to  the  force  and 
validity  of  the  arguments  by  which  Churchmen  refuted  the  claims  of 
Romanists  to  possess  a  legitimate  episcopate.  The  step  you  have 
taken  indicates  a  feeling  that  your  former  position  in  this  country 
was  questionable  ;  that  it  was  incapable  of  satisfactory  defence  ;  that 
you  could  not  hope  to  succeed  in  your  project  of  overthrowing  the 
Church  of  England,  while  you  yourselves  laboured  under  the  imputa- 
tion of  possessing  no  true  bishops,  and,  therefore,  no  true  priests,  and 
no  lawful  administration  of  the  sacraments. 

"  Up  to  the  autumn  of  the  year  of  grace,  1850,  then,  it  appears  that 
Romanism  possessed  only  a  questionable  episcopate ;  it  did  not  possess 
what  is  held  by  Romanists  themselves  essential  to  the  Church ;  it  was 
without  episcopal  jurisdiction.  Now  this  state  of  things,  which  had  only 
been  brought  prominently  into  controversy  of  late  years  by  our  writers, 
was  peculiarly  embarrassing  to  Romanism  in  this  country,  because  ever 

SINCE  THE  REFORMATION,  THE  ONE  GRAND  ARGUMENT  BY  WHICH 
ROMANISTS  HAVE  BEEN  ASSAILING  THE  CHURCH  OF  ENGLAND,  HAS 
BEEN  A  DENIAL   OF   HER   EPISCOPAL   SUCCESSION  AND  JURISDICTION." 

pp.  xi. — xiii. 

After  enumerating  the  various  controversial  writers  who  have 
in  turn  assailed  the  validity  of  our  orders,  or  the  jurisdiction  or 
mission  of  our  threefold  ministry,  Mr.  Palmer  goes  on  to  say : — 

"  Such  then  being  the  favourite  system  of  argument  adopted  by  Ro- 


N&ticeSj  ^c.  439 

manists,  I  can  readily  conceive  the  embarrassment  they  felt,  when,  not 
content,  as  onr  predecessors  Mason,  Bramhall,  Prideaux,  Burnet,  and 
£lrington  had  been,  with  defending  our  own  episcopate  as  valid  and 
canonical,  and  truly  apostolical  in  its  jurisdiction,  we  proceeded  to  retort 
your  arguments,  and  to  prove  from  the  authorities  and  principles  to  which 
you  had  appealed  against  us,  that  you  yourselves  were  without  any  law- 
ful episcopate. 

"It  became,  /Aen,  a  matter  '  of  no  light  weight,  and  no  indifferent 
interest,'  to  escape  from  our  objections,  and  to  obtain,  if  possible,  such 
'an  advantage  in  ecclesiastical  position,'  as  would  be  subservient  to 
your  purposes  of  proselytism ;  and  hence  you  submitted,  with  perfect 
satisfaction,  to  the  transmutation  you  have  recently  undergone.'* — 
pp.  XV.  xvi. 

*<  We  argued,"  proceeds  the  writer  of  these  Letters,  *'  that  the  Ro- 
manists, so  far  from  being  the  Catholic  Church  in  England,  as  they 
claimed  to  be,  were  in  reality  schismatics^  "besides  being  involved  in  the 
crime  of  idolatry,  which  is  as  grievous  a  sin  as  that  of  infidelity  or 
heresy.  It  was  remarked  that  the  separation  of  communion  which  took 
place  in  the  sixteenth  century  was  their  work,  and  that  they  then  cut 
themselves  off  from  the  true  and  orthodox  Church  of  this  nation." — 
p.  xvi. 

After  giving  a  succinct  sketch  of  the  line  of  argument  here 
indicated,  the  author  concludes  by  saying, — "  80  far^  we  have 
nothing  more  to  say  on  the  subject,  except  this — that  you  have 
conceded  the  non-episcopal  character  of  your  hierarchy  till  a.d. 
1850 — that  till  within  the  last  six  months^  at  leasts  you  have  had 

NO    LEGITIMATE    HIERARCHY.*" 

This  is  a  strong  point,  and  one  which  ought  not  to  be  lost  sight  of 
in  the  controversy.  Having  thus  disposed  of  the  earlier  emissaries 
of  the  Roman  See,  Mr.  Palmer  proceeds  to  deal  with  those  of 
later  manufacture. 

"  Now,  sir,"  says  he,  "  let  us  consider  the  position  of  the  *  new*  hier- 
archy— a  hierarchy  which  dates  its  origin  from  a.d.  1850 — that  is, 
seventeen  or  eighteen  centuries  later  than  the  hierarchy  of  the  Church  of 
England!  You  have,  indeed,  it  must  be  allowed,  a  ^nen>*  hierarchy. 
It  is  'new'  in  date — it  is  *  new*  in  titles  and  appellations — it  is  without 
succession.  You  have  had  no  predecessors.  Each  pseudo -bishop  of 
your  hierarchy  is  a  '  novus  homo* — sprung  from  no  one — possessing  no 
spiritual  ancestry — holding  no  connexion  with  the  ancient  and  histori- 
cal sees  of  this  Christian  land — separated  from  the  succession  of  the 
Apostles.  To  such  it  may  be  said,  in  the  words  of  Tertullian,  addressed 
to  those  heretics  whose  worship  of  ^ons  is  rivalled  by  your  worship 
of  angels  and  saints, — *  Who  are  ye  ?  When  and  whence  come  ye  ? 
Not  being  mine,  what  do  ye  in  that  which  is  mine?  In  brief,  by 
what  right  dost  thou,  Marcion,  cut  down  my  wood  ?  By  what  li- 
cence dost  thou,  Yalentinus,  turn  the  course  of  my  water?     By  what 


440  NotieeSy  ^e. 

power  dost  thoo,  Apelles,  remove  my  landmarks  ?  This  is  my  pos- 
session :  why  do  3^e  sow  and  feed  here  at  your  own  pleasure  ?  It  is 
my  possession :  I  have  held  it  of  old :  I  held  it  first :  I  have  a  sure 
title  down  from  the  first  owners  thereof,  whose  the  estate  was :  I  am  . 
the  heir  of  the  Apostles.  As  they  provided  hy  their  own  testament,  as 
they  committed  it  in  trust,  as  they  have  adjured,  so  I  hold  it.  You, 
assuredly,  they  have  disinherited  and  renounced,  as  aliens,  as  enemies!' 
You  have  no  succession  from  the  Apostles  :  your  community  in  Eng- 
land and  Ireland  dates  from  the  year  1570,  when  it  forsook  the  Apos- 
tolic Churches  here,  and  erected  the  standard  of  sedition.  You  do  not, 
even  now,  succeed  to  the  ancient  and  time-honoured  sees  of  England. 
....  While  England  is  still  presided  over  hy  the  successors  of  Eborias, 
of  Restitutus,  of  Adelphius,  of  Augustine,  of  Aidan,  of  Ceadda,  of 
David,  of  Duhricius,  of  Cedda,  and  of  Aldhelm ;  while  the  ancient 
metropolitan  rights  sanctioned  hy  so  many  ages ;  while  the  episcopal 
sees  known  to  all  Christendom  from  time  immemorial,  are  still  in  exist- 
ence, with  all  their  rights,  titles,  jurisdictions,  and  canonical  privileges 
untouched,  you  have  attempted,  without  permission  or  consent  of  that 
lawful  hierarchy,  to  usurp  titles  and  jurisdictions  within  that  portion  of 
the  fold  of  Christ  which  is  intrusted  to  their  care !  You  have  recognized 
their  existence;  and  have,  in  consequence,  assumed  new  titles  in  order 
to  avoid  the  appearance  of  interfering  directly  with  them !  You  know 
that  there  are  already  metropolitans  and  bishops  who  preside  over  the 
people  of  this  land,  and  yet  you  establish  a  rival  and  a  schismatical 
hierarchy  in  opposition  to  them  ! " — pp.  xix. — xxi. 

After  a  course  of  argument,  in  which  Mr.  Palmer  assails  the 
Cardinal  with  his  own  weapons,  and  exhibits  the  invalidity  and 
nullity  of  the  Romish  Schismatarchy,  he  adds : — 

"  The  authority  of  the  General  Council  of  Chalcedon,  which  all 
Romanists  recognize  as  infallible,  conclusively  establishes  the  un- 
lawfulness of  a  second  Metropolitan  in  the  same  province, — that  is,  a 
real  Metropolitan ;  for  the  Council  permitted  a  titular  or  honorary 
Metropolitan  to  be  appointed,  provided  he  did  not  in  any  way  interfere 
with  the  jurisdiction  of  the  actual  Metropolitan." — p.  xxv. 

After  pressing  these  matters  still  further,  the  author  adds : — 

*'  But  you  will,  of  course,  reply  to  all  this  that  the  Papal  dispensation 
is  perfectly  sufficient  to  remove  irregularities ;  that  the  Pope  is  infal- 
lible ;  that  his  will  as  the  viceregent  of  Christ,  removes  all  opposing 
jurisdictions  and  canons,  and  supplies  all  defects  in  your  ordinations 
and  appointments.  Now  I  need  only  say  a  word  or  two  in  reply  to 
this.  In  the  first  place,  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope  is  a  doctrine  which 
the  Church  of  Rome  has  never  yet  defined  as  an  article  of  faith.  It  is 
a  disputed  point  amongst  yourselves,  even  at  the  present  day.  Since, 
then,  the  Pope  is  not  certainly  infallible,  it  follows  that  he  cannot  be 
the  head  of  the  Church  by  the  institution  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  if  God 
had  placed  him  at  the  head  of  the  Church,  and  given  him  universal 


Notices^  ^c,  441 

jurisdiction,  he  must  necessarily  have  been  infallible;  or  elsa  every 
Christian  would  be  bound  to  obey  an  authority  which  might  teach 
heresy  and  idolatry !  This  argument  is  confirmed  by  the  decision  of 
the  General  Council  of  Chalcedon,  to  which  you,  and  all  other  Ro- 
manists, bow  as  infallible ;  for  this  General  Council  declared  that  '  the 
Fathers  had  granted  privileges  to  the  See  of  old  Rome,  because  it  was 
the  IMPERIAL  city^*  i.e.,  on  account  of  its  temporal  rank.  So  that  in 
the  fifth  century,  this  synod  of  all  Christendom  subverted,  by  antici- 
pation, the  supremacy  of  Rome,  considered  as  a  Divine  institution ; 
they  only  acknowledged  in  it  privileges  granted  by  'the  Fathers!* 
And  if,  then,  this  jurisdiction  of  Rome  be  viewed  as  a  human  institu* 
tioii»  as  you  have  argued  its  cause  in  the  articles  above  referred  to, — ^if 
it  be  treated  as  a  Patriarchal  jurisdiction,  extending,  in  virtue  of  the 
canons,  over  all  the  West, — we  can  easily  demonstrate  its  unlawfulness 
and  nullity  in  this  realm  ;  for  the  Bishop  of  Rome  exercised  no  patri- 
archal jurisdiction  here  for  the  first  four  centuries,  nor,  indeed,  could 
he ;  for  Ruffinus,  at  the  end  of  the  fourth  century,  declared  that  the 
jurisdiction  of  Rome  extended  only  to  the  suburbicarian  provinces,  t.  e, 
— a  part  of  Italy,  Sicily,  and  the  adjoining  islands.  And  his  juris- 
diction only  commenced  in  France  in  the  fifth  century.  Britain  was 
free  and  independent  in  the  early  part  of  the  fifth  century,  when  the 
General  Council  of  Ephesus  made  a  decree  that,  '  No  one  of  the 
Bishops  beloved  of  God,  take  another  province  which  has  not  pre- 
viously and  from  the  beginning  been  under  his  rule,  and  that  of  his 
predecessors ;  but  if  any  one  should  have  taken  it,  or  have  caused  it  to 
be  subject  to  him  by  compulsion,  he  shall  restore  it.  Wherefore  it  has 
seemed  good  to  this  CScumenical  Council  that  the  rights  of  every 
province,  which  have  always  belonged  to  it,  should  be  preserved  pure 
and  inviolate,  according  to  the  usage  which  has  ever  obtained,  each 
Metropolitan  having  full  power  to  act  according  to  all  just  precedents 
in  security.'  And,  therefore,  the  subsequent  usurpation  of  jurisdiction 
by  the  See  of  Rome  in  England  was  unlawful ;  and  it  was  strictly  in 
accordance  with  the  decree  of  this  synod,  which  you  believe  to  be 
in/allibley  that  the  Papal  usurpation  was  removed  by  the  Church  and 
State  upwards  of  three  centuries  ago.  The  See  of  Rome  has,  in 
consequence,  no  jurisdiction  whatever,  either  by  Divine  institution  or 
by  canonical  right,  in  Great  Britain  or  Ireland.  (I  might,  indeed,  add 
several  other  countries.)  So  that  any  faculties,  dispensations,  briefs, 
or  regulations  of  any  kind,  affecting  the  spiritual  and  ecclesiastical 
concerns  of  this  country,  proceeding  from  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  are 
null  and  void,  and  are  incapable  of  conferring  any  spiritual  powers  or 
jurisdiction  on  the  *new'  hierarchy;  and  in  order  to  obtain  licence 
to  exercise  any  episcopal  or  sacerdotal  functions  in  England,  they  must 
first  submit  themselves  to  the  « old'  hierarchy,  and  relinquish  their 
present  claims," — pp.  27 — 30. 

We  do  not  see  how  the  utmost  ingenuity  of  our  adveraaries  can 
escape  or  elude  this  reasoning.     It  appears  to  us  simply  un- 

VOL.  XV. NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  <^  g 


442  Noiie$$,  ^ 

answerable.  And  here  w»  are  reminded  of  an  earlier  work  bjr 
the  same  author,  and  one  which  we  commend  to  all  those  wm 
require  information  on  the  subject—*^  British  Episcopacy  Vindi- 
cated,^ which  establishes  the  sole  and  canonical  authority  of 
our  old  hierarchy. 

V. — Th$  Pattern  showed  on  the  Mount;  or.  Thoughts  o/Qwietnett 
and  Hope  for  the  Church  of  England  in  her  Latter  Days.  Bf 
the  Rev.  T.  T.  Carter,  M.A^  Rector  of  Clewer,  Berh.  Ox- 
ford and  London :  J»  H.  Parker.    1850. 

There  is  much  sound  sense  and  piety  in  this  little  tract,  though 
we  like  a  more  simple  style,  and  a  less  ambitious  diction.  In 
fact,  we  prefer  good  plain  strai^tforward  Saxon  English,  such  as 
is  intelligible  to  farmers,  tradesmen,  and  labourers, — to  all  the 
charms  of  the  most  elaborate  construction  and  the  most  oma* 
mental  language ;  and  whilst  we  object  to  any  thing  approaching 
to  undue  uuuiliarity  in  the  treatment  of  divine  things,  we  are 
equally  averse  to  obscurity  or  mysticism*  The  following  passage 
strikes  us  as  containing  much  valuable  matter  :-^ 

''  There  has  ever  been,  in  various  parts  of  the  Church,  an  over^ 
weening  longing  to  form  on  earth  a  kingdom  of  the  saints.  The  effort 
has  invariably  failed,  simply  because  It  was  before  6od*s  appointed  time. 
There  is  to  be  such  a  kingdom,  but  not  yet.  In  building  the  Tower  of 
Babel,  the  effort  was  to  reach  to  heaven.  All  hasty  forecastings  of  pro- 
mised glory  to  be  revealed  to  sight,  while  yet  we  walk  hyfailh^  are  ever 
to  be  viewed  with  no  eommon  suspicion, — sometimes  even  with  distress 
and  with  fear.  One  of  the  snares  of  Rome  has  been  of  this  very  nature. 
That  Church  has  sought  to  seize  by  earthly  force,  and  present  to  eamal 
Bight,  what  can  be  won  only  by  faith,  be  built  up  only  on  humility,  and 
be  fully  realized  only  in  another  world.  Thus,  seeking  to  establish 
a  perfect  guidance  for  the  soul,  she  has  raised  up  a  terrible  earthly 
tyranny,  in  which  the  very  responsibility  of  man  is  destroyed.  Thus, 
too,  she  has  sought  to  enforce  an  unquestioning  unity  of  faith  ;  and  the 
issue  has  been,  either  that  the  reason,  one  of  God's  greatest  gifts  to 
man,  is  crushed,  or  the  revolting  mind  learns  to  reconcile  the  coldest 
infidelity  with  the  mere  mechanical  observance  of  outward  forms. 
Many  of  the  peculiar  dogmas  of  Rome  may  be  explained  by  this  one 
cause  of  error— ^ that  she  has  sought  to  realize,  in  a  carnal  manner,  and 
before  the  time,  the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  which  can  exist  only 
beyond  the  veil.  What  we,  in  the  true  Catholic  Church  of  England 
believe^  she  will  touch,  and  handle,  and,  in  too  presumptuous  a  grasp, 
alas  !  most  awfully  profane.  Thus  the  real  spiritual  presence  of  Christ 
in  the  sacrament  becomes,  in  her  hands,  material  and  carnal.  Thus 
confession,  which  is  to  the  quieting  of  an  overburdened  or  scrupulous 
conscience,  becomes,  in  her  popular  creed,  as  the  very  judgment  of  the 
last  day.     The  blessed  power  of  absolution,  Christ's  own  appoiatoient 


XM€m,4r<  443 


»r  eonv^nfr  to  Uk  rerj  mmI  of  the  penitent  sHmcr  Im  nmsay  of  to^ 
nreness  and  peace,  beconm  the  netual  eeotenee  of  the  AU-aeein|t  Jttdf{« 
iimaelC  Thus  the  veil  of  revefeaoe  which  God  has  drawn  aroand  the 
lead,  and  aroand  the  epiriu  who  minister  helbre  his  thronai  is  torn 
iside  to  make  way  for  what  the  frail  earthly  Cuicy  can  invent ;  and 
puigMory,  and  the  iamiliar  worship  of  the  saints,  is  the  miserable  snb* 
Hilnta  for  the  mysteifons  holiness  and  grandeur  timt  pervade  the 
ReveladoBS  of  St.  John.  Ail  is  materialised.  Nothing  is  left  to  the 
pane  visions  of  holy  hope  and  fear ;  nothiag  is  permitted  to  remain  in 
the  dim  hut  awful  shadows,  the  dread  nncertaintiea*  that  mu<lt  hang 
about  the  confines  of  another  world.  There  is  throughout  the  Roman 
system  a  peculiar  lack  of  the  foith  and  patience  of  the  prophet,  who 
atands  upon  the  tower  to  watch,  whilst  the  Lord  reveals  to  those  who  do 
his  will,  clearer  views,  and  a  growing  assurance,  as  the  morning  breaks 
OB  the  nrerlasting  hills,  and  the  day«8tar  arittes  in  their  hearts. 

**  This  same  snare,  alas  !  has  been  fatel  to  some  among  us,  who  onee 
stood  with  us  side  by  side,  but  now  are  parted  from  us  by  ao  wide  a 
diaara.  Of  those  who  left  our  Church  in  these  latter  days,  the  greater 
number  have  done  so  frdm  this  cause.  They  saw,  as  they  thought,  in 
the  distance,  within  the  verge  of  Rome,  a  substantial  unity,  and  an 
unearthly  peace.  They  left  their  appointed  path,  oncl  turned  aside  to 
taste  the  living  waters — ah  I  it  wss  but  the  miroge,  the  deceitful  vision 
of  the  desert!  Alas!  has  not  to  many  that  ensnaring  beauty  disap- 
peared as  they  approached  it  nearer  ?  To  how  many  has  it  not  proved 
only  a  bairren  waste !  While  tliey  caught  so  hastily  at  these  seniblanoas 
of  heavenly  promise,  to  what  fearful  errors  have  they  bowed  down,  as 
the  price  of  that  supposed  peace  for  which  they  could  barter  away  their 
fonncar  faith,  their  early  loves,  their  simplicity  of  truth,  and,  greatest 
sacrifice  of  all,  the  aacredness  of  their  own  self-responsibility  I  "— 
pp.  11 — 16. 

vf . —  Wild  Zff9  in  the  Interior  of  Central  America.  By  Georgk 
Byam,  late  Farfy-t/urd  Light  Infantry.  London :  John  Wil- 
liam Parker.    1849. 

Wild  Life  in  any  part  of  the  globe  baa  always  its  charms,  espe- 
cially on  paper;  but  Wild  Life  in  Central  America  must  be 
peculiarly  exciting  and  entertaining,  to  judge  from  Mr.  liyani^s 
?ery  animated  and  interesting  account  of  it.  The  book  is  full  of 
incident  and  anecdote,  vivid  description  and  valoable  information  ; 
indeed,  there  is  not  a  page  put  in  to  fill  up — a  rare  merit  in  these 
days.  Our  first  extract,  a  long  one,  describes  phenomena  that 
are  frequent,  and  superstitions  that  are  prevalent,  in  the  beautiful 
region  which  vras  the  scene  of  the  autbor^s  adventures : — 

"  Early  on  the  rooming  of  January  20th,  1835,  a  Irw  smart  shoeks 
of  earthquake  were  felt,  and  the  iohabitante,  as  they  tovariabty  dth  nm 
out  of  their  hooaes  into  their  '  patios'  (coortyaids),  or  into  tha  streets. 

Gg2 


444  Naticei^  ^e. 

The  alarm  soon  subsided,  and  the  people  returned  to  their  dwelling ; 
but  the  earth  did  not  seem  quiet«  and  continual  repetitions  of  running 
out  of  the  houses  and  returning,  showed  that  the  inhabitants  were  kept 
on  the  qui  vive.  These  shocks  continued  at  intervals  all  day,  and  the 
night  was  quieter  ;  but  early  on  the  21st  the  people  were  again  driren 
out  of  their  houses  by  a  very  violent  one  that  lasted  a  few  seconds,  and 
it  was  some  time  before  they  would  return,  when,  as  it  was  still  very 
early,  most  of  them  turned  into  bed  again,  or  laid  down  in  their  ham- 
mocks. But  the  darkness  seemed  most  unusually  prolonged  ;  a  feeling 
of  suffocation  was  universally  felt :  and  when,  at  last,  the  people  rose, 
they  were  still  more  alarmed  by  finding  the  air  filled  with  a  fine  impal- 
pable greyish  black  powder,  which,  entering  the  respiration,  eyes,  pose, 
and  ears,  produced  a  perfect  gasping  for  breath.  The  first  remedy  was 
to  shut  up  doors  and  windows  as  close  as  possible ;  but  it  was  soon 
found  worse  than  useless,  as  the  powder  was  so  subtile  that  it  pene- 
trated into  every  apartment,  and  the  exclusion  of  air  made  the  rooms 
insupportable.  Possibly  half  a  dozen  persons  in  the  country  might 
have  heard  of  the  last  days  of  Pompeii,  and  perhaps  might  have  anti- 
cipated being  discovered  in  some  future  ages  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation ;  but  the  remainder  put  their  trust  in  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
their  different  patron  saints,  especially  St.  Lorenzo,  who  is  supposed  to 
have  a  special  interest  in  volcauos,  eruptions,  and  burnings  of  every  sort. 
"  The  doors  and  windows  were  thrown  open,  and,  generally,  the 
wiser  plan  was  adopted  of  covering  the  head  and  face  with  a  linen  cloth, 
dipped  in  water:  some  saddled  their  horses  and  mules,  thinking  to 
escape,  but  they  would  only  have  been  going  to  certain  death.  The 
poor  brutes  were  gasping  for  breath ;  but  those  who  had  the  care  and 
humanity  to  throw  a  wet  poncho,  or  cloth,  over  the  animals*  heads, 
saved  their  beasts,  but  many  died.  To  add  to  the  terror  of  the  day,  at 
intervals  smart  shocks  of  earthquake  made  themselves  felt,  and  a  distant 
roaring,  like  thunder  afar  off,  was  heard  during  most  part  of  the  day. 
Still  the  ashes  fell ;  and  so  passed  that  day, — the  very  birds  entering 
into  the  rooms  where  candles  were  burning,  but  scarcely  visible ;  and 
the  sun  went  down,  and  the  only  perceptible  difference  between  day 
and  night  was,  that  total  darkness  succeeded  to  a  darkness  visible^  like 
that  which  we  may  fancy  was  spread  over  the  land  of  Pharaoh.  Night 
came  on,  and  the  lamp  placed  on  a  table  looked  like  the  street  lights  in 
a  dense  London  fog,  scarcely  beaconing  the  way  from  one  Jamp-post  to 
another;  and  the  night  passed,  and  the  morning  ought  to  have  broken, 
for  the  sun  must  have  risen  ;  but,  no !  the  change  was  only  from  black 
darkness  to  grey  darkness  ;  and  some  of  the  men,  and  nearly  all  the 
women,  hurried  to  the  churches ;  their  forms  wrapped  up,  and  very 
dimly  discerned  through  the  deep  gloom  ;  and  their  footsteps,  noiseless 
on  the  bed  of  ashes,  recalled  to  the  imagination  Virgil's  description  of 
the  shades ;  and  they  went  and  prostrated  themselves  at  the  feet  of 
their  saints,  and,  beating  their  bosoms,  vowed  candles  and  offerings  for 
relief;  but  the  taints  were  made  of  wood  or  stone,  and  heard  them 
not ;  and  another  sun  went  down  on  their  agony,  for  agony  it  was. 


"Daringtbedaj,  at  intcrfak^serml  sln^sof  c«iUiq[«ikewcf»l(^ 
and  firequendj  tke  dktant  tbnMler,  or  a  noise  vety  like  it,  was  IwardL 
The  ashes  had  accomulated  to  saooie  depth,  the  Cdl  was  as  fpreat,  if  not 
greater  than  ever,  the  darkness  as  grej  hjr  daj,  and  as  hiadc  by  n%ht, 
no  termination  of  it  eren  to  be  prophesied,  and  a  tomb  growing  up 
aronnd  man  and  beast ;  flight  was  useless ;  thousands  of  cattle  had 
perished  in  the  woods  and  savannahs,  though  at  that  moment  the  fiict 
was  not  then  known  ;  and  persons  seemed  more  inclined  to  meet  any 
£ite  reserred  for  them  in  the  town,  than  to  flv  to  what  they  knew  not 
in  solitude.  And  so  they  passed  the  second  night.  On  the  morning 
of  the  23rd  the  layer  of  ashes  had  considerably  increased  in  depth»  bat 
the  £dl  had  become  Teiy  much  more  dense,  and  the  natural  grave  of 
man  seemed  to  be  rising  from  the  mother  earth,  instead  of  being  dug 
into  it.  The  women,  with  their  heads  covered  with  wet  linen,  again 
hurried  to  the  churches  with  cries  and  lamentations,  and  tried  to  sing 
canticles  to  their  favourite  saints.  As  a  last  resoure  s  every  saint  in 
Leon's  churches,  without  any  exception,  lest  be  be  offended,  was  taken 
from  his  niche,  and  placed  out  in  the  open  air, — I  suppose  to  enable 
him  to  judge  from  experience  of  the  state  of  afEurs, —  but  still  the  ashei 
feU. 

**  No  doubt,  at  the  height  of  two  or  three  miles  the  sun  was  shining 
clear  and  warm  in  the  bright  blue  sky,  but  all  his  power  and  glory 
could  not  penetrate  into  the  thick  cloud  of  ashes,  even  to  make  hii 
situation  in  the  heavens  to  be  guessed  at ;  but  when  he  was  nearly 
sinking  in  the  western  horizon,  a  mighty  wind  sprang  up  from  the  northi 
and  in  the  space  of  half  an  hour  allowed  the  inhabitants  of  Leon  just  to 
gain  a  view  of  his  setting  rays  gilding  the  tops  of  their  national 
Yolcanos. 

**  Of  course  the  cessation  of  the  shower  of  ashes  was  attributed  to  the 
intercession  of  these  saints,  who  doubtless  wished  to  get  under  cover 
again,  which  opinion  was  strongly  approved  of  by  the  priests,  as  they 
would  certainly  not  be  losers  by  the  many  offerings ;  but,  during  a 
general  procession  for  thanks  that  took  place  the  next  day,  it  was 
discovered  that  the  paint,  that  had  been  liberally  but  rather  clumsily 
bestowed  on  the  Virgin  Mary's  face,  had  blistered ;  and  half  Leon 
proclaimed  that  this  image  had  caught  the  small-pox  at  her  residence 
in  that  city,  and,  in  consequence  of  her  anger,  the  infliction  they  had 
just  suffered  was  imposed  upon  them.  Innumerable  were  the  candles 
burnt  before  the  altars  of  the  '  Queen  of  Heaven/  many  and  valuable 
were  the  gifts  and  offerings  to  her  priests." — pp.  32 — 37. 

The  numerous  anecdotes  of  animals  of  various  kinds,  and  the 
accounts  of  their  habits,  predilections,  and  peculiarities,  are  very 
curious  and  interesting.  Amongst  the  birds  which  have  at- 
tracted Mr.  Byam'^s  notice,  the  king  of  the  vultures  occupies  a 
prominent  place : — 

••  Having  mentioned  the  vulture,"  sayi  he,  "  I  cannot  let  the  op- 
porttwity  pass  without  remarking  the  extraordinary  respect*  fear«  or 


44«  /To^fM^  4Fc. 

vlifltefer  H  Wiif  b«  dilM,  thotnr  bf  the  ffommcMier  9peci08  of  ▼dtoie 
to  the  V\ng  of  the  vuttnres.     In  Peru,  1  have  been  told,  that  it  n^ 
frequently  be  witneMed  in  thai  reimtry,  hot  never  had  my  cnrioskj 
gratified  ;  hot  one  day,  having  lost  m  male  by  death,  he  waa  dragged 
op  to  a  small  hill,  not  far  off*,  where  I  knew  m  an  hour  or  two  he 
would   be  safely  bwried  in  vahure  sepuhove.     I  waa  standing  on  a 
hillock,  abnvt  a  hundred  yards  of,  with  a  gun  in  rcy  hand,  watrhing 
the  anrrprifting  distance  that  a  vulture  descries  his  fftey  from,  and  the 
gathering  of  so  many  fnmr  all  parts,  up  and  down  wind,  where  none 
had  been  seen  before,  and  that  in  a  \'ery  short  spaoe  of  time.     Hearing 
a  k>ud  whirring  noise  over  my  head,  I  looked  up,  and  saw  a  f!ne  large 
bird,  with  outstretched,  and  seemingly  motionless  wings,  sailing  towards 
the  caver.se  that  had  already  bee*  pitrtly  ^moHahed.     1  woaki  not 
ire  at  the  bird,  for  I  had  a  presentiment  that  it  waa  his  majesty  of  the 
vnltures,  but  beckoned  to  an  Indiaff  to  come  irp  the  hill,  and,  showing 
him  the  bird  that  had  just  alighterl,  he  said,  '  The  king  of  the  taU 
turea ;  you  wi^l  tee  how  he  is  adored.'     Directly  the  fine-looking  bird 
approached  the  carcase,  all  the  *olloi  polloi'  of  the  vuhvre  tribe  re- 
tired to  a  short  distance ;  some  flew  off  and  perched  an  some  con- 
tiguous branch,  while  by  far  the  greater  number  remained,  acting  the 
courtier,  by   forming  a  mfost   respectful  and  well-kept  ring  around 
him.     His  nnijesty,  without  any  signs  of  acknowledginent  for  such 
great  civility,  proceeded  to  make  a  niosi  ghtttonovs  nieal  ;  but,^  during 
the  whole  time  he  was  employed,  not  a  single  envious  bird  attempted 
to  intrude  upon  him  in  his  repaat,  until  be  had  finishedy  and  taken  bis 
departure  with  a  heavier  wing  and  slowev  flight  than  on  his  arrival ; 
but  when  he  had  taken  his  perch  on  a  high  tree,  not  far  off,  his  dirty 
ravenous  subjects,  increased  in  number  during  his  repast,  ventared  to 
discuss  the  somewhat  diminished  carcase,  ftw  the  royal  appetite  was 
certainly  very  fine.     I  have  since  witnessed  the  above  acene,.  acted 
many  times,  but  alwarys  with  great  intevcst*" — pp.  91-**-4>3# 

Off  the  mueh-agitated  question,  wtierlher  the  cause  of  the 
gathering  of  the  vultures  be  sight  or  smell,  Mr.  Byam  decides 
in  bvour  of  the  former,  and  with  a  great  appearanee  of  justice 
on  his  side.  The  fkct,  however,  still  remains  one  of  those 
marvels  of  nature,  which  we  are  unable  perfectly  to  compre- 
hend. 

Birds,  however,  are  not  the  onlv  or  the  principal  objects  of 
our  author's  observation ;  beasts  of  all  kinds  have  an  interest  in 
his  eyes.  There  are  mahy  incidents  and  adventures  relating  to 
the  various  denizens^  of  the  forest :  amongst  the  most  striking 
are  those  in  which  pfgs  play  a  conspicuous  part.  These  animals 
appear  to  be  not  only  fierce  and  strong,  but  abo  sensible  and 
faithful  to  each  other,  being  always  ready  to  act  in  concert  when 
the  death  of  one  of  thdr  herd  has  to  be  avenged.  Their  vindic- 
tive ftdetity  to  each  other  is  very  atriking,  and  was,  cm  one 


U7 

wsenifm,  imy  wmdw  «k»  cmm  «r  Mr«  BjpMi^  ksi^  kh  life. 
He  thoB  ieaaibm  tk»  fiifHrtiarr  : — 

•«  I  was  one  dajr  Wscii^  mkmt,  oH  loot,  witii  a  doaUe-UcfelM 
Mdoodi  bore,  om  band  loaiM  witb  ball,  tbe  olber  wkb  No.  2.  sbol. 
IB  a  ralbcr  (for  tbat  eoaBtnr)  open  wood,  wbca  a  laifa  boar  made  bit 
appearaaot  about  wty  yanis  tis,  aad  noc  aeeii^  any  of  bk  comrade^ 
I  let  fl  J  tbe  ball-banel  at  bim,  and  tasbled  biai  oTer«  He  gave  » 
fierce  gniDt  or  two  as  be  laj,  aad  a  laige  bcrd  of  tbeoa  boats  and  cowa 
imniediately  msbed  out  of  soane  tbidLer  mnderwood  bebiad  bi«i,  and» 
alter  looking  a  few  seconds  at  tbe  &Uen  beast,  mada  a  daub  at  me  ; 
but  they  were  a  trifle  too  late,  for,  on  first  catching  sight  of  them,  I  ran 
to  a  tree,  cot  op  it  for  life,  and  bad  only  jost  scrambled  into  come 
cUvergii^  branches,  about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  when  the  whole 
herd  arrived,  granting  and  squealing,  at  tbe  foot  of  the  tree.  It  was 
the  first  time  I  had  erer  been  Irfed^  as  the  North  Americans  call  it,  and 
I  could  not  help  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  figure  I  must  have  cut, 
chased  up  a  tree  by  a  drove  of  pigs  ;  but  it  soon  turned  out  to  be  no 
laughing  matter,  for  their  patience  was  not,  as  I  expected,  sooti  ex- 
hausted, but  they  settled  round  the  tree,  about  twenty  yards  distant, 
und  kept  looking  up  at  roe  with  their  little  twinkling  eyeC,  as  mnoh  as 
to  say,  '  Well  have  you  yet.'  Having  made  up  my  mind  that  a  regulaf 
siege  was  intended,  I  began,  as  an  old  soldier,  to  examine  the  state  ftnd 
resources  of  the  fortress,  and  also  the  diance  of  relief  from  without,  by 
raising  the  siege*  Tbe  defences  consisted  of  four  diverging  branches 
tbat  afforded  a  safe  asylum  to  the  garrison,  provided  it  ira3  watdifuli 
and  did  not  go  to  sleep ;  the  arms  and  ammunition  '  de  guerre  ei  de 
bouche*  were,  a  double-barrelled  gun,  a  fiask  nearly  fall  of  powderi 
plenty  of  copper  caps,  a  few  charges  of  shot,  but  only  two  balls,  knifes 
flint  and  steel,  a  piece  of  hard  dried  tongue,  a  small  flask  of  spirits  and 
water,  and  a  good  bundle  df  cigars.  As  to  relief  from  withouti  it  was 
hardly  to  be  expected,  although  a  broad  trail  ran  about  half  a  mile  from 
my  peroh,  and  as  for  a  sally^  it  Wai  quits  out  of  the  queition  ;  so  I  did 
as  most  persons  would  do  in  my  situation^  made  myself  as  comfortable 
as  possible^  took  a  small  sup  from  tbe  flasks  Ht  A  cigars  and  sat  watching 
the  brutes,  and  wondering  when  they  Would  get  tired  of  w^tobing  me. 
But  hour  after  hour  elaptedi  and  as  there  deemed  no  change  of  tbe  pigs 
losing  patience,  of  course  1  began  to  lose  mine )  they  itevet  stirred, 
except  One  or  two  wodld  noW  and  theti  go  and  take  a  look  at  fall  dead 
comrade,  and  return  grunting,  as  if  he  had  freshened  up  hii  thirst  for 
revenge.  All  at  once  it  occurred  to  me,  thlit  tliougb  I  oould  not  spar^ 
any  lead,  but  must  keep  \i  for  emeigeneiesty  yet  as  polnrder  and  caps 
were  in  abundance,  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  fire  6ff  powder  alone 
etery  few  minutes,  and  follow  edch  shot  by  a  loud  sbouti  which  is  a 
general  signal  for  assistance ;  aiid  ad  oiie  barrel  Was  still  lOdded  with 
shot,  I  picked  out  d  most  outrageously  vicicms  old  boar^  who  was  juit 
returniilg  from  a  visit  to  bis  fallen  friend,  ghmtiitg  and  looking  up  at 


448  NciieeB^  Sfc. 

me  in  the  tree,  and  gave  him  the  whole  charge,  at  ahout  twenty  yardi 
off,  in  the  middle  of  his  face.  This  succeeded  beyond  my  expectation, 
for  he  turned  round  and  gallopped  away  as  hard  as  he  could,  making 
the  most  horrible  noise  ;  and  though  the  remainder,  when  they  heard 
the  shot,  charged  up  to  the  foot  of  the  tree,  yet  the  outcry  of  the  old 
boar  drew  them  all  from  the  tree,  and  away  the  whole  herd  went  after 
him,  making  such  a  noise  as  I  never  heard  before  or  since.  Remaining 
up  the  tree  for  several  minutes,  until  all  was  quiet,  I  loaded  both 
barrels  very  carefully  with  ball,  and,  slipping  down  to  the  ground,  ran 
away,  in  a  contrary  direction  to  the  one  they  had  taken,  as  fast  as 
my  legs  could  carry  me," — pp.  100 — 103. 

This  is  not  a  solitary  instance  of  national  vengeance,  if  we  may 
use  the  expression ;  nor  is  man  the  only  animal  whom  these  fierce 
companions  of  the  forest  call  to  account  for  the  slaughter  of  their 
fellows,  as  the  following  very  curious  and  interesting  fact  will 
show : — 

''  Before  leaving  the  subject  of  the  wild  boar  and  his  habits,  an 
anecdote,  told  me  by  an  old  ally  and  friend,  the  '  Tigrero,'  or  panther 
hunter,  may  be  acceptable,  as  showing  the  courage  and  savageness  of 
the  brute  far  better  than  any  thing  I  have  met  with  myself. 

•*  We  were  hunting  together  on  foot,  when,  arriving  at  an  open  spot  in 
the  forest  about  forty  yards  across,  with  a  single  tree  in  the  centre,  he 
stopped  and  told  me  he  had  a  curious  story  to  tell  me  connected  with  that 
place,  and  that  if  I  chose  to  sit  down  on  a  fallen  tree  at  the  edge,  we 
could  rest  awhile.  So  we  lighted  our  cigars,  and,  after  a  puff  or  two, 
he  began  this  little  zoological  tale,  the  truth  of  which  I  cannot  vouch 
for,  but  the  man  was  well  worthy  of  credit. 

" '  Don  Jorge,'  he  began,  '  I  have  purposely  brought  you  here  to  show 
you  the  spot  where  a  curious  accident  befel  a  tiger  a  few  years  since. 
I  had  crossed  the  trail  of  a  tiger,  but  as  it  was  rather  stale  I  took  little 
notice  of  it  at  first ;  but  as  the  trail  led  towards  the  bed  of  the  river, 
which  was  on  my  road,  I  began  to  take  an  interest  in  it.  The  trail  left 
the  river  and  entered  the  wood,  and  I  followed  it  to  this  very  spot,  but 
never  was  I  more  astonished  than  at  the  sight  before  me.  You  see, 
Don  Jorge,  that  large  shooting  branch,'  pointing  to  a  horizontal  limh 
that  shot  out  at  right-angles  from  the  isolated  tree,  and  about  eight  feet 
firom  the  ground  ;  *  Well,  from  that  branch  was  hanging  part  of  a  tiger, 
with  his  hind  claws  stuck  deep  into  the  bark.  His  head,  neck,  and 
fore-arms,  had  been  torn  off  and  mangled,  as  far  as  the  shoulders,  and 
a  young  pig,  badly  striped  by  the  panther's  claws,  was  lying  dead  un- 
derneath him.  I  saw  at  a  glance  how  it  had  happened,  as  the  ground 
all  around  was  beaten  in  by  the  feet  of  a  large  herd  of  javalinos.  The 
tiger  had  been  crouching  on  the  bough,  and  the  drove  passing  under 
him,  he  had  hung  on  by  his  hind  claws  sticking  into  the  soft  bark  of  the 
branch,  and  swung  himself  down  to  pick  up  the  young  grunter ;  bul 


HaticeSy  ($*<?•  449 

before  he  could  recover  himself  he  was  seized  by  the  old  ones,  who  had 
torn  and  mangled  him  as  far  as  they  could  reach.' " — pp.  104^ — 106. 

We  bad  intended  to  have  added  two  other  anecdotes  relating 
to  a  very  poisonous  snake  called  the  Coral :  but  we  have  already 
exceeded  the  limits  of  a  mere  notice,  and  we  must  therefore  con- 
clude, heartily  recommending  Mr.  Byam^s  amusing  little  work  to 
any  of  our  readers  who  wishes  for  two  or  three  hours  of  good 
entertainment. 

VII. — A  Sermon  preached  in  the  Parish  Church  of  Cuddesden^  at 
the  Ordination  held  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  Oxford^  on  Sunday^ 
March  16,  1851.  By  t/ie  Rev.  H.  Hoskyns,  M.A.^  B^or  of 
Aston  Tyrrold^  Berks^  late  Fellow  of  Magdalen  College^  Oxford. 
Oxford  and  London  :  J.  H.  Parker.     1851. 

A  souNi)  and  sensible  Sermon,  published  by  request. 

VIII. — The  Church  Patient  in  her  Mode  of  dealing  tvith  Controver-- 
sies.  A  Sermon^  preached  before  the  University^  at  St,  Mary^Sy 
Oxford^  on  St,  Stephen'^s  Day^  1850.  By  Arthur  W.  Had- 
DON,  B.D.y  Fellow  Tutor  of  Trinity  College^  Oxford.  Oxford 
and  London:  J.  H.  Parker.     1851. 

A  VERY  excellent  and  able  discourse,  eminently  adapted  for  the 
present  crisis. 

♦ 

IX. — A  Paraphrase  and  Comment^  upon  the  Epistles  and  Gospels, 
appointed  to  be  used  in  the  Church  of  England  on  all  Sundays 
and  Holidays  throughout  the  Year.  By  George  Stanhope, 
D.D.y  sometime  Dean  of  Canterbury.  A  New  Edition.  In  2 
vols.     Oxford  :  at  the  University  Press.     1851. 

We  are  glad  to  see  a  new  edition  of  this  valuable  and  justly 
popular  work. 

X. — A  Text  Book  of  Popery ;  comprising  a  Brief  History  of  the 
Council  of  Trent,  ana  a  Complete  View  of  Roman  Catholic 
Theology.  By  J.  M.  Cramp,  D.D,  Third  Edition.  London : 
Houlston  and  Stoneman.     1851. 

Though  there  is  much  in  this  book  to  which  we  strongly  object, 
both  as  to  matter  and  manner,  it  will  be  found  a  valuable  addition 
to  the  libraries  of  those  whose  principles  are  already  formed,  and 
who  wish  for  a  magazine  of  facts  and  documents  available  in  the 
contest  which  every  English  Churchman  is  bound  to  wage  against 
the  corruptions  and  usurpations  of  Borne. 


450  Nttiem^  ^4. 

xi.~l«  Boma%  (kttMiM  kmtih  to  iU  fi^  Urn  o/  the  BSiki  a 
Sermon  preached  in  Exeter  Cathedral.  By  J»  Boasas,  Jf  j1^ 
Canon  Reeidentiary.     London :  Bivingtons. 

2.   Jesue  Christ  the  sole  Mediator  virtually  denied  hy  Soman 
CathoUce :  a  Sermon.    By  the  Same* 

While  men,  like  Canon  Rogers,  advocate  in  our  cathedrals  and 
parish  churches  the  cause  of  truth,  we  have  h'ttle  apprehension  of 
the  triumph  of  Romanism.  But  assuredly  these  are  not  days  in 
which  the  weapons  of  defence,  or  offence  either,  can  be  permitted 
any  longer  to  rust  on  our  shelves :  they'  must  be  taken  out,  and 
edged  afresh,  and  used  with  zeal  and  assiduity,  if  we  wish  to  main- 
tain the  ascendancy  of  truth  i^jainst  an  insidious,  false^  and 
desperate  opponent.  Canon  Rogers  has  in  these  excellent 
discourses  controverted  two  of  the  leading  errors  of  the  Church 
of  Rome — the  refusal  of  the  Scriptures  to  the  laity,  and  the 
worship  of  creatures  instead  of  the  Creator.  These  two  subjects 
have  a  natural  connexion ;  for  the  latter  practice  can  only  be 
maintained  by  those  who  do  not  study  God^s  word.  In  the 
Sermons  before  us  there  is  much  learning,  and  much  weighty 
argument  on  these  important  topics :  in  both  instances  the 
strongest  points  are  seized,  and  presented  in  such  a  way  as,  we 
think,  may  fairly  be  regarded  as  unanswerable. 

We  extract  the  following  passage  in  illustration  of  the  plain 
and  forcible  style  of  these  discourses : — 

**  *  Come  unto  me/  says  our  Saviour  Himself,  *  all  ye  tbat  labour 
and  are  heavy  laden,  and  1  will  give  you  rest.'  The  Saviour  is  evet 
ready  to  listen  to  the  prayers  of  all  who  need  his  aid»  or  his  mercy : 
*  Him  that  cometh  to  me  (  will  in  nowise  cast  out.'  What,  then,  we 
may  ask,  is  the  need  of  the  numerous  mediators  and  intercessors  who 
are  objects  of  adoration  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  who  hold  nearly 
the  same  place  in  that  Church  as  was  held  by  the  tutelar  deities 
amongst  the  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans  ?  The  Virgin  Mary  is  re- 
garded by  the  Church  of  Rome  as  a  Mediator  and  a  Saviour,  She  is 
notoriously  more  an  object  of  worship  in  Roman  Catholic  countries 
than  the  Saviour  Himself.  TMs  may  be  proved  by  abundance  of  pas- 
tages  from  the  Litany  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  from  other  accredited 
works*  It  may  he  proved  from  the  experlenoe  of  every  traveller  in 
Roman  Catholic  countries.  It  is  the  crying  sin  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church.  A  very  few  passages  will  prove  that  she  is  regarded  as  a 
Mediator^  and  an  object  of  direct  pfayer.  *  O  my  holy  Lady  Mary !  I 
commend  to  thy  blessed  trust  and  especia!  custody,  and  into  the  bosom 
of  thy  mercy,  this  day  and  every  day,  and  in  the  honr  of  my  death,  my 
soul  and  my  body  .  ^  *  that  by  thy  most  holy  hUefce$sion  and  merits 
all  my  works  may  be  directed  and  disposed  aoedrdi&g  t^  thine  and  thy 
Son's  will.'" 


NwHem,^  451 


impartiaUf  oomtUtnd,  4«.    Bf  Amicus  Yeutatis.     Lou- 
doo:  Hatchard. 

A  VERY  caustic  and  severe  criticism  of  Dr.  Wiseman^'s  publica- 
tions on  the  Papal  A  j^gression  ;  expressing  the  indignation  which 
tkat  unjusiifiabfe  act  has  caUed  forth  so  geDerally. 

yiii. — 8pee<^of^Brsvt.Y  DaoMMOxD,  Esq^  M.P.^  ta  the  ffoumof 
Commons^  on  ike  Second  Beading  of  tie  EccUsiatikal  Titles 
Bill.     London :  Bosworth. 

We  believe  that  &ct  entirely  bears  out.  Mr.  Dramniond''s  state- 
ments in  this  remarkable  speech  ;  though  there  are  certain  alhi- 
aions  which  the  delicacj  of  the  present  age  cannot  tolerate,  and 
which  of  course  raised  a  furious  storm  amongst  his  auditors. 
There  is  much  that  is  sound  and  true  in  this  speech,  and  it 
evinces  an  extraordinary  acquaintance  with  the  Bomish  contro- 
versy* 

XIV. — The  Talbof  Case.    An  Ayihoriiative  and  Succinct  Account 
from    1839   to  the   Chancellor* s  Judgment.      With  Notes  and 
Observations :  and  a  Preface.    By  the  Bev.  M.  Hobart  Sey- 
mour, M.A.     London :  Seeleys. 

The  whole  circumstances  of  the  Talboi  Case — showing  as  they 
do,  the  tactics  by  which  fiinds  are  obtained  for  the  propagation  of 
Bomanism — ^are  deeply  instructive,  and  ought  not  to  be  forgotten. 
Mr.  Seymoor  has  judged  very  wisely  m  presentii^  the  details 
of  this'remarkable  Trml  and  the  [urficeedings  connected  with  it 
in  such  a  shape  as  w31  render  them  available  for  future  reference, 
and  for  permanent  circulation.  We  regard  it  as  one  of  the  most 
valuable  puUications  which  have  recently  appeared  on  such 
topics. 

XV. — Bepentance :  its  Necessity^  Nature^  and  Aide.  A  Course  of 
Sermons  preached  in  Lent.  By  John  Jackson,  M.A*^  Bector 
of  St.  James\  Westminster^  &c.  London :  Skeffington  and 
Marshall. 

Amidst  the  more  exciting  discussions  of  the  present  times  it  is 
truly  gratifying  to  turn  aside  from  the  strife  of  tongues,  to  the 
perusal  of  a  work  like  that  before  us,  in  which  the  minister  of 
God  is  seen  pursuing  his  holy  mission  in  calling  sinners  to  re- 
pentance. In  these  discourses  there  is  no  attempt  at  popular 
oratory,  but  there  is  a  careful,  and  conscientious,  and  judicious 
dividing  of  "  the  word  of  Truth'' — ^much  of  the  words  of  truth 


452  NatieeBy  See. 

and  soberness — ^mnch  of  the  solid  and  well-compacted  theology 
which  befits  an  able  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  steward  of  its 
mysteries.  It  is  gratifying  to  think  that  the  very  important 
position  which  the  author  holds 'is  occupied  by  one  who  is  plsdnly 
so  competent  to  meet  its  responsibilities. 

XVI. — Memorials  of  the  Sea:  My  Father:  heing  Records  ofth 
A  dventuroue  Life  of  the  late  William  Scoresby^  Esq.^  of  Whitby. 
By  his  Son^  the  Bev.  W.  Scob£sby,  2>.Z>.,  i&c.  London: 
Longmans. 

This  volume  appears  to  us  to  be  amongst  the  most  interesting  of 
the  records  of  maritime  experience  that  it  has  been  our  lot  to  see. 
The  simplicity  of  the  style,  the  detail  of  adventure,  and  the  con- 
stant reference  to  Divine  Providence,  remind  us  of  De  Foe's 
celebrated  work ;  but  we  have  here  the  advantage  of  perusing  a 
narrative  of  actual  facts. 

In  the  first  few  pages  we  have  an  account  of  a  remarkable  ad- 
venture and  escape  from  destruction  in  a  snow-storm ;  the  acci- 
dents of  a  first  yearns  apprenticeship  at  sea,  including  a  dangeims 
fall  into  the  hold  of  the  ship,  a  narrow  escape  from  being  tre- 
panned, an  attack  from  a  privateer,  a  preservation  from  being  on 
board  the  Royal  George  when  she  foundered.     Then  we  have 
accounts  of  the  efforts  of  a  seaman  to  gain  a  knowledge  of  his 
profession  ;  the  punishment  he  inflicted  on  a  pair  of  bullies,  the 
preservation  of  the  ship  by  his  self-taught  seamanship,  the  jealousy 
which  ensued,  the  capture  of  the  vessel  by  the  enemy,  and  im- 
prisonment in  Spain,  escape  from  a  Spanish  prison,  &c. 

We  need  not  say  that  great  part  of  the  volume  is  occupied  with 
adventures  in  the  Northern  Ocean,  and  with  accounts  of  regions 
within  the  northern  latitudes.  This  work  may  be  safely  recom- 
mended for  the  perusal  of  the  young,  being  replete  with  interest 
to  a  most  unusual  degree ;  and  presenting  a  noble  example  of 
results  which  may  be  achieved  by  energy,  and  industry,  and  high- 
minded  integrity. 


jToreign  anlr  Colonial  inttUistmt^ 

Australasia. — The  Conference  of  the  Metropolitan  and  Bishops  of 
Australasia,  at  Sydney,  referred  to  in  our  last  number,  has  issued  in 
the  publication  of  a  Report,  which  we  are  prevented  by  want  of  space 
from  inserting  at  present. 

A  very  numerously  attended  meeting  was  subsequently  held  at 
Sydney,  at  which  the  Metropolitan  presided ;  and  resolutions  were 
moved  and  seconded  by  the  Bishops  of  Tasmania,  Adelaide,  New 
Zealand,  Melbourne,  and  Newcastle,  and  Messrs.  Kemp,  Cooper, 
Lowe,  Metcalfe,  and  Campbell,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  the 
Australasian  Board  of  Missions,  having  for  its  object  the  propagation 
of  the  Gospel  among  the  heathen  races,  in  the  provinces  of  Australasia, 
New  Caledonia,  the  Loyalty  Islands,  the  New  Hebrides,  the  Solomon 
Islands,  New  Hanover,  New  Britain,  and  the  other  islands  in  the 
Western  Pacific.  Upwards  of  1300  persons  attended  the  meeting, 
and  hundreds  were  not  able  to  obtain  admittance.  The  proceedings 
were  characterized  by  the  utmost  unanimity,  and  appeared  to  have 
been  deeply  gratifying  to  all  who  were  present.  The  following  re- 
marks from  the  Bishop  of  New.  Zealand,  to  whom  the  design,  in  a 
great  degree,  owes  its  origin,  will  be  read  wifh  interest : — 

His  Lordship  rose  to  move  the  third  resolution, — "That  the 
foreign  efforts  of  the  Australasian  Board  of  Missions  be  first  directed 
to  the  islands  lying  nearest  to  Australia,  viz..  New  Caledonia  and 
the  Loyalty  Islands,  in  the  hope  that,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  its 
missions  may  hereafter  be  extended  to  all  the  heathen  races  inhabiting 
the  islands  of  the  Western  Pacific."— If  he  could  have  felt  that  his 
drawing  their  attention  to  the  subject  matter  of  this  resolution  would, 
in  the  slightest  degree,  have  weakened  their  interest  in  the  eternal 
welfare  of  their  own  poor  Blacks,  he  would  not  have  said  a  single 
word.  It  was  to  the  misery  of  the  Australian  Black  that  New  Zealand 
was  indebted  for  the  present  condition  of  its  aboriginal  people,  and  he 
(the  Bishop)  was  indebted  for  his  own  position.  That  venerable  and 
lamented  missionary,  the  Rev.  Samuel  Marsden,  was  first  induced  to 
direct  his  attention  to  the  moral  condition  of  the  New  Zealanders  by 


454  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence, 

his  obseryation  of  the  misery  and  degradation  in  which  the  native 
races  of  the  Australian  continent  were  plun^d.  But  their  attention 
would  not,  he  trusted,  be  the  less  forcibly  drawn  to  the  consideration 
of  the  Australian  Black,  because  of  his  desire  to  enlist  their  sympathies 
in  favour  of  those  benighted  races  who  inhabited  the  islands  of  the 
Western 'Pacific.  On  the  contrary*  the  one  work  would  be  a  material 
assistance  to  the  other.  He  would  first  draw  their  attention  to  the 
wonderful  progress  of  the  Gospel  in  New  Zealand,  and  by  marking 
this  progress  they  might  derive  additional  encouragement  to  persevere. 
The  first  missionary  efforts  were  made  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Bay  of 
Islands  ;  but  the  news  that  such  instruction  was  to  be  had  was  soon 
spread  over  the  whde  •f  the  :mordiern  iaJand.  At  n  •^ittiict  on  the 
southern  part  of  that  island,  far  distant  from  the  place  where  the  mis- 
sionary resided,  the  two  sons  of  the  chief  were  so  desirous  of  obtaining 
instruetion,  that  they  left  their  home  elandestindy  and  embarked  in  a 
whaler  for  the  Bay  of  Islands,  in  order  to  bring  back,  if  possible,  a 
missionary  to  reside  among  themselves.  The  missionaries  were  by  no 
means  certain  at  that  time  as  to  the  condition  of  the  southern  coasts, 
as  to  the  safety  of  the  attempt;  but  Mr.  (now  Archdeacon)  Hadfield 
volunteered  to  return  with  these  young  men  to  the  place  from  whence 
they  came.  A  few  years  after  this,  these  young  men,  who  had  in  the 
interim  been  baptized,  and  became  zealous  Christians,  finding  that 
their  missionary  was  not  able  to  do  all  the  work  necessary  to  promote 
the  rapid  spread  of  Gospel  truths,  volaiiteered  to  go  along  the  coast 
in  an  open  boat  to  convey  instruction  to  thcfr  less  favoured  brethren. 
Thus  it  was  that  many  who  had  never  seen  the  face  of  an  English 
missionary,  had  become  Christians  and  civilized.  At  one  place  of 
this  description,  when  he  asked,  with  some  ieeling  of  diffidence,  whe- 
ther there  was  any  one  among  them  who  was  able  to  read,  he  was 
told  that  there  were  a  good  many  who  could  do  so,  and  a  class  of 
thirteen  was  at  once  formed,  who  were  able  to  read  the  Scriptures  as 
fluently  as  their  brethren  at  the  Bay  of  Islands.  Could  there  be  any 
greater  manifestation  of  Divine  goodness  than  was  afforded  by  this 
rapid  spread  of  Christianity  and  civilization  over  a  whole  country  re- 
sulting from  the  exertions  of  one  man?  He  might  well  say  that  New 
Zealand  and  the  New  Zealanders  owed  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  the 
memory  of  Samuel  Marsden,  and  of  Christian  sympathy  to  the  Austra- 
lian Blacks,  whose  misery  had  drawn  the  attention  of  that  good  man 
to  the  equally  forlorn  condition  of  the  neighbouring  islanders.  The 
Chatham  Islands  are  brought  within  the  influence  of  the  Gospel  in 
the  same  manner ;  and  when  he  visited  that  place,  he  found  there  no 
less  than  300  candidates  for  baptism.  The  islands  of  the  Western 
Paeifie,  lying  in  the  closest  vicinity  to  the  equator,  such  as  New 
Britain,  New  Hanover,  the  large  island  of  New  Guinea,  might,  he 
hoped,  in  the  end,  become  the  field  of  missionary  enterprise.  At 
present,  as  far  as  he  could  ascertain,  there  was  not  a  Christian  among 
them.     The  Chtnch  of  Rome  had  made  some  attempts  to  convert 


diese  islanders,  but  bad  been  compelled  to  abandon  tb«ie  attompta 
In  consequence  of  tbe  savage  nature  of  the  people.  At  present,  how^ 
ever,  he  proposed  to  direct  their  attention  to  the  islands  lying  in  nearer 
proxinaity  to  the  eastern  coast  of  Australia.  His  attention  was  Ursfc 
more  particularly  directed  to  this  subject  during  a  voya^  which  he 
Blade  in  the  '*  Dido  "  man-of-war,  touching  at  the  Samoas,  at  Tonga,  at 
the  Friendly  Islands,  and  at  Rotumah.  Bearing  in  mind  what  he  had 
himself  become  acquainted  with  as  to  the  almost  miraculous  manner  in 
which  religious  knowledge  had  spread  throughout  New  Zealand,  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  was  the  solemn  duty  of  all  Christians* 
and  more  particularly  of  himself,  to  do  as  far  as  practicable  for  theae 
islanders,  what  had  been  done  in  former  times  for  the  aboriginal  nativei^ 
of  hia  own  diocese.  He  remembered  that  mercantile  men  in  New  South 
Wales  had  been  able  to  induce  persons  belonging  to  these  islands  to  go 
with  them,  in  order  to  obtain  employment,  and  he  did  not  doubt  that  he 
should  be  able  to  procure  in  the  same  way  pupils  whom  he  might 
instruct  and  return  to  their  parent  lands.  The  result  showed  that  he 
was  right  in  this.  He  procured  a  small  vessel,  and  in  his  very  first 
voyage  be  met  with  so  much  success  and  encouragement,  as  determined 
him  to  adopt  some  definite  plan  upon  which  he  might  pursue  the  work* 
He  saw  i^ainly  that  ha  could  not  contemplate  the  establishment  (^ 
Christian  ministers  upon  the  islands,  and  he,  therefore,  brought  tbe 
young  wen  to  New  Zealand,  where,  after  a  residence  of  eight  months, 
they  acquired  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  English  tongue,  and  com** 
municated  to  the  teachers  a  sufficient  knowledge  of  their  own  language, 
to  enable  tliem  to  understand  each  other.  They  were  then  returned  to 
their  native  place,  to  exercise  upon  those  people  such  influence  for  good 
as  the  knowledge  which  they  had  acquired  would  give  them.  This 
plan  had  succeeded  so  well,  that  in  every  place  where  there  were  per^ 
sons  who  had  been  subjected  to  this  slight  training,  masters  might  land 
as  freely,  and  might  reside  with  the  natives  as  confidently,  as  in  eoy 
part  of  New  Zealand.  It  was  this  plan  which  he  should  propose  noifr 
to  follow.  The  climate  of  these  northern  islands  was  such,  that  in  the 
months  of  January,  February,  and  March,  they  were  most  unhealthy 
for  Europeans,  who  were  apt  to  suffer  so  severely  from  fever  and  ague, 
as  to  paralyse  their  exertions  for  the  remainder  of  the  year.  In  the 
intermediate  period  between  these  unhealthy  seasons,  the  islands  migh^ 
be  visited  by  a  small  vessel,  and  a  teacher  left,  from  whom  the  people 
would  receive  some  instruction,  and  by  whom  arrangement  might  be 
made  for  getting  some  of  the  younger  natives  to  accompany  them  to  tbe 
place  of  their  destination.  Until  a  better  place  could  be  provided,  bis 
own  college  at  Auckland  would  do  very  well  for  training  these  young 
men ;  and  the  vessel,  on  her  return  voyage,  might  call  at  the  several 
stations,  and  take  them  there.  At  this  place  they  might  acquire  a  suf- 
ficient knowledge  of  the  English  language  to  be  able  to  read  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  to  impart  religious  education  to  their  own  countrymen*  He 
preferred  teaching  them  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  English,  because  by 


466  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence. 

this  means  they  would  avoid  the  delay  and  difficulties  of  making  trans- 
lations into  a  number  of  languages.  In  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  as 
among  the  tribes  of  Australia,  the  languages  of  the  people  very  maeh 
varied,  and  at  one  time,  while  lying  at  Tanna,  he  had  heard  as  many  as 
ten  different  languages  spoken  on  board  the  vessel.  The  College  it 
Auckland  would  at  present  accommodate  some  twenty  or  thirty  pupils, 
or  perhaps  more,  at  the  expense  of  not  more  than  10/.  per  annum  each; 
for  there  was  arf  agricultural  establishment,  and  various  workshops 
attached  to  it,  which  aided  in  its  support.  Experience  had  shown  that 
industry  must  be  cultivated  simultaneously  with  the  imparting  of  reli- 
gious instruction,  in  order  to  insure  any  permanent  success  to  theic 
efforts  in  the  latter  direction.  He  therefore  lefc  these  men  to  choose 
the  kind  of  employment  best  suited  to  their  tastes  and  abilities; 
and  it  was  found  that  they  usually  settled  down  to  some  particular 
branch  of  industry,  which  they  steadily  followed.  The  only  missionarj 
efforts  of  any  consequence  which  had  been  made  in  this  direction  was  by 
a  clergyman  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  who  had  been  sent  from 
that  Church  in  Nova  Scotia,  a  distance  of  about  20,000  miles, 
and  who  at  present  occupied  a  station  on  one  of  the  New  He- 
brides. If  people  so  distant  had  awakened  to  the  importance  of  this 
work,  surely  New  South  Wales,  which  lay  within  1000  or  1200 
miles  of  these  islands,  could  not  be  less  interested  in  the  eternal  welfare 
of  their  inhabitants.  When  he  was  last  there,  he  was  enabled  to 
do  this  good  missionary  a  service,  which  would,  he  trusted,  not 
only  benefit  the  missionary  himself,  but  advance  the  work  in  which  he 
was  so  zealously  engaged.  A  custom  prevailed  at  these,  as  well  as 
other  islands  of  the  South  Seas,  of  strangling  the  wives  of  those  who 
were  absent  when  they  had  been  away  for  a  sufficiently  lengthened 
period,  to  induce  a  belief  that  they  had  died  or  abandoned  the  country. 
A  number  of  the  people  of  this  island  were  away  at  Tanna,  and  had 
been  so  long  absent,  that  preparations  were  being  made  to  carry  out 
this  horrid  custom.  The  chief,  naturally  anxious,  applied  to  him  (the 
Bishop)  to  go  with  his  vessel  to  Tanna  and  fetch  those  men  back. 
Upon  this  he  told  them  that  they  must  go  to  their  missionary  and 
prevail  upon  him  to  intercede  for  them.  Thus  constrained,  they  went 
to  the  missionary,  to  whom,  in  all  probability,  they  had  paid  but  little 
attention  before,  and  the  missionary,  of  course,  made  no  difficulty  iu 
complying  with  their  request.  He  (the  Bishop)  was  also  equally  ready 
in  his  compliance,  when  the  intercession  of  the  missionary  had  been 
sought  by  the  natives.  They  therefore  went  to  Tanna  and  fetched 
away  the  men.  Their  visit  to  Tanna  was,  however,  a  most  provi- 
dential one  in  other  respects,  for  they  were  enabled  to  bring  away  the 
remnant  of  the  French  mission  which  had  come  to  that  place  from 
Samoa,  and  had  been  almost  destroyed  by  fever  and  ague.  The 
people  of  the  other  island  were  so  delighted  at  the  service  which  they 
had  obtained  through  the  intervention  of  their  missionary,  that  they 
held  a  meeting,  and  conferred  upon  him  the  rank  and  privileges  of  a 


Australasia.  457 

chief  of  the  first  class.  And  this  naturalization  was  an  object  of  far 
greater  importance  than  at  first  sight  appeared,  for  the  islanders  had  a 
practice  of  attributing  to  the  evil  influence  of  such  foreigners  as  resided 
among  them  all  evils  of  magnitude,  such  as  famine  or  pestilence,  with 
which  they  might;  be  afflicted.  A  ready  devotion,  too,  was  displayed 
among  the  converted  natives,  and  there  was  an  immediate  offer  made 
to  replace  at  Tanna,  one  who  had  died  there  while  seeking  the  ad- 
Tancement  of  religion.  The  natives  themselves,  indeed,  when  they 
had  once  become  believers  in  the  truths  of  Christianity,  .were  always 
anxious  to  make  their  heathen  brethren  participators  in  their  know- 
ledge. This,  then  should  encourage  the  civilized  man  to  exertion* 
He  must  know  that,  when  once  the  Gospel  was  planted  among  the 
heathen,  all  blessings  would  spread,  as  the  seed  upon  the  sea-bird's 
wing,  until  the  neighbouring  races  were  made  fully  to  participate' in 
them.  Of  New  Caledonia  they,  like  himself,  have  doubtless  heard 
many  evil  reports.  Captain  Cook,  who  was  generally  an  accurate 
observer,  spoke  well,  seventy  years  ago,  of  the  people  inhabiting  this 
large  island,  preferring  them  even  to  those  of  the  group  generally 
known  as  the  Friendly  Islands.  But  no  two  opinions  could  be  more 
at  rariance  than  those  of  Captain  Cook  and  of  the  traders  who  had 
made  this  island  a  place  of  resort.  As  far  as  his  own  observation  went, 
he  was  happy  to  say  that  it  was  confirmatory  of  the  report  of  Captain 
Cook.  When  he  was  on  the  beautiful  lagoon  which  surrounded  this 
island,  between  the  outer  reef  and  the  shores  of  the  mainland,  he  saw  a 
man  fishing  in  a  canoe,  and  he  approached  this  man  in  a  little  boat 
which  he  always  carried  with  him.  He  found  the  man  perfectly  affable 
and  friendly,  and,  after  an  interchange  of  the  customary  marks  of 
friendship,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  inducing  the  islander  to  come  on 
board  the  vessel,  where  he  remained  for  several  days.  He  also  visited 
a  beautiful  district  in  the  island,  over  which  a  chief  who  had  been  in 
Sydney — and  who,  as  was  not  often  the  case,  had  been  improved  by  hit 
visit — was  the  ruler.  When  he  was  last  there,  this  chief  had  erected 
a  good  house  for  him  (the  Bishop)  upon  the  banks  of  a  river^  and 
would  be  very  glad,  doubtless,  if  he  could  get  him  there  to  occvrpy 
it.  He  believed,  therefore,  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  island  were 
by  no  means  so  bad  as  had  been  gonerally  stated,  although  he 
doubted  whether  Captain  Cook  was  quite  correct  in  thinking 
them  superior  to  the  Friendly  Islanders.  At  this  latter  group  he 
had  witnessed  one  of  the  most  interesting  sights  he  ever  beheld. 
About  200  children,  who  were  at  school,  dispersed  at  the  word  of 
the  teacher,  and  returning  immediately  afterwards,  each  with  some 
little  trinket  or  curiosity  as  an  offering  which  they  laid  at  his  feet. 
They  subsequently  followed  him  to  the  boat,  which  was  almost  filled  by 
these  offerings.  The  Fejee  Islands  were  partially  occupied  by  Wesleyan 
missionaries,  who  had  met  with  so  much  success  among  this  hitherto 
savage  people,  as  to  induce  a  lively  confidence  in  their  continued  suc- 
cess.    At  one  of  the  savage  islands  of  this  group,  two  native  women 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  H  h 


458  Foreign  and  CoUmial  Intdligenee. 

bad  been  eaugjbt  fishings  and,  aecorjdng  to  the  heathen  custom,  w^re 
condemned  to  be  killed  and  eaten, — but  two  ladies,  Mrs.  Little  and 
Mrs«  Cotterell,  in  the  absence  of  their  husbands,  went  off  in  a  boat  to 
the  chief,  and  presented  him  with  the  ransom  demanded  by  custom 
By  this  intercession  the  women  were  saved.     Missionary  ardour  and 
devotion,  they  must  see,  were  not  only  manifested  by  the  male  sex,  bat 
were  felt  with  equal  power  by  their  wives.     At  the  Island  of  Anatam  a 
party  of  Fejeans  had  attacked  and  wounded  most  severely  the  wife  of  a 
carpenter,  then  absent ;  the  Europeans  proposed  to  kill  the  whol^  party, 
but  only  the  man  who  actually  inflicted  the  wounds  was  shot.    The 
rest,  dreading  vengeance,  fled  to  the  woods ;  but  one  of  them  made  his 
way  to  the  missionary's  dwellipg,  and  lay  concealed  there  for  thirty-six 
hours,  until  he  was  compelled  by  hunger  to  come  out  and  beg  the 
missionary's  intercession,  which  was  accorded  to  him.     These  people 
then  knew  enough  of  the  missionary  characterto  have  confidence  in  one 
of  that  class.     Here  was  another  reason  for  perseyering  in  the  work 
before  them.     At  another  island,  where  no  great  period  had  elap^  since 
Captain  Padden  lost  seventeen  men,  and  within  three  miles  of  the  very 
spot  where  the  massacre  occurred,  there  was  a  native  mission  established 
by  the  London  Society,  and  which  had  been  handed  over  to  him  on 
account  of  his  being  so  much  nearer  to  the  spot*     Here  he  had  met 
three  congregations ;  one  of  about  200  persons,  a  second  of  about  150, 
and  a  third  of  a  somewhat  lesser  number.     There  was  no  sin^e  person 
on  the  island,  at  the  present  time*  with  whom  he  coul4  not  have  lived 
on  terms  of  the  greatest  confidence,  and  for  whom  he  did  not  foel  a  hope 
that  they  would  be  made  wise  unto  salvation.     The  work  of  Christian- 
izing these  people  might  then  be  carried  on  with  a  good  hope  of  success, 
and  at  the  same  time  they  might  car^  on  the  work  of  civilizing  and 
Christianizing  the  Blacks  of  Australia.     That  they  were  not  destitute  of 
capacity  had  already  been  shown ;  and  he  had  himself  trained  and  pre- 
pared a  youth  of  this  race,  who  was  deemed  worthy  by  his  Metropolitan 
of  the  rite  of  confirmation.     The  most  important  step  was  to  remove  the 
educated  Blacks  from  beyond  the  influence  of  the  barbarous  tribes;  and 
if  they  founded  colleges,  this  could  easily  be  done.     The  work  of  a 
Christian  mission  was  often  very  slow,  and  apparently  profitless  in  the 
first  instance  for  a  long  period  of  years,  and  equally  rapid  in  the  end. 
At  New  Zealand  they  were  fourteen  years  without  miJcing  any  progress. 
At  the  Society  Islands  the  time  was  even  greater.     Although  the  eflbrts 
to  convert  the  aborigines  of  Australia  had  been  hitherto  without  mate- 
rial success,  he  believed  from  the  various  indications  already  mentioned 
that  the  time  had  now  come  when  they  would  be  able  to  do  very  much 
for  these  poor  people.     By  God's  blessing  and  by  their  own  exertions 
they  would  also,  he  trusted,  be  able  to  extend  over  the  Western  Paciflc 
the  same  beneficent  rays  of  the  Gospel  light,  which  had  shone  so  glori- 
ously over  its  Eastern  Islands.     They  must  earnestly  pray  therefore 
for  strength  to  carry  out  their  great  and  holy  work. 

Sydney* — We  extract  the  following  advertisement  from  the  Sydney 


Sydney — Hobart  Town.  459 

Morning  Herald^  as  a  specimen  of  the  way  in  which  Romanism  in  the 
Colonies  assumes  rank  and  titles  in  defiance  of  the  Queen's  supremacy. 
Has  the  Sovereign  no  supremacy  in  the  Colonies  ? 

'*  Hia  Grace  the  Archbishop  of  Sydney  will  open  and  dedicate  to  tJM 
honour  and  glory  of  the  Great  and  Good  God»  under  the  Invocation  of 
St.  Nicholas,  Archbishop  of  Myra  in  the  fourth  century,  the  new  diurch 
at  Penrith,  on  Wednesday,  the  13th  November,  1850, 

'*  The  dedication  sermon  will  be  preached  by  His  Grace. 

'-*-The  grand  pontifical  high  mass  will  commence  at  eleven  o'clock. 

'*'A  selection  from  the  masses  of  Haydn  and  Mozart  will  be  sung  bj 
(he  ehdr  of  the  metropolitan  church.  "^ 

*'  A  collection  will  be  made  o;^  the  occasion  in  ajd  of  the  Building 

Hobart  Town, — The  fourth,  annual  commemoration  of  Christ's  Col- 
lege* tQo^  place  on  Thursday,  the  5th  December,  1850.  The  proceedings 
compienced  with  morning  prayer  in  the  College  chapel  at  11  a.m.  The 
chapel  was  quite  filled  ;  and  many  of  the  congre^ion  were  assembled 
round  the  door,  where,  however^  they  were  able  to  join  in  the  service. 
Arcbdeapon  Marriott,^  who  acted  for  the  Bishop  in  his  absence,  Arch^ 
deacon  Davies,  the  Warden,  and  Sul?- Warden  having  taken  their  places* 
the  service  commenced.  The  prayers  were  s^  by  the  Warden  ;  and 
the  chanting  was  accompanied  on  the  organ  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Norman,  late 
a  divinity  student  in  the  College.  In  the  *'  Benedicite,  omnia  opera," 
the  first  phrase  of  each  verse  was  taken  aj^ltemately  by  the  Warden  and 
one  of  the  boys»  the  whole  congregation  joining,  heart  and  soul,  in  the 
•*  praise  Him,  and  magnify  Him  for  ever,"  which  concludes  each  verse* 
The  service  being  ended,  the  two  Archdeacons  were  conducted  by  the 
Warden  and  Sub- Wardens  to  their  seats  in  the  upper  school-room, 
which  was  presently  filled  by  the  rest  of  the  company.  When  every 
body  was  seated  the  Warden  rose,  and  having  put  on  hia  cap,  delivered 
an  appropriate  Latin  oration. 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  the  Warden's  oration,  the  Venerable  Arch- 
deaco.^  Davies  arose  and  presented  the  following  financial  statement, 
in  Qearly  these  words : — "  As  visual,"  said  the  Archdeacon,  "  he  had  to 
regret  that  the  accounts  were  not  more  satisfactory,  and  that  he  was 
unable  to  report  ai^y  diminution  of  the  debt  with  which  the  estate  was 
still  ^ncuipbered,  the  interest  of  which,  during  the  past  year,  had  ab- 
sorbed not  less  than  394/.  of  their  income."  The  Archdeacon  here  pro 
duced  the  accompanying  statement : — 

Receipts, 

Rents  of  land       ....••••  £894 

On  account  of  scholarships,  &c 223 

Subscriptions      •         .         •         .         .         •         •         .170 
Balance •         •         .34 


15 

0 

15 

0 

0 

0 

0 

6 

£1322  10     6 

Hh2 


460  Fi>r0ign  and  Colonial  InUHUgenee. 

Expenditure. 

Salaries £590  0  0 

Interest 394  2  7 

Improvement  of  College  property           •         .         .         •  62  3  0 

Balance  due  to  Treasurer  and  late  Warden,  1849     •         •  85  10  0 

Books  for  Library 30  0  0 

Paid  Warden  on  account  of  fellowships  and  scholarships  160  14  11 


£1322  10   6 


"  The  prospect  before  them  was  any  thing  but  cheering.  It  most 
have  been  evident  to  all,  as  they  passed  through  the  estate  that  morn- 
ing, that  the  crops  were  almost  a  total  failure,  which  involved  a  serious 
diminution  in  their  income  for  1851.  To  make  any  further  reduction 
in  the  expenditure  was  impossible  \  it  would  tend  to  impair  the  efficiency 
of  the  institution.  To  meet  this  deficiency,  then,  we  must  exhort  those 
who  have  not  yet  paid  up  their  subscriptions,  to  do  so  at  once ;  and  such, 
he  would  beg  leave  to  remind  of  the  old  adage, '  Bis  dat,  qui  cito  dat.' 
It  was  well  known  to  many  that  our  dear  and  valued  friend  Mr.  Gell 
was  Exerting  himself  in  England  on  our  behalf ;  and  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  telling  them,  that  in  a  letter  he  had  received  from  that  gentleman,  he 
was  assured  that  there  was  very  little  doubt  that  3000/.  would  be  given 
hy  the  societies  in  England  to  the  College,  and  that  the  sole  cause  of 
delay  was  the  want  of  an  official  application  for  the  grant,  through  the 
Right  Reverend  the  Lord  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.  He  need  scarcely  add 
that  this  objection  would  be  speedily  removed,  and  that  the  money, 
when  received,  will  be  expended  in  paying  off  the  mortgage  on  the 


estate." 


'*  Had  Mr.  Wedge  been  present,  he  would  have  explained  a  proposal 
which  he  had  made  to  the  College  Trustees,  of  keeping  back  the  farms, 
as  the  leases  fell  in,  and  stocking  the  whole  of  the  College  estate  with 
sheep.  This  plan,  requiring  a  certain  outlay,  which  Mr.  Wedge  thought 
would  make  a  proportionate  return,  had  been  referred  by  the  College 
Trustees  to  two  practical  gentlemen,  Messrs.  Toosey  and  Clerke,  whose 
report  had  not  yet  been  received.  While  anxious  to  improve  the  estate, 
the  College  authorities  bad  not  forgotten  their  duty  to  the  children  re- 
siding upon  it.  A  gentleman,  a  graduate  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin, 
whose  indefatigable  exertions  have  been  amply  repaid  with  success,  has 
the  manaurement  of  the  village  school,  for  which  a  matron  also  has  been 
engaged  to  teach  sewing,  &c.  He  would  now  beg  leave  to  present  them 
with  another  account  of  a  more  satisfactory  character.  Last  year,  when 
it  was  found  necessary  to  diminish  the  house  expenditure,  in  order  to 
hring  it  within  the  yearly  income,  he  had  informed  them  of  a  calcula- 
tion of  the  Warden's,  in  which  he  had  undertaken  to  effect  this  most 
desirable  object.  A  year's  trial  had  been  made,  and  he  had  to  announce 
the  perfect  success  of  the  Warden's  efforts,  to  whose  careful  attention  to 
every  detail  of  house  expenditure  mig];i]t  be  attributed  the  success  which 


Hohari  Town.  461 

liad  attended  bis  exertions,  and  to  whom  the  thanks  of  the  community 
-i«rere  justly  due." 

Archdeacon  Davies  then  handed  over  the  accounts  to  Archdeacon 
Marriott  for  the  information  of  the  Bishop  as  Visitor. 

Archdeacon  Marriott : — **  My  friend  and  brother  fellow  has  reminded 
us,  in  his  last  words,  of  the  one  subject  of  regret,  which  we  all  feel  in 
comnnon  on  this  day,  and  which  I  must  feel  more  than  any — so  much 
«o,  that  could  I  have  anticipated  the  absence  of  the  Bishop,  I  should 
gladly  have  remained  at  home,  rather  than  appear  to  occupy  his  place 
on  such  an  occasion ;  and  now,  therefore,  I  am  most  unwilling  to  make 
you  feel  his  absence  the  more,  which  must  be  the  effect  of  my  addressing 
you.  Still  there  are  two  or  three  points  on  which  I  can  hardly  refrain 
from  touching,  especially  as  the  Warden's  speech  was  delivered  in  Latin, 
and  as  he  has  adverted  to  subjects  of  much  interest  to  many  who  are 
here  present.  Our  beginning  has  been,  according  to  the  excellent  and 
invariable  custom  of  this  College,  whether  in  its  daily  work,  or  in  its 
annual  commemoration,  to  express,  in  words  common  to  us  all,  and 
common  to  all  occasions,  those  deeper  feelings  with  which  we  regard 
not  one  another  alone,  but  Him  on  whom  we  trust — feelings  of  hope 
and  anxiety,  of  regret  and  of  thankfulness,  in  regard  to  those  special 
and  particular  interests  that  unite  us  together  on  this  day.  Such  has 
been  our  beginning ;  and  we  may  now  venture,  without  being  misun- 
derstood, to  advert  to  two  or  three  circumstances  only,  to  which  the 
warden  has  most  appropriately  alluded.  And  first,  as  no  pleasure  is 
without  its  pain,  so  no  source  of  regret  is  without  its  mingled  cause  of 
thankfulness ;  and  the  Warden  has  well  reminded  us  of  the  cause  of  the 
Bishop's  absence.  There  are  interests  dearer  and  deeper  than  those  even 
which  are  associated  with  this  institution — deeper  to  all  than  many  are 
aware,  but  which  some  are  fully  conscious  of  in  their  hearts,  and  we 
know  on  what  mission  our  Bishop  has  been,  and  that  he  has  been  where 
he  ought  to  have  been  for  our  good ;  and  we  trust  to  that  mission 
proving  a  source  of  comfort,  and  peace,  and  confidence  to  many,  as  an 
help  to  godly  union  and  concord.  There  are  others  also  to  whom  our 
Warden  has  alluded  most  kindly  and  most  justly*  And  I  must  speak 
of  them,  in  order  to  say  a  word  of  encouragement  to  all  the  members 
of  the  College  body,  down  to  the  youngest  boy, — for  the  one  thought 
I  wish  to  impress  upon  you  is,  that  the  prosperity  of  the  College  must 
and  will  depend  infinitely  more,  under  God,  on  the  character  of  each 
youth  as  he  leaves  its  walls,  than  on  any  outward  aid.  We  are  begin- 
ning now,  though  only  in  the  fifth  year  of  our  work,  to  gather  round  us 
one  of  the  blessings  which  belong  to  older  institutions, — I  mean,  the 
cherished  recollection  of  those  who  have  gone  forth  from  among  us,  but 
who  are  still  of  us,  and  with  us." 

When  Archdeacon  Marriott  had  ended,  the  Warden  invited  the  com- 
pany to  a  luncheon  which  had  been  prepared  in  the  College  hall. 

After  luncheon,  some  of  the  company  left;  but  at  evening  prayer  the 
chapel  was  again  filled,  as  in  the  morning ;  the  chapel  bell  ringing  at 
four  instead  of  fiv6  o'clock,  in  order  to  meet  the  convenience  of  t^ote  of 


468  Foreign  and  Cf^lonbil  Intelligence. 

l%«  yfsitots  tvlio  ^tbed  to  MmtL  By  bi^'-piBt  five  nil  tbe  Tbitxyrs 
(the  number  of  which  was  thought  to  be  200)  had  left,^-^matiy,  we 
would  hope,  carrying  away  with  thetH  <Aeep  feelings  of  thankfulnesi  for 
the  occasion  which  had  called  them  together,  and  of  trusting  faith  in 
Him  by  wbose  permission  ^lotoe  thdy  feft  the  insdtuiion  i^uld  ifttand 
or  fall. 

Belgium.— -The  Bishop  of  Jamaica  has  been  engaged  on  a  tonr 
of  eonfirmatfon  of  persons  of  the  English  eommunion  in  Belgium. 
Fifty-six  persons  were  confirmed  at  the  Chapel  Royal,  in  Brussels. 
On  Oood  Friday  his  Lordship  preached  and  administered  the  Sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  to  eighty  communk^nts.  There  was  a  large  con- 
gregation. 

BltiTisn  North  AinuicA.— CAiircA  Movements  in  the  Diocese  of 
Toronfo, — The  aig^essions  of  the  Liberid  and  Romish  party  on  the 
Church  in  Canacla  have  been  instrumental  in  rousing  Church  feeling 
and  energies  in  a  very  remarkable  way.  The  appeal  of  the  venerable 
Bisbopv  and  his  subsequent  visH  to  England^  have  haci  the  effect  of 
providing  funds  for  the  endowment  of  a  Church  University — the  Church 
having  been  deprived  of  its  educational  institutions  by  the  vote  of  an 
adverse  iegislatmre.  The  Bishop  of  Toronto  laid  the  foundation-stone 
of  the  Church  University  on  March  17th.  In  his  address  the  Bishop 
spoke  sanguinely  of  the  prosperity  of  the  new  College  :-*«- 

**  We  may  seem  to  those  who  look  only  to  earthly  and  outward 
appearances  as  a  feeble  band  ;  and,  because  we  have  little  or  no  endow- 
ment, to  be  in  danger  of  passing  away  like  the  summercloud;  imt  it  is 
a  work  which  has  for  its  -object  the  glory  «f  God  and  the  extension  of 
his  kingdom  ;  and  therefore,  if  we  prosecute  it  in  the  right  spirit,  it  will 
obtain  the  Divine  blessing,  and  be  sure  to  prosper.  We  kahre,  indeed, 
much  already  for  which  to  be  thankful;  the  contributions  of  the 
members  of  the  Church,  both  iiere  and  at  home,  have  enabled  ns 
to  eontrkct  for  a  noble  edifice,  which  wiH,  it  is  hoped,  not  Only  adorn, 
but  become  the  channel  of  fn»ny  blessings  to  this  city  and  diocese. 
Even  already,  we  stand,  as  to  worldly  ineans  and  appliances^  much  in 
advance  of  the  two  great  Universities  in  England  at  their  commence- 
inent,  whose  sdhoiars,  nasny  yeturs  after  they  begun  the  business  of 
instruction,  were  so  poor,  as  Chaucer  tells  us,  as  to  be  compelled  to 
e«rry  their  oWn  grist  to  the  mill :  and  from  so  sma>l  beginning  what  are 
these  Universities  now  ?  The  most  splendid  'establishments  for  liter»-> 
tmre  and  science  in  tbe  world,  and  justly  called  the  breasts  of  England. 
And  how  have  they  risen  to  this  eminence  ?  By  untiring  diligence  and 
attention  to  the  great  objects  for  which  tfaey  were  instituted-^he  train- 
ing up  the  rising  generation  %o  virtue  anMi  piety,  and  imbuing  1/heir 
minds  with  the  saci'ed  trwths  of  Christianity  in  their  purest  form.  The 
fruits  ore  seen  in  liie  i^enerous  offerings  m^de  ^m  age  to  age  by 
grateful  pupils  tO  ex4)end  'the  power  and  usefulness  of  tbeae  Uairersities 
till  Ihey  are  now  the  wonder  «f  the  worid." 


Belgium — BritiA  North  ^America.  463 

Tiw  Bishop  then  took  the  8pa^  from  the  iirchite«t,  A<id,  having  filled 
it  with  the  soil^  said,  **  We  begiti  this  work  in  the  niime  of  the  Pother, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  He  then  threw  it  into  the 
barrow,  which  was  soon  heaped  over  by  the  Cofmcil,  each  throwing  into 
it  one  or  more  spadesfiil  ^  the  Grand  Sheriff  of  the  couhcy,  Volunteering 
to  be  his  Lordship's  barrowman,  wheeled  it  to  the  'place  of  deposit :— ^ 

"  Three  cheers  were  then  given  for  the  dueen,  three  Ibr  the  Bishop, 
and  three  for  the  prosperity  of  Trinity  College.  After  the  cheering, 
which  was  very  hearty,  had  subsided,  the  Biirtiop  said  : — 

**  Genttemen, — Before  we  separate,  let  rae  beg  of  Jrott  all  to  lift  up 
yoar  hearts  in  silent  prayer  to  Almighty  God,  that  all  who  are  employed^ 
in  erecting  this  building  may  be  preserved  from  accidents  and  dangers, 
and  that,  when  Completed,  it  may  ever  promote  the  glory  of  €k>d  and 
the  welfare  of  his  people." 

So  ended  this  simple  but  very  interesting  preliminary  step  towards 
the  erection  of  Trinity  College.  The  site  which  has  beeti  selected  is 
exceedingly  beautiful ;  and  the  building,  when  finished,  will  present  a 
striking  and  pleasing  object  to  all  ships  approaching  or  leaving  tho 
harbour,  which  it  will  in  a  great  measure  overlooks 

The  Bishop  of  Toronto  has  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Prime  Minister, 
urging  the  necessity  of  the  Church  ia  Canada  being  permitted  to  make 
local  regulations  for  the  management  of  her  own  affairs. 

The  following  passages  comprise  the  principal  reeommendationis  or 
suggestions  of  the  Bishop :— * 

**  Let  the  Church  in  Canada  be  allowed  fuil  liberty  of  action.  While 
there  was  only  one  Bishop  and  a  few  missionaries  scattefred  over  the 
iwrface  of  this  vast  province,  and  while  the  government  het«,  and  in  the 
mother  country,  were  members  of  the  Church,  and  her  natural  guardians 
from  position  and  inclination^  we  had  security  and  peace.  Her  ministra- 
tions were  gradually  extended  as  the  eovntry  became  settled,  and  she  pos- 
sessed that  influence  ia  puhlio  afBnrs  to  which  she  was  justly  entitled; 
but  now  that  the  State  at  home  and  abroad  professes  to  iuve  no  reli- 
gion, and  seems,  in  practice,  to  prefer  all  religioas  communities,  but 
more  especially  the  Roman  Catholic^  to  the  United  Churdi  of  England 
and  Ireland,  it  is  unjust  to  hold  her  in  chains  by  antiquated  ]aws« 
which  have  no  force  against  any  of  Her  Mi^e«ty's  subjects,  except  those 
that  belong  to  the  National  Church,  and  to  which  she  submitted  «t  la 
time  when  there  were  no  other  religiious  hodles,  a«d  lor  the -sake  of  the 
pveferenoe  and  special  protection  which  are  now  wididiaiwu. 

**  To  speak  of  the  Chutvh  as  in  unity  with  the  State,  in  the  present 
state  of  things,  is  as  ridiculous  as  it  is  untrue ;  for,  siniGe  the  unequal 
application  Of  the  principle  of  civil  and  teligitnis  liberty,  in  1827  and 
1^29,  she  has  been  left  as  a  taiget  for  ail  sects  and  denominations  to 
shoot  at,  and  as  helpless  as  such  target,  because  she  is  not  free  to 
exercise,  in  her  own  defencie,  the  rights  and  inherent  ipowcrs  which,  in 
common  justice,  ought  to  be  oonflmed  to  her,  from  tfhat  Mune  prin- 
ciple. 


464  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intdliffenee. 

**  All  other  religioas  bodies  have  their  legislatures,  which  are  free  to 
meet  when  and  where  they  please,  to  deliberate  and  pass  by-laws,  so 
long  as  such  only  affect  the  spiritual  concerns  of  those  who  are  willing 
to  accept  them,  and  impose  nothing  inconsistent  with  their  condition  as 
subjects,  to  which  all  denominations  must  yield  obedience. 

*'  In  this  province  the  Roman  Catholics  are  under  no  restraint;  the 
Wesleyans  have  their  Conference ;  the  Kirk  of  Scotland  and  the  Free 
Kirk  have  their  Presbyteries  and  Synods;  but,  should  the  Church 
desire  to  meet  in  Convocation  for  the  regulation  of  her  affairs,  she  is 
threatened  with  the  Act  of  Submission,  which  is  said  to  reach  the 
Colonies,  although  this  country  was  not  known  at  the  time  of  its  enact- 
ment. 

**  A  special  licence  from  the  Queen  is  said  to  be  absolutely  necessary 
te  enable  any  Bishop  to  assemble  his  clergy  in  Convocation  for  the  pur- 
pose of  passing  canons  and  regulations  for  the  peace  and  good  govern- 
ment of  his  diocese. 

"  Now,  as  such  licence  has  been  refused  to  the  mother  Church  in 
England  for  upwards  of  a  century,  it  would  seem  to  be  in  vain  to  apply 
for  one  here;  nevertheless,  the  attempt  must  soon  be  made;  and 
should  it  prove  unsuccessful,  we  must  then  carefully  examine  the  re- 
straining enactments  of  Henry  Vlir.,  as  doubts  have  been  lately 
thrown  out  by  high  legal  authority  of  its  application  beyond  the  seas. 

"  It  is,  however,  our  design  to  proceed  with  all  becoming  respect 
and  moderation.  We  shall  therefore  petition,  in  the  first  place,  for 
licence  to  meet  in  a  diocesan  synod  for  the  regulation  of  the  spiritual 
affairs  of  the  Church ;  and  should  we  fail,  it  will  then  be  our  duty  to 
consider  what  can  be  done  in  the  premises,,  for  it  is  quite  evident  that 
the  Church  in  Canada  is  now  far  too  large  to  proceed  with  dignity  and 
efficiency  under  its  present  imperfect  ministrations. 

**  Assuming  that  the  lay  members  of  the  Church  in  Canada  approach 
three  hundred  thousand,  under  three  Bishops  and  two  hundred  and 
forty  clergymen,  it  must  needs  be  that  difficulties  and  offences  will 
arise :  and  how  are  they  to  be  dealt  with  ? 

"  The  Bishop  is,  in  most  cases,  powerless.  Jurisdiction  is  no  doubt 
granted  him  by  his  appointment  and  commission,  but  he  has  no  regular 
courts  by  which  to  try  causes,  and  acquit  or  punish,  as  the  case  may  be. 
Hence  he  is  frequently  unable  to  suppress  reckless  insubordination  and 
sullen  opposition,  even  in  things  purely  spiritual.  At  one  time  he  is 
accused  of  feebleness  and  irresolution  ;  and  at  another,  when  he  acts 
with  firmness  and  vigour,  he  is  called  a  despot. 

"  It  may,  indeed,  be  true  that  the  Church  has  increased  so  rapidly 
that  no  great  inconvenience  has  as  yet  been  felt.  The  Clergy,  as  a 
body,  have  acted  beyond  all  praise  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  their  im- 
portant and  onerous  duties.  But  this  state  of  things  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  continue.  The  Bishop  frequently  feels  himself  weak,  and 
requires  at  such  times  the  refreshing  counsel  of  his  brethren,  and  their 
constitutional  co-operation  in  maturing  the  measures  which  he  may  feel 


British  North  America — Toronto.  466 

it  proper  to  adopt.  Their  presence,  therefore,  appears  indispensable,  if 
the  Church  in  this  extreme  portion  of  the  Lord's  vineyard  is  to  carry 
out  successfully  her  Divine  mission. 

*•  Were  the  Clergy  of  the  province  to  meet  under  their  three  Bishops* 
or  even  were  they  to  meet  under  one  Bishop  in  their  respective  dio- 
ceses, with  such  representatives  of  the  laity,  being  ^communicants,  as 
might  be  thought  right,  they  would  accomplish  all  that  might  be 
required. 

*<  Never,  perhaps,  did  the  Church  proceed  in  any  colony  with  the 
like  rapidity  ;  and  this  not  merely  in  Upper  Canada,  which  happens  to 
possess  peculiar  advantages,  but  equally  so  in  Lower  Canada,  notwith- 
standing the  overwhelming  number  of  Romanists. 

*'  Hence,  we  fear  not  Rome,  her  Jesuits,  or  her  schemes.  Our  holy 
Church,  resting  on  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  has  success- 
fully opposed  them  for  three  centuries,  on  the  principles  of  primitive 
truth  and  order,  and  is  still  equally  able  to  do  so,  leaning  on  Divine 
help,  in  every  part  of  the  world. 

'*  I.  The  Clergy  and  lay  delegates  might  meet,  with  their  Bishops, 
and  make  rules  and  regulations  for  the  better  conduct  of  their  eccle- 
siastical affairs,  and  for  holding  such  meetings  from  time  to  time  as 
might  be  deemed  necessary  and  convenient. 

**  II.  Such  rules  and  regulations  not  to  impose  or  inflict  any  cor- 
poral or  pecuniary  penalty  or  disability,  other  than  such  as  may  attach 
to  the  avoidance  of  any  office  or  benefice  held  in  the  said  Church. 

"IIL  That  no  such  rule  or  regulation  shall  be  binding  on  any 
person  or  persons,  other  than  the  said  Bishop  or  Bishops,  and  the 
Clergy  and  lay  persons  within  the  colony  or  diocese,  declared  members 
of  the  Church  of  England. 

"  IV.  That  it  shall  not  be  competent  to  the  said  Bishops,  Clergy, 
and  lay  persons,  or  any  of  them,  to  pass  any  regulation  affecting  the 
rights  of  the  Crown,  without  the  consent  of  Her  Majesty's  principal 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies. 

'*  V.  That  no  such  rule  or  regulation  shall  authorize  the  Bishop  of 
any  diocese  to  confirm  or  consecrate,  or  to  ordain,  licence,  or  institute 
any  person  to  any  see,  or  to  any  pastoral  charge  or  other  episcopal  or 
clerical  office,  unless  such  person  shall  have  previously  taken  the  oath 
of  allegiance  to  Her  Majesty,  and  shall  have  also  subscribed  the  Articles 
of  the  United  Church  of  England  and  Ireland,  and  declared  his  un- 
feigned assent  and  consent  to  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer. 

"JVere  the  Bishops  and  Clergy  to  meet,  with  such  powers  as 
these,  slender  though  they  be,  the  moral  influence  •!  such  meetings 
and  proceedings  would  be  immediately  felt  and  acknowledged." 

In  accordance  with  the  intentions  expressed  in  the  above  letter,  the 
Bishop  of  Toronto  addressed  a  pastoral  letter  to  his  Clergy,  summoning 
them  to  a  convention  of  the  clergy  and  lay  representatives  of  the  Church 
in  his  diocese,  to  consider  its  position  with  regard  to  its  relations  to  the 
State  ?-^ 
In  this  pastoral  the  following  are  the  most  important  passages :— 


466  Fomgn  and  CoUmal  JMdRffenee. 

**  It  has  beeti  Buggested,  and  even  ^yresaiBd  upoh  me,  by  many  of  the 
most  pious  and  respectable  members  of  our  commnnion,  both  lay  and 
clerical,  that  the  Church,  now  so  numerous  in  Canada  West,  ought  to 
express  her  opinion,  as  a  body,  on  the  posture  of  her  secular  atfairs, 
when  an  attempt  is  again  making  by  her  enemies  to  despoil  her  of  the 
small  remainder  of  her  property,  which  has  been  set  apart  and  devoted 
to  sacred  purposes  during  sixty  years ;  and  that  it  is  not  only  her  duty 
to  protest  against  such  a  manifest  breach  of  public  faith,  but  to  take 
such  steps  as  may  seem  just  and  reasonable  to  avert  the  same. 

"  Having  taken  this  suggestion  into  serious  consideration,  and  be- 
lieving it  not  only  founded  in  wisdom,  but,  in  the  present  crisis  of  the 
temporalities  of  the  Church,  absolutely  necessary,  I  hereby  request 
every  clergyman  in  my  diocese  to  invite  the  members  of  his  mission  or 
congregation,  being  regular  communicants,  to  select  one  or  two  of  their 
number,  to  accompany  him  to  the  visitation. 

"  For  the  sake  of  order,  it  is  req«iested  that  such  lay  members  be 
furnished  with  certificates,  from  their  minister  Or  churchwardens,  that 
they  have  been  duly  appointed,  to  entitle  them  to  take  pait  in  the  pro- 
ceedings which  may  take  place  subsequent  to  the  visitation. 

**  It  is  expected  that  such  missions  or  congregations  as  accede  to  this 
invitation  will  take  measures  to  defray  the  necessary  expenses  incurred 
by  their  clergymen  and  representatives  in  their  attendance  on  this  duty, 
which  will  be  strictly  confined  to  the  consideration  olf  the  temporal 
affairs  and  position  of  the  Church." 

A  report  has  lately  been  issued  by  the  Church  Union  of  the  diocese 
of  Toronto  recommending  co-operatiOn  : — **  with  our  brethren  in  the 
United  Kingdom  in  endeavouring  to  obtain  for  the  Church,  both  at 
home  and  in  the  colonies,  particularly  in  these  provinces,  afn  efBcient 
organization,  such  as  its  necessities  and  the  times  demand ;  whilst  it 
leaves  the  maintenance  of  its  doctrine  and  its  disdplinte  111  other  said 
more  competent  hands." 

The  Synod  of  Toronto. — The  clerical  and  lay  delegates,  convened 
by  the  Bishop,  met  at  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  at  Toronto,  on 
the  1st  of  May,  when  Divine  service  was  performed  and  the  Holy  Com- 
munion celebrated ;  after  which  t^e  'certificates  of  the  lay  delegates 
were  verified,  and  two  secretaries,  one  clerical  and  one  lay,  elected. 
On  the  following  day  the  «ynod  proceeded  to  consider  the  best  means 
of  protecting  the  property  ^  the  Church,  when  the  following  resolution, 
the  first  of  a  series  on  the  same  subject.  Was  agreed  to : — 

'*  That  the  Bishop,  Clergy,  and  laity  of  Che  diocese  of  Torontq,  in 
conference  assembled,  by  the  request  of  the  Lord  Bishop,  a%  his  Trien- 
nial Visitation,  holden  on  the  1st  and  2iid  of  May,  1851,  do  solemnly 
protest  against  t^e  alienaltion  to  any  secalanr  purpose  whatever  of  the 
lands  called  Clergy  Reserves,  originally  set  apart  by  Act  of  SI  George 
III.,  c  31,  and  finally  sanctioned  by  3  and  4  Victoria,  o.  7ft,  for  the 
maintenance  of  reJigicin  and  religious  knowledge  in  the  province*— as 
being  opposed  to  the  constitution  of  the  Church  of  God  in  every  age, 
at  varianee  with  the  principles  acted  «pon  by  ^M.  Chiisdiin  nations, 


British  Ncfih  America — Tonmto — Nawi  Scotia.        467 

SttbverBiv^  of  the  tecofgnised  ri^ts  of  British  rabjefcts^  and  in  violation 
of  the  fidelity  and  integrity  of  Parliamentary  enactmients  and  the  cleci* 
sions  of  law." 

The  next  subject  proposed  by  the  Bishop  wafs  the  revival  of  Convo- 
cation, on  which  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : — 

"  That  this  meeting  is  of  opinion,  that,  for  the  more  efieetual  exer- 
cise of  the  discipline  of  the  Church,  and  the  more  advantageous  manage- 
ment of  its  temporal  affairs,  it  is  expedient  and  desirable  to  apply  to 
the  Crown  for  the  establishment  of  a  Diocesan  Sytiod  or  Convocation, 
consisting  of  the  Laity  as  well  lis  of  the  Clergy  of  the  Churchy  so  as 
best  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  Church  in  this  diocese ;  and  that 
the  Committee  aforesaid  do  «h-aft  a  memorial  to  the  Queen,  founded 
upon  the  observations  upon  this  subject  expressed  in  the  episcopal 
charge  of  the  Lord  Bishop  delivered  yesterday." 

In  the  course  of  the  discussion,  the  Bishop  stated  that  he  bad  been 
informed  hy  the  highest  authorities  in  ecclesiastical  law  in  Englaind, 
that,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  synodical  action,  the  Queen  should  be 
memorialized  through  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  Education  was 
another  topic  considered  by  the  Synod,  whose  (pinion  on  the  subject 
was  embodied  in  the  following  resolution  :-— 

**  That  this  meeting  desires  to  express  its  sense  of  the  paramount 
dnty  of  connecting  religion  with  secular  education  ;  and,  in  order  to 
carry  out  this  obligation,  they  deem  it  to  be  necessary  to  petition  the 
Colonial  Legislature  to  permit  the  establishment  of  separate  Church 
schools,  and  Uiat  the  assessments  ordinarily  paid  by  Churdimen  for  the 
support  of  common  schools  be  applied  to  the  maintenance  of  such  as 
are  in  connexion  with  the  Church,  where  such  appropriation  is  practi- 
cable and  desired,  and  that  the  Committee  aforesaid  be  empowered  to 
draft  the  same." 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Bishop  was  carried  by  acclamation*  In 
acknowledging  it,  his  Lordship  observed  on  tbe  harmony  which  had 
distinguished  their  proceedings,  and  which^vc  great  promise  of  success. 
Tbe  Bis^hop  concluded  with  the  Apostoflic  benedicfCionf  stflier  which  the 
meeting  separated. 

In  the  evening  a  meeting  of  the  Tortfato  Cbureh  Union  was  held  at 
the  City  Hall,  which  passed  off  with  equal  unaniitoityy  aad  with  great 
enthusiasm. 

Nova  Scotia. — The  Archdeacon  of  Halifax  has  called  together  his 
Clergy  to  take  counsel  concerning  the  raising  of  funds  for  the  endow- 
ment of  their  Bishopric,  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  informing  them 
that  the  only  available  sum  at  the  disposal  of  the  Society  for  the  Pro- 
pagation of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts  is  the  interest  of  the  fund  left 
by  Archbishop  Tennison,  amounting  to  about  440/«  a  year  *'  for  the 
maintenance  of  Bishops  in  America."  His  Grace  urges  the  subject  on 
the  colonists  in  the  following  language : — 

"  I  need  hardly  remind  you  that  a  Bishop  has  now  been  maintained 
in  Nova  Scotia  for  upwards  of  sixty  years,  to  the  manifest  advantage 
of  tbe  Churdh,  a«d  the  benefit  of  tbe  ptoi^Boe  geneHally,  without  4iiiy 


468  Farei^  and  Colonial  InUUigmee. 

expense  to  the  inhabitants.  That  support  has  now  been  withdrawn ; 
btit,  I  trust,  that  I  do  not  mistake  the  feeling  of  the  members  of  the 
Church,  in  presuroinj^  that  they  will  be  anxious  to  meet  the  difficulty 
arising  from  the  cessation  of  Government  aid  by  their  voluntary 
contributions. 

'*  A  moderate  income  is  all  that  is  required ;  but  at  whatever  amount 
it  be  fixed,  (and  of  tliisi  the  Clergy  of  the  colony  are  the  most  compe- 
tent jud^s,)  it  should  be  derived  from  capital  subscribed,  so  as  to 
secure  a  permanent  endowment  of  the  see.  It  seems  only  fitting, 
too,  that  a  suitable  residence  for  the  Bishop  should  be  provided  from 
local  resources.  What  proportion  of  the  necessary  income  of  a  Bishop 
can  be  raised  in  the  diocese  I  have  no  means  of  judgint^;  but  I  sin- 
cerely trust  that  both  Clergy  and  laity  will  perceive  that  the  present 
is  an  occasion  for  the  exercise  of  an  ungrudging  lioerality ;  and  I  would 
urge  you,  therefore,  to  take  immediate  measures  for  commencing  an 
endowment  fund.** 

A  meeting  of  Clergy  and  of  lay  representatives  of  the  diocese  of 
Nova  Scotia  having  been  convened  by  the  Archdeacon,  it  was  resolved 
to  aid  in  carrying  out  the  design  of  raising  additional  funds  for  the 
endowment  of  the  bishopric;  but  the  Clergy  and  laity  present  ex- 
pressed their  opinion  that  they  ought  to  be  permitted  to  take  part  in 
the  election  of  future  Bishops.  The  following  important  resolution 
was  adopted,— 

"  That  it  be  an  instruction  to  the  committee  of  correspondence  to 
mention  to  his  Grace  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  a  feeling  among 
Churchmen  in  this  diocese,  that  some  measures  be  adopted  for  securing 
to  them  some  voice  in  the  nominations  of  their  chief  pastors  after  the 
present  vacancy  shall  have  been  filled  up ;  and  to  solicit  his  council 
with  regard  to  the  best  means  of  regulating  generally  the  ecclesiastical 
and  temporal  affairs  of  the  Church.'* 

The  Society  for  Promoting  Christian  Knowledge  has  voted  the^sum 
of  2000/.  towards  the  endowment  of  the  bishopric  of  Nova  Scotia. 
The  Rev.  Hibbert  Binney,  D.D.,  late  Fellow  of  Worcester  College, 
Oxford,  has  been  consecrated  Bishop  of  Nova  Scotia,  by  the  Arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  and  other  Prelates,  and  has  proceeded  to  the 
scene  of  his  pastoral  labours. 

China. — It  was  reported  at  first  that  the  young  emperor  of  China, 
who  succeeded  last  year  to  the  throne,  was  very  favourable  to  the 
Christian  religion,  and  had  invited  four  Romish  missionaries  to  reside 
in  his  palace.  It  was  stated  by  M.  Perrocheau,  a  Romish  Bishop  in 
China,  that  the  emperor  had  been  educated  by  a  Christian.  The  em- 
peror, however,  has  since  then  issued  edicts  unfavourable  to  Christianity. 

France.— The  opening  of  the  Holy  Week  was  solemnized  at  Ndtre 
Dame  with  the  accustomed  pomp,  by  the  Archbishop  of  Paris;  and  the 
reliques  of  the  true  cross,  the  crown  of  thorns,  and  nails,  were  carried 


CltJMi — F^ntmci.  469 

in  jiTocession.  All  bouses,  omnibaaes,  mud  stalls,  were  sdcinied  wttb 
Eprigs  of  box,  wbich  replsces  in  tbe  nortb  the  psliii«  In  the  south  ths 
olive  is  U9ed. 

MisctUa^eoMs  Imteliigemc^. — Tbe  Munidpsl  Conndl  of  the  town  of 
Aries  have  handed  over  th<;ir  commercial  colle^  to  the  Archhi&hon  of 
Aix,  for  the  pnqx»e  of  sn  estshlishroent  of  secondary  instruction.  Ths 
Bishop  of  Valence  has  received  the  commercial  coUq^e  of  Montelimsr 
for  the  same  purpose.  Both  grants  have  been  confirmed  by  Qovern« 
ment. 

Lyons, — At  the  close  of  the  Jubilee,  the  Te  Deum  was  sung«  and  ths 
benediction  was  given  by  the  Archbishop  of  Turin  (M.  Fransoni).  ThU 
prelate  used  the  magnificent  cross  which  had  been  purchased  for  him 
by  public  subscription  by  his  friends  at  Turin. 

Paris. — ^The  Archbishop  of  Paris,  to  whom  "  the  detoiftm  to  ths 
august  Virgin  Mother  of  God,  has  always  been,  after  the  iiw€  due  to  her 
adorable  Son,  the  object  of  his  most  tender  solicitude,**  has  issued 
regulations  for  tlie  worship  of  the  Virgin  during  the  month  of  May,  or 
**  month  of  Mary,'*  as  he  entitles  it. 

The  preachers  Lacordaire,  Ravignan,  and  others,  have  issued  a  letter 
protesting  against  the  unauthorized  publication  of  their  sermons  by 
short-hand  writers. 

Aries. — At  Lancon  the  Jubilee  was  lately  preached  by  two  mission- 
aries from  Aix.  It  is  stated  that  the  number  of  annual  communicants 
out  of  a  population  of  2000,  used  to  be  scarcely  forty ;  but  that  600 
communicated  during  this  mission. 

Aveyron. — A  number  of  the  adherents  of  the  Petite  Eglise^  who 
adhered  to  the  Bishops  of  France  deposed  by  Pius  VII.  in  1801  at  the 
desire  of  Buonaparte,  have  recently  sent  in  their  suhmission  to  the 
Pope. 

Toufouse. — The  Cardinal  Archbishop  has  issued  a  circular,  urging  a 
subscription  to  meet  the  expense  of  proceedings  in  re  the  canonization 
of  the  venerable  Germain  Cousin  of  Pibrac,  **  whose  name,*'  he  says, 
'*  is  honoured  and  blessed  by  all  classes  of  society,'*  especially  by  th6 
sick,  '*  who  have  felt  marvellous  effects  in  numbers  from  his  protection." 
He  rejoices  that  the  Pope  has  recognized  **  the  heroism  of  bis  theologi- 
cal and  cardinal  virtues,'*  and  has  directed  that  the  four  miracles  aicribed 
to  him  should  be  canonically  examined  into.  He  trusts  that  Oermain 
will  eventually  obtain  '*  the  ineffable  honours  which  the  Church  accords 
to  her  most  fervent  disciples,*'  and  thinks  he  sees  the  approach  of  the 
'*  splendour  of  this  magnificent  apotheosis.** 

Marseilles  — The  Bishop,  Chapter,  Clergy,  and  others  at  Marseillei, 
have  been  issuing  a  series  of  addresses  and  congratulations  on  occasion 
of  the  Pope  having  granted  the  use  of  the  Pallium  to  the  Bishop  of 
Msfrseilles. 

Mans, — A  "  deplorable "  circumstance  lately  occurred  at  Evron# 
While  a  missionary  priest  was  haranguing  the  people,  be  was  inter* 
mpted  by  the  exclamation,  A  bos  U  G — /  and  nnmbers  ot  persons 


470  Foreign  and  Colonial  InUlligence. 

were  seen  smoking  pipes  and  cigars  at  one  side  and  towards  the  end  of 
the  church. 

The  liberals  of  France,  having  learnt  by  the  result  of  the  expedition 
to  Rome  that  Romanism  is  only  £Etvourab1e  to  Liberalism  and  Republi- 
canism when  it  suits  its  own  purpose,  and  is  ready  to  exterminate  Liberty 
with  the  sword,  whenever  it  is  opposed  to  the  interests  of  the  Papacy, 
are  now  adverse  to  that  Church,  which  was  the  first  to  join  in  the  cry 
of  Liberie^  Egalilk,  FraieruitS,  In  some  of  the  recent  debates  the 
Mountain  moved  for  the  suppression  of  the  sum  of  45,000  francs  granted 
to  the  French  Cardinals  for  defraying  the  expenses  of  their  installation, 
and  of  the  supplementary  stipend  of  5000  francs  a  year,  which  these 
dignitaries  receive  over  and  above  their  episcopal  incomes.  In  the 
opinion  of  MM.  Bourzat,  De  Montjan,  and  other  members  of  the 
Mountain^  the  French  Cardinalship  is  useless  and  onerous  to  the  State. 
The  answer  of  the  Romish  party  to  this  is  set  forih  in  the  report  of  M. 
Ponjoulat  on  the  subject. 

"  For  eight  centuries  the  election  of  the  Popes  has  been  in  the  hands 
of  the  Cardinals,  and  throughout  the  whole  of  that  period  there  have 
always  been  French  Cardinals.  Many  of  these  Popes,  and  not  the 
least  illustrious,  have  belonged  to  the  French  nation.  Since  the  times 
of  Hubert  the  Benedictine,  and  Frederic  of  Lorraine,  our  first  Car- 
dinals, how  many  striking  names  have  there  been,  how  many  personages 
esteemed  by  their  country  for  their  great  virtues  and  services,  and  who 
are  deeply  and  gloriously  interwoven  with  ovM^  history !  The  Sacred 
College  is  the  representation  of  the  Catholic  nations  of  the  universe 
around  the  chief  of  the  Church.  Is  it  possijble  for  France  to  be  absent 
froni  such  a  Senate?  France,  who  so  long  since  founded  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  Popes  by  the  constitution  of  their  temporal  authority, 
and  who  has  always  played  so  pre-eminent  a  part  in  Catholic  questions. 
The  French  Cardinalship  is  part  and  parcel  of  our  exterior  influence; 
its  action  is  real  and  serious  when  a  chief  is  to  be  giyen  to  the  immense 
family  of  the  Church.  Both  in  a  reUgious  and  political  point 
of  view,  one  candidate  for  the  tiara  may  be  preferable  to  another; 
thos^  who  speak  of  the  nullity  of  our  influence  in  the  conclave  are 
ignorant  that  the  powers  h£^v§  a  right  of  exclusion  which  is  recognized 
at  Rome.  More  than  once  France  has  seen  the  votes  of  the  Sacred 
College  select  the  name  which  had  appeared  ta  her  most  congenial  to 
the  interests  of  Europe  and  of  religion.  What  shall  we  answer  to 
those  who  tell  us  that  the  Roman  purple  unnationalizes  our  Bishops  ? 
When  will  men  cease  to  expect  that  Catholics,  in  obeying  the  Pope, 
obey  a  foreign  prince  ?  Is  it  so  diflicult  to  understand  that  the  dignities 
of  the  Church,  like  submission  to  the  laws  of  the  Church,  are  placed  in 
a  region  pure  and  spiritual,  in  that  empire  of  the  conscience  which 
knows  no  fanatics  and  escapes  all  earthly  dominion?  History  has 
abundantly  proved  that  the  accomplishment  of  Cathplic  duty  is  no 
injury  to  patriotism,  and  that  the  French  Cardinals  most  faithful  to  the 
Holy  See  have  energeticaUy  displayed  their  loye  for  their  country.  .  .  ." 


France^  *71 

The  abpye  is  quoted  because  it  gives,  in  substance,  ^he  arguments 
used,  in  the  course  of  a  very  long  and  very  tumultuous  debate,  by  the 
Minister  of  Public  Worship,  and  others,  in  defence  of  the  endoM[^ 
ment,  which  was  supported  by  the  AsSjcmbly  by  a  majority  of  44f\ 
against  194. 

The  religious  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  different  communions  ^.t 
Paris,  during  Passion  week,  have  been  attended  by  numerous  coi^- 
gregations.  On  Passion  Sunday,  the  Sunday  but  one  before  Easter, 
the  relics  were  transported  by  the  Archbishop  from  the  different 
churches  in  which  they  are  preserved  to'  the  metropolitan  church, 
preparatory  to  their  exposition  on  Good  Friday.  On  lii^t  day  the 
ceremony  at  Notre  Dame  was  attended  not  only  by  an  unusually  lar^e 
assemblage  of  the  people,  but  by  the  Chief  of  the  State  and  hi^ 
officers.  Tl^e  circumstance,  so  unusual,  has  been  the  subject  of  unir 
versal  remark  and  comment.  On.  Easter  Sunday  the  Church  of  St. 
Roch  was  filled  to  such  an  extent  that  people  were  standing  outside  the 
doors,  as  before  a  theatre,  waiting  for  admission ;  and  the  Madeleine  and 
other  churches  appeared  to  be  almost  equally  frequented.  At  the 
Oratoire,  one  of  the  temples  of  the  Reformed  communion,  as  large  as 
the  nave  pf  many  cathedrals,  the  attendance  was  so  great  that  hundreds 
went  away  under  the  impossibility  of  finding  an  entrance.  It  was  the 
ceremony  of  the  reception  of  the  catechumens,  at  which  a  number  of 
young  people  of  both  sexes  are  admitted  to  their  premiere  communim 
by  the  minister  who  has  instructed  them,  and  in  presence  of  their 
parents  and  the  assembled  congregation.  The  ceremony  is  highly 
affecting  and  interesting.  After  the  whole  congregation  is  seated,  the 
catechumens  are  introduced  from  an  external  part  of  the  building ;  the 
girls  first,  all  clad  in  white,  and  enveloped  in  white  veils,  followed  by 
the  hoj9.  Then  come  the  parents  who,  all  together,  high  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  take  the  seats  prepared  for  them  to  witness  the  entrance  of 
their  children  into  the  Church  to  which  they  themselves  belong.  Some 
allusion,  such  as  the  subject  of  the  day  admitted,  is  of  course  made  to 
the  ceremony  in  the  sermon ;  but  on  the  approach  of  the  catechumens 
to  the  long  narrow  communion  table  in  the  centre  of  the  church  (round 
which  all  receive  the  elements  standing  in  the  Reformed  congregations 
of  France),  M.  Coquerel,  the  presiding  minister,  addressed  to  each  sex 
an  exhortation,  appealing  to  the  presence  of  their  parents  and  the 
assembled  congregation,  and  to  his  own  toil  and  trouble  expended  upon 
them  in  the  course  of  a  long  cours,  or  class  of  religious  instruction,  at 
whidi  all  must  attend,  as  additional  inducements  to  perseverance  in  well- 
doing. After  the  usual  prayers,  M.  Coquerel  preached  an  extempore 
sermon  of  more  than  an  hour,  in  a  tone  elevated  enough  to  be  heard  in 
every  part  of  the  immense  building,  and  with  that  animated  gesture 
and  action  which  seems  so  essential  to  make  an  impression  upon  vast 
congregations.  After  this  the  celebration  of  the  sacrament  occupied 
nearly  three  hours;  and  as  each  party  assembles  round  the  table,  a 
fresh  exhortation  is  addressed  to  them,  thus  keeping  up  a  perpetual  call, 
upon  the  mental  and  physical  energies  of  the  officiant. 


472  Foreign  and  Colonial  Intelligence. 

The  (Inkers  speaks  thus  of  the  observances  of  the  season : — 

**  An  influx  truly  extraordinary  has  not  ceased  to  fill  the  churches  of 
Paris  during  the  last  two  sacred  days  (the  Grand  Jeudi  and  Grand  Yen- 

dredi) Who  can  say  how  many  hearers  have  this  year  listened 

to  the  sermon  of  the  Passion  at  N6tre  Dame,  at  St.  Sulpice,  at  St.  Roch, 
at  St.  Oermain-des*Pres,atSt.  Eustache,  at  the  Madeleine,  every  where 
in  our  forty  churches  ?  .  .  .  .  Yesterday  (Good  Friday)  evening  all  the 
theatres  were  spontaneously  closed,  and  in  the  restaurants  the  fast  was 
generally  observed.  At  the  hour  when  the  holy  relics  of  the  passion 
were  to  be  adored,  a  mass  of  people  encumbered  the  nave  of  our  cathe- 
dral, amongst  whom  were  numbers  of  workmen  .and  their  families,  in 
Sunday  attire.  After  having  piously  kissed  the  wood  of  the  true  cross, 
the  crown  of  thorns,  and  one  of  the  holy  nirils,  the  majority  of  these 
Christians  proceeded  to  touch  with  their  lips  the  cinq  onciions  of  the 

sacred  stone  of  the  altar  of  the  Virgin In  the  evening  the  vast 

Basilica  scarcely  suflficed  to  hold  all  who  wished  to  hear  the  Pere 
Ravignan.  The  assemblage  was  such  that  many  were  fain  to  resign 
themselves  to  catch  only  at  intervals  some  lew  of  his  words.  This  rich 
harvest  is  the  fruit  of  the  conferences  of  Pdre  Lacordaire  and  of  the 
reiraite  began  on  the  Monday  of  Holy  Week  by  the  Pere  Ravignan. 
Amongst  the  hearers  of  distinction  who  yesterday  evening  surrounded 
the  Vhre  Ravignan,  We  remarked,  by  the  side  of  the  Archbishop,  the 
President  of  the  Republic,  accompanied  by  Marshal  Excelmans,  and 
surrounded  by  his  officers  of  state.  Other  remarkable  personages  also 
attracted  attention.  The  Princess  Mary  of  Baden  (Marchioness  of 
Douglas),  M.  Mole,  M.  de  Montalembert,  M.  le  General  de  Lamoriciere, 
M.  de  Due  de  Rohan,  M.  le  Prefet  de  Police,  &c." 

Letters  from  Rome  announce  that  on  the  solicitation  of  Monsignor 
Pie,  Bishop  of  Poitiers,  the  title  of  Doctor  of  the  Church  has  been  de- 
finitely conferred  on  St.  Hilary,  formerly  Bishop  of  that  diocese,  by 
the  Sacred  Congregation  of  Rites,  and  will  be  immediately  confirmed 
by  a  Papal  decree  and  brief. 

A  letter  by  M.  le  Pasteur  F.  Monod  has  been  published,  declining 
an  offer  made  in  a  friendly  letter  to  the  Marquis  of  Cholmondeley  by 
the  Bishop  of  London,  that  certain  proprietary  chapels  and  the  like 
non-parochial  places  of  worship  might  be  placed  at  the  service  of  foreign 
Protestant  ministers  of  religion  now  in  London ;  but  intimating  that 
the  use  of  the  parochial  edifices,  or  the  aid  of  clergymen  of  the  Esta- 
blished Church,  is  precluded  by  law.  M.  Monod  declines  the  offer,  in 
the  name  of  his  brethren  ;  the  ministers  of  continental  churches  holding 
that  they  ought  not  to  accept  an  inferior  position.  The  letter  declining 
the  offer  is  written  with  simple  dignity ;  heartily  acknowledging  the 
spirit  of  the  Bishop's  offer  ;  though  dwelling  with  peculiar  emphasis  on 
the  fact  of  the  Bishop  twice  intimating,  that  the  expected  stay  of  the 
foreigners  will  be  short,  and  urging  what  he  terms  the  unchristian 
tendency  of  exclusiveness  in  the  English  law.     The  writer  says : — 

•*  We  render  full  homage  to  your  fraternal  sentiments  and  your  cha- 


Germany.  473 

iritable  intentions.  You  have  done  all  that  you  could  do ;  we  thank 
you  for  it,  and  we  shall  remember  it  with  gratitude ;  but  we  complain 
of  the  law  by  which  you  are  fettered — of  the  ecclesiastical  system  which 
prevents  you  from  acting  according  to  your  heartfelt  wishes." 

Germany. — Proselytism  of  the  Romish  Church — It  is  in  the  midst 
of  Protestant  and  speculative  Germany  that  the  greatest  efforts  of  Ro- 
man Catholicism  have  been  lately  made,  and  have,  if  we  are  to  believe 
the  organs  of  the  Roman  Catholic  priesthood,  been  crowned  with  the 
greatest  success.  The  instruments  employed  in  this  new  crusade  are 
the  Jesuits,  the  Redemptorists,  and  an  association  calling  itself  the 
Association  of  St.  Boniface. 

The  Redemptorists  have  established  no  less  than  seventy  missions  in 
Moravia  and  Bohemia.  During  the  present  season  of  Lent  they  have 
filled  all  the  pulpits  in  the  Roman  Catholic  churches  of  Treves  and 
Coblentz,  and  so  popular  has  been  their  preaching,  that  standing-room 
was  with  difficulty  found  in  any  one  of  those  edifices.  It  is  not  merely 
in  the  country  of  John  Huss,  Jerome  of  Prague,  or  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rhine,  that  the  Redemptorists  boast  df  having  obtained  such  signal 
successes.  In  the  months  of  February  and  March  they  have  been  busy 
in  Wurtemberg,  and,  if  we  are  to  believe  their  trumpeters  and  thurifers, 
their  successes,  not  merely  among  the  Bauerschaften,  but  among  the 
better  classes,  have  been  prodigious.  They  triumphantly  tell  you  that 
many  thousand  Wurtembergers  assembled  in  the  open  air,  and  una 
voce  voted  that  a  Redemptorist  establishment  should  be  founded  in 
Wurtemberg. 

The  Jesuits  allege  that  they  have  obtained  in  Protestant  districts  of 
Germany  what  they  themselves  call  results  not  less  striking  than  their 
brethren  the  Redemptorists.  To  credit  their  organs  and  panegyrists, 
three  of  the  foremost  disciples  of  Loyola  have  not  merely  electrified 
but  edified  Cleves.  They  say  that  every  one  of  the  preachers  daily 
had  10,000  auditors.  In  the  town  of  Bonn,  the  seat  of  a  Prus- 
sian university,  in  which  the  husband  of  our  queen  studied,  another 
Jesuit  preacher,  it  is  added,  produced  to  the  full  as  much  impression 
as  his  brethren.  So,  if  we  are  to  credit  the  Papistical  organs  in 
Germany,  have  like  results  been  obtained  at  Weingarten,  at  Wolstein, 
at  Hechingen,  at  Rottweil,  and  throughout  Middle  Germany,  while 
Protestantism  has  been  boldly  attacked  in  the  old  episcopal  town  of 
Osnabruck,  of  which  one  of  Her  Majesty's  uncles  was  bishop.  They 
say  a  Protestant  professor  of  Halle  has  abjured  his  Church,  and 
is  about  to  become  a  priest  of  their  own  religion.  The  Jesuits  ex- 
claim, **  We  have  many  more  instances,  among  the  rest  a  Protestant 
minister  of  Treves,  who  abjured  his  *  heresy^  in  the  beginning  of  the 
holy  season  of  Lent."  Thus  in  Italy,  in  Belgium,  in  Austria,  in 
Prussia,  in  Bavaria,  in  Wurtemberg,  as  well  as  in  England,  is  the  Ro- 
man Catholic  Church  on  the  qui  vioe.  The  missionaries,  whether 
Jesuits,  Redemptorists,  Dominicans,   Capuchins,  or   Franciscans,  are 

VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUN£^  1851.  I  i 


474  Foreign  and  Cobmial  Intelligence. 

aided  hf  three  atsociattons  called  the  Anociation  of  Pius  IXr,  of  Su  |r 
Francis  Xavier,  and  of  St.  Boniface.  These  three  societies  are  in  iheir  fh 
turn  served  by  religious  sisterhoods,  who  go  about  collecting  for  the  cr- 
saments  of  Roman  Catholic  churches.  Among  these  female  societiet 
is  one  called  the  Filies  de  la  Croix,  and  already  have  thirteen  ladies  of 
this  order  purchased  the  old  castle  of  Aspel,  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine. 
Thus  Is  an  ancient  residence  of  the  archbishops  of  Cologne  and  the 
dukes  of  Cleves  about  to  become  a  convent  of  proselytising  Ronaan 
Catholic  nuns. 

The  reader  will  remark,  it  is  only  in  those  countries  of  the  Contioent 
of  Europe  in  which  representative  institutions  a^d  democratic  opinions 
have  been  widely  diffused,  that  the  Roman  Catholic  Clergy  encoun- 
ter any  obstacles.      While  in  Austria  Proper,  in  Bavaria,  and  even 
in    Prussia,  the  preachers  and  propagandists  of  ultramontane  Popery 
have   had   considerable  success,   they  have   encountered  obstacles  in 
democratic  Baden  and  in  Independent  Hungary.  Whilst  the  Countess  Ida 
of  Hahn-Hahn,  a  recent  convert  to  Romanism,  has  published  canticles 
and  poetry  full  of  Mariolatry,  the  presses  and  pulpits  of  Baden  and 
Hungary  have  been  silent  on  these  revivals  of  mediaeval  practices. 
The  spread  of  Rationalism  and  of  Socialism  in  Germany,  it  cannot  he 
denied,  has  given  an  immense  vantage-ground  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Clergy.      They  now  openly  proclaim,  that  the   year   1860  will  see 
them  complete  masters  of  the  religions  world — Protestantism  routed, 
Dissent  destroyed,  and  Rationalism  and  Pietism  merged  in  the  unity  of 
one  great  and  true  Church.     "  Look,"  they  say,  "  to  the  ejQTect  produced 
in  ilolstein  by  the  contrast  of  an  ardent  and  comforting  creed  with  a 
cold  and  a  cheerless  one."    The  Protestant  population  of  Holstein,  they 
contend,  is  struck  with  wonder  and  admiration  at  the  religious  en- 
thusiasm of  the  Austrian  soldiers  of  occupation,  whether  Germans  or 
Italians.     When  the  Imperial  regiments  proceed  to  mass  with  military 
music,  or  traverse  the  streets  singing  in  chorus  the  hymn  to  Pius  1X.| 
or  the  Litany  of  the  Virgin,  there  are  many  Protestant  lookers-on,  the 
priests  tell  you  with  unction,  who  desire  to  be  received  into  the  bosom 
of  a  Church  which,  undoubtedly,  enlists  into  its  service  all  that  can  thrall 
the  imagination,  if  not  a  particle  that  can  satisfy  the  reason.     Such  are 
the  arts  to  which  the  Romish  party  have  recourse  every  where;  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt,  that  with  weak  men  and  imaginative,  enthusiastic,  and 
disappointed  women,  they  are  occasionally  successful. 

No  doubt  the  Roman  Catholic  Clergy  in  every  country  of  Europe 
that  has  been  disturbed  by  Socialism,  or  agitated  by  Communism,  have 
regained  inordinate  power ;  for  the  Government  have  called  in  their 
aid  with  a  view  •to  contend  with  and  vanquish  the  plague  of  such  doc- 
trines. 

ManteufTel,  the  present  Prime  Minister  of  Prussia,  is  the  symbol  and 
instrument  of  the  Pietists  and  mystic  party  in  Prussia.  These  Pietists, 
who  have  a  regard  for  Roman  Catholicism,  are  naturally  befriended 
by  Russia  and  Austria,  whose  plans  they  abet,  or  do  not  oppose.     It  is 


QwrncMiy.  475 

easy  to  see,  therefore^  why  M.  Manteuffel  is  ssre  of  tbe  prsistfr  ol  the 
Pietists,  not  only  in  Prussia,  but  every  where  else*  But  wbilst  he 
pursues  this  system,  the  Jesuits  ace  daily  making  progress^  and  in  all 
directions  gaining  ground. 

Number  of  Students  in  the  Universities, — A  statistical  analysis  of  the 
number  of  students  in  all  the  Gierman  Universities,  with:  the  exception 
of  those  of  Konigsberg,  Kiel,  and  Rostock,  the  numbers  for  which  have 
Bot  been  officially  published,  furnishes,  for  the  term  about  to  expire, 
tbe  following  results : — 

'^  In  all  the  universities,  taken  collectively,  there  have  been  in* 
scribed  on  the  registers  11,^45  students.  The  various  universities 
may  be  classed,  according  to  the  number  of  students  at  eacb«  ia  the 
following  order : — Berlin,  Munich,  Bonn,  Leipsic,  Breslau,  Tubingen, 
Qottingen,  Wurzburg,  Halle,  Heidelberg,  Giessen,  Erlangen,  Friburg, 
Jena,  Marburg,  Greifswalde.  Berlin  has  2 107  students,  and  Oreifiswalde 
only  189.  The  number  of  those  studying  the  law  is  S973 ;  of  the 
theological  students,  2539 ;  of  those  pursuing  the  study  of  philosophy 
and  philology,  2357  ;  of  the  medical  students,  2146;  and  there  are 
549  engaged  in  the  study  of  political  economy.  The  University  of 
Halle  reckons  the  greatest  proportional  number  of  theological  students, 
there  being  330  out  of  597 ;  Heidelberg  has  the  most  students  of  law, 
—viz.,  349  out  of  557 ;  Wurzburg,  the  most  students  of  medicine, — 
viz.,  271  out  of  871 ;  Jena,  the  most  students  of  theology, — viz.,  132 
out  of  358.  The  greatest  number  of  foreign  students  is  to  be  found 
at  Heidelberg,  Gottingen,  Jena,  Wurzburg,  and  Leipsic.  The  number 
of  students  has  increased  at  Berlin  by  119;  at  Wu;*zburg,  by  47; 
at  Breslau,  by  43  ;  at  Heidelberg,  by  35 ;  at  Friburg,  by  27 ;  at 
Bonn,  by  11  ;  at  Tubingen,  by  6;  at  Leipsic,  by  5  ;  at  Qteif^walde, 
by  3 ;  at  Erlangen,  by  1 ;  while  they  have  diminished  in  number,  at 
Gottingen,  by  49 ;  at  Halle,  by  39  ;  at  Munich,  by  39  ;  at  Jena,  by 
35  ;  at  Giessen,  by  25  ;  and  at  Marburg,  by  24." 

Reactionary  tendencies. — Scarcely  a  day  passes  without  bringing 
fresh  confirmation  of  the  apprehensions  entertained  respecting  the 
attacks  which  Romish  and  Protestant  reactionaries  combined  are 
making  upon  the  results  of  the  Reformation  in  Germany.  The  Pro- 
testant reactionaries  undermine  and  attack  political  liberty,  the  Romish 
reactionaries  the  spiritual  liberty,  which  dawned  upon  northern  Europe 
through  the  Reformation.  The  power  of  the  Austrian  government  in 
religious  matters  is  great  within  the  Austrian  dominions  ;  in  fact,  the 
stability  of  the  empire  is  founded  on  the  subservience  and  obedience  to 
existing  powers,  which  the  Roman  Catholic  religion  teaches.  Prussia 
is  now  under  tbe  yoke  of  Austria  and  Russia.  Her  attempted  policy 
of  national  independence  has  failed  against  the  overwhelming  forces 
of  re-invigorated  despotism.  The  ministers  who  advised  that  policy 
have  long  since  left  the  government,  and  other  men  with  other  prin- 
ciples now  sway  the  destinies  of  Prussia.  England  and  France  now 
perceive  the  consequences  of  their  acts.  Neither  the  one  nor  the 
othefi  nor  both  united,  can  extricate  her  fix>m  the  bonds  into  which 

Ii2 


476  Foreign  and  Colonial  InUUigence. 

she  has  fallen.  The  present  ministry  and  the  Kreuz  Zeitung^i  party, 
which  governs  the  ministry,  do  not  wish  to  be  released.  They  feel 
perfectly  comfortable  in  their  dependence  on  Austria  and  Russia, 
because  Austria  and  Russia  will  help  them  to  re-establish  despotism 
at  home ;  and  if  England  or  France  were  to  make  the  slightest  effort 
in  favour  of  Prussian  independence,  the  present  government  would 
stigmatize  it  as  a  revolutionary  proceeding. 

Those  countries  which  are  in  possession  of  political  and  religioui 
liberty — England,  France,  Prussia,  the  small  states  of  Protestant  Ger- 
many, and  Switzerland — could,  united,  have  withstood  the  assault 
against  political  and  religious  liberty  contemplated  by  the  other  parts 
of  Europe.  The  grand  cause  of  Protestantism  and  freedom  required 
that  each  should  have  supported  the  other.  But  now  the  opposite 
influence  rules  in  Prussia.  The  smaller  states  of  Germany  and  Swit- 
zerland are  in  immediate  danger  of  being  conquered  by  the  same  in- 
fluence. The  principles  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  of  absolu- 
tism spread  with  rapidity  among  the  lower  orders  when  once  proclaimed 
by  the  higher  orders  of  society.  Extravagant  political  principles  lead 
to  conversions  from  Protestantism  to  popery.  Such  people  look  upon 
the  Protestant  Church  as  an  imperfect  form  of  Christianity  ;  and  they 
consider  the  Roman  Catholic  to  be  perfect,  because  it  establishes 
stronger  than  any  other  religious  authority  above  and  obedience 
below.  Political  absolutism  desires  to  establish  the  same  principle  as 
the  first  axiom  of  government. 

Bavaria. — Demands  of  the  Romish  Bishops. — **  Nearly  as  great  a 
strife  has  arisen  in  Bavaria,  through  the  lately  published  '  Memorial  of 
the  Bavarian  episcopacy  to  the  King,'  as  has  occurred  in  England 
through  the  Pope's  intrusion  into  the  governmental  rights  of  the  realm. 
That  'memorial'  is  a  compound  of  the  most  extravagant  assumption 
and  arrogance  against  royal  and  legal  authority,  and  contradictory  to 
almost  all  the  civil  laws.  If  all  the  things  which  the  Bavarian  Bishops 
require  could  be  granted,  they  would  not  be  Fathers  in  the  Church, 
but  despots  in  the  country,  and  the  King  their  servant.  They,  without 
abandoning  their  rank,  pay,  royal  privileges,  or  standing  in  the  State  or 
in  society,  categorically  demand  the  entire  abolition  of  the  Placeium 
Regium,  and  ask  full  power  and  the  right  to  appoint  and  to  dismiss,  at 
their  pleasure,  not  only  the  subordinate  Clergy,  but  also  the  professors 
in  the  Universities  and  the  teachers  in  all  other  schools.  They  require 
also  full  and  undisputed  power  of  instituting  new  Catholic  universities, 
seminaries,  schools,  monasteries,  and  nunneries  of  every  order  and  kind 
they  please,  and  to  send  Jesuits  and  Redemptionists  as  missionaries 
into  their  dioceses.  Priests,  justly  or  unjustly  judged  by  the  Bishops 
or  their  ordinaries,  are  to  have  no  appeal  to  the  King's  courts  of  justice. 
If  that  memorial  were  to  be  granted,  the  subordinate  Clergy  would 
be  delivered  up  to  the  arbitrary  cruelty  of  the  Jiu  Canonicum,  as  in  the 
time  of  Gregory  VII. 

*'  It  is  by  such  means  that  the  Bishops  think  to  regain  their  lost 


Bavaria — Hesse  Cassel.  477 

spiritual  influence.  The  Bishop  of  Augsburg  alone  signed  it,  with  a 
protest  added  to  his  name — *  The  concordat,  nothing  but  the  concordat, 
and  the  whole  concordat.'  Now,  the  concordat  is  an  integral  part  of 
the  Bavarian  Constitution ;  so  the  Bishops  have  thrown  the  firebrand 
of  division  into  their  own  house.  The  Parliament,  now  assembled, 
begins  already  to  complain,  and  to  abuse  all  ecclesiastical  orders,  and 
the  people  do  the  same.  One  furious  pamphlet  has  already  appeared, 
calling  upon  the  people  to  put  an  end  at  once  to  all  priestcraft  and 
kingcraft  by  cudgels,"  &c. 

Hesse  Cassel. — Activity  of  the  Romish  Church. — The  influence  of 
Austria  is  steadily  extending  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  throughout 
Germany.  Even  in  those  parts  where  Protestantism  is  the  religion  of 
the  State,  the  system  of  propagandism  is  brought  into  the  most  un- 
scrupulous play.  In  Hesse  Cassel,  where  the  Austrian  political  and 
military  power  is  dominant,  the  influence  of  the  Jesuits  is  to  be 
essayed.  An  announcement  was  made  from  the  pulpits  of  the  Romish 
Church,  in  the  district  of  Fulda,  lately,  that  priests  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus,  who  had  been  summoned  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese,  would 
hold  regular  missions.  The  inhabitants  of  the  unhappy  electorate  are 
punished  by  every  possible  visitation  for  their  passive  resistance  to  the 
illegal  and  despotic  acts  of  their  Sovereign.  Military  law,  enacted  and 
carried  out  by  Austrians,  terrorizes  over  all ;  hundreds  of  families  are 
deprived  of  their  natural  supporters  by  the  decrees  of  the  standing 
courts-martial ;  and  while  thus  the  political  and  material  independence 
of  the  population  is  being  crushed,  the  Jesuits  are  introduced  to  wean 
them  from  their  religious  errors,  and  restore  them  to  that  Church  which 
demands  absolute  dependence.  Of  course  those  who  are  convinced  by 
the  preachings  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  will  be  better  treated  by  the 
military  and  political  powers.  The  elector  himself  and  his  head  minister 
may,  perhaps,  be  brought  to  enter  the  Roman  Catholic  fold. 

Opposed  to  the  constitutionalists  and  republicans  in  Hesse  Cassel, 
there  stands  the  elector  with  Hassenpflug  and  his  ministers.  Foremost 
among  these  is  Vilmar,  minister  in  the  department  of  public  worship. 
One  of  his  works  is  the  creation  of  a  Hessian  Treubund,  similar  to  the 
Prussian,  the  members  of  which  are  sworn  to  be  faithful  to  God,  to 
the  elector,  and  their  country — Mit  Gott  fur  Kurfurst  und  Vaterland, 
This  society  is  mainly  supported  by  the  dregs  of  the  legal  profession 
and  the  Clergy,  who,  from  various  causes,  have  been  the  strictest  ad- 
herents of  the  elector.  Their  fervour  in  his  cause  has  gone  so  far  that 
from  more  than  one  pulpit  doctrines  of  unlimited  obedience  have  been 
preached,  combined  with  exhortations  to  join  the  Treubund,  in  order  to 
get  rid  of  the  Bavarian  soldiery.  The  lists  of  the  members  are  periodi- 
cally shown  to  the  elector,  and  for  some  who  have  joined,  the  heavy 
burden  of  the  soldiers  quartered  upon  them  has  been  lightened.  Upon 
the  mass  of  the  people,  however,  little  impression  has  been  made,  and 
the  efforts  of  the  Clergy  in  general  meet  with  the  same  result  as  those 
of  Hassenpflug  to  organize  a  secret  police.     In  the  southern  districts  of 


478  Fwnig^  and  Cobmial  IfUdUgenee. 

Beste  Catsel  the  fanatical  proceedings  of  the  Redemptionists  are  pro- 
docing  great  excitement.  The  brothers  of  this  order  hare  threatened 
with  the  most  terrible  punishment,  after  death,  all  those  who  have  in- 
termarried with  Protestants,  and  who  do  not  bring  up  their  children  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  faith. 

HsfSB  Dahmstadt. — Unioertity  of  Giessen.^^At  GHessen  diere  ii  a 
fticulty  of  Roman  Catholic  theology,  whose  professors  have  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  Rome.     One  of  these  professors  was  lately  chosen  Arch- 
bishop of  Mayence ;  but  the  Pope  refused  to  approve  the  nomination,  and 
the  present  Archbibhop  was  consequently  appointed.  Since  then  attempts 
have  been  made  to  transfer  the  faculty  of  theology  from  Giessen  to  May- 
ence ;  but  they  have  proved  vain,  in  consequence  of  the  numerous  impe- 
diments in  the  way.    Then  another  plan  was  set  on  foot,  and  a  faculty  of 
theology  has  been  actually  created  at  Mayence,  and  its  lectures  and  courses 
opened  a  few  days  since.  The  school  has  been  organized  according  to  a  plan 
which  will  probably  deprive  Giessen  of  most  of  its  students,  inasmuch  as 
lodging  and  food  in  common,  obtainable  at  the  lowest  possible  cost,  are 
^rt  of  the  new  ^stem.     This  progressive  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
priestly  and  Jesuit  party  in  Germany  is  general  at  this  time.     But  it 
nay  not  last  long,  for  the  association  of  the  three  parties — ^the  priestly, 
the  yunker  or  aristocratic,  and  the  absolutist — must  eventually  destroy 
them  all.     Meanwhile,  they  are  still  suiRciently  strong  to  dominate 
Germany ;  but  their  acts  are  so  impressed  with  haste  and  anxiety  that 
they  show  the  desire  to  make  as  much  use  as  possible  of  a  moment 
which  may  never  return. 

MECKLEKBtRo. — Cofitersitms  to  Romanism.-^ln  all  his  attempts  to 
increase  the  political  power  of  Austria  in  Northern  Germany,  Prince 
Schwarzenberg  has  not  failed  to  seek  the  assistance  of  the  Roman  Ca- 
tholic Church,  and  re-^establish  its  power.  His  success  has  been  chro- 
liicled  in  Mecklenburg  by  the  sudden  conversion  to  popery  of  five  or 
six  meihbers  of  the  highest  families  in  that  duchy. 

Rhine,  XJ^r^RK.*-^ Aggressions  of  Romish  Bishops, — The  bishops  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  provinces  of  the  Upper  Rhine,  viz.,  the  Archbishop 
of  Friburg,  the  Bishops  of  Limburg,  Rottenburg,  Fulda,  and  Mayence, 
have  agreed  to  a  memorial  to  be  presented  to  the  several  governments, 
urging  the  following  demands  : — 

**1.  Abolition  of  all  the  concessions  made  since  March,  1848,  io 
matters  affecting  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Church,  such  as  the  civil  contract 
of  marriage,  &c.— 2.  Free  exercise  of  the  power  of  the  bishops  in  their 
respective  dioceses  to  grant  spiritual  offices.— 3.  A  limitation  of  the  right 
of  patronage  in  benefices.— 4.  Permission  to  the  bishops  to- examine 
canonically,  and  canonically  to  punish  their  subordinates. — 5.  Abolition  ' 
of  the  state  examinations  for  candidates  for  the  priesthood. — 6.  Abo** 
lition  of  ihe  assent  of  the  state  to  the  appointment  to  vacant  livings. 


Hesse  Darmstadt — Ms^lefniurg — RhinSf  Upper — Prussia.  i7;9 

— ?•  Abolition  of  the  present  right  of  appeal  to  the  civil  government 
fro  IP  the  sentences  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Court  in  criminal  cases ;  the 
latter  shall  be  immediately  put  in  execution,  after  the  simple  evidence 
given  of  guilt,  as  far  as  deprivation  from  a  benefice  and  confiscation  of 
the  income. — 8.  Every  appeal  to  the  civil  courts  to  be  considered  a  re- 
jection of  the  legal  and  normal  authority  of  the  Church,  and  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  excommunication. — 9.  Abolition  of  the  state  titles  of  the 
clergy. — 10.  The  bishops  to  have  the  confirmation  of  all  appointment^ 
of  teachers  of  religion  in  the  gymnasia  and  universities.-^ll.  Abolition 
of  the  assent  of  the  state  to  the  publication  of  Papal  bulls,  letters,  and 
episcopal  pastoral  addresses  to  the  clergy. — 12.  Right  of  the  bishops 
to  give  their  licence  for  holding  popular  missions  and  religious  exercises 
on  the  part  of  the  priesthood. — 13.  Permission  to  form  spiritual  asso- 
ciations of  men  and  women  for  prayer,  contemplation,  and  self-denying 
obedience^ — 14.  Restoration  to  the  bishops  of  their  power  to  punish 
members  of  the  Church  who  despise  its  regulations. — 15.  Free  inter- 
course of  the  bishops  with  Rome. — 16.  The  temporal  power  to  have  no 
right  to  interfere  in  appointments  to  vacancies  in  Cathedral  chapters.—^ 
17.  Independence  of  the  clergy  in  the  management  of  the  property  of 
all  Catholic  Church  and  endowment  revenues." 

Jesuitism  at  Friburg,  —  At  Friburg,  in  the  Breisgau,  Brother 
Rotenfiue,  a  Jesuit,  reads  public  lectures  to  the  students  on  casuistry  ; 
and,  though  the  Rector  of  the  Faculty  of  Theology  has  forbidden  the 
students  to  attend  these  lectures,  the  Roman  Catholic  youth,  having 
appealed  to  the  Senate,  continue  to  listen  and  take  notes.  No  phi- 
losopher or  historian  can  give  public  lectures  in  a  university  against 
the  will  of  the  authorities  ;  and  in  the  present  instance  means  might 
soon  be  found  for  enforcing  silence  on  the  Jesuit.  But  the  Faculty  of 
Theology  at  Friburg,  which  once  was  liberal  enough  to  displease  the 
ultramontanist  party,  has  of  late  followed  the  current  of  the  time,  and 
most  of  its  professors  have  rallied  to  Rome. 

Prussia. — Romish  Propagandism, — ^A  Berlin  correspondent  of  a 
contemporary  has  the  following: — 

"  The  preachers  of  the  Order  of  the  Redemptorists,  who  have  been 
exciting  some  sensation  during  a  mission  in  Westphalia,  Bavaria,  and 
the  Pfalz,  are,  it  is  said,  about  to  extend  their  activity  to  the  provinces 
of  East  and  West  Prussia.  Some  strange  stories  have  reached  Berlin  of 
their  style  of  preaching,  and  the  facts  mentioned  hardly  bear  repetition. 
They  recall  what  is  recorded  of  the  sermons  of  the  wandering  preachers 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  or  a  still  earlier  period,  or  the  topics  and 
languajje  of  the  most  violent  American  revivals.  If  half  related  of  them 
is  true,  the  Prussian  police  will  infallibly  prohibit  their  exhibitions  as 
dangerous  to  public  morality." 

The  Jesuits  are  progressing  northward,  bringing  religious  disturbances 
and  family  discords  wherever  they  appear.  In  Mannheim^  their  preach- 
iog  nufisions  have  created  great  discontent ;  and  as  several  citi|Be«^  took 


480  Farei^  and  Cobmial  Intdligmee. 

tlie  liberty  of  speaking  their  minds  openly  and  freely  on  the  subject, 
tbe  police  interfered  and  arrested  them.  Fears  are  entertained,  if  their 
missions  be  continued,  that  a  serious  breach  of  the  peace  may  occur. 

PcrtecMtiam  of  DissenUrt.--The  following  extract  fit)m  the  Berlin 
correspondent  of  the  "  Daily  News"  comprises  much  important  informa- 
tion : — •*  According  to  the  constitution,  passed  and  sworn  to  in  February, 
1850,  all  religious  persuasions  may  be  freely  exercised,  and  are  wholly 
separate  from  political  rights.     The  State  Church  of  Prussia  is  Pro- 
testant, Catholic,  and  Jewish — that  is  to  say,  the  teachers  of  the  Lu- 
theran, Catholic,  and  Jewish  persuasions  are  all  paid  by  the  State,  and 
are  under  the  immediate  control  of  the  cultus  Minister.     All  persons 
preaching  tenets  differing  from  either  of  these  three  must  depend  for 
support  on  the  voluntary  contributions  of  their  followers.    Of  late  years 
the  number  of  the  sects  has  greatly  increased,  owing  mainly  to  the 
forcible  union  of  the  Evangelical  and  Lutheran  Churches,  decreed  some 
years  ago.     There  are  Baptists  and  Anabaptists,  Methodists,  Christian 
Catholics,  German  Catholics,  Free  Christians,  Primitive  Christians,  and 
others,  the  majority  of  which  have  found  locations  principally  in  tbe 
Saxon  and  eastern  provinces  of  Prussia.     They  have  long  since  heen 
▼iewed  with  suspicion  and  dislike  by  the  higher  authorities  in  the  Protes- 
tant branch  of  the  Sute  Church  ;  and  as  the  leaders  of  this  confession  are 
now  in  peace  at  Court  and  in  the  Government,  they  have  set  in  motion 
the  whole  of  the  machinery  of  the  ecclesiastical  and  political  police,  in 
order  to  put  them  down,  and  efiace  them  from  the  country.     Tbe 
brethren  of  the  sects  have  been  declared  political  offenders,  because  they 
hold  public  meetings  not  sanctioned  by  the  law.     In  Pomerania  and 
East  Prussia,  in  Breslau,  numbers  have  been  arrested,  and  sentenced  to 
the  payments  of  fines,  varying  in  amount  from  five  to  thirty  thalers. 
The  common  illiterate  police  are  the  machinery  employed  to  terrify  and 
suppress.     In  East  Prussia  all  the  sacred  offices  of  the  Church  per- 
formed   by  members   of  these  sects  have  been  declared  illegal  with 
a  retrospective  action.     The  married  have  been  unmarried,  the  chris- 
tened unchristened,  the  dead  not  buried  with  the  usual  Christian  rites. 
In    point   of  fact,   all   persons  professing  any  other   faith   but  those 
recognized  by  the  State  have  been  excommunicated.     In  the  Saxon 
province  the  police  have  been  strictly  ordered  to  watch,  with  the  greatest 
care,  the  proceedings  of  the  dissenting  bodies,  and  the  activity  of  their 
leaders.     Wherever  they  occur,  the  parish  authorities  have  been  in- 
structed immediately  to  acquaint  the  police  authorities,  in  order  that  the 
necessary  repressive  measures  may  at  once  be  put  in  force.     This  is 
merely  the  commencement  of  a  crusade  against  Dissenters  from  the 
recognized  Protestant  Church." 

♦  "  1  have  described  the  matter  in  which  the  authorities  of  the  Church 
are  punishing  dissent.  What  are  they  doing  within  the  Church  to 
prevent  it  ?  I  will  not  enter  upon  the  new  Kitchen  Ordnung  (Church 
regulations),  as  it  requires  a  more  careful  digest  than  I  have  yet  been 
able  to  give  to  it.     Suffice  it  here  to  remark,  that  it  entirely  subverts 


Greece — ffotland.  481 

the  principle  apon  which  the  old  Kirchen  Ordnung  was  passedi  viz., 
that  the  parish  clergymen  or  priests  were  under  the  direction,  and 
subordinate  in  many  matters  to  the  parish  council,  the  elected  admini- 
strative body.  The  new  regulation  places  the  council  and  administration 
entirely  under  the  dominion  of  the  clergyman,  whose  power  is  in  some 
degree  to  be  absolute.  He  is  to  keep  conduct  lists  of  his  parishioners,  &c. 
There  are  many  other  obnoxious  points  in  the  regulation,  and  I  must 
return  to  it  in  another  letter.  Its  spirit  and  its  action  must  be  Catholic 
and  not  Protestant.  I  do  not  suppose  that  the  enforcement  of  such  a 
regulation  is  calculated  to  prevent  dissent ;  for,  careless  as  the  Berliners 
may  be  to  religious  matters,  there  is  in  the  eastern  and  northern  parts 
of  Prussia  a  mass  of  Protestant  feeling  and  principle,  full  of  life  and 
vigour,  which  revolts  at  the  progress  now  making  by  Popery,  and  at 
every  incident  in  the  government  of  the  Prussian  Church  which  is  cal- 
culated to  assist  that  progress.  It  is  this  feeling  which  has  secretly 
stimulated  the  Yunker  or  squirearchy  to  oppose  the  admission  into  the 
Germanic  Confederation  of  the  non-German  Catholic  provinces  of 
Austria.  There  is,  indeed,  sufficient  cause  why  this  feeling  should  be 
kept  awake,  and  be  provoked  if  possible  into  greater  activity.  The 
metropolis  of  Berlin  has  witnessed  for  several  weeks  past  the  rise  and 
progress  of  *  Liturgische  Andachten,*  prayer  meetings  at  which  the 
ordinary  Church  service  is  performed  with  all  the  effect  which  illumined 
churches  and  sacred  music  can  impart.  Choristers  clad  in  scarlet  robes 
assist  at  the  ceremony.  During  the  service  different  robes  are  worn  at 
different  periods." 

New  Regulations  for  the  Protestant  Church. — A  new  Church  law 
{Kitchen  Ordnung)  has  been  settled  by  Synodal  Commissioners,  and  is 
about  to  be  submitted  for  the  royal  assent,  in  the  provinces  of  West- 
phalia and  Rhenish  Prussia,  which  declares  Holy  Scripture  to  be  the 
sole  standard  of  faith,  and  recognizes,  in  addition  to  the  Catholic  creeds, 
— for  the  Lutheran  congregations,  the  Augsburg  Confession  and 
Apology,  the  Schmalkald  Articles,  and  the  two  Catechisms  of  Luther, 
— for  the  Reformed  (Calvinistic)  Congregations,  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism,— for  the  United  Congregations,  as  much  of  both  as  they  have  in 
common,  with  liberty  to  individual  members  to  be  Lutheran  or  Cal- 
vinistic, as  they  please.  All  the  three  sorts  of  Congregations  are  to 
form  one  United  Church. 

Greece. — Religion  of  the  Future  Sovereign. — The  final  arrangement 
as  to  the  succession  to  the  throne  is  settled  by  Prince  Adalbert  con- 
senting to  marry,  settling  in  Greece,  and  baptizing  his  children  accord- 
ing to  the  rites  of  the  Greek  Church,  when,  if  he  has  a  son,  and  that 
son  is  of  age  at  the  time  the  Greek  throne  becomes  vacant,  he  promises 
to  abdicate  in  his  favour. 

Holland.— A  law  having  been  proposed  to  the  States- General  of 
Holland  to  authorize  and  regulate  Romish  Conventual  Establishments, 


iSS  For&ign  cmd  Cobmial  InUUigmhce. 

a  pamphlet  has  appeared  in  opposition  to  it,  entitled,  Det  CownenUd 
iti  Maismu  Ciauslralei;  Lelire  Patente  aux  Membres  des  EtatS' 
Oeneraux,  This  pamphlet  hat  given  vast  offence  to  the  Romish  party, 
who  complain  of  it  as  a  part  of  a  general  plan  of  hostility  and  aggres&ioa 
in  Holland  against  their  rights  and  liberties. 

The  Ministry  in  Holland  being  favourable  to  the  principle  of  religion} 
equality,  and  being  about  to  propose  laws  for  giving  to  Romanism  the 
tame  advantages  as  the  established  Protestantism,  a  strong  feeling  of 
discontent  has  manifested  itself  amongst  the  majority  of  the  population ; 
and  the  King  is  said  to  have  received,  in  the  most  unfavourable  manner, 
the  application  of  a  Romish  Deputation.  The  Romish  party  are  much 
discouraged  by  their  reception,  which  appears  to  have  been  of  no 
ordinary  character — the  King  having  given  expression  to  the  strongeBt 
sentiments  in  opposition  to  their  religion.  Possibly  this  sovereign  has 
not  been  an  unobservant  spectator  of  what  has  been  going  on  at  this 
•ide  of  the  Channel,  and  ia  resolved  not  to  be  made  a  tool  by  Romish 
propagandism. 

India. — Promotion  of  Christianity. — ^The  "Lahore  Chronicle"  has 
the  following  paragraph  : — **  It  is  with  unfeigned  satisfaction  we  are 
permitted  to  announce,  that  a  truly  Christian  member  of  our  community 
has  authorized  us,  through  the  Rev.  J.  Newton,  of  the  Presbyterian 
Mission  at  Lahore,  to  intimate  his  readiness  to  contribute  the  sum  of 
ten  thousand  rupees  towards  the  funds  of  the  Church  Missionary 
Society  at  home,  on  the  following  conditions,  viz. : — first,  that  the 
Society  determine  on  establishing  a  mission  in  some  part  of  the 
Punjaub ;  secondly,  that  the  Society  signify,  in  this  country,  their 
intimation  of  establishing  a  mission  on  or  before  the  1st  of  October ; 
and,  lastly,  that  the  missionaries  intended  to  enter  on  such  an  extensive 
field  be  in  Calcutta,  or  in  any  part  of  India,  oo  or  before  the  1st  day 
of  March." 

Romish  Jurisdictions, — The  *'  Calcutta  Star"  states,  that,  by  a  "  con* 
cordat'*  just  terminated  between  the  Crown  of  Portugal  and  the  See  of 
Rome,  the  Goa  priests  are  to  have  no  jurisdiction  over  ohurches  within 
the  British  territories.  The  Boitakhana  Church  in  Calcutta  is  the  only 
one  that  is  at  present  in  charge  of  the  Goanese  padres,  and  may  he  ex- 
pected now  to  be  made  over  to  Dr.  Carew. 

Italy. — Modena, —  Concordat  with  Rome, — The  concordat  recently 
agreed  upon  between  the  Pope  and  the  Duke  of  Modena  authorizes 
the  suspension  of  appointments  to  benefices  for  a  year,  in  order  to 
furnish  an  asylum  for  old  and  infirm  priests,  and  to  endow  poor  parish 
churches.  Clergy  taken  m  flagrante  delicto  shall  be  arrested  by  the  civil 
power  and  handed  over  to  the  Ecclesiastical  tribunals.  Provisions  are 
also  made  in  favour  of  legacies  and  donations  to  the  Church  and 
monasteries. 

Proceedings  of  English  Perverts  at  Naples., — :A  correspond- 
eat  cf  the  '*  Daily  News,*'  writiiif^  from  Naples,  under  date  May  14tb« 


India — Italjf'^Piedmont.  483 

says, — ''Lord  and  Lady  Feilding  have  gained  golden  opinions  for  their 
devotion,  by  '  assisting'  at  the  miracle  of  St.  Januarius,  where  they 
devoutly  kissed  the  magic  bottle  containing  the  saint's  blood.  Such  an 
example  of  faith  from  the  distinguished  converts  staggers  even  the 
bigots  of  Naples,  who  hesitate  themselves  to  do  public  homage  to  this 
silly  imposture." 

Piedmont. — Introduction  of  a  Law  on  the  Monastic  Orders, — A  pro- 
ject of  law,  on  the  subject  of  the  Religious  Orders,  was  presented  on 
March  27th  to  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  at  Turin,  and  was  received  by 
a  great  majority,  notwithstanding  the  opposition  of  the  Government, 
who  were  engaged  in  negotiations  with  the  Pope,  relating  to  the  laws 
introduced  by  M.  Siccadi,  in  consequence  of  his  retirement.  The  bill 
was  brought  in  by  the  deputy  for  Mondovi,  M.  Peronne,  who,  on  pre- 
senting it,  spoke  in  the  following  manner : — 

'*  The  civil  laws  have,  in  most  cases,  taken  care  of  the  persons  and 
property  of  those  who,  on  account  of  their  tender  years,  were  unequal 
to  the  protection  of  their  own  interests.  These  laws,  however,  have 
been  silent  with  respect  to  a  class  of  persons  who,  at  an  age  when  no 
experience  of  the  world  has  been  acquired,  undertake  to  dispose  of  them- 
selves, even  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  in  monastic  and  religious  seclusion. 
For  the  purpose  of  protecting  those  minors  of  both  sexes,  and  saving 
them  from  a  useless  and  late  repentance  when  nature  has  been  fully 
developed,  and  when  they  are  capable  of  understanding  the  folly  they 
have  committed,  I  have  the  honour  to  present  the  present  bill.  It 
appears  to  me  that  no  doubt  can  be  entertained  of  the  propriety  of 
giving  the  civil  power  jurisdiction  in  this  case,  because  the  project  of 
law  is  meant  to  affect  persons  who  do  not,  and  should  not,  on  account 
of  their  tender  age,  belong  to  Ecclesiastical  jurisdiction.  The  following 
is  an  outline  of  the  measure : — - 

"  *  1.  Individuals  of  both  sexes,  who  desire  to  make  religious  pro- 
fession in  a  convent,  congregation,  or  a  monastery  of  the  state,  shall 
not  be  allowed  to  take  solemn  vows  in  perpetuity,  unless  they  have 
completed  the  age  of  twenty-one  years. 

"•2.  The  persons  competent,  according  to  the  preceding  article, 
shall  not  be  allowed  to  take  the  said  vows  without  having  lived  in  the 
social  world  for  at  least  six  months  within  the  period  of  two  years 
preceding  their  adopting  that  final  state. 

"  *  3.  Strangers  who  have  taken  vows  in  any  foreign  convent,  not  in 
conformity  to  the  present  law,  are  not  admissible  into  the  jeligioof 
institutions  of  this  country. 

*'  *  4.  Subjects  of  the  realm  who  have  taken  vows  beyond  its  juris- 
diction shall  be  considered  as  strangers  in  the  eye  of  the  law. 

**  *  5.  Such  persons  as  receive,  or  allow  to  be  received,  religious 
candidates  in  contravention  of  the  first  and  second  clauses  of  this  bill, 
shall  be  punished  with  five  years'  imprisonment,  and  all  such  subjects 
of  the  realm  who  may  infringe  the  terms  of  this  law  out  of  the  kingdom^ 
shall  lose  their  civil  rights. 


484  Foreign  and  Colonial  IntelKgenee, 

**  *  6.  All  dispositions  of  preceding  legislation  contrary  to  the  present 
law  are  annulled.' 

"  Though  (continued  the  speaker)  all  legislation  is  subject  to  modi- 
fication by  the  hand  of  time,  we  see  that  religions  and  monastic  orders 
obstinately  refuse  to  make  any  alteration  in  that  which  afifects  them 
from  the  remotest  period.     We  are,  therefore,  called  on  to  perform  that 
which  those  orders  refuse  to  do  for  themselves.     It  appears  that  the 
Church  will  in  no  manner  diminish  the  control  it  has  so  long  exercised 
over  the   human  mind ;  but,  while  that  fact  accounts  for  the  blind 
obstinacy  with  which  it  repels  all  change,  it  compels  us  to  protect  the 
young  and  the  ignorant,  and  to  provide,  by  wholesome  legislation,  for 
the  public  good.     The  house  has,  therefore,  only  to  examine  whether 
the  motion  I  have  the  honour  to  propose  be  in  principle  just,  and 
whether  it  be  within  our  attributes  to  adopt  it.     On  the  first  point,  I 
need  only  say  that  the  taking  of  eternal  vows  is  the  most  solemn  act  a 
human  being  can  perform,  and  that  it  is  a  refiection  on  common  sense 
to  allow  them  to  be  adopted  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  which  the 
actual  law  permits,  when  neither  the  mind  nor  body  is  developed,  and 
the  judgment  and  the  passions  given  to  us  by  Divine  Providence  fot 
wise  purposes,  are  not  yet  matured.     Will  you  continue  to  expose  the 
youth  of  both  sexes  to  the  influence  of  interested  persons,  who  desire 
the  possession  of  their  worldly  goods,  and  to  the  misery  of  an  inef' 
fectual  repentance  ?     With  regard  to  the  second  point,  the  Chamber  had 
already  discussed  and  disposed  of  matters  of  a  similar  nature,  and,  itx 
any  case,  I  must  presume  that,  whatever  your  final  decision  may  be^ 
you  will  not  refuse  for  the  present  to  take  the  measure  I  propose  intc^ 
serious  and  immediate  consideration." 

The  proposition  was  received  amid  cheers  from  all  sides  of  the  house 
The  leader  of  the  opposition,  M.  BrofFerio,  declared  that  the  only  faults 
he  found  with  the  measure  was,  that  it  did  not  go  far  enough,  as  h^ 
wished  it  did  away  with  monastic  institutions  altogether.  The  VAw^ 
de  la  Religion  states  that  the  Chambers  have  under  consideration  a. 
number  of  laws  of  the  most  "  detestable  description ;" — i.  e.,  most  un- 
favourable to  Roman  Catholic  views. 

The  royal  palace  of  Turin,  and  the  palace  of  the  Duke  of  Genoa,  was 
illuminated  on  the  feast  of  the  Saint  Suaire, — a  festival  to  which  the 
Romanists  of  Piedmont  are  much  attached.  The  ministers  did  not 
illuminate  their  houses. 

Rumoured  Concordat  with  Rome. — The  Croce  di  Savoia  has  the 
following : — 

"  We  are  assured  that  a  concordat  has  been  concluded  between  Rome 
and  the  Sardinian  Government.  The  latter,  it  appears,  agreed  to  the 
unconditional  return  to  their  respective  dioceses  of  Archbishops  Fran* 
zoni  and  Marengia,  and  ^o  the  appointment  of  a  new  Nuncio  to  Turin. 
It  is  not  known  whether  the  Nuncio  is  to  be  invested  with  the  powers 
enjoyed  by  his  predecessor.  The  object  and  result  of  these  arrange- 
ments, which  are  partly  the  work  of  the  Court  of  Caserta,  would  be  a 
political  league  between  Rome,  Naples,  Piedmont,  and  Tuscany,  in 


Borne.  485 

order  to  obtain  the  evacaation  of  the  Pontifical  States  by  the  French 
and  Austrian  troops.*' 

This  statement  is  contradicted  by  later  accounts,  from  which  it 
appears  probable  that  there  is  little  likelihood  of  a  concordat.  Pied- 
mont and  Switzerland  appear  to  be,  at  present,  the  only  countries  on 
the  continent  which  have  not  placed  themselves  unconditionally  in  the 
hands  of  Austria  and  Rome. 

Rome. — Disturbed  State  of  the  Population. -^^The  wretched  govern- 
ment which  has  been  thrust  back  on  the  Roman  people  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet,  and  which  owes  its  preservation  to  the  continued  forcible 
intervention  of  foreign  powers,  is  learning  by  experience  the  rooted 
antipathy  with  which  it  is  regarded,  and  is  compelled,  in  self-defence, 
to  resort  to  new  measures  of  violence  and  severity  against  its  subjects. 
The  disturbances  commenced  by  disputes  between  the  Roman  and  the 
French  troops,  since  which  they  have  taken  the  shape  of  combination 
against  the  use  of  tobacco  and  other  excisable  articles. 

The  recent  conflicts  between  French  soldiers  and  Romans  have  sug- 
gested to  the  French  general  the  necessity  of  taking  some  additional 
precautions  for  ensuring  his  own  safety,  and  that  of  the  army  under  his 
command.  It  is  remarkable  that,  in  the  following  proclamation,  an- 
nouncing the  general's  intentions  to  the  inhabitants  of  Rome,  no  men- 
tion whatever  is  made  of  the  Papal  authorities,  nor  of  the  established 
government  of  the  country : — 

'*  Serious  and  repeated  attempts  have  been  committed  against  French 
soldiers,  whose  good  conduct  and  discipline  are  generally  recognized 
and  proclaimed.  This  audacity  on  the  part  of  men  of  disorder  is  owing 
to  the  moderation  shown  until  this  day,  which  signalizes  the  generosity 
of  France.  Since  this  generosity  is  not  understood,  it  must  give  place 
to  a  just  severity.  Consequently,  the  general  commanding  the  division 
of  occupation  in  Italy,  fixes  the  following  dispositions  for  the  city  of 
Rome  and  the  Comarca : — 

"  All  permissions  to  carry  arms  are  suppressed.  All  fire-arms, 
side-arms,  and  poignard  knives  are  to  be  deposited  at  the  Etat  Major 
de  la  place  between  this  and  the  17th  of  May.  After  which  delay 
domiciliary  visits  will  take  place ;  every  inhabitant  retaining  arms  in 
his  possession  will  be  arrested,  and  brought  before  a  court-martial,  to  be 
judged  according  to  the  usual  laws ;  and  besides  the  sentence  there 
passed  upon  him  he  will  be  fined  fifteen  scudi  for  each  weapon  found  in 
his  house.  The  proprietors  of  houses  will  be  responsible  for  weapons 
seized  in  them. 

**  In  the  course  of  Sunday,  the  11th  May,  a  great  number  of  indi- 
viduals were  observed  in  the  city,  and  particularly  on  the  Corso,  carry- 
ing sticks  of  such  dimensions  as  to  lead  to  the  inference  that  they  con- 
tained hidden  weapons.  Such  a  kind  of  threat  can  no  longer  be  suffered. 
Men  carrying  the  above-described  sticks  will  be  arrested  by  patrols, 
which  will  be  ordered  for  that  purpose,  and  accompanied  by  agents 
of  police.     They  will  be  detained  in  prison  until  they  have  paid  the 


486  Fwmgn  and  Colonial  Intelligence. 

above-mentioned  fine  (fifteen  soudi).  Stiekt  of  a  aospicioas  form  are 
to  be  deposited  at  the  Etat  Major  de  la  place.  The  fines  wili  be  paid 
to  the  paymaster  of  the  division  for  the  use  of  the  military  hospitals. 
The  Commandant  de  la  place^  the  Prefect  of  Police,  and  the  Provost  of 
the  army,  are  charged  with  the  exeention  of  the  present  order,  towards 
which  the  general  requests  the  concurrence  of  all  the  officers  and  subal- 
terns of  the  army,  who,  by  causing  the  Frendi  uaiform  to  be  respected, 
will  exercise  a  right  and  fulfil  a  duty. 

*'  The  General  commanding  the  division,  **  A.  Gehbau. 

"At  the  head*quarters,  Rome,  May  12,  ]85t." 

It  is  a  general  supposition,  that  the  recent  quarrels  between  the 
French  and  Romans  are  not  entirely  owing  to  the  national  antipathy  of 
the  parties,  but  that  a  feeling  of  hostility  has  been  purposely  fomented 
by  the  agents  of  the  secret  police,  in  order  to  maintain  in  full  force  the 
detestation  with  which  the  citizens  and  their  conquerors  have  hitherto 
regarded  each  other,  and  to  prevent  any  measure  of  firatemization  taking 
place  between  the  people  and  soldiers  in  ease  of  a  change  of  policy  in 
France.  Should  a  fresh  revolution  burst  forth  in  that  most  volcanic  of 
countries,  it  would  no  doubt  be  a  great  point  for  the  ecclesiastical  au- 
thorities to  be  perfectly  sure  of  the  movements  of  the  present  garrison, 
and  to  obtain  a  safe  refuge  from  popular  fury  by  retiring  with  General 
Gemeau  into  the  precincts  of  the  Castle  of  St.  Angelo  ;  for  it  is  a  fact, 
that  the  Romans  look  alike  on  the  priests  and  the  French  with  vindic- 
tive exasperation,  and  would  take  the  first  opportunity  of  wreaking 
their  vengeance  on  either. 

The  general  disarming  of  the  people  has  not  sufficed  to  calm  the 
fears  of  General  Gemeau,  whose  patrols,  in  company  with  police  agents, 
begin  perambulating  the  city  as  soon  as  it  is  dark,  arresting,  searching, 
and  annoying  the  passers  by.  The  uneasiness  of  the  Government  at 
the  unanimous  resolution  of  the  inhabitants  not  to  smoke  any  longer,  is 
displayed  by  the  following  document :~« 

*'  Notification. — Giacomo,  of  the  holy  Roman  Church,  Cardinal 
Antonelli,  Dean  of  St.  Agatha,  in  Suburra,  Pro-Secretary  of  State  of 
the  Holiness  of  our  Lord  Pope  Pius  IX.  The  insults  offered  to  this 
peaceable  population  to  prevent  it  from  using  tobacco  have  called  the 
attention  of  the  Government  to  the  best  means  of  guaranteeing  the  free 
exercise  of  legitimate  actions,  and  subjecting  as  soon  as  possible  the 
persons  guilty  of  such  crimes  to  their  due  penalty.  Wherefore,  accord- 
ing to  the  orders  of  his  Holiness,  we  publish  the  following  dispositions. 
Whoever  renders  himself  guilty  of  promoting,  favouring,  or  executing 
any  act  directed  to  hinder  the  free  exercise  of  lawful  actions,  and  so 
disturb  public  order,  will  be  subjected  to  a  summary  judgment,  to  carry 
out  the  penalties  determined  by  law.  The  proceedings  adopted  will 
aim  solely  at  establishing  the  impartial  proof  of  the  truth  of  the  fact. 
In  the  term  of  twenty-four  hours  after  the  compilation  of  the  proceed- 
ings, sentence  will  be  passed  by  the  competent  tribunal,  and  put  inta 
execution  immediately.  Those  who  distribute  or  divulge  intelligenee, 
printed  or  writteOf  of  an  alarming  nature,  or  are  found  in  possession  of 


Home.  487 

such  printed  or  written  papers,  will  be  subjeeted  to  the  same  form  ef 
trial,  and  punished  by  being  sent  to  the  galleys  for  a  term  of  from  cme 
to  three  years,  salvo  heavier  penalties  when  the  prints  or  writings  as* 
sume  the  character  of  a  deeper  crime.  The  police  is  charged  to  adopt 
all  preventive  and  repressive  measures  against  those  who  in  any  way 
provoke  them,  and  all  the  authorities  will  watch  over  the  full  execution 
of  the  present  dispositions. — Given  at  Rome,  in  the  Secretary  of  State's 
office,  on  the  16th  of  May,  1851.         G.  Cardinal  Antonelli." 

The  next  mode  of  annoyance  against  the  Government  adopted  by 
the  liberals  will  be  the  refusal  to  buy  lottery  tickets,  the  Papal  treasury 
deriving  an  enormous  yearly  profit  from  that  mode  of  encouraging  the 
gambling  propensities  of  thei  people.  A  great  diminution  is  said  to  be 
already  observed. 

Romish  Intolerance, — Religious  toleration  and  reciprocity  are  ap- 
proved of  when  such  principles  answer  the  purpose  of  ecclesiastical 
schemes  abroad  ;  but  in  the  Roman  states  the  plan  pursued  is  different. 
Two  Swiss  citizens  have  recently  applied  for  protection  to  the  British 
Consul  at  Ancona  (having  no  consul  of  their  own  to  appeal  to),  their 
religion  being  the  cause  of  vexatious  measures  adopted  against  them 
by  the  local  authorities,  both  spiritual  and  temporal.  It  is  to  be  re« 
gretted  that  nothing,  or  next  to  nothing,  can  be  done  for  them.  One 
case  is  that  of  a  Swiss  youth,  named  Rothpletz,  who  lately  arrived  at 
Ancona  as  assistant  to  a  fellow-countryman,  who  carries  on  an  extensive 
business  as  a  baker.  This  youth  is  a  quiet  and  inofiensive  being,  but 
coming  from  a  suspected  part  of  Switzerland  (so  ft  is  surmised)  he  is 
ordered  to  quit  the  country  immediately,  to  the  great  detriment  of  his 
prospects  in  life,  and  to  the  pecuniary  loss  of  his  master,  who  will  have 
to  bear  his  travelling  expenses  both  ways.  A  Swjss  resident  of  inflo- 
ence  in  Ancona  has  succeeded  in  procuring  a  delay  of  eight  days,  in 
order  that  he  may  communicate  with  the  Swiss  representative  at  Rome 
upon  the  subject,  as  the  police  at  Ancona  will  not  assign  any  reason 
for  sending  the  young  man  (who  is  a  Protestant)  out  of  the  country. 

The  second  case  relates  to  a  lady  of  Sinigaglia,  who,  in  1827,  she 
being  then  21  years  of  age,  was  married  to  a  Swiss  gentleman,  named 
Charles  Flournois,  with  whom  she  went  to  reside  in  the  vicinity  of 
Geneva,  and  was  registered  and  considered  as  a  Swiss  citizen,  like  her 
husband.  In  the  winter  of  1845-46,  they  proposed  a  trip  to  Italy, 
to  visit  their  Italian  friends,  when,  unfortunately,  on  their  journey  M. 
Flournois  was  attacked  with  a  severe  malady,  which  ultimately  deprived 
him  of  his  senses,  and,  in  a  moment  of  mental  alienation,  he  precipitated 
himself  from  a  window,  and  was  killed  on  the  spot.  The  widow  con- 
tinued her  journey  to  Sinigaglia  with  her  only  child,  a  boy  now  nine 
years  old,  born  in  Switzerland,  and  baptized  in  the  Protestant  faith  of 
his  father.  This  lady  since  then  has  continued  to  live  with  her  relatives, 
all  of  whom  are  Roman  Catholics,  and  she  nominally  one  also.  The 
priests  have  now  determined  to  convert  this  child  to  their  own  religion, 
which  the  mother  opposes,  notwithstanding  all  the  menaces  of  the 
bishop,  as  her  late  husband's  will  expressly  declared  that  his  son  should 
be  brought  up  "  in  the  pure  Christian  faithi  as  purged  of  its  gross  errors 


488  Fi^reign  and  CoUmial  InieOigemee. 

hy  the  Refonnadon.*'  She  wishes  now  to  fly  from  the  country  with 
her  child,  which  she  will  not  be  enabled  to  effect  oniess  the  Swiss 
goTemment  aids  her  in  the  effort. 

On  the  10th  April  a  consistory  was  held  at  the  Vatican,  when  Car- 
dinals Fomari  and  Gk>us8et  received  their  hats,  and  M.  Lucciondi  was 
appointed  Patriarch  of  Constantinople,  m  ftart ;  M.  Scerra,  Archbishop 
of  Ancyra,  m  part;  M.  Baldanzi,  Bishop  of  Volterra;  M.  Cordova, 
Bishop  of  Pace,  in  South  America ;  M.  Florenti,  Bishop  of  Costa  Rica, 
South  America ;  M.  Sarrebeyroseze,  Bishop  of  Etalonia,  tit  pari. 

On  April  8th,  the  Congref^on  of  Rites  held  a  meeting  for  the  ap< 
probation  of  the  martyrdom  and  miracles  of  Jean  de  Britto,  Jesuit, 
missionary  at  Madura  in  the  seventeenth  century,  preparatory  to  his 
canonization. 

M.  Perret,  a  French  artist,  has  made  a  large  and  valuable  collection 
of  drawings  from  the  subterranean  relics  of  ancient  Rome.  He  traces 
the  origin  of  the  conventional  representations  of  our  Lord,  and  the 
apostles,  and  saints.  Many  of  the  subjects  are  of  the  second  and 
third  centuries.  It  is  proposed  to  publish  this  collection  in  France  at 
the  expense  of  the  state. 

By  a  decree  of  the  Congr^ation  of  Rites,  the  worship  of  the 
*'  blessed  "  Laurence  de  Ripafracta,  a  Dominican  friar,  has  been  fully 
authorized.  The  beatification  of  ^gidius  of  S.  Joseph,  and  Yincentio 
Romana,  are  going  through  the  regular  stages. 

Ceremonies  of  Holy  Week. — The  following  item  of  Romish  news  is 
from  the  pen  of  the  **  Daily  News  "  correspondent : — 

"  The  religious  ceremonies  of  the  Holy  Week  commenced  with  the 
customary  blessing  and  distribution  of  palras  by  the  Pope,  which  took 
place  in  St.  Peter's  Church,  instead  of  the  narrow  limits  of  the  Sixtine 
Chapel,  as  heretofore.  A  great  number  of  foreigners  were  present. 
The  procession  of  cardinals,  bishops,  state  officers,  and  foreign  digni- 
taries, which  accompanied  the  portable  throne  of  his  Holiness  up  the 
vast  nave  of  the  Basilica  was  of  unwonted  length,  the  whole  of  the  corpt 
diplomatique,  with  General  Gemeau,  and  the  principal  officers  of  his 
staff,  in  full  uniform,  with  palm-leaves  in  their  hands,  following  in  the 
train  of  the  ecclesiastics ;  and  last  of  all  a  select  band  of  English 
Catholics,  likewise  bearing  palms,  some  of  whom  were  dressed  in  black, 
as  was  Lord  Feilding ;  and  others,  amongst  whom  was  Lord  Campden, 
displayed  the  splendour  of  deputy-lieutenants'  and  militia  uniforms  to 
the  admiring  Romans." 

The  subjoined  rescript,  enjoining  collections  in  Rome  towards  meet- 
ing the  expenses  of  erecting  a  Roman  Catholic  cathedral  in  London, , 
has  recently  been  issued  : — 

'*  Constantino  Patrizi,  by  the  mercy  of  God  Bishop  of  Albano,  Car- 
dinal of  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  Archpriest  of  the  Patriarchal  Church 
of  St.  Maria  Maggiore,  Vicar-General  of  his  Holiness  our  Lord,  and 
Ordinary  Judge  of  the  Roman  Tribunal  and  its  district — 

'*  The  mission  to  England  at  present  attracts  the  religious  attention 
of  every  Catholic,  and  especially  that  of  the  Romans,  who  so  distinguish 
themselves  by  their  seal  and  piety.     The  numerous  conTersions  which 


Borne,  489 

have  lately  taken  place  in  that  kingdom,  and  the  good-will  and  tendency 
towards  the  true  faith  which  is  already  manifested  there  by  so  many 
others,  ought  to  fill  with  zeal,  joy,  and  grateful  pleasure  the  minds  of 
all  good  men  ;  but  the  want  of  churches,  especially  in  London,  ia  a 
great  obstacle  not  only  to  the  propagation,  but  also  to  the  preservation 
of  the  Catholic  faith  in  that  metropolis.  The  Italians,  who  are  very 
numerous  there,  feel  in  a  special  manner  the  evils  of  so  great  a  depriva- 
tion, and  the  necessity  of  a  church  in  which  to  congregate.  In  consor 
quence  of  this  privation,  and  the  greater  number  iVom  their  poverty 
being  unable  to  pay  the  tribute  which  is  generally  demanded  for  an 
entrance  into  the  English  Catholic  Churches,  and  the  limited  accommo- 
dation there  assigned  them  not  being  sufficient,  they  find  themselves  in 
the  painful  alternative  of  either  renouncing  all  religious  practices,  or  of 
joining  the  Protestant  Churches. 

*'  The  Holiness  of  our  Lord  Pope  Pius  IX.,  in  his  provident  zeal  for 
the  good  of  religion,  and  of  souls,  having  approved  of  the  project  of 
building  in  that  capital  a  church  commensurate  with  the  wants  of  the 
Italians  as  to  size  and  central  locality,  and  having  by  circulars  to  the 
end  of  the  year  1848,  exhorted  the  Bishops  to  obtain  donations  for 
that  most  noble  design,  we,  with  notifications  of  the  16th  of  March  of 
that  year  recommended  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  metropolis  so  good  a 
work,  and  we  commanded  the  superiors  of  each  church,  not  excluding 
the  regular  Clergy,  to  make  collections  for  it,  ordering  them  to  remit 
the  amount  of  the  collections  to  his  Eminence  the  Cardinal  Prefect  of 
the  Sacred  Congregation  of  the  Propaganda  Fide. 

'*  Well-known  distressing  political  circui^stances  having  impeded 
the  prosperous  results  which  were  anticipated,  and  the  necessity  now 
being  most  urgent  of  a  larger  sum  of  money  to  complete  the  payment 
of  the  site,  and  to  commence  immediately  the  building  of  the  aforesaid 
church,  we  again  appeal  to  the  pious  generosity  of  the  Romans  to 
contribute  with  those  means  which  each  has  to  a  work  so  honourable 
for  Italy,  and  so  urgent  and  necessary  for  the  circumstances  of 
London. 

"  The  holy  Father,  in  order  to  give  a  greater  stimulus  to  the  piety 
of  the  faithful  towards  this  object,  has  granted,  with  the  decree  of  the 
Sacred  Congregation  of  the  Propaganda,  on  the  9th  of  March  inst., 
the  indulgence  of  200  days  to  whoever  shall  contribute  any  donation 
for  the  above  object.  We  recommend,  however,  to  the  reverend 
preachers  and  curates  to  excite  with  special  exhortation  the  charity  of 
the  faithful  to  contribute  to  the  great  work  ;  and  we  commend,  at  the 
same  time,  all  the  superiors  of  every  church  in  Rome,  including  those 
of  the  regulars,  to  establish  in  their  churches  collections  in  the  manner 
and  time  most  convenient,  to  commence  with  the  present  Lent,  and  to 
continue  for  a  year,  putting  the  money  into  the  hands  of  the  Sacred 
Cardinal  Prefect,  &c.,  or  of  Monsignore  his  Secretary. 
"  Dated  from  our  residence,  March  26,  1851, 

"  Cardinal  Vicar,  Guise ppe  Tarmasse, 

Canon  Secretary." 
VOL.  XV. — NO.  XXX. — JUNE,  1851.  K  k 


490  Foreign  and  Cobmial  InUOigenes. 

Mlicellamtam  InteUigtnoe^ — Among  the  books  recently  oondemned 
by  a  decree  of  the  Sacred  Congregation  of  the  Index,  are  the  Italian 
translation  of  the  Ckronologieal  Dictionary  by  d'Hannonville,  Dr. 
Whately's  Elementi  of  Logie^  Mr.  Hobart  Seymour's  Pilgrimage  to 
Rome,  and  Henry's  Hittory  of  the  IntiUutioiu  of  the  EgyptioMM  uMdar 
their  National  Kingi, 

An  incident  of  an  alarming  character  occurred  at  the  Choreh  of 
Su  Prassede,  on  the  27th  of  March,  where  a  mission  had  been  just 
opened  for  the  inhabitants  of  the  dnartier  des  Monts.  'Whilst  a 
Franciscan  friar  was  preaching,  a  bomb  was  thrown  into  the  chordi, 
and  burst  in  one  of  the  side  aisles,  fortunately  without  injuring  any 
one* 

The  alarming  explosion  at  the  Church  of  Santa  Prassede,  was  fol- 
lowed up  by  a  scene  of  another,  but  not  less  singular  kind,  in  the 
ancient  Basilica  of  Santa  Maria,  in  Trastevere,  where  a  preacher  of 
the  order  of  missionaries  succeeded  in  working  up  his  hearers  to  an 
unwonted  pitch  of  fear  and  contrition  at  their  misdeeds,  and  informed 
them  that  a  collection  of  such  miserable  sinners  had  no  longer  any 
right  to  insult  the  Divinity  by  appearing  in  his  holy  house  and  pre- . 
sence.  He,  therefore,  invited  them  idl  to  leave  the  church,  and, 
setting  them  the  example  himself,  he  came  down  from  the  pulpit,  and 
led  his  wondering  congregation  into  the  Piazza,  where  some  time 
was  occupied  in  prayers  or  processions.  Finally,  he  informed  them 
that,  by  the  intercession  of  the  holy  mother  of  God,  he  hoped  they 
were  more  worthy  of  returning  into  the  church,  and,  accordingly,  bo 
knocked  at  the  door,  (which  had  been  shut  meanwhile,)  and  obtained 
admittance  for  himself  and  his  flock,  who  were  surprised  to  find  a 
large  image  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  surrounded  by  lighted  tapers,  exactly 
opposite  the  entrance.  The  usual  cry  of  *'  Miracolo "  saluted  this 
change  of  plaa)  on  the  part  of  the  statue,  and  salutary  effects  are 
asserted  to  have  already  shown  themselves  in  consequence  amongst 
some  hardened  Trasteverini  offenders,  whose  consciences  have  beoi 
touched  by  so  great  a  prodigy  ! 

An  extraordinary  congregation,  or  commission,  composed  of  six 
Cardinals,  has  been  appointed  by  the  Pope  for  the  purpose  of  in- 
quiring into  the  moral  state  of  the  conventF,  and  reporting  on  the  best 
mode  of  reforming  the  abuses  which  hav«  crept  into  these  estahlislh 
ments. 

The  order  of  confirmation,  according  to  the  rite  of  the  Church  of 
England,  was  performed  lately  in  the  English  chapel,  outside  the 
Porta  del  Populo,  by  the  Right  Rev.  Dr.  Spencer,  late  Bishop  of 
Madras,  fifteen  peisons  (of  whom  fourteen  were  young  ladies)  being 
oonfirmed  ftn  \k^  occasion.  It  was  apprehended  at  first,  in  oonsequenct 
of  some  vague  rumour  to  that  effect,  that  the  Papal  Government  wovUA 
have  interfered  with  the  ceremony,  on  account  of  its  affording  example 
of  a  British  Protestant  Bishop  exercising  his  episcopal  functions  at 
Rome — the  see,  ^par  excellence,  of  his  Holiness.  The  Roman  autho- 
rities, however,  proceeded  to  no  such  imprudent  step,  the  consequence 


Tuscany  491 

of  which,  in  the  present  state  of  public  opinion  in  England,  would,  of 
oQurse,  have  been  incalculably  prejudicial  to  the  interests  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church. 

TvscAVT n^^Caneerdmt  with  Rome^y^By  a  recent  Concordat  witl^ 
Rome,  the  Papacy  has  acquired  a  vast  extension  of  jurisdiction  in 
Tuscany «  At  the  same  time,  the  Tuscan  Government  has  repres&ed 
by  force  the  attendance  of  the  people  at  Protestant  worship. 

Count  Guicoiardini  has  been  arrested  at  Florence,  and  committed  to 
the  common  felons'  prison,  for  the  offence  of  reading  and  expounding 
th^  Bible,  with  which  he  had  been  made  acquainted  through  the  English 
residents. 

In  January  last,  by  order  of  the  authorities  at  Florence,  number?  of 
persons  were  formally  prohibited,  by  a  document  called  a  precetlo,  froni 
attending  Protestant  service  at  the  Swiss  church.     The  Italian  service 
IB  that  church,  usually  performed  for  the  benefit  of  Italian  Swiqs,  was 
ordered  to  be  suspend^ ;  and  a  large  number  of  persons  were  thus, 
deprived  of  their  usual  religious  ceremonies.     Herr  von  Reuraont,  tho 
,  Prussian  envoy,  a  Roman  Catholic,  was  consulted  by  the  ^onsistoryt 
in  his  character  of  protector  to  the  Swiss  Church ;  and,  in  reply,  ad-* 
fiaed  the  temporary  suspension  of  the  service.     In  doing  ^so,  he  ad-r. 
mitted  the  right  of  the  Tuscan  Government  to  act  in  direct  contradictioa 
to  the  Constitution  sworn  to  by  the  Grand  Duke,  which  stipulates) 
amongst  other  things,  complete  tolerance  for  every  creed.     In  the  c^r^ 
vespondence  between  the  Prussian  minister  and  the  consistory,  the  latter 
stigmatized  the  presence  of  Tuscan  policemeji  at  the  Swiss  chapel  as  an 
insult  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  asked  permission  to  have  in  future 
the  Prussian  arms  exhibited  over  the  doors  of  the  chapel.     They  urged 
in  strong  terms  the  right  of  a  large  number  of  Italian  Protestants  to  a 
ittligious  service  in  their  own  language,  and  declared  their  intentioii  to 
appeal  to  the  king  directly,  if  the  minister  gave  no  satisfaotoiy  reply. 

The  consistory  then  indulged  hopes  that  their  eonrespondenee  with 
Herr  yon  Reumont  would  be  submitted  to  the  king  at  Berlin,  and 
they  were  not  mistaken  $  but  he  so  mutilated  portions  of  it  asi  to  para* 
lyze  its  efleot 

.  In  fact  from  what  we  have  elsewhere  remarked,  the  influence  of 
Jesuitism  at  present  appears  to  be  predominant  in  Prussia*  The  ho8« 
tility  of  Herr  von  Reumont  is  evident  from  the  report  he  drew  up  to 
present  to  the  king,  and  communicated  to  the  oopsistory  on  the  Sitk  of 
May.  In  this  document  he  de^ribed  the  steps  he  had  taken  with  the 
Tuscan  ministry,  in  view  of  obtaining  permission  to  perform  jhe  Italian 
flttrvice,  a  boon  which  he  said  might  be  granted  if  the  consistory  con- 
nmted  to  admit  to  the  service  by  tickets,  exclude  every  ItaUan^  keep 
the  service  private,  and  let  all  doors  be  closed  as .  soon  as  proceedings 
commenced. 

The  consistory  refused  to  give  their  assent  to  this  report,  and  asked 
for  two  days  to  deliberate.  At  first  this  delay  was  granted,  hut  before 
its  expiration  the  Prussian  minister  sent  word  that  he  had  been  miable 

Kk2 


402  Fofmig%  and  CoUmial  IntdKgmiee. 

to  wait,  and  had  aent  up  bis  report  to  Berlin,  adding  that  if  his  proposals 
were  not  aceepted,  he  would  take  no  farther  steps  with  the  Tuscan 
gOTemment. 

Thus,  the  celebration  of  Protestant  worship  has  been  stopped.  The 
pastor  of  a  flock  has  been  ordered  out  of  the  country,  merely  because 
he  had  assembled  some  of  his  congr^ation  after  service  to  read  and  ex- 
plain portions  of  Scripture  to  them.  His  curate  has  been  taken  to  gaol, 
and  subsequently  marched  between  gensdarmes  for  seven  days  like  a 
felon,  and  made  to  cross  on  foot  the  whole  of  Pisa,  Lucca,  Pietra  Saota, 
llassa  (in  which  state  he  was  ironed),  and  Sarzana.  His  crime  was 
that  of  assisting  in  reading  the  Scriptures  for  his  colleague,  who  has  been 
exiled. 

UAmx  de  la  Religkm  states,  that  *'  many  persons  known  by  the  ex- 
altation of  their  political  notions,  have  been  arrested  at  Florence  as 
gmliy  of  having  laboured  to  promote  Protestantism  in  Tuscany.** 

In  18S8,  the  British  representative  at  Florence  obtained  leave  to 
open  a  private  chapel  for  Anglican  worship.  In  January  last,  a  formal 
complaint  was  addressed  to  the  Hon.  P.  C.  Scarlett,  by  the  Duke  de 
Casigliano,  that  '*  persons  other  than  British  subjects  had  been  admitted,^ 
and  that  praying  and  catechising  in  the  Italian  language  had  been  intro- 
duced, to  the  weakening  of  the  Catholic  religion  ** — threatening  to  dote 
the  chapeL  It  turns  out  that  this  accusation  was  wh<dly  **  groundless 
and  erroneous.'*  Lord  Palroerston,  in  a  spirited  note  to  Mr.  Shiel,  ex- 
poses "  the  intolerant  spirit  manifested  in  the  Duke  of  Casiglisno's 
communication,*'  and  contrasts  it  with  *'the  liberal  and  enlightened 
system  which  prevails  in  the  United  Kingdom  in  regard  to  the  exercise 
of  religious  belief." 


Mexico. — ^An  American  writer,  quoted  in  the  Banner  of  the  Crou, 
gives  the  folloiring  description  of  a  treasure  he  was  permitted  to  see  on 
a  recent  visit  to  Mexico  Cathedral : — 

*'  fiy  special  favour  they  showed  us  every  thing ;  among  others  the 
custodian,  in  which  the  consecrated  host  is  exposed  on  certain  oc- 
casions. It  cost  200,000  dollars,  but  is  worth  500,000 ;  and  you  will 
not  wonder  at  this  when  I  inform  you  that  it  is  full  four  feet  highi 
made  of  solid  gold,  and  studded  with  precious  stones.  The  pedestal  is 
a  foot  and  a  half  square,  inlaid  with  diamonds  and  rubies.  At  each 
comer  is  the  golden  figure  of  an  angel,  exquisitely  carved ;  around  his 
waist  and  neck  are  strings  of  the  finest  pearls ;  his  wings  are  inlaid  or 
covered  with  diamonds,  rubies,  and  emeralds.  In  his  right  hand  he 
holds  sheaves  of  wheat,  made  of  yellow  topaz :  in  his  lef^  bunches  of 
grapes,  made  of  amethysts.  The  shaft  is  also  studded  with  diaincmds, 
rabies,  and  emeralds.  The  upper  part,  containing  the  host,  is  made  to 
represent  the  sun,  and  is  a  foot  and  half  in  circumference ;  the  rays  that 
emanate  on  one  side  are  made  entirely  of  diamonds  of  the  first  water, 
beginning*  with  some  of  lai^  sixe,  and  gradually  tapering  o£  The 
eroaa  that  aurmoonts  the  top  ia  also  on  this  side  miade  of  diainonda»  and 


Mexico — Portugat-Spain.  493 

is  superb.     On  the  other  side,   both  the  cross  and  the  rays  are  of 
the  most  beautiful  emeralds— perhaps  larger  than  the  diamonds." 

Portugal. — Papal  Diplomacy, — ^A  correspondent  of  the  "  Times*' 
thus  writes  from  Lisbon,  in  reference  to  the  '*  Papal  aggression"  upon 
Portugal : —  . 

*'  This  aggression  upon  Portugal  consists  in  the  Pope's  attempt  to 
deprive  the  Archbishopric  of  Goa  of  its  jurisdiction  over  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  in  those  adjacent  possessions  which  have  passed  from 
Portugal  to  the  dominion  of  the  English  and  Dutch.  The  Pope  had 
evidently  attempted  to  tamper  with  Archbishop  Torres  before  he  went 
to  Goa,  but  he,  upon  his  arrival,  insisted  upon  maintaining  intact  the 
rights  of  the  Portuguese  Crown  ;  he  would  not  allow  the  Pope's  Vicars- 
Apostolic  to  usurp  the  jurisdiction  of  his  Archbishopric,  and,  so  far  as 
the  English  possessions  are  concerned,  it  appears  the  Archbishop's 
spiritual  authority  was  acknowledged,  and  the  Pope's  innovations 
disallowed.  The  Holy  See  is,  however,  never  at  a  loss  to  compass  its 
ends,  and  therefore  the  Nuncio  in  Lisbon  adopted  the  Count  of 
Thomar's  party,  and  the  Count  being  appointed  by  the  Ministry 
to  arrange  the  affair  with  the  Nuncio,  Archbishop  Torres  was  re* 
called  from  Goa,  with  the  consent  of  the  Government,  and  no  other 
successor  being  appointed  to  that  distant  See,  the  Pope  can  in  the 
mean  time  play  his  cards  in  India  just  as  he  likes." 

Spain. — Concordat  with  the  Pope,— The  concordat  with  the  Pope, 
the  ratification  of  which  took  place  on  the  11th  instant,  between  Mon- 
signor  Brunelli  and  Senor  Bertran  de  Lis,  was  published  the  following 
day.     The  following  is  a  statement  of  its  chief  provisions : — 

"Art.  1  declares  that  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  being  the  sole 
worship  of  the  Spanish  nation,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  others,  shall  be 
maintained  for  ever,  with  all  the  rights  and  prerogatives  which  it  ought 
to  enjoy,  according  to  the  law  of  God  and  the  dispositions  of  the  sacred 
canons. 

*'  Art.  2  deposes  that  all  instruction  in  universities,  colleges,  semi- 
naries, and  public  or  private  schools,  sh^l  be  conformable  to  Catholic 
doctrine  ;  and  that  no  impediment  shall  be  put  in  the  way  of  the  Bishops, 
&c.,  whose  duty  is  to  watch  over  the  purity  of  doctrine  and  of  manuers, 
and  over  the  religious  education  of  youth  even  in  the  public  schools. 

'*  Art.  3.  The  authorities  to  give  every  support  to  the  Bishops  and 
other  ministers  in  the  exercise  of  their  duties,  and  the  Government  to 
support  the  Bishops  when  called  on,  whether  *  in  opposing  themselves 
to  the  malignity  of  men  who  seek  to  pervert  the  minds  of  the  faithful 
and  corrupt  their  morals,  or  in  impeding  the  publication,  introduction, 
and  circulation  of  bad  and  dangerous  books.' 

'*The  subsequent  articles  refer  to  the  new  arrangement  of  arch- 
bishoprics and  bishoprics.     An  archbishopric  of  Valladolid  is  created  in 


494  Fareijin  and  Oohnial  IwUiUg^tkce. 

addition  to  the  existing  archbisboprics  of  Toledo,  Burgos,  Gnoiada, 
Santiago,  Seville,  Tarragona,  Valencia,  and  Zaxagoaa.  Eight  Bishoprics 
are  suppressed,  and  three  new  ones — those  of  Madrid,  Ciudad-Real, 
and  Vittoria — created^  The  dotation  of  the  archbishops  ranges  from 
160,000  to  130,000  reals,  and  that  of  bishops  from  110,000  to  80,000. 
The  dotation  of  the  other  dignitaries,  &c.,  is  also  fixed. 

"  The  29th  article  provides  for  the  establishment  by  th^  Grovermnent 
of  certain  religious  houses  and  congr^ations,  specifying  those  of  San 
Vicente  Paul,  San  Felipe  Neri,  and  '  some  other  one  of  those  approved 
by  the  Holy  See ; '  the  object  being  stated  to  be  that  there  may  be 
always  a  sufficient  number  of  ministers  and  evangelical  labourers  for 
home  and  foreign  missions,  &c.,  and  also  that  they  may  serve  as  places 
of  retirement  for  ecclesiastics,  in  order  to  perform  spiritual  exercises  and 
other  pious  works. 

''  Art.  30  refers  to  religious  houses  for  women,  in  which  those  who 
are  called  to  a  contemplative  life  may  follow  their  vocation,  and  others 
may  follow  that  of  assistance  to  the  sick,  education,  and  other  pious 
and  useful  works ;  and  directs  the  preservation  of  the  institution  of 
Daughters  of  Charity,  under  tlie  direction  of  the  clergy  of  San  Vicente 
Paul,  the  Government  to  endeavour  to  promote  the  same;  religious 
houses  in  which  education  of  children  and  other  works  of  charity  are 
added  to  a  contemplative  life  also  to  be  maintained  ;  and,  with  respect 
to  other  orders,  the  Bishops  of  the  respective  dioceses  to  propose  the 
cases  in  which  the  admission  and  profession  of  noviciates  should  take 
place,  and  the  exercises  of  education  or  of  charity  which  should  be  esta- 
blished in  them. 

"  The  35  th  article  declares  that  the  Government  shall  provide,  by  all 
vuitable  means,  for  the  support  of  the  religious  houses,  ^.,  for  men, 
and  that,  with  respect  to  those  for  women,  all  the  tknsold  convent  pro* 
perty  is  at  once  to  be  returned  to  the  Bishops  in  whose  dioceses  it  is, 
as  their  representatives ;  but  it  adds,  that  in  attention  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  case,  his  Holiness  disposes  that  the  property  shall  be  sold 
by  the  Bishops,  and  the  proceeds  invested  in  untransferable  three  per 
cent.  Inscriptions,  to  be  distributed  among  the  convents,  in  propor- 
tion to  their  wants  and  circumstafnces,  the  Government  to  make  up  any 
deficiency  in  the  pensions  of  those  who  have  a  right  to  them. 

**  The  dotation  of  the  secular  clergy  is  provided  for  by  the  38th 
■article,  which  recites  the  provisions  of  the  existing  law  on  that  head 
passed  in  1 849,  but  it  also  adds  that  whatever  property  belonging  to 
the  Chnrch,  including  that  of  the  religious  communities  of  men,  which 
remains  unsold,  and  which  has  not  been  restored  under  the  law-of  1845, 
,  shall  now  be  restored  forthwith  ;  but,  as  in  the  instance  of  the  convent 
property  above  mentioned,  his  Holiness  disposes  that  it  shall  be  sold 
and  invested  in  the  three  per  cent,  stock  for  the  use  of  the  Church. 

•*  By  the  39th  article,  the  Government  are  to  make  proper  dispositions 
that  those  amongst  whom  the  property  of  pious  foundations  and  endow- 
ments has  been  distributed,  shall  secure  the  means  of  fulfilling  those 


charges,  and  the  same  with  those  who  have  purchased  ecclesiastical  pro* 
perty  liable  to  those  charges. 

**  Article  40  declares  that  all  the  property  and  revennes  above  men- 
tioned belong  to  the  Cb arch,  and  shall  be  enjoyed  and  administered  by 
the  clergy,  and  provides  for  the  funds  of  the  Cruzada,  &c.,  being  ad-* 
ministered  by  the  Bishops. 

'*  Article  41  says,  *  The  Church  shall  besides  have  the  right  to  acquire 
property  by  any  lawful  title,  and  its  property  in  all  that  it  possesses 
now  or  may  acquire  in  future  shall  be  solemnly  respected.  Conse* 
quently,  as  regards  the  old  and  new  ecclesiastical  foundations,  there 
shall  not  be  any  suppression  or  union  without  the  intervention  of  the 
authority  of  the  Holy  See,  saving  the  Acuities  belonging  to  the  fiishopa 
according  to  the  Holy  Council  of  Trent.' 

**  The  42nd  article  guarantees  the  purchasers  and  present  holders  of 
ecclesiastical  property,  sold  under  the  civil  dispositions  existing  at  the 
time,  in  the  quiet  possession  of  it,  free  from  all  molestation  on  the  part 
of  his  Holiness  or  his  successors. 

*^  This  document  was  drawn  up,  March  16,  by  the  parties  who  have 
now  exchanged  ratifications.'' 

The  dotation  of  the  clergy  and  of  public  worship,  as  fixed  by  the  bill 
of  1840,  amounts  to  154,000,000  reals ;  but  it  is  computed  by  parties 
who  have  examined  the  new  concordat,  and  the  increased  scale  of  many 
of  the  sums  assigned  in  it,  that  there  will  be  an  increase  of  expenditure 
under  this  head  of  36,000,000  of  reals. 

The  capital  of  the  estates  restored  or  assigned  to  the  Church  is  esti** 
mated  as  follows  t-^ 

Reals* 

Possessions  of  secular  clergy,  originally  estimated  at  2,000,000,000 

Deduct  sold  up  to  July,  1844,  when  the  sales  were 

suspended '.      470,000,000 


^^^mmf^i^fm'^^'^tmm^^mmtm 


Value  of  property  restored    1,530,000,000 

Ditto,  estimated  value  of  encomiendas  and  maestrasgos 

of  military  orders 280,000,000 

Ditto,  estates  of  religious  communities  of  men 260,187,325 

Ditto,  hermitages,  sanctuaries,  &q ,  • . .  •  126,715,436 


■.  ■    II   I 


2,196,902,811 

The  estates  (unsold)  belonging  to  the  religious  communities  of  women 
were  estimated  at  357,184,392  reals. 

It  is  asserted  that  many  of  the  minister's  best  supporters  contemplate 
the  desertion  of  his  standard,  on  account  of  the  concordat.  Even 
many  of  the  Carlist  party  are  said  to  be  indignant  at  the  humiliation 
of  the  nation.  The  Pope's  nuncio  receives  100,000  reals  a  year  aa 
president  of  the  ecclesiastical  tribunal  of  the  Rota,  a  tribunal  which  hat 
to  judge  of  ecclesiastical  affairs.     Besides  his  regular  pay,  he  hat  a 


496  Fwreign  €md  CoUmial  IwUUigenee. 

number  of  perquisites.  Whenever  any  of  the  suppressed  order  of 
monks  wishes  to  obtain  permission  to  offer  himself  as  a  candidate  for  a 
euracy,  he  must  pay  the  Pope's  nuncio  three  dollars.  His  Holiness's 
reprenentutive  has  in  this  manner  extracted  40,000  dollars  from  the 
Spanish  clergy.  There  are  dispensations  and  indulgences  at  the  rate  of 
60,000  reals,  without  mentioning  those  which  belong  to  the  general 
agency  office  of  indulgences  for  marriages,  &c.,  of  which  there  are  no 
less  than  477  degrees,  varying  in  price  from  2000  to  44,000  reals,  and 
for  which  the  Spanish  nation  pays  12  millions  a  year.  It  appears,  also, 
that  the  abolition  of  the  commissionership  of  the  crusade  was,  in  a  great 
measure,  owing  to  the  manceuvres  of  the  Pope's  nuncio,  into  whose  hands 
a  great  deal  of  the  lucrative  business  of  that  department  will  now  fall. 

Intelligence  of  a  somewhat  alarming  nature  has  come  from  Zaragoza. 
Symptoms  of  discontent  had  sprung  up  among  the  people,  which  induced 
the  authorities  to  redouble  their  vigilance,  besides  adopting  every  military 
precaution  likely  to  check  a  popular  movement  should  it  be  attempted. 
The  cause  of  this  sudden  change  in  the  aspect  of  things  there,  as  else* 
where,  can  only  be  ascribed  to  Uie  concordat,  in  proportion  as  its  unac- 
ceptable stipulations  become  more  generally  known,  because  the  people 
at  large  were  sick  at  heart  of  riots ;  but,  of  course,  the  unquiet  spirits, 
those  who  only  thrive  by  inch  events,  take  advantage  of  the  treaty  in 
question  to  work  on  the  passions  and  raise  up  the  ire  of  the  working 
and  industrious  classes.  ''  La  Naclon"  insists  that,  according  to  former 
precedents,  the  concordat  cannot  be  considered  the  law  of  the  land  until 
the  Cortes  give  their  sanction,  because  the  authority  conferred  on  minis- 
ters by  both  Chambers  in  May,  1849,  for  entering  into  the  negotiation 
did  not  mean  that  any  law  should  be  revoked  without  the  previous 
consent  of  the  legislature.  Even  Napoleon,  who  signed  a  concordat 
with  Pope  Pius  VII.  on  the  15th  July,  1801,  did  not  consider  it  as  the 
law  of  the  land  until  the  8th  of  April  of  the  following  year,  after  the  Le^s- 
lative  Assembly  had  approved  it.  The  concordat  which  Louis  XVIII. 
adjusted  with  the  same  Pope,  on  the  16th  of  July,  1817,  was  submitted 
to  the  Chambers  by  his  Cabinet  on  the  22nd  of  November  following, 
and  thrown  out,  so  that  he  was.  compelled  to  abandon  it.  The  con- 
cordat adjusted  by  Philip  V.  of  Spain  was  never  carried  into  effect,  and 
had  to  be  replaced  by  another  many  years  afterwards.  This  concordat 
affair  may  bring  trouble  and  disquietude  on  Spain. 

The  dissatisfaction  generally  felt  is  increased  by  the  suspicion  of  a 
secret  article,  providing  for  the  restoration  of  the  whole  of  the  eighteen 
orders  of  monks  and  friars  by  which  Spain  was  formerly  infested ;  so  as 
to  give  to  each  order  at  least  one  convent  in  every  province,  and  to 
establish  a  Papal  militia  of  some  28,000  men  at  the  public  expense. 

The  religious  ceremonies  of  the  Holy  Week  were  celebrated  with  the 
usual  pomp  in  all  the  churches  of  Madrid.  The  Queen  washed  the  feet 
of  six  poor  men  in  the  royal  chapel,  and  at  four  o'clock  Her  Majesty, 
accompanied  by  the  King  and  the  entire  Court,  left  the  palace  to  per- 
form the  seven  stations. 


Sjpain — Switzerland.  497 

A  mysterious  and  tragical  affair  has  caused  a  great  sensation  at 
Madrid.  An  ex-minister  and  ex-ambassador,  suspecting  an  intrigue 
between  his  wife  and  an  ecclesiastic,  a  near  relative  of  one  of  the  highest 
dignitaries  of  the  Spanish  Church,  laid  wait  for  his  rival,  and  having 
surprised  him  on  his  criminal  errand  ran  him  through  the  body  with  a 
dagger.  The  corpse  was  conveyed  away  and  interred  with  much  haste 
and  secrecy,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  hush  up  the  affair,  and  to 
baffle  the  endeavours  of  the  civil  magistrate  to  institute  an  inquiry. 

A  Madrid  daily  paper  relates  a  strange  story  of  Spanish  ideas  of 
religious  liberty  in  connexion  with  an  English  manufacturer,  residing  in 
San  Felice  de  Guisols,  a  town  situated  between  Barcelona  and  Rosas. 
It  appears  the  gentleman  in  question  sought  the  hand  of  a  young  lady 
in  marriage,  but  the  curate  refused  to  solemnize  the  marriage  unless 
he  first  turned  Roman  Catholic,  and  with  his  father's  consent.  The 
latter,  however,  threatened  him  with  disinheritance  if  he  changed  his 
religion : — 

'*  In  this  terrible  dilemma  he  proceeded  to  Barcelona,  and,  after  con- 
sulting the  English  consul  there,  was  duly  married  by  that  functionary, 
in  accordance  with  the  Consular  Marriage  Act  of  1849.  This  step 
taken,  the  happy  pair  returned  home,  with  the  certificate  of  their  nup- 
tials, £(nd  passport  en  regie.  For  a  time  they  lived  together  unmolested ; 
but  their  happiness  did  not  last  long.  The  curate,  enraged  at  what  had 
occurred,  complained  to  the  Bishop,  who  ordered  the  separation  of  the 
bride  and  bridegroom.  They  refused  to  obey  the  mandate,  and  he  then 
had  recourse  to  the  civil  governor  of  the  province,  who  directed  the 
alcalde  of  San  Felice  to  carry  the  separation  into  effect.  This  official, 
however,  confined  himself  to  giving  them  notice,  and  was  in  conse- 
quence prosecuted  with  the  Englishman  and  his  wife.  The  former  had 
recourse  to  his  consul,  who  reported  the  affair  to  the  British  minister  in 
Madrid,  who,  in  his  turn,  applied  to  the  Spanish  Government  for  redress. 
Lord  Palmerston  had  passed  various  communications  upon  the  subject 
to  our  Government,  which  has  referred  it  to  the  Royal  Council.  It 
appears  that  the  Ministers  of  the  Interior  of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  of 
Grace  and  Justice,  have  given  contrary  opinions,  and  that  the  Royal 
Council  has  decided  that  the  separation  shall  take  place  until  a  dispen- 
sation is  obtained  from  the  Bishop  to  enable  the  curate  to  solemnize  the 
marriage  according  to  the  Roman  Catholic  ritual." 

Switzerland. — The  speech  of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  in  the  debate  on 
the  Ecclesiastical  Titles  Bill,  has  elicited  a  reply  from  Monsignor  Lu- 
quet.  Bishop  of  Hesebon,  and  Apostolic  Nuncio  at  Switzerland,  at  the 
time  of  the  war  of  the  Sonderbund.  The  bishop  reminds  the  young 
baronet  that  he  was  bound  to  respect  the  religion  professed  over  the 
whole  universe  by  160,000,000  of  Catholics: — 

*'  Now,  you  have  not  done  this — ^you  have  forgotten  yourself  to  such 
a  degree  as  to  treat  that  very  Christian  truth  as  *  idolatry  '  and  '  super- 
stitious mummery.'     You  have  forgotten  yourself  so  far  as  to  hold  up 


408  Fareiffn  mmi  CJmmml  ImitBigmic$. 

to  ndknley  in  tke  dctripUon  of  an  hnzffanKf  and  inqnoible  pictaie, 
oaa  of  the  greatett  names  of  Christian  ages — St.  Gngory  YII. — wkoK 
glory  has  been  so  exiolkd  by  German  Protestantism  ita^^' 

Alkitr  declaring  his  belief  that  the  aggression  of  Pins  IX.  has  for  rb 
object  the  relief  of  freemen  from  the  slaTeiy  of  infidelity,  *^  fiir  tlu 
freemen  of  England  the  sin^  bnt  ardent  denre  of  Pins  UL,  as  ef  all 
of  m%  is  to  braak  in  pieees  the  chains  under  which,  in  the  name  of 
liberty,  Protestantism  crashes  your  sonls."  The  Bishop  hopes,  Ux  the 
sake  of  his  sool,  soon  to  number  Sir  Robert  among  **  the  number  of  the 
fiuthful  dcToted  to  the  Roman  unity  ;*  and  dien  proooeds  to  oonect  the 
diplomatist's  Terrion  of  what  he  saw  as  charg€-d*affidies  in  SwitserlancL 

The  Popidi  party  appears  to  be  generally  depressed  in  Switzerlaad. 
M.  Marrilley  remains  in  exile.  The  Roman  CaUiolic  Cantons  have  eon- 
aented  to  aend  deputations  to  Zurich.  VAmi  de  Im  ReUpam  is  iaeonaoi- 
lable  at  the  humiliation  of  those  Cantons,  and  their  submission  to  the 
central  authorities.  It  has  received  the  most  afflicting  accounts  of  the 
state  of  instruction  in  the  Canton  of  GeneTa.  ^  Catholic  "  books  are 
every  where  suppressed,  and  replaced  by  Protestant  works ;  the  Raman 
Catholic  Catechism  is  no  longer  taught  in  schools,  and  the  inspector  sf 
Romish  schools  is  a  high  Protestant  1 

The  Swin  PrMewUnUs. — ^The  letter  addressed  by  the  Bidiop  <|f  Lon- 
don to  the  Marquess  of  Cholmondeley,  ofieriog  to  place  certain  proprie- 
tary chapels  at  the  service  of  foreign  Protestant  ministers  during  their 
stay  in  London,  has  elicited  letters  firom  M.  Duby,  Pastor  of  the  Ns^> 
tional  Church  of  Geneva,  Dr.  Merie  d*Aubigne,  and  Archdeacon  Bag- 
gesen,  Vice-President  of  the  Ecdesiastical  Synod  of  the  Swiss  Re- 
formed Church,  who  have  written  to  express  the  lively  joy  created  bj 
this  recognition  of  brotherhood  with  the  Evangelical  Churches  on  tht 
Continent  on  the  part  of  the  English  Church. 

United  States. — ^The  following  statistics  are  taken  from  the  joanal 
of  the  Greneral  Convention  of  1850 : — 

*'  Churches  eonsecrated  in  three  years,  155 ;  Priests  ordained,  228; 
Deacons,  221 ; — total,  449.  Candidates  for  orders  in  seventeen  dioceses 
(New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  Viiginia,  amcmg  those  not  reported),  120; 
eonfirmations,  18,937;  clergy  (1850)  in  twenty-nine  dioceses,  1558; 
baptisms,  adults,  in  twenty-four  dioceses,  5957 ;  in&nts  in  ditto,  33,072; 
not  specified  in  four  dioceses,  3896 — total,  42,925.  Communicants 
added  in  eight  dioceses,  4987 — total  ditto  in  twenty-eight  dioceses  (New 
York  omitted),  79,802 ;  marriages  in  twenty  dioceses,  3420 ;  burials  in 
twenty  dioceses,  16,*i33  ;  Sunday  school  teachers  in  seventeen  dioceses, 
4520 ;  Sunday  scho<d  pupils  in  nineteen  dioceses,  38,603 ;  clergy  de- 
eeased  in  sixteen  dioceses,  43." 

The  Bishop  of  Oxford  has  received  from  Bishop  Chase,  of  lUinoM, 
the  presiding  Bishop  of  the  American  Church,  a  reply  to  the  communi- 
cation of  the  protest  of  the  Diocesan  Meeting  at  Oxford  on  the  Papal 
aggvssaion,  in  whieh  tha  venerable  ^shop  says  :•— 


UmUd  Staks.  499 

**  The  esUmatioii  in  which  your  excellent  father  was  held  bj  good 
Lords  Gambler  and  Bexley,  my  once  best  of  earthly  friends,  now  doubt- 
less in  Paradise,  makes  me  confident  that  they  woiuld  join  me  in  most 
heartily  commending  the  *  protest'  your  lordship  has  made  against  tha 
invasion  of  the  Pope  (recently  set  forth)  on  the  &ith  and  primitive  dia>- 
cipline  of  the  Protestant  Churdi  of  England. 

"  May  the  Lord  of  Hosts  bless  your  Lordship  aikd  ail  ihs  Clergy  and 
laity  of  your  diocese  in  opposing  this  *  man  of  sin,'  whether  he  work  by 
secret  ntachinations  or  hy  open  force,  and  may  you  be  crowned  with 
triumph  in  everlasting  glory,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  has  addressed  a  circnlar  to  the  Bishops 
of  the  American  Church,  inviting  Uiem  to  join  in  the  approaching  ju* 
bilee  of  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Chospel,  as  a  means  <qf 
'*  keeping  alive  and  diffusing  a  missionary  spirit,  and  «o,  under  this 
Divine  blessing,  enlarging  the  borders  of  the  Biedeemer's  kingdom.^ 
His  Grace  observes  that,  in  maiking  this  proposal,  no  gift  is  sought,  but 
only  Christian  sympathy  and  communion  in  prayecB,  and  that  it  is  wished 
that  any  alms  which  the  American  congregations  might  add  to  dieir 
prayers,  should  be  appropriated  to  the  relief  of  the  pressing  needs  tff 
their  own  chureh.  The  first  response  to  this  invitation  has  been  made 
by  the  Bishop  of  Maryland,  who,  reserving  any  more  definite  plan  of 
action  until  he  shall  have  taken  counsel  with  his  brother  Biiriiiops,  at  «noe 
promises  to  *  recommend  the  observation  of  the  Jubilee  Sunday  thzmi^o 
out  his  diocese.'     In  the  course  of  his  letter  he  says, — 

''  Our  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  venerable  Society  is  owned  with  ple^ 
«ure  and  £]ial  pride.  It  will  be  doubly  gratifying  to  make  the  reoog* 
nition  of  that  debt  dae  occasion  for  adding  another  to  the  bonds  by  wihiek 
we  are  so  closely  bound  to  our  brethren  m  Great  Britain,  and  her  maay 
colonies  and  dependencies." 

Dr.  Henshaw,  the  Ba^op  of  Bhode  Island,  acknowledges,  with  '^  qot^ 
dial  approbation,'*  die  receipt  of  ^tiie  Bishop  of  Oxford's  protest  againt 
Papal  aggression : — 

"  This  act,  clearly  opposed  as  it  is  to  the  canons  and  usages  of  tlw 
Catholic  Church,  will  doubtiess  be  condemned  by  all  Bishops  not  of  tbm 
Roman  obedience  as  schismstical  and  wicked.  Whether  it  would  1m 
practicable  to  obtain  the  opinion  of  any  considerftble  number  of  the 
Oriental  Bishotps  I  have  no  meais  of  forming  a  judgment ;  and  many 
of  them  have  suffered  so  severely  from  the  encroachments  and  treachery 
of  Rome,  that  they  can  feel  little  sympatdiy  for  her.  The  Chttrch  in 
:this  country,  however,  gratefully  acknowledging  tJie  Church  of  Englaind 
as  a  mother  to  whom  she  is  deeply  indebted,  under  God,  for  her  fisst 
foundation,  and  a  long  continuance  of  nursing,  ease,  and  protection, 
deeply  sympathizes  with  her  venerable  parent  in  all  the  vicissitudes  of 
her  lot,  and  laments  the  present  sufieringa,  whether  arising  from  treachery 
within  or  assaults  from  without,  as  if  they  «rere  her  own.  Many  true 
hearts  here  ofiSer  up  befoce  the  throiie  t£  gcaee  fervent  tprayen  far  poo- 


500  Farriffn  €md  CoUmial  IntdKffenee. 

tecHon  and  bleasing  on  behalf  of  the  Bishops,  Clergy,  and  people  of 
our  fatherland  in  this  their  time  of  need. 

**  The  protest  adopted  in  Oxford,  manly  and  firm  in  its  language,  and 
At  the  same  time  temperate  in  its  spirit,  seems  to  me  to  be  a  document 
well  suited  to  the  crisis ;  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  the  example  may  be  fol- 
lowed in  the  other  dioceses  of  the  United  Church  of  the  British  empire." 

The  Banner  of  the  Cross  announces  another  loss  to  the  American 
Church  in  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Jarvis.  The  following  notice  bears 
the  impress  of  the  familiar  initials  G.  W.  D. : — 

'*  Scarcely  has  the  grave  closed  over  the  remains  of  the  beloved 
Og^lby,  when  the  Church  is  called  to  renew  her  grief  by  the  grave  of  the 
venerable  Dr.  Jarvis.  It  was  a  great  thing  to  possess,  in  two  nden, 
fuch  treasures  of  learning,  enforced  by  the  highest  principles,  and 
adorned  by  every  Christian  grace.  How  mysterious  the  Providence, 
which,  within  two  months,  withdrew  them  both  from  among  us !  -What 
riches  must  be  his,  who  can  spare  from  his  Church  such  men  !  Truly 
be  is  a  God  that  hideth  Himself! 

"  Dr.  Jarvis  seemed  to  be  among  our  oldest  Presbyters.  The  son  of 
the  venerable  Bishop  of  Connecticut ;  admitted  early  to  Holy  Orders ; 
the  companion  and  assistant  of  his  father,  even  before  he  was  ordained ; 
and,  ever  since,  the  companion  and  assistant  of  older  men,  he  seemed 
to  us  all  much  older  than  sixty-five.  There  was  in  him  a  gravity  of 
person,  a  solemnity  and  a  fulness  of  wisdom,  that  sustained  this 
impression.  The  present  writer  undertakes  no  detail  of  the  useful 
and  honourable  life  of  Dr.  Jarvis.  His  acquaintance  with  him  was 
through  a  period  of  more  than  thirty  years.  It  was  his  privilege  to  be 
his  pupil ;  and  the  debt  of  love,  contracted  then,  could  never  be  repaid. 
Dr.  Jarvis  was  then  the  rector  of  St.  Michael's  Church,  Bloomingdale ; 
and  the  very  model  of  a  country  parson.  He  became  one  of  the  four 
professors  in  the  General  Theological  Seminary ;  and  none  who  sat  at 
his  feet  as  pupils  will  ever  cease  to  remember,  with  grateful  pleasure, 
the  fulness  and  accuracy  of  the  scholar,  the  assiduity  and  suggestiveness 
of  the  teacher,  the  blandness  and  dignity  of  the  gentleman.  Brought 
up  among  books,  and  living  in  the  atmosphere  of  his  large  and  well- 
selected  library,  it  was  his  delight  to  pour  from  his  own  fulness  into 
the  minds  of  the  young.  And  those  whom  he  taught  as  pupils  he  con- 
ciliated and  secured  as  friends.  Dr.  Jarvis  has  held  some  of  the  highest 
places  in  the  Church.  In  the  General  Convention  he  alWays  exercised 
a  wide  and  wholesome  influence.  At  the  instance  of  that  body  he 
undertook  to  prepare  a  history  of  the  Church  ;  and  had  published  two 
volumes,  and  made  extensive  preparations  for  the  remainder  of  the 
work,  when  he  was  called  to  his  rest.  To  the  whole  Church  it  is  an 
irretrievable  disappointment.  It  may  be  doubted  if  he  has  left  one  so 
well  qualified  for  that  high  and  responsible  enterprise.  But  it  is  not 
for  us  to  doubt  or  to  distrust,  when  God  has  spoken.  Let  us  rather 
thank  Him  that  He  has  lent  us  so  long  the  talents,  the  wisdom,  the 


United  States —  West  Indies.  501 

learning,  the  courtesy,  the  dignity,  the-  purity,  the  piety,  which  must 
ever  consecrate,  to  all  who  knew  him,  the  memory  of  Dr.  Jarvis.  '■  The 
present  writer  has  known  him  as  few  knew  him,  and  loved  him  even' 
better  than  he  knew  him.  Kindly  will  he  cherish  his  memory.  Humbly 
will  he  emulate  his  excellence.  Fervently  will  he  pray  that  he  may 
follow  him,  as  he  was  the  follower  of  Christ.  '  Precious  in  the  sight  of 
the  Lord  is  the  death  of  his  saints.'  " 

The  Baptist  Coloured  Church  at  Buffalo  has  suffered  a  large  dimi- 
nution of  its  members  in  consequence  of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law : — 

'*  One  hundred  and  thirty  of  the  communicants,  as  we  are  informed 
by  the  pastor,  left  the  place  from  fear  of  arrest  on  the  charge  of  being 
fugitive  slaves,  and  have  passed  over  to  Canada.  The  Methodist 
Church,  in  the  same  place,  has  lost  a  considerable  number  of  its  mem- 
bers from  the  same  cause.  There  is  said  to  be  amongst  these  more 
disposition  to  make  a  stand  and  to  evade  and  resist  the  law  than  among 
their  Baptist  brethren.  Somebody  had  advised  them  to  arm  themselves 
and  defend  their  liberty.  The  Baptist  pastor,  however,  told  his  people 
that  he  found  in  the  Gospel  examples  which  justified  running  away, 
but  no  examples  which  warranted  fighting.  The  Coloured  Baptist 
Church  at  Rochester,  which  formerly  numbered  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  communicants,  has  lost  them  all  except  two  since  the  passing 
of  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law.  The  pastor,  a  native  Kentuckian,  was  the 
first  to  fiee,  and  the  whole  flock  followed  him.  The  Coloured  Baptist 
Church  at  Detroit  has  lost  eighty-four  of  its  members  from  the  same 
cause.  They  abandon  their  homes  and  their  occupations,  sell  such 
property  as  they  cannot  conveniently  carry  with  them,  and  seek  refuge 
in  Canada.*' 

It  was  generally  reported  that  Dr.  Hughes,  Romish  Archbishop  of  New 
York,  was  to  be  made  a  Cardinal,  but  no  such  appointment  has  taken 
place  as  yet.  Dr.  Eccleston,  Romish  Archbishop  of  Baltimore,  died  on 
April  26th.  His  funeral,  which  passed  through  Philadelphia,  was 
attended  by  his  clergy  in  full  costume,  and  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  with  his  ministers,  and  the  diplomatic  body,  formed  part  of  the 
funeral  procession. 

West  Indies. — Lord  Harris  has  determined  upon  carrying  out  a 
course  of  Government  secular  instruction  at  Trinidad,  totally  irre- 
spective of  religion.  At  a  council  held  on  the  2nd  of  Apnl,  the 
Governor  laid  before  the  board,  in  a  message,  an  outline  of  his  plans, 
which,  to  carry  into  effect,  the  Attorney -General  would  follow  up  by 
a  series  of  resolutions.  They  are  simply  the  machinery  for  normal 
schools  of  three  grades  (primary,  superior,  and  collegiate),  to  afford 
the  rising  generation  instruction  in  languages,  grammar,  geography, 
arithmetic,  science,  and  morals ;  every  thing  but  religion,  which  latter 
is  to  be  ignored  because  of  the  community  being  divided  among 
Christians,  Mahommedans,  Gentoos,  and  (leathens,  and  the  Fetish. 
As  Lord  Harris  cannot  consent  that  the  Bible  should  be  **  considered  a 


MIS  Fornp^  and  Calamal  IwtdKgmce. 

bftiiithed  books"  an  unolijectionable  aelection  is  to  be  made,  as  hulKd* 
abip  in  no  way  yields  *'  to  the  notion  that,  aa  the  word  of  God,  the 
whole  of  it  may  not  be  consulted  by  all  for  their  religious  instruction." 
At  an  earlier  part  of  the  proceedings,  tibe  Attorney-General  presented  a 
petition  from  the  Wesleyans,  praying  for  an  annual  grant  of  SOOL 
for  educational  purposes,  which,  he  gave  notice,  he  should  moTS  the 
consent  of  the  board  to  at  their  next  meeting. 

M.  Laherpeur,  the  newly*appointed  bishop  of  the  See  of  MartiQiqae, 
just  erected  by  the  Pope,  has  arrived  at  Su  Pierre,  Martinique, 
been  received  by  the  authorities  with  great  eafcmony. 


INDEX 

OF   THE 

REMARKABLE  PASSAGES  IN  THE  CRITICISMS, 
EXTRACTS,  NOTICES,  AND  INTELLIGENCE. 


Achillf  Dingle,  and  Atkeaton,  Missions 
among  the  Romanists  at,  207»  298. 

Achilli's  Dealings  with  the  Inquisition,  322, 
323 ;  his  letters  to  Pope  Gregory  XVI., 
324  ;  the  Liber  Nero  of  the  Inquisition, 
325,  326 ;  its  mode  of  ol)taining  a  con- 
viction, 327»  328  ;  case  of  a  lady  com- 
manded to  denounce  her  son  to  the  In- 
quisition, 329,  330  ;  another  case  of  a 
wife,  331—334;  and  others,  335; 
morality  and  ascetism  amongst  the 
Romish  clergy,  336 ;  imprisonment  of 
a  priest  who  had  become  a  Protestant, 
337 ;  all  these  the  deeds  of  Rome  as 
she  is  now,  338. 

Albertus  Magnus,  his  treatise  *<0f  ad- 
hering to  God,"  214. 

AmarVs  History  of  the  War  of  the  Sicilian 
Vespers,  25 ;  the  foundation  of  the  Si- 
cilian monarchy,  26 ;  contest  between 
the  Popedom  and  the  House  of  Suabia, 
27;  the  talents  and  zeal  of  Manfred, 
28 — 30;  conquered  and  slain  by  Charles 
of  Anjou,  31 ;  rebellion  of  the  Sicilians 
in  favour  of  Conradin,  32, 33 ;  his  mur- 
der, 34 ;  and  the  horrors  which  fol- 
lowed it,  35;  whether  chargeable  on 
the  Pope,  36 ;  the  origin  of  the  Sicilian 
Vespers,  37;  and  the  event,  38<— 41 ; 
the  Sicilians  expel  the  foreign  domina- 
tion, 42  ;  execution  of  Alaimo  de  Len- 
tini,  43,  44  ;  perfidy  of  King  James  of 
Arragon,  45 ;  and  of  John  Loria,  46, 

47. 
Ancient  British  Church,  Antiquities  of 
the,  12 ;  its  traditions  preserved  by  the 
bards,  3 ;  in  the  Triads  of  Dyvnwal 
Moelmud,  4;  of  doubtful  antiquity,  5 — 
7 ;  not  known  to  Oildas,  8 ;  nor  to 
Nennius,  9  ;  inconsistent  with  the  facts 
of  history,  10,  11 ;  of  Caractacus,  12; 
of  the  introduction  of  Christianity  into 
Britain,  13 — 15 ;  under  King  Lucius, 
16—19;  the  evidence  of  St.  Paul's 
mission  to  Britain  quetUonedi  90,  21 ; 

VOL,  XV, 


no  certain  mention  of  Christianity  in 
Britain  before  TertuUian,  22;  orthodox 
in  its  views,  and  not  recognising  the 
Papal  Supremacy,  23,  24. 

Baker,  Rev.  Arthur,  his  **  Plea  for  Ro- 
manizers,"  120;  bis  appeal  to  the  Di- 
vines of  the  17th  century,  128;  his 
quotations  from  Archbishop  Laud,  129. 

Bennett,  Rev.  W.  J.  £.,  and  the  Bishop 
of  London,  111,  112;  Mr.  Bennett's 
offer  of  resignation,  113 — 115;  re- 
luctantly accepted  by  the  Bishop,  116, 
117;  Mr.  Bennett  embraces  "Catholic  " 
principles  in  1842,  118,  119;  his 
theory  of  the  restoration  of  practices  not 
distinctly  forbidden,  120;  untenable, 
121, 122;  tends  to  restore  *' Romish," 
rather  than  *< Catholic"  unity,  123; 
at  any  rate,  ill-timed,  124 — 126 ;  his 
appeal  to  the  divines  of  the  17th  cen- 
tury, unfair,  127»  128;  Laud's  opinion 
of  the  idolatry  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
129, 130 ;  Mr.  Bennett's  accusation  of 
treacherous  dealing  against  his  Bishop, 
131, 132 ;  who  had  but  inculcated  obe- 
dience to  the  Church  of  England,  133 
— 135  ;  no  inconsistency  of  principle 
between  the  Bishop's  two  charges,  136, 
137 ;  hut  only  in  Mr,  Bennett's  prac- 
tice, 138 ;  further  personal  accusations 
against  the  Bishop,  139,  140;  review 
of  Mr.  Bennett's  position,  141,  142 ; 
and  of  the  state  of  feeling  in  England, 
143^146  ;  the  aid  of  the  fine  arts  to  be 
encouraged,  147;  within  our  restric- 
tions, 148. 

Butler,  the  Very  Rev.  Richard,  his  Pre- 
face to  Clyn's  Annals  of  Ireland, 
310. 

Calendar  qf  the  Anglican   Church,  the, 

dissertation  on,  186. 
Carter,  Rev.  F.  P.,  his  '*  Pattern  showed 

on  the  Mount ;  or.  Thoughts  of  quiet- 


504 


INDEX. 


nets  and  hope  for  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land in  her  Latter-days/'  442;  the 
longing  to  form  on  earth  a  kingdom  of 
Saints,  a  snare  in  all  ages,  442, 443. 

Central  America^  Wild  Life  in^  by  George 
By  am,  445;  description  of  an  earth- 
quake at  Leon,  444 ;  the  King  of  the 
Vultures,  445,  446 ;  vindictive  fidelity 
of  pigs,  447,  448. 

CkrUtianiiy,  Edict  against,  in  China,  233. 

Chmrch  in  Ireland,  the,  change  of  views 
regarding  it,  289 — 284 ;  as  seen  by  the 
«*  Times,"  285,  286;  its  maintenance 
pleaded  for,  287  •  its  recognition  of  the 
Royal  Supremacy,  289,  290;  its 
loyalty  and  fidelity,  291 ;  policy  of 
England  regarding  it,  292;  the  educa- 
Uon  question,  293 — 295  ;  suggestions 
for  the  removal  of  difficulties  connected 
with  it,  296;  patient  and  Christian  con- 
duct of  the  Irish  clergy,  297 ;  Irish 
missions,  298,  299;  exertions  of  the 
Rev.  A.  R.  C.  Dallas,  300 ;  mission 
established  on  Lough  Corrib,  301 — 
303;  "early  fruits  of  the  Irish  mis- 
sions," 304 — 308 ;  such  efforts  redeem 
the  Church  from  former  imputations  of 
indolence,  309;  Clyn's  Annals  of 
Ireland,  edited  by  Dean  Butler,  310; 
effects  of  the  Scottish  invaaion,  311  ; 
progress  of  degradation  and  anarchy, 
312;  little  mitigated  by  the  influence  of 
religion,  313,  314 ;  the  Reformatioii  in 
Ireland,  316  ;  documents  showing  the 
dilBcnlties  and  the  way  of  it,  316, 317 ; 
letters  of  Archbishop  Butler  and  others, 
318,  319;  showing  the  consent  of  the 
clergy  to  the  Reformation,  320 ;  causes 
of  its  comparative  failure,  321. 

Ceilingwood,  Rev.  John,  his  Sermons  on 
"  The  Church  Apostolic,  Primitive  and 
Anglican,"  339 ;  various  views  in 
which  '< Church  principles"  are  held 
340 — 342;  do  such  conduct  to  Ro- 
manism? 343;  they  were  held  by  its 
roost  powerful  opponents,  344  ;  causes 
of  late  secessions  to  Rome,  345 — 347  i 
pointed  out  by  Mr.  Collingwood,  348, 
349 ;  reasons  of  Church-membership, 
350  ;  various  theories  of  Church  go- 
vernment, 351, 352;  that  of  the  Church 
of  England,  353;  objections  refuted, 
354,  355  ;  the  supremacy  of  St.  Peter, 
356;  refuted  from  Scripture,  357; 
and  from  the  contradictions  of  those 
who  have  upheld  it,  358,  359;  the 
causes  and  results  of  the  Reformation, 
360. 

Convent,  Narrative  of  an  Escape  from  a 
Portuguese,  196—198. 


Cultus  Jninuif  or  the  Arraying  rf 
Soul,  passage  from,  184. 


Dallas,  Rev.  A.  R.  C,   his  missionary 
tour  in  Ireland,  300. 

Dancing  and  Wrestling,  useful  as  diver- 
sions for  the  labouring  class,  under  cer- 
tain restrictions,  368,  369. 

Debary,   Rev.   Thomas,  his   Notes  of 
Residence  in  the  Canary  Islands,  411  .^ 
description  of  the  Bay  of  Funchal,  412  ^ 
Santa  Cruz,  413  ;  effects  of  the  new^ 
of  the  French  Revolution,  414;  Cadis^ 
and  the  Royal  Family,  415;  depressed 
state  of  the  Romish  Church  at  Tene- 
riffe,  416 ;  hatred  of  monasteries,  417 ; 
infidelity  the  consequence  of  supersti- 
tion, 418 ;  prayers  read  at  a  '*  Novena" 
of  St.   Raphael,  419;    Mr.   Meyrick's 
account  of  the  state  of  the  Church  in 
Spain,  420;  Spanish  fasting,  421  ;  the 
deficiencies  of  the  English  and  Spanish 
Churches  compared,  422  ;  "  revivals  " 
in  the  Roman  Church,  423;  pmyera 
used  at  a  "  Novena"  to  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin, 424,  425;  forged  miracles,  426; 
Church  funds  raised  by  buU-fight8,427;' 
opposite  theories  of  authority  and  pri- 
vate judgment,    499,  499;    the    due 
medium,  480;  change  in  the  position 
of  Romanism  throughout  Europe,  431 ; 
the  result  of  Papal  Aggression  in  Eng- 
landy  432,  433. 

Early  English  Princesses,  Lives  of, — ^by 
Mary  A.  E.  Green,  378,  379;  Cecilia, 
daughter  of  William  the  Conqueror, 
380;  her  sisters,  Matilda,  381;  and 
Adela,  382—385 ;  Matilda,  daughter  of 
Henry  the  First,  386,  387 ;  returns  to 
England,  as  widowed  Empress  of  Ger- 
many, to  be  her  father's  heir,  388<— 
391 ;  Mary,  daughter  of  King  Stephen, 
392;  Henry^  grandson  of  Henry  II., 
393;  Eleanora,  his  second  daughter, 
394 ;  her  sister,  Joanna,  395  ;  Isabella, 
daughter  of  King  John,  396,  397;  her 
sister,  Eleanora,  398 ;  marries  the  Earl 
of  Pembroke,  399 ;  and  secondly,  Simon 
de  Montfort,  Earl  of  Leicester,  400 — 
402 ;  accompanies  her  husband  to  Poi- 
tou,  403 ;  her  friendship  with  Grost§te, 
Bishop  of  Lincoln,  404 ;  conduct  of  her 
husband  towards  her  brother,  the  King, 
405,  406 ;  the  battle  of  Evesham,  407; 
death  of  De  Montfort,  408 ;  and  cruel 
conduct  of  Edward  I.  towards  his  daugh- 
ter, 409,  410. 

Emblems  which  accompany  Saints,  re* 
marks  on,  187* 


INDEX. 


505 


JngliSf  Bishop,   Biographical  sketch  of, 
228. 

Kaffir  Chief,  visit  of  the  Bishop  of  Cape 

Town  to,  224. 
Kingf  Miss  Mary  Ada,  her  lines  to  her 

Father  on  the  recovery  of  a  heavy  loss, 

204. 

Lavengro  and  George  Borrow,  362,  363 ; 
his  first  friend  a  wandering  Jew,  364 ; 
his  acquaintance  with  snakes,  365,366; 
a  lover  of  pugilism,  367 ;  which  is  a 
useful  diversion  under  the  Church  sys- 
tem, 368,  369 ;  pugilistic  encounter  in 
Ireland,  370,  371 ;  Sorrow's  love  of 
horses,  372;  the  death  of  his  father, 
373,  374 ;  the  contents  of  the  third 
volume,  375;  peripatetic  preachers, 
376 ;  Borrow  a  writer  '*  sui  generis," 
377. 

Meyrick,  Rev.  Frederick,  his  "What  is 
the  Wovkiag  of  the  Church  in  Spain  1** 
420. 

Monro,  Rev.  E.,  his  account  of  the  fear- 
ful state  of  religion  amongst  the  work- 
ing classes,  151 — 154;  recommends 
personal  directions  as  a  remedy,  155. 

Palmer,  Rev.  William,  his  Letters  and 
Controversy  with.  Dr.  Wraeimn,'  437^  \ 
the  non- episcopal  character  of  the 
Romish  Episcopate  up  to  1850  conceded 
by  Dr.  Wiseman,  438;  the  new  hier- 
archy, 439 ;  its  invalidity  and  nuUitv, 
440,  441. 

Papal  Aggression,  and  its  Consequences, 
163;  Lord  John  Russell's  Bill,  164; 
and  admirable  speech  in  introducing  it, 
165,  166;  he  shows  the  practice  of 
foreign  states,  167;  territorial  sove- 
reignty assumed  in  the  Papal  Bull,  168; 
not  to  be  admitted  in  England,  169, 
I7O;  the  course  of  conduct  which  this 
speech  led  us  to  expect  from  Lord  John 
Russell,  171 ;  miserably  disappointed, 
172;  the  supremacy  of  the  crown  in 
great  danger,  173;  just  course  to  be 
pursued  towards  the  Church,  174,  175; 
its  preservation  from  alterations  in  the 
late  ferment,  176 ;  clergy  accused  of 
Romanising  have  the  remedy  in  their 
own  hands,  177* 

Perils  in  the  English  Church  at  present, 
by  Archdeacon  Harrison,  213. 

Peripatetic  Preachers,  whether  advisable 
to  evangelize  the  masses,  376. 

Peter,  St.,  remarks  on  his  name,  and  the 
promise!  attached  to  it,  200. 


Religion  amongst  the  Working  Classes, 
14^,  150;  as  depicted  by  Mr.  Monro 
and  Mr.  Simmons,  151 ;  at  a  fearfully 
low  ebb,  152 — 154;  personal  directions 
suggested  as  a  remedy,  155;  and 
Church  always  open,  156;'  for  private 
prayer,  157,  158 ;  pastoral  intercourse, 
rather  as  with  friends  than  penitents, 
159,  160;  the, use  of  Hymns  recom- 
mended in  Church  Services,  161, 162. 

Rogers,  Canon,  his  *' Sermon,"  Roman 
Catholics  hostile  to  the  free  use  of  the 
Bible ;  extract  on  the  Mediators  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  450. 

Romish  Church,  the,  always  taught  the 
doctrine  she  now  does,  217* 

Ruskin*s  Seven  Lamps  of  Architecture,  55; 
the  study  of  architecture  fashionable, 
56;  exclusiveness  of  ecclesiologists,  57» 
58;  Mr.  Freeman's  writings,  59,  60; 
on  architectural  progress,  61,  62 ;  Mr. 
Ruskin  views  architecture  with  a  paint- 
er's eye,  63;  the  strength  of  his  ex- 
pressions, 64,  65  ;  his  keen  perception 
of  beauty,  &S,  67 ;  his  principle,  that 
we  should  in  all  things  do  our  best,  68 ; 
and  work  for  posterity,  69,  70 ;  his 
theory  of  beauty,  71$  72  ;  of  the  choice 
of  a  style,  73,  74 ;  his  condemnation  of 
restorations,  75,  76. 

Scoff;  W,  M9  '^  Ldiio  and  other  Poems," 
178;  poetic  genius  requires  stirring 
events  to  sustain  it,  179 ;  Mr.  Scott's 
poems  full  of  a  restless,  ungovernable 
imagination,  180,  181 ;  extracts  from 
his  <<  Life  and  Death,"  182, 183. 

Shirley,  Mr.  Evelyn  P.,  his  Researches 
into  the  History  of  the  Church  in  Ire- 
land during  the  reigns  of  Edward  VL, 
Mary,  and  Elizabeth,  315. 

Simmons,  Mr.,  his  sad  account  of  the 
moral  and  religious  state  of  the  Poor 
in  our  towns  and  cities,  151,  152. 

Southey*s  Life  and  Correspondence,  77  ; 
the  principles  of  selection  observed,  78, 
79;  Southey's intended  autobiography, 
81,  82;  his  school  life,  83,  84;  bis 
scheme  of  Pantisocrasy,  85,  86;  his 
conscientiousness,  87,  88 ;  his  clandes- 
tine marriage,  89—91 ;  his  correspond- 
ence with  Sir  Robert  Peel  about  his 
pension,  92 — 95 ;  he  refuses  a  seat  in 
Parliament,  96—98 ;  or  to  write  in  the 
Edinburgh  Review,  99,  100  ;  his  sense 
of  personal  responsibility,  101 ;  he  fore- 
sees the  danger  of  Free  trade,  102 ;  hit 
views  on  the  Reform  Bill,  103, 104 ;  on 
Roman  Catholic  emancipation,  105,106; 
his  anticipations  of  external  danger  to 


1^06 


UIPSZi 


Um  Churdi,  lOTy  108 1  and  internal, 
100)  hit  claim  to  be  heard  aa  a  watch- 
man in  Inrael,  1 10. 
SjpkUmtUIHrtetiont  240 1  as  recommended 
hj  Dr.  Piuey,  250.  261 ;  bis  letter  to 
llr.  Upton  Richards^  262  ;  Mr.  Doda- 
worth's  attack  on  him,  263  ;  and  awk- 
ward admission  about  himself,  264; 
Dr.  Posey's  theory  of  sacerdotal  abso- 
Intioni  266 ;  which  he  does  not  enjoin, 
bnt  recommends,  256 ;  his  interpreta- 
tion of  the  term  "  Penitent,"  267 ; 
which  practically  includes  all  true 
Christians,  258,  259;  confession  en- 
couraged in  the  sisterhoods,  260 — 262  { 
other  changes  beside  that  of  being  no 
longer  compulsory,  263 ;  Usher's  opi- 
nion on  this  point,  264 ;  habitual  con- 
fession not  enjoined  by  our  Church, 
266^267 1  not  practised  in  the  Jewish 
Church,  268  ;  nor  mentioned  in  Holy 
Scripture,  269 ;  the  practice  and  teach- 
ing of  the  primitive  Church,  270,  271 ; 
tha  public  absolution  generally  suffi- 


cient, 97t  t  aeoofding  to  Dr.  Bisae  and 
Hooker,  273;  the  inexpediency  of 
making  confession  the  rule  of  life,  274, 
276 ;  not  essential  to  the  full  derelop- 
ment  of  penitence  and  humility,  276-- 
278 ;  Dr.  Pusey  earnestly  entreated  to 
reconsider  his  course  in  that  matter, 
279 ;  the  effects  of  recent  events  on  the 
minds  of  the  English  people,  280. 

Warier,  Rev.  John  Wood,  hia  "Plain 
Proteatant'a  Manual,"  popular  dis- 
courses on  the  principal  errors  of  Ro- 
manism, 434;  the  dealings  of  Rome 
with  Holy  Scripture,  485. 

ff artery  Rev.  J.  W.,  his  Sermona,  48 ;  of 
the  style  and  principlea  of  our  old 
English  divines,  49;  sermon  on  early 
piety,  60;  on  infant  baptism,  61,62; 
on  holy  communion,  63;  and  on  the 
falling  from  the  Lord's  Supper,  64. 

WillianUf  Rev.  Isaac,  extracts  from  his 
Poem  of  "  The  Seven  Days ;  or,  the 
Old  and  New  Creation,"  189,  190. 


END   OF    VOL.    XV. 


Gilbert  &  Rivinoton,  Printers,  St.  John'a  Square,  London. 


V