donna, as represented in the Fine Joe Baker, or the One Church, 438, Lalor's (John) Money and Morals, 166. Langdon's (Henry) Translation of La- Lazarine, or Duty once understood, Life of the Blessed Paul of the Cross, Manning's Sermon preached in the Manzoni's Promessi Sposi, 262. Meditations on the Holy Childhood of Moorat's (J. S.) Miscellaneous Trans- Mundy's (Lieut.-Col. G. C.) Our An- tipodes, or Residence and Rambles in the Australasian Colonies, 410. Murray's (Dr.) Irish Annual Mis- Newman's (Dr.) Discourses on the Scope and Nature of University Edu- Newsham's (Dr.) Collection of Music for the Rite of Benediction, 348. Nicholas (Auguste) du Protestantisme et de toutes les Hérésies, dans leur rapport avec le Socialisme: precédé O'Donnell's (Rev. B.) Translation of Peach's (Rev. E.) Practical Reflections, Pilgrim, the, or Scenes on the Road in their Action upon Slavery, 495. Protestantism and Socialism, 390. Rosaries compiled for the Use of the Rousselot (Abbé), Un nouveau Sanc- tuaire à Marie; ou Conclusion de Sales' (St. Francis de) Treatise on the Southwark's (Bp. of) Funeral Sermon Stowe's (Mrs.) Key to Uncle Tom's Strickland's (Miss) Life of Mary Queen Suso's Little Book of Eternal Wis- Tennyson's Ode on the Death of the The Catholic Directory and Eccle- The Chancellors of England, 42. The Church and the Bible: how are they related to one another, 176. The Governess, or the Effects of good The Metropolitan and Provincial Ca- The Spaewife, or the Queen's Secret, The Story of the Life of Mrs. Caroline The Temporal Sovereignty of the Pope, Thynne's (Lord Charles) Letter to his Uncle Tom's Cabin, 278. CORRESPONDENCE. All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Death of the Right Rev. Domingo de Silos, O.S.B., Bp. of Cadiz, 441. Hymn of the Blessed Virgin at the 42 79 87 OUR POSITION AND PROSPECTS. DEATH-BED BEQUESTS; OR, CATHOLIC TESTATORS AND PRO- TESTANT CONSPIRATORS REVIEWS. THE CHANCELLORS OF ENGLAND. Lord Camp- bell's Lives of the Chancellors. Foss's Chancellors THE PILGRIM; or, Scenes on the Road from England to LIFE OF MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS. Miss Strictland's Life SHORT NOTICES.-Manning's Sermon preached in the Synod of Oscott.-Andrews' Critical and Historical Review of Fox's Book of Martyrs.-Belaney's Letter to the Lord Bishop of Chichester, assigning his Reasons for leaving the Church of England. - Huntington's poem, The Forest.-Father Borgo's Meditations on the Sacred Heart of Jesus.-Mr. Allies on St. Peter, his Name and his Office, as set forth in Holy Scrip- ture.-Catholic Directory and Ecclesiastical Register To Correspondents. WE are obliged to Peregrinus for his communication of the letter of the Bishop of Gap, referred to in our last. We have written to the VicarGeneral of Grenoble on the subject, and cannot do better than insert his reply. "L'Evêque de Gap publia en ottobre 1850 une circulaire à ses curés, assez inconvenante pour son collègue de Grenoble, mais cependant pas assez explicite contre le fait de la Salette, dont il disait ne pouvoir, ne devoir, ne vouloir s'occuper; ce qui voulait dire, que le fait ne le regardant pas, il ne voulait pas s'en occuper. Or cette année-ci même il a fait verbalement des excuses à Mgr. de Grenoble, et a prétendu que par sa circulaire il n'avait pas voulu attaquer le fait lui-même. Dans le fond, il ne croit pas ou croit peu à la Salette. Au reste, l'incrédulité de deux Prélats-(who the second is, we do not know; our correspondent does not mention)-qui n'ont pas étudié le fait, n'a rien qui doive surprendre. Ni l'un ni l'autre n'ont donné par écrit les raisons de leur incrédulité." This circumstance presents a very striking contrast between Mons. Depéry of Gap on the one hand, and Mons. Dupanloup of Orleans on the other, whose letter Mr. Northcote has published. With regard to the second point in the Bishop of Gap's letter, Peregrinus will observe that Mr. Northcote's pamphlet does not sin against the canon there laid down; but, on the contrary, most scrupulously confines itself to such cures as have been constatées par des enquêtes scrupuleuses et prudentes de la part de l'autorité ecclésiastique. We must apologise to our subscribers for being obliged to postpone the Title and Index of Vol. X. We have given an extra half-sheet with the present Number, but have not been able even by this means to find room for it. It shall be given without fail in our next. Correspondents who require answers in private are requested to send their complete address, a precaution not always observed. We cannot undertake to return rejected communications. All communications must be postpaid. Communications respecting Advertisements must be addressed to the publishers, Messrs. BURNS and LAMBERT; but communications intended for the Editor himself should be addressed to the care of Mr. READER, 9 Park Street, Bristol. The Rambler, A CATHOLIC JOURNAL AND REVIEW. VOL. XI. JANUARY 1853. PART LXI. OUR POSITION AND PROSPECTS. THERE are certain homely but very pertinent questions which it is good that we should ask ourselves from time to time, and which the opening of a new year suggests as peculiarly appropriate Where are we? What have we done? What do we mean to do next? Before these pages meet the eyes of our readers, numbers of them will certainly have reviewed the past, and cast their glances forward into the coming year, in order to fix their position, to ascertain their progress, to note the perils they have either avoided or overcome, and to cast about for the best means of defence which they can provide against the dangers that may seem to beset their onward path. What each of us has just done for his private good, let us now endeavour to do for the general. We cannot, indeed, strike the balance of history with the precision of a merchant or householder overhauling a debtor-and-creditor account. We may proceed by analogy, but we must adapt ourselves to our subject-matter. The life of a nation is a chain of events, like the life of an individual; but its links are proportionably wider, and its structure more complex. If, then, in connecting the incidents of our own life, and examining the tendency of our own actions, we are perpetually mistaken, we may well express our diffidence on venturing into the field of contemporaneous history. For a far wider range of observation we are compelled to use less trustworthy instruments; and while we only aim at an approximation to the truth, we are compelled to make a large deduction for error at each step of the inquiry. The recent history, however, of Catholicism in England certainly offers unusual facilities for review. It has written itself in large characters upon the minds of all. The leading facts are of a notoriety which precludes the possibility of dispute. Moreover, in all probability, we shall never have a fairer oppor tunity for retrospective gratulation. It is a proceeding too apt to engender a boastful and vainglorious frame of mind, which, besides being wrong in itself, is usually productive of the most fatal consequences in the false feeling of security which it engenders. But the Catholics of England are preserved from this danger. The intoxicating qualities of their cup of triumph are neutralised by many a sobering ingredient. They may safely review the past and rejoice in the good it has brought them, because the result has been too disproportioned to their own power and exertions to allow of their attributing it to any counsels but those of Divine Wisdom. The faintest effort of memory will recall too many instances of error, defection, and timidity, to permit the spirit of thankfulness to degenerate into that of pride; whilst, on the other hand, the dangers and difficulties which beset us are far too numerous and pressing to allow of our resting on our oars and dreaming that we have reached the haven at last. Under The whole question of Catholic progress naturally divides itself into two parts, and the old distinction between temporals and spirituals is the most convenient for our purpose. the head of temporal progress we include the status of Catholics in public opinion both as individuals and as a body, their civil rights and liberties, their relations with the state and with their fellow-citizens; and under the head of spiritual progress we include the extension of Catholicity in the country, the increase of churches, schools, and religious houses, and the growth of moral, devotional, and Catholic life among the members of the faith themselves. We will speak first of the spiritual progress, and then of the temporal. The statistics of the English Catholics are to the last degree meagre and unsatisfactory. Considering the facilities which we possess, we think it is somewhat surprising that so little should have been done in this direction. In the decennial census compiled by the Government all distinctions of religion are ignored; but we wonder that so little authentic information should be generally accessible from other sources exclusively Catholic. The number of baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and burials, continued through any series of years, would be an interesting study. Separate records of these facts exist, we imagine, in the hands of the clergy; but we are not aware that any attempt has yet been made to collect and publish the totals. If, according to what seems to us a very excellent suggestion that has lately been made,* the Catholic Directory should ever be withdrawn from the private enter ago. * By some priest writing anonymously to the Catholic Standard a few weeks |