so often promised implicit obedience to the decrees of a General Council, whenever it may be possible to hold one? The appeal to "posterity," like that to the "human race," is always a safe one; but this appeal seems also to be deficient in sincerity; it is eminently unreal; it is an appeal to what the appellants themselves know full well is, in their sense at least, manifestly impossible. Once more, then, What is the Church? If the " English churchman" will but throw off a local and narrow tradition, and take the Bible and the creeds as his guides, he will find a very plain account of a matter which, if not very plain indeed, far from allowing the Gospel to be preached to the poor, would place divine truth, as an objective revelation, beyond the reach of the human race, and render the exercise of faith as a supernatural gift and organ of spiritual certainty impossible. Catholicity and unity are set forth as marks of the Church. One community only unites them. Apostolicity is another note. One community only instructs and enacts with apostolic authority. Is not the matter plain, on such principles, at least, as this little book puts forward? Why wait, then, in vain expectation till the bitter stream has flowed by? Must not the torrent of vain opinion divide for ever the sects from the Eden of the Church? There is no solid nourishment in such sweet odours as the casual gust blows across the stream. They have done their part when they have given notice of the better land.

We will end by entreating those who use this book, and use it for their souls' behoof, to restore to its proper place, after the fifth joyful mystery, one of the omitted prayers: "O most Blessed Virgin, more than martyr in thy sufferings, and yet the comfort of such as are afflicted; by that unspeakable joy wherewith thy soul was filled when at length thou didst find thy well-beloved Son in the Temple, teaching in the midst of the doctors, obtain of Him that we may so seek Him and find Him in His holy Catholic Church, as never more to be separated from Him. Amen."

SHORT NOTICES.

THE contents of the April Number of the Dublin Review (Richardson and Son) are varied, and most of them are good: two very able and interesting political articles, one à propos of Burke, the other of Montalembert; a learned and elegantly-written theological article on the worship of the Saints; a severe but well-merited castigation of Sir Francis Head for his Fortnight in Ireland; an article on the Madiai, which needs no other recommendation to our readers, than that they should know that it is from the pen of one who has both ability and authority

to speak on this matter; and the Number concludes with an article on Father Newman's trial, going over the same ground as was taken by ourselves in an article that appeared in our Number for March.

A very serviceable book of meditations for persons who have not time for much reading is that commonly known by the name of Peach's Practical Reflections (Dublin, J. Duffy); the Rev. E. Peach, however, having only edited and enlarged them, their original authorship being still a matter of some doubt. As at present arranged, they provide plain practical reflections for every day in the year, with special lessons for the more solemn seasons, such as Advent, Lent, &c. The number of editions this work has gone through attests its usefulness; and the present publisher has done all that good clear print, decent paper, and cheapness of price can do to increase its popularity.

From the same spirited publisher we have also An Analysis or familiar Explanation of the Gospels as read in the Mass on all the Sundays and Festivals throughout the year, by the Rev. J. Appleton (Dublin, J. Duffy). The title of this work sufficiently indicates its contents; there is one essential point of difference, however, between this work and others apparently of the same class. Those are for the most part confined to an explanation of one or more particular verses selected from the gospel of the day, and made the text of a short discourse. In the work before us there is a connected explanation of the whole gospel, which is obviously far more valuable. It is written in a very easy familiar style, and will be found a useful book of instruction to place in schools, lending libraries, &c.

The same may be said of a new translation of St. Francis de Sales' Treatise on the Love of God (Dublin, J. Duffy). This admirable treatise is intended for the use of persons who have already made some progress in the practice of devotion; not, like the Introduction to a Devout Life, for mere beginners. At the same time it does not treat of those extraordinary paths whereby some souls are led to a sublime degree of perfection, but rather of what may be experienced by all who are in a state of grace, and aim at making continual progress in the paths of virtue. It commences with a consideration of the origin of divine love, and then goes on to examine the laws of its growth, the danger of its diminution and decay, its operations and properties, its advantages and excellences; and although it is not necessary, in order to attain divine love, that a man should know any thing of its theory, yet, as the saintly author truly says, "I can promise those who read this work with devotion, that they will derive advantage even from those portions which seem to have least claim to the tender unction of piety."

The last Number of the Clifton Tracts (Burns and Lambert), No. 55, Preaching the Gospel defensible only on Catholic principles; a dialogue held in the streets of Bristol, is in a different, and in our opinion very superior style to many others of the series. While yielding to none in depth of thought and soundness of principle, it is written in a lively, popular, and telling style, calculated to render it eminently useful. We strongly recommend it to our readers, and think they will agree with us that it is one of the very best that has yet been issued.

Lazarine; or, Duty once understood, religiously fulfilled (London, Dolman) is a tale cleverly written, thoroughly Catholic, and very interesting. It is translated from the French; and works of fiction, especially if the characters be taken not from the public history of the past, but from the private every-day life of the present day, necessarily suffer more in translation into a foreign language, than works of a more solid

character, whether historical or scientific. The moral of this little book, however, is sufficiently plain, and belongs to all people in all nations. The incidents of the tale are full of life and interest, so as to engage the reader's liveliest attention; whilst the important lesson to be gathered from them is so cleverly interwoven with the narrative, as necessarily to impress it upon the mind, without being made the subject of those tedious "preachments" or moral dissertations, which are but too common in works of this kind, but which all readers are apt to resent as unwelcome interruptions, even if they do not, like most young readers, altogether "skip" them.

The third volume of De Ponte's Meditations is now published (Richardson and Son); the Meditations which it contains are amongst the most generally useful in the whole series. After clearly explaining the nature of the active and contemplative lives, first considered separately from one another, and afterwards as united, they proceed to dwell upon all the details of the public life of our Blessed Lord during the time of His ministry as exhibiting a perfect specimen of this mixed life, a life uniting the excellences both of action and contemplation. To Protestants who think that Catholics know and care very little about the Bible, it would be scarcely possible to present a more striking book, or one better suited to dispel such ignorant prejudices. Here are fifty-eight meditations, in this single volume, entirely upon the miracles or parables or other parts of our Lord's public life, as recorded in the Gospels; each is made the subject of minute examination and most reverent contemplation, and then practically applied to the heart and conscience of the reader in a way that (so-called) biblical Christians not only have never attained to, but cannot even comprehend.

Dr. Crookall's Mass for Four Voices in E-flat (Burns and Lambert) exhibits a very decided advance in the qualifications of a musician on the same writer's previous publications. Dr. Crookall has attained more unity in style, more fluency and originality in melody, and more ease and richness in the conduct and colouring of his parts. The latter portion of the Mass, beginning with the Credo, is the most original and successful of the whole; but the entire work would be creditable to any musician; and as the work of an amateur, whose clerical and academic duties command no little portion of his time, it is much more than creditable. We strongly recommend it to choirs of tolerable skill, who are in want of a very pleasing and serviceable addition to their stock of Masses.

The second volume of that useful little publication, The Catholic School (Burns and Lambert), is now completed. The first article in the concluding number is both interesting and important, as its title sufficiently indicates-Acta et Agenda. The Acta, or what has been done amongst us in the way of education during the last four or five years, we may presume our readers to be more or less acquainted with. The Agenda, or what yet remains to be done, are thus summed up: 1. "to pay off the debts upon old schools, and legally settle them; 2. to build more fine schools, especially amidst dense masses of people, but likewise in all country missions; 3. to found a training institution for religious schoolmistresses; and 4. to publish a series of Catholic school-books." On the first two of these requisites we apprehend that there is no room for difference of opinion. We are not so clear, however, about the third; this, we think, will prove to be no very easy task, if it is to be carried out precisely in the way laid down in this article, viz. that "the bishops should select some one community specially charged with the care of an

institution for the general supply of trained religious teachers to schools throughout the kingdom." The number of religious orders of women now engaged in the work of education in this country is very considerable; some of these communities are of recent origin, and but very few of them can be said to have had time and space for the full development of their respective systems. Still it cannot be denied that special qualifications and systematic preparation are requisite to form, even among religious, the perfect teacher; and a house devoted to this single purpose could not but be confided to one community. The fourth want, a series of good Catholic school-books, appears to us to deserve the very first place, or at least as high a place as any, in the list of Agenda. Some most excellent remarks were made in former numbers of The Catholic School upon this subject, in a series of papers which appeared under the title of "a Nun's Plan of Education;" and we suspect that something of the kind there recommended would certainly ere this have been prepared and given to the public, were it not for the well-grounded fear, recognised in the article now before us, that the publication of such books, as a commercial speculation, would entail a probable loss." There are many Catholics, we do not doubt, who would be both able and willing to compile such books as we want, and who would not grudge the necessary time or labour, provided only that some benevolent individual or society could be found to guarantee them against pecuniary loss by the publication. Would it be quite impossible for the Catholic Poor-School Committee itself to take this matter in hand? We know indeed that their funds are miserably inadequate to the demands which are already made upon them; yet we venture to think that two or three hundred pounds, or even less, by way of trying the experiment, might be most judiciously expended in this way. It would not indeed make any sensible addition to the number of our schools, but it would be of incalculable benefit in increasing both their intellectual and religious efficiency.

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Joe Baker; or, the One Church (Burns and Lambert). We have been favoured with a sight of this striking little narrative in its progress through the press. It is one of a class which we should wish to see more numerous in this country. It is written for the people, in the language of the people, by one who, it is plain, not only knows them well from close personal observation, but is able to enter into their thoughts, and understands the way to their hearts. There is a strong common sense and a broad human interest about the narrative, which we consider essential requisites for interesting and profiting the poor. We do not like that dwarfed and artificial way of writing for the lesseducated classes, which has been so common, any more than we like little-good-boy stories affectedly and pointedly intended for smaller readers. We believe the style of composition to which we allude to be intellectually offensive to both children and the poor, although they may not be themselves fully conscious of what it is that makes such productions so uninteresting to them. It should be remembered that all the rudiments, both moral and intellectual, of the human mind, subsist perfectly in children and in the uneducated, although in an imperfectly developed state. The subject-matter of narratives intended for such readers should be simple, striking, and such as is easily grasped; but it need not, therefore, be puny or trivial, nor made the obvious vehicle of conveying an impertinent lecture addressed ad hominem. In fine, the story should be such that, while it is suited for the class for which it is principally intended, it is so founded upon, and addressed to, all the sympathies of human nature, that it cannot fail of interesting

even the most advanced and refined mind. Now such a story we conceive Joe Baker to be; and its style is in keeping with these conditions, being natural, clear, and vigorous. The author hits off admirably the double purpose apparently intended, both of shewing that the Catholic Church alone satisfies the needs of the human soul, and also of exposing the utter helplessness and unreality of what is called religion in this country; or rather suffering it to expose itself in a kind of experimental manner, which no Protestant can well gainsay, however reluctant he may be to admit the conclusion to which it so naturally leads. Our readers will have observed that this little story is announced as the first of a series which has been commenced by the editors of the "Clifton Tracts;" we can only hope that it will proceed with equal talent and spirit. Sure we are that such an undertaking, supplying, as it does, an acknowledged desideratum, ought to meet with the zealous encouragement of all who have at heart the spiritual interests of the great body of our countrymen.

We lately had occasion to speak of funeral sermons pronounced at the obsequies of men of renown,-warriors, noblemen, and artists; today we have a funeral sermon of a very different, and to ourselves of a far more engaging kind,-Sanctity the only True Greatness (London, Dolman), preached at St. John's, Islington, by the Very Rev. F. Oakeley, on occasion of the burial of a poor Irishman, who had been doorkeeper to that church for two years, and who seems to have performed all the duties of his office with the devotion of a saint. "The deceased," says the preacher, was one of the very best specimens (and such specimens, thank God, are any thing but rare) of the body of the Irish Catholics." It appears that he had never learned even so much as to read and write; but "this disadvantage was no obstacle whatever to the practice of meditative devotion. He prized his beads far more than the most enthusiastic student his books;"-but we will quote no more; for we have no space for the whole, and the whole is well worth reading, and well worth distributing as a tract.

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THE THANKS OF THE MAN OF GOD.

A TALE OF STRATH CLYDE.*

DEEP and long-hid the gracious ways of Him.
Who gently breathes beneath the silent ground

On seed and kernel, until spreading limb

And branch and leaf in pomp and power abound,

High in the sunshine and the golden air:

Even so His wisdom hides, and tends, and answers Prayer.

Whether 'tis breathed within the chamber lone,

Or in the lonelier breast within the crowd,

Or on high festival, amid the tone

Of organ, pipe, and choral anthem loud; Humbly consigned to His deep heart unseen, It slowly gathers life, to burst in sudden green.

*The incidents are real.