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He is described so as to form a type of a young clergyman of that school. Ardent and eager, full of hope, nay, confident beyond his wary tutor, in the practicability of Puseyism, he receives orders with the most solemn feelings, renounces an early attachment which amounted almost to an engagement, throws himself, as a curate, into the work of a large manufacturing town, (Leeds, we suppose,) with every advantage; becomes dissatisfied with the incapabilities and unrealities of Anglicanism; resigns, travels abroad; is smitten with the beauties of the Catholic system, and at length disgusted by the proceedings in re Ward at Oxford, embraces the Catholic faith. He then, with four other companions, enters a religious house in Italy. So far we could believe the outline of the tale to be true; for we know of many counterparts to it. But now mark the sequel. Eustace, the hero, soon begins to pine with useless regrets, and remorseful sadness; is ever quoting, By the waters of Babylon, &c.," (and his companions do the same,) and at last dies rejecting (if not cursing) the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, and making profession of what is meant to represent a Protestant principle-the Oneness of the Mediator. (P. 176.) To all this we have one very serious objection to make; it is, that there is not a word in the book to warn its readers that all this is a pure fiction. We are sure that many will be deceived. They will think that it did indeed thus "fare with some who lately made the journey:" and that the "Companion Traveller," bears witness to what he has seen. One such fact, as is here related, would weigh more with many minds, than the most acute reasoning. Satisfy them that they who have left Anglicanism for Rome, have found nothing in the exchange but disappointment, regret, remorse and almost despair, and they will justly place these results in the balance against any amount of argument or persuasion which we can bring. And again we repeat, the author of this little work will be thought by many to have brought forward such a case. We feel it, therefore, a duty to deny its existence; point-blank, unequivocal, universal denial do we give it. Not one of those who have joined the Church from the Universities, since the period specified in the book, has died. Moreover, we can name every one who has joined a religious community in England or abroad; that is in Belgium, for in Italy, Rome excepted, there is not, we can safely say, one. Let any one examine

the matter for himself. Any Catholic will direct his steps towards Charnwood Forest, or St. Wilfrid's, or Hodder, or almost any of our Colleges. There he will see the reality instead of the romance. Let him see how light the bond-how easy to be snapped by one act of will-which ties the convert to his chosen life of restraint and rigour. Let him enter in as a guest; and let him watch silently, converse as though unguardedly, or interrogate studiously: and let him judge by the results. Nay, we will not be satisfied with so little; he shall have better evidence than negatives. If he find the care-worn, pining frame and features of Eustace, the absent gaze, the stolen sigh, the "longing lingering look behind" towards dreary Anglicanism, then let him consider it an argument in his favour. But on our side let him require more. We will pledge ourselves that he shall have every opportunity of ample examination. He shall watch the student or the novice in church, himself unobserved; he may fall into his company as a casual stranger, or throw himself upon his conscience as one wishing to learn from his experience; and if he find not cheerfulness, joy, gratitude, delight at being what and where he is; if he hear not words of pressing invitation, of eager, loving, encouragement to hasten on and taste with him the sweets of peace and truth, and be partaker of his spiritual treasures; if he find not in countenance, in eye, in tongue, evidence of bright and serene security, nay of exultation and almost bliss, then let him believe that the latter part of poor Eustace's history is no fiction, and that recent converts have met with disappointment. But surely what they themselves have written to the contrary, ought to convince sufficiently the most incredulons.

There is a sad episode in Eustace's history still less true, or even probable, than the main story. Our Catholic readers will smile, when they hear that it turns on the existence of unhappiness, insecurity, and protestantism, lurking under the nun's veil. Puseyite ladies become nuns, and are miserable for what they have done. Whether such things may or may not be, it is not for us to say; it is enough for the present that they have not been. We say it with confidence, the whole is a fiction, and what is worse, a fiction put forward as though it were a truth. But there is one part of the tale, which we must qualify by a stronger epithet; it is positively calumnious, detestably

false. It is clearly intended, by it, to make Protestants believe, that any married clergyman who joins the Catholic Church will be, not merely permitted (where there is mutual consent) to separate from his wife, but compelled to do so; or at least that the poor lady must submit to this severing of what God has joined, whether she will it or no. Now every Catholic knows that such a course is not even advised; that if wished by the parties themselves it is scarcely permitted; and never till strict investigation has satisfied the authorities of the Church that it is a spontaneous, free, unbiassed and cheerful step on both sides, both wishing to serve God and Him alone, in separate paths of religious life, guarded by holy vows. "In Domo Domini ambulavimus cum consensu," would be the motto of such a blessed pair. And even then no consent would be ever given, unless the children, if any, either were by age beyond the want of parental care, or were amply provided with every requisite for their proper education.

III.-1. The Unity of the Episcopate Considered, In reply to the work of the Rev. T. W. Allies, M. A., entitled, The Church of England cleared from the Charge of Schism, upon Testimonies of Fathers and Councils of the First Six Centuries,' by EDWARD HEALY THOMPSON, M. A. Loudon, Richardson and Son: 1847.

2.-A Letter addressed to the Rev. T. W. Allies. By PETER LE PAGE RENOUF, late of Pembroke College, Oxford. London, Toovey: 1847.

MR. THOMPSON's work is far too solid and valuable to be dismissed with a short notice like the present. In fact, we had actually an article on it written for this number, but have been obliged to postpone it from press of other subjects. It is, in truth, a much more careful answer than Mr. Allies's work deserves; for, admirable though the latter be in its candid and generous spirit, we never read a more shallow and inconsecutive treatise. It is hardly credible that a writer could bring together such facts as may be seen in Mr. Allies's pages, and gravely maintain that the doctrine to which they witness is the "sovereign and independent power of every individual bishop;" a doctrine extravagantly at variance, no less with the spirit and meaning of Church history in general, than with every single fact contained there in particular. Yet such is

unquestionably Mr. Allies's assertion; for not only does he make the statement above quoted (p. 17), but distinctly maintains also that the patriarchal system, in which he includes the papal, is "not strictly of divine right. (p. 54.)

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Here, then, precisely it is that Mr. Thompson joins issue. This," he says (p. 21), "is not the Catholic doctrine: it was not the doctrine of the Fathers and the Councils of the first six centuries.' "The Catholic doctrine is, that the episcopate is one, indivisible, sovereign, and independent; and that every bishop has part in this episcopate, not as an independent individual, but as a member of the episcopal body. That body consists of bishops corporately united, not only one with another, but with one as their head and connecting bond. This head and bond is the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter," (pp. 24, 30.)

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Mr. Thompson's real controversy is, not with Anglican, but with simply Protestant, or with openly infidel, opinions. A person who can read history, and come to Mr. Allies's positive conclusions, must be beyond the reach of argument, and a subject only for our prayers. But there are facts which that gentleman has brought together, which present primâ facie difficulty in the way of Catholic conclusions, and tend to the inference that Church history is one unintelligible maze. These facts our author has confronted with singular accuracy and completeness. He applies to them the principle above quoted, and shows plainly that it is the only true mode of understanding and harmonizing them. He then proceeds to establish, that this very principle is precisely identical at bottom with Bellarmine's doctrine, and utterly inconsistent even with the Gallican notions. In fact, we cannot too highly recommend the study of Mr. Thompson's work; and we hope, in our next number, to give a fuller account of its argu

ment.

Mr. Renouf's Letter to Mr. Allies is connected with the same general subject, but with a different part of it. Mr. Allies, characteristically enough, having maintained that the internal organization of the Church possesses no higher than a human sanction, yet calls organic unity an essential law of the Church (p. 198); and then immediately afterwards proceeds to maintain that this essential law may be broken, and yet the essence of a Church not neces

sarily destroyed. Further, he holds, that the Church in communion with Rome is destitute of the attribute "Catholicity;" and, further still, that there are practical corruptions in the latter Church which show her marked inferiority to the "undivided" Church Catholic of a former age. It is to these allegations that Mr. Renouf addresses himself; and he meets them in a very masterly way. On the two latter heads he points out in substance, (1.) that the Church was Catholic on the day of Pentecost, when she was confined to one city in an obscure province of the Roman empire, and much more may be so now, though many may have chosen to schismatize from her; and (2.) that worse practical corruptions existed in the times of the Fathers than are even alleged at the present day. There is also a very valuable historical discussion on the conversion of Russia, showing (in opposition to Mr. Allies) that the Church which effected that conversion was in communion with Rome.

IV. A new Comparative French Grammar, and Phraseological Refe rence Book, prepared expressly for the Royal Children of England. By MARIN DE LA VOYE. London: C. M. Law. 1847.

IT has been said that there is no royal way to learning; and particularly to the knowledge of languages. M. de la Voye has given practical evidence of his faith in this axiom. A French Grammar, the pages of which, compactly printed, reach the awful and somewhat ominous number of 666, and that only forming one work of a "Grammatical Series," is evidence enough that Royal children are doomed, like meaner mortals, to fight through their accidence, and to battle with the elements of grammar. And yet M. de la Voye shows, by examples, that his is in truth a short work. But long or short, it is undoubtedly an able and a learned work: and independent of the fashion which royal patronage may confer on it, we sincerely believe that it is sure to make its way, by its own merits, to general acceptance. We have found much in it that would be sought in vain, in common grammars; though not partial to over-much of what is called philosophy, in grammar, we like what there is of it in this; while at the same time it is a thorough practical work, that is, one by which a person may learn to speak the language—