we wrong in conjecturing a medical attendant ?—if so, such specimens of the "Religio medici" are as comforting to the Church, as, we fear, rare in the profession. It is scarcely credible how much of the Church's work might be done by the doctor; in the ages of faith, the functions of priest and physician were ordinarily united; and "Luke, the beloved physician," had those who followed him in either portion of his ministration. Adopting a very sober and reserved tone, we imagine that the author might, had he pleased, have said much more of the lovely character which he has drawn ; but his object was, of course, not only to strengthen us, but to attract separatists to the Church from this exhibition of her divine and deeper gifts. We may add that the title-page is in the true ancient style: we have so long been annoyed with the various trumpery caricatures of illuminated pages, that it is consoling to find one severe and really correct like the present. It is by far the best which has appeared.

London :

The Pageant: or Pleasure and its Price. A Tale for the Upper Ranks of Society. By FRANCIS E. PAGET, M.A. &c. &c. Burns. Rugeley: Walters. 1843.

ON receiving this volume, with at least two others of the same taking class, from Messrs. Neale and Bellairs, we resolved, as the phrase goes, to speak out, and to denounce emphatically, from whatever source, the continuance of this mode of inculcating high religious truths. It has long been a matter of suspicion to us, whether the spiritual fiction (really we do not know in what accredited division of literature to rank "Tales of the Town," and "Tales of the Village," "Tales of the Manufacturing," and "Tales of the Agricultural Interest") has not done its work, if it ever had a work to do. We do not intend the slightest disrespect towards Messrs. Gresley and Paget, who are exceedingly able men, and learned and high-minded men, but we deprecate a school formed of their followers; to think of their thirdrate imitators is quite nauseating.

At the best, these little stories are rather one-sided; from the days of Plato, the conventional license of a dialogue gives an unfair advantage to our own side of the dispute ; where an advocate is permitted not only to arrange his own but his opponent's arguments, to give himself all the logic, and the other interlocutor all the nonsense, it is but a small triumph to come off victorious. And again, as far as we have yet read, the stock subjects of these light militia recur at very short periods-apostolical succession, baptismal regeneration, self-denial; and then self-denial, baptismal regeneration, and apostolical succession. Our readers have not to be told that, in this review, such subjects are always estimated at their most awful value; but we are alarmed lest, in a mere literary idle drawing-room way, young ladies and young gentlemen should, as far as words go, allow all this, and there stop. It will be of little use to knock up the Minerva Press, and to substitute a "Catholic" Minerva Press for it. It may be that "Matilda de Rosanne," if there ever were such a novel, would be less hurtful than æsthetic, rose-coloured, vignetted, embossed, hot-pressed, rubricated

tales. The fact is, that the whole class is much too nice, much too readable, much too satisfying for us. Somehow or other, the very novelty of such a mode of helping a most serious controversy, or even of inculcating duties, however urgent or forgotten, makes us disposed to suspect its lawfulness. Surely the Church has, for eighteen centuries, had the same work to do, the same souls to win, the same varying shades of character and education with which to deal; and yet, till within a few years, she never thought of converting heretics by love-tales, or of forcing herself into the boudoir in a white chip hat, and marabout feathers. No: if we must have controversy, let it be stern in guise, repulsive in form, systematical and technical in language, as of old. We are sorely alarmed at the question of Church authority discussed in the pauses of a quadrille; and, of the two, we would rather hear him of the white gloves ask her of the pink slip, about the common-places of the season, the Cartoons, and the last marriage, than whether she has read "Agnes de Tracy," or what is supposed to be the subject of "Mr. Paget's next." The very

fact that they are so popular, coupled with another fact which is not so pleasant, that so very little way is made, is at least ominous; for five hundred who read tales and tracts, is there one who acts? There is a limit, though it requires a wise head and steady hand to draw it, where popularizing truth should cease. If shallow science owes its existence to the Pinnocks and Marcets—if trumpery politics to the Martineaus, and flimsy education to the Edgeworths of a by-gone day, it may be that some who would most deprecate it, will have to answer for the abeyance of a masculine, deep, and earnest theology in the Church of England. Ringleted Catholicism and kid-gloved churchmanship we have an especial dread of.

All which sour surly thoughts we have long brooded over; when lo, "The Pageant !" a most excellent and lively, and well-intentioned tale, which is not at all controversial; and therefore most of what we have said is inapplicable to it. It embraces a subject which has occupied some of our own pages; and much of those terrible details of the devilish factory and mining systems, upon which we have commented, has been reproduced by Mr. Paget, although his chief aim in the present tale is to expose the atrocious wickedness of fashionable London life, as applied to the poor milliner girls. We can only say that we earnestly wish this book circulation in the very quarters about which we are most doubtful; the more smart Lady Gertrudes and Honourable Fannies we can get to read it the better; and the more cold, and worldly, and selfish they are, the more they stand in need of "Uncle Wat's" rough tongue. If ever we ask for a pulpit, it will be to be allowed, some first Sunday in June, to preach a sermon in St. Peter's, Pimlico, on Isaiah iii. 16-26.

While we are on the subject, we must just request the influence of Mr. Paget's excellent taste to prevent his printer from luxuriating in - such childish caricatures of illuminated titles and headpieces, and stamped bindings, as "The Pageant" rejoices in; they are simply ridiculous.

The wished-for "Prize Essay towards the Conversion of learned and philosophical Hindus," (Rivingtons,) by Mr. J. B. Morris, Fellow of Exeter, has just appeared. It is far too important in subject, and learned and elaborate in execution, to admit of more than acknowledgment in this place. That must be no common book to which the wreath was awarded, which such a man as Mr. Sewell failed to win.

"Popular Tales and Legends," (Burns,) pleases us much; it goes upon the right principle to cultivate the habit of faith, by early exercising children "in the contemplation of the wild and the unearthly," and the religious teaching is suggested, rather than directly intruded. This is judicious: in our young days, a fable seemed hardly earned after swallowing the dry husk of moral at the end; children must be caught by guile and it is about as wise to ask a wit to be funny, as to take a child to its "religious lesson." It is a healthy sign, too, that we are no longer ashamed of fairies and dwarfs: the "good people" left us out of spite for their bad usage.

"Notes on the Use of the Surplice, &c." (Rivington,) is an Appendix to an excellent pamphlet, entitled, "The Prayer for the Church Militant, and the Surplice: in reply to the Quarterly Review," and contains valuable documentary matter. The subject has obviously grown upon the author, and the more research is expended upon it, the more decisive is the evidence that the surplice is the only vestment authorized by the Anglican Church, in all parts of divine service. Remembering how deep a principle is at stake on this question, we cannot be too thankful for the care and labour bestowed upon what seems an unpromising inquiry.

"Squire Allworthy and Farmer Blunt," (Rivington,) is a dialogue on the Offertory, by Mr. Palin, of Stifford, of whose labours in this cause we have already spoken favourably. We doubt whether much good is done by this particular mode of inculcating duties; but probably the experience of a village clergyman is better than our own as to its usefulness. It is well intended certainly: but why was the tract so vilely printed, for it is not over cheap?

A most magnificent undertaking has just been commenced by Mr. Sunter, of York, "The Monastic Ruins of Yorkshire." The work is dedicated, by permission, to the Archbishop of York; nor could his grace have easily found one worthier of his patronage. It also boasts a most excellent Introduction, of which it is enough to say that it is by the Rev. E. Churton. No. I. which is all that we have yet seen, is very beautiful. We had no conception either that lithography could attain such consummate delicacy, or that a book so beautiful could have been got up in the provinces. The work, we believe, will be completed in about six numbers. We must also mention a Chart of Ecclesiastical Architecture, by the same publisher, as a well-executed and useful manual.

"Flee Fornication," (Burns,) is a tract which required a strong-minded man to write; it was of course much needed, for we have been, it is to be feared, faithless to our commission in suppressing from false delicacy all allusion to a certain class of sins. Fleshly lusts had not been so common, and so little thought of, had the Church spoken with scriptural boldness against them; however, it is a good sign that this sad matter is gaining attention in all quarters.

And while we are upon Tracts, it would be presumptuous to do more than announce from the same publisher a series of "Selections from the Works of Bishop Wilson." Two numbers, one on Confirmation, and one on the Lord's Supper, have appeared.

"A Word of Warning, connected with the alarming spread of Tractarianism, by the Rev. Hugh White, A.M.," (Dublin, Curry,) is not only unpleasant, but

dangerous to read in the dog-days. It is composed of such very inflammable materials, that the marvel is that it has not exploded by spontaneous combustion. Think of the choicest and fieriest combustibles of D'Aubigné, M'Neile, and Beamish, Mr. Marks and "his useful admonition," "that excellent little work, the Catechism of Puseyism," "Charlotte Elizabeth's powerful Strictures," and Mr. Bickersteth's "Divine Warning," all mixed up with strange fircs, imported from Bishop M'Ilvaine and the Bishop of Calcutta! This is a theological handgrenade, alive with detonating and fulminating powders, which calls for the police rather than the reviewers.

And while we are on this inexhaustible subject, we can heartily recommend to tract distributors, (and who, in these days, is not a tract reader, writer, or scatterer?) "Puseyism confronted with the Church of England, and its true character shown," (Edwards,) which is not exactly that which its title promises; and "Puseyism in London," (reprinted from the Morning Post.) The last is admirable in matter and interesting in composition.

"Bishop's College and its Missions," (Burns,) by Mr. S. C. Malan, formerly a tutor in that noble establishment, is an earnest plea in its behalf, to which we wish all success.

"A few Reasons for deprecating the Attempt of the Bishop of London to alter the Service of the Church,'-lying and insolent to a degree which beggars description, and feeble withal.

"Ayton Priory," and "Hierurgia Anglicana," are mentioned elsewhere.

Two volumes of the Anglo-Catholic Library are just out; a volume of Cosins' Sermons, hitherto MS., which is a great addition to our old divinity, and the 2d vol. of Beveridge; we are glad to find this excellent undertaking proceeding so satisfactorily: but we must again ask, where are Andrewes' Controversial Works?

"A Letter to the Rev. Philip Gell of Derby," (Mozley,) is very valuable, and bears out the view maintained in these pages of the sad character of the visitation sermon to which it alludes.

The Bishop of Madras's "Charge" has been published: in almost every conceivable particular, it is the opposite of the Bishop of Calcutta's; in tone, if we are obliged to draw comparisons, we should say that it harmonizes most closely with the theology of the Bishop of Salisbury.

"Lilian Arundel," (Burns,) under the form of a child's book, is in fact, (like a similar story published some time since, "Little Mary,") a parent's book, that is, it will help mothers in the great work of education. We like it much, and thought as we read that we recognised the "fine Italian hand" of the authoress of The Fairy Bower, whose character-drawing in so small a compass is really surprising. If we are wrong in our guess, we are at least paying a compliment to the writer, which we feel to be, in some respects, deserved.

Among single sermons, "The Holy Portion of the Land," by Mr. Churton, of Crayke; "On the Ordination Services," by the Dean of Chichester; "Acceptable Sacrifices," preached in St. John's Church, Cheltenham, by Mr. Gresley Mr. Coleridge's, at the opening of St. Mark's College; and one by Mr. Sewell, to "Young Men," will engage attention from the reputation of their respective authors. To which may be added a useful address, "National Education, &c." by Mr. Nicholson, of Winchester; and a "Funeral Sermon on Mr. Blencowe," by Mr. F. M. Knollis, which is long, and written, we think, in very bad taste.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Summer Day's Pilgrimage. No. I.-St. Alban's Abbey.

THERE are perhaps few, hitherto unnoticed, circumstances which have more contributed to the loss of Church feeling, or rather to its abeyance, than the paucity of old Catholic churches in London. So much are we necessarily influenced, even in the way of devotion, by ancient association, to say nothing at present of the actual difference, in kind perhaps rather in degree, of religious feeling excited by Christian art, and its opposite, the adaptation of Pagan proportions and details to the requirements of the worship of the saints, that we can scarcely realize how much loss the Church of England-it is hardly too much to say to the lowering of positive doctrine and obviously of practicehas suffered by the great fire of 1666 and the consequent destruction of the older sacred edifices of the metropolis. We are not now going into the question of Wren's skill and genius, which we are disposed to rate very high, indeed it is surprising that with the intractable materials and the stiff conventionalisms of design, which are the characteristics of the so-called classic style, this great man produced such wonderful diversity in details, and so often such solemnity of general effect in his churches; but considering his relationship with the foremost of the Landian School, the great Wren, Bishop of Norwich, and his own intimate connexion with Oxford, it is not a little remarkable that he was led so entirely to discard the essentials, at least those distinctive features which had hitherto been deemed essentials, of a church, as well as that style which, under various degrees of development, had been coeval with the Gospel itself in these islands. To say that the old Christian architecture was worn out is nothing to the purpose for Wren only assumed to be a reviver and not an inventor; to adapt and reconstruct was his aim; and had he chosen he might just as well have restored pointed as Roman buildings. And though there is something in the argument that the oldest churches were Basilicæ, yet we must remember that the peculiar charm in them was that they were the conquered strongholds of heathenism; the sacred Presence was introduced, and had cleansed them for ever; the very fact that they had been seats of pagan judicature, halls or what not of the idols, made them visible trophies of the actual victory of the Cross of Christ rather than allow, with Middleton, "that, because by changing the name and consecrating the temple, the Pantheon serves as exactly for the purposes of the Papist as it did for the Pagan," therefore Christianity is paganized, we rather sympathize with Le Maistre, as quoted in Morus, "Tous les saints à la place de tous les Dieux! quel sujet intarissable de profondes méditations philosophiques et religieuses!" The Seed of the woman was openly in them displayed bruising the serpent's head; henceforth they were hallowed and consecrate to holiest uses; the lustration of faith had been