Art-Science-Nature, Births-Deaths, Church, Letters, Society, State, Miscellaneous.

III. Its Editorial Staff: Mr. Little thanks John D. Prince, Ph. D., Professor of Semitic Languages and Comparative Philology in the New York University, for assistance in revising "Babylon and Assyria"; Horace C. Wait, B. A., late Principal of Hasbrouck Institute, of Jersey City (the home of Mr. Little), for revising "Greece "; William Clarke, B. A., author of school-books, for assistance in the preparation of "Great Britain"; Thomas Campbell-Copeland, editor and statistician, for revising "France" and "Great Britain"; Charles E. Little, Jr., and William Clarke, Jr., for assistance in research and compilation; also "several legations at Washington for courteous co-operation in the revision of proof-sheets of those portions of this work which relate specifically to the countries that they represent."

Both the Purpose of the work and its Plan are good. Mr. Little has had great experience in compiling as his Historical Lights and Biblical Lights bear witness. But outside of the limits of method and industry, his work is unsatisfactory. Of the Biblical Lights I have merely to say that although possessing the volume for some years, I have not found occasion where it has proved of service. It is nevertheless most elaborately indexed and cross-referenced. Of the Historical Lights I have to say that it is humble in its scope, although again, it is elaborate in construction. It is a volume of over 900 pp, (royal 8vo), but suggests withal that its author merely consulted such books as he found ready to his hand in his private library, and jotted down, under a heading suggested by the paragraph his eye happened to light upon whatever appeared there. And so it happens that I do not approach the present work with high anticipations as to the discriminating power of Mr. Little. Neither does the corps of helpers suggest a wide or elaborate activity-such an elaborate activity as a Dictionary of Dates postulates. What topics I have looked up in this Dictionary have not removed my fearful anticipations. Under the heading "Italy " I find these items:

1187

Pope Clement III. sells indulgences for money";

1204 Auricular confession is introduced." The two asterisks indicate that the " year date has not been found." But it seems to me that the other things mentioned in the items have not been found, either. It is interesting, indeed, to note that Auricular Confession was introduced in the twelfth century.

It is strange that Mr. Little, being a clergyman, contented himself with marking only a difficulty as to date (by the device of two stars), and not, as well, marking a difficulty as to facts (by any number of stars). This Dictionary nowhere, as far as I can see, lets the reader or buyer into the secret that its compiler is a clergyman. I know that he was such at one time; for both the Biblical Lights and the Historical Lights put his "Rev." on the title-page. The Preface to this Dictionary assures the reader that "The author has kept constantly in mind that accuracy of date and statement are of primary importance in a book of dated facts. No other excellence can atone for inaccuracy, because this is a fundamental feature." And again it assures him that items under "Church" are treated without sectarian prejudice, partiality, or editorial comment." Difficile est exuere naturam, as Pyrrho is said to have remarked when he ran from the pursuing dog. I can only suppose that the Rev. Mr. Little has experienced a similar difficulty in his attempts to leave aside his second nature-the habit, in two senses-of a Protestant clergyman.

But let us look at some other items under "Italy-Church.' I find: "1208-29, Persecution of the Albigenses (p. 670).' On referring to the indicated "p. 670," I find the word "persecuted." If the author had used the word "war" or "crusade" (both of these being neutral words), he would not have broken his resolution to avoid "prejudice, partiality, or editorial comment." He does not seem to recognize that the word "persecution," in relation to the Albigenses, is one of editorial comment, prejudice, partiality. Another item, under the heading "Germany-Church:" "1513** Rome. Leo X. becomes Pope. (He needs much money for artists, scholars, the splendor of his court, for building St. Peter's and as many allege, for the dowry of his favorite sister; he attempts to

obtain money by 'a voluntary tax of the Germans,' collected by the sale of absolutions)." It is highly interesting to learn that the Pope sold absolutions.

·

I might quote much more, but I am restrained by an embarrassment of wealth. The Holy Coat items shall conclude my quotations. Under "Germany-Church" occurs this astounding, or at least astoundingly put, item: “1106 * * Rh. Prus. The Empress Helena is said to have brought the seamless Holy Coat' of Christ to Treves." A careless (or, rather, an ignorant) reader might suppose from this item that the Empress Helena, the mother of Constantine, had come down from her many-centuried abode of Heaven, in order to bring the Holy Coat to Treves, at some time indefinitely indicated by two stars. Doubtless Mr. Little meant to say that in 1106 the assertion was put forth that the Holy Coat, believed to have been found by the Empress Helena, was exhibited in Treves. Another item in re: "1890, Aug. 15. Rome. Pope Leo approves the exhibition of the Holy Coat in the Cathedral of Treves as laudable and opportune, and promises indulgences to pilgrims. (Aug. 20. It is exhibited. Sept. 5. A nail Oct. 3. Closed. Much money

from the true cross is added. received)." The venom is in the body of this item, but the sting is in the tail.

Catholics can not complain that they and their superstitions and "peculiar beliefs" are ignored in this Dictionary. There is, surely, no conspiracy of silence here!

I can not help expressing a regret that a Dictionary of Dates modeled, in its plan, with such an excellent regard to the convenience of the reader, should prove unacceptable to Catholics because of its treatment of the items introduced. It is very difficult to make compilers and editors understand the first fact of language, namely, that "comment, religious prejudice, partiality" do not need a whole page for their perfect expression, but may be found adequately expressed in a single word; or, where the words are neutral, in the arrangement and collocation of the facts. There is room for such a dictionary as the compiler conceived. But he should not forget that besides the "Art of Verifying Dates," there is also the other necessary Art of Verifying FACTS. H. T. H.

CURRENT PERIODICALS.

HISTORY OF THE CIVIL WAR (1861-1865). Being Vol. VI. of History of the United States of America, under the Constitution. By James Schouler. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. (Copyright 1899). Price, $2.25.

The author considers the Civil War as the bloody culmination of a long political feud of sections. An essential conflict of principles must be reconciled; namely, the principle of racesubjection and that of an equality of social and industrial opportunity. Within the limits of 633 pages 8vo., he has told the story of the long conflict of the Civil War interestingly, clearly, and (by an avoidance of disputatious treatment of still unsettled questions of military strategy) fully. He has striven "to bring out clearly the drift and purpose of successive campaigns and the traits of different commanders-and some general features of the warfare worth dwelling upon-besides to present the political and social progress of this grave epoch, and the variations of our public opinion." The original sources are plentiful on both sides of the questions in dispute, while the smoke of conflict has, by this time, sufficiently been cleared away to allow justice to be done to both disputants. The desire of the author to be fair and impartial is apparent in his treatment of questions which, but a few years since, could scarce have been touched upon without expressing or arousing many a partisan claim and not a little heart-burning. The volume is minutely divided into Chapters and Sections, and has a full Index. Only one map-a colored one, illustrating the political complexion of the United States in 1864-accompanies the volume, and there are no pictorial illustrations.

H.

HISTORICAL RECORDS AND STUDIES, published by the United States Catholic Historical Society of New York in two

parts, 1899-1900. Part I. contains 170 pp and part II. 254, making a total of 424 pp. Both parts are brim full of interesting matter and are nicely gotten up and well illustrated. The historical contents of the volume are: "Register of the clergy laboring in the Archdiocese of New York from early missionary times till 1885," by Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D. D.; "An unpublished letter of Father Jogues" (with facsimile); "Life of Cardinal McCloskey" (with portrait), by Rt. Rev. J. M. Farley, D. D.; "Unpublished letter of Father Anthony Kohlmann, S. J., with a short account of his life"; "A French Emigre colony in the United States, 1789-1793," by Prof. Charles George Hebermann, Ph. D., LL. D.; "The earliest baptismal register of St. Peter's Church, New York City," by Rev. James H. McGean; "Brief sketch of the life of the Rev. Gregory Bryan Pardow, 1829-1838"; "The society of St. Raphael and the Leo House" (with portrait of Bishop Wigger), by Joseph Schaefer and Prof. Charles George Hebermann, Ph. D., LL. D. ; " Dr. John Gilmary Shea " (with portrait), by Marc F. Vallette, LL. D.; "Enoch Louis Lowe " (with portrait), by A. E. Eichmann, A. M.; "Archbishop Hughes and the Draft Riots" (with illustration), by Thomas F. Meehan, A. M.; "The beginnings of the Hierarchy in the United States" (with portrait of Charles Carroll of Carrollton), by Rev. Thomas J. Campbell, S. J.; "John Dubois, D. D., Third Bishop of New York" (with illustration), by Prof. Charles George Herbermann, Ph. D., LL. D.; "St. Peter's Church, New York City," by Rev. James H. McGean; "A Protestant Judge of a hundred years ago," by Charles W. Sloane, A. M.; "The Cemeteries of New York" (with diagram), by Most Rev. M. A. Corrigan, D. D.; "The Rev. John Larkin," S. J. (with illustration); "Joseph W. Carroll," by Thos. F. Meehan, A. M.

The titles of the articles give a fair indication of the richness of the volume in historical lore. The most readable articles are the "Life of Cardinal McCloskey" and the "Life of Bishop Dubois," whilst the most valuable articles from an historical point of view are the "Register of the Clergy laboring in the Archdiocese of New York from early missionary