cipally treats, when the clergy put on hair powder on receiving the subdeaconship, and were beginning to substitute black coats for brown ones. Two specimens of this strand-shall we call it a yarn ?-of this cord binding us to times we highly value, we must put before our readers. One shall be an illustration of the cheerful, lightsome spirit, and the other of the pious dispositions of Monsignor Weedall. The first we have chosen almost at random from amongst the many similar anecdotes this book contains.

"There was a large dog kept chained at the door of the farm house. The present writer often accompanied Mr. Weedall to the farm, and on one occasion he asked him the name of this large and fierce looking animal. Mr. Weedall told him it was called Rose.' The writer observed that so sweet a name was misapplied when given to a dog, and particularly one so formidable. To which Mr. Weedall replied, with his well known smile on uttering any little pleasantry you know, it's a dog rose !'"—p. 116.

From pleasantry to piety in such a soul as Dr. Weedall's the transition is not violent.

"After the First Sunday of Lent, in the middle of March, he became very unwell. He was obliged to keep his room, and soon after was confined to his bed: indeed he was so ill, that it was feared he would never rise from his bed again. During this time he received the Holy Communion almost every day, which was administered to him by the worthy Vice-President, Canon Bagnall. He suffered with the greatest patience, and most exemplary resignation. What seemed to afflict him most, was that he was unable to attend the usual Meditations in the chapel, as he had always done most punctually. He feared that his absence might cause disedification: the very same apprehension which the writer remembers to have been felt by the illustrious Bishop Milner; who when staying at Oscott, and unable from infirmity to rise early enough for the hour of Meditation, which was half-past six, very humbly begged pardon when he came down, for the disedification which might have been caused by his not appearing earlier, informing us that he could not get any sleep till morning. So it was now with poor Dr. Weedall, and he had the same delicacy of conscience as his great master and model. He often desired the servant to ask Canon Bagnall to come to his room, as he went down to the chapel, as he wished to speak to him; and it was always to express how sorry he was that he could not attend himself, and to request him to explain to the ecclesiastics the reason of his absence. was so particular on this point, that when better in health, he bsented himself from the Meditation, though he would have

bo

a fide

been amply justified if he had done so; for owing to his habitual complaint, he never had a good night's rest. He was disturbed nearly every half hour of the night, and often could get but little sleep till perhaps four o'clock; and often said that when the servant came to call him soon after five, he felt then that he could sleep. Nevertheless he invariably got up, that he might be present in the chapel with the rest at the Meditation."-pp. 289 91.

The second strand of which we spoke, we ought perhaps not to have separated from the first; but in truth, Dr. Weedall's sermons, being the produce of an elegant and well furnished mind of no common order, deserve a place by themselves. May we not hope that they may receive such a place? The extracts with which we are here supplied are tantalizing, for we cannot help feeling that where these extracts came from, the whole sermons are probably to be found. These productions are so carefully written, and so well considered that we could scarcely find anywhere specimens of pulpit eloquence more deserving of being read and re-read in private. We refrain from giving any quotation from the many beautiful passages before us, in the hope that our author may give us another opportunity of returning to this subject. But we cannot resist the temptation to give one of Dr. Weedall's compositions, portions of a speech at a supper which he gave at his own house to the members of the choir," at Leamington, which Dr. Husenbeth well calls " a good example of Dr. Weedall's cheerful and happy style of address on familiar occasions.

66

"My good Friends,

"It is usual on occasions like the present to address the company as Ladies and Gentlemen:' but I think it more suitable to the simplicity of my feelings, as well as to the ordinary style of my addresses, to say, my dear friends, my good friends.

'Good friends then let it be. And now let me tell my good friends that I am not going to make this a speechifying night, to turn our meeting into a debating club-to turn concord into discord. If I express to you the pleasure I feel in meeting you, and my gratitude for the great exertions you make for promoting objects so dear to me, I shall not ask any one to make a speech in return. If only my sincere thanks shall be thought not unworthy of your acceptance, I shall wish you to keep them, and not to return them. So much for the character of our meeting.

"I feel quite delighted that circumstances this year have enabled me to receive you in my humble habitation, and at my humble

board. Perhaps you may think that I am here affecting a false modesty, and that I deal unjustly with the board, when I style it humble. But I assure you I mean what I say. For excepting only the sincere good will, and the hearty welcome which I proffer you on this occasion, I can claim very little of this entertainment but the simple board below. The viands above are all the contributions of good friends to you and me; some of whom I will not name, because they may happen to be here present, and others I need not name, because they are absent. All of them by this act wish to acknowledge the utility of your services, and to make substantial demonstration of the warm interest they take in the little party assembled."-pp. 242-3.

With these is interwoven an account of the early history of St. Mary's College, Oscott. To this, the History of Sedgley Park by our author serves as a natural introduction, and we are glad that it has fallen to the same pen to write them both. But the reader must not go to it as a complete history of Oscott or he will be disappointed. It is the early history, and therefore there is no mention of a name which has shed a most singular lustre upon Oscott, the name of him who made St. Mary's College the point to which the eye of every convert naturally turned as to the place where the Oxford movement was most thoroughly understood and appreciated, and where it had its fulfilment.

If the experiences of the past are to do their full work in guiding the future, the office of chronicler in any community is no unimportant one. It calls however for qualities not often found, and which are required to be in exercise all through life. No one can jump up suddenly and say that he will be the historian of any event or career, the day by day progress of which he has not carefully noted. The Provost of Northampton is evidently one of these careful jotters down of occurrences and dates, of no great moment perhaps in themselves individually, but some day taking their places as links in a chain, which, as years go on, becomes more and more valuable. Were it not for books like this, those who come after us would hardly know to what manner of men they were indebted for their inheritance. The name of Henry Weedall will assuredly not be soon forgotten, and his friend and biographer has in this his Life, done good service to his memory and to religion.

IV. The Month of Mary conceived without sin.

From the French of the Rev. A. Gratry. London; Richardson and Son.

Of all the "Months of Mary" which it has been our fortune to recommend, we ourselves should give the preference to this. Father Faber, in an excellent preface, having first with his own peculiar touches of persuasiveness and beauty-enforced the devotion to Mary, then the especial one of her "month," of which he gives a brief history; and having mentioned the many meritorious works which have been written for the assistance of Catholic piety at that time, he finally gives his reason for an especial recommendation of the present volume-because it best meets the spiritual difficulties and state of mind of modern Catholics; certainly its style is not that of ejaculatory devotion. The unauthenticated miracles and pretty stories are sparingly inserted, and perhaps this is as well, since they were liable to provoke captious objections. The thirty-one meditations are carefully written, and based upon points of theology and reasoning, selected from the best sources. The result is a depth of thought and feeling which will render this little work valuable as a permanent manual of devotion to our Lady, as well as an assistance in the observance of her especial month.

V.-Mary's Pre-eminent Dignity, Sanctity, and Merit. By the Rev. John Perry. London: Dolman, 1860.

This little work is very devotional, for it is good and fervent; at the same time the simplicity of style, of thought and language, are in perfect good taste. It is a work we should choose to give away, and we say this in no disrespect. Most of us have known what it is to wish for some safe work of the kind to put into the hands of those who, in our own opinion, at least, (heaven save the mark!) required some book of a more elementary character than we should ourselves be contented with.

VI.-Life of St. Columba or Columbkille, Patron of Derry and Founder of Iona. By St. Adamnan, Abbot. Translated from the original Latin with copious Notes, London; Richardson and Son. 1860.

We think the Catholic public much indebted to the translator of this work. The life of a saint by a saint must have an especial interest; and in this case the

period when the two venerable men lived, gives a character of its own to the narrative. With solemn simplicity, doubting nothing and fearing no doubts, St. Adamuan relates the miracles of the still greater saint who was the Apostle of Scotland, and one of the three chief patrons of Ireland, and whose memory is still held in the deepest veneration as is that of St. Adamnan himself, by the faithful people in the county of Donegal, and in the Diocese of Raphoe which tradition fixes as the place of his birth. The life of St. Columba is chiefly told by his miracles which are very interesting, partly because they bear, we think, a peculiar character of charity and wisdom; and partly from the antique grandeur and simplicity of the incidents connected with them. We will give as an instance one of the first that strikes us.

"At another time, in the island of Iona, on a day when the tempest was howling and the waves were so high as to defy all sailing, the saint sitting within the house, gave orders to his brethren, saying, 'prepare the stranger's apartment quickly, and bring water to wash the stranger's feet. One of the brethren upon this inquired, Who could cross the sound safely, narrow as it is, on so perilous and stormy a day?' The saint hearing this answered, 'The Almighty has given a calm even in this tempest to a certain holy man, one of His elect, who will arrive here before evening.' And lol the same day, the ship for which the brethren had been looking out, according to the saint's prediction, arrived, bearing St. Canice. The saint went forth with the brethren to meet him, and received him with all honour and hospitality. But the sailors who had been with St. Canice, when asked by some of the brethren what sort of a voyage they had, told them as St. Columba had predicted about the tempest, and also the calm which God had given in the same sea, and at the same time, by a miraculous separation, the tempest which they saw at a distance but did not feel."—p. 15.

We will quote one more story of the same kind.

"One time, as the saint was staying for some days in the island of Skye, he struck the sea shore with his staff, and said to his attendants; 'Strange, my children, this day, a pagan, an aged man, whose conduct has been blameless throughout life, will receive Baptism, die, and be buried on this very spot.' And lo! about an hour after, a boat came into the harbour, on whose prow sat a decrepit old man, the chief of the Genoa Cohort (Genode). Two young men took him out of the boat and brought him before the saint. After being instructed by the saint through an interpreter, the old man believed, and was baptized, and when the sacrament was administered, he died on the same spot according