content with making only the alternate lines to rhyme. Indeed the Franciscan's Irish Fioretti, with their very short lines, rhyme too much. Hood's "Bridge of Sighs" is a wonderful tour de force in this species of versification; but it would need a master in the art to apply those difficult short-lined metres to solemn and religious themes, whereas the author of "Via Crucis, and other Poems," who has a greater number of very short lines than we ever remember seeing, often fails in the technique of the poet's trade, in rhythm more frequently than in rhyme. If we had space for a favourable sample of his pious Muse, our choice would fall rather on "Last Words in Life” than on "Lost and Saved." But would not the former piece require a note or two? If it were set down for annotation by some "Intermediate" examiner, and if the present writer were a candidate, he would write "Napoleon" and "Goethe" fearlessly; but an expert might detect a slight tremor of uncertainty in his way of writing the two other names. Father Jackman's pretty volume treats of a wonderful variety of religious subjects with a tender piety which will delight many devout hearts. As large a quantity of very useful and entertaining information about Ireland, and almost every interesting or uninteresting spot within her four seas, could with difficulty be found anywhere at any price, and nowhere so cheaply, as in Mr. W. F. Wakeman's "Tourist's Guide to Ireland." Five hundred closely crammed and well-illustrated pages could not have been given for half-a-crown without the aid of the advertisers who patronise this work so largely. We have examined the accounts given of various places, and we have in each case been delighted with the amount of full and minute information furnished in a very agreeable style. This is by far the best book of its kind that we have ever seen. "The Life of Joseph Carrière, Superior-General of the Sulpicians," by the Rev. T. J. O'Mahony, D.D., of All Hallows College, Dublin (Mullany, Parliament-street), does not precisely come within the scope of these "notes on new books;" but we wish to make the existence of so excellent and so priestly a work by an Irish priest known to any priests who glance at these pages. Besides full personal details about a distinguished theologian and holy ecclesiastic, it gives a better account than can be found elsewhere of the real state of the Church in France. Dr. O'Mahony was himself a pupil of St. Sulpice, and had other exceptional opportunities of learning all about his subject. His excellent and very original matter is set out in a clear, thoughtful style, which is anything but commonplace or common. Messrs. Richardson of Derby and London have sent some small publications, of which the least useful is a collection of alleged prophecies, ancient and modern, from St. Malachy to Marie Lataste. Another contains the Introit, Offertory, and Communion of the Mass VOL. XII., No. 134. 33 in Latin, for Sundays and festivals. A third is a "Child's Prayerbook," which is not a formidable rival for the favourite prayer-book of Irish children, "Holy Childhood," whose circulation, we rejoice to hear, is very great. There is, happily, no need to call attention to the very able and interesting Report of the Congress held in Dublin, in August, 1882, under the auspices of the Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language. We are glad to see that the author of "Leo," "From Darkness to Light," and some other books for the young, appears as Miss Josephine Hannan on the title-page of her new work, "Told in the Gloaming" (Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son). Her youthful readers will like to know her by her full name rather than by the initials "M. J. H.;" nor will they listen to her stories with less interest from knowing that she is herself the Miss Swippie who figures in one of them. If schoolgirls were not supposed to be at home in such matters, we should object to the scraps of French and in any case we should prefer a more Irish, more commonplace, and less ethereal tone and atmosphere. perhaps these peculiarities also have their utility and attractiveness. Certainly the printing and binding, which are all now done at 50 Upper Sackville-street, could not be better of their kind and for their purpose. But By far the most novel and interesting collection of stories from the Lives of the Saints, which has lately been given to the public, is that which is contained in two very handsome volumes just published also by Messrs. M. H. Gill & Son-"Light from the Lowly; or, Lives of Persons who sanctified themselves in humble positions. By the Rev. Francis Butiña, S.J. Translated from the Spanish by the Rev. William M'Donald, D.D. With Twelve Illustrations by W. C. Mills." The translator ought to have given us some information about the author, and the date and fortunes of the original work. We have found that Father Butiña is still living and working in Spain. He has shown great industry in gathering together accounts of canonised or beatified tax-gatherers, cooks, silversmiths, shoemakers, servants, shepherds, gardeners, dressmakers, farmers, peddlers, tailors, housemaids, seamstresses, washerwomen, publicans, musicians, porters, millers, schoolmasters, bakers, locksmiths, masons, etc. This list is put together after a glance down the table of contents, and it does not exhaust the catalogue. The only bookseller mentioned is St. John of God. Our et cetera includes one painter, five sculptors, and two dealers in earthenware. This book will sell. The Fathers of Notre Dame University, Indiana, have begun an "Ave Maria Series" of publications, so called from their famous religious periodical. No. 1 is "Francis Macary, the Cabinet-maker of Lavaur," by Henri Lasserre, who has consecrated his great literary talent to the service of Our Lady of Lourdes. The American edition of his last votive offering at her shrine is admirable as a translation and admirable as a piece of printing. Its lively style is guaranteed by the author's name. We should have liked the translator's name to be given also. An accident has delayed till our next number the notices of the two most important books published in Ireland this season, posthumous works of the two most gifted Irish bishops of our time-Dr. David Moriarty, of Kerry and Dr. George Conroy of Ardagh. UNPUBLISHED RELICS OF ELLEN DOWNING- PART II.* THE following thoughts about Convents are dated "March 9th, 1849," in the original manuscript from which they are now printed. EVEN amongst Catholics how little is this subject understood! They visit convents and judge of the conventual life by what they see and hear. Now this is most unfair, since to be a nun is to live in an invisible world which cannot be laid open to the curious. The absence of excitement and the freedom from responsibility are equally evident to the cursory observer: it seems to him a calm, tame life, a sacrifice of quick and ardent feelings at the shrine of peace, or else an existence admirably well-suited to those well-meaning persons who never have quick feelings to sacrifice. This is a great mistake; there is no life so intense as the monastic, none which calls for so fervent an enthusiasm, so vigorous a will, or so purified an intelligence. It is the war of spirit with matter; or, should the victory come early, one triumphsong to the close. Over the monastery of St. Bernard was written these words: "He who would enter here must die to the body, souls are alone permitted to dwell within." To be a religious, then, is to live on earth the same life that the angels live in heaven. To dwell apart, like the lamp of the sanctuary, fed with holy oil, burning night and day, pure, glowing, and at last consumed by its own flames. It is true the life of a nun does not seem, or at least does not always seem, so consecrated or so elevated, and this because, like all spiritual things, its beauty is in the interior; but that purity of intention which dedicates to God every slightest gesture of the nun surrounds her See antea, page 315. with the atmosphere of heaven even while she does the works of earth. The love of God is the rule of her life: this love-its inspiration. Happier than the most loving and beloved wife-her Spouse is never for a moment away from her; every action is performed beneath his eyes, every word uttered in his hearing, not a single sigh of her love is unheeded by this most grateful Lover. She cannot think of Him at any moment that He also is not occupied with her. She cannot fear any division in his affections: "I have loved thee with an eternal love." There is no point in eternity at which she was not dear to Him: I have loved thee with an everlasting love;" a love over which death itself has no power. Observe that the active duties of conventual life in no ways interfere with contemplation. He who loves God loves the brethren, and he who loves the brethren labours for them. It is God who suffers in the person of the neighbour; and the heart which burns most with love for God will surely never weary of supplying his wants and consoling his sorrows. It is a beautiful thing to see the soft, human instinct of tenderness and compassion supporting the aged, bending down to the children, and comforting the afflicted, but more beautiful is that unfainting charity which, loving one in all and all in one, enters the hovel of the wretched as the messenger of God, and shrinks not before horrors from which Nature turns aside. O Sisters of Charity! you are the true patriots; and when famine stalked through the land, and fever raged within it, who so well as you could say: "We, at least, are guiltless of this mighty desolation; we have offered ourselves as living sacrifices that the people might be saved." Yes, this is the second source of happiness in a convent life. This oblation, which the nun makes of herself, is not for herself alone, but likewise for the people. She does for them all she can do, for the prayer of the contemplative servants of God is no less advantageous to mankind than the labours of the active. There is, it is true, a very prevalent opinion that the strictly retired Orders do no good for anybody but themselves, but a little reflection would rid all classes of this common error. God has, in fact, no need of instruments by which to work his will, all that He requires of us is that we should serve Him in that line of life which He points out to us; and if we do this faithfully we may be assured that we are assisting our brethren, no matter how far away from them we be; since, for every soul that corresponds to his grace, God showers down many graces upon mankind. It is not always he that plants the tree that rests beneath its branches. The following lines on the Holy Name of Jesus are dated "March 20th, 1849," and have strangely escaped publication till now : O name of peace and holiness! O gentle name of love! Be thou our spell to vanquish hell, Our talisman of light, The first note of our morning song, O Jesus, name of purity! Grant, in thy love, that we Of sweet and secret prayer, O name of kindness and of power! Be thou our shield in that fierce war Jesus! forgive the lips that curse, So shall thy name throughout this land And still be named with prayer and praise By every Irish tongue. We omit a stanza which comes in between the two last, as it cannot be deciphered satisfactorily. It is worse than one of Cardinal Mai's palimpsests. In October, 1849, Ellen Downing entered as a novice the North Presentation Convent, Cork, from which haven severe illness soon drove her forth. Some months before, she recorded her impressions of the Ursuline Convent at Blackrock, near the same city. The mys I have a fancy for convent chapels above parish ones. terious depths only guessed at through the sable curtain-the veiled nuns in their solemn drapery, that just appear to be lost again in some invisible recess the pale, shadowy fingers with which they tend the Lamp of the Sanctuary; the peculiar brightness of the Lamp itselfthe delicious stillness, broken at intervals by bursts of prayer from that unsearchable choir: these seem all so imbued with poetry, as well as holiness, that sometimes I feel inclined to dispute the purity of that intention which breaks my sleep as early as six on these coldest |