ART. I.-THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY To find the "time spirit," the high object of the historian ART. II. THE CHRISTIAN EMPERORS AND THE PAGAN TEMPLES. Value of M. Paul Allard's great work-Did the first Christians spare what was worthy in Pagan literature and art?-Value of conflicting evidence as to Con- stantine's treatment of Pagan temples-Apparently severe laws of Constantius-Pagan license under Julian, under Valentinian-Treatment of Paganism by Gratian -Story of Princess Serena, illustrates feeling of Chris- tians and Pagans under Theodosius-Two leading principles of Christian legislation. ART. III.-LITERATURE FOR THE YOUNG Importance of everything affecting children, the future 'people"-The enemies of the Church know this- Deliberate instruction only half of what the child ART. IV.-MINOR POETS OF MODERN FRANCE Two general characteristics of modern French poets: multitude and mediocrity-Their principle: want of principle; the one result of their poetry: worship of the picturesque-Events which led to the destruction of schools of poetry and the prevailing mediocrity- Auguste Barbier, the Poet of the Iambics-Alfred de Musset: different character of his earlier and his later poems-Moral elevation of Alcide de Beauchesne's writings-Victor de Laprade rescued from false philo- sophies by his mother-Calemarde de la Fayette's over literalness; his powers of description of rural ob- jects-François Ponsard's great tragedy "Charlotte Corday"-Provincial poetry: Breton and Provençal poets-Hersart de la Villemarqué-Brizeux the "Burns of Brittany;" his love of Nature, of his native country, and of "Marie"-Suzel's works only known through translations-Jasmin, the Gascon troubadour : opposition of his wife to poetry-making-His language, his love for the suffering poor, his charity-Outline of his touching piece "Crazy Martha"-His popularity— Present generally received account of Lanfranc: to be greatly modified-Social advantages of his birth-Charge of ignorance of his prayers, of Scripture, of divine things- Mistakes made in translating terminology of the old accounts of his conversion-Lanfranc enters le Bec incognito His intimacy with Duke William-Lanfranc's action regarding William's marriage to Matilda, and removal of the interdict-Mr. Freeman's mistaken account-Impediment between William and Matilda. shown to have been not affinity, but consanguinity: in what grades probably-Matilda had not been married to Gerbod of Tournay and was not Gundrade's mother -Lanfranc's signal services to art in Normandy and England-False charge against him of despising and hating the English: incident of St. Elphege-Lanfranc's refutation of both in history of times; mendaciousness ART. VI.-THE RELIGION OF GEORGE ELIOT. Was she the translator of Strauss' "Life of Jesus"?- ART. VII.-PROSPECTS IN BELGIUM PAGE 433 464 Papal letter to Cardinal Deschamps-Well-merited cen- doings of the "Commission d'Enquête"-Prejudiced ART. VIII. THE DAYS OF CREATION. (A Reply) Writer orthodox in proposing new view on a point on which Church has not pronounced-Reply to "M." of the Tablet-Re-explanation of word "ritual"-No need for "The Epiphany" feast of light-Reply to objection from acceptation of "day," and its diverse meanings- Confirmation of writer's view from the ten "toledoths" -The view not covered by any decree of Trent— Reply to imputation of truckling to "modern theories": CONSTITUTION OF POPE LEO XIII. REGARDING THE BISHOPS AND REGULAR MISSIONARIES IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND ENCYCLICAL OF POPE LEO XIII. ON POLITICAL POWER NOTICES OF CATHOLIC CONTINENTAL PERIODICALS Father Harper's Metaphysics of the School-L'Abbé de Broglie's Positivisme et la Science Expérimentale— Canon Wenham's Catechumen-Mrs. Stair Douglas's Life of Dr. Whewell-Dr. Ludwig Schüetz's Thomas- Lexicon-Cardinal Bartolini's Memorie dei Santi Cirillo e Metodio-Abbot Wolter's Ordinis Monastici Elementa-Dr. Von Lehner's Die Marienverehrung- The Deluge-Miss Conway's On the Sunrise Slope- Mac-Alla's Rhymes of the Roadside-Mr. G. Gilbert Scott's Essay on English Architecture-Sister Augus- tine-Bishop Chatard's Christian Truths-Dr. Walsh's THE DUBLIN REVIEW. JULY, 1881. ART. I.-THE RELIGIOUS PRESS. The Newspaper Press Directory. Thirty-sixth Annual WRITER in the "Saturday Review," a few weeks ago, A delivered himself concerning newspapers in general, in terms which drew down upon his devoted head the fiercest wrath of the whole journalistic world. "Excessive newspaper reading," he said, "is a sure destroyer of mental health. effect is to corrupt the judgment, to weaken the sense of mental discrimination, to discourage intellectual initiative, and generally to deaden the mental powers by substituting a habit of mechanical for a habit of intelligent reading. A very little yielding to this disposition," he goes on, "will produce, even in cultivated men, a habit which may almost be said to be worse from an intellectual point of view than the habit of not reading at all." Some such reflection as this must necessarily strike every thoughtful man, as he turns over the pages of the volume the title of which we have placed at the head of this article. Two hundred and thirty-six closely printed pages of imperial 8vo, wholly devoted to particulars concerning the newspapers of the United Kingdom, afford a sufficiently striking evidence of the enormous interests involved in the newspaper press, and testify to the readiness of the people of this country to absorb a practically unlimited quantity of literature of this description. That this is an altogether healthy state of things, and a sign of the growing intelligence of the nation, is certainly open to question. The weary speakers who return thanks for the toast of "The Press," at the fag end of municipal and other banquets, of course rejoice over it, and triumphantly point to the enterprise, and industry, and cultivated public feeling of which it is the sign. Yet there VOL. VI.-NO. I. [Third Series.] B |