ART. XIX.-Browne on Oxford Divinity. Longman. WITHOUT pronouncing any opinion about the merits of what some derominate a new school of Divinity, or pretending to be able to decide where erudite and venerable Doctors disagree, we must say that Mr. Browne does not appear to us equal to the contest upon which he has entered, either as regards learning, temper, or illustrative power.

ART. XX.-Supplement to the History of British Fishes.
Illustrated with Wood-cuts.

RELL. F.L.S.

By W. YARIn two parts. London:

Von Voorst, 1839. SUPPLEMENTS, one to each volume of a work that has not only added largely to a scientific as well as popular knowledge of a wide domain of Natural History, but that has awakened, we believe, no inconsiderable share of new interest upon this and kindred branches of modern study. These two parts are in all respects worthy of the work which they are intended to accompany. Without them the volumes will be imperfect.

ART. XXI.-Answers to the Objections commonly brought against Vaccination. By JOHN ROBertson. Manchester: Simms. THIS is a very able, calm, and triumphant pamphlet on the subject mentioned in the title. The best of the old arguments, with several that are new, supported by facts and evidence, are here set in a remarkably clear and forcible light. The writing, as respects the mere matter of composition, is of a superior kind. Mr. Robertson is equal to a more doubtful and difficult subject.

ART. XXII.-The Outlaw: a Drama in Five Acts. By R. STORY. London Simpkin.

ALTHOUGH Owing to its great length, and the manner of its construction, this piece is not likely ever to find its way to the stage, much less to keep possession of it, there are in it many beauties, and what is still better, tokens that promise more than has here been effected. We think, however, that Mr. Story's genius is romantic rather than dramatic, and that with his enthusiasm, his knowledge and admiration of local scenery, character, and history, he might rank along with the "Basket-maker," were he to try his hand in the way of an historical novel. He is also expert as a ballad manufacturer. The Outlaw is an arresting story, though not a good dramatic piece.

ART. XXIII.-Charles the Tenth and Louis Philippe: the Secret History of the Revolution of July, 1830. London: Saunders and Otley. ACCORDING to the author of this legitimate Bourbon work, the King of the French has acted with consummate treachery towards the elder branch of the family. We are neither prepared to deny nor to defend the whole of the charges here advanced by a strong political partisan.

ART. XXIV.-Dodd's Church History of England, from the commencement of the Sixteenth Century to the Revolution in 1688, with Notes, Additions, and a Continuation. By the Rev. M. A. TIERNEY, F.S.A. Vol. I. London: Dolman. 1839.

WE cannot give a better outline sketch of the contents of Dodd's History than by quoting in full the original title prefixed to the work. It is described by the author to be "The Church History of England, from the Year 1500 to 1688, chiefly with regard to Catholics: being a complete account of the divorce, supremacy, dissolution of monasteries, and first attempts for a reformation under King Henry VIII.; the unsettled state of the reformation under Edward VI.; the interruption it met with from Queen Mary; with the last hand put to it by Queen Elizabeth: together with the various fortunes of the Catholic cause during the reigns of King James I., King Charles I., King Charles II., and King James II.; particularly the lives of the most eminent Catholics, cardinals, bishops, inferior clergy, regulars, and laymen, who have distinguished themselves by their piety, learning, or military abilities: also a distinct and critical account of the works of the learned; the trials of those that suffered either on the score of religion, or for real or fictitious plots against the government; with the foundation of all the English colleges and monasteries abroad: the whole supported by original papers and letters, many whereof were never before made public. To which is prefixed a general history of ecclesiastical affairs under the British, Saxon, and Norman periods."

Dodd, who was born in 1672, is, we believe, the only Catholic writer who has published a history of his Church in England, going back to the earliest times of Christianity in this country, and coming down to the eighteenth century. On this account it deserves to be carefully studied by Protestants, for the sake of fairness, as well as by Catholics. Indeed, since the Catholic question imposed upon men the duty of investigating fully the history of the Church and the merits of the antagonist parties, the demand for this work has so much increased as now to render it next to impossible to obtain a copy of the first edition. In these circumstances Mr. Tierney, who is Chaplain to the Duke of Norfolk, has given to the public this first volume of a new edition, with many enlargements, amendments, and illustrations. He has even re-modelled the arrangement of the original, which was awkward and perplexing. In the former edition, says Mr. T., "the history is divided into eight parts, corresponding with the eight reigns over which it extends. Of these parts, each is again divided into the three other parts of History, Biography, and Records; and these are still farther subdivided into an indefinite number of articles, according to the variety of the subjects to be treated, or the rank, the station, or the sex of the several persons whose lives are to be recorded." But according to the present arrangement there are only to be two grand divisions, first that of History, and secondly of Biography, the History occupying the earlier volumes. To each volume will be subjoined an Appendix, containing its records in due order. The portion before us comprises a rapid sketch of the Church down to the commencement of Henry the Eighth's time, and then proceeds to the close of his life, the reformation, its rise and progress forming of course the VOL. II. (1839.) No. II.

H H

great theme of the author's labours. The more interesting periods which succeeded Henry's time are yet to be traversed.

Dodd appears to have been no bigot; he is, so far as we can judge from the volume before us, liberal beyond the spirit of the age in which he lived. His tone is fearless as well as independent. He thinks for himself; while his industry has been great, his labour protracted. His style is also perspicuous and good. In looking out for a specimen, his sketch of the character of Henry VIII. struck us, part of which we extract. The historian has been speaking of the king's politic, capacity, and instances sundry illustrations. He says, as he proceeds,

"When the controversy about the divorce was set a-foot, though he could not obtain his ends in the manner he proposed, and according to the methods usually observed in such cases, which were determined by the see of Rome, yet he displayed his part so, in that affair, as to omit nothing, that either human art or industry was capable of effecting, in order to bring it to bear; so that, excepting the strong fortress of divine law, his adversaries were beaten from all their posts, and seemingly, at least, came over to him, either by force or stratagem. But here it was, that his glorious character came first to be blasted; for neither the motives of this attempt were so pure, nor the methods he made use of so fair, but that many began to harbour an evil opinion of his sincerity as well as of the justice of his cause. Afterwards, when he found it was necessary to break with the see of Rome, in order to obtain his desire as to the divorce, though he scandalized all Europe by the defection, yet he showed himself to be a perfect master of politic stratagems, by walking the Pope out of his supremacy, and drawing the whole nation imperceptibly after him. His proceedings, upon this occasion, both as to substance and manner, were irreconcileable to the character of a just and religious prince. But he suffered much more in his reputation, in the next step he took, which was the seizure of the monastic lands. For here vice laid aside a great part of her disguise, and plainly discovered her face upon many occasions. However, it cannot be denied, but that he showed the vastness of his capacity, and by artificially shuffling the cards, played a bad game with great success. For whatever arguments could be made use of, to seduce the ignorant, surprise the unwary, tempt the licentious, or compel the stubborn, were employed with so much craft and address, that one half of the monasteries fell unpitied, while the rest seemed not to be wrested out of the monk's hands, but voluntarily surrendered. All this while, men of thought and penetration saw plainly through this their disguise; for, though a reformation of abuses was the pretence, avarice was the real inducement. It is true, a great many national advantages were mentioned, to make the design more acceptable to the common people; and the king's late proceedings against the see of Rome might seem to require such an expedient; but how necessary soever the seizure of abbey lands might be, to support the king in his supremacy, against any attempts at home from the religious orders, it is certain his majesty was as much out, in his politics, as he was destitute of religion, in proceeding to an universal dissolution, as it quickly appeared from the many national inconveniences which flowed from it.

"We have heard what King Henry VIII. was, as to his politic and mar

tial abilities; the next consideration are his morals and religion. Historians commonly take a great deal of liberty in exposing the defects and faults of crowned heads, and treat them in such a manner, as if they had not as much right to their reputation, as the rest of mankind. I know King Henry is charged with a great many vices in private life, which is a point to be touched very tenderly; for though his public irregularities give occasion to judge the worst of him, yet it is not the part of a Christian to improve suspicions into facts, nor is it always allowable to report real facts, to the prejudice of any man's character. Passing over in silence, therefore, the errors of King Henry's private life, I will only take notice of such passages as were notorious, and are recorded publicly by all historians. And, in the first place, it would be a difficult task to answer for his sincerity, or to give so much as a tolerable reason for his scrupulosity about his marriage, after near twenty years' cohabitation with his queen. The like may be said of his applying himself so earnestly, and so frequently, to the see of Rome for a divorce, as the proper court where that matter was to be decided, and yet, afterwards, making a public declaration, that he never thought himself obliged to submit to any decision, that came from that authority. How unjustly did he treat his faithful minister, Cardinal Wolsey!-first, indemnifying him, with his hand and seal, to exercise a legative power; and, afterwards, suffering him to be impeached upon that account, and stripped of all his substance, and, at the same time, seizing, and keeping from him, the credentials, under the king's own hand and seal, whereby he might have defended himself. And was it not also a barbarous usage of all the clergy, to bring them in guilty of a premunire, for only incidentally concurring with the legative court, which he himself required of them? Was it not proved, by punishing several of the misinformers, that he was determined, right or wrong, to get the lesser monasteries into his hands? And were not the great monasteries afterwards made a prey by him, notwithstanding their religious and edifying behaviour, approved of in parliament, upon the nicest scrutiny of their morals? Who can excuse him from a breach of his royal word, in the disposal he made of the lands and goods belonging to the Church? Did he not assure his people, that they should not be secularized, but transferred to other pious uses? that impropriations should be returned to the parochial clergy, the original proprietors; schools increased, colleges improved by additional rents, and armies maintained without loans and subsidies? Did ever any prince expose himself more to censure than King Henry VIII., in breaking through the ties of a matrimonial life, taking and parting with his wives without any regard to laws, either human or divine, and abandoning some of them to the fury of their enemies, till they lost their heads?"

The tone of the above extract is surely far from being bitter or abusive, while the subject is one that might well have kindled the hottest indignation, the uttermost dislike, and the strongest denunciations of this historian. And yet his calmness, measured speech, and discriminating judgment fall with terrible weight upon Henry's memory and character.

We are glad to see that the editor has brought along with his learning and deep research into the stores of documents which have been in recent times discovered in the State Paper Office, and elsewhere, that throw so

much light upon Henry's history, a kindred dignity and fairness to what his author has maintained. Such moderation could not be dispense with at the present day. Still the example is on this occasion unusually conspicuous, and will, we hope, be properly appreciated.

ART. XXV.-History of the Huguenots, from 1598 to 1838. By W. S. BROWNING. London. Pickering. 1839.

In his history of the Huguenots, during the Sixteenth century, Mr. Browning has already, by his ability, research, candour, and fidelity, distinguished himself. We do not say that we subscribe to all his opinions, or that we admit all his representations to be just: but on a subject where so much of political and religious difference of sentiment may exist, as on that which arose between the established Church and the Protestants of France, and out of which, from time to time, have arisen many affecting incidents as well as important national results, he has upon the whole displayed exemplary honesty. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the incidents and results to which we allude were sufficiently remarkable to call for a historical work in an English dress. But the difficulties, from want of complete and easily accessible materials out of which to construct a clear and connected narrative, have not been slight that have beset Mr. Browning; for French authors have maintained a general silence on the subject. The period which has elapsed during the last half-century appears to be more obscure, or at least to have required more diligent inquiry and cautious treatment than any which the volume embraces. But what is stranger still, the tolerance which the French Protestants so fondly anticipated would succeed the Revolution of the "three days" has not been realized. They expected that the laws or regulations which had been in force under Charles the Tenth, to counteract political combinations, and which were employed, upon this professed ground, against freedom of worship, would have been altered; but it would seem that their calculations were too sanguine. We shall not however speak upon this point, but present an extract which may be regarded as merely statistical; for it professes to contain as accurate an estimate, as can be arrived at, of the condition and numbers of the various Protestant denominations in France, at the latest period to which Mr. Browning's account comes down. He says that the numbers are increasing, and that the following are the classes of their organized ministry :

"1. The Lutheran church, or Confession of Augsbourg, has 6 inspections, 37 consistories, and 260 pastors or ministers.

"2. The Calvinist, or Reformed church, has 89 consistories, and about 400 ministers.

"3. The Société évangélique employs three distinct classes of agents— viz. :-16 ministers; eleven itinerant preachers, not ordained; and nine colporteurs, or distributors of Bibles and religious books. The latter, by their conversations with the rural population, prepare the way for itinerant preachers and their efforts have been sufficiently successful to give rise to some virulent attacks in the episcopal mandements. This society has also ten schools. The expenses are entirely defrayed by voluntary contributions; and it frequently occurs, that when a congregation becomes suffi

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