not seem to think they have any need to discriminate between wholesome and unwholesome literature. In. history, philosophy, poetry, science, travels and fiction, they feed their mind, without scruple or fear, on what presents itself; unconscious of the falsehood, and perversions of the truth, and one-sided views, and misleading ideas, and disloyal thoughts to God and religion, and degraded tastes, and incitements to sensuality, which they are taking up into their system. These are seeds of vice and irreligion, and like other seeds, they spring up and grow, and make the character in after years. Moreover, the very tenderness for innocence which makes our colleges and convent schools so scrupulous of letting those under their tuition breathe anything but the purest air, without taint or suspicion of evil, has yet this drawback, that it does not fit. those who are to go forth and live in the corrupt atmosphere of the outward world to discern and to be on their guard against its dangers. Many make their first acquaintance with these dangers, not while they still enjoy, but when they have just lost, the watchful care and kind guidance which would direct and uphold their steps. But if this is unavoidable, yet how much might be done to minimise the evil by thoroughly instructing the conscience on the duty of discrimination in reading, and fore-arming it by precautions against mischief. There are many young people who, while not too ready to be dictated to, will yet take an interest and pride in taking care of themselves, and may be easily put up to this.

There is, however, a point of some importance to be attended to, as it seems a condition of success. It is not enough to tell people that they must not read this or that. You must tell them what they may read. Some years ago a friend of the writers, whose wife was a great sufferer, told him that her health had improved very greatly under the treatment of a fresh physician, who prescribed what she might take and do, instead of prescribing what she might not. Instead of forbidding walking exercise, he ordered a drive; instead of enumerating the kinds of meat, vegetables and drink which would be deleterious, he recommended a few that would be suitable and serviceable; and though the actual regime did not substantially vary from the previous treatment, the effect was entirely different. It will be same in the treatment of the mind. While restraint and abstinence from unwholesome reading is indispensable, yet this is most easily effected by a good

supply of suitable literature and a little encouragement to use it. In this way the feeling of constraint and interference is removed and the chances of success greatly improved. Nor must it be forgotten that the mind, when once excited to activity, craves for knowledge, At the present day our men, women and children are learning to believe, whether we will or no, that they have a right to know what is going on in the world, and think about and discuss matters themselves, and they are not satisfied with being ignorant of what others know. Any attempt to keep them back, if not completely effective, might be fatal. But why should it be attempted? Knowledge is a good thing. It is the very food of the mind. What is needed is not to restrain the appetite for it, but to see that it feeds on that which is wholesome and nourishing.

But how, it may be asked, can we secure a selection and supply of good literature? In colleges and convent schools there are those who are capable of judging what is suitable for their pupils, yet even they complain of the difficulty, much more then will others feel it. Indeed it is practically impossible for any but those who are connected with the publishing of literature, and who have experience, judgment, and time for the purpose, to be able to advise on what is suitable for different purposes aud classes of readers, and to facilitate the supply. If we go to the publishers, they are, each one of them, conversant with their own special line of business, and are interested, very reasonably, in the sale of their own publications. Nor is it desirable to do any injury to their useful and valuable work. What is wanted is some means of selecting from the books and periodicals of the different publishers such as suited for different classes of readers,-books suited for the country or town or village library, for young people in colleges or schools, for families, for students, or as prize books. An institution which could provide for this would not injure publishers, but greatly promote the sale of their works. It would have no interests of its own to serve

beyond paying its working expenses. Its one object would be the selection and supply of works of all kinds, by whomsoever published, if only they could be recommended as good books of their kind-instructive, interesting, intelligent, and free from moral taint. For our people to read, and to read plentifully, of such books would afford healthy recreation and intellectual improvement.

In England St. Anselm's Society was established more than twenty years ago, and has lately been started afresh, for this very purpose. It has received the express sanction of the Holy See, and is under the patronage of the English and Scottish hierarchies, and is not unknown in Ireland, where it has received encouragement in high quarters. There is nothing to prevent its having a new and separate establishment there, or, if it was thought more desirable, some fresh institution of a similar character might be founded, especially intended to assist colleges, convents, schools, the clergy, and others in Ireland who feel the danger and want of these times, to do the work of selecting, classifying, exhibiting, and, if desired, supplying books that may be recommended or at least tolerated: we say 'tolerated,' for the object at present is not so much to promote the good work of spiritual or pious reading, as to counteract and frustrate a bad work, and in many cases it may be wise to be large-minded, and in selecting books not attempt too much at once. It is a great thing if pernicious, misleading, demoralizing, unhealthy literature, can be replaced by what is not of this character. But if we exclude standard and well-known works or papers, whose tendency is not bad, and offer too much literature that is dry and uninteresting and unknown, on the sole ground that it is safe and unobjectionable, we may have need to fear lest we end by increasing instead of diminishing the taste and demand for bad literature. It is a great authority who said that "to be ever safe is to be ever feeble."

Should any of our readers desire to know more of the plan and working of St. Anselm's Society, application may be made to the Society's Depository, 5, Agar-street, Strand, London, or to the present writer,

J. G. WENHAM.

ADRIAN IV. AND HENRY PLANTAGENET.-III.

"History may in the perversion serve for a magazine furnishing 'offensive and defensive weapons for parties in Church and State, and supplying the means of keeping alive, or reviving dissensions and animosities, and adding fuel to civil fury."-Edmund Burke.

THE

HE arguments in the preceding sections of this essay have been designedly of a discursive character. In taking this line the writer has followed the course of the advocates of the authenticity of the " Bull of Adrian IV." From their style it is plain that they have judged their case to be one, in which no part of the evidence was strong enough to stand by itself, and in the fierce ardour of controversy they have accepted the support of unworthy literary auxiliaries who day by day are disappearing from the ranks of historical writers.

We shall now approach "The spurious Bull of the much maligned Pontiff Adrian IV.," as it is designated by His Eminence Cardinal Moran, albeit it stands in the Roman Bullarium. It may be well to premise that the Bullarium is nothing more than a collection of documents, gathered in many instances from very doubtful sources, and put together by a private hand. No attempt was made to collect the Bulls of the Roman Pontiffs until the year 1550, and the first edition included only seventy of these documents. The subsequent investigations of Cardinal Caraffa, Labbe, Martene, Mabillon, &c., enabled Cocquelines to produce in 1739, the immense collection which bears his name, extracted, as he tells us, from "burial places" in various libraries, and obtained sometimes even from heretical sources; and he takes care to inform us that his work is a private one, and unsupported by any public authority. The "Bull" of Adrian IV. he gives on the authority of Mathew Paris and Giraldus Cambrensis. From the pages of these very questionable writers it has found its way into the Bullarium. Hence it is in possession. The advantages are on the side of its supporters. A violent eviction is impossible. All that we can do is to scrutinize its features, and demand proof of its legitimacy, and

1 IRISH ECCLESIASTICAL RECORD, November, 1872.

2 Bullarium Amplissima Collectio., vol. i.; Pref. pp. 4, 9; vol. ii., p. 351. Romae, 1739. On the subject of supposed Papal documents, see Father Ryder "False Decretals " (Catholic Controversy, p. 177).

of its right to occupy a place in the Bullarium of the Roman Pontiffs. We have seen that the alleged motives for its appearance did not exist; our next step is to show that the "Bull" is destitute of all necessary formalities and vouchers, and that its style and spirit are in glaring contradiction to all the authentic Bulls of Adrian IV., and, as far as the present writer can make out, to every enactment, which in the course of ages has emanated from the Roman Pontiffs, in dealing with the Bishops, and organized hierarchies of the Catholic Church. The use of italics will perhaps help the reader to appreciate the salient points:

"ADRIAN, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, to our most dear Son in Christ, the illustrious King of the English, greeting and Apostolic benediction: Your highness with no slight profit and praise, has fixed your mind on the extension of a glorious name on earth, and the attainment of an eternal reward in heaven, when, in the spirit of a Catholic prince, you set yourself to widen the boundaries of the Church, to announce the truth of Christian faith to ignorant and uncultivated nations, and to root out the weeds of vice from the field of the Lord; while in order the more fittingly to carry out your purpose you ask for counsel and favour from the Apostolic See. In which undertaking we are confident that the blessed results will be, with God's assistance, in proportion to the exalted character of your designs, and the discretion with which you pursue them, since works which are inspired by an ardent faith and love of religion, are always certain to have a holy end and fulfilment. Truly, and without doubt, as your Majesty acknowledges, does Ireland and all the other islands on which Christ the Sun of Justice has shone, and which have received the traditions of the Christian faith, belong to St. Peter and the most Holy Roman Church. Wherefore do we plant in them a faithful seed dear to God, with a willingness proportionate to the strict account which we foresee we shall be compelled to render of them. Most beloved son in Christ, inasmuch as you have informed us of your desire to enter the island of Ireland with the intention of bringing that people under the control of the laws, and of extirpating the weeds of vice; purposing also to pay the annual tribute to St. Peter of one penny on each house, and to preserve the rights of the churches of that land whole and inviolate. We, therefore, sympathizing in your pious and praiseworthy desire, with befitting good will, and with gracious assent to your request, will take it as a pleasing and acceptable service, that for the purpose of extending the boundaries of the Church, restraining the torrent of vice, and diffusing the Christian religion, you should enter that island and put into effect those things which concern the glory of God, and the salvation of that country; and that the people of that land should