The conclusion of the book is truly edifying. "None of the coun tries," says the author truly enough, "are as happy as they might be," if they were better. "When the kingdoms of the world shall serve the LORD, then they will be more happy. Then there will be no more "Slaves nor beggars, Prisoners nor policemen, Miserable hovels nor crowded alleys, Earthquake nor irruption, Soldiers, cannon, nor ships of war, Nor wandering Jews nor idolatrous Gentiles, Nor deceiving Priests with their pictures, images, and crosses, Holy water, holy fire, HOST, and POPE." We had hoped that the days were past when parents under the guise of religion would teach their children such lying and slanderous blasphemies! MR. MASKELL's promised Treatise on the Doctrine of Absolution (Pickering), in defence of the Visitation Sermon which he preached in the summer, reached us just as we were going to press. In our next number we hope to notice it at length. For the present we will only say that it appears by far the most masterly thing which Mr. Maskell has hitherto executed, and places the author incontestably at the head of all English Theologians. It may at first sight appear startling that Mr. Maskell has not a single Anglican divine to whom he can appeal. But must it not be acknowledged that the English Church, since the Reformation, while holding all essential truth, as we most thankfully admit, has been very much in the condition of the man who always got into a scrape as soon as he began to give his reasons? The publications of the "Anglo-Catholic Library" must surely convince all persons that we possess much less in way of Theology than was supposed. We hope and believe that a brighter day is dawning upon us. The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy match of course with the former little series that we noticed, and are we think even more interesting than their predecessors. Had the title of the last " work" been given in its abbreviated form, the same end, it appears to us, would have been secured without any risk of offence. We are glad to observe in one of them a correct drawing of an Altar. Time only allows us to notice the appearance of ARCHDEACON WILBERFORCE'S Treatise on the Incarnation. We need scarcely say with what pleasure we welcome such a sign of the growth of a Dogmatic Theology among us. Mr. Masters has published again for the convenience of Churchmen, a list of Days of Fasting or Abstinence in the year of our Lord 1849. An ingenious paraphrase, or rather a Christian adaptation, of Russell's popular song There's a Good Time Coming, has been made by a clever hand, and may be procured at our publisher's. It is on the principle we presume, of "not letting the devil have all the good tunes.' We have now the genuine Church music of the Dies Iræ, edited by Mr. C.C.SPENCER, with a new translation by Mr. IRONS. (Masters.) It is harmonized more for the sake of an accompaniment than with any view of its being sung in parts. The translator was induced to undertake his task from admiration of the solemn effect produced by this ancient rhythm in a foreign cathedral. And we venture to say that it would be not less solemn and majestic amongst ourselves whenever a sufficient body of voices could be found to execute it. While the name of holy requiems, and even the words of the noblest of ancient hymns are made familiar to us in so many ways, why should we neglect the music which has belonged to them time out of mind? Mr. Irons translates from the Paris Missal; but he also furnishes us with an historical account of the variations which are to be found in the hymn at different times and places. He considers that it was first introduced into the Missals at about the end of the fifteenth century. Mr. FABER's series of The Lives of the Saints has been brought to a close with the publication of the following letter to the editor, by Mr. Newman: "Mary Vale, Oct. 30, 1848. "My dear Father Wilfrid,-I have consulted the Fathers who are here on the subject of the Lives of the Saints,' and we have come to the unanimous conclusion of advising you to suspend the series at present. It appears there is a strong feeling against it on the part of a portion of the Catholic community in England, on the ground, as we are given to understand, that the lives of the foreign Saints, however edifying in their respective countries, are unsuited to England and unacceptable to Protestants. To this feeling we consider it a duty, for the sake of peace, to defer. For myself, you know well, without my saying it, how absolutely I identify myself with you in this matter; but as you may have to publish this letter, I make it an opportunity which has not as yet been given me, of declaring that I have no sympathy at all with the feeling to which I have alluded, and, in particular, that no one can assail your name without striking at mine. Ever your affectionate friend and brother in our Lady and S. Philip, "J. H. NEWMAN, Cong. Orat. Presb. "Rev. F. W. Faber, S. Wilfrid's." The offence, however, it appears, was not confined to "Protestants," a writer in Dolman's Magazine having charged the "Lives" with containing "gross and palpable idolatry." The Tablet then attacked "Dolman" most furiously; and the latter has been forced to offer what is meant to look like an apology. It is gratifying to find, that in these days of excitement and active labour, there are those who can devote themselves to works of mercy. We allude to a proposal "for the foundation of a College in each of the Provinces of Canterbury and York, for superannuated and disabled Clergy." It will not be easy, we think, to enforce the needful discipline of collegiate life among such a body of persons; but we heartily wish success to the plan. UNIVERSITY STUDIES AND EXAMINATIONS. 1. Considerations on the Examination Statute, and the admission of Poor Scholars. By the REV. O. GORDON, M.A., Student and Censor of Christ Church. Oxford: Parker. 1847. 2. Suggestions towards an improvement of the Examination Statute. 1848. 3. Remarks on the Correlation of Natural Sciences. DAUBENY, M.D., &c. &c. 4. A Reply to the "Suggestions." By C. 5. A Letter to the Vice-Chancellor on improvements in the Examination Statute. By the REV. R. WALKER, M.A., F.R.S., Reader in Experimental Philosophy. 6. Remarks on proposed Changes in the Examination Statute. By the REV. R. HUSSEY, Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History. 7. Remarks on Dr. Daubeny's Pamphlet. 8. Remarks on Legal Education. Barrister at Law, &c. 9. Letters by a Country Schoolmaster. By T. H. HADDON, M.A., 10. University Extension and the Poor Scholar Question. By the REV. E. C. WOOLLCOMBE, M.A. 11. A Letter to the Rev. E. C. Woollcombe. By the REV. CHARLES MARRIOTT, B.D. 12. Remarks on the Extension of Education. By H. W. ACLAND, M.D., F.R.S., &c., &c. 13. Remarks on the Question of adopting the Regulations recommended by the Syndicate appointed February 9, 1848. By the REV. H. PHILPOTT, D.D., Master of S. Catherine's Hall, Cambridge. London: J. W. Parker. We have more than once alluded to a movement that has been in progress for some time in Oxford, to procure an alteration in the Statute which governs the examination for the Degree of B.A. At the head of this article will be found what is, we believe, a complete list of all the Pamphlets that have been written upon the subjectin so far at least as this movement can be separated from a former one for the revival of the Professorial system, in the year 1839. The termination of that movement is remarkable as illustrating the state of feeling and practice in the University. The Hebdomadal Board appears to be a body that by an unhappy inconsistency unites in its administration the opposite vices of tardiness and precipitancyin quiet times being loath to act at all, and, under alarm or excitement, having a tendency to yield unduly to mere popular clamour. In the Session of 1838 there had been speeches made in Parliament about sinecurist Professors in the Universities, and Newspapers VOL. VII.-FEBRUARY, 1849. L had declaimed against men being paid to do nothing. The following Spring accordingly a Statute was proposed by the Hebdomadal Board making a certificate of having attended two courses of Professors' Lectures, a necessary qualification for entering the Academical Schools. No effort was made, however, at the same time to cause the Professors' Lectures to adapt themselves to the examination of the Schools; and the Statute was in consequence rejected. Convocation "felt, on the one hand that as an introduction or representation of the Professorial system, it was inadequate and even ridiculous; on the other, it was plain that the Lectures contemplated would be nothing more than a violent injection into the present system, disturbing and disarranging the strata of tutorial teaching; perhaps cutting it at right angles, but entering into no natural combination with it."* There was also, it must be stated, a general distrust at that time of all measures proceeding from this quarter, which led Convocation to exercise a degree of watchfulness, which at other times they have not sufficiently sustained. Ten years have rolled away and nothing has been done; and ten more would probably have been numbered with them in the same inaction, had not the pressure from without been renewed. Messrs. Christie and Horsman's annual Philippics bad ceased to inspire terror to the Heads of Houses, as in Parliament they had been received by empty benches. Nay, courage had been found even to discountenance the friendly memorial of certain noblemen and gentlemen in the year 1845, who were anxious that the borders of the University should be enlarged, and her discipline strengthened. Efforts have since been made, it is understood, by individual members of the Board, to procure a re-consideration of the subject; but in vain. In 1847 also Mr. Gordon published his valuable pamphlet, in which after pointing out the error of the measures proposed in 1839, which seemed to aim not at making the Professors take a part in the education of the place, but simply at giving them a class of unwilling hearers, he went on to propose considerable alterations in the Examination Statute, and concluded with a very earnest appeal† in behalf of the ancient order of Poor Scholars. Here the question appears to have rested till in the Spring of last year a memorial signed by about five-sixths of the College Tutors was presented to the Board, praying for the introduction of some change into the existing order of the examinations. Contemporaneously with this, by a singular coincidence, a movement was made also at Cambridge for an alteration of the examinations there, and a Syndicate appointed on the 9th of February, which presented its Report on the 8th of April; and on the 31st of October, the Report was submitted to the Senate, and by that * "Considerations," &c., by the Rev. O. Gordon. †This portion of the Pamphlet, it will be remembered, we transferred to our own pages. body approved and adopted. The difference of speed with which legislation is effected in the two Universities must strike every reader. It is to be accounted for in this way. At Cambridge the statutable course is followed of appointing a Syndicate composed of the different faculties, degrees, and interests. Consequently the prevailing sentiment of the resident body is easily ascertained. At Oxford the same office ought to be performed by delegacies. But the Heads of Houses have usurped the entire initiation of measures to be proposed to Convocation to themselves; and therefore when they care to learn how the Masters of Arts feel on any question, [it is not always that they trouble themselves with the inquiry] they are obliged to wait the tardy issue of a controversy carried on by Pamphlets and published Letters. The present instance exposes the inconvenience of this state of things; as a reference to the history of the University, subsequent to the passing of the Laudian Statutes, demonstrates its illegality. But this by the way. Our object in the first place is to put our readers in possession of the course which the discussion has taken in Oxford. After this we shall have a few words to say upon the alterations effected at the sister University. We will begin with describing the state of things as at present existing. The degree of B.A. may be obtained in the sixteenth term from matriculation, i.e. after a residence of a little less than four years. Preliminary to this are two Examinations: the former, called "Responsions" or "Little-go," may be passed in the fifth term; the latter in the thirteenth. The term in which matriculation takes place is considered as kept by that act: consequently, if a man passes his Examination as soon as he is able, there will remain still one term for him to reside before he can obtain his Degree. There are three Examinations annually for responsions, and two for the degree, i.e., in Michaelmas and Easter terms. Now the first Examination being confined to a simple grammatical knowledge of one book of Latin and one of Greek, of the most scanty dimensions, together with three books of Euclid or Aldrich's Compendium of Logic, together with the Translation of a passage into Latin, it follows that men who are at all properly prepared for the University, have, as far as the public Examinations are concerned, full liberty to be idle for a twelvemonth. In this view all who have written upon the subject appear to be agreed; as well as in suggesting a third Examination as at least a partial remedy. Let us see how far they agree in detail. Mr. Gordon, who claims precedence in date of publication, would continue the responsions nearly as at present, reducing the amount of Greek and Latin to be taken up, but fixing absolutely* the books, Against this proposal Mr. Hussey protests (1) as having a “cramping tendency," and (2) as giving an advantage to some who may happen to have read the books, over others who have not. |