were received, and with which they have since been unceasingly treated, they have every reason to be,— and they are,-truly grateful. Three colleges,-one at Old-hall Green near Puckeridge, one at Ushaw near Durham, and one at Oscot near Birmingham, are under the immediate direction of the prelates, within whose jurisdictions they lie: the college at Stonyhurst, near Blackburne, is a filiation from the college of the English ex-jesuits at Liege, at the time of the commencement of the French Revolution.

That deplorable event sent also several communities of English nuns into this country. To these, the incomparable kindness of this country has equally extended its protection. The edifying regularity of their lives, and the prudence of their conduct, are universally acknowledged. If, among his intelligent countrymen, there be one, who thinks of them slightingly or unkindly,-all the writer requests of him is, to be permitted to attend him to the spot,-to place him, in the chapel, the study, the refectory, or the garden, and to whisper in his ear, in words like those graven on the tomb of sir Christopher Wren, in St. Paul's church,

Quales sunt, circumspice*.

CHAP. XCVIII.

OUTLINE OF THE LITERARY HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH CATHOLICS SINCE THE REFORMATION.

WE shall close these pages with an attempt to present the reader with an outline of the literary history • The words on the monument of Sir Christopher Wren,-the architect of that noble pile,-are,

Si quæres monumentum, circumspice.

of the English catholics since the Reformation; bringing successively into view, I. Their most eminent theologians: II. Poets: III. Historians: IV. Lawyers and V. Some account will then be given of their sacred music.

XCVIII. 1.

Theologians.

1. ONE of the first controversies between the catholic and protestant divines, was carried on by Dr. Jewel, the bishop of Salisbury, and Dr. Thomas Hardinge. The latter, at the time of the accession of queen Elizabeth, was prebendary of Salisbury; and had several other preferments. Of all these he was deprived, and retired to Louvaine.

In 1562, bishop Jewel published, in the Latin language, his celebrated Apology for the Church of England. It was translated into the English, Greek, and several other languages. Dr. Hardinge replied to it, by his Confutation of the Apology of the Church of England; Antwerp, 1563. Dr. Jewel replied by his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England; London, 1564. This became even a more popular work, than his apology. Queen Elizabeth, king James, and king Charles the first, ordered it to be chained up, and read, in all the parish churches, throughout England and Wales. Dr. Hardinge answered it, by his Detection of sundry foul errors, lies, slanders, corruptions, &c. uttered and practised by M. Jewel, in a book, lately by him set forth, called, An Answer, &c. Louvaine, 1568. To this the bishop published an answer, in the same year. Each writer

each allowed by both parties to display great ability in the controversy *.

2. The next work, which presents itself to our attention, is the Rheimish version of the Old and New Testament. The version of the New Testament, with notes, was published, in one volume, quarto, in 1582, at Rheims; to which city, the English clergy, originally established at Douay, had removed. In 1600, it was reprinted, at Douay; with some variation in the notes. A translation of the Old Testament was published at Douay, in 1610. Dr. Allen, Dr. Bristow, Dr. Reynolds, and Mr. Martyn, were employed in the work; but by Dodd's account, "it may be entirely ascribed to Mr. Martyn; the others, being only revisers."

The general asperity of language, in which the notes are written; and some expressions sounding disloyally, which they are said to contain, gave just offence. These, however, did not prevent the publi cation of a new edition, in 1816, in Dublin. In the title page, it is said to have been "revised, corrected, " and approved," by Dr. Troy, the titular archbishop of Dublin. This imputation produced from his lordship the following declaration:

"

Having seen a new edition of the Rheimish "Testament, with annotations, published by Coyne, “Dublin; and Keating, &c. London, 1816, said to "be revised, corrected, and approved, by me, I think "it necessary to declare, that I never approved, nor "meant to approve, of any edition of the Old or New "Testament, which was not entirely conformable,

• For an account of this controversy, see Strype's Annals El. ch. xxv. xlv. xlviii.

+ Church History, vol. i. p. 121.

as well in the notes, as the text, to that, which was "edited by R. Cross, Dublin, 1791, containing the

usual, and prescribed formula of my approbation; "and which has served as an exemplar to the several "editions, that have since been published with my "sanction. As, in the said new edition, the notes "vary essentially, from those of the last-mentioned "editors, which, exclusively, I have sanctioned for "publication, I should think that circumstance alone

fully sufficient to induce me to withhold every kind "of approbation from it; but having read, and now, "for the first time, considered these notes, I not only "do not sanction them, but solemnly declare, that "I utterly reject them; generally, as harsh and irri-, tating in expression; some of them, as false, and ti absurd in reasoning; and many of them, as un"charitable in sentiment. They further appear to "countenance opinions and doctrines, which, in "common with the other roman-catholics of the empire, I have solemnly disclaimed upon oath. Under "these circumstances, and with these impressions on my mind, I feel an imperious duty to admonish that portion of the catholic body, which is intrusted to my charge, of the danger of reading, and of paying any attention to the notes and comments of the said

"

new edition of the Testament; and I enjoin the "roman-catholic clergy of this diocese to discourage, "and prevent, by every means in their power, the “circulation, amongst catholics, of a work tending "to lead the faithful astray; and much better fitted "to engender, and promote, amongst christians, hostility, bitterness and strife, than, what should be

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"the genuine spirit of the gospel, that is, the spirit of "meekness, charity and peace.

"Dublin, 24th October 1817.

J. T. TROY."

That the notes deserve the strong expressions of censure, applied to them by Dr. Troy, admits of no doubt. Dr. Geddes, in his Prospectus of a new Translation of the Holy Bible, has described the faults of this version, and the notes to it, and has suggested the best extenuation, which they admit. “It is,” he says, "a literal and barbarous translation from the vulgate, before its last revision; and accompanied "with acrimonious and injurious annotations. The "residence in a foreign country, and, what they "deemed, exile from their own, corrupted the trans"lators language; and soured their tempers; and it

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was, unhappily, the common custom of those la❝mentable times, to season every religious controversy with gall and vinegar. We do not find, that Fulke, Fuller and Cartwright, who drew their quills against the Douay annotators, were a bit more "courteous than they."

It may be added,-that, when the censurable expressions of the Rheimish annotators are brought forward, the dungeons, the racks, the gibbets, the fires, the confiscations, and the various other modes of persecution, in every hideous form, which the catholics of those days endured, should not be forgotten. That these should have produced many censurable expressions, cannot be a matter of surprise. If something of the kind had not fallen from them, they must have been more than men.

In 1749, a new edition both of the Old and