SUMMA THEOLOGICA S. Thomae Aquinatis.

Editio Taurinensis
emendatissima, 1932. 6 vols., in s • max.; pp. 4,400 circiter. Turin,
Italy: Marietti. L. 70.
By happy coincidence or by nice design, we know not which,
two contemporary events concur to honor the most recently recog-
nized Doctor of the Church. Just as we celebrate for the first time
the feast of Saint Albert the Great, Doctor Universalis, we are
presented with the latest edition of a work by one of his disciples.
For it has been said that the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas
was due principally, under God, to the inspiration and guidance of
his master. It was Albert who foretold to the youthful companions
of Thomas that the bellow of their "Dumb Ox" would resound
throughout the world. At his death, he was proclaimed by Albert
the flower and glory of the world. It was Albert too, who at the
Second Council of Lyons filled the place left vacant by the death of
Thomas Aquinas. Nor did the infirmities of old age prevent him,
three years later, from that long journey from Cologne to Paris,
there to defend the teachings of Thomas against the misrepresenta-
tions and condemnations of Stephen Tempier, Richard Kilwardby
and their ilk. Indeed we should not forget that Thomas wrote the
Summa Theologica in the midst of, and despite, the feared Aristo-
telianism and the eclectic use of Jewish or pagan writings.
Meanwhile, during the last six hundred and fifty years, Arabic
and Chinese and Sanscrit, as well as Greek, Latin, Russian and the
other modern languages have combined to give us over a hundred
and forty editions of this immortal work of the Angelic Doctor.
And this vast literary output has been due principally, if not solely,
to the official recognition given the Summa by the Church. Over
forty-five Popes have testified to its value to the Catholic religion.
In the decree canonizing Saint Thomas, Pope John XXII declared
the Summ.a could have proceeded only from some miraculous action
of God. Likewise the same Pontiff credited Thomas with illuminat-
ing the Church more than all the other doctors together. And the
last four Popes, all brilliant scholars, have directed the clergy to be-
come acquainted with Aquinian theology.
 Friara' Bookabelf 291

To the testimony of Popes we must add the appreciation of the

General Councils of the Church. At Lyons, at Vienna, at Florence,
at Trent, and at the Vatican Council, the Summa of Aquinas was
recognized as the best organized exposition of Catholic doctrine.
This recognition has been acknowledged, even though unwilling-
ly, by heretics who knew the conviction and power of the clear and
concise arguments presented by Thomas in his masterpiece. Bucer
and Jansen were but two who admitted specifically this strength of
Thomistic theology.
In these days of economic disorder and social unrest we might
well seek a solution in the principles in the Summa, for they are con-
temporary with every age. In his day, William of Tocco dwelt
unceasingly upon this modernity of Aquinas. Thomistic principles
were offered too by Pope Leo XIII as the best means of com-
batting the evils besetting the society of the nineteenth century. And
our present Holy Father, with his appreciation of the worldwide
problems of our day, again has advised mankind to "Go to Thomas"
for the true principles of justice and charity which can calm our
social unrest.
With a knowledge of the value of the Sumnw and in conformity
with such wishes of the reigning Pontiff, the house of Marietti under-
took this new Latin edition. It has succeeded in giving us a handy,
inexpensive set of volumes suitable either as a text or for reference.
The matter of the three parts is distributed through five octavo
volumes and a sixth volume of indices is added. The paper is of a
good quality and, as is usual with publications offered by Marietti,
the print is clear, distinct and easily readable. The format of the
volum es is very good; we would class it as excellent but for the
narrow inside margins. In a reference work this fault could be
overlooked, but in a text-book it might be an inconvenience.
The brief conclusions placed between the Sed C ont·ra and the
corpus of each article summarize the doctrine of that article. They
are the product of the Louvain theologian, Dr. Hunnaeus, and can
be used for hasty reference. They are completed by the annotations
found at the bottom of each page. These are taken chiefly from
commentaries by De Rubeis and Billuart.
In this edition as in most others, the definitions of the Councils
are added. But a great improvement over other editions is the plac-
ing of these definitions, not cumulatively in one group before each
tract or question, but under each article where the reference is
apropos.
292 Dominicana

The volume of indices contains the usual ones of the "principal

things," of quotations from Sacred Scriptures, of references for
sermons on Sunday and feastdays. In addition are included indices
of dogmas denied by modern heretics, and of sources of doctrine
useful to catechists. In this last volume we also are presented with
a lexicon of words and tenns proper to Scholastics, especially St.
Thomas.
Not the least merit of this edition is its low price. It is a chal-
lenge to the economic sense of the clergy and of lay scholars. No
longer can expensiveness be offered as an excuse for failure to "Go
to Thomas." C.A.C.
The Gospel Guide (The Science and Culture Series). By the Rev. William
A. Dowd, S.J., A.M., L.S.Scrip. xiii-317 pp. Milwaukee: The Bruce
Publishing Co. $2.50.
The study of Sacred Scripture in religion classes of our Catho-
lic colleges has long been impeded by a lack of comprehensive text-
books in English. With the appearance of The Gospel Guide it is
to be hoped that this difficulty, at least in regard to the Gospels, has
been overcome.
The Gospel Guide is primarily a text-book for college religion
classes. A goodly half of the book is devoted to the necessary
introductory topics about the Bible in general and the Gospels in
particular. In Part I the author deals briefly and clearly with such
subjects as inspiration, the canon, texts, senses of Scripture and rules
of interpretation. Part II treats of the credibility of the Gospels in
general and of the authenticity, historicity and purpose of each
particular Gospel. The objections of non-Catholic critics are con-
cisely stated and answered.
Part III reconstructs the life of Christ from the four Gospels.
The author has preferred to follow the main channel of events,
passing over much that he feels does not need explanation, either
because the ideas are familiar to the student from a reading of the
Gospel text or because the matter has already been sufficiently treated
in other courses in religion. The exegesis is necessarily brief be-
cause of the large amount of space given over to introductory
subjects.
The book is of value as a reference work not alone to the college
student but to priests and teachers as well. Those lay people who
are desirous of increasing their knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures
will find in this volume a vast amount of information in compact
form. In The Gospel Gu,ide Father Dowd had made a noteworthy
contribution to the Science and Culture Series. J.E.M.
 Friars' Bookshelf 293

Campaigners for Christ Handbook. By David Goldstein. xxi-339 pp. Bos-

ton: Thomas J. Flynn & Co. $1.00.
That the circulation of this book has surpassed twenty-three
thousand during one tour of its author throughout the country is a
fact which demands our attention. It is a well compiled book, written
by a man who has labored for the Church for the past twenty-five
years, and who for the past fifteen years has preached on the streets
and public squares to the people of every State of the Union. This
apostolic man's life is devoted to teaching the truths of Jesus Christ.
Mr. Goldstein is not content to be alone in this field. His greatest
wish is to see more laymen, priests and religious carry on this noble
mission of preaching the Word of God to the Catholics and non-
Catholics assembled in the streets and public parks. After his years
of experience, he now gives us a book which should be read by the
priest, the religious, the teacher and every Catholic.
In the author's own words: ''This book of information is a
handy compilation of doctrinal, historical and statistical data and
arguments to be used by the Campaigners for Christ in their en-
deavor to reconcile their fellow-Americans of differing beliefs to the
cause of unity in Christ and His Church." Mr. Goldstein starts with
Happiness, followed by proof of the existence of God, and our
duties to Him in Religion. In the chapter on Evolution the author
shows the falsity of the so-cailed "missing-link." Judaism is then
set forth as the true predecessor of the religion of Jesus Christ. A
chronological list of the Predictions of the Old Law are lined up with
their Fulfillments in the New Law. The chapter on the Divinity of
Christ is succinct and is followed by a chronological list of His
Miracles.
The letters of an early campaigner, Martha Moore Avery, are
included to tell us of Mary and the honor due her. The author
then discourses on Christ's Church with its God-given marks.
Statistics of the Church and its organization in the whole world and
in the United States are given. Proofs that Peter was the First
Pope precede the list of all the Popes and a brief historical account
of each. Mr. Goldstein continues, stating and explaining Catholic
beliefs on many other important subjects: The Bible and false bibles;
the Church and War, with a list of the great Papal mediators; Prot-
estantism and a list of all sects, their origin and founders; the Mass
and each Sacrament; Immortality; Hell; Purgatory; Good Works.
Mr. Goldstein endeavors to show that all Catholic belief is in har-
mony with right reason. Surely, every Catholic will find time to
294 Dominicana

read this valuable book, thus better preparing himself to speak on

these subjects when the occasion arises. P.M.W.
The Mass. Author's Autographed Edition. By John Steven McGroarty.
95 pp. Los Angeles : The Michael J. Halloran Publishing Co. $3.00.
The program of Catholic Action has called to its support promi-
nent laymen as well as clerical leaders. Not least among these is
Mr. John Steven McGroarty. His Mission Theatre in California,
where the drama of California's early settlement is portrayed, has
been a means of dissemination of Catholic history. Now, to
reach a greater audience, Mr. McGroarty presents The Mass. This
is an informative study of the Church's teaching regarding its Holy
Sacrifice, and this primarily for non-Catholics.
The book is short, sketchy, but to the point. There is no over-
burdening with facts, yet enough to inspire the seeker after truth to
go to more complete sources and to men professionally equipped
to give detailed instruction. The author first defines the terms
"Transubstantiation" and "Eucharist". Then he cans upon history,
archaeology, art, music, literature and reason to witness to the truth
of the doctrine he exposes. The treatise is purely apologetical, not
defensive, but explanatory and aggressive. And in this the author
is tactful ; no offense is given.
Because it is so difficult to write a flowing explanation of just
what takes place at Mass, chapter VII falls below the high standard
of style set in the rest of the book. It is almost impossible to give
all details and give them in smoothly running English without re-
sorting to the text-book idea of headings and amplificatory sentences.
This does not detract from the substantial merit of the book. Rather
is Mr. McGroarty to be commended for attempting so arduous a
task; and the wonder is not that he did not succeed entirely, but that
he succeeded so well.
The binding in purple felt and gold cloth, with the title, author's
name and name of purchaser in gold letters on the front, recommends
it highly as a gift book. W.R.C.
Marriage Legislation in the New Code of Canon Law. By the Very Rev.
H. A. Ayrinhac, S.S., D.D., D.C.L. Revised and enlarged by the Rev.
]. P . Lydon, D .D . ix-390 pp. New York: Benziger Bros. $2.75.
Fourteen years, during which the Pontifical Commission for the
Authentic Interpretation of the Canons of the Code issued more than
thirty interpretations relative to marriage and during which the Rota
by its decisions established many precedents, rendered the revision of
Dr. Ayrinhac's earlier work of the same title a necessity. It was Dr.
 Friars' Bookshelf 295

Ayrinhac's intention to make the revision personally but death

transferred the task to other hands.
Dr. Lydon has left much of the book in its original form but
where necessary he has amplified, particularly and crystalized the
earlier teaching in · the light of recent decisions, precedents and
commentaries.
The same historical prologue to the treatment of more im-
portant canons is retained and expanded giving clearly and briefly
the origin of the legislation and its successive development through
the Council of Trent and the decrees which preceded the new Code.
This happy arrangement is of value both to those who studied the
pre-code legislation emphasizing as it does the changes, and to the
younger students who may trace the evolution and have at hand the
law governing cases prior to 1918.
The addition of a chapter on matrimonial courts, while of nec-
essity brief, is of interest and not without its practical value. 0 f
equal value are the appendices which give application forms for
dispensations, questions to be asked of those about to marry and
lists of documents needed for the application of the Pauline Privilege
or the declaration of nullity through lack of form.
The work is thoroughly readable, clear and direct. An ample
index makes reference easy. F .C.H.

Contemporary Philosophy and Thomistic Principles. By th e Rev. R. G.

Bandas. With an Introduction by the Rev. J. S. Zybura, Ph.D. 468 pp.
Milwaukee : The Bruce Publishing Co. $4.50.
This splendid and highly significant work might well have been
addressed to the modern philosopher in whose mind philosophical
chaos is daily tightening a strangle-hold; to the thinker of to-clay,
who, troubled and confused, feels the security of reality slowly dis-
solving; to him whose vision of life and its problems is distorted,
if not obscured, by the fiction s, guesses and negative systems that
have come as substitutes for genuine philosophy.
Dr. Bandas sees in the vagaries and aberrations of contem-
porary thought a prime need for a return to the basic solidity of
Thomistic Principles. He reechoes the summons of Leo XIII to
"go to Saint Thomas" and master his golden wi sdom. The funda-
mental principles and organic doctrines of Thomistic thought are
true and possess, therefore, perennial vitality and universal validity.
Keynoting the purpose and aim of the book as an examination
of modern philosophical systems in the light of Thomistic reason,
the author presents an appreciation of Thomism, and at the same
296 Dominicana

time a critical summary and objective evaluation of modern

philosophies.
The author is at pains to clarify his attitude and method of
approach. The book is not to be described as a parallel study of
the old and the new. The fundaments of Thomism spring from the
very essence of things. They are not to be dismissed, then, as
obsolete nor stigmatized as 'historical' . They constitute Philosophia
Perennis. To reject or to contradict them is to do violence to the
pulsating beat of intelligence and to declare war upon true mental
culture.
After a masterly exposition of Aristotelian first principles, Dr.
Bandas carries his deep reaching analysis to a particularized criti-
cism of the thought of the times. T he point of departure is the
relation of Science to Philosophy. Dr. Bandas finds a twofold error
prevailing in modern philosophy. Helplessly and hopelessly enmeshed
in the maze of its own vague generalizations, it either has rejected
categorically the conclusions of positive science, or it has capitulated
so often to the fact-consciousness of the age as to become essentially
empirical in character. The learned author clearly and cogently
demonstrates the remedy. The metaphysical groundwork of Tho-
mism makes for a new harmonious and uniform structure of truth.
The measure of abstraction fences the field of Science and Philoso-
phy, making of them neighbors, but not enemies. Thomistic reason
need never fear the conclusions of positive science. Truth can never
be the antithesis of Truth.
Dr. Bandas then passes to a review of Idealism, Neo-Realism,
Bergson's systems, the Philosophies of Organism and Values,
Emergent Evolution and the rest---<:ontributors all to the anarchy
rampant in modern thought. Then follows a penetrating refutation
of the anthropocentric systems of Utilitarianism and Humanitarian-
ism, which invest man with all the notes of ultimate finality and
deify an order in which the executioner is a necessity.
All these systems, cut adrift from the stabilizing influence of
genuine metaphysics, have either run aground on the shoals of
skepticism and agnosticism, or their high-sounding diction and com-
plex dialectic have degenerated to the rant and cant of rhapsodizing
pantheism.
A word should be added concerning the introduction. It is ably
penned by the renowned Father Zybura. In it he champions and
justifies the claims of Thomism to a central place in the sun of
modern culture. Read this book, if you would come in contact with
sane, healthy reasoning and a thesis that is a challenge which must
be met. W.D.C.
 Friars' Bookshelf 297

Aspects of the New S cholastic Philosophy.Edited by the Rev. Charles A.

Hart, Ph.D. xi-3ll pp. New York: Benziger Bros. $2.50.
This is a symposium of essays reflecting the profound thought
and careful, healthy reasonings of some of our leading Catholic
philosophers. Contributors of such mettle as the late beloved scholar
and gentleman, Bishop Shahan, Dr. Fulton Sheen, Dr. George John-
son, Gerald B. Phelan and others, bespeak the excellence of the
work. The essays embody an objective presentation and exposition,
from a Neo-Scholastic point of view of a few of the major problems
confronting contemporary philosophy, psychology, and education.
Fittingly enough, the entire collection is dedicated to one of
America's outstanding scholastics, whose love for St. Thomas and
the Philosophia Perennis is a by-word in philosophic circles, the
Right Rev. Monsignor Dr. Edward A. Pace. As a re-statement and
application of Scholastic principles to some of the pertinent questions
of the day, (the New Physics, Purpose of the State, Modern Idea
of God, Psychological Aspects of Education, etc.) the book is of
exceptional merit. Its tone of solid scholarship is arresting, and the
individual essays represent valuable additions to true culture, bearing
up well under the piercing and penetrating scrutiny of studied criti-
cism. The book is to be recommended as collateral reading particu-
larly to students of Catholic Philosophy. F.G.

Psycho logy and the Franciscan School. Edited by Claude L. Vogel,

O.M.Cap., A.M., Ph.D. 166 pp. Milwaukee : The Bruce Publishing
Co. $3.00.
Within scholastic philosophy there has always been a variety of
systems. United, in as much as they subscribe to a number of fun-
damental doctrines, that taken as a whole have been the dominating
influence in the civilization and cultm-e of the Western World, they
nevertheless have always differed widely from each other in many
details of opinion and interpretation.
This little volume is a symposium of essays that aim to present
the viewpoint of the Franciscan School on some of the more im-
portant psychological problems that have always vexed scholastics.
There is plenty of room for such discussion and we sincerely hope
that these essays will serve to increase interest in the works of Scotus
who has been far too generally neglected and misunderstood. The
essays are uniformly good, and if occasionally over-exuberant in
their enthusiasm for the theories of Scotus and his fo!lowers, are
nicely balanced by the intelligent and discriminating discussions that
follow most of them. R.C.G.
298 Dominicana

Experimental Psychology (The Science and Culture Series). By the Rev.

Hubert Gruender, S.J., Ph.D. xiv-455 pp. Milwaukee: The Bruce
Publishing Co. $2.50.
In this, the first volume of the Science and Culture Series to
deal with science, as it is commonly understood, we have a complete
study of our "conscious life''. As to content, the book is made up
of seventeen chapters considering the "Scope of Psychology" and
eight different phenomena of consciousness, a preface by the general
editor of the Series, a foreword by the author and a very com-
prehensive index.
As to manner, Dr. Gruender is conservative, as becomes a true
scientist. He does not assume the infallibility of some modern em-
piric psychologists who state their conclusions with an ipse-dixitism
that intimidates the questioner. Yet, the reverend author is bold in
his conservatism. He thrusts upon the attention of those who believe
only what they see a lengthy and scholarly discourse on the thought
processes and the will, from the viewpoint of experiment-subjects
generally overlooked in a text-book of this nature. He is not willing
to concede one iota of his fundamentals to scientists who, like
Descartes, begin at nothing to construct a complete edifice of demon-
strated knowledge. True, if psychology is to be considered experi-
mentally, and is to be scientific, it must not be cluttered up with use-
less metaphysical trappings. But it must begin with an appreciation
of the dignity of its subject; it must realize that it deals with man-
not a mere animal, but the "paragon of animals".
In this work, Dr. Gruender gives evidence of assiduous study
and painstaking research. Most of his conclusions are verified by his
own experiments and observations. The references, given at the end
of each chapter are for fu.·ther reading, not parallel reading, for no
man can exhaust this field in a single octavo volume. The references
given are good, but, we think, too few. R.C.

Bright Harbor. By Daniel Whitehead Hicky. 83 pp. New York: Henry

Holt & Co. $2.00.
Sones Before the Blessed Sacrament. By Mary Dixon Thayer. 56 pp.
New York: The Macmillan Co. $1.25. ·
In these two volumes of poetry we have two welcome additions
to our ever increasing Catholic literature. They merit reading and
appreciation not only by those who know good poetry but by all who
love the beautiful in song.
Bright Harbor is outstanding because of the abundance of
metered gems it contains. Amid an atmosphere of flying spray and
briny air sailor-folk saunter lyrically through this little volume, but
 Friars' B o okshelf 299

interspersed are many varied and appealing subjects. Limited space

prohibits the special mentioning of exceptional verses. However ,
the sonnet sequence, "Machines," which tied for first prize, Poetry
Society of America, 1931, is included. Successive works of the
author will but amplify the finished product of this first book. For
Bright Harbor, making its initial bow to the public, is an accomplish-
ment rather than a basis of expectation.
Songs Before the Blessed Sacrament is a collection of prayers
fitted to meter. They are supplications and thanksgivings to Love-
Eternal Love living with us in the Eucharist. Though dressed in
simple language they are steeped in mysticism. Miss Thayer ex-
presses the humble thoughts and aspirations of each one of us in
her beautiful rhymes. The style is spontaneous with a fine sense of
cadence and rhythm. These Songs are rhythmic orisons of a lover
before the Tabernacle. W.L.
Chauc er. By G. K. Chesterton. ix-303 pp. New York : Farrar & Rine-
hart, Inc. $2.50.
If Chesterton had wr.itten this book fifteen or twenty years ago
it would perhaps have less of that turgidity which many claim fills
his more recent works. But fifteen or twenty years ago Chesterton
could merely have made a journey to C:mterbury and not a pil-
grimage. This is the vitalizing note throughout the book. We have
the viewpoint of one within the pilgrimage, not of some one standing
aside and commenting learnedly. Chesterton handles the subject
from an entirely Catholic attitude; and, as a matter of fact, it is
the point from which Chaucer must be seen. He not only was a
Catholic but his times were Catholic. They were the final glory of
the Middle Ages and the flaming sunset of Chivalry glowed over
everything. To Chesterton the alluring prospect of the Middle Ages
offers too many opportunities for him to avoid contrasting them
with our own crazy times ; and the result is provocative. The book
is an illuminating exposition of a great fact which has in great part
been forgotten or misunderstood; the Middle Ages were balanced
and behind all the wild gestures of the times stood solidly the su-
premely sane philosophy of Catholicism. In commenting on the
ideas and philosophy of the period, Chesterton does not stray from
his subject, for, to understand Chaucer, one must understand his
point of view; at least one must not misunderstand it. However,
this is not a scholarly work on the customs and ideas of the Middle
Ages but a human and sympathetic portrayal of the ideas and ideals
which motivated the men of that time. It is the sort of book which
300 Dominicana

will make pedants gnash their teeth and merely human beings howl.
Chesterton's idea of The Ryme of Sir Tapas will undoubtedly find
its way into many more professedly scholarly treatments of Chaucer.
The author lays no claim to specialism of any sort in the field of
Chaucerian scholarship and the whole point of the book is "that
Chaucer is literature and not linguistic study for the learned" (p.
232). R.D.R.
The Correspondence of Pope Gregory VII: Selected letters from the
Registrum. Translated with an introduction by Professor E. Emerton.
xxxi-212 pp. New York: Columbia University Press. $3.50.
The very division of this fine study into an introduction and the
letters themselves, invites a double standard of criticism, viz., literary
and historical.
The Letters, excellently done from the Latin, evidence careful
selection and, on the author's admission, by no means exhaust the
vast correspondence of Gregory VII. The translation is excep-
tionally well handled. We find instead of a stilted, dry rendition,
one that is alive with all the general verve and vitality of the original.
Since the author implies a promise to complete the work, may we
not entertain the hope of reading in the near future more of Greg-
ory's correspondence with Henry IV and Countess Matilda? The
Letters furnish what the late Gamaliel Bradford might have termed
a psychographic portrait of their author. However, the "Quality
Detector", in this instance, can discover little or nothing that might
set in motion the "debunking" process.
Beneath the penned lines, a series of moving, gripping pictures
unroll. Within the space of each epistle a scene in the elrama of
Gregory's life is played out. We can sense the tremendous problems
confronting him, and the indomitable and unswerving resolve with
which he approached them. We can appreciate the ruthless temper
of the opposition. We learn of Gregory's hopes and fears, his
schemes and dreams, his successes and failures. The sanctity, zeal
and sincerity of the author gleam from every line he penned. The
Letters are grouped with an eye to and respect for the demands of
chronology. They therefore present a valuable historical review of
the Hildebrandine Period.
Critical historians in the years past have approached Gregory
and Gregory's policies and arrived at conclusions graphically extreme.
Dr. Emerton in the main makes out a good case in Gregory's favor.
He defends the saintly Pontiff's sincerity not only with all the
vehemence of an advocate, but also impresses the reader by that sure,
 Friars' Bookahelf 301

solid attitude of a mind strongly convinced. It is the author's con-

tention, that sufficiently to understand and appreciate Gregory, one
must study the background of the age in which he lived. This will
inevitably lead to a consideration of the profoundly moving forces
which dominated that era. In analyzing the triple menace to "The
Church's Dominance" Dr. Emerton makes several rather sweeping
statements with which issue can be taken. He refers to the Eleventh
Century Church as an institution whose primary interests were "non-
social". This needs qualification. Certainly no one can r easonably
charge a policy of centralized selfishness to a society which responded
to every need, extended charity to all, served and counselled and
fathered, fostered learning, guarded civilization, made life worth
living for pauper and prince alike, and was the focal point for an
age of faith. Again, Dr. Emerton, by some unparalleled feat of
dialectical legerdemain, asserts that Augustinian Philosophy sub-
scribed to the tenet of the intrinsic moral turpitude of the physical
world. The inference needs scarcely :::ny comment when we read
Dr. Emerton's rather nai:ve observatio'1 concerning the alliance be-
tween Gregory and Manichaeism in defense of sacerdotal celibacy.
The differences between orthodox Augustinianism and the Dualism of
Mannes are basic. Though Dr. Emerton abstains from branding the
Crusades as orgies of ecclestiastical imperialism, he gratuitously as-
serts that the idea of a crusade as preached and exhorted by Greg-
ory was a rather clever political move designed to undermine the
opposition in Europe. But we must remember that Gregory also
urged his staunchest supporters to take the Cross. Strange politics
this!
In spite of these few points with which we disagree, the book is a
precious addition to history. It makes excellent reading, is durably
bound, properly indexed, and should be welcomed equally by both
historian and litterateur. W.D.C.
The Trial of Jeanne D'Arc. Translated by W. P. Barrett. With an essay
On the Trial of Jeanne d'Arc and Dramatis Personae by Pierre Champion.
xiii-544 pp. New York: Gotham House, Inc. $4.00.
This volume is a transcript of Proces de Condamnation, the
actual juridical proceedings against Joan of Arc. Guillaume Mauchon,
a stenographer at the trial, compiled the transcript. It was due to
his accuracy in recording the proces that the ensuing Proces de
Rehabilitation found little trouble in condemning the decisions of
Joan's judges. During the centuries which have passed this tran-·
script has escaped the ravages of wars and rebellions. A few years.
302 Dominicana

ago Pierre Champion augmented the historical treasuries of the

world by translating these documents into modern French. Now
W. P. Barrett has made them available to the English reading public.
A man desiring to read this book will naturally wonder whether
the transcript is dry as dust. Assuredly this is not so. Joan of
Arc with her naivete dominates and animates these pages. Indeed
she puts pulsating life into common thoughts and expressions giving
them dramatic value that transcends historical data. There is, more-
over, satisfaction in the flashes of humor that light the pages as Joan
occasionally retorts wittily to a self-important inquisitor. The
brilliant dialectical attacks of her judges rise like star shells, burst
in air and fall into nothingness, only serving in their manner to shed
light upon Joan. Like the figure of her Master she stands out in
bold relief, as when He stood in a similar circumstance.
As a guide to this great drama there is an excellent Dramatis
Personae appended. Consisting of biographical sketches, this parti-
cular aid furnishes the imagination with the necessary flesh and blood
pictures of the supporting characters in the drama.
An essay masterfully marshals into a brilliant historical sum-
mary all the cross-current details that make up this most turbulent
period of history. M. Champion has brought to his task the true
historian's sense of the fitness and balance of theory and fact.
This book requires no intense mental application to learn that
the Catholic Church, who raised Joan to its altars, emerges trium-
phant from the noxious calumnies of false historians. Let the
reader see for himself the appeals that Joan made to these unworthy
judges. She begged for recourse to the Pope and to her legitimate
superiors in northern France. Then let the reader understand the
insincere attitude of the political cabal that handled the Proces. The
evidence is too strong for false interpretation. The truth of this
trial is immutable. There can be but one thought on this subject.
M. Champion expresses it well: "And so it is Jeanne's judges that
we in our turn shall judge; posterity makes a bill of accusation of
their apologia."
A man could read this book for pleasure and be lead to new
fields of delight. A historian could read it for the sources it contains
and yet find new inspiration in its pages. A Catholic will read
it for St. Joan's sake and will love her more for having read it.
J.L.C.
 Friars' Bookshelf 303
A Light of the Church in Kentucl<y. By the Very Rev. V. F. ()'Daniel,
O.P., S.T.M., Litt.D. xiv-333 pp. Washington, D.C.: DoMINICANA.
$3.00.
In his latest work Fr. O'Daniel returns to the nineteenth cen-
tury and to an English speaking subject. His two preceding books
had dealt with other times and other people. The First Disciples of
St. Dominic treated of Continental Europe in the thirteenth century,
and sketched the lives of those pioneer builders of the Dominican
Order who, working with or at least in the footsteps of their holy
founder, St. Dominic, laid deep and strong the foundations of the
great Order. The following volume, Dominicans in Early Florida,
told the story of twenty-four heroic Spanish Dominicans who labored
among the aborigines of Florida in the sixteenth century.
A Light of the Church in Kentucky is the life story of Samuel
Thomas Wilson, first provincial of a religious Order in the United
States, first Master of Sacred Theology in this country and the first
president of a Catholic college west of the Alleghenies. Born in
England during penal times, Samuel Wilson received his education
at the Dominican college of Holy Cross in Bornhem, Belgium. He
joined the Dominican Order and taught at Holy Cross for a number
of years. The French Revolution compelled the abandonment of
the college for a time and as conditions in England were still un-
favorable to Catholic education Fr. Wilson joined his confrere, Fr.
Edward Dominic Fenwick (later first Bishop of Cincinnati), in
founding the new province of St. Joseph in the United States. They
established St. Rose Priory in Springfield, Kentucky in 1806, and
here Fr. Wilson spent the remaining twenty years of his life. As
president of St. Thomas Aquinas College he had a prominent part
in the education of many Catholic leaders, clerical and lay, of the
past century. Even non-Catholics were attracted to St. Thomas
Aquinas', prominent among them being young Jefferson Davis, later
President of the Confederate States, who travelled the long distance
from southern Mississippi to attend St. Thomas'.
Bishop Flaget, the first Ordinary of Kentucky, called Fr. Wilson
"the shining light of my diocese" and Archbishop Martin J. Spald-
ing, a native of Kentucky, said of Fr. Wilson: "He was one of the
most learned divines who ever emigrated to America". In the parish
of St. Rose and in the surrounding cow1try his reputation has sur-
vived these many years and in him is literally fulfilled the Scriptural
phrase: "The memory of him shall not depart away and his name
shall be in request from generation to generation".
304 Dominicana

Fr. O'Daniel is particularly well qualified to write the biography

of this Dominican pioneer. Himself a Kentuckian, in his youth he
was acquainted with that older generation that had known personally
Fr. Wilson and the other original members of the province. He is a
historian of infinite patience, scrupulous exactness and of unusual
ability in discovering material hitherto unknown. Fr. O'Daniel's
former works have been acclaimed by competent critics as valuable
contributions to Catholic Church History and his latest book will
enhance his reputation as historian and biographer. T.C.D.

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val, A Character Sketch. By F. A. Forbes.

xi-178 pp. New York: Longmans, Green and Co. $2.00.
Few ecclesiastics of our tim e have presented more interesting
careers than did the late Rafael, Cardinal Merry del Val. Born in
England in 1865 of an Irish-Spanish family while his father was
employed in the Spanish Diplomatic Service in London, the future
Cardinal almost from babyhood began to give signs that God had
destined him for His priesthood. As a little child he had a fond-
ness for erecting altars and he used to "say Mass", using a tiny set
of vestments and a small leaden chalice brought to him by an uncle
from Spain. It is amusingly related that when only eight years old,
while visiting another uncle in the Jesuit House at Manresa, the
little fellow was asked, "What are you going to be?" "A priest,"
was the quick reply. "Oh, a Jesuit?" "No", was the immediate re-
sponse, "a Bishop". And this was indeed literally true. Young
Rafael was educated in the best schools in England and on the Con-
tinent. At the very beginning of his clerical career 'he came more or
less by accident under the notice of the then reigning Pontiff, Leo
XIII, who immediately detected in the youthful student those po-
tential qualifications for the future important missions he was to
execute so efficiently. Possessed of a burning desire to work among
souls in the active ministry, his one ambition was to be a pastor of a
poor parish in England. But Providence ordained otherwise. Thus,
at thirty-five we find him Titular Archbishop of Nicaea, and at
thirty-eight Secretary of State to Pope Pius X.
A deep and beautiful spirituality characterized the entire life of
this great Prelate. His letters written during busy years in Rome
reveal a simplicity and humility worthy of a saint. Despite the many
perplexing problems that confronted him , he always had time for the
poor and the troubled, and especially had he time for his boys' club
in the Trastevere section of Rome. Convert making was also a
work that always had a great appeal to the late Cardinal.
 Friars' Bookshelf 305
The life of . Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val was a magnificent
manifestation of love for the Church and devotion to the Holy See.
At times he may have been misunderstood, but many good men
before him were also misunderstood and even saints have been no
exception. Surely one cannot read this present volume without
realizing this churchman's greatness of mind and soul.
This Character Sketch is excellent and comes as a valuable con-
tribution to Catholic contemporary biography. It is well written.
The authoress is especially to be commended for having collected so
many of the late Cardinal's letters which are quoted in part in the
present book J. J. C.

Liberalism in the South. By Virginius Dabney. xix-456 pp. Chapel Hill:

University of North Carolina Press. $3.50.
The keynote of this thought-provoking book is sounded in the
last paragraph, when the author writes: " Certainly in the Southern
hagiology the liberals are entitled to the most commanding place,
for to them may be attributed almost everything that has been clone
in the Southern states in building up a .broader and more humane
civilization, in developing the potentialities of the average man and
in striking the shackles from the human spirit. The South may
well rejoice that the social attitudes of its leaders and its people are
coming to be more and more shot through with liberalism. In that
fact lies the South"s chief hope of future greatness".
Mr. Dabney's is not the radical liberalism which is condemned
by thoughtful men. His definition of liberalism is "that body of
doctrine which has as its center the principle of the dignity and worth
of the individual". At the outset the author disavows extreme liber-
alism, when he states that "the liberal creed plainly contemplates
a certain degree of restriction on the individual", and again in his
conclusion he agrees that "the rights insisted upon by liberals some-
times amow1t to no more than mere figments of the imagination".
Mr. Dabney examines the growth of liberalism throughout the
South in the fields of politics, religion, education, race relations, in-
dustry, literature, journalism and women's rights. For purposes of
convenience he divides this study into four periods: the Era of
Jefferson, the Era of Calhoun, Up From The Ashes and The New
South.
He presents this liberalism as holding the happy mean betwe~:n
the extremes of radicalism and conservatism. While in the main he
seems to preserve this state successfully, there are some instances
in which we cannot agree with his thesis. We disagree totally with
306 Dominicaua

that liberalism, promulgated by Lord Morley and seemingly espoused

by the author, which "stands for the subjection to human judgments
of all claims of external authority, whether in an organized church
or .... in books held sacred". Here we wish to state that there are
certain fundamental first principles which are natural, true and im-
mutable, Rationalists to the contrary notwithstanding. Likewise
we hold that an individual does not possess the right to disseminate
doctrines inimical to the welfare of the state or the common weal.
That constitutes license, not liberty.
In his chapter on Darwin and the New Demonology, Mr.
Dabney is rather vague in his statements about evolution. He ap-
parently endorses fully the views of a gentleman who "published a
pamphlet pointing out the absurdity of outlawing a theory to which
every prominent living scientist subscribes". The author in this
section uses the terms "Darwinism" and "Evolution" synonymously.
He is therefore making a broad statement when he implies that
Darwinism is held universally by scientists.
However, in most respects this book is one of considerable
merit. It is extremely well written, it is interesting throughout and
it affords a well rounded delineation of old and new South. Mr.
Dabney is well qualified for his work. The scion of a family of
southern educators, he is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the Univer-
sity of Virginia and for the past ten years has been writing for
leading newspapers and periodicals. He is very young-barely past
thirty-and with his wealth of talent and opportunity he faces a
future of considerable promise. T.C.D.

The Jesuits and Education (The Science and Culture Series). By the Rev.
William McGucken, S.]. xxv-352 pp. Milwaukee: The Bruce Pub-
lishing Co. $4.00.
Prolific as has been the output of literature on education, it is
only occasionally that one finds a treatise of genuine worth. Such
a book is this presentation of the Science and Culture Series, The
1esuits and Education. Father McGucken has brought to his work
the thoroughness of the scholar. He has written a book of permanent
historical and pedagogical value.
The first section of the book treats of the history of Jesuit edu-
cation, from its inception in the sixteenth century. The second part
is a very complete study, from the historical standpoint, of the or-
ganization, curriculum and teaching methods of the Jesuits in their
secondary schools throughout their seven Provinces in the United
States. The author quotes from many documents found in the
 Friars' Bookshelf 307

American houses of the Society, particularly the Georgetown and St.

Louis archives and the Woodstock Letters, thereby guaranteeing a
factual accuracy not to be questioned. The third part deals specific-
ally with the foundation, organization and development of the Ameri-
can Jesuit High School. An Appendix gives a translation in part of
the famous Ratio Studiorum, as it pertains to the secondary schools
of the Society.
Because of the outstanding contribution of Jesuit educational
philosophy and administration to secondary education, this history
of their scholastic activities is equally a history of Catholic secondary
education in the United States.
The many illustrated maps and charts, an exhaustive bibliog-
raphy of source material on Jesuit theory and practice, and several
appendices enhance greatly the value of this work. No pedagogical
library should fail to include this book among its valuable works of
reference. E.C.L.
The Framework of a Christian State. By the Rev. E. Cahill, S.J. xxvii-
701 pp. Dublin: M. H. Gill & Son, Ltd. ISs.
La doctrine aociale de l'Eglise. By Pere Ceslaus M. Rutten, O.P., S.T.M .
408 pp. Juvisy: Les Editions du Cerf. 14 fr.
In the field of Catholic social literature two books have recently
appeared which should be of more than passing interest. They are
The Framework of a Christian State and La. doctrin e sociale de
l'Eglise.
The first presents to the reader the writings of the Rev. E.
Cahill, S.J., professor of Social Science at Milltown, Dublin. These
writings were previously published in the "Irish Ecclesiastical
Review" and "Irish Monthly". They form ed the lectures given for
the instruction of a socially active group, Th e League of the King-
ship of Christ. This league was organized for the "study and prop-
agation of Catholic social principles and the promotion of Catholic
Action". For this reason the book is of special interest to study
clubs which are springing up on all sides here in America.
The author begins his lectures with a history of an acknowl-
edgedly successful Catholic social program-the history of the Church
in the Middle Ages. After reading this inspiring record of achieve-
ment one sees the possibility for good in more actively living up to
the principles of Catholic social doctrine. What Medieval Chris-
tianity succeeded in doing could be repeated to-day if society were
so disposed. Next, Father Cahill sums up the contemporary events
that contribute to the vigor and spirit of the movement to-day. Von
308 Dominic ana

Ketteler was the "prime mover." His Holiness, Leo XIII, presented
the movement to the world. Every nation has had its leaders:
Manning, Gibbons, Lacordaire, Perin, to mention but a few. The
present Pontiff has breathed new life into it. This volume will be
of great value to the student of contemporary European social move-
ments. The reader will find here a description of these social move-
ments, and he will realize that they are the counterparts of our own
Catholic social activities.
In telling the story of the American labor groups, Father Cahill
mentions the Knights of Labor as the largest representative organiza-
tion. This was true in the 'eighties. In speaking of another Ameri-
can group, the Ku Klux Klan, he associates it with an off-shoot of
the Masons. Likewise the author makes the International Order
of Moose akin to the Masons.
In the doctrinal part of his book the same author touches all
phases of society. This section is a social, political and economic
expression of the Catholic philosophy of life. His principles are sup-
plied not only by the Summa but also by all the minor works of St.
Thomas. Quotations from St. Thomas abound.
La doctrine sociale de l'Eglise is aptly sub-titled by its author
a "Vademecum of Catholic social thought". Within the compass of
241 pages he gives all the doctrine contained in The Framework of a
Christian S tate. It is entirely Thomistic. It likewise contains all the
theological opinions that have been crystallized up to date. One thing
worthy of note is that he maintains the "family wage" to be binding
in justice as well as in charity. Having been opposed by socialists
of every hue in the Belgian Senate, Pere Rutten, a senator, expresses
more than a doctrinal knowledge of socialism. In the second half
of this volume appears a French translation of the Encyclicals,
Rerum N ovarum and Quadragesimo Anno. Graphic tables of con-
tents and detailed indexes complete the touch of scholarship in these
books. J.D.M.

DIGES1, OF RECENT BOOKS

THEOLOGY, SCRIPTURE: Pere Henri-Dominique Noble, O.P.,
S.T.M., has given us another contribution to his series La Vie Morale
{i'apres S . Thomas d'Aqttil~ in th e two volume work Lea Passions dana Ia
'V ie M orale. The work might be summarized by saying that it is "over
six hundred pages of Thomistic psychology on a most obscure, a most
troublesome and at the same time a most important problem in the moral
life." Though this treatise is written in perfectly scientific style, as such
a subject necessarily demands, it is far from tedious reading; and, although
. it is available only in the original French it offers no difficulty to the
 Friars' Bookshelf 309

ordinary reade-r -of -F-rench prose. It is divided into two major parts :
The Psychology ~f the Passions and the Morality of the Passions. Many
passages of St. Thomas' doctrine are quoted at length. But the reverend
author does not stop there; he examines as briefly as possible the findings
of up-to-date empire psychologists and evaluates them in the fulgency
of Thomistic doctrine. Skilfully he sifts the wheat from the chaff and
gives us the plump kernel of sound doctrine. With a thorough under-
standing of the basic principles of the passions it is shown that they,
i1~ se, are not something for which humanity is to be ashamed; rather is
it: to rejoice in these happy phenomena of its nature. In the second part
it is shown that when the passions are subject to reason, they offe,r a
valuable means for progressing in the spiritual life. It is also shown where
the passions may, and so often do, become harmful; and more practically,
how insubordination of the passions to reason may be remedied. The
author further explains the abn ormal states into which people sometimes
fall so disastrously, and exposes the effect of these tragic pathological con-
ditions on the individual's culpability. (P. Lethielleux, Pa r is, 30 fr.)
\Ve are greatly pleased to welcome the latest work from the pen of one
of our learned and versatile educators. In the Introduction to the Bible, the
Rev. John Laux, M.A., will enhance the splendid reputation which he
achieved with his Church History. This book, while intended primarily for
high school students, will also be welcomed by many of the laity who have
not the time nor the training to make a deep study of the Bible. Father
Laux treats each book of the Old and New Testament, gives its historical
setting, then with selections from the text and comments thereon he gives
the reader a ready, workable knowledge of the book. A person reading
this volume through will not only discover it to be an absorbing and in-
spiring study but will find hims elf possessed of a surprisingly good knowl-
edge of Holy Scripture. The reviewer knows from personal experience
the value of Father Laux' Church Hist m·y for purposes of study, reading
and reference and he believes that this new book will likewise measure
up to the same tests. The generous use of maps, historical t ables and il-
lustrations contributes much to the interest and instruction of the reader.
(Benziger Brothers, New York, $1.12).
M. Loiay et le Modernism is the most recent addition to the valuable
historical and exegetical works of P ere Lagrange. The volume, written
in the style peculiar to P ere Lagrange, is a critical essay built upon the
Memoires of Loisy. It is by no means the intention of the author to at-
tack the personality of his subject, but rather to justify the position of the
Church in her condemnation of Loisy by showing that she was merely
following out her commission to preserve intact the deposit of Faith. The
competency of Lagrange to deal creditably with such a task goes without
question. No other man, perhaps, can claim more close connections with
the subject under discussion than he. The double allegiance of Loisy can
be detected from his seminary days to his formal break with the Church
and his subsequent actions in her regard. That Loisy went astray in his
attempt to prove "the relativity of dogma, as established through a critical
study of the Bible" is cogently and expressively demonstrated by Lagrange.
The central point of discussion chosen by the author as proof sufficient of
his position- the sense of the Gospel concerning the Person of Jesus
Christ- is a priceless perception into the exegetical systems that have
succeeded one another within the past thirty years. In his conclusion
Pere Lagrange portrays the inability of the liberal school to base its
contentions upon solid foundations_ Whereas unbiased exegetical re-
search only serves to prove the intervention of God in the things pertain-
ing to the world and humanity. To the enormous tomes of Loisy Lagrange
has replied simply and concisely. (Les ~ditions du Cerf, ] uvisy, !.5 fr.).
310 Dominicana

DEVOTIONAL, MEDITATIONS: The fourt h and fina l volume of

" Short Meditations for Busy Priests," by the late Father Anthony
Huonder, S.J., has been edited by the R ev. Balthasar Wilhelm, S.J. This
last volume of the series, Ali the Feet of the Divine Muter, under the
subtitle, "The Break of Dawn," is a beautiful exposition of the birth and
childhood of the Incarnate Son of God. It r eveals the depths of Father
Huonder's meditations on the dogma of the Incarnation, supported
throug hout by Scripture and Tradition. Priests will find it not on ly use-
ful in meditati on but r ich with suggestions for sermons as well. The
edi tor has compiled th is work from the papers of Father Huonder, ful-
filling the desire of many to see this se ries complete. (The B. Herder Book
Co., St. Louis, $2.25).
Ways of Spiritual Life is a book "of old spirituality for modern men."
"The original idea of this book," w rites Dom Cu thbert Butler in the
foreword to his book, "was to bring out wh at four Old Orders-Bene-
dictin e, Franciscan, Dominican, Carmelite-had to hold out, and still have,
of re ligious food and formation for good people in th e world." He has
made no attempt to consider all the Ways that have an influence upon
man's spiritual life. The Canons Regular and the Jesuits are not in-
cluded within the scope of this volume. Of the Canons Regular Dom
Cuthbert says: "To th ose who still desire a pres enta ti on of Canon Regular
spirituality, may simply be said : 'Read the Imitation! ' " A nd as regards
the J esuits, probably the best known of all the W ays in these days, he
says: "It is expo unded in numberless books of Sons of S·aint Ignatius ;
a nd for an outsider not trained in the 'Exercis es' to venture on an ex-
position of them, would be indeed an impertinence." He draws his matter
from the lives and writings of the most prominent exponents of each
Way. Thus St . Anselm, St. Bernard, St. Gert rude, and Blasi us portray
the spiritual life as consi dered by St. Benedict; St. Bonaventure is chose n
as representative of the Franciscan, while St. Thomas Aquinas and St.
Catherine of Siena exp ress the Dominican ideal. St. Teresa a nd St.
J ohn of the Cross are representative of the Carm elite Way. St. Francis
de Sales' W ay forms a n interesting chapter of the book. The spi rituality
of each Way is treated in a manner that will appeal to every reader. Of
special interest to many wi ll be the chapter on Liturgical Revival, because
of the r eawaken ed interest that is being shown in the liturgy and the
influence that it has upon the daily life of the Christian. It is an admi rable
book th at deserves caref ul re ading and thorough study. (Longmans, Green
& Co., N ew York. $2.50) .
The Reverend C. C. Martindale, S.J. , has given us another study of
the Missa l. In his book, The Wo.rda of the Missal, this theologian and
philologist presents to adult s in his fre e conversational style a workable
method of learning better to appreciat e the words they read as they
follow the priest at Mass. For those who do not know Lat in the author
works out in a n Appendix th e compar ative and interlinear "methods" of
learning this un iversal language as app lied to the Ordinary of the Mass.
But the book itself rarely quotes the Latin from the Missal, giving, rather,
the E ngl is h equivalent with a reference to that part of the Missal from
which it was taken . Not all the words of the Missal could be studied ;
hence only the more importan t ones are taken as examples to be followed
in studying the rest. The au thor presents them in a sequence of thought
that conforms in great measure to the adva nce of the human soul towards
perfection; thus he also teaches the re ader many principles of the spir-
itual life. After considering what the words of the Missal tell us of
"happiness," that universal desire of man , the writer shows how the Missal
prayers may make man realize his own "fragility" and then "God's initia-
tive," God's "powerful" and bountiful "largesse" in aiding him to perfec-
 Friara' Bookshelf 311

tion. As a result man becomes "transformed," "renewed" and "healthy,"

and by a certain "discipline" turns his mind to God and to prayer. He
finds out "How the Church prays to God" in the Missal and learns "how to
word his own prayers." By his prayers he is elevated to a higher state
of Christian perfection, to an appreciation of the "mystical" meaning of
things, and especially of the prayers at Mass. He begins to see Christ
as "the Light of Life" and draws from Him a certain "Newness of Life''
which leads him to "Charity and Unity and Peace." The closing two
chapters treat of the delicate shades of meaning of certain words, and
the Appendix mentioned above closes the unique book. It is a book
whose greatest defect seems to be the proof-reader's omission of a few
reference page numbers. It is a book that may be read with profit, but
if st11died it should guide one through meditation on the Mass to greater
spiritual perfection. (The Macmillan Co., New York, $2.00.)
The Rev. Harold Purcell, C.P., editor of The Sign, has compiled in a
neatly bound, vest-pocket size book prayers and meditations on the Pas-
sion of Our Lord. The Passion Prayer Book is made up of two parts,
RecaJling the Passion, and Prayers and Devotions. In the second part
every phase of the Church's lbturgy is interpreted in the light of the Pas-
sion. The familiar prayers tak e on a deeper meaning, they are said
with greater devotion, and consequently th ey are more meritorious when
the Passion of Our Lord, the Source of all our merit, is kept in mind.
Scarcely worth mentioning is an unimportant typographical error on p.
201. (D. B. Hansen & Sons, Chicago, $1.00, 1.50, 3.00, according to binding.)
Annus Myatico-Augustinianus is a meditation-help made up entirely
from the works of the great African Doctor. For every day in the year
there is an Oratio, Lectio, Proventus and Sententia taken from his com-
mentaries on the Sacred Scriptures, his sermons and other theological
writings. The editor, the Rev. Nazarenus Petrelli, O.S.A., has carefully
selected these quotations and given references. They represent St. Augus-
tine's most exalted th ought on religious topics. The work is conve ni ently
done in two small volumes. It has been called an Augustinian Vademecmn .
It is to be regretted, however, th at the editor did not add another index,
an alphabetical index of th e topics considered. (Marietti, Turin, L. 12.)
A Grain of Mustard Seed, edited by a member of the Monastery of the
Holy Name , Cincinnati, is a collection of the Memoirs and Utterances and
a sketch of th e life of Sister Mary Reparata, O.P., in which is manifested
the Providence of God over His elect. "The purpose of the sketch is
chiefly to introduce her as th e possible mouthpiece of One Who instructs
and warns against evil, attracts and encourages good." The rich bea uty
of her mystical life is evidenced by the record ed utterances, spontaneously
made, sometimes in sleep, sometimes wh en awake. The inspirat :onal value
of the utterances are inestimable. (Benziger Bros., New York. Paper,
$0.38; cloth $0.85).
"It is the mysterious gift of the hum an soul that it can remember back-
wards and think forward, dream over what the world was or ought to
have been before the soul itself came into being and what the world will
be like when the same soul is no longer her e." This is but one among
many beautiful thoughts suggested to Madame Sigrid Undset by some of
the more solemn Christian feastdays. Madame U nds et expresses these
thoughts in Christmas and Twelfth Night, a little volume, attractively
bound, illustrated with reproductions of sixteen masterpieces. The dis-
tinguished convert and authoress catches the true spirit of Christmas in
this group of practical reflections. (Longmans, Green & Co., New York,
$1.00.).
LITURGY: It encourages the teaching priest, brother and nun to
see such textbooks as The Missal and Holy Mau come from the press.
312 Dominicana
· -~ ...i . ::;r~.:t~f-f-~:{}:~;~}r;:·.: ~·· ..· 4

.-·.;·~~ ·p:-;....'": - ;• · ·

This elementary explanation of the things required for saying Mass, the
Liturgical year and the Manner of using the Missal was written by two
who understand that subject, the Rev. William J. Lallou, D.D., Professor
of Liturgy at St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook, Pa., and Sister J osefita,
Ph. D ., Supervisor of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Philadelphia. It is in-
tended as a textbook for the seventh and eighth grades but even with all
its pictures and simplicity it may be used to g reat advantage in the first
year of high school; for the lack of a knowledge of things Catholic in at
least the boys graduating from many of our Catho11c high schools is
unbelievable, unbelievab le until they are questioned about these things in
college. The liturgical movement can advance rapidly if textbooks such
as this are used to 1nterest the children in their impressionable years.
(Benziger Bros., New York, $0.72.)
To supply a need long felt by seminarians as the time for Major
Orders approaches, the Rev. Bernard J. Hausmann, S.J., has written
Le arning the Breviary. He explains fully the mechanics of the Breviary
and gives specimen Offices in graphic detail. A careful perusal of this
volume will g reatly facilbtate the seminarian's approach to the Breviary.
We are indebted to Father Hausmann. (Benziger Bros., New_Yqrk,_~0.)
From the press of Joseph F. Wagner, Inc., Publishers, has just come a
new booklet of Liturgical Prayers and Services. Just a glance at the table
of contents, with its thirty-one separate headings will convince the reader
that it is complete. Since it is revised according to the latest edition of the
R-it11ale Romanmn many prayers appearing in old liturgical manuals a re
omitted. Likewise the approved ritual is here given in detail. This manual
combines all the prayers of the public wor ship with the ritual for some of
the Sacraments, making a complete handbook for the priest in the Sanctu-
ary and Baptistry. The various blessings for religious articles are included
as well as the form for bestowing the scapular. (Joseph F. Wagner, Inc.,
New York, $2.00).
HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY: The Life of The Church, by the Reverends
Pierre Rousselot, S.J., L. de Grandmaison, S.J., V. Huby, S.J., and M. C.
D'Arcy, S.J., is an open invitation for the student of Church History to
cast a g lance over the colorful span of the Church's existence. This
concise outline is a valuable guide and introduction to the manifold ques-
tions which are so closely united with the essential movements of Christian
development. There is no attempt on the part of the authors t o exhaust
a subject which in itself is inexhaustible. Yet in this single volume of
three hundred and thirty-seven pages the five main divisions treat of so
many di·verse questions and in such a masterly fashion that one is im-
mediately fam iliarized with the forces that make the Church a vital factor
in the history of civilization. Briefly, though vividly, the Church is pic-
tured in her struggles with opposing forces. The enumeration of per-
sons, parties, wars, councils and theories are all delicately woven into this
united exposition of Catholic life through the centuries. Historical facts
are not found wanting, and it is worth noting with what emphasis and
precision the inner life of the Church is portrayed along with the out-
ward history of nations. The characters and ideals of Churchmen and
outstanding i>11dividuals of secular society are introduced with due reference
to their infl ue nce in the affairs of both Church and State. The inquiring
non-Catholic will likewise find this book of much assistance because of
its clarity and contents. (The Dial Press, New York, $2.50.)
The Rt. Rev. James Edward W alsh, Vicar Apostolic of Kongmoon,
China, has given us the life of his friend and che rished companion in
Father McShane of Maryknoll. We see from the start, when studying
the life of Father McShane, that his call was divine. "He was of an al-
most fragi le build and delicate health. He was perhaps the last man in St.
 Friars' Bookshelf 313
Mary's that one would pick for the forei g n missions, yet he was the first
to go." He happily underwent the inconven ien ces th at attend pioneering
and he never lost sight of the goal that God had marked out for him-
the souls in China. The author tells us in most fitting words how Father
McShane accepted the trials and hardships of China. He adapted him-
self to his surroundings "and did so with a success that made him a most
effective magnet for attracting souls. Better still, he did so with an ap-
parently pleasant ease th at quite masked the effort that must have been
involved: he had a r ose for his crucifix." His death was caused by small-
pox contracted from an infant whom he had baptized. "The Apostle of
the afflicted was to die as he had lived, closing his career by a last act of
charity_'' "He was fearless in the Charity of Ch rist"-a great commenda-
tion from a mortal superior; but an eternal reward with His Master far
exceeds anything we can say. (The Dial Press, New York, $1.00.)
Events in the life of a man can never be entirely separated from the
history of the century in which he lived. A fairly complete history of the
Church might be obtained by r eadi ng the biographies of her saints, from
Peter to Therese of the Child ] esus or Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother.
The Life of Saint John Eudes, by Henri J oly, was written in the light of
the times in which the Saint conducted his campaign for Heaven. Such
a life must be seen in the lig ht of ] ansenism and other errors of the day.
In this way the author has given us a n excellent picture of Saint John
Eudes an d the translation by the Rev. Joseph Leonard, C.M., is less
cumbersome than are many translations from the French. (Benziger Bros.,
New York, $2.15). .
POETRY, DRAMA: William Stanley Braithwairt e has edited the first
anthology ever made of the poems of Catholic Sisters and has called it
Our Lady's Choir. The arses and theses of these songs will act as a
pressus to the lover of poetry, for their inspi ration wells from the spirit
and they are dedicated to the True and Beautiful. Among these rhymes
one finds paraphrased versions of th e chansons, the psalmody, the hymns
of spirituality. Two metrical roses from th e literary bouquet of St.
Therese of the Child ] esus diffuse th eir perfume over the pages of this
book. Ralph Adams Cram, Litt. D., has written a masterly introduction
for this unique and original contribution to poetry. (Bruce Humphries,
Boston, $2.50.)
Mimes, Sacred and Profane, by H . D. C. Pepler, comes to us from
the London office of Samuel French, Publishers. It reflects a national
contrast in entertainment, for pantomime is a form little used in this
country. True we had some in the motion pictures before they began
to "speak," and in the B arrymore "Hamlet"-the play w~t hin the play
was enacted in pantomime while the lines were re ad by boys. Mr. Pepler
presents a group of pantomimes which merit attention a nd imitation,
though those of the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross might not
appeal to some. This little book is of particular interest to DoMINICANA
for it is printed by St. Dominic's Press, Ditchling Common, and is of
workmanship seldom seen in this machine age.
Zona Ga le, in her preface to the Seventh Series of One-Act Plays for
Stage and Study, says, "The one-act play is not so much the laboratory
of the playwright as it is the form of drama which he learns to write by
writing three- and four-act plays." The twenty-one plays that follow this
assertion give ample testimony to its truth, for each is an example of the
dramatic perfection that can be attained in the one-act play, and all are
worthy of close study. (Samuel French, New York, $3.00.)
Mrs. Rose Franken has written a play which is most aptly named,
if we are to judge it with its contemporaries. For, although Another
Language is the Hallam family portrait in which the only outsiders are
the wives of the H allam men, Mrs. Franken's skill in dialogue and charac-
314 Dominicana

ter-sketching has brought out subtle shadings a nd strong highl ights that
lift this play above the commonplace and make it a thing apart. (Samuel
French, New York, $2.00.)
FICTION: To-day the intelligent reader not only expects truth but
demands it. This fact is evidenced by the increa sing number of frank
biographies and histori es presented to correct the long-sta nding errors
of men whose bias ha s outweighed their honor. Tudor Sunset, by Mrs.
Wilfred Ward, is a romantic novel based on historical material that is
vouched for in an appendix giving the writer's several sources and
authorities. Mrs. Ward's chief characters, a girl and a man, are evidently
fictitious, but they move among characters of history-Elizabeth, Essex,
Cecil, Lady Arundel, the poet-priest Southwell, and numberless recusants.
It is the story of the persecution of Catholics during the last three years
of Elizabeth's reign. The heroine, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, is
entangled in the plots and counterplots that are laid to the charge of
Catholics and barely escapes the fate of so many of her Catholic friends.
Some passages of this book might be taken for an English martyrology
for they reveal the fortitude, the faith of Englishmen which we are prone
to regard as characteristic only of the early Christians. It is a moving
story. It testifies that, try as they might, the Tudors, aided by a Cecil,
a Topcliffe, an Essex, could not stamp out the faith of their fathers. (Long-
mans, Green & Co., New York, $2.00.)
Magnificat, the next to last novel of its famous author, the devoted
son of the Church, Rene Bazin, is a simple, straight-forward tale of a
double problem: vocation, renunciation-a theme that our sensation-
seeking realists might have treated with pseudo-scientific tortuosity.
Gildas, torn between a call to the priesthood and his love for Anna, finaJly
yields to the Greater Love. On her part, then, the girl has the struggle
between her love for him and her resignation to the Divine Will. Bazin
has presented a most appealing story. (The Macmillan Company, New
York, $2.00.)
Many novels entertain; few instruct. The Rev. Owen Francis Dudley,
however, has the happy faculty of combining entertainment and instruc-
tion in his works of literary fiction, the latest of which comptetes h(s
"Problem of Human Happiness" series. Although in Pageant of Life an
apologetical strain is apparent throughout the story it in no way detracts
from the absorbing interest of the novel. On the contrary it adds to it.
The apologetical novel properly balanced is an effective way to disseminate
Catholic doctrine. Pageant of Life brings us into close contact with the
difficulties and prejudices which beset non-Catholics and we sympathize
with our separated brethren. How to give more than sympathy, however,
is exemplified in the character of Dr. Anselm Thornton, the "Masterful
Monk" of other years. One cannot but feel proud of a Catholic like Dr.
Thornton. Under his influence and through the unselfish devotion of
June Campion, the militant career of Cyril Rodney is brought to a tri-
umphant close-martyrdom for the Cross he once so hated. Cyril was no
ordinary man. Of him Fr. Dudley writes: "I have never known a per-
sonality quite so baffling; so hidden by reserve and yet so strangely at-
tractive and compelling; so human and yet so alone. Bernard Rodney
provides a distinct contrast to his brother, Cyril. Bernard is the so-called
Modernist, scornful of all convention. An Oxford graduate, clever with
words, he seeks to justify his position by his writings and criticisms. He
is not clever enough, though, to deceive Dr. Thornton who deals with him
accordingly. June Campion, the fiancee of Cyril, is one of those beautiful
souls that exist in r eality as well as in novels. One is forced to admire
her. The story is laid in England during the pre-war days; on the battle
fi elds of France during the war; and in Russia immediately after the war.
The author knows Engla nd; he served as chaplain on the battle fields
 Friars' Bookshelf 315
during the war; a nd he startles us with the "Red" ending. Fr. Dudley's
Pagea1•t of Life makes one wonder about one's own pageant of life and
whether it will end as did Cyril's with arms outstretch ed for Him. (Long-
mans Green & Co., New York, $2.00).
The Postmaste r-General is not a history. Perhaps in 1960 someone
versed in the literature of the early part of the twentieth century will sit
complacen tly in a London club and having listened to the foibles of
and politics discussed by his fellows will with great self satisfactio n men
de-
clare : "Why, Hilaire Belloc knew all about it way back in '32". In The
Postmaster-Ge1•eral we have Belloc looking into the future through humor-
ous glasses. His character delineatio ns are always clever. There are
thirty pencil sketches by G. K. Chesterto n. (] . B. Lippincot t Co., Phila-
delphia, $2.00).
CHILDRE N'S BOOKS: I Go To Confession , by Sister B. Alphonsus
(Benziger Bros., $0.15) and A Child's Happiest Moments -When Jesus,
Comes, by a Sister of Notre Dame (Frederick Pustet, $0.25) are prayer
books for little children. The first, a sequel to "I Go To Mass," takes
into considerat ion merely the Sacramen t of Penance, but the second has
a wider scope, including Mass, Holy Communi on and Confessio n. Both
are attractivel y illustrated with colored prints and are printed in large
type.
Henri Gheon proves his literary ability again in St. Germaine of the
WoJf Country. A little more than three hundred years ago lived tl\is
holy shepherde ss in Southern France. Afflicted with an infirmity and
tyrannical step-moth er she bore her sufferings patiently, and humblya
practiced self-inflic ted hardships for love of God and His holy Mother.
Many incidents in her short life, for she was only twenty-on e when she
died, are full of dramatic interest. Perhaps the utter lack of affectation
in the language of this book is due in great part to the art of the translator ,
F. ] . Sheed. Yet, as the sketch comes to us, we are assured, though it
is a child's story, it will not be read by children alone. (Longman s, Green
& Co., New York, $1.00.) ·
The most famous literary work of Cardinal Wiseman, Fabiola, has
been edited recently by the Rev. ] ohn R. Hagan and Alice C. Hagan, and
published as a school editio~>. No one denies the literary value and educa-
tional potentialit ies in this novel. To facilitate its use in the school a
glossary for the pronuncia tion of proper names has been added, and
definitions of "big" words are given in foot-notes . (Longman s, Green &
Co., New York, $0.75.)
PAMPHL ETS: A Victim of the Seal of Confessio n, by the Rt. Rev.
Nicholas Pfeil, D.D., is a dramatic narrative of a priest, who, filled with
the spirit of his vocation, preferred to die by hanging rather than to break
the Seal of Confession . (Catholic Bureau, C.C.V. of A., St. Louis, $0.10.)
Nnvena to Christ the King, by the Rev. A. D. Frenay, O.P., Ph. D.,
is the latest of the Paulist Pamphlets , Prayer Book Series. During the
course of the nine days our Lord is considered in the many aspects of
His divine Kingship. Each day is made up of Scriptural Reading, Medita-
tion and Prayer. Excerpts from the Missal for the feast and several
poems by Sister Mary Anselma, O.S.D., besides short supplemen tary essays
round out this pamphlet. (The Paulist Press, New York.)
The Rev. Thomas M. Schwertn er, O.P .. has compresse d into less than
fifty pages an interestin g sketch of a most interestin g man and beloved
saint, St. Albert the Great. A novena to St. Albert is included and
sixteenth century litany for private use concludes the booklet. (Thea
Paulist Press, New York.)
The first hand-book of Lourdes in English appears under the title
Lourdes in the High Pyrenees. The author, Cecilia M ary Young, gathered
her material from first-hand sources in Lourdes. The many visions of
316 Dominicana

Bernadette and her trial ar e described from the documents. Part Two,
"Lourdes: a Study," goes into the detail of Lourdes as it is to-day. To
all who wish to know Lourdes and to all those who wish to see Lourdes
if they go to the High Pyrenees, we heartily recommend this booklet.
(B uecher Publishing Co., Belleville, Ind., $0.50.)
La Croiaade Euc hariatique by Marie Fargues is a splendid exhorta-
tory to Promoters and to those interested in the spiritual development of
children. It places special emphasis on the psychology of religious educa-
tion. (Les Editions du Cerf, Juvisy. 2 fr. 50.)
In the form of letters the very Rev. Msgr. ]. B. McDonald, V. F.
explains The Problema of A Mixed Marria ge. He addresses these six
letters to the non - Catholic but they can be read by all with profit. The
pamphlet is written as another help to the busy pastor. (Benziger Bros.,
New York, $0.10.)
BOOKS RECEIVED: Napo leon, by Hila ire Belloc (Lippencott, $4.00);
Sir Bertram Windle, by Monica Taylor , S.N.D., D. Sc. (Longmans-Gre en,
$4.00); S o cial Anthropology, by Paul Radin (McGraw-Hill, $3.50); The
E ra of the M uc kra kers, by C. C. Regier (University of North Carolina
Press, $2.50) ; A ccording t o Cardinal Newman, The life of Christ and the
Mission of His Church as t old in th e writings of John Henry, Cardinal
Newman, compiled by A. K. Maxwell (Dial Press, $2.00); from Les
Editions de Cerf, Juvisy, France: the third and fourth volumes of the
collection, Les Sciences & L'Art de L'fi.dncation: La M e thode des Tests,
by Rene Nihard (13fr.); La F orma tio n Sociale diana l'Enseignement
Secon daire, by Jean J aouen (12 fr.); and V ie de Je sus, a new edition of
a seventeenth century work, by Cardinal de Berulle, edited by Pere A.
Molien (8 fr.); two books from P. Lethielleux, Paris: La V ie Future,
edited by Abbe Chapeau from th e works of Pere Monsabre, O.P. (12 fr.)
and D ana Ia Beaute Ravonnante des Psaum e s, by Louis Soubigou, S .T .D.
( 18 fr.); The Q uestion and T he Answer (Science and Culture Series),
by Hilaire Belloc (Bruce, $1.25); from Benziger Bros.; Gemma Galgani,
the inspiring history of a little victim of divine love, by the Rev. John P.
Clarke ($1.00) ; The D iv ine Savior, a presentation of Our Lord's Earthly
Mission, by the Rev. Winfrid Herbst, S.D.S. ($1.00); four novels for young
folk: Adv e nture Island, involving "Archduke Rudolf," a refugee from
Germany, by Fergaf McGrath, S. J. ($1.25); Red H alligan, a story replete
with fast ac tion, by William F. Hendrix, S.J. ($1.25); M ary R ose's Sister
BeGs, a look-in on boarding school life, by Mary Mabel Wirries ($1.00) ;
E llen o f the P lains Country, including an account of the work of the
Catholic Sisters in the so-called "Vacation Schools," by Stephen Morris
Johnston ($1.25); From Samuel French, 25 W . 45th Street, New York:
B reezy Episo des, a collection of thirty -one original monologues, by Mary
Cecil ($1.50); five volumes of French's Standard Library Edition : Window
Panes, a three-act drama of Russia, by Olga Printzlau; Take My T ip, a
comedy in three acts, by Nat N. Dorfman; S h e Couldn 't Say No, a comedy
in three acts, which appeared previously under the title of "Gentlemen of
the Jury," by Benjamin M. Kaye; Ladies of Creation, a modern com edy
in three acts, revised and rewritten from its former title, "Privat e Lif e,"
by Gladys Unger; Mary's Ankle, a republication of the three- act fa rce,
by May Tully; and The House in B lind Alley, republication, a comedy
in three acts, by Elmer Rice, (each, $0.75); "Three Strikes- You're Out!"
a big league comedy in three acts, by Wilbur Braun; The Impatience of
Job, a character comedy in three acts, by Pauline Phelps and Mar ion
Short (each, $0.50); three one-act plays by Augustus Thomas: A Proper
Improp riety, a comedy; Editha's Burglar, a dramatic sket ch ; A Constitu-
tional Point, a play involving t he Supr eme Court; and Reat and Quiet,
"a one-act comedy of complications and jangled nerves," by Katherine
Haviland-Taylor (each $0.30).