13.-Dom Cisneros, nephew of the illustrious Cardinal Ximénès, and abbot of the famous monastery of MontSerrat, was the author of a treatise on spiritual exercises widely known, frequently published, and translated into several languages. Perhaps among ourselves both writer and book have come into commonest notice as being associated with the first steps in the path of sanctity taken by St. Ignatius Loyola; for as it was to a former disciple of Cisneros that the saint made the general confession which marked the turning of his soul from the world to God, so it was from Cisneros' book, apparently, that the inspiration was drawn for the composition of that masterly treatise which has appropriated as its own for ever the title of The Exercises.

Written long ago though it was, this volume, now again translated into French, shows itself to be possessed of that perennial aptness 'which makes true spiritual teaching. It presents a programme of exercises for each day of the week, and many a suggestion calculated to excite spiritual ambition, to foster earnestness, and to direct progress successfully. If it differs from the Ignatian Exercises in being less precise and methodical, it differs again in this-that it imparts masterly teaching on those higher states of prayer which St. Ignatius leaves outside his scope. Instructions on the contemplative life and encouragement to follow the path that leads to contemplative prayer occupy no small portion of the work, and for this alone it would be a welcome thing to those who find so little reading of the kind put within their reach. To the present volume, then, we draw the attention of those who are willing to aspire as high as God will permit, all that is presented in these pages being truth stamped by age-long approval.

14. Most people possibly get out of their spiritual reading what they put into it—a spirit of piety and a willingness to serve God with devotion. To this extent the pious reader will be helped by Father Raycroft's recent volume of May conferences. But we cannot always rely on having our readers pious before they come to our books. The problem for the writer of popular spiritual literature, it seems to us, is to attract and

Exercises Spirituels et Directoire des Heures Canonicales: Ecrits en espagnol en l'an 1500. Par Dom Garcias Cisneros, O.S.B. Traduits en Française par l'Abbé Joseph Rousseau. Paris: Victor Retaux. 1902

A Little Chaplet for the Queen of Angels; or, a Short Meditation for Every Evening in May. By Rev. B. T. Raycroft, A.M. New York and Cincinnati: Fr. Pustet.

hold the attention of some minds from among the multitude who are not too well disposed to piety and to holy reading. To do this one needs more virility of instruction and of stimulation than is evident on every page of Father Raycroft. This is not saying that the volume in hand is not good. It is good.

15.—These are two very attractive little volumes on the Lives of the Saints, which-unless we do not know childrenthe little ones will read with as much enjoyment as they would a set of fairy tales. It might be objected, by some sinister critic, that our comparison is too apt, for the short "lives" are crowded as full of the marvellous as can be; but, with a judicious father or mother to explain just what lessons we are to learn from the sometimes more allegorical than veritable parts of these stories, they can do no harm, and must do a great deal of good. And if the good be done, it will be done pleasantly, for the volumes are beautiful, the pictures are charming, the stories are short and of captivating interest.

16. In the series of articles which M. de Kirwan has brought together from the Cosmos † he treats of a great variety of those psychical phenomena which are very interesting to the popular mind on account of their more or less extraordinary strangeness. Under the name of Dissociation psychologique, M. de Kirwan treats of sleep, dreaming, hypnotism, double personality, mediums, etc. The great variety of the subjects considered makes scientific treatment impossible in the short space of fifty-two octavo pages. However the brochure will probably do its work in offering to the popular mind an interesting exposition of these strange phenomena.

17-Roderick Taliafero is the title given to a story of the last days of Maximilian's empire. It is full of excitement, builded upon an impossible structure of challenges, duels, bullfights, flirtations, embraces, arrests, ambushes, battles, executions, etc., and no doubt is meant to keep the imagination heated feverishly and unintermittently. In the course of the book its author gives-unconsciously, no doubt-a series of • Short Lives of the Saints (for children). From approved sources. Two vols. First and Second Series. Illustrated. Boston: Marlier & Co. 1902.

† Quelques observations sur la dissociation psychologique. Par M. C. de Kirwan. (Extraites du Cosmos, 1902-1903). Paris: Feron-Vrau. Pp. 52.

Roderick Taliafero. By George Cram Crook. New York: The Macmillan Company.

object lessons in mushy sentimentalism, unabashed stupidity, and silly speculation. Fragmentary scientific allusions, raw and doughy enough to cloy any appetite, are dished up, halfcooked, here and there throughout the volume. If by any chance this volume should succeed, no one can trace that result to the fact that Mr. Crook knew what he was writing about, or wrote about it well; but indeed we fancy the book will find little favor except from readers who believe that the irreligious and salacious tendencies of men are to be encouraged rather than repressed.

18. This book consists of scenes in peasant life in Donegal; they affect the reader like the reminiscences of one who bore a part in them, valuing them in some way more deeply than even sympathy values those things to which it responds. There is here a fulness of insight into the nature which lay below the listening of the groups to the tale beside the fireside, the arguments, the genial cynicisms, and the pranks which constitute so many manifestations of that poetic, careless, laughter-loving Celtic soul breathing in each one of the people, young and old, presented to us in these pages.

That pure and profound passion of breast and heart which in so many spots amid "the green hills of holy Ireland" gives a finer touch to young lives than is dreamt of in Greek idyl, is shown to us by Mr. MacManus as it is, a commonplace fact; and being so shown the reader, in spite of himself, in a manner unconsciously, becomes a true critic because he feels the naturalness of it together with its delicacy. It is this spiritual softness which later on becomes so strong and tender in matronage and makes marriage a religion in the poor homes. Men talk of that gaiety of heart which sustains, and which so long sustained, the Irishman when circumstances pressed upon him with a weight that other men could not bear and live. There may be a degree of truth in this, but the real resisting and conquering influence was soul in harmony with religion, religion strengthening and consecrating the domestic virtues.

Chatham finely said when speaking of the inviolable sacredness of an Englishman's house guarded by the constitution: the wind and rain may enter through the roof, the broken windows, the creviced walls, but the King of England cannot enter that house, nor his soldiers, nor his power. And we say,

* A Lad of the O'Freels. By Seumas MacManus. New York: McClure, Phillips & Co.

though the king could enter into the Irishman's poor cottage with his writ of ejectment, though the bailiffs level it to the ground, though death on the roadside were his, or what would be as hard to face, emigration, there was that within him strong enough not only to put aside despair but rise superior to every calamity.

Such reflections are suggested by the 24th chapter, which bears the title "At Uncle Donal's Fireside again." As an accompaniment to the sadness and strength of spirit displayed by Dinny when telling of his intention to emigrate we point to an early chapter, the sixth, in which Uncle Donal speaks with weariness of heart and almost of scorn about O'Connell's promises repeated after fresh disappointments, but at the same time when at his prayers we have the good old man, shrewd and suspicious though he was, offering "wan Pater-and- Ave for poor sufferin' Irelan'."

On the wild humorous side the growing boys perform feats as reckless, as dare-devil as any we find in Lover's novels, making allowance for age and opportunity. Under the guidance of the "Vagabone," who has the most perfect mad devil of fun outside Shakspere or Ireland, there is enacted a siege of Dunboy which deserves to rank with the greatest achievements of boyhood ever since boys deserved to be loved and floggeda reach of time which we apprehend includes years long anterior to Babylonian records or the mysteries shrouded in Irish Oghams.

We have very great pleasure in recommending this work; and as we write this, a curious contrast presents itself to our minds. When Mr. Townsend French gave to the world an historico-autobiographical book called Realities of Irish Life he dealt in part of the publication with the same locality and people. Nothing could be falser than the impression produced by the serious work; nothing truer than that made by the one before us, though it only professes to be sketches revivified by the imagination from associations of the memory.

19. New editions of the Barnes' school histories have reached us, which conduct the pupil from the discovery of America to Roosevelt's administration. An attractive typography and interesting illustrations add a new recommendation to these well-known works.

* Barnes' School History of the United States. Barnes' Elementary History of the United States. New York: American Book Company.

The Month (June): Fr. Smith continues his investigation into the causes which led the Pope to suppress the Jesuits, and the suspicions of a schismatical plot entertained against their Superior-General, Ricci. Fr. Thurston contributes a paper to the controversy regarding the authenticity of the Twelfth Promise made to Blessed Margaret Mary, first printed in leaflets and widely disseminated in 1870. Laying aside, for the time, all questions of the validity of her revelations, the writer concludes there is much excuse to be made for those who have accepted and published the Twelfth Promise, but "that the text should be accurately quoted, and that the essentially conditional character of all such assurances should be explained is imperative."

The Tablet (6 June): Correspondents ask for facts and figures in regard to the effect of the "Nine First Fridays," ard seem to think that more scandal is likely to be given by this prolonged discussion than by the devotion itself. Roman Correspondent reports an important experiment which is being made under the auspices of the Christian Democratic Association in Romagna to unite the interests of capital and labor in the cultivation of the soil. Mgr. Moyes contributes the first number of a series of articles on the Pre-reformation Church in England.

(13 June): Father J. H. Pollen, S.J., begins an article on "Oates' Plot," called forth by a recent publication by Mr. John Pollock on the same subject. In a paper entitled "The Last English Carthusian" Dr. L. C. Casartelli shows that this distinction does not belong, as has been stated, to Prior Williams, who died in 1797, but to the Rev. James Finch, who died in 1821, and was buried at Fernyholgh in Lancashire.

Fr. McNabb, O.P., reviewing Fr. Thurston's article on the "Nine Fridays" in The Month for June, reaches

different conclusion from that of Fr. Thurston and seems to think that the article proves that the mind of the church was unfavorable to the "great promise." Father Thurston, S.J., and other correspondents give state