REVIEW OF SECOND EDITION OF THE LETTERS. 393

"Ingoldsby" is a name well known in modern English literature, first by the "Ingoldsby Legends," and now by the "Ingoldsby Letters." We wish we could say that these letters were somewhat in the nature of legends, but indeed they tell a true and sorrowful tale -a tale often told of a blind unreasoning resistance, of persons who are in authority, to the moderate requests of those who know that the safety of a Church, like that of a State, consists in cautious progress,— in going forward, and not in sitting still.

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'Ingoldsby," the author of these instructive as well as interesting letters, is, we believe, the Rev. James Hildyard, a distinguished scholar of the University of Cambridge, who remains-by some oversight, we are sure, on the part of the dispensers of Church prefermentrector of a small country parish in Lincolnshire. He has the pen of a ready writer, considerable powers of sarcasm and irony, an inexhaustible supply of allusions to, and quotations from, the best writers of ancient and modern times, a genial love of liberty, and a hearty detestation of all attempts to revive in the Church of England those arbitrary principles of Laud, which once overthrew the Church, and will overthrow it again, unless they are checked. Believing that the Prayer-book, though very good, may be made better-that the divines who lived two or three centuries ago did not monopolise all the wisdom and piety of the country, but have left a little of both to the people of the present day-believing these things, "Ingoldsby" has come to the conclusion that we may safely, and should without delay, suit the Prayer-book to the wants of our own times.

Having by a very simple process come to this conclusion, he, like a sincere and honest Englishman, being in downright earnest about the matter, applies himself to the uninviting task of showing that all the objections now made against altering a line, even a word, in the Book of Common Prayer, have been made over and over again—in fact, whenever the subject has been agitated, and that they have also been answered as often as made.

It is well known that every reform which has been made in the Church, and every reform which has been made in the State, involving ecclesiastical questions, has been obstinately resisted by the majority of the clergy, but has been carried in spite of their opposition, and has proved ultimately for the peace and welfare of the Church. This is the great lesson which "Ingoldsby" is teaching. The ministers of the Established Church should not require to be taught such a lesson. At school and at college they read history, but they seem little the wiser for it at least, the majority of them. They should remember that the Church can no more resist reforms with safety than the State can; what is good and safe for the latter is good and safe for the former.

"Ingoldsby's" object is to advocate not so much this or that alteration, much less does he seek the triumph of High Church or Low

Church; but his aim is, as we have said, to show that all the objections urged by the bishops, and others who look to them as the sources of inspiration and-what is perhaps more important—of preferment, are worthless. Of all dangers which beset the Established Church, there is no danger so great as that of resisting reasonable reforms. This is what "Ingoldsby" sees, and what he wishes others to see. As wellwishers of the Established Church, we hope that his enlightened views will prevail gradually among Churchmen; we hope that they will read and ponder his letters, and that they will be induced, before it is too late, to adapt the Church to the wants and wishes of the people of the nineteenth century.

The "Ingoldsby Letters" abound in sarcasm of a refined and therefore telling character. Some of the bishops are, it is true, severely censured for the manner in which their sentiments on Church reforms have changed with their change of position in the Church. The Bishop of Oxford is of necessity frequently alluded to in the letters. It is impossible to deny that this bishop-through his undoubted abilities, his mystical eloquence, his tact, and those various personal advantages which strongly affect the feminine mind,-the melodious voice and polished manners,-is exercising a powerful influence over certain classes of society. We believe that it is not a healthy influence. The great body of the people are with "Ingoldsby" in this matter. A rigid ecclesiastical system, which is plainly with too many clergymen the ideal of a perfect church, is utterly unsuited to the present generation. The great value of these letters of "Ingoldsby" is the courageous protest which they make against this Sacerdotalism. We should be glad to see the same protest repeated in higher quarters. Nor can we forbear adding that it is not for the honour, it is not for the advantage of the Episcopal Church, that the Bishop to whom we have alluded should exercise such enormous influence over his brethren. It is hardly necessary for us to say that the large, tolerant, and liberal views which are entertained by Mr. Hildyard have our entire sympathy; they are the same which we have invariably advocated as the best for Church and State. "Above everything Liberty," said the glorious John Selden; and in this noble spirit "Ingoldsby" writes, and for this we admire him.

We recommend to our readers the "Ingoldsby Letters;" they will see the weak character of the objections brought against revising the Prayer-book, and acknowledge that we have not spoken too highly of the author and his writings.

The Author would also hope to be forgiven the pardonable weakness of putting on record here the opinion entertained of his work by a well-known Editor, to whom he begs to take

this opportunity of returning his sincere thanks for this honest and unbought testimony to one whom he has never seen, and who is only known to him as an unit among the many contemporary Clergy who are honoured by a niche in his gallery of Portraits.

REVIEW OF THE INGOLDSBY LETTERS IN THE CHURCH

PORTRAIT JOURNAL," MAY, 1877.

THE INGOLDSBY LETTERS, IN REPLY TO THE BISHOPS IN CONVOCATION AND IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, ON THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER. By the Rev. James Hildyard, B.D., Rector of Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire.

We have received copies of these two handsomely printed and bound volumes, the publication of which excited so much attention and controversy some fifteen years ago. The author of the appropriately named "Ingoldsby Letters" is the Rev. James Hildyard, whose photograph appeared in our last number (April, 1877). The writer deals with the question of Prayer-book Revision, which was the theme of so much disputation about fifteen years ago, in a series of one hundred and twenty-eight letters to various journals. These letters advocate a view of the subject which was not then-and is not at the present time to a much greater extent-in favour with the heads and chief authorities of the Church. It is impossible, however, notwithstanding any failure to agree with the writer's arguments and conclusions, to do otherwise than admire the skilful way in which he handles a confessedly difficult subject, and envy the literary ability which has put generally unentertaining matter into so popular and readable a shape. Mr. Hildyard is a perfect master of sharp, pointed, and appropriate quotation; the classical writers of old and the popular authors of modern times are alike pressed into his service, and their happiest conceptions and most pithy epigrams turned to account. It is interesting in the present day to turn over particulars of the controversies and struggles which obtained in the Church fifteen years ago, and many of which, unhappily, are still going forward :—some in a greater, some in a less degree. Mr. Hildyard's account of the riots at St.-George's-inthe-East, in Letters LXIV., LXV., LXVI., is painfully interesting. The thought of what the present condition of the parish is, brings a sense of relief to the unpleasant feeling raised by the picture presented of the then state of affairs. Mr. Hildyard's INGOLDSBY LETTERS are well worthy of perusal,-if not altogether for the line of thought and opinion which they adopt,-at all events for their literary ability, their pleasing diction, and the unquestionable scholarship of their author.

THE following notice also, selected out of many, of the THIRD EDITION of these Letters appeared in the Illustrated News of the World, No. 286, July 25, 1863:

A collective and complete edition of these admirable letters of the Rector of Ingoldsby-the Rev. James Hildyard-is a desideratum, and one which we are glad to see has at length been supplied.

To his great theme, the REVISION OF THE LITURGY, Mr. Hildyard has devoted no inconsiderable amount of time and learning, money and thought. Like all reformers, he is at present in a minority, but he has faith in the future-the signs of which become brighter every day.

When he first undertook the subject on which he has been so long engaged, he was fully aware that he was entering upon one which would prove not only uninviting itself, but calculated to array against him an immense amount of personal hostility. For the latter event he was prepared, but his difficulty was how to make his argument popular. No one will read a dull book if he can help it, and as the subject was essentially a dull one, there was no chance of obtaining readers so long as the old beaten track was pursued. He felt that his only chance of getting readers lay in his ability to provoke or

amuse.

Mr. Hildyard has succeeded in both, and his book is all the better for it. He is a fine specimen of the English clergyman. He is of no party in the Church. All he wishes is a REVISION OF THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, honestly and fairly set about. In his letters devoted to this subject, he deals with his opponents and their arguments with all the weapons at his command, whether of ridicule or reason, and his volumes are no mean addition to the theological and controversial literature of the age.