Church History Society. Rules.-I. This Society is open to all readers of the Magazine, by payment of an annual FEE of Is. II. Questions are set each month. The answers to them must be sent (1) addressed to Bog-Oak, care of Messrs. A. D. Innes & Co., (2) not later than the 1st of the month following, (3) written on foolscap paper, on one side of the sheet, and occupying not much more than six sheets; (4) each sheet to be signed with a nom de plume. III. Fees also are to be sent to Bog-Oak. IV. Answers will be criticised in the Magazine. No private correspondence is undertaken with regard to them. V. Information in getting up the answers may be drawn from any source. But during, and after writing the answers, dictionaries only may be consulted. Prizes of books are given. In value and number, these depend on the number of entries. They are given for the year's work, but Competitors who have only taken six months may have a prize awarded. THE AGE OF ELIZABETH AND JAMES 1. VII. WRITERS AND WRITINGS OF THE PERIOD. 25. Make a list of the chief ecclesiastical writers from 1559-1625 (giving one or two of their chief works)— and underline a few of those books which you consider to have most influenced the age. 26. Give an account of the contents of one of the books you have underlined; and give three or four allusions to Reformation principles in the secular poets of these reigns. 27. Give a very brief account of Bishops Jewel and Andrewes, pointing out how each was representative of his time. 28. A life of Hooker. For Juniors. 25. Mention any great English Church writers of the reigns of Elizabeth and James I. 26. Make a list of any of their writings you remember, with a short account of one. 27. A short account of one of the following: Bishop Jewel, Dr. Donne, Sir Henry Wootton, or Bishop Andrewes. 28. A life of Hooker. Books recommended:-Walton's Lives (S.P.C.K.); Keble's edition of Hooker's Works, vol. i.; Zurich Letters (for Jewel); Perry's English Church History (Series II.); Cameos from English History; Ward's Counter-Reformation; and Wakeman's Church and the Puritans (both in Epochs Series). Answers to be sent to Bog-Oak, care of the Publishers, by August 1st. 13. Etheldreda, Water Wagtail, Honeysuckle, Gooseberry and Simple Simon make the best selection of events in French Church History at this period, and Elingar and Bo-peep give very good accounts of the Battle of Ivry. The conversion of Henri IV., his absolution by the Pope, which was delayed till 1595, and the passing of the Edict of Nantes are so important that none should have omitted them. Fidelia: Bog-Oak does not think the accession of Henri III. very important, as it inaugurated no immediate change of Church policy. The Holy League was founded in 1576, not 1585. Twenty-one: The Battle of Ivry was in 1590. Twenty-one says that Henri of Guise used the League as a stepping-stone to the throne, and that he attained this object. Does she think it was he who reigned as Henri IV.? Bog-Oak thinks on the whole the seven best chosen events were: (1) The Peace of Monsieur (involving the founding of the Holy League); (2) Assassination of the Guises; (3) Murder of Henri III. ; (4) Ivry; (5) Acceptance of Decrees of Trent; (6) Henri IV.'s Absolution, etc.; (7) The Edict of Nantes. 14. The Holy League is very carefully done by Etheldreda,_Water Wagtail, and Honeysuckle, and the Nemesis of St. Bartholomew by Elingar. Marguerite says the Holy League was formed in 1571, against Louis VII. (who died in 1180) by Julius II. (died 1513), Henry VIII. (died 1547), and others. She must correct her chronology. Fidelia: The Holy League was of national French growth, to begin with. Philip II. came into it afterwards. Twenty-one and Four-and-twenty have got the Holy League of seventy years earlier, a little more correctly than Marguerite. But as there was one during this period, Bog-Oak naturally would not go back to 1511. Viola might have included Henri III.'s murder among the punishment of the actors in the St. Bartholomew; he was murdered by the party of his accomplices, the Guises. Elingar's account is excellent, as she traces the punishment of the Parisians in the dreadful siege of Paris. 15. Among the celebrated persons, De Mornay, 'the Huguenot Pope,' is quite the favourite; the Flagellants, too, and the Paris' Seize ' seem to have proved interesting. Fidelia: It was Henri III., not Henri IV., who brought the Flagellants into fashion. This question is best answered by Etheldreda, Water Wagtail, and Honeysuckle, and Bog-Oak can hardly give enough praise to Water Wagtail's De Mornay, and Honeysuckle's Rosny. 16. Full and good accounts by Etheldreda and Water Wagtail of Henri's conversion and of the Edict of Nantes, the one the pacification of the Catholic party, the other of the Huguenot. Viola gives a very accurate account of the Edict. Both were politic steps, and there seems no reason for doubting the sincerity of Henri's conversion to a religion he manifestly preferred. If it was horrible that Rome should accept him 'In the blossom of his sins, with all his imperfections on his head,' it was also disgraceful that the Huguenots should have been more than willing to retain him, sins and all. In truth it was (and is) disgraceful when sin is condoned in high places. The China Cupboard. ARRANGED BY CHELSEA CHINA. (For the regulations of all Monthly Packet' Competitions, see p. 128.) FIRST SHELF. VARIETY SUBJECT. MAY. THE MATCHED HEROES. Take three well-known heroes of modern fiction, and match them respectively with the three heroines whom you consider would be most suitable to them. Well, really, on the whole, the authors seem to know best. Chelsea China expects that most of the banns here called would be forbidden by other admirers of the parties in question. She considers Blue Wings has made the best hits in the serious line, and Mirabel in the comic. E.L.M.: Sherlock Holmes-Becky Sharpe; Colonel Enderby-Molly Gibson; Seth Bede-Grace Harvey. Lettie: Dorothea Brooke-Robert Falconer (oppressive); Aunt Anne- Mr. Pickwick; Lydgate-Shirley. Fon: Robert Elsmere-Dorothea Brooke ; Adam Bede-Jeanie Deans; the Little MinisterMargaret, in 'The Cloister and the Hearth.' Theodora: John Herring-Margaret Elginbrod; Jan Mairnach-Helen Ward; Charlie Scrope-Mona McClean (he'd have bored her). A.F.G.: Dodo's Jack-Dagmar; Alaric Lambourne-Erica (he was too contrary); Hero of Ships that pass in the Night'-Ethel May (she wouldn't have looked at him). Indiana: Portia -Lord Evandale; Dorothea Brooke-Aldous Raeburn (yes, perhaps); Cheriton Lester-Ethel May (oh no!). Lancelot: Lance Underwood— Sigrid Falck; Michael Burnett - Dagmar; Alick Keith Jo March. Editha: Corona-Beauchamp (G. Meredith); Dorothea Brooke-John Harrington (an American politician); Cecilia de Noel-A Gentleman of France. The Little Match Girl: Pietro Ghisleri-Dodo; John Inglesant -Ethel May (he would have had to clear his views a good deal first); Dodo's Prince-Mrs. Proudie. Mrs. Booth: John Inglesant-Romola; Esmond-Di Vernon; Tom Thurnall-Mary Garth. This is by no means so easy a matter as it looks. True, there are plenty of unmated or ill-matched heroines and heroes, but they do not suit one another, and I am not very happy over my couples as thus assorted. 1. Cecilia de Noel and Stephen Remarx. Cecilia is so very superior to any hero who is already unmarried. I think John Inglesant would have suited her well, but I hardly like to try the experiment of placing him among nineteenth-century people. I think Stephen Remarx would have allowed Cecilia scope and liberty in her life, and would have been benefited by her gentleness and kindness. 2. Ethel Newcome and Richard Feverel. This would be after Richard had got over his early troubles, and when Ethel's practical activity and common sense might have roused him and taught him to live for others and to do his work for the world. 3. Dorothea Brooke and Ibsen's Brand. I have had to leave England to find Dorothea a husband, and think she would have flung herself heart and soul into Brand's mission, finding at last something to satisfy all her longings for action. I don't think Brand would much want a wife, but still Dorothea would have been a splendid comrade, and would have been able to guide him through his troubles by her strong personality and will; and had the end come as we now read it, she would have gladly endured martyrdom with him. BLUE WINGS. 1. Guy Livingstone and Dodo. This 'heavy-weight' hero might have convinced even the dauntless Dodo that she had at last met her match.' 2. Tom Tulliver and Amelia Sedley; he being a most satisfactory 'prop,' and she the embodiment of what we are led to infer was his womanly ideal. 3. Mr. Dombey and Mrs. Proudie. An unpleasingly well-matched couple. MIRABEL. VARIETY SUBJECT FOR JULY. Take one of the couples here mentioned, and describe a scene in their joint lives. SECOND SHELF. VERSE COMPETITION. MAY. Chelsea China considers that E. Y. has succeeded best in the translation. She is the most literal, and has caught something of the intensity of the original, though the versification is sometimes a little rough. Aneido, the prize winner of last month, has, however, succeeded best with the beautiful last verse. We give her version. Her rendering is both easy and literal. Dresden China, Rose, good also. I. Since now my lip has touched thy full cup's rim, Since I have breathed, amid the shadows dim, 2. Since I have heard thee speak those words, erewhile, 3. Since on my favoured head a ray hath shone And in the flood, that bears my being on, Is fall'n a roseleaf, that was plucked from thine; 4. I may say boldly to the years that roll, 'Pass on! Ye cannot make me old or dull! Bear hence your faded flowers! Within my soul There blooms a flower, no hand may ever cull.' 5. Your wing may strike the vase in which I trust ANEIDO. |