the interests of morality require that the sexual passion shal be ruled out of romance, there is an end to romance; if th representation of sexual passion is to be permitted without limit there is an end to decency, and morality is endangered. The limi will be fixed, not by authority, but by rules of decency, interpreted according to the standard of public morals. Judged by this standard Fogazzaro is to be reckoned among the purest writers of his age and country. He is not to be blamed if, like other masters of fiction, he does not write only for the school

room.

The story of 'Il Santo' has a double interest, that of the hero's character and one or two of the other actors (the proper business of the novelist), and that of the religious and political problems touched upon. Piero Maironi, the saint, is an illustration of the power of conscience, which drives him to expiate by a life of penance a sin, intended but not completed. His exalted mysticism is not acceptable at the monastery in which he has taken refuge, and he is driven out under suspicion of unorthodoxy. He becomes the mouthpiece of a proposed reform of the Church, which in a vivid scene he expounds to the Pope himself, telling him that the Church is assailed by four evil spirits, the spirits of lying, domination, avarice, and immobility. No wonder that Il Santo' was condemned. The other interesting character, who may be taken as expressing the author's own views, is Giovanni Selva, the Catholic philosopher, who believes in the regeneration of the Church by simplicity and purity, but not without the intellectual light of common reason. The whole trend of the book is constructive but the Vatican is as hostile to unlicensed builders as was Sanballat the Horonite in the days of Nehemiah.

It is objected to Fogazzaro as a writer of romance that his heroes are half in love with their mistress, half with the ascetic life, and that such a combination does not make a good lover. The same fault in a different age and country is chargeable upon our childhood's oracle, Miss Yonge, whose Sir Guy Morville was more and less than a hero of romance, and therefore insupportable. C'è troppo Dio nel suo amore, e un Dio 'crocifisso,' says an Italian critic; the atmosphere is too religious, and we may feel sure that such a lover as Massimo Alberti in Leila' would not have pleased Shakespeare. We might doubt whether he would have pleased Leila herself, were it not that a woman's reasons for liking and disliking are unfathomable to others, even if they are known to herself, and Leila is a very woman, one and manifold, constant and capricious according as the winds of passion blow. English readers may

find her too passionate; they may also complain that her change from atheism to religion under the influence of love is unnatural, and if it were not would be uninteresting-but Leila is never uninteresting, however impatient we may be with her whims, which sometimes rise to a tragical height.

In the hero, Marcello Trenti, there are traits which recall the author himself, or rather his intellectual and religious position, for there is no direct personal portraiture. The 'shade of Benedetto' (the saint), says Renato Simoni in the Corriere della Sera' of November 12, 1910

appears in the volume, a shade dear to the artist, who has suffered for its sake and now would present it pure from the faults which have been imputed to it. It scarcely veils the personality of Fogazzaro. No one will doubt that among the vicissitudes of the romance appear the noble and beloved lineaments of the writer. He proclaims that Benedetto was not a modernist, that he himself is not a modernist; yet the first modernist personage whom he puts upon the stage flutters from doubt to doubt till he almost loses himself in scepticism, and saves himself only by an impetuous inspiration of love. He affirms, moreover, that in speaking much about religion Benedetto may have erred, but if so it was unconsciously, and if he had known it he would have been the first to deplore it. This lofty assertion is made with so much emotion and fervour that we hear in it the sacred echoes of sincerity. Certainly for the aim of the book modernism and anti-modernism are unnecessary. The funeral of Benedetto represents the solution of a moral crisis which is secondary in the romance, because it is love that always occupies the first place.

'Such artifices are neither good nor bad in themselves, but only in the consequences which they produce. . . Welcome artifice, if it is the parent of such beauties!

'Fogazzaro's book,' he goes on to say, 'is a catholic book, though there is a certain Venetian malice in giving all the ugly side to the priests who are faithful (liga) to tradition, and a purer and more active piety to the other party; there is a kind of subtle irony in affirming the moral purity of these priests and entangling them in actions which taste slightly of dishonesty and strongly of Jesuitism; but in the whole book it is the sense of the divine which uplifts (eleva). From page to page we ascend to this; all the personages tend in the same direction, in no wise ashamed of their passions, but serenely bearing their heavy burden.'

These words were written before Fogazzaro's death; and with the consciousness that he might read them; and this is a witness to their honesty, since flattery was here out of place. But they must not be taken too literally; the point of view is the same, the personality is different.

The personal appearance and speech of Fogazzaro was remarkable and most attractive; a striking face and figure, which to the time of his death showed little sign of age; thick grey hair, parted equally, a keen eye, a resonant but melodious voice, and a manner of speaking which expressed benevolence, sincerity and keen interest, as of a man who had nothing to conceal; an address at once dignified and welcoming, without patronage as without reserve. Those who knew him well speak

of the expression of assured peace' (espressione di forte pace) 'which shone in his countenance, his ready smile ('tra gaio 'e malizioso '); his speech ('agile e vivido ') (Renato Simoni). It was impossible to be in his company even for half an hour without being impressed by his truthfulness and sincerity, without recognising him as a poet, an enthusiast and an idealist, and at the same time a sensible man who would not go after chimeras. The Bishop of Vicenza calls him an excellent 'father, a convinced believer, a perfect gentleman.' Signor Luzzatti, late Prime Minister of Italy, says that the work of his life was to translate truth and goodness into beauty'; and something of this mission might be fancied to animate his words, looks and gestures.

Is it not incredible that such a man as this should-we will not say, not be accepted as a saint, but be censured, silenced and almost put to the ban by the society which declares itself to be the only depositary of the message of Christ?

ART. II. THE HISTORY OF THE INNS OF COURT.

1. A Calendar of the Inner Temple Records. Edited by F. A. Inderwick, Q.C. 3 vols. London: Published by order of the Masters of the Bench. 1896-1901.

2. The Records of the Honorable Society of Lincoln's Inn. The Black Books. 1422-1845. 4 vols. Lincoln's Inn. 18971902.

3. The Pension Book of Gray's Inn (Records of the Honourable Society), 1569-1800. Edited by REGINALD J. FLETCHER, M.A. 2 vols. London: Published by order of the Masters of the Bench. 1901-10.

4. A Catalogue of Notable Middle Templars with brief Biographical Notices. By JOHN HUTCHINSON. Printed for the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. 1902. 5. Middle Temple Records. Edited by CHARLES HENRY HOPWOOD, K.C., 1501-1703. 4 vols. London: Published by order of the Masters of the Bench. 1904-05.

6. Master Worsley's Book on the History and Constitution of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Edited by ARTHUR ROBERT INGPEN, K.C. London: Published by order of the Masters of the Bench. 1910.

And other works.

THE history of the four Inns of Court can be traced back with more or less exactness for nearly six centuries, although there are no official records in existence for so long a period. The earliest connected account of the Inns was given by Sir John Fortescue in ' De Laudibus Legum Angliæ,' written in the latter half of the fifteenth century. Early in the sixteenth century the official proceedings of the Inns began to be recorded with some detail, and to them Sir William Dugdale had access in writing the Origines Juridiciales,' first published in 1666. His work is still a recognised authority on the subject, and it is worthy of consideration whether a new edition might not be a profitable undertaking. Before the records were printed by the direction of the respective governing bodies, good work had been done by officials of the Inns in throwing light upon their past. The histories of Lincoln's Inn and Gray's Inn were written respectively by the Librarian, W. H. Spilsbury, and the Steward (previously Librarian), W. R. Douthwaite, while J. E. Martin, the

Librarian of the Inner Temple, began the compilation of an annotated list of the members of that Inn. The work of preparing complete lists of the admissions to membership was undertaken by Joseph Foster, who was permitted to publish those of Gray's Inn, and the Benchers of Lincoln's Inn printed the transcripts of their own. The admissions to the Inner Temple and the Middle Temple are included in the published minutes of the Parliaments of the Inns, which contain the official acts for the government of the affairs of the Societies. The former begin in 1505, and three volumes extending to 1714 were edited with thoroughness and furnished with an introduction by F. A. Inderwick, K.C., a Bencher of the Inner Temple. The format and style were worthy of the matter, and a credit to the printer and all concerned in their production. The records of Lincoln's Inn, known as the Black Books, begin in 1422, and have been published by the Masters of the Bench, with a generosity in placing the information in their possession at the disposal of others, down to the year 1845. At Gray's Inn the official record is known as the Pension Book, but there is none in the possession of the Inn prior to the year 1569. Two volumes have been published under the editorship of the Preacher, the Rev. R. J. Fletcher, who, though justly anxious to maintain the honour and eminence of the Inn which he serves, possesses more truly the spirit of the historian than Inderwick, whose ability as an advocate not unnaturally found expression in writing the history of his Inn, especially in discussing the long disputed priority with the Middle Temple. The latter Society began in 1902 the publication of a series of volumes with a 'Catalogue of Notable Middle Templars' containing nearly one thousand names, compiled by Mr. John Hutchinson, who has since resigned the post of Librarian after nearly thirty years' service. The series includes the Minutes of the Parliament of the Inn from the year 1501 to 1703, but there is only a brief introduction, and the style of the books corresponds rather with the Black Books of Lincoln's Inn than the records of the Inner Temple. In their latest publication, however, the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple have adopted the better method of production, supplemented by a more handsome set of illustrations than is to be found in either of the other publications.

It is a frequent and not unreasonable assumption that, because the Inns of Court are the homes of the lawyers, therefore their existence must be based upon some definite legal enactment. The Inns, however, developed by a gradual process without the assistance or interference either of the