tion to the movement which they originated, not only did not carry with it the sanction and approval of the Church, but was pursued in direct opposition to the acknowledged rule of its government, and in open defiance of all warning and admonition.

Such is a short sketch of the origin and operations of that movement in the last century which proved so injurious to the best interests of true religion,-which from a small beginning became a mighty vortex, attracting within its circle the majority of a nation filled with religious instincts, and to which allusion is now sometimes made for the reason why great reserve and caution should be exercised with reference to the movement which is starting within the same Church in the present day. But upon a comparison of the causes which apparently led to each severally, it will appear that they differ so essentially, and that their first motions are so contrary, that the results of the one are the very opposites of what we should naturally expect from the other. In the former case unity was lost sight of in the eager pursuit of the one single object, of effecting a reformation of the lives and manners of the people, no regard being paid to the means to be used for such a purpose. In the present instance the corruption of manners, and the absence of true piety, are referred to only subordinately and incidentally, as occasions unhappily for the confirmation of many in their estrangement from the Church; and the moving cause which has called this association into existence is the universal prevalence of heresy and schism and the general decay and corruption of the Catholic faith, the remedy against which, as is believed, is to be sought only in the unity of that Church which is the pillar and ground of the truth.

Another ground of confidence in the present movement which we seek to discover in vain in the former one, is to be found in the fact that this society is not an aggregation of persons who come together at random according to each individual will, but consists of the chosen representatives of the lay members of the whole Church in those parts which are within the sphere of its operations. The rule of action observed seems to be the following:-in every parish in the season of Advent, the communicant members assemble in the parish schoolroom under the eye and in the presence of their minister, and there elect from among themselves two or more persons, according to the numerical strength of each particular Church, to represent them at the meetings held in the deanery four times in the year. Again, at the first deanery meeting held after the season of Advent, the united representatives of the several parishes composing the deanery, elect from among themselves eight or ten persons to represent the whole deanery at the general annual meeting.

Thus it will be seen, that the representatives of any deanery in the general meeting are subject to the direct control of that

deanery, and the representatives of any Church at a deanery meeting are subject to the direct control of that Church; and again, that each Church is under the immediate influence and guidance of its minister. This consideration, we think, provided this rule of election be always acted upon, is sufficient to warrant a moderate amount of confidence that a society thus constituted, and resting upon the wide basis of the Church, is not likely to commit itself to a course of hopeless irregularities.

It is worthy of remark, that the persons who originated this movement, and who take the leading part in its direction, are chiefly of the class of operatives; and it would cheer the heart of any churchman to see these zealous sons of the Church leaving their daily occupations upon which alone they and their families depend for subsistence, and travelling sometimes to a great distance to assist by their presence and their counsel, so far as they as laymen can assist, the endeavours which the Church is making to regain the ground which has been lost by years of past neglect. The movement itself is important, perhaps not so much from what it is doing or proposes to do, as because it indicates a deep-rooted and, as regards the Church, a wide-spread feeling that the time for inaction is past, and that the authorities must consider what steps should be taken in order to restore to the Church in this country that liberty of action in spiritual matters which inherently belongs to her in right of her divine constitution.

This association is understood to have been set on foot only for special and temporary purposes, and no regular ecclesiastical position is intended to be claimed for it. The recognized demarcations of the Church, such as rural deaneries and archdeaconries, are used in preference to any other, so as to enable it to be merged and fused with greater ease into any future Church assembly duly authorized, which shall permit the admission of lay members. In this respect we consider this movement of some importance to the Church, and if made more widely known, it may serve as an example to churchmen elsewhere, and if the laity of our Church generally were to manifest a similar zeal in her behalf, there can be no doubt that the efforts now made by many in the direction of general synodal action would be crowned with speedy success, and that the mouth of the scorner would thereby be stopped, the progress of schism be impeded, and true religion greatly advanced in the world.

We should be doing the association injustice, however, if we viewed it only as the probable means of effecting some future and remote good, without acknowledging its past and present services. Its very existence is a call to a united effort in the service of the Church. It affords to churchmen opportunities of frequent mutual consultation, and creates among them a feeling of mutual respect and sympathy; and more than all, it has called attention to the gross inconsistency of employing dissenters in the service of the

Church which they inwardly despised,-an evil which has prevailed and still does prevail most extensively in Wales; and to the profaneness of permitting persons to stand for others at the baptismal font, when it is notorious that their lives are not such as would justify us in intrusting to their care the rearing of a Christian soul in the fold of CHRIST. These services and such as these justify our expression of a favourable opinion of this movement, and, in the Name of the LORD, we heartily bid it "GoD speed.”

MARILLAC'S TRANSLATION OF THE IMITATION OF CHRIST.

L'Imitation de JESVS-CHRIST fidelement traduite du Latin. Par MICHEL DE MARILLAC, Garde des Sceaux de France. Edition Novvelle soigneusement reueüe et corrigée. Par U. S. DE SACY. Paris Techener, Libraire, Place du Louvre, 20. MDCCCLIV.-Pp. xvi., 492.

It was stated some time ago in these pages that the publication of devotional works, new and old, was one of the most gratifying features connected with the revival of religion which we believe to be now going on in France. There is one book especially of which editions are constantly appearing, and which must meet with a very extensive sale—we mean The Imitation of CHRIST. Various and multiplied have been the new translations of this work recently put forth-all possessing greater or less merit, some with, and others without, notes-by some of the most learned and eminent divines in France. Indeed some of the very ablest men have "tried their hand" upon translations of the Imitatio, and several of these tranşlations are, both theologically and artistically, first-rate. Among those particularly deserving of notice, which have appeared of late years, may be mentioned those of Lamennais, (who, by the way, has made good use of Lallemant's) Herbet, Genoude, Gregory, Moreau, and, though last, not least, that of the Abbé Dassance, Canon of Bayonne, the intimate and learned friend of M. De Sacy who justly characterizes that translation as one of the best which have appeared in modern times, and concludes his short preface to the reprint of Marillac's version by the following estimate of his friend's work, and delicately-turned compliment of the Abbé himself:

"Je voudrais bien, en finissant, payer une vieille dette de reconnaissance et d'amitié à l'auteur de l'une des meilleures traductions modernes de l'Imitation de JESUS-CHRIST, M. L'Abbé Dassance, aujourd'hui

chanoine de la Cathédrale de Bayonne. Il y a trop peu de moi dans ce livre pour que j'ose lui en offrir la dédicace. Mais c'est lui qui m'a encouragé à publier cette édition nouvelle de la traduction de Michel de Marillac; je suis heureux de le dire et de m'honorer ici de l'amitié qu'il me porte, et de celle que je lui ai vouée. Qu'il veuille bien accepter ce souvenir de ma tendre affection et de mon profond respect!"

But here it will be said: If so many good new translations of the Imitation have recently appeared, why republish one which is more than two hundred and thirty years old? This question-objection perhaps―M. de Sacy has anticipated and most satisfactorily "Entre toutes les traductions," says he in the short, but most able, introduction prefixed to the edition we are noticing:

met:

à

"Entre toutes les traductions de l'Imitation de JESUS-CHRIST que j'ai lues, celle du garde des sceaux Michel de Marillac m'a toujours paru se distinguer par une grande exactitude et par une grace naturelle de style, qui en rend la lecture singulièrement attrayante. J'avoue que dans les passages où il faudrait de la précision et de la force le bon garde des sceaux faiblit quelquefois, le nerf et la vigueur lui manquent, il allonge, il paraphrase; mais dans ceux où l'onction domine, si je ne me trompe il atteint presque son modèle. C'est la même simplicité, la même douceur pénétrante, et cette divine enfance de langage, si je puis m'exprimer ainsi, qui met les choses les plus hautes à la portée des esprits les plus humbles. Surtout quand on lit la traduction de Marillac comme un ouvrage original, en laissant de côté le texte latin, on se sent peu peu ému et charmé; rien ne vous rappelle que ce n'est qu'une copie; point d'effort, point de contrainte; Michel de Marillac semble avoir trouvé, pensé et senti lui-même ce qu'il ne fait que traduire. Je n'ajoute qu'un mot, mais ce mot dit tout: je crois que la traduction de Michel de Marillac est celle dans laquelle l'auteur de l'Imitation de JESUSCHRIST se reconnaîtrait le mieux.-D'ailleurs je ne m'en suis pas rapporté à moi-même ; j'ai consulté les connaisseurs, et j'ai vu que, tout compensé, ils étaient d'accord pour placer le traduction de Michel de Marillac au premier rang. Le style des traductions plus modernes est trop correct et trop régulier; il ne se prête pas avec autant de souplesse à la candeur, je dirais presque à la pieuse négligence de l'auteur, aux mouvements ingénus de son âme et à l'abandon de sa charité. Michel de Marillac écrivait au commencement du xviie siècle; sa traduction parut pour la première fois en 1621, à une époque où notre langue, le langue que nous parlons aujourd'hui, commençait pour ainsi dire à se dénouer, et ne se distinguait encore que par la naïveté et par cette sorte d'hésitation pleine de grâce qui précède la maturité. C'était bien le moment de traduire en français l'Imitation de JESUS-CHRIST; aussi la traduction de Michel de Marillac eut-elle un grand succès. S'il faut en croire M. Gence, on en fit jusqu'à cinquante éditions dans le cours du xviie siècle. D'autres cependant ont fini par la remplacer; elle a presque disparu du commerce, et les amateurs qui la recherchent ne la trouvent pas aisément, ou la payent fort cher quand ils la trouvent : c'est ce qui a déterminé M. Techener à la réimprimer. J'ai accepté avec

plaisir les modestes fonctions d'éditeur; tout s'est borné, de ma part, à une révision exacte du texte et à quelques notes dans les endroits bien rares où il m'a paru que le traducteur s'était écarté du sens de l'original.” -Preface, pp. ii-v.

The result of this has been the work now before us. And it is in every respect a very neatly got up, interesting, and valuable reprint, which reflects the greatest credit upon all the parties concerned in its publication. Some persons might perhaps bring the same accusation against it which M. de Sacy brings against the original editions, namely, qu'il se paie fort cher, (it is published at six francs in a paper cover); but then it is a most beautifully and correctly printed work, upon which it is very evident a great deal of care and labour has been bestowed. Indeed, typographically considered, it is one of the most beautiful books which has issued from the French press for many a long year, and this edition of the Imitation almost deserves being called an édition de luxe. M. de Sacy informs us that he accepted the modest duty of Editor at M. Techener's request. A better qualified person for that office the publisher would have found it very difficult to meet with. True, the editor's task has not been a peculiarly laborious one. He has

confined himself, as he reminds us,-and this is all he undertook to do, to simply prefixing a brief Introduction to the work, revising the text, and adding a few foot notes here and there where the translator appears to have deviated from the original, but this he has executed so ably and satisfactorily that it is a pity he did not undertake to do more. This Preface, brief as it is, is exceedingly well written, discriminating, and to the point, evincing a thorough acquaintance with the subject; it is worthy M. de Sacy, and not unworthy even the work to which it serves as an Introduction.

M. de Sacy, at the time of the publication of this work, was one of the staff of regular contributors to the Journal des Débats. Since the death of M. Armaud Bertin, nearly a twelvemonth ago, he has become its Rédacteur en chef. He is the son of the celebrated Silvestre de Sacy, Peer of France, Founder of the Société Asiatique, and one of the most distinguished Oriental scholars that ever lived, Author, amongst other learned publications, of the Principes de Grammaire Universelle, Grammaire Arabe, Chrestomathie Arabe, of the translation of Calila et Dimna, of the History of the Arabs by Aboul-Feda, of the History of Persia by Nurkhond, and of the Exposé de la Religion des Druses, a work which occupied him for forty years, and which he published just before his death in 1838. M. de Sacy, the son, began life as an Advocate, and he had already acquired some distinction in that capacity when he relinquished the bar and the acquisition of forensic honours for the more congenial occupation, and perhaps the more profitable and solid glories of a Journaliste, and became attaché to the rédaction of the Débats, where he has continued ever since, and has finally become the chief Editor