course of Catholic Philosophy, and trust to practical philosophy issuing from familiar contact with the world, the flesh, and the devil.' 'Queer,' you will say. Yes, it's Old Nick's recipe without his usual gilding."

When Herbert Vaughan came to Westminster his attitude was the same as it had been in Salford, but his action was different-he sought the same end but with altered means. When a little later he had to consider a numerously and influentially signed petition on behalf of the laity urging that Catholics should be allowed to attend the Universities, he must have felt that much of its argumentative matter was not to the point. All that was said about the advantages of a university training to fit men for public life and professional careers left him quite cold. What did touch him was the testimony of the Jesuits at Oxford, and of Mgr. Scott, of Baron Anatole von Hügel at Cambridge, who, knowing the Universities well, and having special opportunities of judging the conduct of the Catholic undergraduates, reported most favourably from the point of view of both faith and morals. Cardinal Vaughan had to face this situation; in spite of every official discouragement the number of Catholics at the Universities had increased, and was likely to go on increasing. Was it better to continue a prohibition which had largely failed to secure its object, or to remove the ban and at the same time to secure for Catholics attending the Universities whatever safeguards for their faith were possible? Given the situation, the decision could hardly be doubtful.

Before, however, taking any action, Cardinal Vaughan had still to be quite satisfied that what he still thought the best was impossible. He privately took the opinion of a

number of leading Catholics as to how far they would be prepared to support a renewal, under happier auspices, of the experiment which had failed at Kensington. He can hardly have had much expectation of a favourable response. It was his homage to a dead ideal. The replies he received were decisive, and he at once made up his mind that regrets for the best should no longer block the way to the realisation of the second best. The first person to whom he communicated what had been working in his mind for some months was the Bishop of Newport. Writing from Imberhorne, where he happened to be staying as the guest of the late Sir Edward Blount, the Cardinal explained his views in these words :

"September 26th, 1894.

"I send herewith the thoughts which have been forced upon me by the state of Oxford and Cambridge, and the ever-increasing number of Catholics going there. The laity are not likely to be withdrawn, and I have sounded the leaders and they will give nothing towards a repetition of the Kensington experiment; I have therefore been led to think that it will be wise and statesmanlike on our part, as Bishops, to take up the whole question and solve it in the only way it will work (as it seems to me). We should place ourselves at the head and not at the tail of the movement. I have not

spoken to any of the Bishops about it yet. And I should like to hear your views on the subject. I therefore send you the enclosed and beg you will return it with observations. I shall see the six Northern Bishops on October 14th at Ushaw. Please keep it private."

The enclosure was a memorandum drawn up for

the consideration of the Bishops at their meeting on January 4th, 1895. It first noted as a thing "ascertained " the unwillingness of the leaders of the Catholic laity to repeat, under any conditions, the experiment which had failed twenty years before. "They plead that the experience of thirty years has shown that Oxford and Cambridge do not present to well-trained Catholic young men 'the proximate occasions' to the loss of faith and morals which were the grounds of objection laid down by the Holy See. They feel that for a certain class of young men, after their school-days are over, there is no alternative to this university education that is acceptable. It is further added that the Universities have decidedly improved in tone and character during the last thirty years, and that rationalism and infidelity are not aggressive as they once were. The dangers, therefore, to Catholic faith and morals have proportionately diminished, and are actually less than will generally be found in many of the professions which Catholics must enter."

Cardinal Vaughan knew that a negative policy was impossible, and he regarded the continuance of the state of things then existing as impossible. He wrote: "The present position of English Catholics at Oxford and Cambridge is intolerable. There are about fifty Catholic undergraduates in residence at the two Universities. The number is steadily on the increase." Then, pointing out that neither the Irish nor the Scotch Bishops had taken any action in regard to Oxford and Cambridge, he continued: "Upon the Catholic youth of England alone there rests, if not a formal precept actually forbidding them to frequent the Universities, at least a strong disapproval, amounting almost to a prohibition, on the part

of the Holy See and the English Bishops. In a few cases Catholic students frequenting these Universities obtain a permission, by way of exception, from their Bishops, but in general no permission is sought. The consequences are (1) That injury is inflicted on the loyalty to the Church of these Catholics who are led to frequent the Universities, in spite of the warnings and dissuasions of the Holy See. (2) That the Catholic undergraduates are left without those safeguards and Catholic educational advantages which might be provided were the position of Catholics at the Universities frankly recognised by the Church. (3) That while the number of Catholics at the Universities continues to increase the present evils will become permanent, instead of being temporary and transient, unless their position be duly recognised and regulated on Catholic principles."

Accordingly at the meeting of the Bishops on January 4th, 1895, Cardinal Vaughan urged that the Holy See should be petitioned to withdraw the admonition against the attendance of Catholics at the Universities, on certain conditions. The chief of these was that provision should be made for a resident chaplain and for courses of lectures on Catholic Philosophy and Church History. His pleading with the Hierarchy was successful Writing to the Bishop of Newport the next day he says:

"Jan. 5th, 1895.

"MY DEAR LORD,-By a good majority we agreed(1) to petition the Holy See to remove the prohibition; (2) to place ourselves at the head of the movement; (3) to form a board of Bishops, priests, and laymen to collect money and propose lectures, &c. The Board to act subject

to the approval of the Hierarchy. Hence, if such be the direction of the Holy See, we are about to embark on a new policy for the Church in England, and though we shall find rocks and shoals, we shall, I doubt not, be entering upon the work that God requires of His Church in this country.

"Yours devotedly,

"H. C. V."

Having once taken the matter in hand, he pressed it in Rome with his usual energy. We get a glimpse of his activity in the following extract from a letter written from the English College on the 20th of March, 1895: “On Tuesday the University question comes on at a General Congregation of Propaganda. I have drawn up the ponenza and Galemberti is to be present. I have no doubt about the result." In Rome Cardinal Vaughan found his hands much strengthened by the petition before referred to, which was signed by nearly all the leading Catholics of the country. The petition was dated December, 1894, some three months after Cardinal Vaughan had opened his mind on the subject to the Bishop of Newport. On the 25th of April the following very cautious announcement was made in the Tablet :

"In consequence of altered circumstances and of further experience, the Cardinal Archbishop and Bishops, in January last, drew up certain resolutions in modification of the policy hitherto pursued by the Catholic Church towards the education of Catholics in the national Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. These resolutions were duly submitted to the superior authority of the Holy See. After full examination by the