he was repelled by the Univers' under Veuillot and the Tablet' under Herbert Vaughan. He saw that the policy of the Vatican was over-reaching itself; it was in the interest of Catholicism that he minimised the Syllabus and opposed the Definition of 1870. And 'passus est humani aliquid.' A less sensitive man than he would have resented the succession of slights to which he had been subjected by men notoriously his inferiors mentally and morally. He resented them deeply and bitterly; no one was less disposed than he to suffer gladly either fools or insolence.

He left a profound mark, both on the Church of his birth and on that of his adoption. The Oxford Movement meant a practical religious revival-more zeal, more devotion, more and, in many ways, more efficient work. But its foundation was insecure. In the world of ideas it was a negligible quantity; and though still dominant in the Church and among the clergy, there are signs 'that it has now about reached its height, and that it must soon begin to break up owing to certain internal contradictions which the enthusiasm of its adherents has hitherto masked or ignored.'* The discrepancy between the theory and the facts is too radical to be blinked; the more we learn of Christian origins the more clearly these point to another reading of history. Nor has it increased the influence of the Church in the country. It is necessary to insist (since the contrary is so often asserted) that the last seventy years of Church life have been for the Church a period of decline.'† The Church is weaker and Dissent stronger than when the Oxford Movement began. In the Church of Rome Newman's influence has been for breadth and moderation. His philosophy of religion has kept Catholics in the Church who would otherwise have fallen away from her; the doctrine of Probability offered a way of escape to those who were unconvinced by the proofs' of the Scholastics; that of Development to those who recognised the gulf which lay between primitive or even patristic Christi anity and Rome. It may be a question how far it is desirable to keep men in a church under a misconcep tion of her teaching and tendencies. It is a compromise,

·

* Dean Inge in 'The Church man,' February 1912.

↑ Ib.

and, like all compromises, inconsistent. uses, and may serve in a transition time.

But it has its

Newman will live in literature as the author of a fascinating religious autobiography, in history as the author of the Essay on Development. The book is a striking anticipation of the Evolution philosophy; the application of this to theology marked a turning-point in religious thought. To many he was, and is, a prophet. To others he was a false prophet, from whose influence they have detached themselves hardly and after many years. The English Church owes him little; he deflected her course for close upon a century. Anglicanism of the ecclesiastical type owes him much; more than any one man he was its creator. Catholicism owes him more; he restored its prestige and its poetry; like the pious sons of Noah he went backwards' and threw a veil over its shame. He was a great magician; his spells made the dead live, and called the things that are not as though they were. But the efficacy of such spells vanishes with darkness. I awoke, and behold it was a dream.'

Yet surely he was a great man, more surely still an unhappy one; the impression of melancholy deepens at every page. The might-have-beens of history are an unprofitable field of speculation. Mr Birrell enlarges, plausibly enough, on the futility of the supposition that 'if he had not been brought up an evangelical, if he had learned German, if he had married, if he had been made an archdeacon, all would have been different.' Yet it is impossible to resist the conviction that the accident of birth placed him in the very time and in the very circumstances least propitious to the development of his genius on the lines of life. A Cardinal of the Roman Church is not, to say the least of it, more obviously a shipwreck than a dean or even a bishop of the English Establishment.' It may be so. But men may be divided into two classes according as they face onwards or backwards. And the tragedy of Newman's life is that, with his rare gifts, his in many ways unsurpassed powers, and his unique personality, he was the father of them that look back.

he was repelled by the Univers the 'Tablet' under Herbert Vaugh policy of the Vatican was over-ren the interest of Catholicism that he and opposed the Definition of humani aliquid.' A less sensitiv have resented the succession of been subjected by men notorious and morally. He resented them one was less disposed than he fools or insolence.

He left a profound mark, b birth and on that of his ado ment meant a practical religiou devotion, more and, in many But its foundation was insecu it was a negligible quantity; in the Church and among 'that it has now about reac must soon begin to break u contradictions which the ent hitherto masked or ignored." the theory and the facts is the more we learn of Chris these point to another rea increased the influence of th is necessary to insist (sir asserted) that the last seve been for the Church a per is weaker and Dissent str Movement began. In th influence has been for b philosophy of religion has who would otherwise ha doctrine of Probability of who were unconvinced by that of Development to which lay between prin anity and Rome. It m desirable to keep men tion of her teaching and

* Dean Inge in 'The Chu

in the latest
for reaching
ce. It has the
is quite new-
dawn and in
Poles were not
mselves. The
inding a short
ago it was the
they had any
ily sought funds
on the plea that
researches in the
who could read
Aretic explorer
siy, if not openly,
are repudiated the
itude 90° N

the problem of
wenty years, each
omething more or
The honesty of his
for by the leading
which had awarded
altimate success in
al, and almost the
nce, and his known
is to be accepted
Le awarded him for
without a careful
ich he relied, and a

of taking observa-
immediate vicinity
ompetent authorities

481

luctantly enough, for ic travellers had not de him some enemies, and magazine articles d emotional to approve er' British taste in geolast and, to his mind, scientific value compared Amundsen's penetration to ble to geography than his Passage. Yet in our hearts human beings have at last It was humiliating to the selfy portion of our little planet Sinhabitants.

friends and the geographical ews of his emergence from the umn of 1909 with every expeche had this time fulfilled his om Lerwick, dated September 1, A. Cook had reached the North

from Greenland to Copenhagen. having accompanied Peary to the ars before, and as having acted as In Antarctic expedition in 1897, on mirable book. He had also claimed McKinley in Alaska in 1906, though cepted by the leading mountaineers. he had gone north in 1907 and had t the report of his reaching the Pole -e. A fuller telegram two days later descriptions of the explorer's feelings er and triumph, repeated the much too of latitude and the incredible tempernd gave the date of reaching the Pole nd that of leaving it as April 23. His only two young Eskimo. On returning they to the west of their starting-point, spent Sparbo on Jones Sound, returned northiginal base in the spring of 1909, met ›rtsman, Mr Whitney, there, and 'moved lip for southward) to Upernivik and so sh steamer for Europe. The long message

Art. 9.-THE
COOK.

WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF DR

My Attainment of the Pole; being the record of the Expedition that first reached the Boreal Center, 19071909, with the final summary of the Polar Controversy. By Dr Frederick A. Cook. New York: Polar Publishing Co.; London: Arlen and Co.; 1911.

AMONG the prodigies which have arisen in the latest stage of geographical exploration the mania for reaching the Poles of the Earth has a conspicuous place. It has the illusion of seeming ancient while really it is quite newa thing of the present generation. In the dawn and in the noontide of geographical discovery the Poles were not regarded as objects of attainment in themselves. The early Arctic navigators were concerned in finding a short route to the Indies. Even a few years ago it was the fashion for Arctic explorers to deny that they had any ambition to reach the Pole; and they usually sought funds and the patronage of learned societies on the plea that they desired only to carry on scientific researches in the polar area. Nevertheless, everyone who could read between the lines has known that every Arctic explorer in the last twenty-five years has secretly, if not openly, cherished the hope, though he may have repudiated the intention, of being the first to reach latitude 90° N.

Admiral R. E. Peary worked at the problem of travelling to the Pole for more than twenty years, each successive journey teaching him something more or carrying him somewhat farther. The honesty of his efforts and their success were vouched for by the leading geographical societies of the world, which had awarded him their highest honours. His ultimate success in reaching the Pole in 1909 was the natural, and almost the inevitable, result of the earlier experience, and his known powers and character caused his reports to be accepted without question. The special medals awarded him for the feat, however, were not given without a careful examination of the records on which he relied, and a searching investigation into his method of taking observations. The fact that he reached the immediate vicinity of the Pole has been conceded by all competent authorities,