15 JANUARY 1910, Page 26

The Express. By Alice Seymour. 2 vols. (Simpkin, Marshall, and

Co. 4e. 6d. per voL)—These two volumes contain "The Life and Divine Writings of Joanna Southcott." Many years ago the writer of this notice saw a poster which recommended the believers in Joanna Sonthcott to join the Church of England while they were awaiting her "return to the world." These volumes are meant to warn these "opportunists," if we may so call them, to be on the look-out. The return is imminent. It began, so to speak, in 1905, and it is to take, we are told, ten years. There are some curious things in Joanna's autobiography ; it is quite human- in- parts ; but the verse is astonishingly bad. Altogether, this is a very strange episode in the history of religion, especially when we find that men of some education believed in this "Mother of the Messiah."