THE INTERDICT OF INNOCENT III
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—Dormitat Homerus. Even Professors of English Litera- ture apparently make mistakes in history. It is a pity that Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch should spoil an interesting article by such an error as to suggest that Innocent III's interdict denied the last rites to the dying. Any standard text-book would have reassured him on this point. I am not concerned now with his thesis that the seeds of Protestantism were planted as early as this in the hearts of the English poor— though this is, to say the least, debatable. But he really should be sure of his facts before clothing them with the literary grace which delights us.
I should like too to know his authority for the vivid de- scription of unburied corpses piled upon the churchyard wall. Surely it was not quite so bad as this ? I think Sir Arthur will find if he looks the matter up that they were merely buried in unconsecrated ground.—I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
THOMAS M. PARKER.
S. Mary's Presiytery,15 Harrington Square, N.11-.1.
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