SIR,—To Roman Catholics, Father Christopher Devlin's Life of Robert Southwell
will no doubt, as Mr. Evelyn Waugh writes, be 'a welcome addition' to the series of records of 'heroes' of the Jesuit Society.
At the best, Robert Southwell was a second- rate English poet. At the worst he was a religious fanatic with 'a desire for martyr- dom,' trained abroad to 'canalise his whole personality into the service of his Church by obedience to superiors,' at a time when Eng- land was in great danger. It is not surprising if in that age such men were treated harshly. Most of them were traitors and fifth columnists who, if they had succeeded in their aims, would have brought on England the miseries suffered by the Dutch.
There seems no reason why this sort of whitewashing by Roman Catholic apologists should be treated as literature and receive extended attention in the Spectator. If the Roman propagandists are anxious to give us sonic sixteenth-century history, let us have a full-length biography of Philip H of Spain. Some of Philip's ideas (reached after much prayer and fasting) for dealing with his recal- citrant Dutch subjects make quite fascinating reading (and would require a great deal of whitewashing).—Yours faithfully,
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