SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week as Lars not bon reserved for reriew trt other forms.] Anselm and his Work By the Rev. A. C. Welch. (T. and T. Clark. 3s.)—This is a volume of "The World's Epoch- Makers" Series, edited by Mr. Oliphant Smeaton. The subject divides itself naturally into two parts, the philosophical and the historical. It is no derogation to Anselm's greatness as a thinker to say that the latter is by far the more important. The world has, in a sense, moved away from the mental stand- point which Anselm and his contemporaries occupied; but the problem of the true relation between the spiritual and the temporal in the government of mankind remains with us, and probably will remain to the end. Mr. Welch treats this part of his subject with much insight and with unfailing equity. It is difficult to hold the balance when we have the saintly Archbishop in one scale and the violent and profligate King with his time- serving prelates in the other. Yet there was something in the contention of Rufus which demands our sympathy; and something in the demands of Anselm which we cannot but feel encroached on the liberties of England. The account given of the great battle fought round various points, of which investiture was the most important, is highly instructive. The picture of the Archbishop himself is strikingly attractive. What a graphic touch it is when we see the ascetic student carried away by his intense interest in some question started by the reading of the day, and eating unconsciously while one of the monks seizes the rare chance of replenishing his master's plate I
Previous page
