St. Francis de Sales. By the Author of "A Dominican
Artist." (Rivington.)—The author says in his preface, "the trifling details of his life and conversation, have been dwelt upon, rather than those more specially concerning his mission in Chablais, his controversial labours among Swiss and French Protestants, or his exertions on behalf of his people at the Courts of France and Savoy." While we keep within these limits we find nothing to object to, even in the most enthusiastic language about the Saint. We can readily allow that here " was beauty, harmony, refinement, simplicity, utter self-conciousness, love of God and man welling up and bursting forth as a clear fountain that never can be staid or staunched." All these graces are manifest in his life. A more singularly loving and tender nature it is impossible to conceive. Our Protestantism can make, we believe, characters as strong and grand; but it does not produce what may be called the exquisite grace of self-forgetfulness that comes out in the life of such a man as St. Francis. But go beyond these limits ; examine the details of this "Mission in Chablais," which was one of the most prominent events in the saint's life, and what do we find ? Why, the whole business was one of the most shameful and cruel persecutions that were ever carried on in the name of religion, and St. Francis was the right hand of tho man who did it, and when this man's lay con- science, having some spark of life in it, bade him keep the promises which he had made to the people when St. Francis was engaged in "converting," promises involving a miserable shred of toleration, this model of saints stepped in and turned the scale against what he called impiety, but what we call honour. If the writer doubts, let him look at Lady Herbert's "Conversion of the Chablais." She tells the story in simple good faith, thinking it all right and proper. And very probably, to judge from the way in which he speaks of the "soul-destroying heresy of Calvin," our author agrees with her. " Soul-destroying " is a phrase which smacks strongly of the Inquisition.
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