Of the Love of God. Translated from the original French
of St. Francis de Sales. (Rivingtons.)—This is one of a series of devotional books, entitled, "Library of Spiritual Works for English Catholics." By "English Catholics" it is intended, we presume, to describe those who may be less ambiguously called "Anglicans." That the book has much beauty, that it contains many devout thoughts, we do not deny ; but we affirm that any manly mind must be disgusted by the false taste and sickly sentimentality which often disfigure it. Time was when these books had to be t' doctored" to suit the healthier taste of English Churchmen, but we have been "educated" out of
this. We wonder what Messrs. Rivington's clients of thirty years ago would say to such a passage as this :—" The Blessed Philip Neri, when twenty-four, was so physically affected by Divine Love, that the enlargement of his heart caused a fracture of his ribs: and St. Stanislas Kotzka, when only fourteen, was wont to faint under pressure of his love for his Lord, so that it was needful to lay cold bandages upon his breast, to still its burning heat." And this is what the sober Church of England, tho Church of Hooker and Andrea-es, and Pearson and Butler, has come to !
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