against the purely negative action of the scientific
spirit, the high-pitched Grey, the theistic Elsmere, the "ritualistic
priest," the quaint Methodist Fleming, both so admirably sketched,
present [69] perhaps no unconquerable differences. The question of the
day is not between one and another of these, but in another sort of
opposition, well defined by Mrs. Ward herself, between--

"Two estimates of life--the estimate which is the offspring of the
scientific spirit, and which is for ever making the visible world
fairer and more desirable in mortal eyes; and the estimate of Saint
Augustine."

To us, the belief in God, in goodness at all, in the story of
Bethlehem, does not rest on evidence so diverse in character and force
as Mrs. Ward supposes. At his death Elsmere has started what to us
would be a most unattractive place of worship, where he preaches an
admirable sermon on the purely human aspect of the life of Christ. But
we think there would be very few such sermons in the new church or
chapel, for the interest of that life could hardly be very varied, when
all such sayings as that "though He was rich, for our sakes He became
poor" have ceased to be applicable to it. It is the infinite nature of
Christ which has led to such diversities of genius in preaching as St.
Francis, and Taylor, and Wesley.

[70] And after all we fear we have been unjust to Mrs. Ward's work. If
so, we should read once more, and advise our readers to read, the
profoundly thought and delicately felt chapter--chapter forty-three in
her third volume--in which she describes the final spiritual reunion,
on a basis of honestly diverse opinion, of the husband and wife. Her
view, we think, could hardly have been presented more attractively.
For ourselves we can only thank her for pleasure and profit in the
reading of her book, which has refreshed actually the first and deepest
springs of feeling, while it has charmed the literary sense.

28th March 1888

V. THEIR MAJESTIES' SERVANTS

Annals of the English Stage, from Thomas Betterton to Edmund Kean. By
Dr. Doran, F.S.A. Edited and revised by Robert W. Lowe. John C. Nimmo.

[73] THOSE who care for the history of the drama as a branch of
literature, or for the history of that general development of human
manners of which the stage has been always an element and a very lively
measure or index, will be grateful to Mr. Lowe for this revised and
charmingly illustrated edition of Dr.