and hesitate dislike."

But the remarkable part of the facts about this unframed charge is that
in the popular edition of Sir Horace's book, published in 1905, the
passage which I have quoted is omitted, and in spite of the fact that
nearly forty pages are devoted to an Epilogue containing answers to his
critics, the author makes no mention of its omission, and gives no
reason for the implied retractation of what may be interpreted as being
a very grave charge.

The books of one or two writers on the abuses of clericalism in Ireland,
written in violent, unmeasured invective, and innocent--which is more
important--of all notion of the value of evidence, are, I understand,
eagerly snapped up and readily believed by pious Protestants in England,
and it is from these books that many Englishmen have learnt all that
they know to-day about the Church in Ireland.

The picture which is presented of the Irish priest as a money-grabbing
martinet, whom his flock regard with mingled sentiments of detestation
and fear, is a caricature as libellous as it is grotesque. Even the high
standard of sexual morality which prevails in the country is attacked as
being merely the result of early marriages, inculcated by a priesthood
thirsting for marriage fees, and virtue itself is in this way depicted
as being nothing but the bye-product of grasping avarice. I would not
have thought it necessary to have touched on this subject if I were not
assured of the vast circulation of the type of books to which I refer,
which are not worth powder and shot, more particularly in dissenting and
evangelical circles in England. The reiterated assertion by their
author that he is a Catholic produces the entirely false impression
that he is the spokesman of a considerable body of Catholics in Ireland
whose mouths are closed by the fear of consequences.

One fact which shows how bitter is the hatred towards the religion of
Ireland on the part of a section of the population of England is
this--that there is no more certain method by which a book on that
country can be assured of advertisement and quotation in the English
party Press of the baser kind, which for partisan reasons plays on the
bigotry of English people by the booming of such books, no matter how
scurrilous or how vile are their innuendoes. The comment of M.
Paul-Dubois on these attempts to foist on the Catholic Church
responsibility for the evil case in which Ireland finds herself,
deserves qu