ETON FABLES.*
WE find Mr. Alington's new fables very unequal. Some of them were delivered to the younger boys of the school in Lower Chapel, others to older boys in College Chapel and in his own division. Hence they vary from the elementary to the subtle. The simpler ones probably sounded well enough when preached in Mr. Alington's impressive voice to a suitable audi- ence, but we rather question the wisdom of setting them out in
cold print, where, from their somewhat elaborate allegory and presentation, and the familiar character of their content, they rather give the impression of emptiness. On a different level are the last two fables, " The Moving Staircase " and " Old Wine in New Bottles," the former for the aptness and vividness of its illustration, the latter for its disturbing quality of paradox. The question raised is of the possibility of miracles. Mr. Alington makes his " Uncle Richard " take up the position that it is foolish to say that the miracles are impossible since we know so little of natural laws.
" I quite agree we don't know everything,' said I ; but surely its right to use what knowledge we've got ? '
Of course it is,' answered Uncle Richard ; but don't use it to bar out the possibility of more knowledge coming. I tell
• Possession : a Peep-Show in Paradise. By Laurence Housman. London : *Eon Fables. By Cyril Alington, Head-Master of Eton College. London:
you the thing I'm really afraid of is being made to look a fool at the Day of Judgment. "Why didn't you believe this ? " they'll say to me, and I shall say, " Oh 1 I didn't think it was possible." " And what do you know about possibilities ? " they'll say. and I shouldn't know what to answer.' " But if we believe' that all the miracles are explicable by undis- covered natural laws—as to some extent the miracles of healing have proved to be—does not this amount to a complete dis- belief in all miracles, which are, by definition we suppose, some-
thing which is not capable of explanation by any natural law, discovered or undiscovered ?
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