A SPIRITUAL AENEID.*
PERHAPS the two best parodies over which the modern world has clapped its hands were Mr. Ronald Knox's theological pamphlets, Absolute and Abitofhell and the only leas sprightly Re- union AU Round. Dryden and Swift lived again in every deli- ciously barbed phrase and balanced stanza. The reader might disagree as much as he would with every argument and conclusion, but he could not but be completely captivated by their refreshing presentation. Air. Knox's new book is " a religious autobiography," and the subjectnaturally precludes allidea of another such " Brock's Benefit." Mr. Knox relates at some length the story of his earlyre- ligious life, and tells how finally—it is his own metaphor—after walk- ing the " tight-rope " of the most extreme sacramental Anglicanism for about four years of his ministry, he has at length " fallen " into the " net " of the Roman Catholic Church, and made his submission. It would be unjust to reproach Mr. Knox with being egotistical, nor has he made too much of " the pageant of his bleeding heart " ; he has too much taste ever to be " unctimonious "—to borrow his excellent patent word—.-and at the end he speaks of his great new happiness with a combination, of decency and enthusiasm. But to the present writer's senses, at least, a dreadful atmosphere of unreality hangs about the whole book. There is so much of what Dr. South called " the beautiful locks of the cherubim." The point at issue even since the war seems (to the outsider) so often to have been something like the use or disuse of a monstrance; or a question of what authority could be," adduced as a guarantee that an ecumenical council of Bishops would make infallible decisions"; or whether Mr, Knox's spiritual life would or would not be in danger of suffering if his temporary work as a " war " schoolmaster should only enable him to celebrate three times a week. We are not wholly spared the discussion of lights and vestments. We are far from im- plying that even the least detail of these outmost trappings of the kingdom of the spirit may not be of greater moment than any physical tragedy of the earthquake that now Shakes the world. But -the earthquake is not only a physical one. We have rent our hearts, not our garments. " The eternal altars tilt and tumble." Half the world have newlyawakened to the existence of spiritualvalues. They stand amazed and cry " Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " But Mr. Knox is a theological aristocrat I Before his sub- mission he would have described himself as " an expert Anglican," and he has all the expert's disregard for the plain man. And so we leave him to his candles and his doctrinal niceties.
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