Saint Louis. By Marius Sepet. With a Preface by George
Tyrrell, S.J. (Duckworth and Co. 3s.)—Freeman has some- where compared Washington, Charlemagne, and Alfred as ideal rulers. Probably a comparison between Alfred and the good St. Louis would be as equal and fair a comparison as could be made. Along with Marcus Aurelius they stand out as the best Sovereigns in history. Alfred had a stronger intellect than St. Louis, since he was a philosopher, while Louis was a devotee. But assuredly few nobler and better men have lived than these two. This little volume tells the story of the life of St. Louis, the ninth King of France of that name, whom the Catholic Church was well advised in canonising. A certain writer has said that there are few Kings who dare enter heaven, but in this case the Papal approval goes with a higher approval. Some saints are, from the physical point of view, but poor creatures, but this cannot be said of St. Louis, who was educated and skilled in manly exercises as well as in the limited learning of his time. Brave and devoted, he organised and fought in Crusades for the recovery of the Holy Land. His chief de- light was in the society of monks and clergy. He went through the offices with the regularity of one of the clerical staff of a church, he submitted himself with a humility quite sincere to monkish discipline, and his dearest ambi-
tion was that some of his children should follow the calling of the Church—a desire which was not fulfilled. His advice to his daughter is characteristic. She is to obey husband, father, and mother in things agreeable to God, but she is to allow no human being to come between God and her own soul. She is not to spend money on many robes and jewels, but rather to use it for alms to the poor. The advice he gave to others he carried out himself, for though his Queen wished him to dress in luxury he refused to do so. If we think him too much given to austerities, we must remember that he lived in the Middle Ages, when such conduct was universally held to be needed for salvation. He loved to converse with monks and preachers on the history and doctrines of Christianity, but he had little taste for mere scholasticism. On the other hand, his heroism and bravery during his captivity by the Saracens moved even the Moslem host to respect. He was a zealot for internal reforms in France, and to him was due the abolition of the judicial duel, the estab- lishment of an excellent coinage, the prohibition of private wars, and the practice of economy in public affairs. One cannot read this work of M. Sepet without feeling the most profound respect and affection for this noble King, whose name is per- petuated on the Mississippi as well as in the hearts of all students of French history.
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