The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-13 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

Playing at Mona:,
Three Months in an English :Niortaster7. A Per,
sonal Narrative. By Charles Walker. One.

pp. 299. Murray and Co.
The gravity with which this narrative is written
throughout—very cleverly written by the way—is
something excessively delightful. If not penned by
Mr. Walker literally in nubibus, it certainly reads
for all the world as though, while writing it, the
author of the book had been held (say by Os force,
not to say by very odd force, after the manner of our
tables and chairs a few years ego) in a somewhat
analogous position to Mationiet's coffin. Either—
he bas gone too far ! Or—he has Lot gone far
enough! His creed is seemingly neither the one thing
nor the otl.er. His book is very much of the same
uncc,rtain, indeterminate character. What we are
here expected to sit down to and devour, is, in
homely parlance, neither fish, nor flesh, nor yet
even good red herring. A Catholic monk in com-
munion with the See of Rome, we can all of us per-
fectly well comprehend. But—a Protestant monk!
The terms are irreconcileable. It is an incongruity
of phrase, as jarring and discordant of its kind as
Major Yelverton's answer to the priest who married
him on that memorable morning to Miss Theresa
Longworth over in Ireland—his answer to the in-
quiry of Father Mooney What religion he was of,
whether Protestant or Catholic," I am a Protestant-
Catholic !" It distracts one's ideas. It sets one's
teeth on edge, like a discord in music or afalse quan-
tity in a latin recitation. One thing or the other, we
would say, both to Mr. Walker, the author of this
book, and to Mr. Lytle, the hero of it—the latter
better known not only to the reader of it, but pre-
viously through the newspapers to the public at
large as " Brother Ignatius." Here, in the book as
its frontispiece, is the portrait of Brother Ignatius—
in full costume as Brother Ignatius, And looking
at this picture, it is quite manifest in every line of it
that—unlike the real monks—Brother Ignatius was
very carefully posed by the photographer. The effect
being—not unnaturally—as is also the case in regard
to the effect of the written narrative celebrating
the history of Brother Ignatius—a replier " poser !"
Looking at it—it fairly bewilders one. For here
in this limning of a Protestant clergyman—a
comely gentleman enough in himself evidently, but
rather given to the fantastical in the way of mas-
queracVng—we behold the effigy not, of a Parson
(so far as appearances go) but of a genuine Monk :
an embroidered stole upon the table by his side, a
crucifix near it clasped in his left hand, in the
grasp of his right a breviary, drooping from his
shoulders a cowl, suspended from his girdle a
Rosary ! A Rosary, i swill be remembered, having so
manydecades of the ave mania—and therefore imply-
ing on the part of the wearer of it, devotions "rather"
out of the way for a Protestant clergyman! However,
the fact evidently is, judging f ow all we have ever
heard of Mr. Lyrae, alias Brother Ignatius, pre-
viously to the publication of Mr. Walker's book
about bins and his doings, and now very much more
fully from the work itself—this enthusiastic Curate
of St. Peter's, Plymouth, near neighbour of Nios
&lion, of the Protestant Conventual Establisnment
in that place—this Rev. Mr. Lyne, otherwise
Brother Ignatius, has been all along bent upon
striking out for himself also a via media between
Protestantism and Catholicism ! And he has struck
it out in so eccentric a manner that we doubt not, by
both alike, he will be regarded as not in the least bit
in the world orthodox. The English of it all is,
as our heading to these remarks intimates, that
Brother Ignatius and his companions are doing all
this while nothing but simply Playing at Monks.
Reading the record of it all as here jotted down,
very gravely by Mr. Charles Walker, it as if
we were spirited away to a strange kind of a
whimsical, Clerical Arcadia. Only it is an Arcadia
—where the people eat suet dumplings, and dearly
love a comfortable gossip over a cup of tea. ['root
positive as to which latter particulars may be found
here in the following naive entry :—" Sundays, I
must confess, were not the mot pleasant days in
Cicydon. We missed the active bustling work of
the other days and the hours seemed iu consequence
to drag somewhat. The time between the 'hours'
was spent in reading—in the morning several
chapters of the Old T: etament ; in the afternoon,
any book we chose to select from our little stock.
Vespers were said at half-past five, so we really
had a quiet tea on Sundays; and as that meal
was seaved in the parlour on all festivals, and
conversation allowed, it was quite asocial meal." AS
to the dumplings, now suet, now sweet, the former,
it appears, are devoured by the brethren on Tues-
days, Thursdays, and Saturdays, the latter (" hard,"
according to Mr. Walker's authority for it, and
therefore we fear extremely indigestible) onWedoess
days and Fridays—the Sunday meal being rendered
palatable by the substitution of a nice pudding for
either the hard or the suet. Claydon is the scene
of Brother Ignatius and Co.'s monastic observances.
And there it is they are at it perpetually day and
night with Lends, Prime,Terc, Sext,Nones, Vespers,
and Complin. Here is the first taste of the mid-
night discipline by one of the unsophisticated
fo lowers of Mr. Lyne, on originally coming to Clay-
don, acid there roused in the dead of night by the
flare of a big wexcandle brought into the Novice's
sleeping-room by one of the B tut hers

•
" The light, reflecting on his lice, over which the hood
was drawn, and gave a peculiar look to his features, dis-
ordered as they were by an abrupt arousing from sleep;
and only tialf awake myself, I anticipated some sudden cause
of the particulars of which the good Brother had
come to communicate to me; and inquited, I fear in a
very unmonastic tone, what was the matter ? I soon learnt
that this was a summons to Nocturns, or the night offic-,
which begins at 2 a.m., and lasts till between 3 and 4.
The brothers sleep in their habits, and he whose turn it is
to awaken the others goes round from bed to bed saying,
Benedicamus Domino (let us bless the Lord), and each
bother, starting up, replies, Deo Gratias (thanks be to
God). It was to this solemn greeting of the brother that I
inadvertently replied in the manner I have mentioned. I
was soon ready to accompany the brother, and in a few
minutes a dozen strokes or so of the bell announced to such
of the villagers as were awake that Nocturne were about to
commence."

Enough, however. Gravely though the book is
written—it is quite impossible, we take it, that it
should be read with a serious face either by C:itholic
or by Protestant. The book is an eccentricity, es the
career of the hero of it is t.O eccentricity. Both of
them, probably, very will•iiltentioned—but stifle
for all that, only to be looked at, from either sides
from the right hand or trom the left, under an aspect
intensely ridiculous.

SIGNOR ARDITI'S MORNING CONCERT.—This
talented and able artiste has announced his ann:tal grand
morning concert for Friday, the 17th, at Her Majesty's
Theatre, and :he programtua is quite worthy the cccasion.
Each of the three parts into which the concert is divided
contains the names of the most eminent musicians of the
day both vocal and instrumental, and thus an array of
talent is presented of an unusual description. The first part
will consist of selections from Rossini's " Stabat Mater,"
the solo parts being sustained by Madlles. Titiens, Lem-
mans Sherrington, and Trebelli, and Signori Giuglini,
Gardoni, Junca, and Mr Santley. The second will embrace
selections from "Robert le Diable," "Faust," and "Don
Giovanni," with a great variety of musical gems of every
description, one of the most prominent being Madame
Arabella Ga}ddard's pianaforte concerto in G Minor. Arditi's
canto " La Garibaldina" is also to be performed, together
with a new grand duo for Madame Goddard and Mr Car.
rodus. The third and concluding part will be the third act
of Falstaff, with an incidental ballet. The above is a very
brief outline of the entertainment, but the fare announced
of Signor Arditi's concert will be quite sufficient to ensure
a brilliant end crowded audience. In order that the whole
hourwhole
of the performance may be satisfactorily given, the
for the commencement of the concert has been set for half.
past one.
DIVINE SERVICE IN COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS,—The
Bishop of Oxford's bid, before the House of Lords,
proposes to give power to the Bishop to license one or more
of the masters (being in I tiest's orders) of any coltegiat
school or college to perform Divine service, for the benefit
of the FchAare in any suitable room or building in or neat
the school, set apart for that purpose. Bat the license is
not to include the offices of baptism, marriage, or burial.
By "collegiate school or college" is to be understood a
school incorporated by letters patent, or charter, or by Act
of Parliament, for instruction in religious and useful learn.
ing in accordance with the doctrines of the Church of
England.
FEMALE SCHOOL OF ART.—The worshipful Com-
J any of Drapers has forwarded a donation of ,k,21
o the building fund of the Female School of Arts, Queen's
quare, and E. ACkl oyd, Dq., of the firm of Ackr.,yd anc
Son, of Halifax and the City of London, has also sent X5O
towards the same object.

*my."
c,E,
Ortilbr
I

HER MAJESTY,

WINDSOR CASTLE, Saturday;

The Queen, accomponieci by her Royal Highness
Princess Louise, walked and drove in the grounds
this morning.

The Prince and Princess of Leiniogen and the
Princess Alberta of I,,,:iningen took leave of her
Majesty this morning, and left the Castle.
Princess II(!lene, attended by Lady Caroline Bar-
rington, the Hoe. Harriet Phipps, and Lieut. Col.
the Hon. 1). De Roe, returned to the Castle this
morning at ten 'ninnies bhforc twelve.
Princess Louis of Hesse, attended by Baroness
Von Granny, 1)r Becker, and Lieut. General Sir
Henry Beni lock, returned at two o'clock.

SUNDAY.

Her Majesty drove cut yesterday afternoon, ac..
companied by her Roynl Highness Princess Louis
of Hesse, and attended by Lord Charles Fitzroy.
Prince Louis of Hesse, attended by Captain Von
Westerweller, arrived at the Castle last night from
London.

Prince Hermann of Soims, Prince Ysenburg
Burdingen, and Count Erbach, accompanied his
Royal Highness, _ _ _

His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, attended by
Nl9jor Cowell and Lieutenant Haig, arrived at the
Castle shortly before one o'clock.
The Queen, their Royal Highnesses Princess
Louis of Hesse, Prince Alfred, Princess Helena,
Princess Louise, and Princess Beatrice, the Ladies
and Gentlemen in Waiting, attended Divine ser-
vice this morning in the Private Chapel.
Tho Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Windsor
officiated.