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269
Thucydides, against the modern “ temptation to read into an inscrip
tion more, than is really to be found in it.”
Mr. Moncure Conway, following up his invaluable elucidations of
Folk-lore, discusses in his new book the significance and the teaching of
the legend of the Wandering Jew.9 It is scarcely necessary to remark
that the book is full of interest. The main feature in the argument
is that this legend of the Wandering Jew is a notable example of that
“ sacerdotal sorcery which, for the lover of enemies, substituted a
curser of enemies in the earliest Christian theology.” We are told,
first of all, how the legend is recorded in Roger de Wendover’s “ Ilistoria Major,” and how the Wandering Jew himself appeared in Ger
many in 1547, and in various other European countries, with a clever
and wonderful knowledge of previous history, and so forth. From
this we are led on to a most instructive account of the more general
legend of “ the Undying Ones” and. of Curses. The ramifications and
amplifications of the Wandering Jew legend are portrayed with most
entertaining and instructive detail. And the story is carried through
the ages of popular ignorance and vivid beliefs to the more recent
renovation of the Ahasueres as a poetic ideal. The Eternal Jew
becomes the favourite “ subject” of great German poets from Schubert
to Goethe.
Edgar Quinet, Eugene Sue, and Grenier follow the
same lead in France. And we have an admirable account of the in
fluence of the legend on the English drama and on English poetry. But
underlying the whole, and gradually working its way in the end to
prominence, comes a powerful vindication of the Jewish race, and a
powerful exposition of the hoped-for approach of better times for
humanity at large.
The growing prosperity of India and its consequently increasing
importance to Englishmen of all classes ensure a welcome for Mr.
Talboy Wheeler’s “Tales from Indian History.”10 The author himself
had some misgivings concerning this title, and it is matter for regret
he did not allow these misgivings more influence; for the title fails
to convey to the ordinary mind an adequate idea of the character and
value of the book. It is, in short, an epitomized account of most things
Indian ; and he who has read it will have no bad idea of nearly every
point that Indian affairs present to English notice. The author in
this volume manages to communicate to the reader his own firm hope
in a great future for India—closer bound to the British empire by
representative and business connections; and his belief that the
English, having instituted law and order in India, are now offering
most favourable opportunities for the great native races to work out
their own advancement by assimilating the educational and science
achievements of Western civilization.
Yet another national history11 is put before the public, and it may
9 “The Wandering Jew.” By Moncure Conway. London: Chatto & Windus
1881.
10 “Tales from Indian History.” By J. Talboy Wheeler. London: W.
Thacker & Co. 1881.
11 “A History of the British Empire.” By Edgar Sanderson. London:
Blackie & Son. 1881.
�270
Contemporary Literature.
well be asked how it comes about that such a uever-ending issue can
“pay.” It will be observed that the title, “History of the British
Empire,” might lead us to expect more account than is usually given
of the oversea realms the nation has ruled from time to time. But
beyond a short chapter devoted to the history of the Indian Empire,
and three pages devoted to the growth of our Colonial Empire, the
book is merely a new version of the oft-told tale of the successions of
sovereigns and the wars of the English nation, rigidly confined to the
British Islands. Of its kind the work is good, and it has a very
complete accompaniment of tables, maps, plans, illustrations, and
index.
It would be well if the numerous class of reformers would carefully
study an admirable outline of the history of the English Constitution
now published by Messrs. Longman.* They would thus understand
12
the true story of the development in English history of self-govern
ment, and learn that kings and nobles, as well as the commons, have
each in turn assisted’ in the good work. The politician of to-day is
too apt to forget that the future will be worked out of the past. Our
land reformers will do well to bear in mind the result worked out in
the book, “All ownership in theory is tenancy; in practice all tenancy
is ownership.” And in regard to Ireland it is interesting to trace the
obstruction Celtic influence has always opposed to the spread of repre
sentative self-government. In Scotland the same influence delayed
this for some three hundred years after its introduction into England;
and in Ireland local Parliamentary government, inaugurated in 1300,
could only take root “within the pale” when English descent and
custom came to prevail. As a whole this little work is admirably
written. We would, however, point out that in its opening chapters
the Norse element in our population is altogether ignored, though
it is now proved to have largely modified our institutions and our
national character. Again, on the last page there is a very partial
account of the main principle of free-trade. It is described as
merely prescribing that ho import duty should be levied on necessary
food, and so securing the people “ from being overcharged for the
necessaries of life.” The utter inadequacy of such a description of
free-trade should be remedied in the future editions to which the
work is sure to run.
It has been termed a natural function of Women to provide for the
education of children ; and the compiling of schoolbooks for the special
use of children is a task by no means neglected by women. “A French
History for English Children” is a full, clearly-written account of historica^France suited to schoolroom capacities.13 It has no pretensions to
advanced erudition, and is a plain matter-of-fact account of persons and
events that young people are expected to be familiar with. The book
13 “ Historical Outline of the English Constitution, for Beginners.” By D. W.
Itannie. London : Longmans. 1881.
13 “French History for English Children.” By Sarah Brook. London: Mac
millan. 1881.
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Victorian Blogging
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised nineteenth-century pamphlets from Conway Hall Library & Archives. This includes the Conway Tracts, Moncure Conway's personal pamphlet library; the Morris Tracts, donated to the library by Miss Morris in 1904; the National Secular Society's pamphlet library and others. The Conway Tracts were bound with additional ephemera, such as lecture programmes and handwritten notes.<br /><br />Please note that these digitised pamphlets have been edited to maximise the accuracy of the OCR, ensuring they are text searchable. If you would like to view un-edited, full-colour versions of any of our pamphlets, please email librarian@conwayhall.org.uk.<br /><br /><span><img src="http://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" width="238" height="91" alt="TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" /></span>
Creator
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Conway Hall Library & Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Publisher
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Conway Hall Ethical Society
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
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Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[The Wandering Jew]
Description
An account of the resource
Place of publication: [s.l.]
Collation: 270 p. ; 23 cm.
Notes: From the library of Dr Moncure Conway. A review of Moncure Conway's 'The Wandering Jew' by an unknown reviewer in an unidentified journal. Includes bibliographical references.
Publisher
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[s.n.]
Date
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[188-]
Identifier
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G5604
Subject
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Book reviews
Creator
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[Unknown]
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<a href="http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"><img src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /></a><span> </span><br /><span>This work ([The Wandering Jew]), identified by </span><a href="https://conwayhallcollections.omeka.net/items/show/www.conwayhall.org.uk"><span>Humanist Library and Archives</span></a><span>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</span>
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application/pdf
Type
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Text
Language
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English
Book Reviews
Conway Tracts
Demonology
Folklore
Judaism
Moncure Conway
-
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849551f594c72c4d8caf5eb0bd1386ec
PDF Text
Text
383
P^Bi.mMSe god of wind and messenger of heaven, to ascertain th® cause of this indifference. Pavana returning, reports to the gods that the corruptions which had
crept into their religion and the rise of Christianity had weakened the old faith. Tn
a rage, the entire Pantheon sallies forth in battle array to attack the intruders, but is
confronted by a Seraph, who overwhelms the foe with a glance, informing the old
gods that—
“ Jehovah will no longer bear
Your lawless presence here;
For He’s sole King, must ever reign I
Hence to the abodes of night 1
Hence to the brimstone sod !
The land where darkness reigns unblest,
And weary spirits never rest;
Where sinners be, sinners away
From hallow'd ground far driven ;
Immortal life to ye belong,
Go taste immortal pains,
With sighs and wails and blasphemies,
Amid the funeral screams of hell.’’
Though not perfectly simplified or polished, this poem is conceived in a spirit of
sympathy and kindness, and will be liked by all who are truly religious withou*
being strictly critical. One could readily conceive that the “Vision of Sumeru,” and
many other of the smaller poems, might have been far better in Hindi : so much do
they seem like goo d work not very well translated.
We have received a valuable contribution to mythological literature in Demonology
ancl Devil-lore, by Moncure Daniel Conway (Chatto & Windus : 1879). Acomplete
history of the devil and all his angels, with that of all the lurid horrors and smoky
phantoms accompanying them, would, if written with the accuracy which even the
mob who read with ease now exact, be a tremendous task. It would be ahistory of
religion, of superstition, of occult philosophy, of half the popular legends known,
and would make deep inroads on poetry. As the reverend author admits, “any attempt
to catalogue the evil spectres which have haunted mankind were like trying to count
the shadows cast upon the earth by the rising sun.” The older demonographers,
such as Bodinus, and Bakker in his Monde Enchante, satisfied themselves by simply
giving all they could collect, and by entertaining the reader with interminable stories^
But in an age when even many soundly religious people havefgrave or quiet
misgivings as to a personal devil, these marvellous legends are simply regarded as
fairy-tales. As history and theories of evolution are becoming popular, the stories
lose, however, none of their interest, only the interest is transferred to another field,
that of explaining and illustrating change or progress. The thinking world is as
much interested as ever in the history of the diabolical idea, its tremendous influence
on mankind is still too apparent to be treated with indifference; but faith in the
details is now lost in examination of a leading fact, as belief in the Elohim became
absorbed in the unity of Yahveh. Such is the ground taken by Mr. Conway, an
honest and sincere Rationalist, yet one who is, like most of the Boston Unitarian
clergymen, too deeply penetrated by a conviction of what is good and pure in
Christianity to believe that God could ever allow man, in his helplessness, to be
tempted and tormented by a devil. His book is not an attempt to tell all that might
be told about Demonology, and herein lies its merit and its fault. Recognising the
impossibility of detailing the devil with all that is devilish, he has subordinated the
innumerable illustrations to a theory of development which is well enough conceived,
whatever other theorists may think of it; and it is this very fidelity to the principle
or theory which induced classification or method, which leads him to indulge in
many pages of disquisition, which some readers will wish had been devoted to
mere facts. On the other hand, it must be admitted that this disquisition never
degenerates into idle rhapsody or padding. Thousands of readers—and we may
well say thousands of a book of which three thousand copies have already been
sold—will prefer Mr. Conway's preaching to his facts ; others who do not, will be
of the class who are capable of drawing their own conclusions. In fact, there is
much good writing among these disquisitions, a vast fund of humanity, un
deniable earnestness, and a delicate sense of humour, all set forth in pure English.
It is much to say that we have found the nine hundred pages of these two large
volumes, without exception, interesting.
The early religions were generally without a devil. The Hindus, notwithstanding
�384
THE CONTEMP ORA W&REVIEW*
their Rakhshas and fiends, maintain that their vast Pantheon contains no su<
creature. The gods were both good and evil. There were punishing demon
demons of storms and of death, but no such quintessence of malignity, decei
anti-godness, cruelty and petty meanness, as is incarnate in the Christian Sata
In “The Sketch-Book of Meister Karl,” Satan is represented as vindicating his raise
d’etre on the ground that he represents the necessary suffering and pain atte
dant upon the destruction of the old, leading to higher beauty in the new,
creation. itself, but is promptly snubbed by the author, who informs him that j
is ^nothing of the kind, but “only the transitory ugliness of the ruins of t’
tempest and the pestilence.” The old religions represented the devil as he repi
sented himself to the writer: Christianity has made him an abstract of the revoltin
Mr. Conway, beginning with Dualism, proceeds to the degradation of divinities ai
ex-gods into devils, and then finds causes for the existence of others in hunger, het
cold, the elements and animals,in enemies and barrenness, obstacles,illusion,darknes
disease and death. From these he proceeds to a history of the decline of demo
and their generalization as shown in art and in the decay of mythologies. T
next step is of course an account of the principal types of demons or devils, such
the serpent and dragon. Hence we have connections and affinities with these—su
as Fate, Diabolism, or the direct connection of incarnate evil with demons, and h
tories of degraded powers, such as Ahriman, Elohim, Visramitra, the consuming fi
and others. The second volume is in part occupied with the numerous deductio
from these types through the Middle Ages down to the present day. The great me
of the work consists, not merely in great research and a shrewd selection of striki
examples and interesting illustrations, but in the clearness with which Mr. Conw
develops his ideas. Its demerit is an exaggerated susceptibility to simile, and
readiness to assume derivations and connections without proving them—the gre
sin of all symbolists from Creuzer, Godfrey Higgins, and Faber, down to Inms
Not that we would class Mr. Conway with these blunderers ; on the contrary, he h
tried hard to avoid their company, but he often unconsciously falls into their fault
the fault, it is true, of a poetic mind, but one to be guarded against when one is n
writing poetry. We* should do injustice to this work did we not mention th
1
Mr. Conway writes like a man without prejudice against aught save tyranr
Abstractly speaking, his freedom from bigotry is almost naively amusing. Had
been a Calvinist he would probably have prayed, as did the Scotch clergyman, for t
conversion of “ the puir deil.” As it is, he sets forth his own very broad faith in t
following words, with which he concludes his first volume :—
“It is too late for man to be interested in an ‘ Omnipotent’ Personality, who
power is mysteriously limited at the precise point when it is needed, and whose moi
government is another name for man’s own control of. nature. Nevertheless tl
Oriental pessimism is the Pauline theory of Matter, and is the speculative protoplas
out of which has been evolved in many shapes that personification which remai
for our consideration—the Devil.”
These be plain words, but we have thought it best to cite them, that the read'
whether heterodox or orthodox, may know exactly what he may expect in this i
teresting and singular work.
THE PROFESSIONAL STUDIES OF THE CLERGY.
To the Editor of the Contemporary Review.
Sir,—I have to acknowledge an error of some importance in my account of the varic
courses of theological study now pursued in the different Divinity Schools of England.
In describing the subjects for the Theological Tripos at Cambridge, I set down or
the variable portions, omitting the fixed and more important part of the course whim
make it fully equal in character and value to the Theological Honour Course at Oxfoi
I cannot charge myself entirely with the mistake, as I applied to Cambridge for t
list of subjects, and was furnished with no more than I set down. I have similarly
omitted to credit King’s College, London, with having lately added Logic or Moi
Philosophy to its ciu’riculum ; while I learn that Logic is also the alternative of t'
compulsory subjects at Lampeter.
I am glad to make these corrections, and trust that if I have done unintentiou
injustice elsewhere, that it may be brought to my notice.
Your obedient servant, R. F. Ltttledale.
1
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Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Victorian Blogging
Description
An account of the resource
A collection of digitised nineteenth-century pamphlets from Conway Hall Library & Archives. This includes the Conway Tracts, Moncure Conway's personal pamphlet library; the Morris Tracts, donated to the library by Miss Morris in 1904; the National Secular Society's pamphlet library and others. The Conway Tracts were bound with additional ephemera, such as lecture programmes and handwritten notes.<br /><br />Please note that these digitised pamphlets have been edited to maximise the accuracy of the OCR, ensuring they are text searchable. If you would like to view un-edited, full-colour versions of any of our pamphlets, please email librarian@conwayhall.org.uk.<br /><br /><span><img src="http://www.heritagefund.org.uk/sites/default/files/media/attachments/TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" width="238" height="91" alt="TNLHLF_Colour_Logo_English_RGB_0_0.jpg" /></span>
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Conway Hall Library & Archives
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2018
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Conway Hall Ethical Society
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
Pamphlet
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
[Demonology and Devil-Lore]
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
[188-]
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
G5603
Description
An account of the resource
Place of publication: [London]
Collation: 383-384 p. ; 22 cm.
Notes: From the library of Dr Moncure Conway. A review, by an unknown reviewer, of Moncure Conway's work 'Demonology and Devil-Lore from 'Contemporary Review' [Date and issue number unknown].
Subject
The topic of the resource
Book reviews
Creator
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[Unknown]
Publisher
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[s.n.]
Rights
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<img src="http://i.creativecommons.org/p/mark/1.0/88x31.png" alt="Public Domain Mark" /><br /><span>This work ([Demonology and Devil-Lore]), identified by </span><span><a href="https://conwayhallcollections.omeka.net/items/show/www.conwayhall.org.uk">Humanist Library and Archives</a></span><span>, is free of known copyright restrictions.</span>
Format
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application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Language
A language of the resource
English
Book Reviews
Conway Tracts
Demonology
Moncure Conway