and that, when it should be used, the same syllable should be uttered, at the same time, by all the singers of the different parts: Mr. Southey* in his interesting life of the late Mr. John Wesley, notices the great attention which that eminent man paid to the psalmody of his chapels. "He "especially enjoined," says his biographer, that "the whole congregation should sing, that there "should be no repetition of words, no dwelling

66

upon disjointed syllables; and that they should "not sing in parts, but with one heart and voice, " in one simultaneous and uninterrupted feeling." Pope John lived four hundred years before Wesley; and probably Wesley had never heard of that pope's decretal; but, in every age and country, good sense is the same, and suggests the same regulations." Wesley," adds his biographer, "wished the service to be concluded "within the hour."

* Vol. ii. ch. 21, p. 223.

XXX.

THE BLUE BOOKS-AND SOME MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS ON THE CONCERNS OF THE

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

THE Reminiscent also appeared as an author, during the disputes, which took place among the roman-catholics, respecting the act which was passed for their relief in 1791 :—they gave occasion to the publications entitled "The Blue "Books."

The Reminiscent has given in his Historical Memoirs of the English Catholics, a succinct account of these disputes:-he has now only to mention some publications, occasioned by them, in which he was partially concerned.

In the course of this controversy, the members of the committee of the English catholics thought themselves obliged, on several occasions, to address in print, sometimes the vicars apostolic, and sometimes the catholic public at large, in order to explain and justify their conduct.

1. The Reminiscent had previously, with the express permission of bishop James Talbot, addressed to the vicars apostolic, a letter on the subject of the protestation and the oath formed upon it. This was never printed, and has been seen by few being bound in red, it required the appellation of the Red Book.

2. The Blue Books acquired this appellation. from their having had a covering of that colour*.

The first,-contains a letter from the committee to the catholics of England, dated the 25th of November 1790-and one from the committee to the four apostolic vicars, of the same date:

The second Blue Book contains two letters from the committee,-the first to Dr. Douglas; the second to Dr. Walmesley, Dr. Gibson, and Dr. Douglas, the three vicars apostolic who objected to the oath: neither Dr. Thomas Talbot, the other English vicar apostolic, nor Dr. Charles Berrington, his coadjutor, thought it objectionable:

The third Blue Book contains a letter from the committee to the catholics of England, dated the 21st of April 1792..

All were written by the reverend Mr. Joseph Wilkes, a benedictine monk, and the Reminiscent, with great care; all were most seriously and attentively perused by all the noblemen and gentlemen who signed them.

They were circulated extensively among the English catholics :-but the catholic committee cautiously abstained from circulating them among

* By the Italians, who had occasion to mention them, they were called livri turchini. This gave occasion to a ridiculous mistake of a divine, more pious than learned in the Italian language. He read the words livri torchini, and construed them to mean books that were torches of heterodoxy!

the Scottish or Irish catholics. They were not sold, till the first and second of them were republished for sale in 8vo. by Stockdale, in 1812. The Reminiscent has never heard, nor has he any guess, who was the editor.

It

3. The Buff Book was another publication to which this controversy gave rise it acquired that appellation from the colour of its cover. contains a report which some respectable gentlemen, who assumed the amiable office of peacemakers in these differences, made of their proceedings and their result.

A further mention of this controversy does not suit these pages: but the Reminiscent begs leave to add, that, in the last of the Blue Books, the committee announced their resolution of quitting the controversy altogether, and that they and all their advocates have adhered most rigidly to this resolution.

It was impossible for the Reminiscent not to mention this dispute in his "Historical Me"moirs;" but he has the satisfaction of knowing that his readers think he could not have done it in fewer lines, or in terms which less provoked discussion.

On some other occasions, the Reminiscent has advocated in print the cause of the romancatholics. 1. In 1795, he published an "His"torical Account of the Laws respecting Roman"Catholics," 8vo. since reprinted: 2. In 1801, he published a "Letter to an Irish Nobleman,"

8vo. on the subject of the penal laws against the Irish roman-catholics: 3. And in 1803, an "Ad"dress to the Roman-Catholics in Ireland," 8vo. The object of this address was to show the futility of the arguments, which some agitators of the public troubles in that kingdom, had used, to induce the roman-catholics, to join the troops of Napoleon, in case of an invasion. His late majesty's ministers were so satisfied with this publication, that they caused a large impression of it to be distributed in the parts of the kingdom that were supposed to be most inclined to disaffection: 4. "A Letter to an Irish Gentle"man on the Fifth Resolution of the English "Catholics, at their Meeting of the 31st of Ja

nuary 1810." This Fifth Resolution was, by a strange misconception, considered to be an adoption of the Veto, or negative power in the election of bishops, which the prelates of Ireland had, in their resolutions of 1799, expressed a willingness to admit, but afterwards declared to be "inexpedient." The object of the pamphlet of the Reminiscent, was, not to advocate the Veto, but to show, (what is most certainly the fact), that the Fifth Resolution did not pledge the English catholics to the Veto, or to any one specific measure of any description: 5. In 1822, while Mr. Canning's bill,-for rendering it unnecessary for peers to take the oath of supremacy, and to make and subscribe the declaration against transubstantiation and popery, contained