Non.Membo ... oan obtain this publloatlon 'rom the Hon. Seoretary, poet're. '1./. per annum

JANUARY, 1927.

Cb~ montblp R~cord of

Soutb plac~ €tblcal SOci~IPt South Place, Moorgate, E.C.2

f'blect of tbe Socl .. ty • .. The Object of the Society is the cultivation of a rational religious sentiment, tbe study of etbical principles, and tbe promotion of human welfare, in harmony with advancing knowledge. "

Jt1BlftB BRSH IV. Any person in sympathy with the Object ot tbe Society is cordiaUy invit<>d to becom~

& member. Too amount of aubscription i. optionnJ. "ith & minimum of 2&. 6d. »6r Q~arter, or lOa per ann"m Any fH"r~on intf'reat;JD.d. in thl' Rnci ':v's work but not wishing to beoome n member, mny join as an AS90CU ..... the miniJrum subscription ll<ling 5s. pcr Mnum. Further pnTtiolllars m!\y be obtained in the Library before and after the Sunday ""ice. or on "pp I iol\.tion to the Hon. Registrar. Mise R. HAr.LB, Bouth Plaoo Institute, Fin.bury. E.0.2.

SUNDAY MORNINQ SERVICES. The following DISCOURSES will be delivered on Sunday mornings,

Service beginning at ELEVEN O'CLOCK.

January 2.-8. K. RATCLIFFE.- Can England Rise Again? Qno.rtot. New Year's Bong .. . •.... . .. Solo (B.). Ri e I for the day is pn.asing (No. 53) ...

Hymna {ClO. 172. Ring lIut, wild 1><>11 •• to the wild sky No. 90. England nris<>o I the long. long night is over.

ScTiumann Add;.o"

J a.n Uary 9.- C. DELISLE BURN S. M .A., D.Llt. - Doing Go od an d Doing BUsine!s. Quartet. One by ono the sands fl r e flowing (No. 102) Quintet. 0 work for the good of humanity ...

Hymn. {NO. 1. Be true to every inmost thought. No. 64. A nohler order y<lt shall 00.

January 16 -C. DELISLE BURNS, M.A • D.L1t.-Pirandello·8 Plays. Solo (B.). Prologue (I Pnglin.oc.i) .. . Bolo (0.). Winds iu the trees .. .

Hymn. {NO. 23. Thero is n BOng now singing . . No. 141. 0 star of strength I I IlOO thee stnnd.

January 23.- Right Hon. J. M. ROBERTSON.- BurJlS and his Race. Qu.a.rtet. How lovely are tllY mes.aengers Bolu (B.). Where gloomy pln,e t...,.,.. rustle

Hymn. {No. 82. Ah, happy they wh<> fed their birth. No. 25. 0 brother mn.n. fold to thy heart thy broth .. r.

Janu arY30._ JOHN A. HOBSON, M.A..-Sllbstitutes for Morab. ~'~'rtot (a) K...,p Innocenev ... •.. ... .. ... . ..

rlO ( .O.T.) (b) Love .... QUartet. A. Psnlm of Life

Hymn. {No. 46. He Livoth long who Iivet.h w",l1.

Si/aB Thorne

L"(jnCD !lalfo Goril1(J Tliuma.

Jr~nd~'HRolm ('owen

.1lacfarrrn Lea/i,·

KillTOBB

No. 227. The l,en.rt it hath ;119 own estate.

invitdH1I.mnh Praotioe. to whioh all pcrwonB dOliroIU of jmprovjn" tJr.e hymn Binuinu IIrt I, cid at t)to cia.. of each SorViC8.

p . . Or"anut: H. BlinD WIDsnu, 6S. Lora.ine Road, N.7. 8u"l1d1/,,,tO

rt a.r. invitlld to obtai" information re"ardin." the SociUV in the Librarv on ,{ 0 morn",,, •.

r",pen,e.OI~',ctihon i, ~ad. at each SOTflie.. to 61Iable thOle prelent to contribut.. to th, 01/0/" t ~ .soc.etV.

Q'"mllo:':;:'t d6'" rmr. to att61l.d the Servloe. are informed tJr.at the Oommittlle havr mad, The Rnli B Or IOlUinll tI.eiT machinel in the baloment.

12, SOuth Pldln

!! ks to be let lor Meetings, etc. APDllcatlon may he made to the Curetaker The Chnp~~ei li C•2, or to Mr. N. Lldstoae. 96. U1ackstock Ilflnd. Flnshury PHrk. N.4. Arrung.m I s censed for ~Iarrlal!es.

en s can be made for Funeral SerVices on applicntlon to Ihe Secreta"Y.

2

Lending Library. Tbe Lending Library is open free to Members of the Society on Sunday mornings

brforo nud R:ter the Sernee. Associat.!,s and Nnn·Members of th~ Society mny under certain conditions be granted the u,,," of the Library upon payment of a subsoription of 2s. 6d. per annum. The Catalogue, including .everal supplements, i, on sale, price 6d. A written Catalogue, containing up·to-date additions, is available for the referenCt> of borrowers. Subscriptions towards the purchase and repair of books arc invited.

lIon. Trea8urer and Librarian, F. JAM"S, 302. Dalston Lane, Hackney, E .8. Hon. Secretary and LibrariQ.1~, MISS Y. A. Ar.EXANIlElt, 5, Hopef\"ld Avenu", Bronde~­

bury Park, N.W.6.

Rambles. Saturday, January 1at.-The London Museum, Lancaster House, St. James's,

S.W.1. Con(lucteil by Mr. Em\'Ano SN,:r.LTNG. Meet 2.15 p.m. outside. Monday. January 3rd.-Federation of Rambling Clubs Dance at the Cr!pplegate

Institute, 7.30 p .m. Single ticket '/6, Double 4/-. to be ba<i in the Library. Saturday, January 8th. - Road Walk from Barnet. Conilllcted by Mr. B O'

W.\IlWICK. Meet, King'. Cross local slat.ion for 2.20 trnin to High Barnet, 1/1 return. or :3 p.m. tram tcrmintlR High Barnct.

Saturday, January 15th. The Horniman Museum, London Road, S.E.23. Oon­ducte(l by :-'frs. F. M. llAwKTNs. Neare.t sLation, I'orcst Hill tL.B. & S.O.), or by j,ram to Forest Hill. Meet 2.15.

Saturday, January 22nd.-Edgware, Stanmore and Harrow Wpsld Common. Conilucterl by Mr. B. O. W\RWICK. Ellstol!. 2.15 p.m. Oheap ticket Edgware 9d. Meet Edgwnre 3 p.m. Bus to Stanmore 2cl. rl'cn at J1ilstree.

rr . . {Mrs. JA~ms. 302. Dnlstlln Lane, E.B. non. Secret"rw8. B. O. WARWICK, 134, Higbbury Hill. N.5

ehildren's Varty. The Annual Christmas Party for members and their ohildr~n and friends will be

held on Tuesday. Jauuary 11th, from 5.30 to 10 p.m. Light refr""hmen~s are provided, ailld theTe will be games and dancing. The

entertainment items will include n .Tapanpso rnu'ical plny entitled .. J\fOONBTTTNE." Tickets ehildren Is., adults Is. 6d .. obtainable in the Library, or from

MN. HICRARDS, 55, Copel Rond, E.7, and Mrs. WATSON, .. Oheriton," Aldcr,sbrook Road, E.12.

Vlay-Reading eircle. On Wednesday, January 19th, It mode rn Irish plo,y, "Autumn Fire," by T. O.

Murray, wHi be read. '!'ea nt 5.30. Uending nt 6.30. Any Jr.cmber,8 who may be interested will be we!·

oomed to both the tr", and the r :uling, and Mrs. WlI.tson would be glad to Ilear from any possessor of a genuine Iri.sh "ocent who is willing to t"ke a part in the play.

Monthly Dance . . \ ttrntion is caHed to the [net tbat the remaining dances of the seo.son have been

nrrnng'<'d to takn place on the lnst Friday of ,Tnnuary. February and March, 1927. The n t dance will therdore be held on Friday, January 28th,from 7 to 11 p.m.,

at th" Ashburton Rooms. 28. Red Lion Square. Tickets, 3s. each, may be obtain<>d in the Library, or from

Mr8. SmCLJFFE, "Brambletye," Nightingn.J.e Rand, Rickmansworth.

February Soiree. On February lOth, a Whist Drive will be held. organisod by Mr. and Mrs. F. ~r.

OVERY, to alear tIlE' def\(lit on the monthly dances. Further particulnrs will appear in t.h<J Fcbm!LTy list.

Sund"v Vopular eoncerts «!hamber Music). The FOR'lT·FIRST SEASON will be continued cVl>ry SUNDAY, ex,,"pt December 26.

Doors ol",n at 6.10, commence at 6.30 p.m. Admission Free, with Collection. ,Tanuary 2.-TnR NEW SmTNG QUARTET: Antonio Bmsa, Enid Bailey, Gertrnc1

Hopkins. Livio M.a~ucai. Pianofort/': Isabel .G.rny nneI Olande Pollard. String Qunrt..-ts: lkleth,!)vcn ID D, Op. 18, No. 3; DohnnnYJ ID A, Op. 7. Duets for Two Pianos: Schumn.nn~~ AndnntC' nnd Vn.riations, Arcn~kv's Silhouettes .

. Tanuary 9.-Tm: WOOD RMITn STRING QUARTET: Go. r :,e Rtratton, .Tes,ie Stewnrl Alirt' (1~nssie, .Tohn Moore. 2nd Viola: Patirno<> I ucn". roca"": Miss Ohri,tine MeC'lnrc. 'At t/Ir' Prano: }frs. Dom Gothnrd. String Quintet.: Boothoven in C, Op. 29, Yaughun Wi1Iinn,,' Pbantn,y. Dvorak in E flat, Op. 07.

Jnnnnry 16. } .Tanllnry 2.'i See unnounc.ements in Progrnmm€8. JOnllllry 30

For fUA'th,.,. drlai!s of tile above Concert. Rep flltllre Programmes . . The 1.000th Ooncert WIll. take place on February 20 when " Specinl Programme

w111 he glvl'n ond many ArtIsts a9BocinW with the Concerts will app<>nr. . Tr~nRfNnbl~ Rcs~rvrd s"nt Tickets, 5. each. availablo to March 27, 1927. an,l mclndm g admISSIon to the l,OOOt.h ConCI·rt. Programme SlIb,rriptions 59 .x1m. App1iention shou ld hi' mnde to the Hon. Tr."suI'('T of the Concerts, F. A. HAwinNs. 13, Thurlow Park l,tond, S.E.2I. neoampnmod by r emittnnce and .tnmped od<lr<s'od envelope.

Hon. TreaR.: FRANK A. HAWKlNS, 13, Thllrlow Park Rond, .E.21. HOll. SM.: AL'''En .r. CL.MENTS. 8. Finrbley WRY, N.S. HOll Aut Se03 ' f 1Ir,. n. M. C'LEMllN'l'S. 8, Finchl.y Way, N.S.

. . .. w S alEwunll, •. 64. J,OwndN SquOl"<', Knigbt.bridg>e, S.W.l

Discussions. Tha DillCu8sion Oirole will meet on Mondo.y evenings M 6.45 p.Ol.

South Vlace «!>rchestra. Conductor: RICHARD H. W ALTHEW.

Memb<>rahip.-Th~ support of former members nnd the o.o<>Oasion of new on"", are d""ired in ordcr that the Improvement of l ... t ocason may not only b<> maintained hut el'ended.

Subscription.-Hls. for eaoh hnlf aea80n. \ny further partioulars mo.y be hnd from the Hon. Secretary,

F. W. OANNINO, 63, KingahaU Raad, Beckenba",

(!Onway Memorial Lectures. The Conway Memori .. l Lectures, which. or e de~iverpd nnnunlly in M~roh. ~er. innug~1

rated in 1908, ... a lllere<Jrinl to Dr. Moneure D. Oonwo.y. The Cilmmlttee 18 nnt ,Yet In pas_sion of the neOt'sStlry cnpital tor tbe permnu,'nt endowment of the IA.·ctllTPsIIlP, nnd ID th~ mf'nntimp. it makes nn earnest llPpe.nl to n!l rrnflf'rs of tl16 ?tfoN'l'tIJ y R.:~OUD either for ,ubscriptions or donntions to prunre the continuAnce of the lectures. The.e should be srnt to the Hon. Treasurer, Mrs. COOKDURN, Porlldeniya, 18, Northo.mpton Rond, Croydon.

Seventeen lectures h .. ve been given, Md copies of tb""" can be pllrcbas,d at the book .to.lI.

BSt . {ERNESr eARn, .. Lyndnll," Esaendon R(l8d, anderstend, Surrey. on. crt ani'8 Mr9. C. FLETCHER SlflT"J, SS. Btntion Way, Letohworth .

. The GENImAL OolUUTTEE will m&et on W(·dllO"d.n.y, ,1""u"ry S. Oorrespond"n"c d~alin!r "'Ith matters for conwiderntion sbould be forwarded to F. M. O'\"Jmy, Hon. &>c., 36. Oalcrham Rnnd, Lewish"m, S.E.13, nt the earliest possible moment. A.ll mnth'rs relating to finnnce shonld be addressed to the Trco.surer .

. &>cretnries of sub·committees nr. rcquest.-d to note tl'ILt nny mattcr whioh they ",i.b tc Insert in the MONTnLY RE onn should be in the hands of Mr. F. W. RE.ln not 'ater ~han 15th at the reonth. All literary mntt .. r should be forwarded to the Editor, Mr ' .. 1. POI.,.ARD, as cnrly in the month as possible.

----EDITORIAL.

CHILDREN'S CllRISTM·\S P,IRn' .- The annual Christmas party for members of South Place, their chilriren and friends, which is announced for January 11, will be the last big social gathering to be held in the old building. 'Ve appeal to all members to do their utmost towards making this party a memorable snccess hy attending it themselves and bringinl! all. the boys and girls they kno\\. A Japanese musical play, which was Wntten by Mr. Eustace Barralet for one of these parties a good many \'ears ago, is being revived for this occa~ion, and will he acted by the children and granrichildren of members.

NEW Yg.IR'S EVE.-A Remembratlce ,ervice will be held in the Ethical ~hurcb, Qneen's Road, Bayswatt>r, at 8.30 to 9.30 on Friday evening, . ecember 31, with the object of padn;:: a tribute to the memory of workers In the Ethical movement 'who ha\'c- passed away during the year 1926, and ~ember~ of . outb Place have been invited to attend. After the service, [. ere Will be a Friends' Supper in the Church Hall, 9.30 to 10.30, guests lC~ets 2s. 6d. each. Members who wish to attend tbis supper should

Wnte to the Secretary, the Ethical Church, as soon as possible.

LENDING LIBRARY b The Lending Library Committc<' gratefully acknowledge the kind gift

Y Mrs. Aldred of the undermentioned works "In Remembrance of the ~~ f . I) sary 0 the death of her hnsband, John Aldred " : Sa1l1t J oan, Heart. reak H . Sh ouse, Back to Metbuselah, Man and Superman, by George Bernard S aw; The Tinker's Wedding, The \Ye]) of the Saints, Deirdre of the . Or rows Th PI b f h "- . n ,e ay oy 0 t e Western orId, by John M. Synge: Hassan,

On Juan, and Collected Poems, by James Elroy Flecker; One.act Plays

4

of To-day-First, Second, and Third Series; Too Much Money, by Israel Zangwill; Joy, The Little Dream, The Foundations, Escape, The Forest, A Family Man, The Fugitive, Loyalties, Old English, The Eldest Son, Justice, The Mob, A Bit 0' Love, by John Galsworthy; The Alcestis and Medea, by Euripides; Agamemnon, by Aeschylus, Tbe Frogs, by Aristo­phimes, the last four translated by Gilbert Murray_

It will be recalled that Mr. Delisle Burns suggested that whilst it would be difficult to make every section of the Li brary fully representative, it might be pqssible to concentrate on, say, Drama and Poetry, and the character of this gift has been made to harmonise with the suggestion, which, when made, was supported by Mr. John Aldred in person_

It is hoped that such a varied collection of Plays may prove of special interest and help to the members of the Play Reading Circle. Borrowers are asked to quote the shelf number B4 for all the above volumes. W. M.

THE INT ERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION.

(SUMMARY OF A LECTURE DELrVERED, DECEMBER 13, BY MR. D. CHRISTIE TAIT,

AT A MEETING OF TIlE LEAGUE OF NATIONS UNION BRANCH, SOUTH PLACE.)

The authors of the Versailles Peace Treaty believed that something should be done to regulate labour conditions internationally: (1) for humani­tarian reasons, that is, in order to raise the conditions of life and labour of the working classes, and as a reward to labour for the part it had playe!l in the war; (2) to facilitate the advancement of social progress on parallel lines in different countries, and to obviate demoralising competition between various nations, and to raise labour conditions in the more backward races . These aims were the origin of Part XIII of the Treaty, which set up the International Labour Organisation within the League, the intention being to provide machinery for dealing internationally with bad social conditions and for finding remedies. The 1.L.O. seeks to carry out this purpose by means of Annual Conferences-'World Industrial Parliaments­each nation in the League having the right to send to this Conference fOllr delegates ' two Government representatives, one employers' and one workers' representative: each delegate having one vote. These Conferences allow criticism of one Government by another, and it is found that no Govern­ment likes to appear in an unfavourable light at this public tribunal.

The Governing Body df the International Labour Organisation consists of twenty-four members, and there are now about 350-400 engaged in the office, and thus what amounts to a strong international Civil Service has been constituted. The Secretariat prosecutes scientific research into labour conditions and labour legislation throughout the world and issues publica­tions giving the results of its investigations. The Governing Body may also appoint Commissions of Enquiry, and it is possible for any Government or delegate to the Conferences to ask for such an enquiry. This machinery affects the individual employer or worker in the following way. The request for a Commission of Enquiry, even if not ratified by the Conference, tends to promote legislation in the desired directions; the experiences of each country are a valuable object lesson to all; and the discussions often resul.t in the discovery of valuable general principles, although the details apphcable to each country must, of course, vary according to national needs, customs, etc. The whole body of work may be described as a Clearing House for the world. Verv important and beneficial results have already been obtained with regard to labour conditions in the East­for example, India has initiated new and very helpful labour legislation in the direction of shortening the hours of labour, and the abatement of dan.gerolls industries, such as the use of white phosphorous; and IUUltahons on the employment of boys and women . All such action tends to lessen the severities of competition between Eastern and Western coun~ries .. The l.L.O. is taking. the keenest interest in the general question of mlgratlOn, and has placed m employment a large number of Russian

and Armenian refugees. A great deal of work is also being done on hours of work and especially to promote a universal eight-hours. day. Ma.ny countries have an eight-hours day, but at present they decline to ratify an agreement to legislate on the subject.

Mr. Tait concluded his lecture with a: summary of the activities of ~he 1.1..0., referring particularly to its machinery for collecting and codify­Ing information on all aspects of labour conditions throughout t.he worI?, and for disseminating this information, not only to countries which are 10

the League of Nations, but also to other Governments--it keeps in close tonch with the United States. Finally, Mr. Tait invited those in­terested to come to Geneva and' see for themselves the International Labour Organisation in actual operation. C. J. P.

SUNDAY POPULAR CONCERTS. . On November 21, Mr. Gordon (;leather sang, will all his accustomed Intelligence and artistry. The ""ynn Reeves Quartet played works hy Brahrns and Haydn. Mr. Ivan Phillipowsky ably performed the stupend­ously difficult sonata by Benjamin Dale.

With the Wood Smith Quartet playing familiar compositions, Miss lsabel Gray contributing piano solos, and Miss Dorothea Webb's singing of a varied progra=e of vocal works, a very pleasant evening was spent on November 28.

Although, owing to the illness of Miss EtheI BaTtlett, the audience were deprived of the pleasure of hearing the piano duets announced for Decem­ber 5, they had the unexpected pleasure instead, of hearing Mr. Rae R?hertson play a Mozart piano sonata. He played, in addition, duets With Miss Bessie Rawlins, who is a violinist of great experience. Miss Catherine Stewart sang 17th century and modern songs.

The Coleridge Taylor Clarinet Quintet, the Mozart String Quartet in B ~at, and ""-olf's Italian Serenade, were the works chosen by the Kutcher Stnng Quartet for their performance on December 12. Mr. Charles Draper, well-known to South Place audiences, played the clarinet in the first-named work. Mr. Artbur Sandford. beside accompanying the vocalist, Was beard in Cesar Franck's fine pianoforte solo, tbe Prelude, Chorale and Fugue. Miss Hebe Simpson made a successful first appearance at South Place, and her fresh soprano voice and unaffected style were very welcome. H. B.

"PILGRIM'S PROGRESS" . In July last, a first edition of Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress was sold lor f6,SOO. (The sale was subsequently cancelled and the volume resold privately, lecause it was found to be a late issue of the first edition.)

h ~n educated Hindu or hillese, who read the book for the first time, on t~anng of this circumstance, and noting its complete remoteness from the

OUght and activity of our time, may well have been filled with amaze­ment. The higb price offered for the volume does not, of course, indicate any revival of interest in Bunyan, nor has it any relation to the intrinsic v;lue of the book. It is an expression of the" first edition" craze, which CO late years has become a mania, particularly in the United States. t nly five copies of the book were said to be in existence, and two of hem appear to be defective. A copy was secured for the British Museum

as recently as 1884 for £65' the competition of American wealth for the ParOSSession of rare books has' given them an enormously enhanced financial vue.

1I When Mark Rutherford wrote his book on Bunyan in 1905, he argued b

1at the educated classes neglected him until the publication of Froude's

i log~aphy in tbe English Men 0/ Letters series. He cites some disparag. ng judgments of Mrs. Montagu, Burke, and other writers of the eighteeuth

~~~tury,. and concludes .that ~unyan w~s be-lit.tied becau~e be was a 1:'<?n . \ 't~onnJst; nonconformity bemg associated With vulganty, and ~enl1hty VI the Church. This judgment reads like an echo of Mark Rutherford's

6

vouthful experience in a narrow provincial society; the verdict of the republic of letters, as represented by Swift, Johnson, Southey, and Macaulay, was quite accurate and conclusive.

The reason for the neglect of Bunyan by so·called educated persons was correctly given by Froude in a passage, which Mark Rutherford cites:

The Pilgrim' J Progrcn was composed exactly at the time when it was possible for such a book to come into being: the close of the period when the Puritan formula was a real belief, and was about to change from a living principle into an intellectual opinion. So lo~g as a religion is fully alive, men do not talk about It, or make allegones about it.

Mark Rutherford misunderstood this passage. thinking that the last phrase related to Bunyan, wbereas Froude was referring not to the maker of the allegory, but to the other earlier persons who did not mal<e allegories. It should be added that Bunyan did not address himself to the educated, hut to the uneducated, working people. His book was published at eighteen. pence, and had a very wide circulation from the first issue; it is probable tbat, after tbe authorised version of the Bible, it has been the most widely distributed of all books; two generations ago, it was possible to find large numbers of humble households where the only books known were the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress . As a bibliographical curiosity it is notewortby that the first edition has now reach cd a higher price than the Shakespeare First Folio.

The popularity of the allegory in the United States has probably been greater even than in England. In one of bis brief fantasies, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the forms of Dunyan's story and pictures tbe construction of a celestial railroad whi~h c.on\·cys the modern pilgrim from the City of Destruction on the way to his destination across tbe river; a satire on the relaxation of the modern religiolls fibre. Moncure Conway made this skit the subject of one of his Lessons jar the Day, at Soutb Place. Earlier in his book, The Earthward Pil![ri11lage, he seems to have contemplated the utilisation of nunyan's material somewhat after the manner of Hawthorne. but in a more extended fnnn. As soon as he began, however, he came to realise that his eartQward pilgrilJl would not march. Hawthorne's skit was quite simple and artistically coherent. The HilI Difficulty had been tunnelled, ~nd the Valley of Humiliation levelled up; there was a good traffic between the townslnen of Vanity Fair and the pilgrims; tbe silver mine of Demas was being worked to great advantage; and Doubting Castle had been converted into an airy-looking edifice. Tbere was even a steam ferry over the river, but no one knew whetber it reached the Celestial City or not , for at this point, the Dreamer awoke. Con way's pilgrim reached the Celestial City on the first page of the book, and found that his sole occupation was to sit on a purple cloud with a golden trumpet, and becoming tired of tbis monotonous form of activity, decided to return to the City of Destruction. Rut tbe allegory hreaks down immediately; we are given a number of Bunyan's names, but there is no pilgrimage; the alleged pilgrim is seen to be a freethought dialectician before be leaves tbe Celestial City.

Underlying the freak of fashion which has given the first edition of the allegory its high money value, is the fundamental fact that millions of persons have traversed tbe road of Runyan's pilgrim, and tbe circumstance that they do so no longer gives to the vanished dream the guerdon of tbe highest reward of modern civilisation; the thought of a man stripping him­self of everything to realise an insubstantial ideal has become an object of the highest commercial price. Could there be a more ironical situation, or are we concerned with a confused recognition that the ideal after all is the greatest thing in the world? Con way, like all the freethinkers of his lime, was occupied in clearing away the conception of a pilgrimage to another world as a bundle of superstitious rUbbish. It has now been effectually removed from the minds of normal men and women, and our unbelieving generation pays a small fortune to enshrine the most popular .. xpression of its swan song! For Froude was historically right in con­tending that in 1678 the crest of tbe wave of the ever.moving human

7

~utelligence bad passed away from the dream of a heavenly city. This IS not to say that large multitudes, in fact the vast majority of the people, do not still believe in the vision; there is always an immense gap between the foremost crest of thought and the backwater of practical daily activity. And when we conceive of Bunyan as an artist who pictured the common ~oad of humanity, it is not to be inferrl'd that many of those who walked it saw the things which were present to his vision. Like Blake, he was one of the great mystics, and saw the invisibla world as normal men see the forms of space and time; his experience is an intense sublimation of that of the race. .

onway's earthward pilgrimage is a ml'rt~ figment of thought; it had no basis in human experience, because mankind has never dwelt in any Celestial City, and that it will ever do so is a highly dubious proposition. In his destructive enthusiasm he saw dark clouds gathering over the " C~ty of Otherworldliness," and ji".htning flashing- from it, while a beautiful ralD· bow shone over the City of Destruction. This is an imaginative expression of that aspiration which represented the freethought vision of 187~. Remove the baseless fabric of a Celestial City from the minds of men, saId these dreamers, and they will spontaneously build the ideal city on earth. Here, we now see, was no motive for a toilsome pilgrimage. Bunyan had anticipated our judgment, for on their way to Mount Sion, Christian and Hopeful met a man named Atheist, who derided them, and told them that they were on a tedious and useless journey; he had been seeking the City for twenty years, he said, and baving failed to find it, " I am going back again, and will seek to refresh myself with the things that I then cast a\~ay, for hores of that which I now see is not." The Puritan mystic Wa" a truer prophet than the rationalist thinker. For though the Celestial City has van ished like a mirage, there is no rainbow now visible to the dwellers in the City of Destruction; rather is it encompassed in these days with clouds and thick darkness, and our neighbours haste in great numbers to the pleasures and distractions of Vanity Fair.

The attraction of Vanity Fair is not a modern phenomenon, and ~onway was perfectly aware of its potency. But his pilgrim was engaged In a very restricted mental walk, when. on February 4, 1869, he went to Canterbury Cathedral" to witness the consecration of a plain old Scotch ge~tleman to the task of presiding over the work of maintaining in Great Bntain the worship of a dead Jew." "Vith what gusto such a phrase ~ust have been delivered! After the ceremony the pilgrim went to the !tttle church of S1. Martin, which stands on the spot which is said to mark the place of the original foundation of Christianity in this country. !n company with two deans, he gazed at the stained glass window depict­~ng S1. Martin in the act of cutting his cloak in two pieces to give half of It to a naked beggar. Tnto the plllpit a strange looking old ma~ had e~tered, who held the \'isitors with bis glittering eye, and thus dehvered hlmself :

St. Martin's Church faces ('anterhury Cathedral. The lowliness of the one and the grandeur of the other do not alone mark different eras of the English Church; thev mark two totallv distinct religions. The one means the Saint who sacrifices his raiment for the needy; the other means a Saint who sacrifices the needv to bis raiment

That is the history of all the spiritual pilgrimages which nave ever been made. If the reader of Bunvan's life visits the church at Elstow, and t~e llnnyan meeting at Bedford, which stands on the s t~ of the barn 1n Mill Lane, in which he preached, he will find it illllstratl'd th:rf. ~nd the reader of Conway's Eartll1tJard f'il.([rilllal[t! who looks for a reah~a. tlon c;>f his rationalist dream will finel himself chiefly confronted with negatlOlls. Yet the quest of an ideal city which has no fOlln lations is ete:n~l1y. interesting to men; it is a pearl of great price; a :nemorable artlsllc lewel receives therefore the only distinction which an industrialised material age can award.

A. - TOMS.

• HeNeRaRY epPH!BRS.

:Fr,a"""r ••• ". O. B. LIST"R. 21, Abbolta Park Road, Leyton, RIO.

{MRS. O. FLE"'OHER SMITH. 35, Stution Way. Letchworth .

lI.or.tari,. ... F. M. OVERY. 36, Oaterham Hoad, Lewilbam, S.B.la. S .. m441/ Leotur. Sec,,"'rl/ F. W. R ..... 60. Hutoy Road. HarlOlden. N.W.IO. M inut. S •• retarv

R.l1j.tr~T of Memb6r1 and} MI .. R HALUJ 21 Bstcourt Road Fulham S. W.6. A"Do.ate. . "' '"

Bdjtor of MOllTlILY RRCORD O. 1. POLL .. D ... Shanklln." Tb. A Yenno. Ohinlrtord. B .•.

{F. JUllS. 300. Dahton LADe, H..,klIey, B.B.

Llbrar/an. .. . M.... V. A. ALU.lND&B. 5. Hopelle!d Avenue. Brond6abury Puk. N.W.'.

Secretarlea of Sub.eommltteea. BuUding Concerl; Conway Memorial Discussious Esperanto Music PublicatloDI Rambles

Socials

F. B.J;B.B&BT M.ufSroBD, .. WAlden," Kingsend Avenue. Rui.lip. AL.R&D J . OtIDl&NTS. 8. Finch!.,. Way, Finobley, N.S. B. OAnB. 6, Eaaendon Road, SaDd.erstea.d. Surrey. W. FISIl, 11 . Gray's Inn Place. W.O.I. S. J. SMITH, 43. Hornaey Rise Ga.rdeua, N .19. MI •• F. J . SIMONS. 20. Granvllle Road, N.4. B. S'<BtLIl'I". 8. Amber!ey Roa.d, Leyton. B.10.

{Mr.. J "1,B8. 800, Dalston Lane, E.8. B. O. WAnwIOK. 134, Highbury Hill, N.5.

{Mrs. F. A. RIcnAus. 55, Oape! Roa.d, E.7. Mns. A. E. WU80N. Oherlton. Ald.er"brook Road. E.1Z.

eeMMITTBB.

MISS E. BYRD W. FISB

MRS. LISTBR J. J. MURPnr

Mns. STU'l'TIa F. STUTTIO

MHS. F. M. Hnnul'S MRS. JAlIES F. J411&8 MR8. LID9TONIt N. Ln>lITon

O. J. POLLARD MISS E. SUtONb S. J. SMITn R. E. SmtLIlfO Mns. E . E. STEVENS

MM. SUTCLIFn J. E. SUTOIII'rE A. S. TOMS Mus. WATSON A. E. WATSON

New Membera: Mr. D. H. DATNEB. 66. Grove Gl'OOn Road. LeytoMtone. E.ll. M'r. D. FosTlm ADAMSON. 84, Coliege Plnoe. London, N.W. Mis. FRANCEB WARINO, % Stage Guild. n. Great Newport Street. W.O.2. Mr. BEBl'ARD RonIffiTS. 11. Park Lane. StOM Newington. N .16. Mies DOROTBY M. SIMMONDS. 39. Doms Road. Ohurch Eud, Finchley. N.S Miss TnsODORA O. B_x. 49. EnrLs Court Road, Ken.sington, W.S.

Change of Address: Mr. G£ono£ F'n.EEMAN. 42. St. Juliana Rond. N.W.6.

DiaRY peR JaNUaRY.

I Ramble :. Lou don 15 Ramble: Horniman Museum (see p. 2). Museum (see p. 2).

2 Service II.O a.m. 16 Service I LO a.m. 2 Popular Concert 6.30 p.m. 16 Popular Concert 6.30 p.m. 3 Discussion 6.45 p.m. 17 Discussion 6,45 p.m. 3 Federation of Ramb· 19 Play Reading ... 6·30 p.m . ling Clubs Dance (see 22 Rambl<~ : Ed{!ware

p.21. (see p. 2). 5 General Committee ... 6.30 p.m. 23 Service 11.0 a.m. II Ramble: Barnet (see 23 Popular Concert 6·30 p.m. p.2). 24 Discussion 6-45·p·m. 9 Service 11.0 a.m. 28 Dance ... 7.0 p.lll. 9 Popular Concert 6·30 p.m. 30 Service 1l.0 a.m. 10 Discussion 6.45 p.m. 30 Popular Concert 6.30 p.m. Children's Party 5.30 p.m. 31 Discussion 6-45 p.m.

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