PREFATORY

NOTICE

HE Papers by the late Cardinal

THE

Newman contained in this collection were likely, most of them, to have formed part of what he proposed to call a 'YearBook of Devotion' for reading and meditation according to the Seasons and the Feasts of the year. The intention of composing such a book had been in the Cardinal's mind as far back as the early years of his Catholic life, but, though it was never abandoned, various circumstances hindered him from pursuing it, and no portion of this volume was put together with this idea. The book would have varied greatly in the matter of its subjects and in their treatment. For instance, some papers on the Notes of the Church would have formed one subject; of these, excepting some mere preparatory fragments, nothing was written. Again, some sermons would also have formed a part of the readings. A scheme, drawn

out by him, of Litanies to run through the whole year shows what he had thought of in that respect, though only the few here printed were put together by him. 'The Sayings of the Saints of the Desert' would have been extended over the whole year instead of covering only the few months for which he had prepared them. The Meditations for Eight Days' were intended to be carried through at least five weeks, and a scheme of them was drawn out for that purpose. The 'Dream of Gerontius,' if not written expressly for the volume, was to have been added as a November reading, and 'Gerontius' was likely not to have stood alone as a poem. Indeed, the book would have become a repository of the Cardinal's thoughts on the various devo. tional subjects which occupied his mind.

But there are not the materials for such a book. All, then, that has been possible towards carrying out the Cardinal's intention has been to put together such papers as, from what was said by the Cardinal, are considered as likely to have come within the compass of the contemplated volume. It is hoped that this will gratify many of the late Cardinal's friends, some of whom have expressed a

strong desire to have some examples of his devotions, or to know the devotions which most attracted him, and which they might make their own. The Meditations on Christian Doctrine would probably have been more numerous, but that the Cardinal destroyed many such writings of his upon the death of his great friend Father St. John, to whose discretion he had intended to commit them. There are here included, therefore, it is believed, nearly all of the Cardinal's devotional papers which are likely to be forthcoming.

That the papers can be presented at all, especially the majority of the Meditations, is owing, it is believed, to the circumstances which accompanied their origin. It was the Cardinal's custom to note down, in the roughest way, any thought that particularly struck him while meditating, that he might reflect upon it during the day or pursue it in the future; and thus he was led on to enlarge such thoughts, and write out the notes and re-write them carefully (for he always, he said, could meditate best with a pen in his hand). It is chiefly to this custom of the Cardinal's, of keeping the current of holy thoughts within his easy reach, that we

owe, it is believed, the preservation of the greater part of this volume.

The headings of the different subjects, and their parts and chapters have all, with one or two exceptions, been carefully written by their author, but their order evidently had not always been fully deter mined. It is to Father Ryder and to Father Eaglesim that this volume is especially indebted to the former for some important suggestions and curtailments, for the sake of greater clearness; and to the latter for the present order and the supply of the few headings wanted, as well as in other respects.

There were a few friends whose names Cardinal Newman desired to have associated in some way with his own, on account of the special nature of their services to him-services dating, in some cases, from his first years as a Catholic; and now that most of these friends have been removed by death, this book seems to be an especially appropriate place for the purpose. Such was Cardinal Alimonda, late Archbishop of Turin, for services in a time of most serious trouble, very many years ago--services which had been carried on so quietly that the name even of this good friend was unknown to