My dear George-My birthday greetings to you must be confined to words which become thanksgivings and prayers. The last days have been full of blessing and hope for you and Foss. Everything, as far as we can judge, points to a definite call which you have heard. The call comes when you have the fulness of life to give to work than which none can be nobler. We must not speculate on what you may be allowed to do, if the work is committed to you. that you have offered yourselves for service. after all an imperfect sign of what is done. May God bless you in the coming year with all patience and courage and hope, and give you the joy of complete self-surrender !-Ever your most affectionate father, B. F. WESTCOTT.

It is enough What is seen is

TO THE REV. MEREDITH J. HUGHES

(On the Body of our Risen Lord)

WESTMINSTER, 27th April 1889.

My dear Sir-You expose with perfect accuracy the complete misrepresentation of my words by Mr. Conder.2 The

Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living one (Rev. i. 18).

2 Dr. Conder, in his Outlines of the Life of Christ, p. 196, quotes the following passage from Bishop Westcott's Gospel of the Resurrection, and adds the subjoined comment :

"The body, which was recognised as essentially the same body, had yet undergone some marvellous change, of which we gain a faint idea by what is directly recorded of its manifestations. Under a physical image, that change is presented to us by our Lord Himself in the absence of blood, the symbol and seat of corruptible life" (St. Luke xxiv. 39;

whole force of my sentence lies in the phrase, "under a figure." Again and again, in the little book to which Mr. Conder refers, I have pointed out that we have no right to introduce anything material, anything which involves limitatation of time and space, into conceptions of the unseen world, except as figures necessary for our minds. In Scripture "blood" has a distinct connotation; the significant omission of "blood" in the passage in St. Luke could not fail to suggest to a Jewish reader a peculiarity in the conditions of the life of the Risen Lord: to interpret "flesh and bones" physiologically appears to me to be essentially absurd. We can only see the truth, δι' ἐσόπτρου ἐν αἰνίγματι. That is enough. In this connexion I have often quoted Spenser's fine lines:

Of the soul the body form doth take,

For soul is form, and doth the body make.

Personally, I am inclined to think that this revelation of the Risen Lord points to a form of existence different in kind, and not only in conditions, from the present, in which nothing is lost, but all that we now see is indefinitely transfigured in a divine union.

But our powers fail us when we try to define such thoughts So we wait in humble patience and confess our weakness.Yours most faithfully, B. F. WESTCOTT.

TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM

CAMBRIDGE, 29th May 1889.

My dear Bishop-Words are not needed to assure you how we all join in your thanksgiving. It is, as the ArchEph. v. 30; The Gospel of the Resurrection, p. 239). Dr. Conder comments thus: "In these two passages our Saviour's body is spoken of as having flesh and bones,' not flesh and blood. Hence Dr. Westcott infers that it was bloodless, the whole of the blood having been shed on the cross. But a body of bloodless flesh and bone would no more be a 'glorified body' than a body of flesh and blood: it would be a corpse."

(Dr. Abbott, too, in a suggestive article on the same subject in the Contemporary Review, illustrates a certain hypothesis by the "curious theory of Bishop Westcott, that the risen body of Christ had flesh and bones, but no blood, blood being with the Jews the symbol and seat of corruptible life.")-M. J. H.

bishop writes, "one of the Magnalia of God and a sign" that you are given to the Bishop's work again.-Ever your affectionately, B. F. WESTCOTT.

TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

HUNSTANTON, 17th June 1889.

Sometimes I seem to fear that we have lost faith altogether that Christians have accepted the gods of Epicurus for the Living God. Those who represent the democracy of the future - how near? - have not ratified the exchange on their part. I see clearly how little can be done till men have had time to think, but it does seem to be of , vital importance that Christian teachers should point out the end towards which we should work and pray. But I must not inflict on you my paper by anticipation.

TO HIS ELDEST SON

WEST MALVERN, 8th July 1889.

My dear Brooke-My conversation with the Bishop had not prepared me for the offer.1 Of course our words were few except about others. The choice is beset by difficulties. I did say that I felt doubt as to your acceptance of such an office; and I should not dare to counsel you to accept it unless you felt that it gave you a fuller field for work. The needs of schools are very great and they are increasing, and I think that you are right in judging your prospect of success in a headmastership and a professorship. At the same time it is a joy to us that the Bishop thought you worthy. In the eyes of the world it will seem a sacrifice to keep to Rugby, but your work will gain in force from the new dedication.

Mamma thinks with me. I fancy indeed that we all think the same. The strength of life lies in its unity. In

1 Bishop Lightfoot offered my brother, who was at the time an assistantmaster at Rugby, the Greek Professorship in Durham University, with a Canonry in the Cathedral.

any case the Bishop's letter will be May God bless you and guide you! most affectionate father,

a great encouragement. Love to all.-Ever your B. F. WESTCOTT.

TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

BÂLE, 3rd September 1889.

We are so far on our homeward journey, and in the hour of waiting I must try to thank you for your letter. One by one our sons have left us, and now only Harry remains. It has been a very interesting and a very solemn time. Over all there was the feeling of a final "Good-bye."

It is difficult to forecast the future. The Charge will be an important element, for of course it will be a manifesto of the party. They have learnt in a singular way the secret of Roman power: they yield absolutely nothing. During these four weeks I have had many sad thoughts. I can even see a place for the despair of the Plymouth Brethren. Yet surely we have a Gospel. But is this the sphere of its victory? One looks upon crowds and upon single men with an intense desire to see the mark of brotherhood, and yet how often to find only bewilderment.

I had not thought of saying all this. There is a glory in autumn woods. It must mean well. I hope that you all feel the freshness and the power of the summer.

TO HIS YOUNGEST SON

(In Mr. Whitelaw's House at Rugby)

CAMBRIDGE, 17th Sunday after Trinity, 1889.

My dear Basil-Let me add my good wishes to all the other good wishes on your birthday.

We were very much
I had no idea that

pleased to hear of the Divinity Prize. there was anything of the kind in prospect. It is a good omen for your work with Mr. Whitelaw, and now you will be able to make some returns to him for his boundless kindness.

I had hoped to send you the small selections from Brown

ing, but you must take this as a promissory note.

shall come in time.

The book

It is one of those which I commonly

carry about with me. I will mark the titles of a few favourites. Mr. Whitelaw is as great an admirer of Browning as I am.

You will have heard that G. and F. started off happily. K. has had a Winchester cross made for mamma, with the hair of the four absent brothers and their initials. Love to Brooke and kindest remembrance to Mr. Whitelaw.—Ever your most affectionate father, B. F. WESTCOTT.

TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

All Saints' Eve, 1889.

to

Do you not think that it would be well for use (within some limits) the treasures of Lambeth? I was greatly impressed by the sight of Cranmer's commonplace book. Could he make some preliminary investigations for the terrible and most instructive history of the reign of Edward VI.? That the English Church escaped that period seems to me the most convincing proof of God's care for it. . . .

Your example will, I hope, lead clerical meetings to discuss social questions. At present we can hardly go further. There are few books, I fear, to recommend. But what is required is that we should feel that the Faith has something to say to Ethics-and to do . . .

My letters (in the old Trinity dialect) are "come for." Επιφαύσει.

TO THE DEAN OF WESTMINSTER

CAMBRIDGE, St. Thomas' Day, 1889.
It had not even

My dear Dean I am bewildered. occurred to me that the morning sermon on the 29th would touch on Browning, as I seem to gather from your letter. If the Precentor is able to preach, I feel that he is the right person to preach in any case. It would violate my deepest feelings in such a matter for any one else even to seem to

1 (Christ) shall shine upon thee (Eph. v. 14).