hat even upon our English annals, which have been so thoroughly
explored of late years, the records of the Bollandists would probably
throw some light, discussing as they do, at great length, the lives of
such English Saints as Edward the Confessor and Wilfrid of York; and yet
they are not too favourably disposed towards our insular Saints, since
they plainly express their opinion that our pious simplicity has filled
their Acts with incredible legends and miracles, more suited to excite
laughter than to promote edification.

But, doubtless, our reader is weary of our hagiographers. We must,
therefore, notice briefly the controversies in which their labours
involved them. Bollandus, when he died, departed amid universal regret:
Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, all joined with Jesuits in regret
for his death, and in prayers for his eternal peace. A few years
afterwards the Society experienced the very fleeting character of such
universal popularity. During the issue of the first twelve volumes, they
had steered clear of all dangerous controversies by a rigid observance
of the precepts laid down by Bollandus. In discussing, however, the life
of Albert, at first Bishop of Vercelli, and afterwards Papal Legate and
Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, in the beginning of the thirteenth
century, Papebrock challenged the alleged antiquity of the Carmelite
Order, which affected to trace itself back to Elijah the Tishbite. This
piece of scepticism, brought down a storm upon his devoted head, which
raged for years and involved Popes, yea even Princes and Courts, in the
quarrel. Du Cange threw the shield of his vast learning over the honest
criticism of the Jesuits. The Spanish Inquisition stepped forward in
defence of the Carmelites; and toward the end of the seventeenth century
condemned the first fourteen volumes of the "Acta Sanctorum" as
dangerous to the faith. The Carmelites were very active in writing
pamphlets in their own defence, wherein after the manner of the time
they deal more in hard words and bad names than in sound argument. Thus
the title of one of their pamphlets describes Papebrock as "the new
Ishmael whose hand is against every man and every man's hand is against
him." It is evident, however, that they felt the literary battle going
against them, inasmuch as in 1696 they petitioned the King of Spain to
impose perpetual silence upon their adversaries. As his most Catholic
Majesty did not see fit to interfere, they p