Page:Literary studies by Joseph Jacobs.djvu/171

 Mozley has given supplementary documents form the most important addition to our knowledge of Newman and his career contained in these volumes. They tell us of his early home and education. They give interesting details like that just given of his college career. Above all, they display him in a more secular aspect, so to speak, than we are accustomed to regard him. As he himself informs us, it was only on his election to the Oriel Fellowship in 1822 that the possibility of a theological career occurred to him. Besides this they give glimpses of the charming character of his sister, Mary, whose loss affected him so deeply. The fragments of her letters have a girlish charm that lightens the somewhat gloomy and austere tone of the book, so rarely relieved by touches of humour from Newman or his correspondents, the only exceptions being Keble and Hurrell Froude.

A large part of the first volume is taken up by Newman's impressions during his grand tour with the Froudes in 1832-33. Much of this is not of extraordinary interest, and might have been well omitted. Yet it is quite true—and this is one of the main points brought out in this work—that the solitary travel in Sicily and the fever that overtook him there formed the crisis in Newman's life. His escape from death might easily seem miraculous and