PAPACY

The signatures of twenty-five Roman Catholic cardinals (one having two examples) on 26 strips of paper, cut from official documents, many of them addressed to Cardinal Willem Marinus van Rossum (1854-1932), Prefect of the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith. The collection is in good condition, on lightly aged paper, several of the items having fold lines. Four of the signatures have not been identified. The others are those of: Bartolomeo Bacilieri (1842-1923), Bishop of Verona; António Mendes Belo ['A. Card.

Neat signature ('F. Card. Bourne'), if a little shaky, at top left of one side of a light-green leaf extracted from an autograph album. No other text on either side. In good condition, lightly aged.

[2] + 23 + [1]pp., 8vo. Disbound wthout covers. In good condition, lightly aged. 'Notice' on page preceding main text includes the following referemce to the American Civil War: 'If the British Empire can be justified in its sway over the three kingdoms, and its dependencies, or the American Union over the Southern States, then far more surely may the right of the Pontiffs be maintained by the same arguments. The only difference I know is, that we and the Americans have bayonets of our own. The Pontiffs are unarmed.

Manuscript, 356pp, 8vo, hf. lea. worn, a very substantial anddetailed precis of an unpublished book, a comprehensive discussion from the Anti-Catholic (papist) standpoint from social, political and religious aspects. The background is probably the Tractarian Movement and Newman's activities on behalf of the Catholic Church (Newman is mentioned). The conclusion is that "Perhaps the Pope may yet indulge his flock by giving them the Scriptures and civil liberty, to which let us all say, Amen." The title on spine as follows: "Mr Soutter's M.S. Contents Mr Coghlan's book, 1868".