OBJECTIONS TO "IVANHOE."

Northern Advocate, 13 March 1913, Page 4

OBJECTIONS TO "IVANHOE."

At a recent meeting of the council of the University of Tasmania, the Rev. Father Kelsh raised objection to Sir. Walter Scott's "Ivanhoe" being one of the prescribed books for use in connection with the university examinations. He said it was most objectionable in many respects. It was many years since he read it, and his attention was called to it, and he had a look at some of it to see what its tenor was. He .thought it was a caricature on the history of the English Church in the 12th and 13th centuries. Every cleric mentioned in it was made a scandal of in one sense or other. It was a libel on the English Church of the period. He did not think he could be accused of prudery in objecting to the book; he merely did so on the grounds of common morality. He did not think it was in the interests of young people that they should be forced to study this book. Archdeacon Whittington said the university should be extremely careful in recommending any book that could be construed to be offensive.. He did not wish to discuss the moral or religious question, but it seemed that the book might fairly be said to be offensive to a large section of the community. It was decided to refer the matter to the Board of Studies for! a report.