MR. W. S. LILLY AND MR. F. H. O’DONNELL

New Zealand Tablet, 28 July 1910, Page 1181

MR. W. S. LILLY AND MR. F. H. O’DONNELL

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln common with Mr. Devine and many admirers of Mr. Lilly and his brilliant works, I must say I was amazed when I read his article ‘ Our Masters ’ in the Nineteenth Century. I asked myself can this be the Mr. “jlly i who wrote ‘Ancient Religion and Modern Thought,’ ‘Right and Wrong,’ ‘ Shibboleths,’ ‘ The Claims of Christianity,’ etc., etc. ? Is this the Mr, Lilly who wrote so learnedly on the Vedas, who dissected with such ability the sophisms of Spencer and Huxley, who lashed with such fierce scorn the ethics of London party journalism? Is it possible that this same righteous Mr. Lilly is now using the disreputable tactics of that same journalism to cast obloquy on the Nationalist Party? But there he is in white and black, in a widely circulated review, stooping to use, after true Tory fashion, the villainous garbage supplied by a creature like F. H. O’Donnell. I must say I as, as a strong admirer of Mr. Lilly’s books, completely taken aback when I read his article ‘Our Masters.’ But Horace’s maxim, ‘ Nil admirari/ and a few more old sayings, recalled to memory, restored my composure. I recalled, too, the repeated admonition of a wise old friend: ‘ Don’t be surprised at anything from poor human nature, even though it be clothed in the habit of a monk, the cloak of the philosopher, or the robes of a cardinal; that is when congruous temptation, self-interest, or party prejudice comes in.’ Mr. Lilly must be a strong Unionist. The rise of the Irish Party to its present predominant position in British politics must go fearfully hard with Unionists. Hence Mr. Lilly’s unlooked-for lapse from dignity, good manners, and righteousness.—l am, etc., ‘ BOOKS.’