Until a few years ago, Roman Catholics were forbidden to attend the National uni versities; but in 1895, in response to a petition from the laity, the law of the Church was re laxed, and there are now many Catholic under graduates at Oxford and Cambridge. They are scattered in the various colleges, and mix freely in the general life of the university, but there is in each case a centre, where lectures on Catholic subjects are given periodically, and there is a Catholic Debating Society both at Oxford and at Cambridge.
Convents, Charities, One of the fea tures of Roman Catholic life in England dur ing the last 50 years has been the rapid multi plication of convents. In a large number of cases the nuns devote themselves to the work of education, either in the parish (primary) schools, or by conducting a secondary school of their own, either for boarders, or day scholars, or both. Others work among the poor, or undertake the care of the sick or the aged, or the unfortunate, while a certain number belong to orders, and give themselves to a life of prayer. Many other homes, orphan ages and °rescue° societies deserve to be enum erated; nor ought we to omit at least a mention of the Catholic Truth Society, for printing and distributing cheap Catholic literature among the poor, in these days an essential provision for Catholic life.
For details of the present state of Roman Catholics, see Direc tory,) published annually under authority.
The following books may be consulted on the history of the Roman Catholics in England, from their point of view: Dodd's History of England) (Dodd's real name was Rev. Hugh Tootell. His history was published 1737-42) ; Tierney's (Dodd.) (The notes of Canon Tierney form a very valuable addition, and make this practically a new book; but it breaks off at about 1640, and was never finished. It was published in 1839-43. Both editions of Dodd are often met with in second-hand cata logues) ; Lingard's of England' ; Sander's and Growth of the Anglican Schism) (Lewis's translation [1877], the Latin original [1585] having run to over 30 editions) ; Challoner's (Memoirs of Missionary Priests, 1577 to 1664' (1st ed., 1741-42; many times re
published) ; Berington's (State and Behaviour of the English Catholics from the Reformation to the year 1780' (London 1781) ; Butler's (Historical Memoirs of English and Scottish Catholics); Milner's 'Supplementary Memoirs.) (These two books formed part of a long and acrimonious controversy on Catholic affairs be tween Bishop Milner, Vicar Apostolic of the Midland District, and Charles Butler, the dis tinguished lawyer, who on the passing of the Emancipation Act in 1829 became the first Roman Catholic K. C. Butler's Memoirs ap peared in 1819, and Bishop Milner wrote to correct what he considered misrepresentations of Butler. Both books are still fairly com monly to be found) ; Husenbeth's (Life of Milner' (1862); Flanagan's of the Church in England' (1857) ; 011iver's (Col lectanea) (1857) • Ullathorne's of the Restoration of the Catholic Hierarchy> (1871); Maziere Brady's 'Annals of the Catholic Hierarchy> (1877) ; Foley's 'Records of the English Province S. J.) (8 vols., 1877) ; 'Rec ords of English Catholics' (edited by Knox); Vol. I, (Douay Diaries); II, (Letters and Memorials of Cardinal Allen' (1878-S2); Amherst's (History of Catholic Emancipation' (1886) ; Morris, England in Modern Times) (1892) ; Catholic Church During the Last Two Centuries' (Lord Braye's Prize Essay 1892) ; Bernard Ward's 'Catholic Lon don a Century (1905) ; Gillow's (Bi ographical Dictionary of English Catholics); Wilfrid Ward's (Life and Times of Cardinal Wiseman' (1897); Purcell's of Cardinal Manning) (1896; a book full of inaccuracies, but containing much valuable documentary matter).