NICiEA
43
NIC^A
avail themselves. New Zealand Catholics have never
asked or desired a grant for the religious education
which is imparted in their schools. But they have
urged, and they continue to urge, their claim to a fair
share of that taxation to which they themselves con-
tribute, in return for the purely secular instruction
which, in accordance with the Government pro-
gramme, is given in the Catholic schools. Their
standing protest against the injustice so long inflicted
on them by the various governments of the country,
and their unyielding demand for a recognition of the
right of Christian taxpayers to have their children
educated in accordance with Christian principles, con-
stitute what is known, par excellence, as "the educa-
tion question" in New Zealand. It is unhappily
necessary to add that of late years, for no very ob-
vious or adequate reason. Catholic agitation on the
subject has not been so active as it once was; and un-
less a forward movement is made, the prospects of
success for the cause, on behalf of which such splendid
battles have been fought and such heroic sacrifices
have been endured, are exceedingly remote.
VI. Literature and Catholic Journalism. — There is no New Zealand literature in the broad and general acceptation of the term. The usual reason assigned is that so young a country has not yet had time to evolve a literature of its own; but perhaps an equally important factor in producing and maintain- ing the existing condition of things is the smallness of the market for literary wares, in consequence of which New Zealand writers possessing exceptional talent inevitably gravitate towards Sydney or Lon- don. In general literature the one conspicuous name is that of Thomas Bracken, Irishman and Catholic, author of several volumes of poems, which have at- tained great popularity both in Australia and in New Zealand. Amongst scientific writers, notable Cath- olic names are those of the late W. M. Maskell, for- merly Registrar of New Zealand University, and the Very Rev. Dr. Kennedy, S.M., B.A., D.D., F.R.A.S., present Rector of St. Patrick's College, both of whom have made many valuable contributions to the pages of scientific journals and the proceedings of learned societies.
As usually happens in countries that are over- whelmingly Protestant, by far the greater portion of the purely Catholic literature that has been pub- lished in New Zealand is apologetic in character. "What True Free-masonry Is: Why it is condemned ", published in 1885 by the Rev. Thomas Keane, is a detailed and extremely effective treatment of the sub- ject. "Disunion and Reunion", by the Rev. W. J. Madden, is a popular and ably written review of the course and causes of the Protestant Reformation. One of the most learned and certainly the most pro- lific of the contributors to Catholic literature in New Zealand was the Very Rev. T. Le Menant des Ches- nais, S.M., recently deceased. His works include "Nonconformists and the Church"; "Out of the Maze"; "TheTemukaTournament" (a controversy) ; a volume on "Spiritism"; "The Church and the World"; etc. The last-named work, published only a few years before the venerable author's death, was very favourably reviewed by English and American papers. A notable addition to the Catholic literature of the dominion has been the recent publication of three volumes from the pen of the editor of the "New Zealand Tablet" the Rev. H. W. Cleary, D.D. These works, "Cathohc Marriages", an exposition and defence of the decree "Ne temere", "An Im- peached Nation; Being a Study of Irish Outrages"; and "Secular versus Religious Education: A Discu.s- sion", are thorough in the treatment of their respec- tive subjects and possess value of a permanent char- acter. A modest beginning has been made towards the compilation of a detailed history of the Cathohc Church in the dominion by the pubUcation, a few
months ago, of "The Church in New Zealand: Mem-
oirs of the Early Days", by J. J. Wilson.
The history of Catholic journalism in New Zealand is in effect the history of the "New Zealand Tablet", founded by the late Bishop Moran in 1873, the Cath- olics of this country having followed the principle t hat it is better to be represented by one strong paper than to have a multiplicity of publications. From the first the paper has been fortunate in its editors. In the early days the work done by its revered founder, in his laattle for Catholic rights, and by his valued lay assistant, Mr. J. F. Perrin, was of a solid character. The prestige and influence of the paper was still fur- ther enhanced by the Rev. Henry W. Cleary, D.D., who made the "New Zealand Tablet " a power in the land, and won the respect of all sections of the com- munity not only for the Catholic paper but for the Catholic body which it represents. In February, 1910, Dr. Cleary was appointed Bishop of Auckland, and was consecrated on 21 August in Enniscorthy cathedral, Co. Wexford, Ireland. It is safe to say that there are few countries in the world in which, in pro- portion to size and population, the Catholic press has a higher status than in New Zealand.
PoMPALLlER, Early History of the Catholic Church in Oceania (E. T., Auckland. 1888); Moran, History of the Catholic Church in Australasia (Sydney); Australasian Cntholic Directory for 1910; Wiuion, The Church in New Zeala^i I 1/.,., <i lli,: Early Days
(Dunedin, 1910); Dilke, Greater /; ; . , Davitt. Life
and Progress in Australasia (Lontloti i '- I i \ r.s, New Zea- land (X'Ondon, a. d.); JosB, History ^'f 1 ' ' f/ ' (' I Sydney, 1901); Reeves, The Long White Cloud (London, IsilS); Wright and Reeves, New Zealand (London, 1908) : New Zealand Official Year- Book for 1906 (last census year) and for 1909; D0CGL.1S, The Dominion of New Zealand (London, 1909); Hocken, A Bibliog- raphy of the Literature Relating to New Zealand (Wellington, 1909), issued by the New Zealand Government — the most com- plete bibliography that has been published. It is no mere list of books, but gives a full account of each item, from Tasman's Journal of 1(343 onwards, with explanatory notes, biographical information and criticism, synopsis of important periodicals, and a full index.
J. A. Scott.
Nicsea, titular sec of Bithynia Secunda, situated on Lake Ascanius, in a fertile plain, but very unhealthful in summer. It was first colonized by the Battaji and was called Ancora or Helicora. Destroyed by the Mysians, it was rebuilt about 315 b. c. by Antigonus, after his victory over Eumenius, and was thenceforth called Antigonia. Later Lysimachus enlarged it and called it Nica^a in honour of his wife. At first the kings of Bithynia resided there almost as often as at Nicomedia between which and Nicoea aro.se a struggle for influence. It was the birthplace of the astrono- mer Hipparchus and the historian Dio Cassius. Pliny the Younger frequently mentions the city and its public monuments. Numerous coins of Nica-a attest the interest of the emperors. After the first CEcu- menical Council, held there in 325, Constantine gave it the title of metropolis, which Valens afterwards withdrew, but which it retained ecclesiastically. In the fifth century it took three suffragans from the juris- diction of Nicomedia, and later six. In 787 a second fficumenical Council (the seventh) was held there against the Iconoclasts, which, like the first, assembled more than 300 bishops. Among its archbishops, of whom Le Quien (Oriens Christ., I, 639-56) names forty-six, those worthy of mention are Theognis, the first known bishop, a partisan of Arius at the council of 325; Anastasius, a sixth-century writer; Sts. Peter and Theophanes Graptos, two victims of the Icono- clasts in the ninth century; Ignatius, the biographer of the patriarchs Tarasius ami Nicei)horus; Gregory Asbestus, former metropolitan uf Syracuse and the consecrator cf Photius; Eustratiu.s, coinmenlator on Aristotle and poleniist under .Vlexius Comnenus; and Bessarion, afterwards ciirdinal.
Niciea grew more important during the Middle Ages. Captured by the Seljukids at an unknown date, perhaps subsequont to the revolt of Melissenus
