126 Devon Notes and Qturies, 90. The Screen at Buckland-in-thb-Moor. — This little moorland church possesses a beautiful and almost unique screen, which needs careful handling when the church is restored. Will some learned person explain who the Apostles and others represented on it really are ? On its eastern side are some very grotesque figures, apparently of later date than those on the outer side, and the colouring is less artistic. Will someone explain them ? One of the figures is said to be St. Stephen, and the wounds caused by the stones — large ghastly ones — are visible upon his head. The beauties of this screen are partially nailed up and concealed from view by a hideous prayer desk facing westward. Arthur P. Lancefield. 91. A Book by a Devonian, the Last Publicly Burnt AT Oxford. — It may not be generally known that the last book publicly burnt at Oxford was The Nemesis of Faith^ by J. A. Froude, the historian, who was the son of the Rev. R. H. Froude, Rector of Dartington and Archdeacon of Totnes. J. A. Froude was born at Dartington Rectory, Totnes. The Nemesis of Faith was published in 1849. An account of the burning appeared in the Morning Post of March 9thy 1849, as follows : —
- ^ We are informed that a work recently published by Mr. Froude, M.A.,
Fellow of the Exeter College, entitled The Nemesis of Faith, was a few days since publicly burnt by the authorities in the College Hall." Mr. J. A. Farrar says : —
- The Nemesis therefore deserves a place in our libraries, and many
will ever prize it above its author's historical works as the last example of the effort of the ecclesiastical spirit to crush the discussion of its dogmas.*' (^Books Condemned to be Burnt, p. 144.) The Daily News of 2nd May, 1892, contained a letter from Arthur Bloomfield, Rector of Beverston, and Rural Dean of Dursley, Gloucester, in which he refers to the matter and says : " I had just bought The Nemesis of Faith, or, as it was called Faith with a Vengeance, when on Tuesday morning, February 27th, 1849, 1, an under- graduate, attended a lecture in the Hall. The Revd. Wm. Sewell, Sub- Rector of Exeter College (now Dean of the Chapel) was lecturer. He disclaimed loudly against Froude's Nemesis of Faith, Hearing on my own confession that I possessed it, he requested me to bring that book to him. No sooner had I complied with his request (Sewell was my College tutor) than he snatched the book from my hands and thrust it into the blazing fire of the College Hall (not quadrangle). I see him with Hall, poker in hand, in delightful indignation poking at this, to him, obnoxious book. In a few hours from this the burning of the book was known all over Oxford.'* Edward Windeatt.
