THIS quaint, but forcible and edifying book, was partly translated, partly, as the translator acknowledges, "disposed, abridged, or enlarged," from a treatise by Father Stephen Binet, a French Jesuit, which is entitled" De Festat heureux et malheureux des ames souffrantes du Purgatoire, ct des moyens souverains pour n'y aller pas, ou y demeurer fort peu; ou sont traictees toutes les plus belles questions du Purgatoire." Paris, 1625, in 12. Douay, 1627, in 24. Father Binet was born at Dijon in 1569, entered the Society in 1590, and, having been successively Rector of its principal houses in France, died at Paris, 1639. This treatise is numbered 20, out of 36 ascetical works composed by him, and given in De Backer's Bibliotheque des Ecrivains de la Compagnie de Jesus. Their titles luake one wish that some competent pen may be found, to reproduce them for us in our own tongue. The translator, who simply signs himself by the initials, R.T., was Father Richard Thimelby, also of the Society of Jesus. In those evil days, when it was death to be known to say Mass, or to reconcile anyone to the true Faith, almost every priest was furnished with an alias and Father Thimelby accordingly went sometimes by the name of Ashby. He is described in Dr. Oliver's "Collections" t as being "of a genteel and ancient faimily in Lincolnshire." This is abundantly justified by notices occurring of the family, at two different periods of English history. Thus: (I.) In Sir S. Meyrick's Heraldic Visitations of Wales, and part of the Marches, Mention is made of Richard Thumbleby (Thimbleby), knight, who was one of the bailiffs of Harddlech, or Harlech, in the county of Lincoln, and son to John Thumbleby, armiger to King Henry V. "It is recorded," says this writer, "I think in Camden's Britannia, that in the chapel of the town of Harlech (now standing, though converted into a dwelling) lies buried Sir Richard Thimbleby, who settled in that county for the purpose of enjoying the sports of hunting and hawking." (2.) Dod's Church History exhibits this knightly Lincolnshire family as maintaining their hereditary spirit of loyalty, like so many other Catholic houses, during the struggles between Charles 1. and his Parliament. We read there of "Charles Thimelby, a captain in the King's army, who lost his life at Worcester;" of " Robert Thimelby, a captain in the royal army, killed near Newark," and of "Nicholas Thimelby, a gentleman volunteer in the King's service, who lost his life at Bristol."