Then there was David. It was not the Bath-sheba episode, but the
Abishag, that the author treated at length--one of the most revolting
transactions in history, especially as there is some reason to believe
that the unfortunate girl was, when it was perpetrated, already attached
to one of the sons of the loathsome, senile sensualist.

Perhaps, on the whole, it was not surprising that after the publication
of this book the Rev. George Holland became the best-known clergyman
in England, or that the breath of bishops should be taken from them. So
soon as some of them recovered from the first brunt of the shock, they
met together and held up their hands, saying that they awaited the
taking of immediate action by the prelate within whose see St. Chad's
was situated. But that particular prelate was a man who had never been
known to err on the side of rapidity of action. Nearly a week had passed
before he made any move in the matter, and then the move he made was
in the direction of the Engadine. He crossed the Channel with the
book under his arm. He determined to read it at his leisure. Being a
clergyman, he could not, of course, be expected to have examined, from
any standpoint but that of the clergyman, the characters of the persons
dealt with in the book, and he was naturally shocked at the freedom
shown by the rector of St. Chad's in criticising men whose names have
been held in the highest esteem for some thousands of years. He at once
perceived that the rector of St. Chad's had been very narrow-minded
in his views regarding the conduct of the men whom he had attacked. It
occurred to him, as it had to Mr. Ayrton, that the writer had drawn his
picture without any regard for perspective. That was very foolish on the
part of a man who was a Fellow of his college, the bishop thought; and
besides, there was no need for the book--its tendency was not to
help the weaker brethren. But to assume that the book would, as some
newspaper articles said it would, furnish the most powerful argument