The Council of the Vatican, and the Events of the Time-this is the Title, and shall constitute the Preface to this Volume. It sufficiently signifies that the book treats of the proceedings of the most august of assemblages-of the definition- of revealed .truths of Faith-charter deeds to ennobling privileges and everlasting inheritances; and that it treats of the Events of the Time- Events so accumulated and so momentous, that they seem a condensation of the story of age-of the gigantic war-of the invasion of Rome the sufferings of the Church -the vicissitudes of Empires-of secular, social, dynastic convulsions which shall ever be recorded as the most memorable in the world's history. I feel assured no other preface, no matter how elaborate, could obtain for the book a more favourable introduction, or more securely arrest the interest of 200,000,000 of the inhabitants of the globe.