Though I’m a Catholic in precisely the sense that Chesterton identified himself a Catholic, from around 1900 to roughly 1908, (that is, I’m an Anglo-Catholic), I’ll reply, anyway.
I’ve collected Chesterton and Belloc (and a lot of other folks you’d recognise) for over 45 years. I own (let’s concentrate on Chesterton, but the same general principle holds for Belloc) roughly everything in print over his name, to date, and the collection grows regularly (bought 2 books on Chesterton and two of the new Igantius Press collections yesterday). And I own around 70 studies and bios of him. I love both of the these writers dearly (though Belloc was not the man that Chesterton was. All the same, I’d love to have dinner with Belloc, at King’s Land, over a bottle of his wine, just to hear him talk).
In brief, I know more about these guys than the next 4 people you will meet, randomly, on the street. I’m currently about 3/4s through one of the best, and most essential books for understanding Chesterton that I’ve read in these 45 years: Oddie’s CHESTERTON: THE ROMANCE OF ORTHODOXY. It is based on the huge collection of Chesterton material that was left in the care of Dorothy Collins, at Frances’ death. And it has been cataloged now, by the British Library, which purchased the collection after Collin’s death. Much good is going to come from this. Though the material was always avaialble for scholarly use (writers from Ward to Pearce have used it) it was not systematically available. And now it is.
You will have concluded that neither of these gentlemen make me uncomfortable. They can each be criticized, but after 45 years, I know where to do it, delicately.
And, indeed, the last knight of Europe took weapons from the wall.
GKC
*Anglicanus Catholicus *
