AUTHOR AND PUBLISHERS alike are to be congratulated upon the addition of this volume to "The Antiquary's Books." It is the fulfilment of a promise made by Dr. Cox in the Preface to his work on Parish Registers, and the fruit of half a century of grubbing amongst parish

records and wardens' accounts.

We shall not attempt to enumerate all the subjects, interesting to Churchmen, archæologists, and historians alike, which the author has here collected and arranged with infinite patience and great skill. The nature of the Communion wines and the excessive quantities in which they were drunk; the manuals, missals, antiphoners, and other service books purchased at different periods; the furniture of altars, fonts, roods, and pulpits; the provision of church lights and bells and organs and decorations these and a dozen other subjects, which form a running commentary upon the history of English ritual and ecclesiastical custom, are indicated by the unchallengeable records of the churchwardens, as well as the sources from which the money for maintaining them was drawn, whether it were pew-rents or individual freewill offerings, or such obscure festivals as that of Hocktide, or parish plays, or churchales--forerunners of our modern bazaars and whist - drives. One quotation will serve to show the importance of the lessons to be learnt from the study of such records, and at the same time the author's care in analyzing them :

Throughout the hundreds of parish accounts which have been consulted in the compilation of this book, not one single statement or even hint has been detected of

the importation of foreign labour or of foreign

material in the construction of church fabrics or their fittings, with the single exception of bringing Caen stone from across the seas."-P. 79.

Dr. Cox refers in these pages to some 400 wardens' accounts, from the earliest date down to the close of the seventeenth century, a list, he observes, which, without making any claim to be complete, is four or five times larger than any hitherto printed. And at the present time, when the whole question of the custody of our public and local records is being canvassed and considered, it is worthy of remark that, whilst Dr. Cox has been at work upon them, no fewer than five sets of old wardens' accounts- one dating back to the days of Edward IV.-have, he says, hopelessly disappeared. It will be no small achievement in itself if Dr. Cox's work helps to call the attention of local authorities to the value of the records of which they are the responsible custodians.

We are thankful for what Dr. Cox has been able to print in a volume in which the publishers have shown no stint; but it is tantalizing to learn that a long section

6

We have purposely refrained from dealing with any of those controversial points to which, as all antiquaries know, the subject of churchwardens gives rise. We prefer to congratulate Dr. Cox upon the performance of a task which is arduous beyond the ordinary, but will have its reward in the promulgation of knowledge. We ought, however, to add that several silly theories, which flourish among those who make no research and are content to repeat the guesses of others, should have their circulation reduced by this book. There is plenty of accurate information to be had nowadays, and readers ought to find out the sound guides instead of relying on casual comment.

system-two results which are described as being the object of all his endeavours. Of the man himself we get an interesting glimpse in the following lines :—

Kimberley with Dr. Jameson. "I recollect once being in his bedroom at Rhodes was lyin~ on his bed, saying but little and growling at our keeping him awake. All at once he became interested, burst into the argument, got more and more energetic, dragged his bedclothes into a heap, pounded his pillows, and laid down the law vigorously, and then just as suddenly drew the draggled bedclothes around him, curled himself up, and ....went to sleep."

At Vryburg Rhodes and the author stayed together in one room. It was so small that

"in the day we had to put the mattresses outside to make room for the table, and at night the table outside to make room for the mattresses."

As Sir Ralph was, until recently, Governor of Newfoundland, his views about our oldest colony and its future are of value. He thinks it would be an "error of magnitude" if we permitted "if Newfoundland to tie herself to the Dominion; but he does not consider that Canada will ever willingly agree to be

on

SIR RALPH WILLIAMS was exploring in Patagonia as long ago as 1873, and he has since travelled widely, both as a private person and as a servant of the Colonial Office. He has previously written Bechuanaland, and few know more of Africa than he does, though the experiences related in these pages include also Australia, the West Indies, Newfoundland, and other places.

He knew Cecil Rhodes in days before that statesman became famous, as well as in later years. When the Jameson Raid occurred Sir Ralph was at Gibraltar. He had "no official knowledge" of the Raid, but frankly says that he knows all about it, and that before the start was made the Imperial officers on the spot were fully informed. That this is true has long been clear; but Şir Ralph tells us only enough to make us wish that he had said more.

In May, 1885, the author received from Rhodes a long letter which he describes as of "great importance historically" on account of its bearing on the development of British power in South Africa and the light it throws on the motives and aims of the writer. The Rhodes Trustees, however, refused their consent to the publication of the letter, giving, like wise if worldly men, no reason for their refusal. Sir Ralph Williams tells his readers something of its contents, the most interesting part of which dealt with the country which now forms Rhodesia and the Bechuanaland Protectorate. 'Rhodes described the country between Khama's and the Zambesi as unfit for white settlers, but suggested that a railway extended along the healthy ridge of the centre of Africa would defeat any attempt at German colonization and would tap the Lake

opinion, however, the connexion of Canada with the Empire is " one which will have to be reconsidered as soon as Canada feels that she can stand alone."

This ex-Governor gives tremendous praise to Mr. Churchill, though in most matters he is a curiously old-fashioned Tory. He lectures those who hold what, for the sake of brevity, may be described as "Pro-Boer" views, and shares the common Conservative opinion about Majuba and our withdrawal from the Transvaal; but he shows no sign of having heard of the facts which caused the Government of the day to adopt a policy which many people (wise after the event) condemn in too light-hearted a fashion. It is also curious to find any one still proud of having taken an active part in the fight in Hyde Park when Bradlaugh made his first demonstration there.

Sir Ralph is one of the greatest of Lord Milner's admirers, but pokes a little fun at the Milner scheme of qualified selfgovernment for the new South African colonies, and says that, much as he dislikes and distrusts the full powers given under the Act of Union, "they were the only possible alternative to Crown Colony government." He also states (and does so by way of praise) that Lord Milner

ઃઃ

throughout his whole official career could never forget that he was primarily a journalist and secondarily a Governor.'

The volume contains no great revelations, but it offers many good stories and much interesting matter. It would be improved by revision, for there is repetition of unimportant things, and some names (for instance, that of Mr. Hofmeyr) are misspelt.

NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. [Insertion in these columns does not preclude longer review.]

Theology.

Glover (T. R.), THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION AND ITS VERIFICATION, 3/6 net. Methuen Six lectures delivered at the Regent's Park College last year, being the eighth course of "The Angus Lectureship.' Their object is to suggest a closer study of Christian experience as the real method of verifying Christian tradition. The author's contention

is that in all modern study the emphasis falls on verification, and that in the 'sphere of religion a great tradition confronts us-a scheme of things handed down from one Christian generation to another. The question as to how far this is of value, and whether it can be tested by reference to fact, is what he essays to answer in his book. His treatment is brief, but suggestive, being forti. fied by excellent use of pertinent quotation. Hannay (J. B.), CHRISTIANITY: THE SOURCES OF ITS TEACHING AND SYMBOLISM, 16/net. Francis Griffiths

The author has essayed to record the real facts of Holy Writ as the result of a prolonged study of the Jewish Scriptures, and to show the continuity of religious evolution by linking up the old religions with Christianity, examining it critically, as Christians do other religions. Holdsworth (Rev. William West), GOSPEL ORIGINS, 2/6 net. Duckworth Former volumes in this series of "Studies in Theology "have already been noticed in these columns. The present book is devoted to the Synoptic Problem, and the author endeavours to define more closely than has hitherto been done the sources used by the three Evangelists. Critical details have been eliminated from the main text, and appear in the form of additional notes attached to the several chapters. Li Hung Chang's Scrap-Book, compiled and edited by Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, 7/6 net. Watts A collection of cuttings from the writings of many authors on the subject of Christianity and Christian missions, especially regarding China. The extracts were strung together with comments and explanatory notes by Sir Hiram Maxim, who is bitterly opposed to all religious missions, with the object of showing his friend Li Hung Chang and other Chinese officials that missionaries are not representative of the country from which they come, and do not express the opinions and beliefs of all other Europeans. Sir Hiram presents his case forcibly, and makes a whole-hearted indictment of religious persecutions, from records of the Old Testament down to events of the present day. The comparison which he draws between the peace-loving philosophical Chinaman and his Christian brother is not flattering to the latter, but our reviews of Chinese books have shown that the missionary does good work which every one can recognize. The book is embellished with illustrations of various events in Bible his

tory and the history of Christianity, in which tortures and persecutions play a large part; and there are photographs of Li Hung Chang and the compiler.

Tantra of the Great Liberation, a Translation from the Sanskrit, with Introduction and Commentary by Arthur Avalon, 10/ net. Luzac The Indian Tantras are of importance, as being the source of present and practical orthodox Hinduism. The translation is the first published in Europe of any Indian

Tantra.

Law.

Jones (Charles), THE SOLICITOR'S CLERK, Part I., Eighth and Revised Edition, 2/6 net. Effingham Wilson The author, in this revised edition, retains the form he has hitherto adopted, but he has extended and partially rewritten the chapter on Costs,' and provided fuller information on the preparation and taxation of these. The scales of costs, fees, and stamps have been corrected to date, and the amendments rendered necessary by the Finance Act of 1910 have been incorporated throughout the book.

Kenealy (Maurice Edward), THE TICHBORNE TRAGEDY, 16/ net.

Francis Griffiths

Tells in detail the story of what the author describes as "the longest, most remarkable, the most dramatically interesting, and the most universally discussed trial which has ever taken place." The volume is illustrated with portraits and facsimiles, and regards the Claimant as the genuine Roger

Tichborne.

Simonson (Paul Frederick), A TREATISE ON

THE LAW RELATING TO DEBENTURES
AND DEBENTURE STOCK issued by
Trading and Public Companies and by
Local Authorities, with Forms and Pre-
cedents, Fourth Edition, 21/

Effingham Wilson The present edition has been revised and largely rewritten. Since the publication of the third in 1902 many of the defects in the law relating to debentures and debenture stock have been remedied by statutory amendments, and the work has been brought correspondingly up to date. It provides a full and detailed survey of debenture law. Poetry.

Five Centuries of English Verse, IMPRESSIONS BY WILLIAM STEBBING: Vol. I. CHAUCER TO BURNS; Vol. II. WORDSWORTH TO TENNYSON, 1/6 net each. Frowde

not

A revised edition is welcome of a collection of impressions which appeared under the title of The Poets: Chaucer to Tennyson.' We called attention, when we reviewed the book (March 7th, 1908), to its readable quality, unusually catholic view of poetry, and lavishness of quotation. It is possible to agree with all Dr. Stebbing's estimates, but he has always a pleasant vigour in appreciation, and is usually sound in his estimates. The present edition goes as late as Davidson and Andrew Lang, and the final chapter, entitled 'Conclusions ?' is full of good sense, rising at times to eloquence.

Fletcher (John Gould), FIRE AND WINE, 2/6 net. Grant Richards

There is much to admire in these verses, but, on the other hand, there are many points on which we could find fault with the author, notably as regards careless rhythm, and a tendency to exuberance of language. One or two of the simpler pieces show promise of attainment. The author is at his best, in fact, when he is concise, and when the brevity of his metre restricts his Muse.

Hymns to the Goddess, translated from the Sanskrit by Arthur and Ellen Avalon, 4/ net. Luzac

The Goddess or Devi, as the Hindus call her, is God in the maternal aspect. The hymns in this volume are taken from the Tantra, Purana, Mahābhārata, and Shangkaracharyya. They should appeal both to the student of religions, whom a knowledge of ritual will help to a greater and more real understanding of the Mahavakya of the Aryyas, and to those whose interest is mainly literary.

Poems from the Welsh, translated into English Verse by H. Idris Bell, with some Additional Renderings by C. C. Bell, 1/

Carnarvon, Welsh Publishing Co. The poems translated in this volume belong entirely to modern times, and mainly to the nineteenth century and the present one. They form an interesting anthology to which the biographical notes provided lend additional value.

Reciter's (The) Second Treasury of Verse, compiled and edited by Ernest Pertwee, 3/6 Routledge

A comprehensive selection of verse, both serious and humorous, suitable for recitation. The selection has, on the whole, been judiciously made, and should provide a welcome addition to the literature of reciters. Ryves (Evangeline), THE RED HORIZON, a Dialogue, and Other Verses, 1/ net.

Elkin Mathews

bistory and Biography. Bancroft (Hubert Howe), RETROSPECTION, POLITICAL AND PERSONAL, $2 net.

New York, Bancroft Co. An analytical review of the century, giving a picture of the economic development of the United States as a nation, and of the rise and progress of the political power of the Republic. There are special references to the opening of the Panama Canal and the San Francisco Exhibition. Barker (Ernest), THE DOMINICAN ORDER AND CONVOCATION, 3/ net. Oxford, Clarendon Press This book presents a study of the growth of representation in the Church during the thirteenth century. In the opening chapters the author gives an account of the organization of the Dominicans, and follows this by a study of that development of the provincial synod in England which led to the inclusion of clerical proctors. His work throws considerable light on certain aspects of English history at that period. Butler (M.), A HISTORY OF THE BARONY OF GAULTIER. Waterford, Downey

A somewhat fragmentary history, compiled from official papers and other sources, of that portion of the county of Waterford which is now known as the Barony of Gaultier, but which was originally included in the ancient division of Ireland known as Deisi-Mumham, or Deisies of Munster.

Calendar of Letters, Despatches, and State Papers, relating to the Negotiations between England and Spain, preserved in the Archives at Vienna, Simancas, and Elsewhere: Vol. IX. EDWARD VI., 1547-9, edited by Martin A. S. Hume and Royall Tyler, 15/ Stationery Office The papers calendared in this volume extend over a period of three years: 1547, 1548, and 1549. They are, primarily, the letters of the Imperial ambassadors resident in England and France to the Emperor Charles V. and his sister, Regent of the Netherlands, and the sovereigns' instructions to these ambassadors. There are also a certain number of letters from Imperial envoys in Italy and elsewhere, touching on the affairs of England or the Reformation. Mr. Tyler, who took up the work of editing left half finished by the death of Major Martin Hume, contributes an illuminating Preface.

D'Aulnoy (Marie Catherine, Baronne), ME

MOIRS OF THE COURT OF ENGLAND IN 1675, translated from the Original French by Mrs. William Henry Arthur, edited, revised, and with Annotations, including an Account of Lucy Walter, Evidence for a Brief for the Defence, by George David Gilbert, 16/ net. Lane A translation of a work which was first published in 1694-5, and which, though frequently cited, has long been neglected in its entirety. The present translation is divided into chapters; in the original the narrative was continuous. An English version by an unknown hand appeared in 1708. Davis (William Watson), THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION IN FLORIDA, Studies in History, Economics, and Public Law," 16/

66

London, P. S. King; New York, Columbia University An exhaustive monograph, the object of which is to present the course of political events in Florida through a limited period, to show how national policies affected local politics there, and to supplement what is already well known concerning the history of the nation at large. The author does not claim to present facts or conclusions of very broad significance for the first time, nor to give any particularly new or original explanations.

Farrand (Max), THE FRAMING OF THE CON-
STITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES,
8/6 net.
Oxford University Press
Prof. Farrand is the editor of 'The
Records of the Federal Convention' (1911),
the massive and expensive standard work
on the proceedings of that assembly. The
present book is an able summary of that
work, and contains, as Appendix, the con-
stitution of 1787, with all the subsequent
amendments down to the Article added this
year empowering Congress to impose an
income tax.

Fraser-Mackintosh (Charles), ANTIQUARIAN
NOTES, & Series of Papers regarding
Families and Places in the Highlands,
21/net.
Stirling, Mackay

The first edition of this work has been out of print for many years. In the present the original text has not been interfered with, apart from errors due to hurried reading of proofs, but the editor has supplemented it considerably by means of notes and appendixes.

combination pocket-knife, and a youthful idea of his own importance with which he had escaped from a City office. He learnt his first lesson when he offered a tip to a

as

pard " who gave him a hand with his luggage, and his education continues to the end of the story, by which time he has travelled over a large part of the world, and settled down a pineapple farmer in Queensland. He makes light of his many hardships, which include a passage out West from Winnipeg in a refrigerator, when he was travelling, it need hardly be said, without a ticket; and he gives amusing accounts of his experiences in a variety of strange occupations. Some of his most interesting chapters contain an account of a visit to Fiji. The book is attractive, written in a popular style, and illustrated with a large number of photographs. Sociology.

Constable The author seeks to define the causes and circumstances of what he describes as the present sex war, and to offer a more detailed discussion which may serve Ito throw new light upon what is surely developing into a serious family quarrel."

New edition in Methuen's Shilling Library of a book which was recently the subject of an action for libel. For notice see Athen., Feb. 17, 1912, p. 191.

Reid (James S.), THE MUNICIPALITIES OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, 12/ net. Cambridge University Press The present volume is the outcome of a course of lectures, originally delivered in the University of London, with a view to providing students with a survey of the Roman Empire regarded in one of its most important aspects, that of a vast federation of Commonwealths retaining many characteristics of the old so-called " city-state."

Geography and Travel. M'Conachie (William), IN THE LAP OF THE LAMMERMOORS, 5/net. Blackwood

Here is a book for lovers of the open airfor those who like to study nature, as White of Selborne did, at first hand. Mr. M'Conachie is minister of Lauder, in Berwickshire; and in these sketches, mostly reprinted from The Scotsman, he reveals the secret of the past sleeping in the tumulus, the mystery of the rounded hills, the light on the mountain streams, the cloud slowly drifting over bird and insect each rejoicing in its own life. wide expanses of summer sky, beast and A dominant love of nature pervades the book, which is further marked by a style worthy of the theme. Pollard (Hugh B. C.), A BUSY TIME IN MEXICO, 8/6 net. Constable

The author describes this account of life

and sport in Mexico as "An Unconventional Record." He relates his adventures in that country up to 1911, and adds an appendix giving a résumé of the political events that have since occurred. His writing can hardly be called literary, but it is easy and entertaining.

Stock (Ralph), THE CONFESSIONS

OF A

TENDERFOOT, being a True and Unvarnished Account of his WorldWanderings, 10/6 net. Grant Richards The tenderfoot of this narrative landed at Maple Creek in 1901 with a full Canadian outfit, including a six-shooter,

66

22

Heath (Carl), ON PUNISHMENT, a Modern View of the Rational Treatment of Bell Crime, 1/ net. The author is Secretary of the National Peace Council, and was formerly Hon. Secretary of the Society for the Abolition of Capital Punishment. He puts forward a plea for the humanitarian treatment of crime, which, he maintains, is not the outcome of an overweening tenderness for the criminal, but due to the conviction that, in the words of Romilly, "cruel punishments have an inevitable tendency to produce cruelty in the people," and so tend to pro

duce further crime.

Education.

a

DeGarmo (Charles), ESTHETIC EDUCATION, "Cornell Study Bulletins for Teachers." Syracuse, U.S.A., Bardeen The author maintains that every child should acquire in school first-hand æsthetic view of the world, as he now acquires an intellectual or moral view of it. This book attempts to give a direct nontechnical analysis of the meaning and expression of the beautiful as seen in nature and the arts. It contains much that should

prove of interest to teachers, even if they may not agree with its conclusions. Parker (Samuel Chester), A TEXTBOOK IN THE HISTORY OF MODERN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, 6/6 Ginn

Prof. Parker is to be congratulated on the thoroughness with which he has carried out his task. The book, which is written primarily for American teachers, is a history of elementary education both in Europe and America. Introductory chapters sketch the progress of education up to the end of the seventeenth century; then there is an account of Rousseau and his influence; and finally the latter half of the book is devoted to Pestalozzi, Herbart, and Froebel. The book should prove stimulating to elementary teachers, to many of whom these names merely connote certain academic studies. It would have been well to add a chapter on the more recent developments of the subject, and in particular on the present position of "formal training." Wood (Walter), CHILDREN'S PLAY, AND ITS PLACE IN EDUCATION, 3/6 net. Kegan Paul This little book should be in the hands, not only of the teachers, but also of the

education officers of England. Play in English elementary schools is regarded (except in the lowest infant classes) as merely a rest from work, and not as a separate, but important educational factor. Mr. Wood discusses the various theories of play, their limitations and advantages, in a lucid manner, and, apart from his knowledge, his sympathy alone would be a sufficient warrant for the book.

Philology.

Classical Review, MAY, 1/ net. John Murray The article in the current issue on 'Slavonic Elements in Greek Religion' is an extract from a paper by Mr. George Calderon, read at the Fourth International Congress for the History of Religions, held at Leyden in 1912. Mr. J. M. Edmonds continues his 'Notes on the Bucolici Græci,' and Mr. H. A. Strong writes on Virgilius Maro Grammaticus.' Dr. Warde has an interesting comment entitled 'Virgil, Priest of Apollo?" in which he repudiates the idea that Virgil gave himself a sacerdotal programme."

School-Books.

Bigham (Madge A.), ANIMAL TALES, a Book of Old Fables in New Dresses, 6d.

Harrap These old fables, based on La Fontaine's, are retold in simple language, and in a form calculated to appeal to young children. They are printed in clear type and illustrated with woodcuts. At the end of the volume suggestions are given as to how they may best be used for teaching.

Black's Sentinel Readers, Book III., by E. E. Speight, 1/4 Black This volume is well up to the standard of its predecessors in the same series. selections have been judiciously made, and the numerous coloured illustrations are attractive.

The

Lee (Elizabeth), SELECTIONS FROM ENGLISH LITERATURE, Books I. and II., 1/6 each; Books III. and IV., 2/ each. Arnold These four books are graded so as to be used, one for each year, by scholars of from twelve to sixteen. The author has managed to include many and varied selections in a small compass, and, although there are some authors whom we miss (Stevenson and Charles Reade, to mention no others), the boy or girl who reads through these books will really have come into touch with some of the best that English literature can offer.

In Books III. and IV., at any rate, the author might have prefixed short biographies of the various writers.

Mortimer (Rev. C. G.), HELPS TO LATIN SYNTAX, 1/net. Oxford, Blackwell; London, Simpkin & Marshall These notes are designed to provide a convenient method of settling the points which most frequently occur in constructing sentences in Latin. They are the outcome of experience in teaching the elements of Latin syntax. Wenlock (Rankin), PRÉCIS WRITING FOR BEGINNERS, 1/6; and KEY, 1/ net.

Dent Précis writing, says the author, now occupies a prominent place in the curriculum of every school, and the sudden recognition of its educational value has rendered new textbooks necessary. The present volume has been written to suit the requirements of beginners. Besides General Literature, Official and Commercial Correspondence and Parliamentary Questions and Answers are treated, with examples. A Key to the exercises is published separately.

Literary Criticism.

Buck (Philo M.), SOCIAL FORCES IN MODERN LITERATURE, 4/6 Ginn

The author traces in the literatures of France, Germany, and England the gradual rise of the social tendency, and attempts at the same time to show the mutual literary He interdependence of those countries. cites Montesquieu and Jean Jacques Rousseau as exemplifying 'The Intellectual and Emotional Revolutions in France Respectively'; Lessing for the Intellectual Revolution in Germany'; and Wordsworth as typical of the Beginnings of Romanticism in England.' Goethe stands for the Aristocracy of Culture,' and Shelley for the Empire of Beauty.' It is an illuminating book that will well repay reading. Schelling (Felix E.), THE ENGLISH LYRIC, 6/

net.

Constable

Prof. Schelling's account of the English lyric is written with considerable vivacity and freshness of style. It is the work of a scholar thoroughly at home with his subject, a compiler who takes conscious pleasure in tracing over the old classifications, and endowing their outlines here and there with a touch of original vigour and neatness. The author confines his attention to the lyrical production of the British Isles, sketching its history from the earliest times down to the present day, and, so long as he keeps to the main tracks which have been laid down by previous criticism, his treatment is often suggestive and seldom uninteresting. But his chapter on Successors of Swinburne and Meredith is a curious mixture of unconvincing classification and undiscriminating judgments. The bracketing of Mr. Stephen Phillips and Mr. T. Sturge Moore as Puritans," of Francis Thompson and Mr. Laurence Housman as "Pre-Raphaelite disciples of Coventry Patmore," really will not do. When we add that the work of Mr. Thomas Hardy is barely touched on, we shall have said enough to show that the Professor's book is not adequate for modern lovers of poetry. Gaelic.

Celtic Review, MAY, 2/6 net.

'Some

Edinburgh, Hodge; London, Nutt In The House of the Dwarfs,' with which the current number opens, Mr. David MacRitchie treats of an incident in the tragic story of Darthula and the Three Sons of Uisneach, which appears in a version of this oft-told story obtained by the late Dr. Alexander Carmichael in 1867 from an old man in the island of Barra, and is not found in other versions. Prof. Mackinnon continues his translation of the Gaelic version of the

'Thebaid of Statius, the original text being also given. Other contributions include a Note on Musical Instruments in Gaelic Folk-Tales,' by Mr. Kenneth MacLeod, and the first instalment of Miss A. C. Macdonell's essay on 'Deirdre-the Highest Type of Celtic Womanhood.' Guth Na Bliadhna, AN T-EARRACH, 1913, 1/¡ Glasgow, Maclaren

The contributions are mostly in Gaelic, but we notice an article on 'Greek, Roman, Celt, and the Love of Nature,' by Mr. R. Erskine, which rather suffers from its brevity and the obvious desire to glorify the Celt at the expense of other races. Also we notice that Sir Edwin Durning Lawrence has been allowed to explain once more that Bacon is Shakespeare.' The Stratford man grows worse and worse. Now he is "totally unable to read a single line of print.' There is an illustration devoted to Elliman's Embrocation between pp. 224 and 225, and advertising on the back the greatest Turf Accountant in the World."

We cannot say that this story marks an advance on the author's previous work. The heroine, who enters into a loveless

marriage, does not command our sympathy, too highly coloured. though she has many trials. The writing is

Gaskell (Elizabeth C.), SYLVIA'S LOVERS.
One of "Nelson's Sixpenny Library.'
Irwin (M. E. F.), How MANY MILES TO
BABYLON? 6/
Constable

This book has nothing to do with the city of wickedness, the title being merely part of a nursery rhyme which recurs frequently. The story is of a wild, elf-like Irish girl and her struggles with convention, in which she wins, and with love, in which she loses. Although most of the characters are rather overdrawn, the author has successfully conveyed that fairy atmosphere which is the appropriate setting for the heroine, and which gives the book charm. John Long's Sevenpenny Novels:

THE

LADY OF THE ISLAND, by Guy Boothby; THE WHITE HAND AND THE BLACK, by Bertram Mitford, 7d. not each. Lancaster (G. B.), THE LAW-BRINGERS, 6/ Hodder & Stoughton

We are sorry to see an excellent story handicapped by small type. Surely the use of thin paper would have enabled the publishers to increase the number of pages and give us larger print, yet keep the book within the limits of a single volume.

The story is mainly that of two men of the Police of North-West Canada, who have to deal with white men of French and English blood, half-breeds, and Indiansa whole crowd of vigorous workers ready with a word and a blow, and apt to break into rowdiness in their periods of money and leisure.

Of the two men, whose fortunes are intimately connected in love and service, one has a reckless past, especially with women, and finally redeems it after a great struggle. The other is a man of sterling quality, a steady worker whose only mistake is falling in love with a girl unworthy of him.

She