10 APRIL 1926, Page 17

THIS WEEK'S BOOKS

Paw bishops have hunted ostriches, but Synesius did. He was passionately fond of sport, a philosopher, and writer with what is called nowadays a human touch (of the bedside manner

of his friend, Athanasius—not . the Saint of that name—he

writes, "the moment a notary is called in to draw up a Will, he romps in with him"). Mr. •FitzGerald is to be congratulated on rendering into English for the first time the whole of these vivid Letters of Synesius, which present an interesting pictures of life at Athens, Alexandria and, Constantinople at the end of the fourth and beginning of. the fifth centuries of our era'.

(Oxford University Press. fils.) ,