SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-BOOKS.—II.*
LITERARY studies and literary " Histories " abound in these days, and that is much to the good. The function of such books is aperitif; they are the guides which set an inexperienced reader on his road, and that is a very valuable work. But the value of the guide who goes with the reader all the way ie more open to question, when at least he can only use the un- sympathetic medium of a printed commentary. There are now perhaps half.a-dozen well-known school editions of each of the great Shakespeare plays, and if one collate the notes of two or three of them it is quite astonishing to see how mach superfluous matter they all contain. Most teachers, too, above the level of the "hack " find that what they care to say to a form and what it profits the form to hear is seldom what any "notes" or " introduction " have supplied. When techni- calities are not in question comment is merely deadening if it is not spontaneous. This has been realized by Mr. Maie of Sherborne, who is responsible for an original little edition of Shakespeare in single volumes.' There is an intro- duction to each play and a general introduction repro- duced with each, and there are a very few notes which aim at giving only what is indispensable in the way of criticism and information. The introductions are written in a racy style, which young readers may judge rather presump- tuously familiar; but they are well written, and they can hardly fail to be stimulating to readers of all ages. The notes occasionally say what is disputable or superfluous, and occa- sionally they fail to say what is much required, but on the whole they fulfil their purpose, and leave the teacher un- trammelled and the mind unburdened. There are pictures, some rather fine, by Mr. Byam Shaw, and the books are well and pleasingly produced. For use in form by a teacher with ideas of his own they could hardly be bettered.
Of texts on the usual model there is no lack in these days. There are two recent editions of The Faerie Queene, Book V., both good and both inclining to brevity in annotation, one by the Head-Master of the King's School, Ely,. and the other by the versatile Mr. Winbolt, of Christ's Hospital.. There is a Nonni Prestes Tale with a long introduction upon Chaucer's works generally that comes from Cambridge,' in company with a convenient selection from Gray ; there is a serviceable Childs Harold from the same press,. two cantos thereof in Messrs. Blackie'e inexpensive "English Classics," and two more in an edition of Messrs. Macmillan's." There is, again in Blackie's "English Classics," a well-edited Macaulay's Lays,• and from the same publishers there comes a much-needed Edward IL," containing some well-digested criticism of Marlowe. Messrs. Macmillan have added some volumes to their admirable series of briefly annotated texts called "English Literature for Secondary Schools," including a most attractive selection from British Orators," and Messrs. George Gill and Sons publish what is called the " Oxford and Cambridge Edition " of The Lord of the Isles." It has brief notes in the margin, and a large paragraphed introduction, being designed less to fill an educational gap than to defeat the examiners of the University "Locals." These books have all introductions and notes on something like the usual plan, but there is a great • (1) The Tempest ; King Henry IF., Part IL; Ths Herehant of Fontes; King Henry IV., Part I.; Co:Solt:nue; Hamlet; Macbeth; Twelfth Night; King .Lear. By B. P. B. Maio. Mutt:rated by Byam Shaw. London: G. Bell and Sons. [le, net each.]—(2) Spenser's Faris Quetta, Book V. By E. H. Blakeney. London: Blockie and Son. [b. 6d. net.]—(8) Spew.? s Paeris Queens, Bads V. By S. E. Wistbolt. London G. Bell and Sons. [Is. 6d. net.] —(4) Chaucer : The Nom) Pastes Tale. By Lilian Winetanley. Cambridge: at the University Press. jEssi — (5) Gray's English Poems. By B. F. Clarke. Sams publiahera [2.1-16) Byron's Child. Harold. By A. Hamilton Thompson, F.S.A. Same publishare. [Ye. 6d.1—(7) Byron's Childs Harold, Canto, ILL and IV. By John Downie. London: Blackie and Son. fed]— (8) Byron's Child. Harold, Cantos I. and IL By the Rev. 3. O. Scrongeour. London: Macmillan and Co. Us. 6d.—(9) Macaulay% Lap. With Intro- duction and Notes. London : Blaclue and Son. [10d.]—(10) Mariosee's Edward II. By 3. W. Holm, and T. S. Sterling. Same pnbliehers. De.1— (11) British Orators, edited by J. H. Fowler ; Abbot Samson, edited by Cavenah ; The Isle of Gramma, Part I. and Part Ms edited by E. P. Robert.. English Literature for Secondary Schools." London: Macmillan and Co. [Is. per The Lard of the Ides. By Sir W. Scott Introduction, itc., by the▪ Rev. F. Manahan. London George Gill and Sone. [la 6d.]--0.3) Long- fellow; Hairy'' Heroes of Asgard; Sir John Mandeville; -Selections front Page; Pilgrim's Progreee; Hatothonw's Wonder Book and Tangleirood Tales Selections from Gray and Cowper's Poems- Plutarch's Lire,; Gibbon's Decline and Fall or the Roman Empire, Chaps. s.-iii. By 13. E. Winbolt. "Bell's English Tests." London: G. Bell and Sens. [6d. per vol.]—(14) Companions of Columbus, by Washington Irving; The English Hail Coach, by De Quincey; B fiens the Travels of Efemphrey Clinker. By Snaollett. London: Biocide and Son. Son. [I0d. per vol.]—(15) The Heroes. By Charles Kingsley. Cambridge •at the -IIni- vanity Prm. [le.]—(16) Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha. Oxford: at the Clarendon Prows.[ 10d.3—(17) Longfellow's Poems; Old Christmas, by Washington Irving; Karly Ws of Thomas de Quincoy. " English Literature for School.," edited by Arthur Burrell. London: J. M. Dent and Soma lad. par vol,]—(16) Poetry for Bar.. Selected by S. Martvell, LL.B., F.R.A.B. London: Mille and Boon. les'6d.]—(19) Th. Grey Prier Book of
E nglish Versa Selected by Guy Kendall. London Longmans and Ca [2.1
abundance of " plain texts " also, or texts with a short introduc- tion only. Messrs. Bell have added many volumes to their wonderful sixpenny series," and there are some new appear- ances in Messrs. Blackie's well-bound "Library of English Prose," which is priced modestly at tenpence." From Cambridge there comes a reprint of Xingeley's Heroes" (without introduction), and in the businesslike series of " Oxford Plain Texts" there is now a Hiawatha," prefaced by some rather good critical remarks. Longfellow appears, too, in Messrs. Dent's sixpenny "English Literature for Schools " "—a series of slim volumes with short introduc- tions—together with De Quincey and Washington Irving. Rather a different type of book, though again an old one, is represented by an anthology of English poetry for lower forme, published by Messrs. Mills and Boon." All the heroic favourites of our youth are included, as well as some greater and some slighter things : Browning's Pippa rubs shoulders with Shakespeare's King Henry V., and " Much have I travelled in the realms of gold" with " ' Will you walk a little faster? ' said a whiting to a snail." It is an attractive collection, well produced, and in some ways original.
A book of rather wider compass and more elaborate arrange- ment has been issued by Mr. Kendall, of Charterhouse." It is divided into three grades to suit roughly three groups of Charterhouse forms, and it contains a very large variety of English poems of every age and every type, which it will be convenient to have all together in such a manageable form. The book is meant primarily for " repetition," and some much-loved passages have been omitted from it in order not "to accustom boys' ears to bad rhythm." This is probably wise enough (though one must regret " Ingoldeby " and Macaulay), and certainly such rejections have produced no shortage of fine material. "The Ancient Mariner" is there entire, and the best of Blake is there, happily freed from company with the worst, and if a boy has learnt any considerable part of the book in his course up the school be will probably have got more true education from it than from any other half-dozen of his school- books put together. For there is a wealth of beautiful poetry in this small volume, and it is astonishing how much that is fine is also simple enough for the earlier of its graded divisions. It is a book that it is a real pleasure to pick zip and glance through—for one of the charms of the English books now provided for schoolmasters and schoolboys is that they are so very convenient for ordinary people, who are neither the one nor the other.
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