Ensemble. By Wat. Bradwood. 3 vols. (Chapman and Hall.)— "
Ensemble " is the history of a friendship between a very vigorous Orestes, "Ralph," and a somewhat womanish Pylades, "Ruby." Ralph is indeed a hero. He rows in a victorious university crew, and roads a paper on Ritualism at a Church Congress,—the Congress at York, it may be said, should any of our readers like to amuse themselves by identifying the ideal with some actual personality. We have named two of his achievements, not at all contradictory, but not often coming together, but there are others without number. Altogether, be is a blameless "Guy Livingstone," blameless except for a slight tendency to be rude, and a more decided one to what we must take the liberty to call "fatherly flirtations" with young ladies. We have no wish to speak disrespectfully of the book, on the contrary, we have enjoyed reading it very much. The tone of feeling throughout is admirable ; there is not a word that it will hurt anyone to read, there are many words which, one would hope, will do good. Of incident there is a perfectly prodigal supply. A regatta crowded with exciting races, a scene in a dogstealer's crib, a railway accident, a racing-meeting, a fox-hunt, a Parliamentary debate, are among the good things provided. Most of these things are done well ; some of them, the boat-racing for instance, very well indeed.
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