17 JULY 1875, Page 22

The Life and Character of Erasmus. By the Rev. A.

R. Pennington. (Seeleys.)—It is somewhat unfortunate that Mr. Pennington has been anticipated by the laborious work of Mr. Drummond. His book has, however, the merit of being more compact in form, and we do not find that it omits anything essential in its account of the life and work of the great scholar. Its differentia may, perhaps, be said to be that it contemplates these from an Anglican point of view. The author has had the wisdom to tell his story as much as possible in Erasmus's own words. This, indeed, there is abundant facility for doing. No life, indeed, presents more copious materials for the biographer, and Mr. Pennington, who illustrates his original by valuable annotations, has used them well.