Unpopular Papers. By Norman Alliston. (G. Allen. 3s. 6d. net.)
—Mr. Alliston practically says to his readers : You will not like these things ; you will see how mistaken you are in your judgments ; but I am a superior person ; you had better listen to me ; it is pretty certain that I am right and you are wrong.' Is it really a commendation of an essay to say that it is unpopular Is it more likely to take the right view? Are unpopular persons better and more useful than popular ? Mr. Alliston has much to say, —sometimes it is true and sensible—but he has to be "unpopular," i.e., to differ from the common view. We do not think that on the whole this tends to useful and sensible writing. Notable Middle-Templars, with Brief Biographical Notices. By John Hutchinson. (Printed for the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. 7s. 6d. and 10s. 6d.)—When we say that more than seven hundred notices are to be found in the two hundred and seventy pages of this book, it will be seen that there is not any room for the literary element. Mr. Hutchinson has collected facts, dates, and names with much labour, and compiled what cannot fail to be a very useful volume. For the most part he avoids comment or the expression of opinion. But surely if he thinks it right to tell us that Charles Phillips was commonly known as "Councillor O'Garnish " from the "florid style of his eloquence," he might also have told us of the disastrous results of his defence of Courvoisier.
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