Senoof.-Booxs.—The Iliad of Homer, XXII. By G. M. Edwards, M.A.
(Cambridge University Press.)—The "Prolegomena," with a full account of the Homeric forms, are particularly useful.— In the series of "Cambridge Texts, with Notes," we have Xeno- phon's Hellenics, Book I., edited by L. D. Dowdall. (Bell and Sons.) —There is no lack of scholarship and learning in Mr. Dowdoll's commentary, but he should know that it is almost useless, in view of the reliders for whom books of this kind are intended—in view, that is, of the books they have at com- mand, and their willingness to use them—to give references, except, perhaps, to the most familiar works. We take, for instance, a very interesting and valuable note on the curious Spartan despatch given in i., 23. The difference of reading saaa (timbers, ships), as against Kea (honour), which the MSS. give, is rightly given. But what is the use of the reference, " Bergk
Zeitschr. f. Altort., p. 9, 1852" ? The reference to the Lysistrata is more than boys would want; so, we think, is the remark about the varieties of Doric, and certainly the elaborate citation of authori- ties. Editions for teachers and editions for pupils ought to be kept separate. A teacher cannot do better than study this little volume, which, for its size, contains a quite astonishing amount of information.—In "Macmillan's Greek Course" we have the Second Greek Exercise Book, by the Rev. W. A. Heard. Mr. Heard does not commit the common error of hurrying on his pupils too fast. The last exercise in the volume is not further beyond the first than it might naturally be expected to be.—In his Greek Sentence Construction (Percival), Mr. A. Sidgwick, an expert in the teaching of Greek composition, puts in a lucid form rules for the construction (1) of the simple, and (2) of the com- pound sentence.—In "The Pitt Press Series" (Cambridge
University Press), we have Cai Ccesaris Commentariorum de Bello Civili, La). I. By A. G. Peskett, M.A. We doubt whether the " Bellum Civile" will ever, to any sensible extent, supersede the long-established "De Bello Galileo." If it does, Mr. Peskett's should be a useful class-book. The historical introduction is likely to be serviceable, but it might have been as well to give the reader some definite guidance as to how far he is to trust Cfesar. He is probably, and not unnaturally, less candid when he is writing about politics than when he is writing about war.—Selections from Cicero. Edited by M. J. F. Brackenbury. (Percival and Co.)—There are two parts of these selections,—the first is miscellaneous ; the second is taken entirely from the Orations. The limits of the volume compel brevity in the notes, but they seem, on the whole, adequate, though if, as one would conjecture, the extracts are intended for young scholars, they leave some difficulties not explained. Each volume is completed by the addition of passages for translation.—In. "Elementary Classics" (Macmillan), Mr. J. E. Melhuish has accommodated in issuer 5-unionism the Rev. W. W. Capes's excellent edition of Liry, Book XXII, which accordingly is described as edited by W. W. Capes, M.A., and J. C. Iffelhitish, M.A.—We have also in the same series, Vergit, tEneid XL, edited by S. G. Owen, M.A.—The Fourth Latin Reader and Writer, in "The Parallel Grammar Series" (Swan Sonnenschein and Co.), consists of " Livy Lessons." It is supplemented with passages for retranslation. — A First Latin Reader. By A. M. M. Stedman, M.A. (Methuen and. Co.)—" I have found most of the Latin Readers in use too hard. for the average sch000lboy of eleven or twelve." So writes Mr. Sted- man. Possibly he may be right. But for whom is this book meant ? Not surely for the "average school-boy of eleven or twelve," who. must, one would think, have got beyond ego amo ; and if he has not, can hardly be expected in the course of thirty-five pages to get so far as to be able to construe a fable of PhEedrus.— Memorabilia Latina, by F. W. Levander, M.A. (H. K. Lewis), is described as containing "Selected Notes on Latin Grammar." The selection is the work of a teacher who has had a long ex- perience in preparing candidates for examinations of the Univer- sity of London. To use a convenient word these are "tips." In the rules of °ratio obligua, it would have been better to state generally that rhetorical questions are put into the infinitive. The article on pronouns might be advantageously amplified ; the point of comparative definitiveness is not sufficiently dwelt on. Various kinds of " anacoluthon" might have been explained.--- We may commend as likely to be a useful book, Classical Latin Vocabularies, by E. Dawes, M.A. (D. Nutt.)—" I consider," writes Mr. Dawes in his preface, "[that] one of the chief reasons. why the general average of excellence of the pupils in German Gym- nasia is higher than that of our classical pupils, is the fact that early in their studies they learn a large selection of words by heart?' Teachers will have noticed the general poverty of their pupils' vocabularies, and will do well to seek a remedy for it
In the series of excellent editions of single plays of Shakespeare, published by Messrs. Macmillan, we have Hamlet, King John, and. Richard II., all edited by Mr. J. K. Deighton. All may be com- mended, as we have commended previous work from the same editor.—From the same publishers we get Southey's Life of Nelson, edited, with Introduction and Notes, by Michael Macmillan, B.A. The introduction is brief, sensible, and to the point. What he says about Nelson's character is moderate and jut; and he does. not neglect to put its proper value on the admirable style in which Southey wrote. There is a school of critics who would set , aside the best-written book in the world as valueless, if a rope were miscalled.—From the same publishers we have also re- ceived Burke's Refiection,s on the Revolution in Franca, edited, with. Introduction and Notes, by F. G. Selby, M.A. Mr. Selb3es intro- duction, extending as it does to more than seventy pages, is of an unusually complete character. He sketches the state of France under the old regime, discusses the influences, intellectual, moral, and social, which led to the change, and holds the balance between Burke and those who took opposite views.—The Coming of Arthur and The Passing of Arthur, edited by F. J. Rowe (same publishers), is something of a new departure. We do not remember to have seen anything of Lord Tennyson's utilised as a class-book. (The volume, it should be stated, is primarily prepared for Indian students.) The Laureate, however, has qualities, which Professor
Rowe points out with much force, which make his work suitable for this purpose. He is representative, artistic, exact in his language, full of allusion, expressive, a master of metre and style. Professor Rowe's introduction is, in fact, an excellent piece of criticism.—In the "Falcon" series of plays of Shakespeare (Longmans), we have King Richard the Second, edited by Edmund R. Chambers, and King John, edited by 0. Elton. They are serviceable, useful volumes, giving what is wanted by the average student in a cheap and handy form.—We have also received A Working Handbook of the Analysis of Sentences (Blackwood and Sons), and from the same publishers, Elementary Grammar and Composition and Stories and Fables for Composition. The two, it may be said, are to be used together. You analyse your sentence, and from analysing you go on to compose.—We have also to mention An Elementary Geography of India, Burmah, and Ceylon, by Henry F. Blanford, F.R.S. (Macmillan.)
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