12 MARCH 1910

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NEWS OF THE WEEK.

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D URING the earlier part of the week it seemed as if the political crisis was to be postponed till after-Easter, and that for the next three weeks little would be done in...

One curious result of the last phase in the Government

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tactics is worth noticing. If it is successful, the people who will be most severely squeezed by it will be the Irish Nationalists, not the Opposition. If as the Government...

Mr. Lloyd George, in a frank speech, explained the nature

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of a White Paper which had been circulated in the morning,— a document which shows that the Government, contrary to ordinary Prictice, are asking for a sum of money only...

- We cannot ' pursue all the ramifications of the situation

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`thus created, but we may say generally that it is obvious that the notion of the Government is that they will .bate brought about such a situation by the middle - of May that...

The Prussian franchise demonstrations culminated in a considerable riot in

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Berlin on Sunday last. For some days a contest of wits had been going on between the Socialists and the Police President. The President had announced that no meetings would be...

A word may be said as to the possibility of

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the Government tactics, even if successful, staving off a Dissolution. People sometimes talk as if a Ministry could resign at any moment, and 'as if office were a kind of...

* * IL The Editors cannot undertake to return Manuscript, in any

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case.

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In the Commons on Monday on the Motion for going

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into Committee on the Army Estimates Mr. Ramsay Macdonald moved an amendment to affirm that "the conditions of service of Government employees should be in every respect at...

The Military League in Greece has outdone itself with the

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latest demands which it has presented to the Prime Minister. It demands, for instance, the dismissal of all the higher officials in the public service, the more competent of...

M. Duez, who bad been appointed one of the liquidators

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of the property confiscated from the religious Orders in France, was arrested in Paris on Monday night on a charge of embezzlement. The total amount wiSch has " evaporated" is...

The Times of Wednesday publishes from its Calcutta corre- spondent

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some account of the organisations which are, or are supposed to be, combating sedition in Bengal. These organisations have come into existence as a result of the Press Act, and...

The Indian Budget was passed through the Imperial Legislative Council

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at Calcutta on Friday week. This was the first occasion on which unofficial members enjoyed their new powers of debate in the reformed Council. Sir Guy Fleetwood Wilson...

In answer to a question Mr. Lloyd George said on

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Tuesday night that " the loss to the revenue of the current financial year resulting from the rejection of the Finance Bill is estimated at approximately £28,500,000." He added...

The Echo de Paris of Monday published a long letter

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written by M. Briand to M. Barres in answer to a complaint that a parish church at Brisy-Suisnes had been secularised and destroyed. M. Briand points out that the principle of...

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Mr. Balfour, who with Sir Frederick Banbury was enter- tained

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by the City of London Conservative Association on Friday week, pointed out that the Government had been charged with every kind of tergiversation by their own followers on the...

Turning to the question of the reform of the House

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of Lords, Mr. Balfour remarked that he did not advocate a change because the House of Lords was inefficient, but because it lacked strength. He did not want a better but a...

In the course of Thursday night's debate the question of

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the Congo was raised by Sir George White, who for the sake of reform was prepared to take the extreme measure of " bel- ligerent action," and declared that though "he was a man...

Dr. King, Bishop of Lincoln, who issued a touching letter

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of farewell to his diocese last week, died on Tuesday in his eighty- first year. As chaplain, lecturer, and Principal of Cuddesdon College, as Professor of Pastoral Theology and...

. The London County Council elections took place last Saturday,

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when the Progressives made a net gain of nineteen seats. The election for one of the seats in Central Finsbury was at first announced as a tie, but after three recounts it was...

. At present ten ships of the 'Dreadnought ' type

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are in commission, and on April 1st ton more will be under con- struction, two of whiCh—a battleship and a cruiser—will be completed by the end of the coming financial year, and...

The Navy Estimates for 1910.11 were issued on Wednesday, and

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show a net increase of nearly five and a half millions, or a total of £40,603,700. The numbers required for manning the Fleet are a hundred and thirty-one thousand as against a...

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TOPICS OF THE DAY.

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FRIENDLYASSURANCES. T " questions put by Mr. Byles to the First Lord of the Admiralty on Wednesday deserve the closest attention of the British people. Mr. Byles asked whether...

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THE STATE OF THE ARMY.

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M R. HALDANE'S speech on going into Committee of Supply on the Army Estimates on Monday night was, as usual, full of character and interest, and enables us to take stock of the...

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CHINA AND THE F 1.11. U.10. E VERY one who has

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tried to estimate the extent and meaning of the Westernising movement in China must have been painfully conscious that new methods have not made the Chinese less enigmatic. It...

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THE LORDS AND FINANCE.

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T HE debate in the House of Lords which Lord Lans- downe initiated on Monday is highly instructive. Looking at it superficially, we admit that there is here a suggestion of the...

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CHRIST'S WORDS CONCERNING HIMSELF.

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M ANY men and women to-day who do not claim to belong to what is called the religions world strive ardently to realise to themselves the character of Christ, to bring to life in...

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HALLEY'S COMET.

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H ALLEY'S Comet is still an obscure object, and has confounded some of the rasher prophets who predicted hat by this time it wasid be conspicuous. It does not follow, however,...

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CHANCES OF THE FIELD NATURALIST. CORRESPONDENT writes to Tuesday's Times

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to chronicle the appearance on March 5th of the rare Camberwell Beauty butterfly in the woods of St. George's Hill, near Weybridge. Saturday last was a day of wonderful...

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CORRESPONDENCE.

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A SEA-STORY OF TO-DAY. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE "Spiecreroa."1 SIR,—In utter defiance of the often expressed opinion that the romance of the sea no longer exists, or if it still...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

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THE ARCHBISHOPS' WESTERN CANADA FUND, . [To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."3 Sin, I trust you will permit me to bring to the notice of your readers the appeal from the heads of...

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LORDS V. COMMONS.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:1 Sra,—The Chantecler ' of the Exchequer, especially when crowing in his own Welsh farmyard, has assailed the House of Lords with every form...

SIR ARTHUR HELPS ON A SECOND CHAMBER.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. " ] SIE, - At a time like the present, when the Constitution and reconstitution of the House of Lords are so much under dis- cussion, it may...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."1

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SIR, --As regards the elective element in your admirable suggestions for the reform of the House of Lords, one problem arises. If votes from the great Town and County Councils...

THE PROBLEM OF THE LORDS.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. ' ] Suz,—You have pointed out that an elective Second Chamber would be a serious rival to the House of Commons, and have drawn attention to the...

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PREFERENTIAL TRADE.

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[To THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR. "] SIR,—If the confiding followers of Mr. Chmlierlain think there is any genuineness in what with pathetic faith they call the Preferential...

A CENTRE PARTY AND ITS AIMS.

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ITo THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. "] Sin,—There must he many who read your article last week on a Centre Party with keen appreciation, and amongst them your humble servant....

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECT•TOR."1 SIR, — Although it would

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be very tempting for me to answer " Onlooker's " different questions in his letter in your issue of March 6th fully and thoroughly, I should trespass too much on your space and...

EMINENT WELSHMEN.

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[To THIS EDITOR OF TUE "SPEOTATOR."1 SIR, — May I add a few names of "eminent Welshmen " to those enumerated by the Rev. W. G. E. Rees and Mr. Alfred Nutt in your last issue P...

ENGLAND AND GERMANY.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR. •• ] SIR, —" Every sane person in Germany knows that war between his country and England would be disastrous to both." So says "E. S." in your...

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DEMORALISING BOOKS.—THE MEDICAL POINT OF VIEW.

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tTo THE EMTOR OF THE " SPECTATOR. "] Sin,—Will you allow me, as a member of the medical pro- fession, to thank you for the admirably expressed protest against a demoralising...

A PLEA FOR COMPREHENSION.

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LTO THE EDITOR OF TEE "SPECTATOR. "] Sin, —You were good enough lately to give insertion to a letter of mine on the vexed question of Prayer-book revision. Will you allow me...

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A SOCIALIST ON THE ARMY.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR. "] read with joy your quotation in last week's Spectator from Mr. Blatchford's book :—" The change wrought by the Army life among the recruits...

STATE SOCIALISM IN NEW ZEALAND.

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.. [To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOL1 SIR, — Some few months back I addressed you on the subject of New Zealand land laws and taxation. I then endeavoured to show the...

THE GIFT TO THE BRITISH ACADEMY.

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[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.''] Sin.—The British Academy can be congratulated upon having found a generous and sympathetic contributor to its funds for the advancement of...

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THE FLIGHT OF THE DALAI LAMA..

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[To THE EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOR."1 Sin,—Having recently read the book by the Japanese Lama to which your correspondent Mr. Black refers in your last issue, as well as Sir...

LADY ARTHUR RUSSELL.

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• pro THE EDITOR 07 THE " SPECTATOR:1 ;Sin,—There must be a very considerable number of your readers to whom the sudden, and in a very real sense untimely, death of Lady Arthur...

STEEL TRAPS FOR GROUND GAME. [To THE EDITOR Or THE

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"SPECTATOR."] Srn,—The Times of January 20th last contained a very full report of the case of " May v. Waters," which led to a decision of the Lord Chief Justice, Mr. Justice...

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A CORRECTION.

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ITo THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR•"1 SIR,—I have only this afternoon noticed for the first time the short review in the Spectator of February 2fith of my book " Memories." There...

TM, LONDON TICKET BUREAU . FOR THE BLIND. L're THE EDITOR

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OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—About four years ago, and again in July, 1908, you generously gave space in your columns to a description by Miss Winifred Holt of her scheme for...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR. "] • am not sure

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that the writer of the interesting article on the Croydon Bourne, or " Woe Water," in your last issue has given quite clearly the now generally accepted explanation of this and...

WOE WATER.

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[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."' Sin,—Might not your contributor to last week's Spectator on the subject of " Woe Water " have pushed his investigation of local names 'near...

** A BRITISH SCHOOL IN CONSTANTINOPLE.—WC are requested to state

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that contributions will be received by A. T. Waugh, Esq., British Consulate, Constantinople, who will be glad to answer any inquiries.

POETRY.

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HECATE. MINE eyes have seen the veiled bride of the night, Before whose footsteps souls of men are blown, As are dead leaves, about the wind's swift feet. Wherefore great...

"HORSE MAGIC."—We offer our apologies to the Badminton. Magazine for

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having published in last week's Spectator an article entitled "Horse Magic" which appeared in the February number of that magazine. We of course were unaware when we accepted...

NOTICE.—When Articles or "Correspondence" are signed with the writer's name

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or initials, or with a pseudonym, or are marked "Communicated," the Editor must not necessarily be held to be in agreement with the views therein expressed or with the mode of...

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MUSIC.

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ELEKTRA. GENIUS—modern musical genius—according to the witty perversion of a well-known composer, may be defined as " an infinite capacity for giving pain," and no better...

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THE THEATRE.

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THE WAY THE MONEY GOES. IF the power to arrest and hold the attention of the audience and to move them deeply is the test of a good play, as we believe it is, Lady Bell's play,...

BOOKS.

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NEIGHBOURS AND FRIENDS.• THE publication of a new book by Miss Loane is always something of an event for those who are determined that, if they can prevent it, the mass of...

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SPINOZA.*

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ME. WOLF has given us what we understand is the first edition in English of the famous Short Treatise, and he has been at the pains to collate the text with the manuscripts...

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THE PROBLEM OF THE .AMTIRICAN NEGRO.* IN this volume Mr.

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William Archer has collected a series of highly readable papers which he wrote during a tour through the Southern States of North America, and he has added an essay in which he...

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WARREN HASTINGS.* "LET this business end as it will," wrote

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Hastings at the time of his impeachment, " a great portion of mankind will think they judge with candour, if, unable to comprehend any part of the accusations, they acquit me,...

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A CATALOGUE OF THE NATIONAL LOAN C OLLE CTION.*

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THOSE who enjoyed the wonderful Exhibition at the Grafton Gallery will be glad to have a permanent illustrated remem- brance of it. The photogravure reproductions of the...

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THE GROWTH OF THE ENGLISH HOUSE.* THE interest in architecture

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which lately has increased so notably is responsible already for many books dealing with the subject from the standpoint of the general reader. Such books are usually made up of...

NOVELS.

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A HIND LET LOOSE.t Ma. MONTAGUE'S name is not known to the novel-reading public, but the reputation he justly enjoys as one of the most • Impressions of Provence. By Percy...

PROVENCE.*

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WE might call this book "A Sentimental Journey," nor would Mr. Allen, we imagine, refuse an association with Laurence Sterne, only, it must be understood, there is nothing of...

THE GREEK PAPYRI.t

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NEARLY fifty years ago Bishop Lightfoot, with the prescience that distinguished him, wrote :—" If we could only recover letters that ordinary people wrote to each other without...

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The Danger Mark. By Robert W. Chambers. (Appleton. 6s.)—The situation

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at the beginning of this novel is much more interesting than the development of the story. The book opens with an account of twin orphans of boundless fortune, a boy and a girl,...

A Wardour Street Idyll. By Sophie Cole. (Mills and Boon.

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6s.)—This is a story of a gentleman who keeps a curiosity-shop in Wardour Street, and his lady typist, with whom he inevitably falls in love. The complication is that he has...

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Papuan Fairy Tales. By Annie Ker. (Macmillan and Co. 5s.

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net.)—These folk-lore tales, forty in number, were collected by Miss Ker during a sojourn of nine years at a mission station on the north-east coast of Papua. She has done well...

In the series of " English Literature for Schools "

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(Cambridge University Press, ls. per vol.) we have three volumes,—Jane Austen's " Pride and Prejudice," Abridged and Edited by Mrs. Frederic Boss; Selected Essays of Goldsmith,...

SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.

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[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review is other forms.] Diplomatic Memories. By John W. Foster. 2 vols. (A. Constable and Co....

The Church of England in the Eighteenth Century. By Alfred

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Plummer. (Methuen and Co. 2s. 6d. net.)—Dr. Plummer in his introductory chapter enlarges on the amount of material with which he has to deal, and the difficulty of drawing any...

The Children's Cyclopaedia. Edited by Arthur Mee. 8 vols. (Carmelite

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House. £2 17s.)—This work, which has been appearing for some time in numbers, is now published as a whole. Eight volumes containing five thousand three hundred and seventy-six...

Prom Coalmine Upwards. By James Dunn. (W. Green. 2s.)— Mr.

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Dunn began his working life in the coalpit. He was eight years of age; he had to be at the pithead at 6 a.m., and ho commonly earned half-a-crown a week. Things were put on a...

The Works of James Buchanan. Vol. X. (J. B. Lippincott

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Company. 12 vols., £12 12s.)—This volume contains the corre- spondence, &c., of Mr. Buchanan from January 4th, 1856, to August 2nd, 1860. He was inaugurated as President on...

MUMBLE NOVELS.—Such and Such Things. By Mark Allerton. (Methuen and

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Co. 6s.)—A clever but distinctly unpleasiug study of a North Briton who has a genius for seeing opportunities and taking them.—Mary Cary. By Hate Langley Bosher. (Harper and...

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Vehicles of the Air. By Victor Lougheed. (T. Fisher Unwin.

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123. 6d. net.)—We must be content in dealing with this highly technical volume with quoting the sub-title, "A Popular Exposi- tion of Modern Aeronautics," and the publisher's...

The Clergy List, 1910. (Kelly's Directories. 12s. 6d. net.)—This periodical

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publication continues to be produced with the prompti- tude and care to which we are accustomed. An alphabetical list of the clergy, containing between thirty and forty thousand...

/ambica. By J. Jackson, M.A. (Macmillan and Co. l's. 6d.)—

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The mere sight of this book pleases. Greek iambics, then, are still written, in spite of " Modern Sides " and heresies about Greek, compulsory or other. Here are two...

The Plays of Aeschylus. Translated from a Revised Text by

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Walter Headlam, Litt.D., and C. E. S. Headlam, M.A. (George Bell and Sons. 5s.)—This volume is to take its place in "Bohn's Classical Library," and will, we presume, supersede...