NEWS OF THE WEEK. FRIDAY'S papers publish a Reuter's telegram from PreF toria declaring that the proposals as to the franchise endorsed by the Uape and the f ree 6tate...

The French Government is now safe till November, the Chamber having been prorogued on Monday. Two or three attempts have been made to overturn the Cabinet, but none have been...

The Peace Congress at the Hague has failed. It was called together to devise a plan for reducing the armaments which press on the energies and prosperity of Europe, and on...

I Some eight hundred men of different European countries dis- tinguished in science or literature have signed a short address to the Czar praying him in most respectful...

The agitation in Belgium, the gravity of which we have tried to explain elsewhere, has for the moment died away. On Friday week, after serious rioting in Brussels, during which...

I As we have explained elsewhere, we cannot but hold the bargain a very improvident one from the national point of view-especially as regards the astonishing ninety-nine years...

The Dkike of Connaught has finally decided not to give up I his prospects in Great Britain for the sake of his reversionary right to the duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. He has...

Captain Dreyfus was relanded on French soil on Sunday| -_ . . 1 I night at Port Haliguen, Quiberon. Thence le was carriea oy train to Rennes, where he was confined in the...

In the House of Commons on Friday, June 30th, the Irish Estimates being under discussion, Mr. Swift MacNeill complained that he had not been allowed to examine certain...

In the House of Commons on Monday Sir Michael Hicks- Beach explained the terms upon which the Government nave agreed to take over the Niger Company's dominions. The Government...

It i8 almost incredible when said of an experienced Judge, but we are almost inclined to imagine that Al. IQuesnay de Beaurepaire really believes Ciptain Dreyfus to be guilty....

There has been rioting in Barcelona, Valencia, Saragossa, I and some other eities of Spain, but we see no reason to apprebend that they portend a revolution. Their cause is...

We think, on the whole, that Mr. Gerald Balfour and the Irish authorities are quite right to keep their secret papers from the public, but clearly they ought not to have made...

THE OFFICE OF PRIME MINISTER. TBE office of Prime Minister and the powers and duties attaching thereto provide one of the most fascinating subjects connected with the...

There have been two by-elections during the week, both I declared on Thursday. The first, in the Osgoldeross division, was caused by the resignation of Sir John Austin, who...

On Thursday the House of Commons considered the Lords' amendments to the London Government Bill, the most im. portant being the amendment disqualifying women from being...

I Speaking generally, we can only say that we want the maximum, and not the minimum, of comprehension and liberty, and that neither on the Ritualistic nor on the extreme Broad...

I The official returns of the receipts into the Exchequer for the first quarter of the financial year, which ended June 30tb, were issued last Saturday. Compared with the...

On Thursday Mr. Chamberlain gave a personal explanation I in regard to the unworthy, and even ridiculous, insinuations that had been made against him in regard to the buying...

| A number of influential English Churchmen, headed by the Bishop of Hereford, have signed and published a Report containing certain resolutions on the state of the Church...

A "LINGUA FRANCA" FOR MANKIND. ENGLISHMEN are apt to regard the suggestion of a AE "universal language" as a kind of joke, and begin when the subject is mentioned to laugh...

Converts to Rome. By W. Gordon Gorman. (Swan Sonnen-| schein and Co.)-This is the fourth edition of a book originally published in 1878. It contains some two thousand names,...

The Annual of the British School in Athens, 1897-S. (Macmillan I and Co. 7s. 6d.)-Mhe chief operation for the year was the excavations at Melos. The site explored was at...

Fable and Song in Italy By E. Al. Clerke. (G2rant Richards. | . ~ ~~~~~ . 5s.!)-'he author of this book passes by of set purpose the I greatest names in Italian literature. We...

East India Company's Records. Edited by William Foster. Vol. I I. (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co.)-Thia third volume covers only a single year, 1615, but it was a year of...

From the Land of the WVombat. By William Sylvester Walker. - I .. .'. I I ma - _ 11 v- r , (J. Long. 3s. Cd.)-This is a collection of tales, not always of a very edifying kind,...

Stories of the Streets of London. By H. Barton Baker. (Chapman and Hall. 7s. Gd.)-Mr. Baker's book has some merits. It is handsome in appearance and well printed; the...

Panjabi Sketches. By Two Friends. (Marshall Brothers. 2s. 6d.) I -These sketches, which are linked together in a slight story, give us a picture of the work of the Church of...

TOPICS OF THE DAY. THE TRANAVAA.L AN!) THE EMPIRE. W E have the greatest possible respect for Olive -W Schreiner's intentions in regard to the Transvaal crisis, and we feel...

MR. BOSANQUET ON THE STATE.* W-E always expect from so accomplished a writer as Mr. Bosanquet a work of literary and intellectual distinction, and in the volume before us he...

ETON AS SHE IS NOT.* WE have pondered in vain over the possible reasons that have led Mr. Alfred Lubbock to commit to paper these long-winded and uninteresting reminiscences....

NOVELS OF THE WEEK.* READERS who have a taste for a timely " novel with a purpose" will thoroughly enjoy An Obstinate Parish if they happen to be of Mr. Kensit's way of...

BO OK S. CICERO.* IN one of his introductory essays Professor Tyrrell quotes M. Gaston Boissier's opinion that a man of the world is more competent to understand Cicero than a...

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. -.- ENGLAND AND KRUGER. [TO TILE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'1 SIR,-I have delayed for a week any reply to the criticisms on my first letter, because I...

SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK. [Under this heading ice notice such Books of the iweek as hare not been reserted for retieze in other forms.] I A Life for Liberty: Letters of Sallie...

CURRENT LITERATURE. THE MINOR MAGAZINE'. The Pall Mall Magazine was always the most gorgeous of the lighter monthlies, but lately it has become almost the most interesting as...

TWO POETS.* IT is difficult to approach the writings of Mr. Yeats without a certain prejudice. He has friends who are not content with proclaiming that he ranks with...

THE PERMANENT PROBLEM IN SOUTH AFRICA. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE 'SPECTATOR."1 SiR,-Once by name, and at least once by direct inference, you have referred to a brief statement of...

MEMORIALS IN THE TRANSVAAL. [To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In my letter, published in the Spectator of June 24th, I inadvertently omitted to refer to the Outlanders'...

"INFLUENCE"' ON THE YOUNG. [TO TUE EDITOR OF THE -mPECDJUII.r ] SIR,-The value of education-in other words, of the science and art of "influence "-is so seriously...

SIR WILLIAM FLOWER. W 7HAT a man achieves is not a measure of what he would N have done had he enjoyed more means and more freedom; but few public servants in high places have...

MOONLIGHT SUPERSTITIONS. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SiR,-The superstition of New England fishermen mentioned by Mr. Stillman, that the light of the full moon spoiled...

TITHES AND RATES IN SCOTLAND. I ; [TO TnE EDITOR OF TUE "SPFCT.AToR.: I I SIR,-The eminently equitable tone of the criticism in the Spectator of July lt on the Clerical Tithe...

THE TITHE QUESTION. [TO Tar. EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-The Spectator has often remarked on the gentle way in which the taxes fall on the community. Whoever will read the...

POETRY. VOICES OF AFRICA. AFRICA. SPRYNS among continents,-the nations strive To guess my ancient riddle; Greece essayedShe drooped to death; upon me Rome set gyveShe died in...

ENGINEER OFFICERS, ROYAL NAVY. [-r., 'riu-. E~vrlt,Pl TF' E -'ilP}':rAT,'%~.'' SIR,-I see in the Sp ctttor of J tne 2ith that one " VincetVeritas " has been at great pains to...

A CONSERVATIVE PARROT. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."] SIR,-Sir H. Maine, in his " Ancient Law," draws attention to the ingrained and intense conservatism which prevails...

THE MAHDI'S TOMB. [To THE EDITOR OP TEE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-I cannot understand what Mr. Haines is aiming at. In his first letter he said: "Personally, I approve of Lord...

'I LE STYLE C'EST L'HOMME." [TO THE EDITOR OF THE X SPECTATQR."I EAR,-1 am sorry Mr. de Jersey (Urut will have nothing of M. Edouard Fournier or poor M. Philarete Chasles....

A BEAUTIFUL EPITAPH. [To TIHE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.'] I - - I SrB,-I have been looking at the Spectator to-day, and I see that you have not inserted the letter I sent you...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,-In connection with the controversy that has arisen about the violation of the Mahdi's tomb, it may be worth while to recall the story...

THE NIGER COMPANY. THE Chancellor of the Exchequer has in a high degree T the faculty of lucid exposition, and most of those who listened to him on Monday must have felt that...

THE STOIC ATTITUDE IN LIFE. THE return of Captain Dreyfus to France from his long exile suggests many interesting reflections, upon most of which the Press has naturally dwelt....

THE GERMAN EMPEROR'S DECISION NOT TO | DISARM. THE Czar must be content with the glory of having T conceived a great philanthropic idea which may one day bear fruit. For the...

Calendar of City of London Letter-Books. A. 1275-1298 A.D. I Edited by Reginald Sbarpe, D.C.L. (J. E. Francis, for the Corporation.)-The City of London possesses fifty...

THE AGITATION IN BELGIUM. THE recent explosion of political feeling in Belgium was a much more serious event than was quite understood in this country. It might have involved...

THE MA.GAZINES. THE Angle-Saxon Review, the new quarterly edited by Lady Randolph Churchill, appears at the beginning of the month, not, like the other quarterlies, in the...