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The author tells us the reasons why it is impossible to translate Russian poetry," preserving its meaning, phrasing, character of speech, and musical lilt combined." Of course, the same might be said of any attempt at translation of any serious or poetical literature in any language. The question to be solved is how to translate so as to present to the foreign reader a picture which in its colouring and values represents as nearly as may be the original of which a copy is to be made. The author's solution is that " a complete faithfulness to every metre (in the Russian) should be the absolute translation in (English) verse, and that no one should translate from Russian into English, and vice versa, until the main flow of the language translation has burst forth from the mind of the translator straight away in the exact lilt and swing of the original." Now to carry out this system it is obviously necessary to have words and accentuation corresponding with the original, as well as rimes; all of these perhaps more markedly contrast with Russian conditions than is the case with any other European language except French, and it is unlikely that any translation of any length carried out according to these principles can produce a poetical effect equal to that produced by the original. We are therefore compelled to acknowledge that we should prefer to see good Russian poetry translated into good English poetry, and to compensate our linguistic defects by employing as skilfully as may be the technique of our own poets. The English translators of L'èrmontov's fine poem of The Demon are said to use hopelessly distorted metres throughout, to the extent of turning the Demon's speeches into polkas." To our ears the exploded "polkas" are a truer representation of L'èrmontov than the "complete faithfulness" of the last translator, but our readers shall judge for themselves :

Closely o'er her bending,

He gently touched Tamara's trembling Lips with his lips burning like fire. Words overwhelming with temptation

Were to her pleading his reply.

His powerful and flame-like gaze
Was burning her the glowing blaze
Was close, and thrilled, a mystic might,
Like sword relentless in its right.

The evil spirit was the victor.

But poison of his touch inflicted

A fatal blow on childlike breast.

:

And on her lips, which trembled like a lyre,
Tamara felt a breath of quivering fire;
Words like an opiate stilled her struggling throes.
It seemed a presence from the dark arose.
Hard at her breast a naked blade he bore,
Inevitable, and she knew no more.
His fiery kisses like the lightning spark

Flashed through her veins, and all again was dark.

The fact is, as a critic remarks on an attempt to adapt the hexameter metre to the pleasure of the English reader: "The measure will be successful according as it succeeds in satisfying the requirements of an English ear. If it fail in this respect, no argument, however delicate or learned, will serve to reverse an unfavourable judgment."

It is sad to hear that revolutionary Russia has renounced the ardent aspirations of her poets like T'útchev, "to hear Russian bells ringing in Tsar'grad." He and the mass of Russian patriots believed "in the ancient forecast that some day the all-Slavs' Tsardom will be Constantinople, which they by an affectionate anticipation thought of as the future capital of Russia. How far do these noble hopes now seem from realization!

The biographical and critical essays prefixed to the translations of each author are all valuable, and contain some acute criticisms. It might be of interest to English readers to refer in greater detail to the influence exercised by English upon Russian literature and the various English works which have been translated into Russian by the classical Russian authors, as, for instance, Jukóvski's translation of Byron's Prisoner of Chillon and Moore's Paradise and the Peri; or Karamsin's

debt to Richardson, whose sentimentality he borrowed, declaring that his model was "the most artistic painter of man's moral nature." Again, the best translations from Russian into other languages might be mentioned; as, for instance, the admirable versions of Krylòv's fables published in French by M. Bougeault, and in English by Mr. Ralston. A list of authorities might also be given: for instance, Grot's Literary Life of Krylov, Wiegel's Memoirs, and Galachoff's History of Russian Literature.

It is to be hoped that Mme Jarintzov's attempt to explain to us the spirit of her country's great writers may be successful, for never was the necessity for a spiritual understanding of the two nations so real as it is at the present hour, when we are tempted to think despondently, and even resentfully, of a country which has always admired our character and our civilization. It should be added that this handsome volume sadly needs an index. H. A. S.

The War and the Study of German. By Prof. GILBERT WATERHOUSE. (6d. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis.)

Prof. Waterhouse's lecture, delivered at Trinity College, Dublin, is the first attempt at a comprehensive discussion of the question of the future of German that we have seen. Most utterances on the topic have been little more than the expression of personal feeling or taste, but our author approaches the question in an impartial, and an educational, spirit. He looks at it from a purely British point of view, and argues that we should study German in order to extract from the language, literature, people, and country moral, material, and intellectual benefit for ourselves. He has no sympathy with the Germans in their present mood, but he reminds us that the Germans have studied modern languages systematically, and without any regard to sentiment for or against a particular nation. He claims for German that it is a study in itself, not a handmaid to classics or science, and approximately equal in importance to the study of any other language, ancient or modern. That study, so far as schools are concerned, is defined as the acquirement of reading and speaking, study of the grammar and of chosen specimens of literature. Our object should be to direct the attention of our pupils to those things which are most likely to appeal to an Anglo-Saxon temperament. To this, however, there is another side, though our author has forgotten it. In studying a literature or race we should observe also those features which seem most strange and unfamiliar-the features, that is, in which the foreigner differs most from ourselves. German cannot be taught solely on its merits at the present time, thinks Prof. Waterhouse; we must prove its usefulness. But this applies to all modern languages; their claim to a place in the curriculum is based on their continuing the means of wage-earning with the means of culture. On Russian we are glad to see that our author speaks out. Russian literature is morbid and uncongenial; the study of Russian will not help to develop character. Our present enthusiasm for Russian is only skin-deep, and had the Golitzin ministry made a separate peace with Germany it would have collapsed like a house of cards. On the other hand, we cannot follow him when he condemns the combination Latin plus French, on the ground that the study of French merely fixes the attention on a later and more limited manifestation of Latin culture. Modern France and Rome are whole worlds asunder. He is on firmer ground when he argues for the study of Teutonic as well as Latin civilization. Another point rightly urged in favour of German is that the War has settled the question of British or foreign professors, so far as that language is concerned; school teachers might have been added. There is at last an opportunity to establish an all-British professoriate. Finally, Prof. Waterhouse urges that we can break the power of the German University, no mean factor in the present War," only by providing equal opportunities for study; with effort and foresight German can be beaten in the lecture-room as in the workshop, the counting-house, or on the field of battle.

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advanced courses has an obvious conne for the better ordering of secondary-sch Approved advanced courses will, very the second examination under that plan not our view that pupils who are at any schools in rural areas, which cannot ni course, should be restrained from ent examination.

On the subject of transfer of pupils, I to the deputation that the Board, while some system of transfers is ultimately of secondary studies based on the principl sible to expect every school to provide courses for which some provision should lo same time convinced that the principle of be applied very gradually and tentatively that it is impossible to lay down arbitrar age of transfer, which may reasonably dim courses of study. At starting and for som many areas the system can only be worked scale. In large towns where there is a fair ch accessible to day pupils and in which an econ bution of advanced courses ought to be attains parative ease, the difficulties of transfer ought serious, and it ought to be possible for schools to learn to look upon themselves as members At the other end of the scale, it appears to me with small populations and small schools, the tinue to be a deplorable waste of ability and means of transferring pupils to schools in whic get the best chance of development can be provi no reason why a system of transfer should not worked in such a way as to be a source of interest not only on the part of the school to which a boy marked ability is transferred, but also on the par school from which the transfer takes place. I need that it is no part of the intention of the Board to pr transfer of individual pupils from school to school the advice of their head teachers or the wishes of parents. The Board will mainly be concerned to themselves that facilities for transfer are provided reasonable arrangements are made for co-operation bet schools in this respect, and must leave it to the judgmen those more closely concerned to determine how far the terests of a particular pupil would be served by transfer another school.

In connexion with both of the points on which I have offered these observations, I assure you I am sensible of the great value attaching to the vigorous corporate life of the individual schools, and of the importance of treating it as a living organism, but I also hold strongly the opinion that this view is not incompatible with the view that the individual school has also its function as part of a larger organization, and that all of us who are working in the field of education are bound to face the problem of reconciling the two. We cannot, either administratively or financially, improve our schools without a careful consideration of the needs of particular areas as a whole and without full cooperation with those whose special duty it is to have regard to them. Too little organization is as inimical to progress as too much, and organization of any kind must involve, in some degree, differentiation of function. I am confident that, if we face this problem in the right spirit, we have a far better chance of doing the best for pupils and teachers on the lines we have suggesetd than by a wider diffusion of our limited resources in the attempt to secure to every school an equal chance of doing every kind of work.-Yours very truly, (Signed) H. A. L. FISHER.

August 2, 1917.

WE regret to learn the death of Mr. Alfred Mosely, in his sixtysecond year. He will be chiefly remembered for the commissions which he organized and financed to investigate the educational and industrial conditions of the United States and Canada.

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* Work of the School Medical Officer. By AUSTIN PRIESTMAN. (4d. Milford.) pamphlet is of special value at the present time when inspection is still in its infancy, showing as it does the results of twenty-four years of work. The town of Bradford regarded as the pioneer in all improvements affecting child Bradford owes much of this distinction to the labours of and Dr. Crowley," the champions of the individual child.” estman's article deserves the attention of Medical Officers nembers of Town and County Councils who are carrying ew legislation.

ssing on of Life. A Talk about Ourselves. By KATH-
LEEN FALMOUTH. (1d. Routledge.)
sing on of Life is a simple talk with young people on
behaviour in view of their future responsibilities as
mothers. The problems of sex are carefully taught by
rawn from the study of Nature. This is a pamphlet
ossibly be found even more useful to parents and teach-
to give instruction on this subject than if put into the
and girls themselves.

Vork in Classical Studies, 1916. Edited by STEPHEN
GASALEA. (2s. 6d. net. John Murray.)

apologizes for the lateness and smallness of The Year's
5, but to us it is a marvel that he has produced so solid
The most noteworthy articles are "Grammar, Lexico-
Metric," by Prof. Sonnenschein, and "Greek Liter-
Edmonds. In "Serbian Archæology and Excava-
W. van Buren takes the place of Dr. Ashby and Mrs.
herwise fully occupied. It is noteworthy that, in
onditions, nearly a third of the periodicals cited (21

frman.

ties and Problems. By PAUL MILYOUKOV, VÉ, A. LAPPO-DANILEVSKY, ROMAN DмOWHAROLD WILLIAMS. Edited by J. D. Duff. abridge University Press.)

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ctures delivered at the Summer Meeting of the is and Lectures Syndicate held at Cambridge in > eminent men who are chosen as representatives ship and learning came over at great inconves on purpose to deliver them, and most of cognized authorities on their own subjects, and In particular, Paul Milyoukov is known to Progressive Bloc in the Duma, though few e was once a professor at Sofia University. is well known. He is a Pole and a fitting Poland. Mr. Harold Williams is recognized thority on the intricate subject of Russian ch for the last fifteen years he has studied res were delivered in English, but the Viting of their MSS. to Mr. J. D. Duff, a wi.o has of late years made a name for

Russian scholar. The revolution for attention, but the serious student will artial study of pre-war conditions. "Grammar. By BERNARD HOPFEN. Nelson.)

grammar claims the advantage over g theory with direct application. rated, as the author would probwith all the textbooks that have sh pupils learning Russian. He en by an Englishman; some are expressed in a way that 1. Many of the statements ner, and it is questionable ens the section on "Letters

meaning even to an adbe compared with notes their harmony in any ared with many other Id not help us much ared were more at is true of portance in hor of this yes, have not parian no

as in eed,

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from a proficient in the language a sample of the correct pronunciation of soft final consonants, and of the few other letters which find no counterpart in our alphabet. The strange statement is made on page 30 that intransitive verbs govern the nominative. On page 31 the student is informed that “We shall see that prepositions with 'to' show a translation of action. Although the whirling or walking may be at the same time on, to,' or 'into,' as 'on' and 'in,' yet the action in the second case has a definite fixed position, and will be discussed under the prepositional or positional case." Surely this might, with advantage to the learner, be expressed much more lucidly. It would be better if the dialogues were made to relate to one subject or thought, instead of consisting of a series of disjointed observations. This grammar, if subjected to a careful revision, may be rendered useful for beginners, but as it stands at present it is not as useful as it might be. Shantiniketan, the Bolpur School of Rabindranath Tagore. By W. W. PEARSON, with Introduction by Sir RABINDRANATH TAGORE. (4s. 6d. net. Macmillan.)

This is a composite volume, nearly half of which is occupied by The Gift to the Guru, a Bengali fairy tale translated by W. W. Pearson. We gave, some year or more ago, a brief account of this remarkable school, founded in the wilderness some hundred miles south of Calcutta by the father of Sir Rabindranath, but we welcome the particulars that the author, an American who has thrown himself into the work, here supplies. There are, we learn, at present 150 in the ashram, or forest settlement, ranging in age from six to eighteen, and some twenty teachers. The charge for board and tuition comes to about £20 a year, and there are some free places. This does not cover the cost, and the deficit is made good by the founder. The day begins with bathing in the "wells.” tanks or reservoirs, then silent prayer or meditation, and at seven o'clock classes begin. These are always in the open air, under verandas in wet weather, and whole holidays when the floods come. At 11.30 is the meal of the day, and after that what in our public schools would be known as "pupil room." From 2.0 to 4.30 or 5.0 classes are resumed. In the cool of the evening there are walks, or football. After that an hour of entertainmentlantern slides, story-telling by one of the masters, &c., then supper, and by nine all are abed except the seniors, who, when there is a moon, are allowed to roam the woods at pleasure. There is no head master, but the school is managed by an executive committee of the staff, who elect one of their number to hold office for the year. Of the teaching itself very little is told us. Bene orare is the first consideration. Lessons are in Bengali, but English, taught on the reformed method, is the second language learnt. The author holds, with Wordsworth, that heaven lies about us in our infancy; and pupils preparing for the Matriculation of the Calcutta University are prone to lose something of their natural piety. An examination day is pictured with one lad squatting in the fork of a tall tree, but Mr. Pearson tells us that this liberty is but rarely abused. Apart from language, Nature study is the only subject mentioned. We have confined ourselves to externals, as the esoteric doctrines of the founder are by no means familiar to the Western world, nor have we mentioned how these are carried out in services to the sick and infirm by the ministering children of Bolpur. The problem of caste and diversities of creed are not, indeed, solved, but we sincerely wish that Dr. Sadler would visit Bolpur, and add another to the series of Special Reports. Marvels of Scientific Invention. By THOMAS WV. CORBIN. (3s. 6d. Seeley.)

This should have been noticed as a Christmas book, but for a scientific boy or girl it will be a welcome present at any time of the year. On modern appliances of war-torpedoes, mines, heavy guns, and rifles it is particularly instructive. The principles of wireless telegraphy are also fully explained and illustrated, and justice is done to the discoveries of Sir Oliver Lodge and other English inventors, of which Marconi has reaped the fruits. These are merely a sample of the contents, and when we add that there are fourteen full-page illustrations, besides numerous diagrams, it will be seen that the book is a marvel of cheapness. Sea Power. By ARCHIBALD HURD. (Constable.)

A simple introduction to the study of sea power. The book is clear and interesting, and makes reference to good authorities. The successive struggles with Spain, Holland, and France are outlined in a way which suggests new points of view.

The Government of the United Kingdom. By A. E. HOGAN. Third Edition. (2s. 6d. University Tutorial Press.) Dr. Hogan gives a clear explanation of the working of the constitution-legislative, executive, judicial, and local—with sufficient historical explanation. The book meets a want, and is well adapted for use in teaching.

Jesus of Nazareth and the Christian Churches of To-day.
By HENRY GOODMAN. (6d. net. Heffer.)
Mr. Goodman, who not long ago wrote a small book-God, the

TWO BOOKS ON EDUCATION BY SCHOOL.
MASTERS.

(1) The Public School System in relation to the Coming
Conflict for National Supremacy. By V. SEYMOUR
BRYANT. (1s. 6d. Longmans.) (2) Education after
the War. By J. H. BADLEY. (Oxford: Blackwell.)
(1) Mr. Bryant is a science master at Wellington College,
and he tells us in his preface that he had, before becoming a
schoolmaster, several years' experience in commercial and
industrial spheres. His book, which has been published for
the Neglect of Science Committee, has the practical business-
like tone of the office. Not that it is the worse for that, except
that there is a certain sharp definition and hardness of outline
about the views expressed which does not accord well with a
spiritual subject like education. But in days when there is so
much cloudy theorizing about education, both in books and on
the platform, it is no small pleasure to read an author who
never leaves you in any doubt about his exact meaning.
Mr. Bryant's treatment is systematic, and he begins with the
preparatory school, for the curriculum of which he has no
good word to say. He would cut out Latin at this stage, and
devote the bulk of the time to English, French, and mathe-
matics. For science he asks only two hours a week, and this
science should not be this or that branch, but a general intro-
duction to the phenomena of Nature. His sketch of a possible
syllabus includes a little astronomy, a little Nature study, bird
life, a little meteorology, some mechanics, carpentry, photo-
graphy, and other things. This kind of science should be
taught up to the age of specialization (sixteen). It is not
claimed that this would be a training; what is asserted is that
an elementary knowledge of science would be instilled, its
value and possibilities become recognized, and the advance.
ment of science seen to be vital to our existence. Mr. Badley
takes much the same view. In the early teaching of science,
he says, there should be no limitation to botany and chemistry,
but merely a study of the familiar things and happenings in
the child's immediate surroundings. If introduced to science
in this way, many boys, Mr. Bryant thinks, would take to science
at sixteen; whereas at present all are earmarked for classics;
early specialization, which all agree in denouncing, would be
prevented, and all kinds of capacity would get a chance of
development. After sixteen, specialization should be gradually
introduced; boys who choose science should spend from 12 to
14 weeks, till 17 or 17, on some formal science," and there-
after 18 to 20 hours; and the teaching should be on more
technical lines than at present-that is, more attention should
be paid to the practical applications of the knowledge gained.

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Mr. Bryant's interests are not confined to science: he ranges freely over the whole curriculum; he analyses acutely the causes of the present inefficiency of modern language teaching in the public schools, and, convinced that the public school system is radically unsound, and cannot be patched up so as to suit the needs of the present day, he sketches an organization which might be substituted for it. He looks at the school from the outside as well as from the inside.

(2) The Head Master of Bedales begins his preface with the plaint that education is by common consent the dullest of subjects to write or read of. One frequent cause of its dulness is the habit that writers and speakers have of spending much time in expounding truths that are universally admitted. It would not be fair to say that Mr. Badley's book is of that character, but we cannot help remarking that, if he had eliminated the non-contentious matter and devoted the space so gained to discussing contentious propositions, he would have produced a more instructive volume. On page 30, for instance, we find him declaring that the school must take earlier and more complete charge of the majority of children, and must give them a much completer training. This is a very large proposition, and we should have liked to read how Mr. Badley proposes to make the school do the work of the home as well as its own, but he disappoints us. Again, "we shall make activity rather than receptivity the keynote of the school." Another very far-reaching principle, but the mention of garden and workshop, singing and dancing, is not an adequate answer to the question how it is to be done. Mr. Badley looks forward

to a school day of eight hours, with possibly two meals, but how much time would this leave for the child's own uncontrolled and spontaneous activity, which is the most important activity of all?

Mr. Badley, as a natural result, perhaps, of his own genius for children, seems to us to overrate the influence of the school, and as a consequence in his book intellectual education is pushed into the background. Where, as in the public schools, teachers devote their main energies to social and physical training, the training of the mind always suffers partial eclipse. Mr. Badley is not so strong on the latter as on the former. Nevertheless, he has given us a useful survey of education, marked by breadth and sympathy. Some of his desiderata are nursery schools on Montessori lines up to seven, free education at all stages for all who can profit by it, continuation schools which will develop personality and enlarge the outlook, no technical education before sixteen, and, lastly, training for national service by gymnastics, scouting, rifle shooting, and general development of physical fitness and handiness during the school stage, and an annual six weeks' camp with definite military work after that stage.

How we Learn. By W. H. S. JONES.

(1s. 6d. Cambridge University Press.) The study of logic has in most ages been part of the education of youth, but at the present day it is neglected. This is no doubt largely because it is not exactly logic as understood by Aristotle and Mill that we want; it is rather that broader consideration of the processes of accurate thinking and scientific discovery of which Mr. Jones gives us a slight sketch in this volume. Called" a primer of scientific method," it is intended for boys of about sixteen, to be supplemented by oral lessons expanding and illustrating the points treated. This would, no doubt, be Mr. Jones's reply to the criticism that the work is slight. Very slight it seems to us; a series of hints and notes rather than a treatise. In fifty pages our author discourses on the cultivation of precision in language, definition, evidence, induction, classification, and scientific discovery, with little excursuses on the syllogism, fallacies, and so forth. Some fruitful sources of error, such as metaphor and analogy, are very inadequately treated. On the other hand, the account of scientific method is arresting and instructive. We are surprised, however, to find no reference to the most famous "working hypothesis in the history of science-namely, that of Copernicus. There is a useful series of exercises at the end of the book. The work, as a whole, is on the right lines, and some discipline of the kind it suggests ought to be inflicted on every boy; but we cannot help thinking that a volume of about twice the size is needed. However, Mr. Jones, who is a master at the Perse School, no doubt knows his public.

Physical Education in relation to School Life. By REGINALD E. ROPER. (2s. 6d. net. Allen & Unwin.) Mr. Roper makes an eminently sensible statement of the present position of school physical education, and points the way of reform. All interested in this vital matter should read the book. As usual, improvement in the future is largely a question of finance. Space, apparatus, more fully trained teachers, all cost money; but, if the need is recognized, the money will be forthcoming.

Be a Man! A Word in Season to Junior Boys. By H. BUCKNAll. (2s. 6d. net. Harrap.)

We can heartily endorse the verdict of Sir John McClure in the preface, namely, that "it is rarely indeed that one comes across a series of such good, strong, straightforward talks to boys.' The book deals with such subjects as "being straight," "playing the game, guarding the mind," and so on. These talks can be read with profit by parents, and would form useful addresses for young boys. They are free from cant and written in such a way as to make a real appeal to the juvenile mind.

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The Mentally Defective Child. By MEREDITH YOUNG.
(3s. 6d. H. K. Lewis.)

This book, which is the outcome of a series of lectures given to school teachers at a summer course at Birmingham, has been compiled for the use of laymen, and will be welcomed by all those who are interested in the question of mentally defective children. The school doctor has to depend in large measure on the intelligent cooperation of the teacher, who not only selects the cases, but should be able to supply much necessary information about the physical and mental traits of the children. It is therefore important that every teacher should have some knowledge of the symptoms of mental deficiency, and here he will find the main facts needed for guidance. There is also a valuable appendix giving the legislation on the subject of mental deficiency in school children.

The Work of the School Medical Officer. By AUSTIN
PRIESTMAN. (4d. Milford.)

This pamphlet is of special value at the present time when medical inspection is still in its infancy, showing as it does the valuable results of twenty-four years of work. The town of Bradford is justly regarded as the pioneer in all improvements affecting child life, and Bradford owes much of this distinction to the labours of Dr. Kerr and Dr. Crowley," the champions of the individual child."' Dr. Priestman's article deserves the attention of Medical Officers and all members of Town and County Councils who are carrying out the new legislation.

The Passing on of Life. A Talk about Ourselves. By KATHLEEN FALMOUTH. (1d. Routledge.)

The Passing on of Life is a simple talk with young people on their present behaviour in view of their future responsibilities as fathers and mothers. The problems of sex are carefully taught by analogies drawn from the study of Nature. This is a pamphlet that may possibly be found even more useful to parents and teachers desirous to give instruction on this subject than if put into the hands of boys and girls themselves.

The Year's Work in Classical Studies, 1916. Edited by STEPHEN GASALEA. (2s. 6d. net. John Murray.)

The editor apologizes for the lateness and smallness of The Year's Work for 1916, but to us it is a marvel that he has produced so solid a volume. The most noteworthy articles are "Grammar, Lexicography, and Metric," by Prof. Sonnenschein, and "Greek Literature," by J. M. Edmonds. In "Serbian Archæology and Excavation " Dr. A. W. van Buren takes the place of Dr. Ashby and Mrs. Strong, both otherwise fully occupied. It is noteworthy that, in spite of War conditions, nearly a third of the periodicals cited (21 out of 69) are German.

Russian Realities and Problems. By PAUL MILYOUKOV,

PETER STRUVÉ, A. LAPPO-DANILEVSKY, ROMAN DмOWSKI, and HAROLD WILLIAMS. Edited by J. D. DUFF. (5s. net. Cambridge University Press.)

These are the lectures delivered at the Summer Meeting of the Local Examinations and Lectures Syndicate held at Cambridge in August 1916. The eminent men who are chosen as representatives of Russian statesmanship and learning came over at great inconvenience to themselves on purpose to deliver them, and most of the speakers are recognized authorities on their own subjects, and need no introduction. In particular, Paul Milyoukov is known to all as the leader of the Progressive Bloc in the Duma, though few may remember that he was once a professor at Sofia University. Roman Dmowski is less well known. He is a Pole and a fitting representative of free Poland. Mr. Harold Williams is recognized in Russia as a leading authority on the intricate subject of Russian ethnology—a subject which for the last fifteen years he has studied on the spot. The lectures were delivered in English, but the lecturers wisely left the editing of their MSS. to Mr. J. D. Duff, a Fellow of Trinity College, who has of late years made a name for himself as an accomplished Russian scholar. The revolution for the moment engrosses our attention, but the serious student will welcome all the more an impartial study of pre-war conditions. Nelson's Simplified Russian Grammar. By Bernard HopfEN. (1s. 6d. Nelson.)

The preface to this handy little grammar claims the advantage over those already published in combining theory with direct application. This claim seems somewhat exaggerated, as the author would probably confess if he were conversant with all the textbooks that have lately been published as aids to English pupils learning Russian. He is not conversant with English as spoken by an Englishman; some of his sentences are obscure, and some are expressed in a way that an Englishman would hardly have used. Many of the statements made are not clear enough to aid a beginner, and it is questionable whether such a sentence as that which opens the section on "Letters and their Pronunciation" can convey much meaning even to an advanced student: "The Russian letters may be compared with notes in music, and a good ear will easily detect their harmony in any word." No doubt these letters might be compared with many other objects or phenomena, but the comparison would not help us much unless the points of resemblance in the objects compared were more real and more obvious than the one referred to. What is true of Russian is that the accent of stress is of the greatest importance in each Russian word, which is thus expressed by the author of this grammar: “Russian words, like those in other languages, have their fixed emphasized vowel more or less constant." This not particularly helpful statement overlooks the fact that in Russian no definite rule can be given for the place of the stress accent as in German, where that accent falls on the root of the word. Indeed, we are inclined to think that the directions for Russian pronunciation would rather puzzle a beginner. It should be strongly emphasized that the beginner in Russian should do his utmost to obtain

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from a proficient in the language a sample of the correct pronunciation of soft final consonants, and of the few other letters which find no counterpart in our alphabet. The strange statement is made on page 30 that intransitive verbs govern the nominative. On page 31 the student is informed that We shall see that prepositions with 'to' show a translation of action. Although the whirling or walking may be at the same time 'on,' 'to,' or 'into,' as 'on' and 'in,' yet the action in the second case has a definite fixed position, and will be discussed under the prepositional or positional case. Surely this might, with advantage to the learner, be expressed much more lucidly. It would be better if the dialogues were made to relate to one subject or thought, instead of consisting of a series of disjointed observations. This grammar, if subjected to a careful revision, may be rendered useful for beginners, but as it stands at present it is not as useful as it might be. Shantiniketan, the Bolpur School of Rabindranath Tagore. By W. W. PEARSON, with Introduction by Sir RABINDRANATH TAGORE. (4s. 6d. net. Macmillan.)

This is a composite volume, nearly half of which is occupied by The Gift to the Guru, a Bengali fairy tale translated by W. W. Pearson. We gave, some year or more ago, a brief account of this remarkable school, founded in the wilderness some hundred miles south of Calcutta by the father of Sir Rabindranath, but we welcome the particulars that the author, an American who has thrown himself into the work, here supplies. There are, we learn, at present 150 in the ashram, or forest settlement, ranging in age from six to eighteen, and some twenty teachers. The charge for board and tuition comes to about £20 a year, and there are some free places. This does not cover the cost, and the deficit is made good by the founder. The day begins with bathing in the "wells," tanks or reservoirs, then silent prayer or meditation, and at seven o'clock classes begin. These are always in the open air, under verandas in wet weather, and whole holidays when the floods come. At 11.30 is the meal of the day, and after that what in our public schools would be known as "pupil room." From 2.0 to 4.30 or 5.0 classes are resumed. In the cool of the evening there are walks, or football. After that an hour of entertainmentlantern slides, story-telling by one of the masters, &c., then supper, and by nine all are abed except the seniors, who, when there is a moon, are allowed to roam the woods at pleasure. There is no head master, but the school is managed by an executive committee of the staff, who elect one of their number to hold office for the year. Of the teaching itself very little is told us. Bene orare is the first consideration. Lessons are in Bengali, but English, taught on the reformed method, is the second language learnt. The author holds, with Wordsworth, that heaven lies about us in our infancy; and pupils preparing for the Matriculation of the Calcutta University are prone to lose something of their natural piety. An examination day is pictured with one lad squatting in the fork of a tall tree, but Mr. Pearson tells us that this liberty is but rarely abused. Apart from language, Nature study is the only subject mentioned. We have confined ourselves to externals, as the esoteric doctrines of the founder are by no means familiar to the Western world, nor have we mentioned how these are carried out in services to the sick and infirm by the ministering children of Bolpur. The problem of caste and diversities of creed are not, indeed, solved, but we sincerely wish that Dr. Sadler would visit Bolpur, and add another to the series of Special Reports.

Marvels of Scientific Invention. By THOMAS W. CORBIN. (3s. 6d. Seeley.)

This should have been noticed as a Christmas book, but for a scientific boy or girl it will be a welcome present at any time of the year. On modern appliances of war-torpedoes, mines, heavy guns, and rifles it is particularly instructive. The principles of wireless telegraphy are also fully explained and illustrated, and justice is done to the discoveries of Sir Oliver Lodge and other English inventors, of which Marconi has reaped the fruits. These are merely a sample of the contents, and when we add that there are fourteen full-page illustrations, besides numerous diagrams, it will be seen that the book is a marvel of cheapness. Sea Power. By ARCHIBALD HURD. (Constable.)

A simple introduction to the study of sea power. The book is clear and interesting, and makes reference to good authorities. The successive struggles with Spain, Holland, and France are outlined in a way which suggests new points of view.

The Government of the United Kingdom. By A. E. HOGAN. Third Edition. (2s. 6d. University Tutorial Press.) Dr. Hogan gives a clear explanation of the working of the constitution-legislative, executive, judicial, and local-with sufficient historical explanation. The book meets a want, and is well adapted for use in teaching.

Jesus of Nazareth and the Christian Churches of To-day.
By HENRY GOODMAN. (6d. net. Heffer.)
Mr. Goodman, who not long ago wrote a small book-God, the

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