Miscellaneous.

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Dictionary of National Biography. Edited by Sidney Lee.-Vol. LXI. Whichcord-Williams. (Smith, Elder & Co.)

THE year now begun, whether it be, as Lord Kelvin and some others think, the first of a new century or the last of the old, will witness before its conclusion the completion of Mr. Lee's great task. Two volumes more will conclude the alphabet, and a further two the supplement of those entitled to a place who have died while the work was in progress. We thus get four quarterly volumes which will make the conclusion synchronize with the termination of the century. We count confidently upon the maintenance of the rate of progress, so highly creditable to all concerned with the production, which has been kept up until now. For once, since the volume contains the four kings of the name of William, royalty occupies a considerable share in it. Of these four monarchs, long since retired from business, William the Conqueror is dealt with by the Rev. William Hunt; William II. is in the hands of an historian no less faithful and exemplary, Miss Kate Norgate; the third William is assigned to Dr. A. W. Ward, of Manchester; while the fourth of the name, the sailor monarch, is dealt with by Prof. Laughton, who has enjoyed a practical monopoly of our great naval captains and admirals, and whose work is, in this instance, to some extent different from that he ordinarily executes. In Mr. Hunt's admirably condensed account the temptation to expand over the battle of Hastings or Senlac is resisted, the information conveyed being simply that 'the Norman victory was complete and Harold was slaiu." Full references to the most recent authorities on the subject are, however, given. A like reticence concerning the Red King is observed by Miss Norgate, who quotes the opinions concerning his character of the English chroniclers, and says that the life is exhaustively treated by Freeman in his Norman Conquest." A graphic account is given by Dr. Ward of the troubles by which the early life of William of Orange was clouded, and of his election as Stadtholder. Dr. Ward also defends William from the charge accepted by Lord Stanhope in consequence of a misinterpretation of the words of Burnet. Of the fourth Willian's goodhearted, boisterous, and undignified career Prof. Laughton gives an admirable account. Of half-adozen biographies, all brief, by the editor, the most interesting is that of George Wilkins, the author of The Miseries of Infant Marriage.' Mr. Lee accepts as "a likelihood" that Wilkins might be responsible for the rough and unedifying drafts "of a play. house hack" used by Shakespeare in Timon of Athens,' and thinks "there is less doubt that Wilkins is largely responsible for the inferior scenes of Pericles." He finds, from a consultation of the burial records of the parish of St. Leonard, Shoreditch, that Wilkins died 19 August, 1603, at Holywell Street, Shoreditch, of the plague. In the case of Henry Kirke White, amusingly overpraised by Byron and Southey, Mr. Lee openly qualifies him as a poetaster, a severe, though possibly not unjust verdict. Edward Whitchurch, the Protestant printer, one of those responsible for the Great Bible, who married the widow of Arch

an

bishop Cranmer, is in Mr. Lee's hands, as is Edmund Whitelocke, compromised in the Essex rebellion, and to some extent in the Gunpowder Plot. His longest contribution is that on Archbishop Whitgift, and next to that the animated life of Sir Roger Williams. Mr. Leslie Stephen has an excellent biography of Blanco White, the author of the immortal sonnet, whose curious and diversified career constitutes very interesting reading. The life of Samuel Wilberforce, "Soapy Sam,' is a model of judicial fairness. Mr. C. H. Firth's most important contribution is the life of Bulstrode Whitelocke. That Whitelocke paid 50,000l. to Charles II. for his pardon is not believed, though Mr. Firth thinks that he paid something to the king. The interesting account of Gilbert White, of Selborne, is by Prof. Newton; that of WhyteMelville is by Sir Herbert Maxwell, who does full justice to the lofty tone of chivalry which pervades his writings. Mr. James Tait denounces the legends concerning Lord Mayor Whittington, which have of late obtained further vogue owing to their acceptance by Sir Walter Besant. Mr. Austin Dobson contributes a characteristically graceful account of Sir David Wilkie. We had almost omitted mention of many excellent biographies by Mr. Seccombe, among which those of Thomas Whincop, the author of 'Scanderbeg,' Sir Charles Hanbury Williams, and Caleb Whitefoord, call for special notice. Mr. Henry Davey gives high eulogy to John Wilbye, the great madrigal composer; Whitefield, the evangelist, occupies the Rev. Alexander Gordon, and John Wilkes Mr. J. M. Rigg. Some of the printers and publishers Whitaker, Whittingham, &c. are assigned Mr. Tedder. Among other contributors to this capital volume are Dr. Samuel Rawson Gardiner, Mr. W. P. Courtney, Dr. Garnett, Col. Lloyd, Mr. Lionel Cust, Dr. Norman Moore, Mr. Thompson Cooper, Mr. Thomas Bayne, Mr. Fraser Rae, Mr. F. M. O'Donoghue, and many others.

The Bride's Mirror; or, Mir-ātu l'Arus of Maulavi Nazir Ahmad. Edited in the Roman Character, with a Vocabulary and Notes, by G. E. Ward. (Frowde.)

IT would be a bold thing to demand even a tempered enthusiasm for Hindustani literature from a person of taste and tolerably wide reading, in whom the critical faculty is not quite undeveloped. The present writer, having studied Hindustani side by side with Persian and Arabic, will freely confess that he has come to "conclusions of disgust." Certainly there is nothing in the younger language at all comparable to the masterpieces of the Mohammedan classics, though imitations of these masterpieces abound. Hence it is only from the standpoint of practical utility that we share the editor's hope that the study of Hindustani will some day be placed on the same level in England with the study of modern European languages. His main object is to furnish a suitable text-book for English ladies who desire to learn Hindustani. 'The Bride's Mirror,' which appears to be a moral but amusing tale on the lines of Sandford and Merton,' is well adapted for this purpose, and deserves (may it command!) success. Mr. Ward's book is hardly a model of scientific accuracy, but under the circumstances this is no great matter, and we feel sure that the ladies will pardon him. We cannot agree with his theories of transliteration, which merely make confusion worse confounded. Why did he not

Collected

The Unpublished Legends of Virgil. by Charles Godfrey Leland. (Stock.) FEW subjects are more interesting to the antiquary than the manner in which Virgil has come to rank, since mediæval times, as a necromancer as well as a poet. In the course of using up the materials he has collected from the oral recitation of the Italian peasantry, Mr. Leland has assigned a separate position to those the hero of which is Virgil. collection of these folk-stories he now publishes as A a companion volume to the studies in Florentine folk-speech and other works concerning witchcraft and magic which he has given to the world. Not very much that is new to the student of folk-lore is there in the volume, which has, however, abundant interest, and may be read with unending enjoyment. Very curious is it to trace the manner in which Roman history or myth is reshapen in these popular narratives in prose or verse. The Story of Romolo and Remolo,' Virgil, the See Emperor, and the Truffles,' 'Nero and Seneca,' and many other legends. Prose and verse are spiritedly translated, and the task of reading these curious imaginings is altogether a delight. All Mr. Leland's works on folk-stories deserve to be read. We have but one protest to make. He talks of the "Monte Sybilla," near Rome, to which we can only say, There's no such place." Philological and geographical accuracy are not to be ignored even by

a folk-lorist.

Racing. By W. A. C. Blew. (Everett & Co.) NOT very much can be said about this brief and sketchy performance, except that it is decidedly inaccurate in the names of men and horses, which abound, and bears somewhat obvious traces of being compounded of occasional matter which may have served its turn before. Otherwise it is not easy to see how the well-known Matthew Dawson, who has been dead some time, is credited with now wearing a moustache. The cult of the "trainer" of horses is absurdly written up nowadays. We agree with Mr. Robert (not William) Black that he is little more than a glorified groom, however much money and parade of that money (see p. 88) he makes.

IN Scribner's Magazine, which reached us too late for inclusion in our monthly summary, two contributions of exceptional interest begin. One is a new novel by Mr. J. M. Barrie, the nature of which most will guess from its title Tommy and Grizel.' The second, which is by Mr. Theodore Roosevelt, is entitled 'Oliver Cromwell: the Times and the Man.' As we find in the opening sentence Cromwell spoken of as "the greatest Englishman of the seventeenth century," the point of view of

the author may be judged. The life is illustrated with many fine portraits, including one by Robert Walker, from Hinchinbrooke, which shows the future Protector a good-looking man. Other illustrations include the assassination of Buckingham, Prynne in the pillory (having his ears shorn), scene at Newburn fight, portraits of Strafford, Sir John innumerable illustrations, and gives us who have Eliot, &c. 'The Walk Up-town in New York' has not seen it the best idea of that great capital we have yet acquired. The Coming of the Snow' and attention. 'The Poetic Cabarets of Paris' are both worth reaches us later than its wont, has an admirable - The English Illustrated, which also picture of Miss Ellaline Terriss, a good account of Stonehenge, a well-illustrated article, by Mr. Frewen Lord, on English and Dutch as Allies and Enemies,' and a second on The Circumvention of the Gunboat.'

Daniel Leader, which took place on the 30th ult., WE hear with regret of the death of Mr. John at his residence, Moor End, Sheffield, at the age of sixty-four. Mr. Leader was a Fellow of the Society societies, and his chief recreation from business of Antiquaries and a member of other learned such associations concern themselves. In all things was found in the study of the subjects with which relating to the history and antiquities of Sheffield and a wide area around the city he was an enthusiast. His chief literary and historic work was on the subject of the captivity of Mary, Queen of Scots. After many years spent in journalism, Mr. Leader undertook the publication of 'The Records which relates to the town trustees. of the Sheffield Burgery,' or that part of the records

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