12 APRIL 1879, Page 25

Gleanings of Past Years. By the Right Hon. W. E.

Gladstone, M.P. 2 vols. (Murray.)—These volumes take us over topics which are discussed elsewhere than in these columns, and we therefore briefly note their contents. In the first volume, we have essays on "The Throne and the Prince Consort" and "The Cabinet and the Constitution." The first paper was a speech delivered at Manchester, in the April after the Prince Consort's death ; this is followed by reviews of three successive volumes of Mr. Martin's "-Life," by three papers on the "County Franchise," and by a reprint from the North-American Revieto of "Kin beyond Sea." The second volume is described as "Personal and Literary," and reaches as far back as 1845, the first article being one on "Blanco White." This, and the following, on "Giacomo Leopardi," are reprinted from the Quar- terly Review, as is also the third, on "Tennyson." The subject of the remaining essays are "Wedgwood," "Bishop Patteson," "Macaulay" (of which last we may say, in passing, that it is written in a very generous and appreciative spirit), and "Dr. Norman Macleod."

The Dramatic List, compiled and edited by Charles Eyre Pascoe (Hardvvicke and Bogue), describes itself on its title-page as "A Record of the Principal Performances of Living Actors and Actresses of the British Stage ; with Criticisms from Contemporary Journals." It seems a carefully constructed book; the delicate task of extracting criticisms from the newspapers has been performed with taste and judgment. Praise naturally prevails, but does not engross the whole.

May's British and Irish Press Guide.—This useful guide has now reached its sixth annual edition. It not only gives the title, politics, place of publication, and name of publisher, of all the newspapers and periodicals published in the United Kingdom ; but as the prac- tice of post-dating newspapers, &o., is now adapted in many in- stances, the date printed upon such publications, and that upon which they are actually issued and may be obtained for dispatch by post, are also given.