BerW the Briton : a Story of the Roman Invasion.
By G. A. Henty. (Bla,ckie and Sons.)—Mr. Henty's narrative-power is as vigorous as ever in this story of the revolt under Boadicea. It says much for his power of attraction, that in this case, though the result is a foregone conclusion, and will go against the grain of English boys, one can read on without losing interest in Beric's adventures. We are not aware that any one has given us quite so vigorous a picture of Britain in the days of the Roman con- quest. The contrast between the Britons and their conquerors is a striking one, and Mr. Henty has done his utmost to make an impressive picture of the haughty Roman character, with its in- domitable courage, sternness, and discipline. The last half of the book, dealing with the adventures of Beric in Rome, is even better than the first, the dialogue in the earlier portion being sometimes rather too discursive and studied. But Beric the Briton is good all through, and if these historical tales do displace the great classics, they are the best of their kind, and much history can be learnt from them.
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