The Episodes of Vathek, By William Beckford. Translated by Sir
Frank T. Marzials. With an Introduction by Lewis Melville. (Stephen Swift. 21s. net.)—Beckford had always intended to incor- porate these three stories in " Vathek," and they were only omitted by an accident which Mr. Melville explains in his preface. The manuscript subsequently vanished, and was only discovered a f 3W years ago among the Duke of Hamilton's papers by Mr. Melville while he was engaged upon Beckford's Life. The original French is printed at the end of the volume in full, while the late Sir Frank Marzials' version of it in larger print occupies the place of honour. It may be said of Beckford's stories that they possess all the same qualities as " Vathek" itself, for they are no less richly imaginative, extravagantly humorous, and unpleasantly sensuous. The descriptive power is perhaps their most astonish- ing feature ; and it is only a certain heaviness of touch that makes them obviously inferior to the Arabian Nights.
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