15 APRIL 1882, Page 23

Myths of the Odyssey in Art and Literature. By J.

E. Harrison. (Rivingtons.)—Miss Harrison, whose book vindicates for her at once a considerable place among the scholars of the day, has treated here six of the Odyssey myths, the Cyclopes, the Laestrygones, Circe, the Descent into Hades, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis. It is the main purpose of her work to illustrate these from the remains of art, whether Greek, with which, of course, she chiefly deals, Etruscan, or even Latin. Some seventy illustrations are given, and the text supplies a series of ingenious and tasteful comments on them. To discuss them at length would take us far beyond necessary limita- tions of space and time. We must be content with a hearty acknow- ledgment of the iuterest and value of Miss Harrison's work, in which all competent judges see a considerable contribution to a province of classical knowledge now at last duly recognised. We cannot but regret what seems to us in some of Miss Harrison's comments a cer- tain impatience of the ethical teaching which has been developed out of, or, it may be, imported into, these myths.