Oensetio, King of the Vandals and First Prussian Kaiser. By
Poultney Bigelow. (Putnam. 7s 6d. net.)—Mr. Bigelow, the American man of letters who, until he wrote an impartial history of Germany from 1806 to 1848, was high in favour with the German Emperor, has produced a very clever and entertaining book on Genseric. The Vandal King who conquered Roman Africa in the fifth century—the terrible age which saw the Gotha in Rome and the Huns ravaging Northern and Western Europe—was a native of the Elbe Valley, and, as Mr. Bigelow suggests, he may have been born in or near Potsdam, and may have been akin to the Wends who still inhabit that district. Genserie's career is a closer parallel than Attila's to that of William II., for he professed Christianity of the Arian type, and he oonquered by fraud and double-dealing as well as by violence. One of Mr. Bigelow's most effective touches relates to Geneerio's final victory in 468. The Romans sent a great army which had only to land and march on Carthage. Gen- eerie craftily proposed "peace by negotiation," and deluded the Imperial commander into giving him five days' grace. Meanwhile he prepared fireships, and surprided and destroyed the Roman Fleet. The moral is obvious, though some of our weaker brethren may not see it.
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