Any one who desires a sober book of moral and
devotional thoughts expressed with admirable gravity and force should possess himself of Meditations and Vows, Divine and Moral, by Joseph Hall, edited by Charles Sayle (Grant Richards, 3s. 6d.) Hall was for a time rector of Halstead by the presentation of Sir Robert Drury, and left it to become Bishop of Exeter. He was translated from Exeter to Norwich, where he was when the Commonwealth dispossessed him. His book on the Psalms is the best known of his works. The Meditations was read by Wordsworth, and was a favourite manual of Charles Gordon. We shall not, we think, be wronging the good Bishop if we mention along with this a volume in which many good things are to be found, Fireside Fables, by E. P. Barrow (Elliot Stock, ls. 6d. net). "A youth coming out of a wood, boasted that he had found the tree of truth, and had eaten of its fruit. 'Was it bitter or sweet ?' asked an old man. ' It was sweet." You have eaten in vain ; the whole truth is bitter and sweet! The youth confessed that he had thrown away the stones, and with them the kernels."
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