19 JANUARY 1867, Page 21

Three Hundred dEsop's Fables. Literally translated from the Greek. By

Rev. G. F. Townsend, M.A. With Ill illustrations designed by Harrison Weir, and engraved by J. Greenaway. (Routledge.)—We have here our old friend /E3op in a now and very attractive dress. Like a good many of our old friends, he has had to submit to severe investigation; Sir George Lewis and others have overhauled him, and reduced him to a very shadowy state of existence. The editor informs us that he has availed himself of all the learning of modern times, and has been induced by what has bean discovered to undertake a complete renova- tion of the received English text, anti to bring it back to the epigram- matic terseness of the original, whether that original is to go by the name of ZEiop or of Babrius. But we suspect that the boys, and girls too, for whom the book is intended will take very little notice of the learned preface, and will apply themselves diligently to the study of Mr. Weir's vigorous and humorous designs. The majority of these are capital ; the artist has fully entered into the spirit of the fables, and. given the various creatures just the expression that the text requires. The publishers have added the luxury of good typo and toned paper, and so produced a volume which is really worthy of the special atten- tion of the friends of youth.