20 FEBRUARY 1915, Page 24

An interesting bypath of history has been explored in Children

of France, by E. Alaxtone Graham (Methuen and Co., 6s. net), which deals with the families of the Royal -Valois and Bourbons, ending with the tragedy of the Temple in Revolu- tionary days. It will be news to most readers that Mary, the future Queen of Scots, once wrote a Latin theme on the mis- behaviour of one of her princely playmates, in which she observed: " We should be examples to the people. How can we reprove others, unless we ourselves are faultless? "