Jane Taylor : her Life and Letters. By H. C.
Knight. (Nelson.)—Many readers who have found delight and profit in Jane Taylor's writings will be glad to have this simple and well-written record of the author's life. It was a short life, not nearly reaching to the fiftieth year, but fall of sweetness and piety and good forks, and leaving no small legacy of blessing behind it to the world. Con- spicuous among its excellences are sterling good-sense, which she never failed to exercise, and a liberality of view on subjects on which it was less easy to be liberal then than it is now. The Taylors were Nonconformists, and the limits of Nonconformist toleration in intel- lectual matters were then very narrow. Of toleration in another sense they themselves received scant measure. There is a story on this subject which is too good to be lost. A mob, fired with hatred to the " Meetingers," was hurrying to wreck the Taylors' house. In the extremity of their danger, the Rector of the parish interferes, and the rioters disperse. Next morning, Mr. Taylor goes to thank his benefactor. "Spare your thanks, Mr. Taylor," was the stately reply ; 1., my wife's sister is very ill, and I thought so much noise and con- fusion, if the people effected their purpose so near us, might be very prejudicial to her, in her weak state."
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