21 NOVEMBER 1908, Page 12

TWO BOOKS ON EGYPT.

Tart of the "Historical Series for Bible Students" which Pro- fessor C. F. Kent and Mr. Frank K. Sanders are conducting, and accordingly it has the characteristics of a text-book. The illus- trations which are a conspicuous feature of the larger book have been retrenched, and we have maps and plans. The author also explains that there has been an effort to bring the book into close accord with the title, and make it a history of the Egyptian people. Finally, it has been brought up to date. Not only have the author's "Records" been fully utilised, but the results of quite recent explorations, as that of the Hittite city of Borghaz- /Col, in Cappadocia, have been incorporated. All Professor Breasted's knowledge of Egyptian matters is first-hand, derived from an independent study of the monuments. He adopts the lower chronology, putting the First Dynasty at B.C. 3400, as against the 4777 of Professor Flinders Petrie.—Egypt and its Monuments, by Robert }lichens, Illustrated by Jules Guerin (Hodder and Stoughton, 208. net), is the record of a well- informed traveller, who journeys from Cairo to Philae and describes what he sees and what he feels while seeing it. All this is sufficiently well done; but so far as what we may call the "sentimental" part of these experiences its concerned we do not much care about it. Mr. "lichens is sometimes quite eloquent, but most of us prefer to supply this from our own resources. There is, however, not a little vivid description, and M. Guerin's illustrations are very effective. The colouring is remarkably good. They are supplemented, we should say, with twice as -many photographs. Together these make as vivid a picturing of "Egypt and its monuments" as we remember to have seen.