Very Much Abroad. By F. C. Burnand. (Bradbury and Agnew.)
—Mr. Burnand has collected here a considerable portion of his contributions to Punch during the last twenty-five years. Taken in small quantities, these humours of foreign travel are, anyhow, endurable ; but in bulk, when one is expected to read them con- tinuously, the impression made by them is not agreeable. There are people, and we must own to being among the number, who find Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad" more irritating than entertaining. These will probably have the same sensation, have it,- it is quite possible, with increased intensity, after studying Mr. Biumand's Very Much Abroad. There are Kane funny things in it ; and the illustrations, also reproduced from Punch, are almost invariably good. But what is to be said of such " fun " as the following ?—" There is no inducement to follow the Rhine above Mannheim, and the Rhine might look at such a proceed- ing as going rather too far. You're not Grant, and you're not Spoke, so none of your sourcey observations, if you please. Come, move on ! will you, and just drop in at Spires. This place was built by the same ingenious architect who raised the one spire in Langham Place, Regent Street, of which this town is merely, as the name implies, an ample development. Keep your eyes open, and you will be Spyers too. Mind you ask for the celebrated Diet of Spires at the table d'hôte." This is but poor entertainment.
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