24 AUGUST 1901, Page 23

We may very briefly mention No. IX. of " Yale

Studies in English" (H. Holt and Co., New York). This is A Guide to the Middle English Metrical Romances, by Anna Hunt Billings, Ph.D. Most of the English romances have a French origin. They belong to the two centuries 1250-1450, the chief among them being the Arthur and the Charlemagne romances. Miss Billings takes each class, and discusses metre, authorship, and origin, giving at the same time a conspectus of the story. This wilt be found a highly useful guide to any one who desires to commence the study of this subject.