Illustrious Shoemakers. By William Edward Winks. (Sampson Low and Co.)—Mr.
Winks opens a rich vein of literary material. Much has been written about illustrious "soldiers and sailors "; why should not the "tinkers and tailors" have their turn ? We may ex- pect a long series of volumes devoted to the " trade" divisions of the human race. Nor shall we complain if they are as amusing as the one before us. Mr. Winks' list of shoemakers is certainly long and imposing. The "gentle craft," a name which has also been applied, probably in sarcasm, to the profession of the critic, has had some famous votaries. There have been shoemaker Admirals, as Sir Clondesley Shovel, and Sir Christopher Mings, one of the heroes of the Anglo-Dutch war in the days of Charles II., shoemaker divines, and above all, shoemaker poets, Thomas Cooper and Whittier being the most conspicuous of living examples. Mr. Winks has dealt skil- f ally with his great mass of materials. He makes mach of a really good subject, as, for instance, the life of Lackington, the bOokseller, one of the most interesting autobiographies we have, and even in his briefer notices does not fall into the dreariness of a mere catalogue.
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