24 NOVEMBER 1877, Page 25

Aunt Charlotte's Stories of Roman History. By Charlotte M. Yonge.

(Marcus Ward.)—There is a certain went of proportion in this book. The legends of the early history suit the tastes of children, it is true, but if children are to learn history, it is history and not legend that must be told them. Miss Youge quite recognises the difference between the two, yet she allots an undue proportion of her space to the early annals. Livy, having to tell the story of Rome from Romulus to Augustus, gives ton out of one hundred and fifty books to the history of four bun- sired and fifty years ; Miss Yonge hoe to tell the story for eight centuries more, and she gives the same period a third. But she tells the story with her usual charm of manner, and it is evident that she has made an effort to study the subject. One or two blemishes may be notod. The famous epitaph on a virtuous woman. ought to run " dorni," not " domum mansit." The Latin word for " land" is " ager," not " agri." And how strange the mistake which makes Tacitus the son-in-law of the Emperor Titus !