We have received two volumes of " Routledge's Miniature Reference
Library" (G. Routledge and Sons, Is. not per vol.) These are A Dictionary of English Literature, by M. MeCroben, and The Chairman and Debater's Handbook, by D. M. Ransom. The latter is a practical guide for the management of societies, dealing with such points as the duties of officers, the taking of votes, the business of committees, affiliation of other societies, proxies, the conduct of public meetings, &e. The ninth chapter is given to debating societies, the tenth to votes, municipal and Parliamentary, the eleventh to companies, the twelfth to the proceedings of Parliament, this last brought up to date by the help of an Under-Secretary. The book generally seems to be very well put together. The Dictionary of Literature contains some three hundred. names, each with a brief biographical note and a list of works. The choice seems to be a good one, though the list is open to criticism,—quite probably any list would be. Archibald Alison, Thomas Arnold, Sir Richard Burton are names which might have been inserted. Lord Brabourne, on the other hand, has not as much right to a place as Henty. He wrote books of the same kind, but nothing like as well. Ho was a minor politician, and he had a title ; but these are not literary qualifications.
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