25 JUNE 1910, Page 24

Memoir of George Henry Sumner, D.D. (Warren and Son, Win-

chester. 5s. net.)—This is rather a chronicle than a history. It gives us the record of a very busy life, of work with occasional intermissions of holiday,—Dr. Sumner's holidays had commonly something strenuous about them. But we finish the book without getting any very distinct impression of the man himself. His activities wo see, but not him. Still, what we have is interesting. Dr. Sumner had experiences which covered a large part of life in the Anglican Communion. He was first a country curate, then acted as chaplain to his father, the Bishop of Winchester, held a benefice for thirty-odd years, was Archdeacon, Suffragan Bishop, and Proctor in Convocation (where he was Prolocutor for thirteen years) Whether he had any faults or weaknesses we know not; there is no hint of them here. In short, the "Memoir" has too much of the official look. A very sensible Charge (the last delivered by him as Archdeacon) is printed on pp. 108-24. It gives us a well-reasoned account of his view on many questions of Church politics and administration. The writer of the "Memoir," oddly enough, describes it as an " exponent."