CURRENT LITERATURE.
A Literary Manual of Foreign Quotations. Compiled by John Devoe Belton. (G. P. Putnam's Sons.)—This is a really good book. The author has selected with judgment 'from the mass of non-English phrases which are used in English writing and speaking, a considerable number that have " a distinctly literary flavour," that are not, to give the instance of a numerous class properly excluded, mere legal terms. And, besides selecting, he has quoted with discretion ; finally, he has explained judiciously and correctly. The result is, that he has fulfilled his promise of making his book readable as well as useful. The only fault that we find is an occasional omission. We might expect, for instance, to. find the famous motto of the Edinburgh Review, "Judea dam- natur cum nocens absolvitur," if not " Tenni musam meditamur arena," which Sydney Smith proposed for it. " 'Haus magister optimus " is another 'omission. In quoting " Desinat in piscem,"
as an independent sentence, it might have been better to alter the mood (with, of course, an explanation). We doubt whether a scholarly writer would now, at least, use " Cui bono ? " in any but its proper sense. One or two errors may be noted in the index. Est is interpolated in " Facilis descensus averni," and a comma, misplaced in "Tu regere imperio populos Romano memento." •
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