SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[tinder this heading ire notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other forms.]
Phillips Brooks, 1835-1893. By Alexander V. G. Allen. (Hodder and Stoughton. 10s. 6d. net.)—The "Life and Letters of Phillips Brooks " was published in 1900. The book was large, not, of course, too large for a subject so full of interesting matter, but still too much for the average reader, and necessarily costly. Here we have an abridgment issued at a moderate price, done by the author of the original book. The abridgment itself is • of no trifling bulk. It consists of six hundred and fifty-three pages, which may be calculated to contain not far off four hundred thousand words. But a life so full of activities, public and private, cannot be compressed into a small space. No detailed notice of the book is called for, but we may commend it generally to our readers. The interest is great throughout, but it naturally culminates in the last chapters. Phillips Brooks was elected Bishop of Massachusetts on July 10th, 1891,—elected with an accompaniment of popular enthusiasm which recalls the choice of Cyprian and of Ambrose. He died less than two years after- wards. It had been the habit of his life to give of his time and energy without stint to causes and persons who seemed to need them. He carried this on into his episcopal life, and the result was a speedier exhaustion than would have happened if be had remained rector of Trinity Church. If there had been an idea of giving him rest, it was absolutely disappointed. Indeed, in view of modern requirements on a Bishop, such an idea is little -else than absurd. But probably he stood at that time in such a commanding position that any other appointment was out of the question.
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