27 JUNE 1908, Page 8

The Secrets of the Vatican. By Douglas Sladen. (Hurst and

Blackett. 21s. net.)-The author at the outset tells us that by "secrets" he does not mean scandals. Rather it is the less known and accessible parts of the Vatican which Mr. Sladen describes. The account of the crypt of St. Peter's, with its tombs and remains of the old Basilica, will cause pangs of regret to any one who has been in Rome, and yet has not seen this wonderful relic of antiquity with its associations of early Christianity.