29 APRIL 1911, Page 12

SOME DICTIONARIES.

Bellows' French Dictionary. Compiled by John Bellows. Revised and enlarged by his son, William Bellows. (Longmans and Co. 5s. net.)—Many of our readers must be acquainted with Bellows' French Dictionary as it used to be, made on an original plan, and a marvel of good paper and printing, both of these virtues being due to the man whose name it bore. One speciality of the book was that the English-French and the French-English were on the same page ; another was the distinguishing of genders by different type. These are, of course, preserved, along with other points of difference from the ordinary dictionary. It is quite remarkable how interesting a dictionary becomes by this method of arrange- ment. The present edition is greatly enlarged, very much, of course, to the increase of its utility. Still, one cannot help regret- ting the delightful little pocket volume of the past. The names of MM. A. Marrot and G. Fritean are associated with that of Mr. W. Bellows on the title page as in the introduction. In the latter we find a tribute to the memory of John Bellows and his helper, Professor Beljame.—English-Greek Dictionary. By S. C. Woodhouse, M.A. (G. Routledge & Sons. 15s. net.)—Mr. Woodhouse describes his dictionary as a "Vocabulary of the Attic Language." He is, indeed, something of a purist in the matter. He has not, he tells us, "drawn upon Xenophon to any large extent." There are " un-Attic elements" in Xenophon. This is not easy to determine. Xeno- phon dealt with subjects which are not treated by any writer of whose Atticism we have no doubt. Something might even be said for including authors of the Attic revival ; there is, too, a mass of literary fragments in Athenteus. But Mr. Woodhouse keeps on the safe side. He wishes to help "budding composers," as he calls them, and it is prudent to supply them with words and phrases which no one can question. Then the size of the book goes for something. It runs, as it is, to more than a thousand pages. As it is not intended for any but scholastic purposes, the Attic limitation is justified. The work is carefully executed. Every word is marked as available for Prose or Verse, or both, and words have their quantities marked. —A Modern Dictionary of the English Language. (Macmillan and Co. Is. 4d. net.)— This volume, with its seven hundred and sixtv-three pages, is certainly a marvel of cheapness. The Dictionary, it should be explained, is of the encyclopaedic kind. It describes and interprets. It is intended for secondary schools and for the higher standards of the elementary. Any boy or girl who should carry away even a moderate proportion of the knowledge here set forth in so accessible a shape would be well furnished—With this may be mentioned a New Pocket Dictionary of French and English, by Edward Latham (G. Routledge and Sons, 1s. net). This is a most convenient volume. We cannot pay it a higher com- pliment than by saying that it reminds us of the admirable edition of Mr. Bellows of Gloucester, the "little pocket volume" men- tioned above.—In the " Miniature Reference Library " (same pub- lishers, ls. net), A Compact Rhyming Dictionary, by P. R. Bennett.