2 APRIL 1870, Page 24

Textile Fabrics. By the Very ROY. Daniel Rock, D.D. (Chapman

and Hall.)—This is a catalogue of the collection of Church vestments, silk stuffs, tapestries, &c., which has been brought together at the South Kensington Museum. When we call it a " catalogue" we use the modest term by which the author describes his own work ; the book has all the practical utility which the title implies, but it is also the work of one who is an acknowledged master of his subject. We wish that we could do better justice to the rich and various learning which it displays. The introduction discussing the various fabrics which have been used for purposes religious and secular is admirably full. We specially commend to the notice of our readers the article on " Silk " and its numerous family of kindred stuffs, " Semite," for instance (we wonder how many of those who read this notice will know the derivation,—'4, six, and ,afrot, threads).—In the same connection we may notice A Handy-Book of the British Museum. By T. Nichols. (Cassell and Co.)—This is a guide to the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Classical antiquities, together with a brief account of the Library. We notice that the volume possesses a full index, always, in our eyes, a valuable testimonial to merit.