L'Ile et l'Empire de Grande - Bretagne. Par Robert D'Humiires. (Societe du
Mercure de France.)—M. D'Humieres has had considerably more experience of the countries about which ho writes than has often sufficed for the formation of a visitor's judgment. Repeated visits to this country, two winters spent in Egypt, and a prolonged sojourn in India have given abundant opportunities for observation, and these have been intelligently used. M. D'Humieres is distinctly friendly. He sees many good qualities in us, hospitality being conspicuous among them. Invi- tations are as frequent and informal here as they are rare and formal elsewhere. "In France," he writes, "the least invitation is reckoned as a mark of especial attention." In Italy such things are scarcely practised. To offer a cup of coffee after dejeuner is as much as an Italian noble will venture on. Of course, our author levels at us a shaft of ridicule from time to time, but it is with- out barb or venom. Sometimes he has a little fun at the expense of his readers, as when, for instance, he relates the experience of kiss- ing a lady's hand. "On fini generalement la soiree sous la pompe," the result of a " gnon" on the nose. The salutation is not customary, it is true, but this way of receiving it is a little outre. He is complimentary, we see, to our Army, and compares the military life in England with that in his own country, not a little to our advantage. "Au point de vue pittoresque cette armee est ad- mirable,"—is he laughing at us ? But we must make an end of extracts, and that without touching on more serious subjects, though our author has much to say on these also. One remark we must quote is propos of " perfide Albion." " Albion n'est qu'une ingenue h cote de la Russie." The whole of this passage (a note to pp. 15-16) is worth looking at, especially as coming from a French writer.
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