5 JANUARY 1867, Page 27

The Vicar of Wakefield. By Oliver Goldsmith. With illustrations printed

in oil colours. (Warne.)—This edition of the famous Vicar is handsomely got up, and in the..matter of print and paper leaves nothing to be desired. But the illustrations—printed in oil colours? Well, we cannot say that we like thorn, and, we suppose, they constitute the feature of the book par excellence. They seem to us only fitted for children's books, where brilliancy of colour is required, without any regard to the usual requirements of art. The Vicar, too, is made quite a young man all through the volume ; but perhaps faces do not count in this school, which only aims at sho wing off the clothes. The costumes are certainly presented with groat effect, and there is no doubt that those who feel a pleasure in contemplating the illustrations of Le Follet will be quite enamoured of these oil prints. We have no doubt that a good many people are quite satisfied with these chromatic effects ; and as they have completed their education and have no inten- tion of acquiring a purer taste, they cannot do better than gratify them- selves and the publishers by the purchase of this volume, and so prevent the entire waste of so much good paper and printing.