We cannot think that in collecting and publishing Ernest Crawley's
occasional papers Mr. Theodore Besterman is doing a service to the memory of the author of The Mystic Rose. Of the three papers collected in Dress, Drinks and Drums (Methuen and Co. 12s. 6d.), an absurd title in itself, the most important and the largest is that entitled " Dress." Unfor- tunately a work recently published deals with the subject far more fully and competently, and leaves little excuse for its resurrection. The rest of the book is very slight, and it all suffers from the fact—which is no fault of Ernest Crawley's- that references to modern authorities are entirely absent and that some of the older authorities who are cited are not worthy of reliance. We have again to refer to the freedom which Mr. Besterman claims to make verbal alterations " silently." An editor has no right to omit and to add a number of pas- sages or to make adaptations, however slight; without indicat- ing the extent of his alterations in every case.
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