Law and Laughter. By D. M. Malloch and G. A.
Morton. (T. N. Foulis. 5s. net.)—Readers, whether lawyers or laymen, will find plenty of fun in this collection of anecdotes. It is divided into chapters which are supposed to cull the best stories of wit, humour, and repartee from the Benches and Bars of England, Scotland, and Ireland, with a final chapter drawn from American sources. This last is short and mainly represents the bombastic vein: this is not unfairly used, but it is not the only characteristic type of American humour, and it is the least attractive. There is, of course, no pretence to any originality on the part of the compilers, of whom, unfortunately, one alone survives to see the publication of their work. They have industriously searched the books of reminiscences and anecdotes in which examples of their quarry were likely to lurk, and they do not obtrude their own " padding " unduly. Though many good stories, old and new, make the book amusing and readable, it should have been a little shorter, for it must be confessed that some tales of very small merit have been included. On the other hand, Lord Bowen's wit is very meagrely represented (perhaps the fear was that his best mots have been so frequently quoted already ; one respects the restraint which omits the story of "each other's shortcomings "). Lord Neaves's humour is absolutely disregarded except for a verse quoted as a chapter- heading. The book is illustrated with a very interesting gallery of portraits, some reproduced in colour. They are for the most part taken from well-known portraits, for instance, several of Raeburn'a best pictures of the famous Lords of Session of his day, Lords Newton, Eldin, Bromfield, and Henry Erskine. it would have added to the general interest and completeness if the compilers had troubled to give us the names of any of the painters. To have given us also an illuminating chapter on the quality of the wit and humour as expressed in the several physiognomies would have been a great test of fine perception.
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