doubtful import. A telegram has, it is true, been received from Sir Claude Macdonald dated August 5th, which assures us that on that date all the Ambassadors except the German...

twelve thousand Indians, Japanese, and Americans, under the com. mand of three Generals, started on the 4th inst. from Tientsin, and on Sunday cleared away a Chinese force at...

T HE war news during the week has been both good and bad. In our last issue, while announcing General Hunter's great haul of over four thousand prisoners and nearly four...

any opinion on the incident—remembering always that in nothing do people exaggerate more than in regard to the details of alleged plots—but priml, facie there is nothing very...

morning edition publish a Renter's telegram giving an account of a plot that has been discovered at Pretoria, made for the purpose of murdering the British officers in the town...

case.

spread through all Europe as to the weakness of the new King of Italy is based on a mistake. He is said by those who know him to be a man of firm will and clear understanding,...

Maschin with the stateliest ceremonial possible in Belgrade. To the surprise of the Courts the Czar approved the marriage, and even sent a representative to be the King's best...

attacked by Mr. Lloyd-George because "the Report of the War Office Contracts Committee showed that favouritism had been shown to a Birmingham firm." To this Mr. Chamberlain...

general command, but it appears that the German Emperor has appointed Marshal Count von Waldersee, the head of his Staff, to command the ten thousand Germans now afloat, and...

Presidency, evidently thinks that Anti-Imperialism is the surest card to Way. He refuses to conceal his personal conviction that silver ought to be made by law exchange- able...

separated, there was a scene of some violence in regard to the letters alleged to have been written by Members of Parliament which were found at Pretoria. Sir Wilfrid Lawson...

Thursday week to murder the Shah, has revived the Con- tinental suspicion that the Anarchists of the world again contemplate action, this time the murder of every reigning...

tion Bill on Monday, Mr. Burdett-Coutts repeated his regrets that the South African Commission had not been given compulsory powers, and charged Mr. Balfour and the Government...

appointed to preside over a Departmental Committee of the Colonial Office—he has actually started for the Cape—to inquire into the best way of placing soldier-settlers on the...

from the Gazette de Lausanne giving a very in- accurate and unfair account of Lord Roberts's removal of the Boer women from Pretoria. A large number of Boer women in the town...

Commons on War Office Contracts is not a very satisfac- tory document, for it shows that though the Committee could not put their hands on any very definite abuse, they were...

the Turkish Consul-General at Brussels. It appears that the Court of Constantinople has been fascinated by a project for constructing a railway from Damascus to Mecca, and in...

The passage dealing with South Africa announces that the Orange Free State has been annexed to the Empire, and states that the continued political independence of the two...

Friday 97ii.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COUNTRY. T HE end of the Session, possibly of the Parliament, affords a useful opportunity for considering the attitude of the country towards the...

T HERE is nothing in the news of the week to dispel the impression that the conflict with China will involve, even for coalesced Europe, a most serious, possibly even an...

DEFENCE. T HE experiment in the use of cyclist riflemen for pur- poses of national defence conducted by General Maurice last Saturday to Monday is well worth the attention not...

WE do not quite understand the sudden change of opinion in this country about the Servian. marriage. It was at first universally condemned as the wilful act of a young man...

'NA TE should not have been surprised if the judgment of the House of Lords in "Walter v. Lane "had gone the other way. Substantial injustice would thus have been done, but that...

I T is much to be regretted that the greater English politi- cians, and especially those who, like Lord Salisbury, Mr. Balfour, and Mr. Goschen, have read much and reflected...

"T HE Spirit of the World," said Matthew Arnold in his poem on "Ileine's Grave," "beholding the absurdi- ties of men," let for one brief moment a sardonic smile play on his...

HOW TO FORM A VILLAGE RIFLE CLUB. [TO THE EDITOR OF TOR "SPROTATOR."] SrE, — It may interest your reaqers to learn how I formed a village rifle club, for though the...

I T was remarked a short time ago by a Wessex farmer to the writer that, though plenty of sheep may be reared nowadays, shepherds are dying out, and paradoxical as the statement...

THE "SPECTATOR.") send you by this mail a copy of the Advertiser contain- ing a "Volunteer's Experience" of the "Seamy Side of War." This may appear to you a highly coloured and...

THE SURRENDER OF MASON AND SLIDELL. [TO TEl .EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.") Srn,—I find in the Spectator of July 28th a letter from Lieutenant J. S. Trotter, R.N., relating to...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR, — The following extract from a private letter written by a resident in Zululand may interest your readers.—I am, "Eshowe, Zululand. We...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR, — I expressed the opinion that one of the causes of the failure of the young men who are best fitted to make good clergymen to take...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] Sra,—With reference to Canon Gore's complaint in your last issue of the reluctance of laymen to join the Christian Social Union, I venture...

- [To TEM EDITOR OP THE "SP5CPATOIL1 Sut,—In your issue of July 28th, in a review of "Seven Gardens and a Palace" occurs the following passage :—" In writing of beeches this...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR, —I have received so many kindnesses from British diplomatists in different parts of the world that I hope you will kindly give me space...

[TO THZ EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR, —Could not strikes be avoided if the servants of railways and other companies during the time of their service were treated as...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—As one of the so-called Pro-Boers, I should like to thank you for the courtesy and fairness shown in your article to those who differ...

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—May I venture to suggest that your contributor (Spectator, July 14th) who is so anxious to improve the London squares should look at...

[To THE EDITOR OF TILE "SPECTATOR."] SYR,—Here is another bird-story if you think it worth having. I have a raven which is kept in an enclosed yard. Into this yard a fox-terrier...

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—I should like to offer some comments, from an Asiatic's point of view, on the article with the above title which ap- peared in your...

THE EXILES.* WATCH how the South-bound swallows go I What manner of folk are they ? Out of the sky they came to you, Guests of a summer's day,— Born in your sheltering...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SrscrATon."] Sra,—Whether dreams are the incessant accompaniment of sleep, or but its chance and fleeting visitors, is a question each dreamer must decide...

JOHN DRYDEN.f JOHN DRYDEN, an admirable poet, an ingenious playwright, a critic with intervals of brilliant clairvoyance, wins our suffrages chiefly by his mastery of prose....

(AFTER STRATO.) Moipts ;se, :car iv ivrafropev &pp, ok old' ErrE craft:is erT' drop, icrydvaso ; ' Ha 7/ -yap Ta itAXCI pciA! Srpecicos Jvhcra xivtcliess }tot srpowilm,...

much use, has heretofore been tacitly accorded to the long chain of beautiful islands utterly misnamed geographically New Zealand. Misnamed, because in the first instance they...

Tins is a volume that everybody should read, and not read only, but keep at hand for reference. In a series of papers, which first appeared in the Daily News, Mr. Haw sets forth...

THE fifteenth century is not distinguished by any original literature which can be said to belong to the very foremost rank. Malory's great work, undoubtedly the greatest that...

of an institution is not principally dependent on the antiquity of the foundation. Many of the schools which sprang up like mushrooms about the middle of the...

left a vacant room, Mrs. Anstruther's war-stories should be strictly tabooed. To read them when suffering from an intimate personal loss would be to turn a knife in a raw wound,...

THE MINOR MAGAZINES. THE QuaurEntaxs.—The new number of the Political Science Quarterly indicates the variety of the activities of the Columbia University, under the editorship...

The Register of the Privy Council of Scotland. Edited by David Masson. Second Series, VoL I. (1625-27). (Her Majesty's General Register House, Edinburgh.)—Striking testimony to...

The Idea of Tragedy in Ancient and Modern Drama. Three Lectures Delivered at the Royal Institution by W. L. Courtney. With a Prefatory Note by A. W. Pinero. (Constable and Co....

and to the Ontario Publishing Company in Toronto which issues it. While it is equal to all but the beat of its enterprising British and New York contemporaries in the quality of...

The Redemption of Egypt. By W. Basil Worsfold. (George Allen. 25s.)—In this singularly handsome and beautifully illus- trated volume Mr. Worsfold gives the fruits of a visit to...

Portuguese Nyassaland. By W. Basil Worsfold. (Sampson Low , Marston, and Go. 12s.)—This, like so many books by the same author, is an admirable manual of the comparatively...

In Bird-Land with Field-Glass and Camera. By Oliver G. Pike. (T. Fisher Unwin. 6s.)—Several books very similar to the one before us have recently been published. Instead of...

The Erskine& By A. R. llilacE wen. (Oliphant, Anderson, and Ferrier, Edinburgh. 28. 6d.)—This volume has had its "psycho- logical moment" ; it appears immediately after final...

A Treasury of Canadian Verse. Edited by T. H. Rand. (Dent and Co. 4e. 6d. net.)—The best poems in this anthology are those relating to scenery and the passing of the seasons,...

A History of the English Church, 1640-1660. By William Shaw, Litt P. 2 vols. (Longmans and Co. 36s.)—Dr. Shaw's two volumes are full of highly important matter, but he probably...

and Son. 7s. 6d.)—Mr. Dixon's books on birds are already well known, and there is much sameness about them. This volume deals with bird life in the Northern parts of these...

(Seeley and Co. 5s.)—In this volume Captain Eardley-Wilmot has, by striking out all account of foreign navies and extending the history ok our own, changed "The Development of...

The Cavalier Soldiers' Vade Mecum. Edited by E. Almack, F.S.A. (Blades, East, and Blades. 4s. 6d.)—The real title of this interesting relic of the Great Rebellion is "Certain...

Williams (Lon gmans and Co. 3s. 6d.) —J. N. Douglass was the elder son - of Mr. Nicholas Doug,lase, 'who, after an unfortunate ex- perience in business (caused by the...

-(J. M. Dent and Co.- as. 6d. net.)—Mr. Green puts battles as much as possible into the background (Sluys, Crecy, Peictiers. and .Agincourb have scarcely a page between them),...

(Rivingtons. 3s. 6d.) . —This is a useful little manual, containing the information wanted on most points, but not, we think, unsusceptible of improvement. We should like to...

reizz r.w. heading we nottce such Books of the wee& as have not been for review in other forms.] The Life of Reklunara. By Percy E. Newberry. (A. Constable and Co....

Mohammad Khan. (John Murray.)—It must be con, fessed that few Englishmen have regarded Afghanistan in the light of a constitutionally governed country. Nor does our author...

John Murray's "Handy Classical Maps" (1s. net each). These are Palestine and Germania, both appearing under the editorial care of Mr. G. B. Grundy. The Palestine map illustrates...

and Co.) the latest volume is The Travels of Sir John Mandeville (3s. 6d. net). Mr. Pollard, under whose care these volumes are appearing, explains what he has been called upon...