Stirring Ti»zes ; or, Records from Jerusalem, Consular Chronicles of
1853-1856. By the late James Finn. Edited and compiled by his Widow. With a Preface by the Viscountess Strangford. 2 vols. (C. Kegan Pan' and Co.)—A very strong pro-Turkish preface does not exactly commend this book to impartial readers. Yet such will find much solid information in it. This information indeed is buried in a mass of matter which has doubtless its uses, but is certainly out of place here. We regret that Mrs. Finn has not exercised her editor's power of selection more firmly. Doubtless it was a difficult task; to her, everything had its interest and importance ; but there were many things to be considered, on the other hand, and chiefly the preoccupation of a busy age, which really has not the time for about a thousand pages, dealing with events which are now nearly a quarter of a century old. We are speaking of the immediate interest of the book. A moderate-sized volume, containing the more striking and important observations, would have attracted, we should think, many readers. For Mr. Finn was an acute and truthful observer, not the less to be valved because he was willing to believe the best of the Turks. But it may well be the case that some historian of the fatare may be glad that the collection has been left so fulL He can hardly fail to find in it most useful materials for one side of the history of the great war of 1853-6.
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