12 AUGUST 1893, Page 25

The Gods of Olympus. Translated from the twentieth edition of

A. H. Petisous by Katherine A. Raleigh. With preface by Jane E. Harrison. (T. Fisher Unwin.)—Mies Harrison's excellent pre- face states the value of this book with great clearness and con- ciseness. It is, as she says, "old-fashioned,"—i.e., it gives the story of the Olympians as we had it in the pre-scientific days (in "Lempriere," for instance, but without the blemishes of that fascinating book). We are but feeling our way to scientific mythology ; meanwhile, we had better be content with the literary aide of the subject. This has been improved, it would seem, by a free treatment of the original. The illustrations also have been added to. As a result, we got a capital book.