Edinburgh. Written by M. G. Williamson, M.A. Illustrated by Herbert
Railton. (Methuen and Co. 4s. 6d. net.)Mr. Williamson has had a great subject to deal with, and has treated it worthily. Historical and literary interests meet here in no common way. There are, it is true, cities in the world which must be allowed to take precedence of " Dunedin," but these are but few. In the British Isles, for instance, only London can claim superiority. And, indeed, to the purpose of such a series as this Edinburgh lends itself with special fitness. It is, in a word, manageable. We cannot attempt to follow Mr. Williamson in his peregrinations. It must be enough to say that he snakes an admirable guide. He has, too, it is almost superfluous to say, the best of coadjutors in Mr. H. Railton, whose magic pencil was never more effectively employed. He has the art of giving a romantic atmosphere to even commonplace scenes, and when he has such a series of subjects as the old houses and wynds of Edinburgh furnish, it is impossible to praise him enough. (We notice a curious variant of the story about the original language. James IV. sent two children to be brought up by a dumb woman, and found that the language -which they spoke by nature was Hebrew ! Psammetichus of Egypt made a similar experiment, and found that the original language was Phrygian. So Herodotus tells us. hind James IV. read Ilerodotus ?)--In the "Mediaeval Towns" Series we have The Story of Paris, by Thomas Okey (J. M. Dent and Co., 3s. Gd. net). The book appeared substantially some two years ago, but Mr. Okey has revised and enlarged it, with special view to the practical purposes of a. guide-book. We need scarcely say, however, that the historical, literary, and artistic aspects of the city are worthily treated.
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