The Trinity House, London. By W. H. Mayo. (Smith, Elder,
and Co. 5s. net.)—This volume is another timely tribute to the Trafalgar year. The duties of the Trinity House are now wholly peaceful : it has the management of lighthouses and the super- vision of pilots, and administers certain charitable funds; but they have not always been so. The society had something to do with the national defence in the days of the Armada ; in fact, it was up to a late period in the seventeenth century the Admiralty. The early days of the Office, so called, were not distinguished. In the time of the Dutch disgrace it was the Trinity House that came to the rescue. It did good service also when Napoleon threatened us with invasion. Mr. Mayo tells the story of these things, and adds various other details. We see in the list of " Paintings in the Trinity House" the name of an "Elder Brother" (Sir R. Preston) who held that office for fifty4hree years (1781-1834). He should have come near to being a centenarian.
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