New Erarrroxis.—The Shakespeare Story Book. By Mary Macleod. (Wells, Gardner,
Dayton and Co. ls. 6d.)—This book, which comes with a very powerful commendation from Sir Sidney Lee, was first published in 1902, and is now in a fourth edition, while it has been translated into French, Spanish, and Finnish. Eleven comedies and five tragedies are included. The three Roman plays and the nine histories are omitted with other dramas obviously unsuitable.—Eleven years ago Messrs. Dent published an edition of Robinson Crusoe with a portrait of Defoe and illustrations specially studied from West Indian scenery by "the Brothers Louis and Frederick Rhead," on the theory that the Crusoe Island is not, as is commonly supposed, Juan' Fernandez, but Tobago, described 011 the title-page of the first edition as being "at the mouth of the mighty Orinoco, thirty miles north-west of Trinidad." This is now republished. It is an edition which, with its appropriate type and careful illustrations, is distinctly worthy of the great romance.—The Days of Ancient Rome, by Thomas Babington Macaulay ; illustrated by Norman Ault. (Williams and Norgate. 6s. net.)—Mr. Ault's illustrations are spirited, but we do not think them all equally felicitous. The frontispiece is meant to show us the " Death of Sextus." He is on horseback; and a Roman soldier stabs him from behind. That is so far in accord with the poet's words—
"And in the back false Sextus
Felt-the good Roman steel"— but we have always imagined that, like Sisera, he "fled away on his feet," and was discovered and slain in some ignominious hiding- place. Then "The Vats of Luna" does not satisfy us. The girls of Luna may have laughed, but they worked, just as did the old men of Arretium at the harvest and the boys in the Umbro at the sheep-washing. The women in the picture are not working, but dancing, one in a diaphanous robe which does not seem befitting a peasant girL—Grimm's Fairy Tales; illustrated by Charles Folkard. (A. and C. Black. 6s.)—Here we have fifty-six of the tales, with twelve quaintly powerful illus- trations in colour, and the Introduction written by John Ruskin in 1868. — Tom Brown's School Days, by Thomas Hughes ; illustrated by Louis Rhead. (J. M. Dent and Co. 6s.)—The illustrations are carefully conformed, as far as may be, to the real things of the story: it is the Rugby of Dr. Arnold's time that the artist would show us. There is a portrait of the great Doctor himself and another of the author which does not re- veal the man to us—did Mr. Rhead ever see him ? We have also a map of Rugby town, and an Introduction by Mr. W. D. Howells, who is highly appreciative, but is not a little scandalized by the Tom Brown view of fighting.—Under the Storm, by Charlotte M. Yonge. (National Society. 3s. 61)—This is a story of the Com- monwealth days, opening with a scene in which a parish priest hides the Communion plate. Miss Yonge's stories have to some extent gone out of fashion, but we see very few that are better.
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