The First Year of a Silken Reign. By Andrew W.
Taer and Charles E. Fagan. (Field and Tuer.)—This handsome volume, with its interesting illustrations and sumptuous paper and print, has obvious claims for a high place in "Jubilee" literature. Its literary merits, too, correspond. The incidents of the Queen's first year are carefully desoribed ; it is a familiar tale, but well told, and one or two matters generally neglected have been gathered up,—the curious fact, for instance, that the officials had prepared forms of the oath of allegiance, &o., as for "her Majesty Victoria Alexandrine," whereas the Queen chose to use the first name only. As a matter of fact, at her baptism Alexandrine was the first name; Besides the events of the year 1837-38, we have a sketch of the manners and the customs of the time, its amusements and caprices, some of them a little strange. What should we say now to a dwarf who used to " exhibit himself at fairs," and was "well received in society" ? And would such a celebrity now be buried in such a place as Durham Cathedral ?
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