Beauties and Antiquities of Ireland. By T. 0. Russell. (Kegan
Paul, Trench, and Co. 7s. 6d.)—Mr. Russell has given us here a very interesting book. He is evidently the right man for the work. He knows what he is writing about, and loves the task. Enthusiastic about the scenery, he is not disagreeably sceptical about the antiquities. He is prepared to accept the very remote past to which the Irish chroniclers introduce us. It is not, perhaps, an entirely critical attitude to ask what motives these gentlemen had for inventing the personages and incidents of which they write. " Motives " come in quite late in literary history. In early days the most amazing things were written in absolute good faith. But we have no objection to make to Mr. Russell's attitude, which we will call sympathetic rather than credulous. Tara, Loch Bee (new country, we imagine, to most English readers), Clonmacnois, Glendalloch and the Round Towers, "Royal and Saintly Castle," the Lakes of Westmeath, and "The Wild West Coast," are among the subjects of Mr. Russell's pen. His book would be an admirable companion to the traveller. But we would venture, from this point of view, to remonstrate against the excessive weight which has somehow been given to the volume.
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