Memoir of the Right Hon. Sir W. Houle. Edited by
Emma Leathley. (Bentley.)—The outside of this book excites an expectation which the title-page disappoints. There we read "Memoir of the Early Life, dm." Mr. Justice Mettle had a great reputation for saying good things, "good," it must be allowed, occasionally in the conventional, rather than the ethical sense of the word. These we should have had a pleasure, not absolutely culpable, we hope, but not especially praiseworthy, in reading. No such pleasure is provided for us here. The memoir leaves the young Mettle when he has obtained his fellowship at Trinity. Even his career as a student is related in a somewhat unsatisfactory fashion. He was Senior Wrangler of his year, but there is scarcely an allusion, in his letters, to mathematical studies ; of classics he does speak once or twice. Of course this is not the editor's fault, but it takes much from the value of the volume. Young Mania seems to have been a clever, diligent, affectionate lad ; the picture that we got of him is pleasing enough, and here and there we catch a glimpse of the wit which became famous in after days. Still we do not find anything in the volume that seems specially worth quoting, the most pithy saying in it being credited to a certain uncle. "I recollect," writes young Mauls to his relative, "a certain observation of yours, that private education made poor devils of boys. and that a public one made them sad dogs."
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