THE SOUTH DEVON AND DORSET COASTS.
The South Devon and Dorset Coasts. By Sidney Heath. (T. Fisher Unwin. 6s. net.)—This volume is one of the " County Coast Series." The subject is full of interest, even above the average of its kind, and Mr. Heath has dealt with it judiciously. History is, perhaps, not his strongest point. It surprises us a little to be told that the Romans were very careless with their money, because many stores of coins have been found. How many banks does Mr. Heath suppose there were in Roman Britain ? And why is the "finding of coins untrustworthy evidence of occupa- tion" owing to the fact that coins circulate after the personages represented on them have ceased to be ? The rule is perfectly simple. The latest coin marks approximately the lowest date. The descriptions of buildings, secular and sacred, of scenery and Nature, are all that we could wish, and the literary chapters— Thomas Hardy and William Barnes—are good. Other literary names more or less connected with the region are Jane Austen, who lived for some time at Lyme ; Miss Mitford, who was then in her childhood ; and Defoe, who joined the Duke of Monmouth's forces. A more successful invader comes into the story, for William of Orange landed at Torbay. But where does Mr. Heath find that William spoke broken English? "I am come here for your goof, for all your goots," reminds us of the story told of the Duchess of Kendal. The mob stopped her carriage, she put her head out of the window and said: "My good people, I am come for your goots." "Yes," said one of the mob, " damn you, and for our chattels too." There are some particularly good photographs, and some pleasing reproductions of sketches by the author.
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