21 JANUARY 1882, Page 23

The Festus Birthday Book (Longmans) sufficiently proclaims its contents by

its title-page. Mr. Bailey's poem, which few people, we fear, read now-a-days, is well suited for the purpose of such a volume as this. It contains many fine thoughts and weighty sentences, which do not suffer materially by being detached from their context. It is quite possible, indeed, that for many readers the poet appears to more advantage when thus presented to them, than in the somewhat formidable shape of Festus, as it is in its integrity.