We mention together, with briefer notice than we would gladly
accord to them, some books dealing with provincial English life, past and present. These are :—Memorials of Old Lancashire. Edited by Lieut.-Colonel Fishwick and the Rev. P. H. Ditchfield. 2 vols. (Bemrose and Sons. 25s. not.)—We would point out as
chapters of special interest "The Grammar Schools,"
Elswick Congregational Church" (famous in the early history of Nonconformity), the "Old Church of Manchester," "Lanca- shire Castles and Fortified Houses," "The Chetham Hospital," "Furness Abbey." All these are written by contributors, expert in their several subjects. The series of those county "Memorials" Is one of the greatest value, and Lancashire is singularly rich in matter. —Hampshire, Painted by Wilfrid Ball, Described by the Rev. Telford Varley (A. and C. Black, 20s. net), belongs to a series of books well established in public favour. Their success is a most encouraging testimony to an awakened sense in the public of readers of what is good in art and literature. We do not doubt that Hampshire will take the place which it deserves in the list. —Finally, we have Untravelled Berkshire, by L. S. (Sampson Low, Marston, and Co., 'Ts. 6d. net). We do not quite know -what "untravelled" means. "Newbury," the "Valley of the Kennet," the "Tom Brown Country," to take three of the chapter titles, do not suggest this idea. Still, much of the country which is here described is out of the beaten track. "L. S." himself seems to be in the habit of following his own routes. Ho has made acquaint- ance with the present, by seeing Berkshire people as they are, and with the past, by reading books. Altogether, he has given us a book in which much of interest will be found.
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