Reminiscences. By James Burrill Angell. (Longmans and Co. 5s. net.)—Mr.
Angell's story, interesting in itself, appeals to readers on this side of the Atlantic by the picturesque variety of the career which it describes. At twenty-four Mr. Angell was appointed Professor of Modern Languages and Literature at Brown University, where he had graduated four years before. Seven years later he resigned the chair to carry on the editorship of a newspaper—he had for some time combined the two duties. Then, after another period of seven years, he became President of the University of Vermont. Alter five years here he was invited to take up the Presidency of the University of Michigan. This ho resigned in 1909, but his tenure was diversified with various diplo- matic employments. First he went to China at the request of Mr. Evarts, Secretary of State, to negotiate for a revision of treaties, with especial reference to the Chinese immigration into the Pacific States. Then he at on the Canadian Fisheries Com- mission. Finally he went au United States Minister to Turkey. (The Sultan had objected to the nomination because the pro- posed Minister was a "Congregationalist" This seems a little odd, but his Majesty confounded Congregationalism with the Congregation of the Society of Jesus.) Some of Mr. Angell's experiences are curious. In 1851 he saw at Quincy in Georgia a regular slave auction, one of the " lots" being a young woman of eighteen whose " points" were tested with as little ceremony as if she had been a mare. He went to Munich to hear a course on modern German literature, but found in six weeks' time that he had not got further than Ulfilas' " Translation of the Bible." "The old German Griindlichkeit proved fatal." In China Sir Robert Hart told him that he was very near joining the Tai-pings, and that their success would have been a benefit to China. "Lord Sackville West during our three months' dis- cussion never said anything except to move to adjourn." It was just the same thing in everything. Ho communicated in writing despatches from home and acknowledged in writing the reply. " Why does the British Government pay him 25,000 dollars and re- ,duce him to the function of a postage stamp ? " asked Mr. Bayard.
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