A POPULAR HANDBOOK TO THE GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES IN
THE BRITISH MUSEUM.
A Popular Handbook to the Greek and Roman Antiquities in the British Museum. Compiled by Edward T. Cook. (Macmillan and Co. 10s. net.)—Mr. Cook modestly says that though this "Hand- book is intended primarily for use in the Museum," he is " not altogether without hope that, in parts, it may be found readable at home." This is certainly not overstating the case. There is much that is most interesting to the reader. There is the sum- mary in the preface of the whole subject; there is the narrative of how the British Museum collection grew to be what it is ; there are the stories of how various treasures have been recovered, lost, and refound. An instance of this last is of quite recent date. An inscribed fragment from the Parthenon of Athens was described in the Archaeologia of 1771. It passed through various hands ; finally some barbarian broke it up for a rockery. Last year it was found by a clergyman in Essex, who sent a copy of the inscription on it to Dr. A. S. Murray. Dr. Murray found an important part to be missing; soon after this part was discovered on the same property. The inscription was a tribute of honour to some volunteers from amine who had fought for the Athenians at the battle of Tanagra (B.C. 457). The inscriptions are, indeed, of special interest. There is one from Thessalonica which records that a certain arch was erected when certain persona were " politarchs." St. Luke in recording the journeyings of St. Paul uses the very word of the magistrates of this city. As it is not found elsewhere, this is a remarkable proof of St. Luke's accuracy, and, incidentally, a support to Professor Ramsay's theory that St. Luke was a Macedonian by birth (in fact, " the man of Macedonia" whom St. Paul, having seen in the day, dreamt of as inviting his help). A Macedonian would be more likely to know the fact, which was, indeed, a sign of the enviable local in- dependence possessed by the Thessalonicans. Chap. 2 is given to the " Roman Portrait Gallery," a carious series of illustrations of Roman history. Later on we have the" Ephesus Room," the " Elgin Room," and the "Mausoleum Room." Even then we have got through less than a third part of the whole collection, and this with many omissions. In the pages that follow we have, among other things, a full description of the Greek vases, occupying chaps, 16-20, and con- taining about one hundred and fifty pages. There is, perhaps, nothing so wonderful in the remains of classical art as the vases. " A hundred nameless potters are better than the best men of the Renaissance," as F. T. Palgrave, quoted by Mr. Cook, puts it. What should we have thought of their paintings if time had suffered them to survive? After the vases come the bronzes, and after these, again, the coins, gold ornaments and gems, and terra- cottas. The last chapter is given to Roman Britain. This handy volume, containing close upon eight hundred pages, but not too bulky or heavy for the pocket, is simply a treasury of valuable in- formation. A fortnight, not to say more, might be most profitably spent in the Museum galleries with this for a companion.
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