The Story of the Tower of London. By Reria Francis.
(Harrap and Co. £1 net.)—There is a magnificence about the format and printing of this new book upon the Tower that should commend it to any who are still lavish in their purchases. Mr. Francis has taken considerable trouble to colleot the history of the building and the records of what has passed within its walls. He does well in drawing out from the history the changing characteristics of its use—as a challenging fortress, a Royal castle, a Sovereign's more or loss domestic palace, a State prison, and finally as a museum. There is no reference to the solemn acts of justice of which it has been the scene during the war. Visitors to London do see the Tower ; Londoners, we are told, seldom do. But they ought to go there, and such a book as this should stir them to do their duty. Mr. Francis is a little long-winded in places, and rarely flippant, which is un- happy. While there is no need in such a book to show a deep insight into political history, ho occasionally makes attempts and fails : for instance, his ideas of the characters and abilities of some of our early Sovereigns are not very sound. There is an allusion to St. Catherine's Chapel at Guildford which is incomprehensible. There ought to have been a good plan, unless such things are now forbidden. By chance wo noticed that the end-piece is a faint reproduction of an old survey, which is bettor than nothing. The illustrations are the work of Mr. Louis Weirter, fine, romantic drawings after the manner of his successful pictures of Edinburgh Castle which we remember noticing two years ago. Occasionally they are romantic to excess, and seem affected, especially in the lighting, but they remain a fine series of studies.
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