28 FEBRUARY 1880, Page 23

CURRENT LITERATURE.

Reviews and Discussions : Literary, Political, and Historical. Not Relating to Bacon,. By James Spedding. (C. Kegan Paul and Co.)—Mr. Elpedding has here collected a number of reviews, essays, notes, Sm., written at intervals daring a period of more than forty years. (The earliest review in the volume is "Henry Taylor's Statesmen," written just forty-four years ago.) All of them are, as it may be supposed, quite readable, though of some, as for instance, of "The Working of Negro Apprenticeship in 1838," and "Bill for the Sus- pension of the Jamaica Constitution, 1839," the interest is nearly passed away. Among the more noticeable articles is one on Hartley Coleridge ; and another, which will be interesting to play- goers of to-day, bow The Merchant of Venice 'as acted five years

• ago at the Prince of Wales's Theatre, and failed, even though the rile of Portia was taken by Ellen Terry.