ANCIENT ROYAL PALACES IN LONDON.
Ancient Royal Palaces in and near London. Drawn in Litho- graphy by Thomas R. Way. With Notes compiled by Frederic Chapman. (John Lane. 21s.)—Mr. Way has here given us some lithographs which are beautiful in themselves as well as interesting from their subjects. He has a fine sense of values, and can use his medium with skill and artistic effect. It is difficult to choose one or two of the illustrations for special notice, but those of Greenwich Palace from Observatory Hill and from the river are charming examples. Mr. Chapman's notes are interesting, though rather too much condensed, and we would willingly sacrifice the wide margins with which this book is furnished to allow more room to the author. He gives a dark picture of the lives of many of the Royal inhabitants of these ancient palaces, whose pleasures, except those of building and laying-out gardens, seem, in these civilised times, to have been almost as savage as their crimes. He gives many quotations from old and new books. Among these there is an account by Paul Hen'zner of his visit to the Tower in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. "On coming out of the Tower," he tells us, " we were led to a small house close by, where are kept variety of creatures, viz., three lionesses, one lion of a great size called Edward VI., from his having been born in that reign, a tiger, a lynx, a wolf exceeding old ; this is a very scarce animal in England, so that their sheep and cattle stray about in great numbers without any danger, though without anybody to keep them ; there is besides a porcupine and an eagle. All these creatures are kept in a remote place fitted up for the purpose with wooden lattices at the Queen's expense."
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