Unknown London: its Romance and Tragedy. By A. T. Camden
Pratt. (Neville Beeman.)—" Places Generally Unknown" is the correction which Mr. Pratt supplies in his sub-title. Even this we might question. Not a few of the places which Egure in his "Contents" are known to all persons—and we confess that they are but few in proportion to the mass of the London popula- tion—who are truly Londoners. Apart from this, Mr. Pratt's is a very entertaining volume Some of his matter is really new, in the sense of being newly brought out of the limbo into which the busy life of the day rapidly hurries the past, when it does not survive in active use. Then there are glimpses of the seamy side of life ; there are glimpses of strange conditions introduced by recent developments of trade ; there are descriptions of places, Soane's Museum, for instance, which thousands of people pass daily year after year and never think of visiting. Of miscellaneous papers we may mention the description of the British Museum News- paper Room, the " Art of Watchmaking " (why does the English trade allow itself to be undersold by the Waltham watches ? everything should be dearer in the Protection-ridden States, yet here are articles which the English manufacturers cannot rival), " Up and Down the Thames," and what we may call obituary
notices of two expiring institutions, "The Last of Clement's Inn" and "The Last of the Fellowship Porters."
What is commonly called the " Pan-Presbyterian Conference " met for the sixth time last year at Glasgow, and held a Session of eight days (June 17th-26th). Its proceedings are recorded in a volume entitled Proceedings of the Sixth General Council of the Alliance of the Reformed Churches Holding the Presbyterian System, edited by the Rev. G. D. Matthews (James Nisbet and Co.) There is, it is needless to say, much interesting matter in it. The papers and discussion on Biblical criticism have this character pre-eminently. It is, of course, impossible to tell, as no voting took place, and no expressions of popular opinion are recorded, what was the general feeling ; but certainly the papers lead by Professors Kidd (Glasgow) and %mos (Chicago) are eminently reasonable.
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