4 JUNE 1881, Page 22

Mother Shipton Investigated. By William H. Harrison. (W. n. Harrison.)—Mr.

Harrison has collected here in a handy little volume what is known of "Mother Shipton." He would have done better,. perhaps, if he had omitted some very unsavoury details of a witch- craft story. If any one is exercised in mind about the prophecy,- " The world to an end shall come,

In eighteen hundred and eighty-one,"

it may comfort him to know that it was " fabricated about twenty years ago, by Mr. Charles Ifindley." There is, in fact, very little but fabrication about the whole business, and "Mother Shipton" must cease to be regarded as an interesting example of "uninspired prophecy."