For King or Empress? By C. W. Whistler. (T. Nelson
and Sons. 3s. 6d.)—Mr. Whistler has chosen for his subject a time about which very little has been written. The King is Stephen; the Empress is Matilda. His tale, then, has a certain attraction of novelty ; unfortunately, it is difficult to feel any sympathy for one side or the other. But he has introduced a very interest- ing episode. Norwich was the scene about the middle of the twelfth century of a terrible Anti-Jewish outbreak, caused by the indestructible fable of ritual murder. Mr. Whistler describes it with much graphic force. His whole book, indeed, is of more than average merit.—Under Which King ? by H. Bendel (same publishers, 2s. 6d.), takes us to ground which, though much nearer than the Stephen-Matilda time, is not well known. What are the chances of the average reader knowing the date of the battle of Hastenbeck, the opposing sides, and the names of the generals in command? Yet there were British troops engaged in it ; probably, as they did not come out of it with success, the name is not well marked in British memories. Mr. Bendel works this battle into his story, and uses it to make his readers acquainted with other things which will very likely be new to them. The tale is pleasantly told, and its writer is, it would seem, one of those who have not the heart to make a story end badly.
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