Bundy oaths Sea. By Harold Begbie. (Isbister and Co. 5s.)
—Bundy is one of the numerous tribe of "Alice in Wonderland," and a very good specimen. No Cyclic poet came up to Homer— some people will have it that Homer was nothing more than a company of Cyclics himself—but some of them wrote very well. Bundy, who falls asleep after practising swimming on a chair, sees a number of wonderful beings,—Tom Tiddler, for instance, who is an ancient mariner; and Jack Robinson, a very rapid railway porter ; and Beach), Head, who has, it may be interesting to know, green hair; and the Sea-mew, and others whose acquaintance we leave it for our readers to make. And here the comparison of the Cyclics has a somewhat topsy-turvy applica- tion, for all these people have a great gift for poetry. The rhymes with which they entertain Bundy and each other are uncommonly good. All, indeed, is good. There is the cricket- match, for instance, where we find the Porpoise, who " does not get any practice at the nets like the eatable fishes " ; the Solea, who " field in the slips "; the Oyster, who " stands at point "— " Blue Point, you know "—the Lobster, who is bowler—" you've heard of Lobs, haven't • you ? "—the Mullet, who is " the worst fielder on the ground " ; the Starfish, who are put out in the field to catch the " skyers" ; and so forth. Perhaps these things do not look quite so well when they are out of their element, so to speak, like a seaside treasure when it is dry ; but they help to make a very funny book. We must not forget to say that Mr. Gordon Browne's illustrations are as good as possible.
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