THE ROMANCE OF EMPIRE.
The Romance of Empire. By Philip Gibbs. (Edward Arnold. 6s.)—Although Mr. Gibbs does not wield quite such a fascinating pen as that of Dr. W. H. Fitchett, the prose-Laureate of Imperialism, his book is undoubtedly all that ibs title claims. He tells the story of "expansion," from the dreaming boyhood of Raleigh to the conclusion of the Boer War, with a buoyant and almost boyish zest which is contagious, finding " romance " in incident and characters,—such diverse characters, for example, as those of Wolfe, Clive, and Rhodes. The stories of the rise and- s:: the time of the Mutiny—the defence of the Indian Empire, the conquest of the Maoris in New Zealand, and the exploits. of the bushrangers in Australia are remarkably well told. The present writer does not agree with all the opinions Mr. Gibbs expresses, especially upon the progress of events in South Africa. But as a rule he is temperate in the expression of his views. He allows that Cecil Rhodes had his faults, and stigmatises the Jameson Raid as "that disastrous chapter of folly." Above all, he subordinates " viewiness " to information.
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