ILLUSTRATED EDITIONS.
OF the half-dozen elaborately produced editions of well-known classics intended for the Christmas market that have already reached us, perhaps the most attractive is The Heroes, by Charles Kingsley, with 12 Illustrations by W. Russell Flint (Philip Lee Warner, 15s. and 7s. 6d. net). It is a pleasure to re-read these famous "Greek Fairy Tales" in such beautifully designed type, while Mr. Flint's water-colours are thoroughly in keeping with his subject matter.—A book which is sure to find many purchasers this year is Drake's Drum, by Henry Newbolt, with Illustrations by A. D. McCormick (Hodder and Stoughton, 15s. net). A score or so of Mr. New boles stirring poems are here reprinted with some dashingly drawn pictures to set them off.—A new translation has been made of Aucassin and Nicolete, by Dulcie Lawrence Smith, with Illus- trations by Eileen Lawrence Smith (Andrew Melrose, 14s. net). The translation is on the whole satisfactory, though a section of the romance is omitted, but it may be confessed that the drawings are a little lacking in strength. We must add that the printing is specially excellent.—Shakespeare's Mid- summer-Night's Dream has been selected for illustration by Mr. W. Heath Robinson (A. Constable and Co., 12s. 6d. net). Although be is perhaps not entirely successful with the fairy parts of the play, Mr. Robinson's drawings of Bottom and his companions will be thoroughly appreciated.—It is always delightful to come upon a new edition of The Vicar of Wakefield, and the one before us, with Illustrations by Mr. Edmund J. Sullivan (same publishers, 12s. 6d. net), is in every way excellent.—We may mention along with these a set of four "Riccardi Press Booklets," which have been published by Mr. Philip Lee Warner for the Medici Society, and which, though not illustrated, would serve most admir- ably as gift-books. These four volumes are A Shropshire Lad, Mr. A. E. Housman's well-known poems (7s. 6d. net) ; Tennyson's In Memoriam, (es. net) ; Washington Irving's Knickerbocker Papers (6s. net); and Mrs. Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese (5s. net). The reputation of the Riccardi Press books makes it unnecessary for us to remark upon the perfection of their printing.
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