T HE week opened with a sense of great gloom and appre- hension in regard to the situation at Ladysmith. On Monday a despatch was published from General Buller saying that he...

Wednesday, and have doubtless already begun to review the military situation as a whole, and to open, as we hope, a new era in the conduct of affairs. The central fact in the...

as to the casualties, but the Daily Mail says ours are roughly put at eight hundred killed and wounded, and those of the Beers at between two and three thousand. We always...

sad gallantry and success on Saturday, all that General Puller was able to do was to make a reconnaissance in front of Colenso,—a reconnaissance which proved absolutely barren...

war is not of great moment,—except that a section of General French's force has met with a reverse. Colonel Watson, in command of the Suffolks, after a night march seized a...

any case.

dealt with the main problems of the war. He admitted that the misgovernment suffered by the Out- landers on the one hand, and the great military preparations of the Boers on the...

to his constituents in East Manchester. In the first, at a conversazione held in the Christ Church Schools, Bradford, he took up the point that England bad before now begun...

for the really splendid persistence with which he pursues an object when once be has fixed his mind on it. On Tuesday he sent a telegram to the King of Wiirtemberg thanking him...

Balfour's speech in these patticulars, but we retain our confidence in his power to guide the nation if he will only exercise that power frankly and fearlessly. What is wanted...

to the proceedings, which were opened in both cases by temporary or seniority Presidents. Owing to the poste pouernent of the Triennial Elections till the 28th inst., one- third...

Secretary, made an interesting speech on the recent development of German shipping at the launch of the new Hamburg-America liner `Deutschland,' which is designed to eclipse all...

Government could not have carried the nation with them if they had male what would have seemed pre. mature, and 80 what would have been termed provocative, preparations. We will...

becomes daily more splendid,—there is no other word for it, Mr. McLean, the Premier of Victoria, replying to Queens- • land's suggestion that the joint Australian force for...

further communications on which subject will be found in our correspondence columns, we would recall attention to the letter which appeared in the Times on the 29th ult. In it...

New York financiers is now an accomplished fact. The chief mover in the negotiations, of which an interesting account is to be found in Thursday's Times, is Mr. William Nelson...

— namely, that the Governor of Gibraltar has received an offer from three thousand Spaniards with military train. lug who are willing to enter our service. If these men like...

Mr. Charles Phillips, the Congregational minister of Johannesburg. Speaking of the ministers of the Free Churches in the Transvaal, he points out that their material interests...

influenza epidemic is again seriously prevalent in London and the large towns. The deaths directly attributable to that cause in London, which had stood at 42, 38, 69, and 193...

the phrase in our last issue, "We certainly do not mean to give up till we have tried for a couple of years or so," as seeming to imply that we should abandon our efforts if we...

New Consols (21) were on Friday 99.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO. W E are much more concerned with what Mr. Balfour did not say in his speech at Manchester than with what he did say. The mistakes and mis-...

W E cannot notice without the strongest expres- sion of indignation the attempt which is being made by the Morning Post, and by the papers which follow in its wake, to single...

H OWEVER it may affect one personally, the fact is of great interest that, during the past week or two, at a time of perfect harmony in the mining industry, coal has commanded...

M R. WILLIAM O'BRIEN, who of late has shown a disposition to emerge from his self-imposed obscurity into the political arena, has come forward with a practical suggestion....

M R. BALFOUR'S speech at Manchester passed at one point from the region of explanation of particular mishaps into that of general politics. He does not ques- tion—no one,...

he is sick," said Dr. Johnson. If it is true, the high death-rate and prevailing illness must have marked a very high tide of rascality in England during the last few weeks. The...

B ELOVED of the poet and the painter, appealing by the inimitable grace of their curves and marvel of their motion to all mankind, the waves of the sea take easily their high...

L ETTERS from Natal and the Cape frontier show that, when not marching or fighting, our officers and soldiers find abundance of interest in the natural history of South Africa....

[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.'] have been much interested in the references made in your columns during the past few weeks to the necessity for the better provision of rifle...

WAR OFFICE REFORM AND THE CIVILIAN E LE MENT. [To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sill,—Your arguments in favour of the retention of civilians as heads of the military and...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR:1 Sin,---Some time since a description and drawings were shown to me of an infantry shield that had been subjected to a number of severe tests,...

[TO THE EDITOP. OF THE "SPECTATOR] SIE, — Recent articles and letters in the Spectator have done much to bring home the conviction that the security of thi s and of every...

Sro,—Onr generals in Africa seem to be making no effort to approach the enemy's position by trenching, although an assault without such aid, however strong the attacking force...

Sin.—Owing to an error in punctuation, &c., one sentence in my letter on the above subject in your issue of January 6th was rendered somewhat unintelligible. It should have,...

OF THE "SPECTATOR-1 SIR,—In the Spectator of December 30th you cite that fine passage from R. L Stevenson's letters regarding mission work. May I add w bat I think is its...

shields in war has been tested to a point not known to you and the writers of the recent letters in the Spectator. General Roy Stone, of Washington, is the inventor of a shield...

Mackarness's letter in the Spectator of January 6th so pregnantly exposes the prema- ture character of his attack upon Sir Alfred Milner that no further comment on this point is...

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The following extract from a letter written by a Danish Judge of the Supreme Court in Copenhagen will, I think, be interesting to...

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.") SIR,—Your correspondent, Mr. Edward Stanley Robertson, has been misinformed as to the circumstances of Dr. Little- dale's death, and the...

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—I was greatly surprised to read the accusation in your editorial note of last week that I had unfairly attacked a man incapable of...

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—May I withdraw the doubt I expressed of the correct- ness of your conclusion as to the "close of the century "? I had forgotten that...

[TO THE EDITOR OP TIIE "SPECTATOR."] Ste,—In your review of "A Birthday Book," by Mrs. M. L. Gwynn, you say : "For the first time we have a book of daily quotations compiled...

THE GARDEN COLONY. (A REMINISCENCE OF NATAL.) THERE is no winter in this land of flowers, But only storm and sunshine : fiery heat Bursting in furious cataracts of rain. The...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Your editorial note to my letter in the Spectator of January 6th, makes it necessary for me to address you again. You have adhered to...

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Lest, in the sadness and anxiety that overshadow us from the war in South Africa, we forget there is a bright lining to every cloud,...

THE NEW GALLERY. THE riches of English private collections of pictures seem to be without limit, and the readiness of the owners to lend their treasures admirable. While the...

MR. FREDERIC HARRISON'S ESSAYS.* THESE essays are very unequal. Those which come under the heading of "Other Literary Estimates" are far more interesting than the three from...

written forty years ago. Yet so strong a grip has it upon the reader that its pages might be the impressions of yesterday; so strong a grip have its scenes upon its author that,...

IT is almost better to be known for a dunce than for a wit. A dunce expects nothing of posterity, and may win a higher reputation than he deserves. A wit is secure of misunder-...

TRUTH and sincerity seldom shine more clearly through the words of a book than in Mr. Rider Haggard's Farmer's Year. It sets out the life of the country, not of those who merely...

serves us aright, that Mr. Andrew Lang collaborated in a work of fiction was in The World's Desire when his partner was Mr. Rider Haggard. He has now joined forces with Mr. A....

SIR ARTHUR SULLIVAN'S LIFE. In Sir Arthur Sullivan: Lifp-Story, Letters, and Reminiscences (James Bowden, 6s.), Mr. Arthur Lawrence has compiled an elaborate...

D. Godley, M.A. (Clarendon Press. 6s. net.)—This, we need hardly say, is a volume which every scholar, at least of the old-fashioned kind, will greatly enjoy. It is something...

C. 31tiyle. (Mayle. 2s. 6d. net.)—Mr. R. F. Iforton makes a complaint in which many dwellers in the suburbs will join,—that there is no life of their own in these places....

That Reminds Me—. By Sir Edward Russell. (T. Fisher Unwin. 12s.)—It seems ungrateful to criticise such a collection of good stories as Sir Edward Russell here brings...

',tinder this heading we notice such Books of t'w week as have not been teserred for review in other forms.] poets, has known m any interesting people. He saw_ in his youth...

White- house. (Bonnell, Selvor, and Co., New York. 6s.)—Mr. White- house gives us a description of the upper and under currents of history, as they may be called, during the...

Bindley. (Methuen and Co. 680—Mr. Bindley gives us here, for the use of students, in the first place, and for other readers interested in the subject, the text of a number of...

Driving, and Kindred Sports, by T. F. Dale (2s. 6d.) The subject has, of course, been fully treated in the corresponding volume of the "Badminton Library." This volume has the...

Ware cautions us against too great a readiness to import foreign methods into this country, on the one hand, and a blind refusal to learn from elsewhere, on the other. He helps...

of being snubbed by the authorities. Mr. Goode had a good time on board the flagship, and is able to include in his volume a chapter by the Admiral himself on the battle of...

and Ferrier. Is. 6d.)—In this Life of Campbell (one of the "Famous Scots Series") Mr. Haddon has given us a very interesting and impartial account of the poet. He was born and...

f atholic Year - book and Clergy List (Regan Paul. Trench, and Co., is. net), a handbook of general information for Catbolics.—With this may be mentioned The Catholic...

to Carlyle. Selected by Bertha M. Skeat. (Blackie and Son. is. 6d.)—Miss Skeet has made a very interesting and instructive choice of extracts, covering altogether a period of...

per vol ) we have 'Vols. V. and VI., containing "King Richard II ," "Henry IV," Parts 1 and 2. "Henry V.," and "Henry VI.," Parts 1 and 2. — The Essays of Francis Bacon,...