BOOKS RECEIVED.

Books sent to this table are numbered consecutively in each volume as received; and reviewed by reference to this number.

(32) THE TWO LOST CENTURIES OF BRITAIN. By Wm. H. Babcock. 12mo, cloth, pp. 240. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co.

(33) NOTES ON SOME WRITING WHICH MAY BE BY SHAKESPEARE IN THE BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY, 1889. By Mellen Chamberlain. 8vo, pp. 16, plates. Boston: The Public Library.

(34) ENGLISH-ESKIMO AND ESKIMO-ENGLISH VOCABULARIES. Compiled by Ensign Roger Wells, Jr., U. S. N., and Interpreter John W. Kelly, preceded by Ethnographical Memoranda concerning the Arctic Eskimos in Alaska and Siberia. By John W. Kelly. 8vo, paper. Washington: The Bureau of Education, 1890.

(35) THE BANKSIDE SHAKESPEARE. Edited by Appleton Morgan. XII., The First Part of King Henry the Fourth. With Introduction by William H. Fleming. XIII., The Second Part of King Henry the Fourth. With Introduction by William H. Fleming. XIV., Pericles, Prince of Tyre. With Introduction by Appleton Morgan. 8vo, boards, pp. about 200. New York: The Shakespeare Society of New York.

(36) THE SHAKESPEARIAN YEAR CALENDAR FOR 1891. Card relief, 10 x 6, of the Birth House, with Shakespeare and children in foreground, and packet of motto slips. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co.

(37) SHAKESPEARE: THE MAN AND HIS MIND. By Prof. W. Clarke Robinson. 16mo, paper, pp. 125. Buffalo: C. W. Moulton. (38) THE PROTOTYPE OF HAMLET, AND OTHER SHAKESPEARIAN PROBLEMS. BY Wm. Preston Johnson. By 12mo, cloth, pp. 240. New York: Belford Company.

(39) SHAKESPEARE'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT, AND ENDORSEMENT. Three sheets photo-lithhgraphed in fac-simile, 14 x 17. Fine paper. New York: L. L. Lawrence, 21 Park Row. 50 cents. (40) CLEOPATRA. A Study by Henry Houssaye. Translated from the French by A. F. D. (Authorized edition.) 16mo, paper, pp. 106. New York: Duprat & Co.

(41) SHAKESPEARE AND MONTAIGNE. An endeavor to explain the tendency of Hamlet, from allusions in contemporary works. By Jacob Feis. 12mo, cloth, pp. 210. London: Kegan Paul, Trench

& Co.

(42) THE MERCHANT OF VENICE. With an introduction and notes by K. Deighton, Fellow of the Universities of Calcutta and Allahabad. Same, The Life and Death of King John. 16mo, cloth, pp. 174, 187. London and New York: Macmillan & Co.

By

(43) THE EARLIER HISTORY OF ENGLISH BOOKSELLING. William Roberts. 12mo, cloth, pp. 341. London: Sampson Low, Marston Searle & Rivington.

(44) HENRICK IBSEN'S PROSE DRAMAS. Edited by William Archer. Authorized English edition. Vol. IV., Emperor and Galilean. Cæsar's Apostasy. The Emperor Julian. 12mo, cloth, pp. 353. New York: Scribner & Welford.

(45) THE ART OF PLAYWRITING. Being a Practical Treatise on the Elements of Dramatic Construction. Intended for the Playwright, the Student and the Dramatic Critic. By Alfred Hennequin, Ph.D. 16mo, cloth, pp. 187. Boston and New York: Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin & Co.

(46) EMINENT ACTOR SERIES. Thomas Betterton. By Robert W. Lowe. 12mo, pp. 196. New York: Longmans, Green & Co. (47) THE COMPLETE POETICAL WORKS OF ALFRED LORD TENNYSON. Sq. 16mo, limp morocco, gilt edges, pp. 250. London and New York: Macmillan & Co.

(48) FRANCIS BACON, POET, PROPHET, PHILOSOPHER, VERSUS PHANTOM CAPTAIN SHAKESPEARE. The Rosicrucian Mask. By W.

F. C. Wigston. 8vo., pp. 436. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co.

(49) JOURNAL OF THE BACON SOCIETY. Vol. II., No. 11. 12mo, pp. 40. London: David Banks.

344.

(50) STUDIES IN LITERATURE. By John Morley. 12mo, pp. London and New York: Macmillan & Co.

(51) FRENCH DRAMATISTS OF THE 19TH CENTURY. By Brander Matthews. New edition revised, and additional chapter. 8vo., pp. 321. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.

(52) THE CAMBRIDGE SHAKESPEARE. The Works of Shakespeare. Edited by William Aldis Wright. Vol. I., The Tempest; The Two Gentlemen of Verona; The Merry Wives of Windsor; Measure for Measure; The Comedy of Errors. Royal 8vo, pp. 520. London and New York: Macmillan & Co.

(53) THE PINE TREE COAST. By Samuel Adams Drake. Sm. 4to, cloth, pp. 393. Boston: Estes & Lauriat.

(54) NEW ENGLAND LEGENDS AND FOLK-lore. By Samuel Adams Drake. Illustrated. Sm. 4to, cloth, pp. 461. Boston: Estes & Lauriat.

(55) WAS SHAKESPEARE A BARBER? AND OTHER SKETCHES. By E. Murray Day. 16mo, paper, pp. 34. New York: E. M. Day.

(56) OUR MOTHER TONGUE. By Theodore H. Mead. 16mo, cloth, pp. 328. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co.

(57) ENGLISH CLASSICS FOR SCHOOL READING. Tales from Shakespeare's Comedies. By Charles and Mary Lamb. Edited with notes by William J. Rolfe, Litt.D. Illustrated. Sq. 16mo, cloth, pp. 269. New York: Harper & Brothers.

(58) THE KREUTZER SONATA. By Count Liof Tolstoi. 16mo, paper, pp. 45. New York: Stoddard & Co.

(59) CARMINA PRINCETONIA. The University Song-Book of the College of New Jersey. 8vo, paper, pp. 126, Newark: Martin R.

Dennis & Co.

(33) We devoted in March, 1887 (Vol. IV., p. 154), considerable space to the claims of Chicago to possession of a genuine autograph of Shakespeare. Boston's turn, it seems, was to arrive later. Mr. Chamberlain's "notes" are very conservative and readable. Briefly epitomized there is at present in the Boston Public Library, a volume of North's Plutarch, dated 1603, which was bought, together with a first folio of Ben Jonson, in 1880, of Mr. Samuel Gasking, an Englishman. He pointed out to the librarian an apparent signature of Shakespeare with other writing upon the inside of the back of the book on a fold of paper, to which, and to a memorandum then made upon the subject by the librarian, public attention now has been directed. It is not assumed that, even if the signature be genuine, Shakespeare ever saw this copy of Plutarch, but it is probable that the paper bearing the signature was a piece of waste, perhaps a part of the refuse of some lawyer's office, such as used frequently to be employed for linings in binding.

The signature, "Willm Shakspeare, hundred and twenty poundes,' is not in the same ink with the other writings upon the paper, but all are in the ink and the handwriting of the seventeenth century. The librarian believes that they must have been concealed from view until the covers of the volume became detached, that they are older than any of the known forgeries of the poet's signature, and that they were placed where they are at a time when there was no motive for their forgery. The position of the writing is unusual, and not where a forger would have been likely to place it.

Mr. Chamberlain presents six reasons why he holds the signature to be probably genuine :

1. The volume is dated in 1603, and probably was bound many years before Shakespeare died.

2. The paper bearing the signature is part of the original constitution of the volume, and of the same date as the binding.

3. In the judgment of experts the ink is that of the early part of the seventeenth century.

4. The signature must have been written in that century, and before the signature, the text and the parchment had been perforated by a worm-hole, the clean edges of which show it to have been made. subsequently.

5. This signature bears a strong resemblance to the signatures of Shakespeare which are known to be genuine.

6. If the signature be genuine, the additional words "hundred and twenty poundes" also must be, and, Mr. Chamberlain adds, "in that case the Boston Public Library possesses more of Shakespeare's writing than has been found elsewhere." The conclusion which he has reached is that "the library autograph presents many reasons in favor of its genuineness, and too few objections to warrant an adverse judg

ment.'

(36) A very delightful calendar, as calendars go. The selections may not be entirely appropriate always to the season-and we may add it would be impossible to make them appropriate to anything elseand as to the mood of the reader, the less profanity a selection in

vokes, the better we can speak of it. But in this case the artistic work commands enough praise to overcome the general reluctance to any selections at all. Who has not wished, in looking over the radiant Christmas cards, Easter cards, New Year's cards, and so on, that the manufacturer could have confined himself to his art and left the sentiments to the purchaser ?

(37) and (38) are two volumes of recent lectures delivered by as many college professors to their classes. But, in the absence of any crying want for restatement of perfectly familiar, not to say elementary, matter, it is difficult to conceive any excuse (except that of personal vanity in the said professors) for their preservation in book-form. College professors, of course, are handicapped in many ways-the religious persuasion of their college, the age and comprehensions of the students, the scope of their curriculum-all these may operate, to compel a rehash of already well-hashed matter. But to print this third hash is not only useless, but misleading. The bookbuyers, somehow or other, have grown to infer, and have a right to infer, that only a man who has something to say, shall "lecture," or write books: and that the latest book will contain the latest information concerning its subject-matter. In these two volumes there is not only not the slightest merit of statement, or re-arrangement of jejune matter, but the results of the latest criticism and discovery are not alluded to at all. Robinson is comparatively modest in his preface, but Mr. Johnson is most pretentiously satisfied with his performance. The "problems" he deals in were laid at rest at about the time that the remainder of his material accrued, viz., at about the date of Major-General Stanley's military knowledge-the middle of the last century. There is absolutely nothing in these two volumes that requires comment, except as to the sapient presumption of their appearance in book-form.

(39) Mr. Lawrence has photo-lithographed, under the supervision of the New York Shakespeare Society, the Will, in exact size, tint of ink and tone of paper of the original document. It is highly probable that this was, as Dr. Halliwell-Phillipps thought, intended to be a first draft only, and would have been engrossed later, had not it been sent for in extremis, and so hastily executed that the date was unchanged, and the interlineations (the "second best bed " among them) allowed to remain as they were. The sheet is in convenient form for framing in glass or binding, and the nominal price (50 cents) ought to permit every lover of the poet to place in his library this unimpeachable relic of the Master.

(45) It would be hard to mention a volume of 187 pages which contains more solid nutriment, more meat than this. Of course no newcomer could expect to write a successful play by following Prof. Hennequin's rules. But certainly nobody could write a successful play without following them, though he would doubtless follow them instinctively. Nor could any successful playwright read Professor Hennequin's book without saying, "That's how I did it; that's the only way it can be done." The book is valuable for its keen apprehension and classification of the technique: and, whether one proposes to embark in playwriting himself, or is only curious to refresh his memory of agreeable sensations while recognizing the art by which they were produced, he will find this one of the most readable books of the last ten years.

(48) This is twice as large as any one of Mr. Wigston's three former books, and so presumably twice as interesting. Prior to its

reaching us we received the following letter: "Granville Villa, Tolland, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, 4th December, 1890.-Dear Sirs: Somebody has been kind enough to send me the October SHAKESPEARIANA. I have therefore, in return, sent you a copy of my last work, Francis Bacon,' which I hope you will kindly review fairly and upon the merits of the evidence. Here let me say that a very great amount of evidence remains unpublished, and I hope sooner or later that it will see light. The Bacon Theory cannot be disposed of by any writer (?) and, in spite of all that can be said against it, will gain ground year by year. You will permit me to remark that abuse of a work is not criticism. I say, with all patience, Strike, but hear first,' and I think Americans are famous for fair play, which is necessary in an appeal to reason. My book Hermes Stella may appear great rubbish simply read, but it was not intended for mere readers, but for experi mental tests and fair examination. It is greatly to be regretted that Bacon's De Augmentis of 1623 in its English form, or translation of 1640, is not widely known, though the 1605 Advancement is (through the channel of Aldis Wright) well known. The former is very far the most important work. You can hardly suppose I have concocted or 'cooked' my figures for the sake of calling down obloquy and ridicule upon my name, or that I published the work for self-profit! You may laugh as you like, but page 228 of the 1671 Restauratio is a great Cipher Table in connection with the plays. Yours truly, W. F. C. WIGSTON."

(49) The Journal of the Bacon Society was reported dead, but appears again to announce that the Society (after having remained in doubt a long two years, as to the completeness of the Donnelly cipher) is at last able to announce its complete demonstration!!! (Dr. Nicholson's complete demonstration of several other ciphers alongside, the Society have not heard of, at least they do not mention it if they have!) Then there are a large number of pages devoted to " parallelisms between Bacon and the Plays, which-rarely using more than a single word and that a substantive-in common, would demonstrate-to anybody who doubted it-that Bacon and Shakespeare (or Bacon and the author of the Plays) were constitutionally unable to make similar statements, or to treat similar subjects in the same metrical or literary or dramatic method. A long letter from Mrs. Pott (which exhibits that dear lady as still sadly toiling to utterly confound herself in her own imaginings), closes at once this Renaissance and volume second of what we trust all our readers will secure as a genuine curiosity of literature -The Journal of the Bacon Society!

In

(51) Mr. Brander Matthews's French Dramatists was a careful and conscientious work. It was highly appreciated upon its appearance ten years ago as sui generis and solitary in the field it occupied -no other book extant reaching towards its peculiar scope. turning the pages of this second edition one regrets that a gentleman with such fine critical instincts should waste his reputation on colorless magazine stories, each of which, while clever enough, reads just like any other man's stories, and entirely conceals whatever title to literary style Mr. Matthews may lay a claim to. To the present edition Mr. Matthews adds a new chapter, entitled "A Ten Years' Retrospect," and there are in it some entirely admirable bits of criticism of plays which all of us have seen, to which every one of us will profoundly say Amen, and wish he had written himself. If Mr. Matthews really needs "pot-boilers" we suppose he ought, in justice to his family, to continue