The Portland daily press., 1874-07-25
Recent Publications.

UNDER THE TREEs.-By Samuel Iren@us Prime.
New York; Harper & Brothers. For sale by
Loring, Short s. Harmon.
DIR. Prime has given us in this collection of
fugitive pieces some very entertaining lead-
ing. The letters and papers were written
out OF doors, he informs us, and are chats
about things he has seen and thought OF
from the White Mountains to the Alps. His
tent is first pitched on the banks of the Hud-
son, cf which river he dscourses wisely and
pleasantly. TEen he takes us among the
flowers and birds and insects of his garden.
(what picture of out door life would be CON-
pete without bug y and then hurries us of
to the Adiroudacks. The White Mountains
is the next objective point, and day is spent
in contemplation of the great stone face in the
Franconia Notch. Then the author refresh
es his soul and ours with memories in Italy
and the Alps. The reader must not take up
the volume with the idea hat it is book OF
travels, nor even the sauntelings of
thoughtful tourist. DIR. Prime has made of
the rocks and trees pegs to hang his refec-
tions and musings on-that is all; and he
has written an entertaining book.
MEMORIES OF WESTMINSTER HALL. By Edward
Foss. Boston: Estes s. Lauriat. Vo i. For
sale by Dresser Mcclellan & Co.
The first part of Mr.. Foss' Look is devoted
to an account as full and suggestive as the
space would allow, of the legal history of
Westminster Hall, and of the trials, corona
tions and great events which have occurred
there since the reign Of William the Second
The remainder OF the book is made up of a
full collection of the many good stories about
of England and Ireland, which are to be founc
scattered through the legal history of the two
kingdoms. The work is handsomely illus
trated with engravings of various parts of the
hall, and of many distinguished judges and
chancellors.
Westminster Hall, as 1t is now, was COM
pleted by Richard the Second in 1899, on the
very foundations which sus aimed the former
edifice, which was built in the reign of Will
liam Rufus. 1t is sixty-eight feet wide and
two hundred and thirty nine feet long, inside
measurement, and ninety feet high. Through
out this vast extent no pillar or column OBJ
structs the sight. With perhaps one excep
ton, the Hall of Justice at Padua, it is the
largest hall in Europe the root of which is un-
supported by pillars. Thirteen mighty ribs
of timber span the arch and sustain the mas
sive roof of structure uninterrupted by any
but the sturdy English builders.
In 1924 the Courts of the King were estab-
lisned here, and as late as the tine of George
ii. the Court of Kings Bench occupied the
left and the Chancery the tight at the further
end of the hall, being separated by flight
of steps which led to the entrance of both.
In this Court of Kings Bench John Camp
bell, himself afterwards Lord Chief Justice of
England, listened to the eloqnence of Erskine
at the trial OF HadfieJ. In this Chancery Lord
Hardw;ck rebuked lawyer who was abusing
the memory of Cromwell by inviting to sit
with him on the bench, a descendant of the
Lord Protector whom he saw in the hall.
The Court of Common Pleas which Chief
Justice Willes presided over was on the side
to the left of the entrance and projected into
the hall. These courts being enclosed only
10 certain DeiSut anu HOI COVeTeu, were so
open as to permit the judges to see each 9TH
er and the entire hall then filed with shops
and loungers. These things have all passed
| away. The Great Hall is now only the yes
tibue of the Courts of Law and the Houses OF
| Parliament. The courts are all in buildings
on the right side of the hall and separated
| from it by wide corridor. They. are soon
to be removed to the New Temple of Justice
to be erected in Lincoln's Inn Fields. The
buildings which they now occupy and which
obscure hthe all and the western elevation
of the Houses OF Parliament are to be removed
| and then will be seen as theslesgner intend
| ed it should be seen as a whole, 1.-The New
Palace of Westminster" on which Sir Charles
| Barry rests his claim to be called great
architect.
Mr.. Foss' volume touches upon almost al
these matters and many others ant
is very pleasant book. But even
if it were not so good as it is, tn,
subject could not fail to make it interesting
The memories of Westminster Hall connec
themselves with the most absorbing scenes
of English history. Under that roof itsel
the wonder OF the builders art. have tran
spired the great trials and pageants which
not ralx, <1,o o,,ooase;1,. 1-rn