The Portland daily press., 1892-11-23

these things could be taught In text
book Prof. Hills attempt would without
doubt be successful, for he is an admira-
BILE teacher; his theories are sound, his
illustrations pertinent, his style clear,
concise and animated. The result OF his
labor is an entertaining book-but 1T will
make no rhetoricians; they are like
poets.
Readers will agree with Prof. Hill in
most of his propositions; but some will
provoke dissent. For instance, he says
words are, or are not, words for pur-
poses of English prose composition,
according as they are, or are not, in pre-
sent, national, and reputable use;;" and
he adds ''some words are ID present use
for verse or for historical novels,
but are not in present use for
ordinary prose. Among others he
mentions ,vhilom for ''once'' and kline for
''cows." What will he do with Nc
Clellan's Grafton at the unwilling of the
monument to Winfield Scott in which
the orator speaks of himself as "whilom
commander of the Army of the Poto-
mac?" What will he do with the follow
ing from the Autocrat of the Breakfast
Tablet" Do you remember, as you doze
over this, those after-dinners at the
Trois Freres when the Scotch-plaided
snuff box wentround, and the dry Lundy-
Foot tickled its way along into our
happy sensoria? Then it was that the
Chambertin and the Clos Vougeot came
in, slumbering in it's straw cradle. And
one among you,-do you remember how
he would have bit of ice always in his
Burgundy, sand sit tinkling it against
the sides of the bubble-like glass, saying
that he was hearing the cow-bells as ne
used to hear them, when the deep
breathing kline came home at twilight
from the huckleberry pasture in the old
home thousand leagues towards the
sunset?''
Prof. Hill may urge that DR.. Holmes
does not write ordinary prose; but that
would be quibbling plea.
The Foundations of Rhetoric is for
sale in this city by Loring Short & Har-
mon.
1t has been said that John Richard
GREEN'S famous book is rather COM
mentary on the history of England than
history itself. However that may be,
it is book of great merit and extraor-
binary interest. The brilliancy of its
style, the skill of it's selections and ex-
illusions, its clearness in statement and
vividness in portrayal combine to make it
one of the most fascinating historical
works ever written. The new illustrated
edition (New York: Harper & Brothers),
edited by Mrs. Green and Miss Kate Nor
gate, is luxurious. The volume which
has appeared, and embracing in the new
pagination 1853 pages, carries the history
down to the beginning of the Hundred
Years War in the reign of Edward III.
The illustrations, profuse in quantity
and admirable in execution, are drawn
from the illuminated manuscripts of
monasteries, reproduced in colors, the
National Portrait gallery, early fresco,
the work of the seal engraver, the coiner,
the medallist, the glass painter, the car
vers in wood and stone, even from the
signs of London taverns and shops.
The indications of the text have been
followed everywhere. Since, in Green's
own words, ''the mill by the stream, the
tolls in the market-place, the brasses of
its burghers in the church, the lingering
memory of its guilds, the mace of its
mayor, tell us more of the past of Eng
land than the spire of Sarum or the mar
tyrdom of Canterbury there are given
in this monumental work the circuit of
ancient walls and towers, the old streets
and houses, the market cross, the brass
memorial of the burgher, the ancient
horns which summoned the COMMON
atty to the market-place, the mayor in his
robes, the taverners and cooks and por-
tiers and armourers at their work, and
the relics of the guild, it's hall, its
seal, its money-box, its school-house, its
BARBOUR"
The sumptuous work is for sale in this
city by Loring, Short & Harmon.