New-York tribune., 1894-04-27
NEW VBOOKSANDNEW W EDITIONS

NEW WBOOKSANDN NEW EDITIONS
In "Ancent Ships" CMacmlan & Coz Cecil TORI
has begun what promises to be elaborate history
of shipping from the year 1000 i. G. TO 1000 ~ y.
While he acknowledges that modern books on the
subject. beginning with a work. DE Re Naval.
published in 1896 have been useful in directing his
study he denies any value. on the whole. 10 their
conclusions. Until within recent years authors who
took up this theme had very narrow round OF
ancient authorities to deal with. But In 1874 num-
Der Of slabs unearthed In the Piraeus which
proved to be inventories Of the Athenian dock
yards What could be deciphered of these inscrip-
tions was of great value. For example they showed
that the first departure of the Athenians from the
general model of a warshp with three banks or
oars was about 43l b. c.. when four-banked ships
were built followed some years later with ships Of
five banks An inscription also substantiaed the
statement, previously incredible that ships with
thirty banks Of were not unknown From
these marble memoranda II is learned how much was
paid fol- condemned oars how much the timber Tor
new oars cost. how many rowers were required
for various ships; what changes were made In an
ordinary three-banked warship TO turn It into a
cavalry transport; what weight Of metal was r.
oured for a ram what weight for anchors. what
size for ca bles, and the like OF course, some or
the curious matters sailors supersillons Tor
example-cannot he found in these dry records
Ii is from another source that one learns that
Greeks called the sheet dncnOr tlr HoN au'H'f
and that they thought sail turned a; the edges
with strips Of scaskn the skin Of hyena was
safe from the lightning.
For the length Of ancient ships the testimony or
the inscriptions Is seconded by that Of ancient dock
yards. the ruins OF which can still be traced
For example. the docks Of Zea appear to have been
twenty feet in width and. though they are all In
ruins at the lower end they are still lH feet In
length. The usual proportions OF ship appear to
have been two feet additional beam to every hf
feet of length. and there are said. somewhat
obviously 10 have been ships 42o feet long and =
feet in breadth IT not ignorance nor lack -
skin that the preference to vessels with oars
over those with sails in the Mediterranean. In
where Gains frequent and long con
tinued 1t necessary especially in war 70 be
Independent Of the wind. Only few years before
sails began give place to steam. remarks Mr.
TORI oars were stil employed vessels Of con-
siderable size that were intended for the Meliter
ranean alone. and probably would have been more
generally employed there had there stlll been an
adequate supply Of galley slaves.
II Arthur Lille meant 10 make work like
"Modern Mystics and Modern Magic Charles Serb
ner's sons thoroughly effective. he should have
been more careful OF details Thomas Kempis
was a santed man surely. but # he has over been
canonzed by the Church the fact is not wei known
AS IL the headsnans axe did not suffice.
told that Charles Of England was poisoned. This
however. may be slip OF the pcn in ailuding
10 an attempted assassination. Compared with his
earlier book THE Influence OF Buddhism on Early
Christianity" the argument Of the present work IS
somewhat dlsjointed. Apparently the conclusion IL
lustrated by the lives OF Boehme. Swedenbors. Nine
Guyon and others Of an earlier time IL that
Christianity cannot afford to neglect altogether the
mystics Of the present day. The lesson t. vain.
Upon these mysterious affairs. the world is divided
into two parties-those who believe and those
who cannot. Moments Of divine ecstasy Of con-
temptation satisfied Porphry. P.atinus
Boehme. Others hope for the same temporary re-
lease from the things Of sense. But those Of the
left hand" to expressive phrase OF the
Koran. continue to ask what good has come OF all
these nsiants OF ecstasy. Have they convinced any
body who not OF the proper disposition to be
convinced beforehand? Has the science Of the Tn
become any more tangible than 1t was to
sconersa 1t Is the test of science that II compeis
consent by the rigid necessity which wrngs its
conclusions from its premises 1t appeals TO all men
alike as soon rises above theory. But for most
OF us mysticism never seems 10 get above theory.
It's vagueness maddens definite thinker. Such an
one. while admiring the profound earnestness OF n
life Ike that Of the Rev. William Stanton Moses.
as narrated in this book, IS not surprised at the
gloom in which the biography plungcs at the last.
Mr. Lille himself draws the line in matters Of
belief He dstrusts the doctrine Of the Mahaimas.
for example. and declares that TheOsophsts in gem
eral have turned from the teachings Of Mime. Bla-
vatshy to the meditations Of Boehme, under the
leadership OF Mrs. Be-ant. When Il come TO Budd-
hisn Mr. Lille Is OF course. a keen and capable
critic
1t is not easy TO say much that Is OF hasty
travel in California But Charles Augustus Stod-
dard In Beyond the Rockies Ohares Scribner's
Sons) has given familiar facts and places a new
aspect This was to be looked for from expert
in travel The volume has numerous illustrations.
The Rev Dr. Amory II. Bradford writes enter
tainingly about THE Pilgrim in Old England"
(Foris Howard & HulberD. The title Of the book
is more picturesque than accurate. for. Dr.
Bradford admits, the Pilgrim technically be-
longs to those who left England and went To IIol-
land and. America But the intellectual and spirit
ual movement of which the Pilgrims the
outcome we'll deserves TO be chronicled. DR. Brad
ford is by no means a profound or original thinker:
but he has discrimination and a OF historic
perspective. He has also studied his subject with
care. and the result is volume that is at
readable and instructive
The Rev DR.. John a. Broadus has prepared a
Harmony OF the Gospels. in the Revised Version"
"a c. Armstrong Coz. which he says is the fruit
OF thirty years spent In teaching the English New
Testament. No absolutely perfect harmony OF the
four Gospels has yet been made. OF this Har- 1
mony may be said that II shows good judgment
and careful scholarship: but in no essential feature
has IL overcome the difficulties that stand in the
way of perfect harmony. George Bell & Sons.
OF London. issue ''The Revelation OF st. John the
Divine - by the Rev NJ +. Sadler. The author has
a wide repute, in the Anglican Church, as re-
almost none OF the equipment that Biblical critic
should possess He reads his own preconceived