New-York tribune., 1895-12-11

| church Will often turn LOT ihsuuo''o"
| pleasure.
| To 20 from Mrs Smiths compact work OF MS
| torical and anecdotic narration to the smaller anu
| more dscursve book that Is published under ''ie
| title OF WESTMINSTER Abbey and the Cathedrais
| OF England" is to go from unity to scrappihess'
| But this less ambitious volume Is worth readihe
The various fabrics treated. from Westminster "
| Durham and from Lincoln to Canterbury are
described by reverend writers officially associated
| with the cathedrals themselves. When this Is not
the case. writer's Of practically the same authority
have been chosen. so that the articles are all
nrovided with a firm and satisfactory foundation
| These writer's are themselves made the subjects OF
| some interesting personalia contributed by the
Rev l.. B. Thomas. Of Philadelphia, and with
Arst-rate photographs Of cathedrals and cathedral
| dgnitaries the volume pose esses value which
| II is gratifying to recognize. The text, though
| slight Is adequate. 1t places the reader IN
| position Of understanding. makes him broadly Ia
miliar with the history and character OF each
great ediice The biographical sketches are done
| with taste and contain information enough 10
| make the person concerned more than a meagre
| outline to the American reader. Text and pic
| lures together make a volume which should prove
especially useful to travellers who have been over
| the same ground in a summers tour and desire
| a souvenir less elaborate than history and more
| thorough than the usual local pamphlet
| book to be associated with that to when
reference has just been made is one OF the hand
soonest Of the season. the Episcopal Palaces OF
England" written by the late Canon Nenables
| OF Lincoln Cathedral. He goes from the churches
and their officials to the palaces OF the latter and
describes most felictously the salient features
OF their history-in many instances closely allied
10 the history Of England. These historical cpl
sodes are lightly touched upon. however, the
point Of the work being to give solid existence
in the printed page to the episcopal residences OF
England. showing them In every possible hsh''
rhe book is very readable and has been made
we'll worthy Of preservation through Deau'iiui
Typography and fine illustrations.
In Beautiful Britain" the weighty volume
published by the Werner Company. there Is not
much historical Information. but the purpose OF
this publication is pictorial, chiefly, and 1t is
doubtful ~ the twenty-five lines Of data given
on every other page would detain the reaoe'
though they were lines of impassioned verse
The pictures are the thing. and they make a
noble collection large Photographic plates. ad-
m;rabIy made and printed perfectly on good
calendared paper They glisten somewhat but are
not too shiny. They cover an enormous Held
castles bridges. ruins. rvers-there Is no emu
to the panorama which they unfold Mere PIC
ture books are usually a bore. but this is mex
haustble in its appeals to the eye ana the nien-
ory All over the kingdom have roamed the
photographers who provided the backbone OF TINS
book and 1t must be admitted that they nave
shown as much tact in their selection OF the
.v,ew" as in their choice Of the object viewed
The plates are really artistic. Their great value
lies. however, in the reality which they give to
fhrnn
houses have been taken inside and out for THIS
collection: historic rooms and historic spots have
heen brought within its scope the great architec-
ture OF England and much Of the landscape OF
the country the gardens and the towers OF the
land have been mirrored with fidelity and placed
within the book on such a scale and In such cear
tones that there is nothing left to ask A WORK
like this is more than delightful. 1t Is an educa-
tional force and 1t Is made up with such care II
is published with such taste. all save the hoiiu
cover that its educational capacities are ac-
cepted with confidence.
The little monograph on chester "hch MI
Cr,ckmore has written and illustrated will find
a lasting place in the hearts OF all those VINO
have known and loved one o: the best of six
teenth century English towns. Mr. Crckmcre
thinks that the Chester of that time is swiftly
fectionately about his task He gives US the true
Chester IN his pages, and there many a reader
will go to find 1t long after the restorer has done
even deadlier work than he has been doing IN
the lovely gabled town. 1t is douotful II the
most desperate restoration could quite deprive
old Chester Of its age, could quite plot out the
quaintness of It's archaic streets, the mediaeval
fascination Of its ancient dwellings Much OF
all this is bound to survive in the town. British
vandalism must stop somewhere, and 1t has not
vet really harmed the strange, beguiling streets
Mr. Crickmore has found much to sketch as we'll
as TO write about, and since he has acquitted
himself we'll in both directions, he leaves his
reader in great good humor, satisfied that the
Chester Archaeological Society will go on doing
It's duty and that the townsfolk will remember
theirs. So loving a tribute as Mr. Crickmore's
ought to spur them on. His little volume is
one OF the best Of recent town monographs, and
will be honored in many libraries other than
those Of Chester itself. The publishers have
made the book all that the subject deserved
1t is beautifully printed on irst-rate paper ard
is most artisticay bound
The publishers have also done justice in the
fullest sense to the little book which written
by j. c. Dunlop and Alison II. Dunlop for the
Old Edinburgh Street in the International Ex-
hibltion at the Scottish capital in 1886. This
handbook is brought out now with every typo
graphical excellence and with the pictorial embe
lishmsnts Of Mr.. Hole given charmingly in red
ink on the creamy page. The work was brought
out as a bit Of ephemera. but the authors put
abundant sympathy into their pages abundant
knowledge, and they fused their material into
a striking whole. AS text book on the city
of Arthur's seat It may not be elaborate enough,
but SO far as 1t goes it is accurate, it is written
WELL and is, on the whole, very readable We
are glad to welcor,e II in its new dress.
The new guise given to the Spain and the
Spaniards'' Of Edmondo de Amicis is also a mat
ter for congratulaton. The book is worth print
ing and illustrating with the that has been
obi Ii L. f,,ll of H.