The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-13
Other Books.

Though photographers may be useful they
are not usually entertaining. but Father
Paschal Robinson of the Order Of Friars
Minor, in q little pamphlet called a Short
Introduction to Franciscan Literature"
(Tennant and Ward, New York;, proves
that they can be made extremely inter-
esting. st. Francis and his order have
attracted much attention OF late years
among Catholics, and strangely enough
among Protestants too. In twenty-five
short pages Father Robinson describes
the original sources compactly and clearly
and then mentions every book Of Importance
that has been written about st. Francis and
the Franciscans, with brief critical re-
marks. 1t 10 = remarkable piece Of Catholic
erudition, such rs we are accustomed to
associate with the Benedictines, and a
marvel Of condensation that Is made thor
oughly readable, which might serve as a
model for other compilers Of special bibli-
ographies. The Introduction is followed by
as many pages Of illuminating notes. con-
tanning full titles of books. Father Robin
sons catholicity of spirit is noticeable In
the inclusion OF works by non-C Catholic or
unorthodox authors n the fairness Of his
comments on these.
To the handsome edition OF Original
Narratives Of Early American History"
edited by DR.. J. +. Jameson and published
by Charles Scribner's Sons, has been added
a selection from the Voyages Of Samuel
de Champaign edited by Mr.. W. l.. Grant
Of oxford University. The narrative after
the year 1913 ia omitted as being OF special
Canadian interest. The translation used
Is that made by Mr.. Charles Pomeroy Otis
for the Prince Society Of Boston. In this
form the importance OF Champlain's dis
c~overies on the New England coast il
brought out strongly. The brief geo
graphical notes are all to the point.
Princeton's tribute 10 her Revolutionary
poet is completed by the publication Of the
third volume Of The Poems of Philip
Freneau." edited for the Princeton His
torical Association by Fred Lewis Pattee
The University Library, Princeton. N. j..
The edition is likely TO be deinitive and is a
splendid example Of typography. II is to
be regretted that a long list of poems should
be appended al being omitted for various
reasons. The only valid reason for omission
in a "definitive' edition must be that there
are good grounds for believing that the poet
did not write the poems. Freneau's fame
as a poet would have been served by much
greater omissions; even historical illusions
hardly account for some pieces; the excuse
for them 10 that the edition 10 TO be COM
plete. and 10 seems a pity to leave out a
number, however embarrassing, and thereby
mis- that completeness.
In The Asistic Danger in the Colonies"
George Routledge a Sons; f. p. Dutton
and Company. Mr.. l., +. Neame gives
the facts in q problem that IL annoying
England extremely. Assuming that Aus
tralia and South Africa must be kept clear
Of Asiatics the statements are fair enough
and the authors anxiety as to what Asiatic
labor means IL not slight. The difficulty
for England is increased by the fact that
the colonies insist on restricting the immi-
grafton Of her Indian subjects when the
mother country admits them even into
Parliament. Australia wants to keep out
Japanese and Chinese. South Africa wants
to exclude Indians "a well. Naturally no
rational solution OF the difficulty is offered.
Where 30 much ia descriptive IL in rather
dangerous to reprint without change ar
ticles a quarter OF q century old, as Mr..
Charles Burr Todd has done in In Olde
Massachusetts Che Grafton Press). The
paper on the Cape Cod ship canal. for in
stance, max rather queer reading now,
and q good many other things Mr.. Todd
saw are 10 be seen no more. Nantucket,
however. has the lions share in the hook,
and all that Mr., Todd has TO say of the
island and the Cape Cod towns is as inter
esting o as when IL was written. There
is a curious chapter too on he wards Of
Harvard College. the Mashpee Indians