New-York tribune., 1908-12-12
More Holiday Books of Illustrated
TraUel IMPRESSIONS

oUToFDsoQRsS2 D. s2e II IN 800 Body and spirit BY He19y
Sen nxte Illustrated 12mo, PIP NN' ~
Charles ScribnerTs Sons
EGYPT AND ITS MONUMENTS, Cs;,eri8 By and With
Eicbens Illustrated by jules GueTtn Tja @e century
photographs Svo, PIP X z'-' II"
-''l.,7 r,TtyrnPA1.s AND CHURCHES OF
NORTHERN ITALY Their ,EiSS hiStoI ~ Interest
,da1f1g AEol1SfI5Fe the Bishops Rulers and Other
PeTsopages Identified wita hemo. pP AL,
Boston: L c. Page & Co
ROMANCE OF ROMAN y5ILAs y 5aSPes SPes Rfnsis fias-
S~ate6 svo. pp xx. 393. G. p Putnam 5 Soiis'
OLD EDINBURGH Being an ACCOUNT on 5Sootland o. nd
Ancient Capital Of the kingooTm To+able 9I fnhabi-
tants. and customs in the olden e,,o IlIT ToIumes
WfB any illustrations from rare Prints sGs snd
photog-aphs- I2rno. pp K. Ss0' VII 'O''
ton: I. c. Page & Co
Svo- ppe XIV. 220 The Macmillan Company
GARDENS OF ENGLAND Ran5ef G66f 0g Sv6 6epflSs Pp
36e. The Macmillan Company
THROUGH RAMONA,s COUNTRY. BY George org;
Eos. EsaFiSn Boston 1aiiisf little Brown & Co
HIGHWAYS AND BYwAYs. OF THE PAGIr 57Iit+o-5 ~
COAST Written 5S sna iEqstaIsS Tbe Macmillan Com
pany
When the old holiday gift book" began to faIl
tnto disfavor II was natural TO speculate as 10
inst what kind Of holiday publication would take
ifs uIace For a little while the luNurlouslE
made but cunbrous volume or an artlstlc suo-
5ect seemed TO be in the ascendant, but happhy
the risk Of thus creating another type OF ephelli
eral literature was soon abandoned Inc ar
t,,o1, Vas made serious practical thing, meant
n he read and preserved. The characteristic
Christmas book now appears to be book OF
travel We have already reviewed numerous
snecirnens and the list IS not by any means eH-
reusted. We are not sorry. This is an age OF
travel and OF freside interest in all the corners
Of the globe Every book Of the kind tnat ap-
rears is bound 70 find readers who have them
selves visited the scenes described and are glad
70 revive old memories, or, being compelled 10
STAY at home are grateful for the impressions OF
luckier folk.
Dr. van DYKE has very appropriately given to
his book on the Holy Land the subtitle OF
.eIn,pressions Of Travel in Body and Spirit He
z--;res At once with the zest of the man who
delights in foreign experience, and with the
feeling Of the true Churchman. The author OF a
book about Palestine must always find it little
difficult 70 strike just the right balance between
things seen and the emotions inspired by them
Dr. van Dyke seems TO have solved the prooIehi
nv taking his subject in simple, natural fashion
he does not put too much history into his pages
Neither does he indulge in fine writing. He uses
a light touch. as II this characteristic passage:
Jericho has always had IL name w eah wan
S,.eI4e-irg on the rich plain of the lower Jordan.
Of the two chief passes into the Judean hlg!anQs.
TOO iadolen[ or coWaTq75g co7g 20 me- Fev of
sFsies-ine~: bur it was only q latch which any
sIGag esa % foT lg1 myers and lively feef great rob
bers and runners away Joshua botLeo IIl lHe 5 he
Fa-belife rebuilt il with the bloody sacrifice OF his
Sg4b+ il from her for winter palace, where he
died Nothing fine OF brave. SO far as 1 can r.
80 The GOOD deed Of Rahab. q harlot and the
honest conoQct q Z9fcT 4 Ter1sgIer the name Of
jericho stfrs up a Etrie whiriwlnd OF oao SUITE
and warnings
IF Dr van Dyke can write easily and YiVloIy
of the landmarks Of Palestine it is because he
,.a-~i.5 +re-e not only a positively devotional
enthusiasm, but a well stored mind With his
aezcriptions and his notes OF everyday episodes
Of travel there are unobtrusively blended the
fruits Of careful reading He is entertaining
without levity. and instructive without du-ness
M Robert Ficheus, in Egypt and Its Mon
uuents" leaves 2 similar impression OF souno
resources kept wei in hand. He. too, subordi-
mates mere historical data to the creation OF
atraosphere. In this instance We have the spirit
OF 2 country filtered through an artistic tenpera-
r1ent Mt Hichens is g novelist and he could
not for the life Of him be pedantic. He follows
!. the march Of ancient dynasties simply that he
may gain sense Of the broad mark they have
LETT upon Egypt He likes 10 sit under the stars.
near the pyramids and Il let his mind wander
where il viii. Wisely. though he pulls it up if
il threatens TO wander too far He realizes that
10 be fantastic in the presence Of the majesty
Of Egypt is 10 be absurd. While ne is a pro-
digiously clever writer he chooses. on this occa-
sion. 10 seek something like simplicity The
result is a series Of brief chapters in which the
great temples and the aIl-enveloping desert are
-,o--,az-ed What Is more e
coUtrived 70 put sort Of ground note into his
book, subtly significant Of the inlmobile grandeur
and the mystery Of Egypt The illustrations are
of equal importance with the text Mr.. Jules
C5uerin's drawings well reproduced in cOlors, are
all peculiarly striking in composition and in
their treatment of those qualities Of mass and
line which are so profoundly eloquent in Egyp-
tian architecture. He. too. has temperament,
and his pictures make distinguished panorama.
Associated with them number Of fine half
tones from unusually good photographs
To the useful little Cathedral Series" in
which Francis Miltoun and others have been
describing the great churches Of France, Eng
land and Spain, an excellent contribution has
been made by Mr. T. T. Bumpus in The Cathe-
drals and Churches Of Northern Italy" The
book opens with general survey Of the subject
written with knowledge, but in q form to interest
the laynan, and then Mr.. Bumpus sketches the
salient fabrics Of Verona. Vincenza, Padua. Ven
ice, Rayenna and divers other important towns.
He has rich store OF material TO draw upon.
numerous masterpieces in marble and in brick.
He treats Of painting and sculpture when occa-
sion requires. but these matters are only Incl
dental 10 his main purpose. This TO analyze
architectural character. be draws very well
the physiognomies Of his picturesque and stately
churches The illustrations, halftones from pho