There is no encyclopedia more widely serviceable than '"Chambers's,"" or more successful in the attainment of its own standard. Its one handicap—that of increasing age—is now being dealt with by the issue of a new edition, in ten volumes as before, of which the first (20s. net) has just made its appearance. The editors arei Dr. David Patrick and Mr. William Geddie, and their staff of contribu-, tors has nothing left to be desired; in competence or authority. In the: opening volume will be found articles by Professor J. Arthur; Thomson, Bishop Hensley Benson, Sir Sidney Lee, Lord Askwith, Sir! W. Martin Conway, and many other; well-known specialists, while among} those engaged upon forthcoming} parts of fe work are Mr. Bernard Dillon, Td Birkenhead, Sir John Shaw, Chesterton, Dr. E. J. Simon, and Professor John Adams. Distributed among the 30,000 articles of the whole encyclopedia will be found 3,500 engravings and a large number of coloured maps. Those accustomed to the use of the earlier edition will be pleased to find that the familiar features of typography and format are preseryed in its successor.
A very outstanding book of last year was Mr. Frederick Chamber-lin's study and defence of Queen Elizabeth. He continues his deep Elizabethan researches, but as a lighter essay in them has been cot-lecting the "'sayings'' of the famous queen. He how finds them so many and so good that they assure a really interesting book. It will not only be readable, but it will be personally revealing about Elizabeth and her character. Writers find unexpected places in which to carry on their work, and Mr. Chamber-lin, who is an American, rests his literary caravan in the Balearic sies.
"The story of an old sea captain, siege of Toulon." This is the de-pirate, and buccaneer, during the scription which Mr. Fisher Unwin gives us of Mr. Joseph Conrad's new novel, The Rover.'' He ought to know all about it because he is going to publish it early in the New Year. People who like plays as books are asking whether the one by Mr. Conrad which was staged the other week will be published The wonderful library Thomas Wise, of Hampstead, a tains the manuscript of another Conrad play, Laughing Ann,'' which has never been printed or performed.
The rather Jate discovery Herman Melville by some English people has, at any rate, resulted in of his writings. One wonders if "boom'' for the collected edition
this edition, before it is completed, will include a novel which Melville had finished at the time of his death, but which, so far, has not been printed. He called it "Billy Budd," after the hero whom he thought a very companionable fellow for his other characters of fiction. Melville's '"'Typee'" was. published at New York in 1846, and his "Omoo"' in the following year, so that he had a long career of authorship until his death in 1991.
One hears of a book which is notable because of its association with the great event that has just happened in Irish history. It has the title. "Ireland a Nation,' and it is meant to be a_ literary memorial of ireland's 'Freedom's Day.' The editor is Mr. W. G. FitzGerald, and his zeal has won papers from many distinguished Irishmen. Among them is an authoritative account of the death of Michael Collins, by General Emmet Dalton, in whose arms he died.
Other advanced novelists seem inclined to follow Mr. Wells in his excursions into the history of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.