An American reprint of The Readers Handbook of allusions, references plots and stories, by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D., of Trinity Hall, Camhridge, has been for several years in the hands of cis-A tlantie students. Too much praise cannot be awar ... Read more

An American reprint of The Readers Handbook of allusions, references plots and stories, by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D., of Trinity Hall, Camhridge, has been for several years in the hands of cis-A tlantie students. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the erudition and patient diligence displayed in the compilation of this volume of nearly twelve hundred pages. The breadth of range contemplated by the learned editor is best indicated in his own words: The object of this Handbook is to supply readers and speakers with a lucid, but very brief account of such names as are used in allusions and references, whether by poets or prose writers; to furnish those who consult it with the plot of popular dramas, the story of epic poems, and the outline of well-known tales. The number of dramatic plots sketched out is many hundreds. A nother striking and interesting feature of the book is the revelation of the source from which di-amatists and romancers have derived their stories, aild the strange repetitions of historic incidents. It has been borne in mind throughout that it is not enough to state a fact. It must be stated attractively, and the character described must be drawn characteristically if the reader is to appreciate it, and feel an interest in what he reads. All that Dr. Brewer claims for his book is sustained by examination of it. It is nevertheless true that there is in it a mass of matter comparatively unattractive to the American student and to the general reader. Many of his allusions are to localities and neighborhood ti aditions that, however interesting to English people, seem to us trivial, verbose and inbpportune, while he, whose chief object in the purchase of the work is to possess a popular encyclopfedia of literature, is rather annoyed than edified by even an erudite author when his talk is of oxen, fish, flesh and fowl. Furthermore, the Ha (Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.) ** Less