The reputation which Mr. Finlay has acquired by his _History of Greece_,
and his _Greece under the Romans_, will unquestionably be increased by his
newly published _History of the Byzantine Empire from DCCXVI. to MLVII._
The subject is one of great interest to the scholar; and the manner in
which Mr. Finlay has traced the progress of the eastern Roman empire
through an eventful period of three centuries and a half, and while doing
so enriched his pages with constant reference to the original historians,
has certainly enabled him to accomplish the object which he has avowedly
had in view, namely, that of making his work serve not only as a popular
history, but also as an index for scholars who may be more familiar with
classic literature than with the Byzantine writers.
We understand that Her Majesty and Prince Albert, with that appreciation of
the beautiful and the useful for which they are distinguished, have shown
their opinion of the value of photography by becoming the Patrons of the
_Photographic Society_.
The _Camden Society_ is about to put to press a work which will be of great
value to our topographical writers, as well as to historians generally,
namely, _The Extent of the Estates of the Hospitalers in England, taken
under the direction of Prior Philip de Thame_, A.D. 1338. The original MS.
is at Malta; and though the transcript of it was made by a most competent
hand, we have reason to believe that our correspondent at La Valetta
(W. W.) would be doing good service both to the Society and to the world of
letters, and one which would be most acceptable to the Transcriber, if he
could find it convenient to revise the proof sheets with the original
document.
BOOKS RECEIVED.--_Cyclopaedia Bibliographica, a Library Manual of
Theological and General Literature._ Part IX. of this useful Library
Companion extends from _Goethe_ to _Matthew Henry_.--_Reynard the Fox, after
the German Version of Goethe, with Illustrations, by J. Wolf._ Part VI.
Contains Chap. VI. The Relapse.--Messrs. Longman have added to their
_Traveller's Library_ (in two parts) an interesting and cleverly written
account of our _Coal Mines, and those who live in them_, which gives a
graphic picture of the places and persons to whom we are all for so many
months indebted for our greatest comfort.--Mr. Bohn continues his good work
of supplying excellent books at moderate prices. We are this month indebted
to him for publishing in his _Scientific Library_ the third volume of Miss
Ross' excellent translation of Humboldt's _Personal Narrative of his
Travels to the Equinoctial Regions of America_, which is enriched with a
very copious index. In his _Classical Library_ he has given us
_Translations of Terence and Phaedrus_; and in his _Antiquarian Library_,
the second volume of what, in spite of the laches pointed out by one of our
correspondents, we must pronounce a most useful work for the mere English
reader, the second volume of Mr. Riley's translation of _Roger de Hoveden's
Annals of English History_, which completes the work. Probably, however,
the volume which Mr. Bohn has just published in his _Standard Library_ is
the one which will excite most interest. It is issued as a continuation of
Coxe's _History of the House of Austria_, and consists (for the most part)
of a translation of Count Hartig's _Genesis of the Revolution in Austria_.
* * * * *