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Men's bodies are like pitchers with closed mouths;
Beware till you see what is inside them,

The pitcher of this body holds the water of life,
Whilst that one holds deadly poison.

If you look at the contents, you are wise;

If you look only at the vessel, you are misguided.
Known words resemble these bodies,

And the meaning resembles the soul.

The body's eyes are ever intent on bodies,

The soul's eyes on the reasonable soul;

Wherefore in the figures of the words of the Masnavi,
The form misleads, but the inner meaning guides.
In the Korán it is declared that its parables
"Mislead some and guide some" (Korán ii. 24).

O God, when a spiritual man talks of wine,

How can a fellow spiritual man mistake his meaning?

*

*

Then that minstrel began his intoxicating song,
"O give me Thy cup, Thou whom I see not.
Thou art my face; what wonder if I see it not?
Extreme nearness acts as an obscuring veil."

A. ROGERS.

THE COMMITTEE OF THE PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND; LONDON. 14. Excavations at Jerusalem 1894-1897, by F. J. BLISS, PH.D., Explorer to the Fund. Plans and illustrations by ARCHIBALD C. DICKIE, A.R.I.B.A. This volume, prepared jointly by Dr. Bliss and Mr. Dickie, will be received by archeologists and Biblical students with much interest. In recording interesting discoveries, it shows under what difficulties the excavations are made, owing to the land being divided amongst so many owners. It details explorations from the Protestant Cemetery to the Jewish; discoveries on the Western Hill from the latter to Ophel, the Tyropæon Valley, the church at the Pool of Siloam; and gives an interesting sketch of the walls of Jerusalem. The volume is enriched with numerous illustrations, diagrams and maps, and minute index, reflecting great credit on both the editors and the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund.

MESSRS. SMITH, ELDER AND Co.; LONDON, 1898.

15. British Rule and Modern Politics: A Historical Study, by the Hon. A. S. G. CANNING. There is no reason why Mr. Canning should not study a little history, but it is a pity that he should have been induced to make public his reflections and moralizings on the subject. The title of the work is misleading; there is not much about either British rule or modern politics, or about the connection between them; the work is just an "omnium gatherum" of miscellaneous reflections, quotations from Gibbon and the poets, and let us therefore not be too severe-the Asiatic Quarterly Review. The style is strongly under the influence of Gibbon, a

dangerous model in the present age; the result, quite unintentionally, no doubt, is that whole passages inevitably savour of parody. Whole chapters are devoted to Scott's and Dickens' views on religious fanaticism and religious hypocrisy-subjects interesting, no doubt, but not connected very closely with British rule or modern politics-quite as closely, though, as most of the chapters in this volume. It would be easy to pick Mr. Canning to pieces, but he is so naif, so childlike, and old-fashioned, and he has written with such evident pleasure in his own work, that it would be cruelty to do so. L.

16. The Sepoy Mutiny as seen by a Subaltern: From Delhi to Lucknow, by COLONEL EDWARD VIBART, late 15th Bengal Cavalry. This is another volume of reminiscences of a subject which will always be fascinating to the English reader. The writer is one of the very few still alive who was an actual eye-witness of the stirring episodes connected with the outbreak at Delhi. He relates his adventures on that occasion together with his subsequent experiences in the suppression of the Mutiny. There is also a chapter on "How the Electric Telegraph saved India." The volume contains a number of good illustrations and a plan of Delhi as it was in 1857, and valuable appendices.

TAYLOR AND HAWKINS; BRISTOL.

17. China and the Open Door, by COLONEL COATES. In the present political situation in the Far East any work dealing with China is of interest. Colonel Coates' book is not very full, nor always quite accurate, as, e.g., when he estimates the population of Peking at three millions; but for all that it has its value. Colonel Coates was for many years in the country in the capacity of an officer attached to the Chinese Army, and his opinions are necessarily entitled to some consideration. One need not be fully convinced either by his or Gordon's estimate of the military resources of China, but even the most sceptical should bear in mind that capable officers consider that the Chinaman is in many respects an excellent soldier, obedient, cheerful, and in a way of his own indifferent to death. Where one's scepticism really comes in is when the question is raised whether China could, with the help of a few English officers, raise an efficient army or navy. The teaching of the Turkish army and navy, and of the Egyptian army as an example on the other side, would indicate that nothing short of a very efficient political control over a decaying Government will create a good army, whatever the natural capacities of the people, and that, on the other hand, if political control goes hand-in-hand with military reorganization an excellent army may be made out of the worst material. The policy of the "Open Door" in China is no doubt the best one for this country to pursue, as long as there is any hope of its being pursued with success. But it will never avail to defend China against actual aggression from Russia, however many officers we lend the Chinese. That could only be done if we stepped in and reorganized China from above downwards, and created a Chinese army to equal our native army in India. Colonel Coates' book contains a good deal of the past history of China's relations to the European Powers, and gives the chief terms of most of

the conventions concluded with European Powers in the present century. Interesting, too, are some of the military sketch-plans, of the Taku Forts, the country between Tientsin and Peking, etc., though they have not been brought up to date by the insertion of the railway-line, which is a rather serious omission.

18. Presumptions and Inferences: A Note on Second Appeals in India, by G. C. WHITWORTH, Indian Civil Service. This is a discussion of the meaning of the phrase "inference of law," as used in the judgments of the Privy Council. The writer seeks to distinguish it from "presumption of law," and his argument touches practice in regard to what points give the High Courts in India jurisdiction to admit a second appeal. Though the pamphlet may be useful to judges as a whetstone of intellect, a practising lawyer would remark that where the Privy Council has refrained from definition, no inference can be drawn from a phrase casually used in a judgment. The Indian Legislature, moreover, in Select Committee excluded a draft section on inference from the first chapter of the Evidence Code, on the ground that it was fitter for a treatise than an Act. The case at 7 Allah, 655 shows plainly that judges will, in their desire for substantial justice, give a wide meaning to Section 584 of the Civil Proc. Code. The keen logic of Mr. Whitworth may, however, be of value to the Legislature when these codes are re-cast, as his criticisms of the enacted rules on relevancy of facts were handsomely acknowledged as correct by Mr. Justice Stephen on an earlier occasion.

OUR LIBRARY TABLE.

WE acknowledge with thanks the receipt of the following books which want of space prevents our noticing at greater length in the present number :

The Population and Revenue of China, by E. H. PARKES, reprinted from Otia Merzeiana. An exhaustive treatise on the ancient and modern population of China, and the revenue of the country, so far as can be ascertained from public documents. It is valuable, both to the merchant and the statesman.

Woman in the Ancient Hebrew Cult, by ISMAR J. PERITY, A.M., ph.d. (Harv.), Professor of Semitic Languages and Archæology, Syracuse University, U.S.A., reprinted from Journal of Biblical Literature, 1898 (Part II.), U.S.A. A learned, exhaustive, and interesting inquiry as to the position of women in the worship of the ancient Hebrews, having an important bearing on the part women should take in Christian worship and philanthropy in the present day.

The Copyright Case: S. Sitavama Sastri, B.A., v. G. P. Pillai, B.A. (printed by H. Plumbe, Lawrence Asylum Steam Press, Madras). This pamphlet contains a report of the proceedings and judgment in a case well known in India. The soundness of the judgment is very doubtful, had the trial taken place in England.

Travels in Tartary, Thibet, and China, by MM. GOBET and Huc (the Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago; Kegan Paul, Trench,

Trübner, and Co., London). This famous work, translated from the French by W. HAZLITT, is reprinted, with map and fifty illustrations; exceedingly well executed. In two vols. at 10s.; also in one vol., cloth 5s., paper 4s.

Catherine Gladstone: Life, Good Works, and Political Efforts, by EDWIN A. PRATT (Sampson Low, Marston and Co., London). An interesting biography, illustrating the Christian and philanthropic work and the amount of useful and benevolent institutions which Mrs. Gladstone was the means of founding or sustaining during the lifetime of her husband, the famous English Statesman.

A Set of Fourteen Drawings, Illustrating Edward Fitzgerald's Translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám, by GILBERT JAMES (Leonard Smithers and Co., Old Bond Street, London). These drawings appeared in the Sketch at various times during the past two years, and are now collected in a handsome volume, beautifully printed, bringing vividly to mind some of the exquisite sayings of this famous author.

The Travels of Ibn Batuta in Urdu (Vol. II.), containing a description of his travels in India, Maldives, Ceylon, Sumatra, Siam, China, Spain, and Negroland, translated from the original Arabic of Ibn Jazzi of Granada, with copious notes, illustrative of the history, geography, archæology, botany, mineralogy of those countries, by "KHAN SAHIB" MAULVI MUHAMMAD HUSAIN, M.A. (the Punjab Central Publishing House, and printed at the Rifah-i-am Press, Lahore). This work reflects much credit, both to the translator and printer. It is dedicated to Dr. G. W. Leitner, in appreciation of his ripe Oriental scholarship and his devotion during the best part of his life to the interests of the province, by his old pupil and disciple.

A Century of Indian Epigrams, chiefly from the Sanskrit of Bhartrihari, by PAUL ELMER MORE (Harper and Brothers, London and New York). A very useful and convenient volume, well printed, containing many of the famous epigrams of the ancient Brahmins.

Bartholomew's Political Map of Africa, and also Map of Central and South Africa (John Bartholomew and Co., the Edinburgh Geographical Institute, Park Road, Edinburgh). Both are well executed and highly useful to statesmen and others interested in this vast region of the earth.

We beg to acknowledge also the receipt of: Mittheilungen der Anthropologischen Gesellschaft in Wien;-Biblia, the American monthly of Oriental Research (Meriden, Conn., U.S.A.);-La Revue des Revues (Paris);Questions Diplomatiques et Coloniales, Revue de Politique extérieure (Paris); La Revue Générale Belge (Brussels);-The Minerva (Rome);-The Contemporary Review (London: Isbister and Co.);-The National Review (Arnold and Co.);-Le Polybiblion (Paris: Rue St. Simon) ;-Le Bulletin des Sommaires (Paris);-The American Weekly, Public Opinion (Astor Place, New York);-Journal of the Society of Arts (London);-Le Mémorial Diplomatique (Paris);-The Canadian Gazette (London);-The Indian Magazine and Review (London: A. Constable and Co.);-Comptesrendus de la Société de Géographie (Paris) ;-Le Tour du Monde (London and Paris: Hachette);-From Geo. Newnes, London: the three last numbers

of The Strand Magazine;-The Strand Musical Magazine, The Navy and Army, and Country Life;-The Land of the Midnight Sun (Parts I.-V.); -Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales (Parts I.-IV.);-The Wide World ;The Monster Recitation Book ;-The Monster Health Book ;-Fashions and Fancies;- Woman's Life ;—the first number of The Captain, a magazine for boys and "old boys" (all illustrated);-The Royal Atlas of England and Wales (Parts I., II., and III.);—Akademiai Almanach (Budapest);-Journal of the Royal Colonial Institute, No. 4, Session 1898-99 (Northumberland Avenue, London);—The North American Review, January to March, 1899 (New York);-The American Journal of Semitic Sciences and Literatures (Vol. XV., No. 2), continuing "Hebraica" (The University of Chicago Press, and Luzac and Co., London);-the last quarter's Sanscrit Journal of the Oriental University Institute, Woking;-Australasia Illustrated, edited by Hon. ANDREW GARRAN, M.A., etc. (Part I.) (London: Horace Marshall and Son);-Annis Lennoy's Chinese Annual, 1898 (London: Marshall Bros.) ;--Report on the Administration of the Bombay Presidency for 1897-98, and Report of the Director of Public Instruction in the Bombay Presidency for 1897-98 (Bombay Government Central Press);-Annual Progress Report of the Archaeological Survey Circle, N.W. Provinces and Oudh, for the Year ending June 30, 1898;--Monograph on Buddha Sakyamnni's Birth-place in the Nepalese Tarai, by A. FÜHRER, PH.D., and The Moghul Architecture of Fathpur Sikri, by E. W. SMITH (Part III.) (Allahabad Government Press) ;-Extrait du Bulletin de la Société d'Anthropologie de Bruxelles, Tome XXII., 1898 99 ;—L'Histoire et les Migrations de la Croix et du Su-astika, par J. F. HEWITT (Brussels: Hayez, 1898); Les Etudes Chinoises (1895-1898), by HENRI CORDIER (Leide, Librairie E. J. Brill); -Preliminary Account of an Expedition to the Pueblo Ruins near Winslow, Arizona, in 1896, by J. WALTER FEWKES ;- Was Primitive Man a Modern Savage? by TALCOTT WILLIAMS;-Bows and Arrows in Central Brazil, by HERMANN MEYER. Reprinted from the Smithsonian Report for 1896. Washington Government Printing Office, 1898;-Life of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Empress of India. The Viveka Chintamani Series, edited by C. V. SWAMINATHA AIYAR. Empress of India Press, Madras ;- Vernacular Studies in Madras, a series of articles from the Madras Mail by the same author; also The Encouragement of Vernaculars, a paper contributed to the Madras Review for November, 1898.

For want of space, we are obliged to postpone reviews of the following important works till our next issue: The New English Dictionary on Historical Principles, founded mainly on the materials collected by the Philological Society, edited by Dr. JAMES MURRAY, with the assistance of many scholars and inen of science. Part, Heel-Hod. Vol. v. (Clarendon Press, Oxford, London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and New York.) Raiders and Rebels in South Africa, by ELSA GOODWIN GREEN, illustrated. (George Newnes, Limited, London.) With a Palette in Eastern Palaces, by E. M. MERRICK, illustrated. (Sampson Low, Marston and Co., London) The Founding of South Australia, as recorded in the Journals of Mr. Robert Gouger, First Colonial Secretary, edited by EDWIN HODDER. (Sampson

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