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(8 million sterling) to meet its obligations on foreign capital invested in the country.-Tales, etc., by French and Russian authors complete the number.-(September, 1891.)-This number is changed to double columns, and we are promised in future double quantity of matter, while the general character of the magazine is approximating more to our own, with tales -original or translated-occupying most of the space.-The most important and interesting paper in the number is a second part of Ancient American Monuments, and the Art of the extreme East. The general character is Cyclopean, with ornamentation to take the place of architectural beauties in other styles, such as the column and the arch. All re-echo the same system; in all we divine the progress of a similar artistic tradition; and yet what differences are there permitting us to imagine distinct dates, distinct races, distinct steps in advance, and even distinct tastes and local necessities.' He finds a family feeling' between American Pre-Columbian monuments and those of the extreme East, considering the influence Buddhistic; and as Buddhism reached China in the first century of our era, it must have gone still later to America! The aristocratic Novel,' by the Marquis de Figueroa, deals with the works of Coloma, and quotes the saying of Quevedo, that a book for everybody should be kept by the author as unworthy, only the books for the few being valuable! It is interesting to note that, while a contemporary compares Dickens and Daudet, the Marquis here compares Daudet and Coloma. 'Both are Southerners, they attract by the amiability of their character, lightness and elegance of style, swiftness of conception, brilliance of ingenuity, which, fired by the sun of Andalusia and Provence, produces all their fascination and all their brilliance.'-The translations include the reminiscences of Renan, Wagner, and Von Moltke; and How Spain will never have a good Government,' a well known Spanish story, now translated back into Castilian from the French of Dumas.

HOLLAND.

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DE GIDS (July), contains The Rose of Rigas,' a tragical romantic tale remarkable for vivid descriptions of tropical scenery in Sumatra.-In 'Russia about the Middle of the Seventeenth Century,' Uhlenbeck gives a series of interesting sketches of the Russian Court of the time, and of the people, their customs and folk-lore; he also shows how the reforms usually attributed to the autocratic will of Peter the Great were really on the way long before, and had become inevitable owing to the closer intercourse of Russia with other nations.-' Peter Paul Rubens,' is an excellent essay by Max Rooses, who

thoroughly understands his subject and gives valuable critical remarks on many of the master's pictures, showing by what art schools they were influenced, and how they in turn influenced succeeding painters and engravers. August begins with a translation of schylos' Seven against Thebes,' by Burgerdijk. As might be expected, this is a work of great literary merit and on the whole a success. He keeps as closely as possible to the verse-forms of the original, believing that in great poetic works form and contents are so closely allied that any alteration of the measures would be highly detrimental.— Servetus and Calvin,' an article by De Hoop Scheffel: first he reviews Prof. Van der Linde's book which makes Servetus the victim, not of Calvin, but of what he calls the Reformed Inquisition. Over-elaborated and over-weighted with matter, this book has the merit of exhausting more completely than any other the very copious literature of the subject, and likewise affords the writer material for another discussion of the case. The most interesting part is where he shows that though with Calvin and all the circle of his influence there was unanimous approval of the cold-blooded deed, yet outside of that circle there was, especially among Baptists, a wide-spread protest which Calvin answered with a lengthy apology. He cannot thus be called the victim of the ideas of his time though doubtless he acted from a sense of duty though a mistaken one. Dr. J. R. Bos discusses at some length the diseases of plants and the ravages of noxious insects, demonstrating that a successful combat can only be carried on with these by making it a national and international concern. He adds some practical suggestions. Theodore Rodenburgh and Lope de Vega,' is a paper in which a careful comparison is made between the plays of the old Dutch dramatist and those of the Spanish poet, with the result of showing that Spanish influence où Dutch dramatic literature of the first half of the seventeenth century is much greater than was usually supposed.—September.-Alwina,' by J. Wolters: a prettily told but painful story of a professor in love, first with one then with the other of two sisters, and the wreck of the happiness of all three that ensues. -Hungarian national poetry is again represented by a full description of the popular epic Toldi,' by Jan Arany. The subject is little known historically, being from the Magyar annals of the fourteenth century. The author composed the different parts of it at long intervals between 1847-79, and from the time the first of it appeared as a prize poem, it was hailed as a great national achievement, among others by Petöfi, who praises it extravagantly.-Goethe as Stage Manager,' is a record of Goethe's theatrical career at Weimar, which began

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exactly a century ago. He had trials and difficulties and was not always successful, yet his brave efforts had an undoubted effect in the gradual rise of the German stage, so that his humble practical work deserves to be remembered.-Another article is devoted to Omar Khayjam and his place in Persian poetry and is illustrated by frequent extracts from Fitzgerald's English and Bodenstedt's German versification.-Lastly there is a paper by G. A. Wilken, A new theory of the origin of Sacrifice.' This refers to Prof. Robertson Smith, to whom he allows full credit both for research and acuteness, but says his theory is open to serious objection. It may be good enough, but the proofs he has to offer are often decidedly weak: as for example, in regard to the allegation that among Arabs and Hebrews the fundamental idea of sacrifice is not tribute or propitiation but communion. Again, he distinguishes too little between anthropomorphism and totemism, drawing conclusions as to the existence of the latter from customs which may simply be a product of the former. This is especially true in regard to the Semites among whom totemism was probably quite unknown. Mr. Wilken goes on to show, chiefly from usages prevalent in Polynesia that the idea of communion with the gods by eating and drinking is not a primary but a secondary idea in sacrifices.

DENMARK.

AARBÖGER FOR NORDISK OLDKYNDIGHED OG HISTORIE (Vol. VI., Parts 1 and 2). This volume opens with a lengthy article on the coinage of Gotland, by P. Hauberg. The great commercial importance of Wisby led to an early native mint, which was already in operation in 1211, and is consequently of considerable significance in the history of Baltic trading, though the finds rather indicate great business activity in Gotland itself than the spread of its coinage to neighbouring countries. The changes in the value of the Gotland mint and its relation to others are carefully traced from the historic sources. The older Gotland (?) penning with star or wheel on obverse and edifice on reverse is assigned to 1180-1200. The later Wisby coins (1340-1565) bearing the lily and lamb are very fully treated and illustrated in an appendix. As a contribution to the history of this once flourishing centre of trade the article is of considerable interest.-The last word has not yet been said about Roskilde Cathedral, and Prof. Kornerup has some important remarks to make in reference to Prof. Lange's previous article. The re-construction of the choir gallery he tributes to the conflagration of 1232, not to a mere fancy of

Bishop Suneson's in 1198. Prof. Lange supposed that the present Cathedral had been built outside of the older edifice while the latter was still standing, but recent excavations (in March, 1891) have shown that this was not the case, the first building did not lie within the present, and must have been taken down before this was commenced. (Part 2). Dr. S. Müller introduces a new experiment in archæology, viz., microscopic observations of the materials found in ancient graves. These have been carried out in Prof. Stein's laboratory by Cand. Gram, and yield most interesting results. The human hair examined is found to be blond, and the cloth-stuffs are mainly of black wool mixed with hairs from animals of the deer species. Dr. Müller points out the valuable nature of this evidence, which relates to materials of the early Bronze age (c. 1000 B.C.)-Chr. Kjer contributes additional proofs that the church-law of Skane (south of Sweden) is older than that of Zealand, partly from the history of Bishop Eskild and partly from internal evidence. The proof from the use of the red-hot iron ordeal is very interesting as showing the position of the Church to this method of evidence. F. Jonsson has a number of critical notes on the dificult Vellekla (gold-lack') of Einarr skalaglamm, preceded by a short sketch of the life of the skald and estimate of his poetic abilities.

CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE.

Manual of the Science of Religion. By P. D. CHANTEPIE DE LA SAUSSAYE. Translated from the German by Beatrice S. Colyer-Fergusson. London and New York. Longmans, Green & Co. 1891.

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Notwithstanding the rapid multiplication of works both here and on the Continent, dealing with the Science of Religion, no attempt has hitherto been made in this country to produce anything like a satisfactory manual on the subject. Students have felt the need of one, but in the absence of any other they have had to put up with the translation of the somewhat sketchy and unsatisfactory handbook by Tiele. The above-noted volume is still a translation, but it is the translation of a work which is in every way superior to the one just mentioned. Since the latter was written the science of religion has made considerable progress. New facts have been discovered and new theories developed, and Professor Chantepie de la Saussaye's has the advantages of being written up to date and containing the latest and fullest information. It is written, too, as a manual, the aim of the author being not to develope a theory, but to lay before the reader the latest results of the science. In this respect it is impossible not to admire the skill as well as the learning of its author. Theories are set over against theories, their differences and insufficiencies pointed out, and safely established results distinguished from conjectures in a manner rarely excelled. The author's criticisms are specially valuable. While always impartial, weighty, and incisive, they are eminently suggestive, often throwing an entirely new light on the topic under review. many manuals the one before us is well written. Probably in this respect it owes much to the translator and her father, Professor Max Müller; but whether or not, there is a brightness and readableness about the volume which translations rarely possess. After reading the many disquisitions which have appeared about the distinctions between idols, amulets and fetishes, it is refreshing to come across a sentence in which they are all so happily distinguished as in the following: An idol is the image, an amulet the pledge of the protection of a divine power, and however powerful the idol may be supposed to be, and however closely connected that protection may be with the possession of the amulet, the divine power itself remains above both, while it is wholly incorporated in the fetish.' The present volume is the first of two, the second of which deals with the religions of Persia, Greece, Rome, Germany and Islam. It is divided into four sections, entitled respectively, Introductory, Phenomenological, Ethnographic, Historical. In the first of these such topics as the history of the Science of Religion, the theory of Evolution, the Science of Religion and the Origin of Religion, the divisions and principal forms of religion are treated. With respect to the theory of evolution, Professor Chantepie de la Saussaye is of opinion that it will not be sufficient for a proper appreciation of the religious life of mankind. The question as to the origin of religion he regards as in reality philosophical and does not attempt to answer it, contenting himself with simply bringing together the various theories which have been put forward in answer to it, and subjecting them to a careful criticism. The phenomenological section is a comprehensive attempt, so far as we know the first which has yet been made, to arrange the principal groups of