j,54 BE VIEWS OF BOOKS. [April, 



actual sigaification there is no doubt, this book being a glossary, and 

 not a miniature encyclopaedia ; (2) which imply a special knowledge 

 of the art or science to which they belong ; (3) which, occurring in 

 writers such as Spencer, Burns, &c., are explained in glossaries 

 attached to them. It is somewhat difficult, of course, as the editor 

 explains, to define the exact limits of an ordinary reader's needs ; but 

 he certainly has succeeded in producing a most useful and valuable 

 book. Let us take an instance or two at random. ' Faggot votes : 

 votes obtained by splitting up a property into a number of small 

 holdings just large enough to confer the qualification.' There is a 

 further sentence as to the morality of certain manufacturers of faggot 

 votes, but the one we have quoted is an iustance of good definition. 

 ' Forest courts : old courts for governing the royal forests. They 

 were : Wooclmotc, held by verderers every forty days to try offences 

 against vert or venison ; Court of regard, every third year, for expedi- 

 tation of mastiffs ; Siuelnmote, thrice a year, before the verderers and 

 a jury of sweins (freeholders) ; Justice seat, before the justice in eyre.' 

 Agnosticism is defined as ' the theory that man has insufficient 

 evidence or insufficient power for judgment concerning Divine truth.' 

 These are but atoms from a great mass of definitions, but they will 

 illustrate the aim and method of the book. 



The Chronicles of Newgate. By Arthur Griffiths, Major late 63rd 

 Eegiment ; one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Prisons ; Author of 

 'The Memorials of Millbank,' &c. Xew edition. London : Chap- 

 man and Hall (Limited). 1884. 



A FULL history of Newgate would be, as Major Griffiths remarks, an 

 epitome of the criminal history of England. It would be most 

 voluminous, and many portions of it would be wearisome to the 

 reader. Still there is a vast amount of matter in the archives of this 

 remarkable institution which, though painful, is most interesting and 

 instructive, and the collection of which would prove most useful to 

 the student of society. The author, therefore, though feeling 

 embarrassed by the immense amount of his material, has laboured 

 hard to give the more prominent and representative cases, and he has 

 certainly succeeded in making a most valuable collection. His book 

 is a bulky one of about 600 pages, which include chapters on 

 mediaeval Newgate, Newgate in the sixteenth century, Newgate in 

 the seventeenth century (down to the Great Fire), the press yard, 

 executions, escapes, the gaol calendar, the gaol fever, the new gaol, 

 crimes and criminals, Newgate down to 1818, philanthropy in New- 

 gate, the beginnings of prison reform, the first report of the inspection 

 of prisons, Newgate notorieties, later records, and Newgate reformed. 



