190 



The Review of Reviews. 



bution, the title of which will attract attention, is 

 " Why Do Not Consumptives Commit Suicide ? " It 

 is a profound physiological and psychological essay, 

 but it seems to come to this : that there is not in 

 consumption sufficient pain of an intense character to 

 overwhelm the desire to live which is so strong in 

 us all. 



The last two fortnightly issues of Cittdad de Dies 

 contain several articles of the philosophic and 

 religious character usual in this review. Sr. V. 

 Burgos writes on the supernatural happenings at 

 Lourdes, taking the view that they are really super- 

 natural. There is a studious article on the Science 

 of Customs and a description of the new church of 

 Our Lady of Consolation, in Madrid ; the edifice has 

 been proclaimed by many periodicals as a triumph of 

 Spanish art and architecture, as well as a glorious 

 symbol of the virility of the Christian Church. 



Espafia Moderna also contains an account of an 

 old Spanish city, Toledo, the decay of which is 

 deplored by all who have read its history. According 

 to a French writer, there is enough in Toledo to 

 occupy the attention of an historian for ten years, 

 while anyone who wished to compile a full chronicle 

 would be busy for a lifetime. Another entertaining 

 contribution is that on an alleged episode in the life 

 of Alfonso X., surnamed the Wise, the Astronomer, 

 etc. He is supposed to have said that if he had been 

 present when the world was created, many of the 

 things wrhich were made would certainly not have 

 come into existence. Tradition has it that a certain 

 good man was told in a dream to warn Alfonso to 

 repent of his wickedness ; he tried to do so, but was 

 derided by Alfonso, who actually repeated his blas- 

 phemous remark. Then a hermit was told in a dream 

 to do it and succeeded with the aid of a storm, 

 Alfonso being terrified and falling on the ground, in 

 which position he begged forgiveness. The writer 

 thinks that the story is ridiculous when one considers 

 the wisdom of the monarch in question., 



THE DUTCH REVIEWS. 



Tijdspic{;cl contains several excellent contributions. 

 The first deals with Holland's international position, 

 the writer sketching the history of the past hundred 

 years; showing how his country has been practically 

 outside international politics, and has therefore been 

 able to mind her own business so well as to make 

 her people contented. The Peace Congress and the 

 South African War, however, have somewhat altered 

 the conditions ; but the writer is of opinion that 

 Holland must still keep outside all international 

 agreements, never yielding to seductive offers or 

 covert threats. In this review, as in Vragen des Tij'ds, 

 the question of the university student, his education 

 and his doings, is discussed, as mentioned in a later 

 paragraph. An outline of the career of Vrouw Court- 

 mans, whose natal centenary was celebrated in 

 September last, shows us a woman who deserves that 



her memory should be honoured. We read of her 

 early years, when she was taught in French and forgot 

 her mother-tongue, of her marriage, her subsequent 

 studies, her development in literature, her brave 

 struggle to earn a livelihood for herself and eight 

 children after the death of her husband. She died in 

 1890, authoress of at least fifty novels and stories. 

 A living author is reviewed in the same number, the 

 Russian Mereykowsky, who, like Ibsen, preaches the 

 coming of the Third Kingdom. 



Vragen des Tij'ds leads off with an article on 

 Student Manners and Morals, occasioned, seemingly, 

 by some theatrical performance given by the students 

 of Leyden. It was not all that could have been 

 desired, judging by the stir it created, but it is open 

 to question whether it should have been taken so 

 seriously. Another contribution concerns Limitation 

 of Production. The third article deals with the way 

 in which the poor have been cared for in Drentje. 

 One fact brought out is worth noting. In 1829, as a 

 result of strained commercial relations with England 

 and the consequent scarcity of honey, the people kept 

 bees, and did a roaring business in that commodity. 



There are two articles of an ethnological character 

 in Dc Gids. The first is about the population of 

 Holland. The author traces the probable origin of 

 the inhabitants of that part of Europe, and, naturally, 

 has to touch upon other parts of the Continent, 

 showing how there was an incursion from the East, 

 and mentioning many facts and theories which are 

 known to all who have studied the subject. The 

 second article deals with the lower races of mankind ; 

 and there is a review of a German book on the Decay 

 of Dutch Folk Songs. In enforcing his arguments, 

 the author says that Dutch culture is of an inter- 

 national, rather than a national, character, whereupon 

 the critic asks if that is not in reality the case in 

 other countries ? An essay on Intensely Erroneous 

 Ideas, such as one finds in sick persons, imbeciles 

 and others, is also interesting. 



EhnitT maintains its artistic reputation in its latest 

 number. The illustrations of the paintings by nine- 

 teenth-century French artists to be seen in the Mesdag 

 Museum are good, and the text very readable ; there 

 is a good article on National Mode in 1832, in which 

 are many illustrations of quaint dresses and bonnets 

 worn by the ladies of that period, together with some 

 specimens of masculine attire; then an account of 

 La Bazalgette, followed by "In and Through 

 Palembang " and some reminiscences of Spain. 



The almost overwlielming desire and craving of 

 Japan for some sort of spiritual satisfaction is attested 

 by Masahisa Uemura in the Oriental Review for 

 January. There has been a revival of religion, and 

 the Japanese authorities are encouraging ancestor- 

 worship. But, says the writer, the logical conclusion 

 of the movement is Christianity ; and the question is 

 whether Japan shall evade or follow this conclusion. 



