REVIEWS OF RECENT BOOKS 211 



instructive and artistic number. It is a volume to please the eye and 

 inform the mind. Mrs. Ayscough gives much out of the way informa- 

 tion on paintings and painters. She handles the subject in a most 

 sympathetic manner and endeavours to appreciate the spirit of these 

 ancient things. 



It is by such methods as these that people generally will get a 

 knowledge of the treasures of art — and from the art itself it is not a 

 long step to the spirit and the ideas that pervaded these great men. 

 A service is thus rendered to the diffusion of culture, and fine feeling 

 becomes more liberally distributed. A spirit of this kind is much 

 needed in these practical and industral times. There is a tendency to 

 became hard and rough ; art and religion should be more widely 

 diffused to give more lustre and spirituality to the web and woof of 

 life. 



Mrs. Ayscough's remarks as to the intimate connection between 

 writing and painting suggest many thoughts. The Chinese hand is 

 fashioned for philosophy and penmanship. Look at the long tapering 

 fingers of the nation. Writing has to do with nerve and lines. It is 

 to a great extent a matter of the eye and hand, and, of course, infinite 

 effort. Again calligraphists are good and bad. The question is 

 whether painting and poetry are not more qualities of the mind. It 

 does not follow that all calligraphists are painters neither are all 

 painters poets. There have been many poets without the gift of 

 drawing and most excellent penmen have written no more than routine 

 verses. It would be illogical, and contrary to experience, to say that 

 all good penmen are painters. So may it not be said that it is an 

 accidental idea that there is this connection between calligraphists and 

 painters. Is there not something true in the saying that these men are 

 born not made. Nevertheless it has been noticed that those foreigners 

 who know something of drawing and painting have a greater capacity 

 to get hold of Chinese characters than others. But this may be a 

 superficial capacity only. The Chinese script lends itself to the art of 

 calligraphy : their very form calls forth the best hand and all that 

 is in man that way. M. 



Timber Rafts on The Lower Yangtze. Shanghai. Statistical 

 Department of the Inspectorate General of Customs. 



This is one of the papers issued periodically by the Customs. The 

 compilation is by Mr. S. F. Wright. It is not a very long paper, but 

 it is a most important one. The Customs are doing most valuable work 

 besides levying dues and collecting money. The papers they issue from 

 time to time are most valuable historically and full of interesting 



