BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2462, 15 May 1915, Page 12

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

A GLOBE-TROTTING PRINCE. In. the autumn, of 1911 and. tho spring of 1912 tho King of Sweden's second son, Prince .William, made a trip to Siam and Malaysia, followed by a brief sojourn in India. His travelling experiences lie has now set forth in an agreeably "written and very readable .narrative, entitled "In the Lands of the Sun; Notes and Memories of a Tour ill the East." (London: Eveleigh Nash.) The Prince was the official representative of Sweden at the ceremonies held in. connection with - the coronation of the King of Siam, and the major portion of Ills book is devoted to descriptions of Siam, its Court, people, and customs. The Royal tourist was evidently a close and shrewd observer of what he saw ill the East, and his descriptions of life at Bangkok are very readable. Prepared, however, as lis was, to come into contact with customs widely differing from those of lis own country, certain of lis experiences in Siam must,have considerably modified his natural northern coolness. As, for instance, when the newly-crowned Siamese Monarch handed his visitor a rich-ly-engraved golden urn, studded with flashing gems, and calmly asked bis visitor, "Would you like to see a bit of iny father?—take hold, it won't hurt your' For in Siam, cremation is the rule, not the exception, and the ashes are collected and preserved, in urns for the purpose, and decorated more or less artistically according to the social position of tho deceased. As a soldier himself, the Swedish Prince took special interest in tho Siamese Army. The pay of tho Siamese soldier can hardly be deemed extravagant, for lie receives but eigliteenpence per month, besides an aflowanco of fourpenco a day, half of which allowance, however, is stopped for the single meal of rice which is provided by the State. Tile soldier has to buy tho remainder of his food himself, and to provide his own' foot-gear. "No wonder," writes tlis Prince, "the majority of the Siamese Army goes barefooted!" Although the Prince pays a high compliment to the achievements of the French in Saigon, he was struck by tho general appearance' of ill-health of the French troops 'and the European residents generally. "Pale and wasted, they go about like shadows of their former selves, only longing' for the time when they will be,-free to return to- cooler regions." At Singapore and Penang, the visitor was struck with tho commercial activity of the European population, and a brief trip to Java impressed him with the organising ability of tho Dutch. The chapters devoted to the Prince's Indian experiences . are not specially interesting. It is evident he much preferred' the Malay States and Burman to India, l'his is an experience not uncommon to globe trotters, and is probably due to the fact that the Indian, trip has been not a little overdone in tourist literature. A specially attractive feature of the book is its wealth of really admirable illustrations, most of which are of scenes not usually depicted in works of Eastern travel. The pictures which illustrate* the Court ceremonies in connection ivith tho coronation of King Chulalongkorii are specially novel and interesting. (Price, 10s. 6d.)

"THE HOME UNIVERSITY LIBRARY." Copies of the four volumes which comprise the latest batch of that almirable series, "The Homo University Library," are to hand from tho publishers, Messrs. Williams and Noreato. Once again, let me remind my readers, or such of them as havo not (it is their misfortune) yet made acquaintance with this excellent series, that the volumes of which the library is composed are not reprints of more or less old and well-known, works, but are complete aud iudepe.ident monographs on the various subiects dealt with, the writers being recognised authorities of high standing. The four new volumes are entitled respectively: "Milton," by John Bailey ; "Political Thought in j England from Herbert Spencer to Today,"- by Ernest Barker, of New College, Oxford: "A History of Philosophy," by Clement 0. J. Webb; and "Belgium," by E„ C. K. Ensor. . Mr. Bailey has already proved his qualifications as a literary critic and biographer by his admirable little study of "Dr. Johason aud His Circle," published last year, (a "Milton," he has found an almost eqtiaiiy interesting subject. He deals wit i Milton, not merely as poet, but, also as essayist, author, and politician and'adds many interesting pictures of the personal Milton. This is in every way an admirable little monograph, a far more penetrating and fascinating study of the great Puritan poet than that which the late Mark Pattison wrote for Macmillan's "English Men of Letters" series. Mr. Barker's volume deserves to be read very carefully at the present juncture, when tha greatest war which has ever devastated Europe threatens to revolutionise the political system of more thaa ono great country. A volume of such conspicuous merit as this study of Air. Barker's well deserves a much nioro extended notice than is possible in these days of overcrowded columns.

A. similar tbf ught is rmoked by the perusal of Mr. Webb's laudably succinct and luminous exposition of the theory of philosophy.

The fourth volume of the series, Mh R. C. ii. Elisor's compact but fairly comprehensive record of Belgian history, aud study of the political, social and industrial institutions of the -barbarously maltreated little country which has won the esteem and admiration of all Europe—outside the land of tho Huns —possesses a topical interest all its own. The author is specially to be commended for the brief but most interesting sketch of Belgian art and literature which is to be found in tho concluding chapter of a volume which will, I trust, be widely road by Now Zealanders. To each volume is appended a full index and a useful uibliograpby. (New Zealand price, Is. 3d.).