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other sources of information. His aim has been to wake Nelson describe himself, — tell the story of his own inner life as itiellas his external actions. He states that he has carefully analyzed Nelson's letters •• to de tect the leading features of temperament, traits of thought, and motives of action; and thence to con ceive within himself, by gradual familiarity even more than by formal effort, the character therein revealed." The work is admirably illustrated with portraits, plates in photogravure, maps and plans. It is a book that will afford the reader great pleasure and profit. We have received a copy of Caliban, by Ernest Renan, translated by Eleanor Grant Vickery, pub lished by the Shakespeare Society of New York. The author has taken the characters in "The Tempest" and placed the scene in modern times and adapted to the ideas of the present day. It is supposed to be a continuation of " The Tempest" and will prove most interesting to thoughtful and philosophic readers. Lovers of Henry James will eagerly welcome his latest book, The Spoils of Poynton.b There are few characters in his story, but those few are delineated strongly. The idea is well worked up, and the de nouement quite startling.

NEW LAW-BOOKS. THE LAW OF MARRIED WOMF.N IN MASSACHUSETTS. By George A. O. Ernst. Second Kdition. Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1897. Cloth, $2.00; Law sheep, §2.50. The married women of Massachusetts, with this volume of Mr. Ernst for a guide, need feel no doubt as to their legal rights and liabilities; and a careful perusal of it by those who consider that they are still downtrodden and oppressed, will convince them that they really are not so badly off as they think. While written in a style which will appeal to the popular mind, the treatise is a thorough and exhaustive pre sentation of Massachusetts law regarding married women, and will be- found a most valuable text-book for the profession. Mr. Ernst begins his work with a discussion of the delicate question, always interesting to the sex, of engagements to marry; he then treats of breach of promise to marry, of marriage itself, and then follow chapters upon the rights of a married woman to her person, to her children, to support from her husband, and to support under the pauper laws. Her right to hold office and positions of trust, to contract and do business, to sue and be sued, to s THE SPOILS OF POYNTON. By Henry James. Houghton, Mitflin & Co. Boston and New York, 1897. Cloth. Ji.-jo.

acquire and hold property independently of her hus band, are treated at length, and the book draws to an end with chapters upon Separation by Agree ment, Separation by Divorce, Separation by Death, and their effect upon Property Rights.

PRACTICE IN SPECIAL ACTIONS in the Courts of Record of the State of New York under Code of Civil Procedure and Statutes, with forms. By J. NEWTON FIERO. Second Edition. Mat thew Bender, Albany, N. Y., 1897. Two vols. Law sheep, $11.50. New York practitioners fully appreciate the value and usefulness of this work of Mr. Fiero, and a sec ond edition, thoroughly revised and made conform able to the many changes which have taken place in the Code, should receive a warm welcome. It is really almost indispensable to lawyers practicing under the New York Code. THE AMERICAN STATE REPORTS. VOL. 52. Con taining the Cases of general Value and Author ity decided in the Courts of last resort of the several States. Selected, reported and anno tated by A. C. FREEMAN. Bancroft-Whitney Co., San Francisco, 1897. Law sheep, $4.00. This volume, like its predecessors, is to be com mended for the excellent judgment shown by Mr. Freeman in his selection of cases, and for the full and exhaustive annotations which accompany them.

THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CODE PLEAÜINO IN AMERICA AND ENGLAND. By Charles M. Hepburn of the Cincinnati Bar. W. H. Ander son & Co., Cincinnati, 1897. Cloth, §3.oo; •Law sheep, $3.7 5. Practitioners and students of jurisprudence will find this work of Mr. Hepburn of great interest. As the author says, code pleading is essentially a science of historical development, and to comprehend clearly what it is, one must see how it came to be so. After considering the nature and extent of code pleading in general, Mr. Hepburn discusses the causes which led to the overthrow of common law pleading, and narrates the historical movement in England and America for a statutory reform of pleading. The codes of the different States are carefully examined, and the cardinal points of agreement and contrast pointed out. Altogether, the work is one which should appeal to all lawyers interested in the changes which have been brought about in our system of legal practice.