Page:The Story of the House of Cassell (book).djvu/209

 The "Old and New" series of volumes started gallantly with "Old and New London," in 1872. The commission was undertaken by Walter Thornbury, whose writing was so execrable that the compositors successfully demanded "time and a half" for setting the MS. In another sense his writing, for a popular work, left little cause for complaint: it was lively and graphic and epigrammatic. His health broke down when he had done only two out of the six volumes, and the narrative was finished by Edward Walford, whose elegant and leisurely style blended but ill with his predecessor's. As soon as Walford had completed this task he set to work upon "Greater London," which was well received. In 1909 the House published "London Town, Past and Present," from the pen of W. W. Hutchings, who had edited the later editions of Thornbury and Walford's works.

As a pendant to "Old and New London" may be mentioned "Living London," the idea of which was conceived by the late Ernest Foster. Mr. G. R. Sims was invited to edit the book, and no better choice could have been made, for he had an unrivalled acquaintance with bizarre, out-of-the-way phases of London, and he knew the best writers to choose for a set of vivid sketches of contemporary London life. It ran to three volumes, was lavishly illustrated from drawings by a large staff of artists and from original photographs, and enjoyed a large sale.

Naturally, the topography of the United Kingdom as a whole received attention. "Our Own Country" was begun as a serial, freely illustrated with engravings, in 1878. The chief contributor was Prof. Bonney, who was also the editor of and a leading contributor to "Cathedrals, Abbeys and Churches of England and Wales," finding in writing such as this a pleasant relief from his more exacting work as a professor of science.

"Our Own Country" contained much descriptive and historical matter of more than fugitive value, and it went through many editions. At last, in 1904, it was