NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8556, 2 May 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW BOOKS AND PUBLICATIONS.

South Australian Public Lands.—The report of the Surveyor-General of South Australia upon the disposal of public lands in that colony is to hand, in the shape of a nicely bound volume, illustrated by maps, issued by Mr. C. E. Bristow, Government printer. The report is of a most exhaustive character, giving a detailed account of the transactions in relation to Crown lands in South Australia, from tho inception of tho province in 1834 to the Ist June, 1890 period of over 56 years. It would be hard to find a report more complete and exhaustive, and giving all tho needful information on so important a subject. Blake's Queensland Almanac and Domestic Annual.—We have received a copy of the above annual for the present year, published by E. Chas. Blake, M.P.S., pharmaceutical chemist, Rockhampton, and printed at the Daily Northern Argus oflice, Rockhampton. It should prove useful as,a book of reference and household guide. In addition to tho usual calendar it contains a mass of useful information relating to Central Queensland, and the Queensland tariff.

Mac.millan's Magazine.—We have to hand the March number. There is an article on "Compulsory Greek," by E. E. Freeman. Tho writer approves, of the phrase. lie says, "A good deal of education of all kinds is done under compulsion. If we abolish ' compulsory Greek,' we must, unless every boy and child is to learn exactly what he chooses, put 'compulsory' something else in its place. The enemies of ' compulsory Greek' propose, I belieye, to keep ' compulsory Latin,' and to sec up by its side ' compulsory French,' ' compulsory German,' ' compulsory natural science.' Of course they will not call these things ' compulsory' when they set them up. Bub those who in the next stage of controversy may wish to get rid of Latin, French, German, natural science, or anything else, may turn .the word 'compulsory ' against them with just as good an effect as those who now make a point for their own side by talking about 'compulsory Greek."' There is an interesting article by George Saintsbury on» 44 The Contrasts of English and French Literature." An article on " Brotherhoods" goes into the question of their usefulness and the desirability of their re-establish-ment. Tho writer concludes that monasticism, in any extended form, has been made impossible by civilisation. 44 The Education of the Deaf" by Arthur Ed. Street, opens up a question not less important than the education of tho blind, and is dealt with in a practical manner. " Buttermaking in Jutland," by Mr. C. F. Morris, is a graphic description of the mysteries of making the famous Danish butter. " The Red Man and'the White," by A. G. Bradley, throws a lurid light upon the treatment of the Red Indians by the American Government, or rather by the Indian agents on the reservations. Perhaps the most interesting paper in'the numbar is entitled " The Great Discovery," by H. L. Harell, and relates to the recent discovery* of an important work of Aristotle's among a heap of papyrus rolls at the British Museum. j The writer says if we cannot be absolutely certain that it is from the pen of Aristotle himself, there is at least hardly any doubt that it represents a genuine Aristotelian tradition, and it is with a feeling akin to awe that wo turn for the first time to the cold narrative of the grim philosopher, on which, until the last few weeks, no» human eye had fallen for nearly two thousand years. Through all that vast lapse of ages the frail rolls of papyrus have been lying with their precious secret safely hidden in the darkness and silence of their Egyptian tomb. At the outset of the treatise we have an important correction in a matter of chronology. Hitherto ib has always been supposed that the conspiracy of Cylon was posterior to the legislation of Draco. We now know that this event occurred previouly to the passing of Draco's laws. We are next presented with a somewhat full account of the reforms of Solon. With respect to the details of Solon's legislative work, the narrative of Aristotle corrects the received tradition in many important particulars. Great as is the value of the newly-discovered. work of Aristotle in

marking clear the progressive steps in the growth of the Athenian Constitution, and giving precision to our - knowledge of thedetails, the main outline of the story remains where it was left by the histories of Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon.