"The production of a gentleman of highly cultivated taste, and intimately conversant with the entire literature of his subject. We welcome

Mr Symington into the department which he has done so much to invest with additional interest,-scattering, on every side, over the field which he has traversed, the seeds of earnest, genuine, and suggestive thought." The Banner of Ulster.

"Much pictorial power in the descriptions of scenery; eloquent, and at the same time minutely delicate in tint and tone."

graphic,

Morning Journal.

"The book is a mosaic of beauty, a repertory of glorious thought; the discriminating taste that has selected, and the loving labour that has arranged, are beyond all praise. We cannot too earnestly recommend this work for its suggestiveness, its richness of illustration, and its high tendency." Globe.

"The careful eliminations of a well regulated mind. The author has wisely handled the question in a popular manner, patent to all; and rendered singularly interesting by the introduction of the thoughts of the wisest and best, thickly strewed as those are-a glorious galaxy-in the way. While he firmly adheres to his own conceptions, he abstains from all dogmatism." North British Daily Mail.

"Criticism not a little independent in tone; very readable; his subject is attractive, and he treats it with attractive ease. He quotes freely and choicely. In poetry, he seems to have a generous catholic taste. In music, he finds the spirit of all art and beauty.

The Leader.

"An earnest book of lofty purpose. He has given us a great idea, and worked at it with sincerity and single-hearted love. He has endeavoured to make us set aside for a moment all the low, small, worldly cares which eat so deeply into our hearts, and to give us, instead, great thoughts and noble aspirations." The Statesman.

"Intended as an aid to self-culture, which is the highest species of education, it will be found admirably calculated to promote this important object." The British Messenger.

"In these days of shilling novels and general diffusion of light literature, when the straining after funniness invades even the pulpit, it is somewhat refreshing to welcome an author who heartily and manfully sets himself to do the work of a man. Even as a guide to a course of English reading, it is entitled to a position in every educational institute in the kingdom." The Commonwealth.

"A very good work-general and comprehensive in its nature. If you want to know what has been said, and what has been written on the subject in hand, there is nothing better than, or equal to, this work; got up with the accuracy and care of a standard authority in law, and yet readable at every page. It is what might be called a handy book on the Beautiful in Nature and Art." Tait's Edinburgh Magazine. "Mr Symington in his study, surrounded by the noblest thoughts of the noblest thinkers, writes of the world as it ought to be." Daily News.

"We become more enamoured of all that is beautiful in Nature, Art, and Life, as we peruse the pages of this writer. This work is evidently the production of one deeply skilled in classical lore, well read in physical and moral science, and, what is more, accomplished, because an enthusiast in the fine arts. In addition to the valuable observations the author

has given on the wide, speculative, and most attractive theory he has chosen, he has also adduced a body of evidence of inestimable value, and brought within a most accessible compass a genuine literary Blue-Book."

Glasgow Herald.

"Mr Symington has committed himself to a great subject-it is nothing less than to endeavour to trace that line of beauty which is said to run through all created things and to constitute their harmony--the perfection of their beauty. The investigation is full of interest. Mr Symington has read much in relation to it, and has not only given us the frankest utterance of his own thoughts, but has freely adduced the thoughts of great men from all time along with his own. very instructive reading."

Very pleasant and British Quarterly Review.

"The author speaks well and wisely, and with an elevation of tone and thought to which we defer. The work is thoroughly excellent."

The Weekly Despatch.

"Written in a catholic spirit as regards art, and in a deeeply Christian spirit as regards the moral responsibility of the artist, and the enjoyer of art, we can conscientiously recommend the perusal of these volumes. Flowers of art and poetry gathered together out of many lands, near and remote, out of Medieval and Shakesperian England, out of Italy, Greece, and Palestine, out of many a forgotten wilderness, intricate jungle, or dusty roadside, gathered with loving hand through years of study, and now planted in a little Paradise of his own, into which he invites all lovers of beautiful things to follow him, and partake with him in their strengthening and refreshing presence." The English Woman's Journal.

"One of the most complete essays on the highest manifestation of the Beautiful, wherever found, that has come under our notice. Flowing, graceful, and eloquent." The Albion.

"A deliverance upon that which, if any subject may claim the title, is in truth the flower of all knowledge. The volumes are of fair size, and contain a large amount of valuable material. There is very much to admire; while his criticisms are, on the whole, liberal and free from assumption. To the catholic nature of the closing portion, we bear our hearty testimony. His volumes have a moral, as well as an educational, value, which, to our mind, is a high recommendation." The Manchester Examiner and Times.

"There is a suggestive power about the book. It gives the impression of very wide and extensive reading. The moral principle it breathes is high, pure, elevating, and decided. Without any formal research, it contrives to give a panoramic view of the various fields it traverses. You have the sensation, as you read it, that, all the while, beside you is a genial companion, with a heart quick in response to every good impulse and generous sentiment, and an eye as quick to catch the witchery of nature in her every phase and mood. Above all, the genuine aim of the work is truly noble. It is the baptism of art into Christianity." R. P. Magazine.

"In every respect a remarkable and original production, bold in its aspiration, and unique in its character. Its tendency is to elevate and refine, to kindle warmer admiration for all that is good or beautiful, to embody in one work a faint outline of an everlasting subject. It is a work that does honour to its writer. We shall look for other works from his pen which shall place him high among our prose writers. He is eminently fitted for any that require taste and talent, and a combination, which is rare, of an enthusiastic reverence and admiration for art, with a sound ethical philosophy." The Sun.

Pen & Pencil Sketches of Faroe & Iceland, with an Appendix containing Translations from the Icelandic. By ANDREW JAMES SYMINGTON. Illustrated with 51 Engravings on Wood by W. J. LINTON, from drawings by the Author. Crown 8vo, cloth, 10/6.

"Written in a pleasant and lively manner, the chief forte of the author lying in his power of clear description of localities and scenery-a rare gift in travellers, and one of no slight importance."

Spectator.

"His descriptions of scenes visited by him are picturesque and entertaining.

Examiner.

"Modern Travellers penetrate everywhere. The most neglected corners of the earth are explored by their enterprising curiosity, and furnish materials for 'pen and pencil' to work up into attractive sketches. Even the solitudes of rarely-visited Iceland have lately echoed to the foot-fall of more than one foreign wanderer, and its almost forgotten wonders have again been brought to our view. The volume before us is a journal of one of these rambles, and affords an entertaining description of objects which, lying within a narrow compass, may be rapidly surveyed. This tour has supplied an interesting narrative, interspersed with instructive statistical details, collected from different sources. It is also enlivened by translations of some Icelandic tales and poetry." Morning Post. Critic.

"A very readable account of a holiday spent in Iceland." "Mr Symington's 'Pen and Pencil Sketches of Faroe and Iceland,' are lucid and agreeable; he writes like a well informed and observant traveller. Should any of our readers be tempted to make a holiday this summer in so high a latitude, this little volume will serve as an excellent guide.'

Art Journal.

"There is much to interest a curious reader, in the shape of descriptive sketches of the manners, history, superstitons, &c. of the people; and not the least valuable part of the work consists of some very amusing and wellexecuted translations from the original Icelandic. Numerous and excellent wood engravings by Mr J. W. Linton contribute to the general completeness of these Pen and Pencil Sketches.'" Court Journal.

"Be the heartier thanks to Mr Symington for his simple but fresh and graphic etchings of Faroe and Iceland. They are far better than elaborate pictures. The harmony between his 'pen and pencil' is complete, and together they give us a vivid notion of a primative and peculiar land and people. What a deal of sharply-defined characterisation there is in his jottings at Thorshavn! His descriptions of fording the Buara and of the Geyser eruptions are full of picturesque and poetic power. In the appendix we have some fine specimens of Icelandic tales and poems, and an instructive and interesting account of our Scandinavin fathers. The volume is altogether a delightful one." Thomas Aird, in the "Dumfries Herald."

"With a fine eye for colour and form, and an obvious unaffected delight in all natural beauty, in description he is invariably excellent. His pencil sketching is equally clever, and the numerous woodcuts sprinkled about the pages, greatly assist the reader to vivid images of the various scenery described in them." Morning Journal.

"When a writer like Mr Symington-already favourably known to the public by his Harebell Chimes,' and his larger work on The Beautiful in

Nature, Art, and Life'-takes us along with him in a holiday ramble to so curious a region as these northern islands, with their snowy jokuls, volcanoes, geysers, mud-cauldrons, chasms and fiords-not to speak of their strange old literature of Eddas and Sagas-the reader is entitled to expect a treat of no ordinary kind; and unless he happens to be extremely unreasonable, we do not think he is at all likely to be disappointed. We have here, to say truth, an unpretentious and pleasant book, at once graphic in matter and felicitous in its pictorial illustrations. Much of its charm arises from the fact that it is, for the most part, in the form of a diary, jotted down in presence of the scenes described. Altogether the work is a very complete one of its kind, and impresses the reader very favourably, both with the genial nature of the writer, and with the amiable and hospitable character of the friends with whom he came in contact.' Citizen.

"Pen and Pencil Sketches of Faroe and Iceland,' by A. J. Symington, is a really fascinating book, full of vivid and graphic descriptions; it has all the interest and excitement of a romance. The reader is constantly charmed with beautiful touches which only the eye and the hand of a poet could give. Into the subsequent part of his narrative, Mr Symington interweaves descriptions of the most appalling earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that have devastated this unfortunate island. Some of these accounts are vivid and terrific beyond description. An Appendix contains some specimens of poetry and fairy tales of Iceland-many of the latter strikingly resembling in their character and significance the Norse tales collected by Mr Dasent, and the Tales of the West Highlands, collected by Mr Campbell of Islay. The appendix also embraces an essay on our Scandinavian ancestors, and a letter containing valuable information for intending tourists, from Rev. Olaf Palsson, the worthy Dean and Rector of Reykjavik Cathedral. Altogether, this book is a most interesting and valuable one. It is much more racy and fascinating to the general reader than the more formal and elaborate works of Povelson, Von Troil, and Mackenzie. The narrative is given in journal form, and all the freshness of the impressions of the moment is preserved. The author has a fine eye and a keen relish for the beauties of nature; his numerous pencil sketches are also creditable; and the descriptions he gives of the dress, habits, and dwellings of the people, interwoven, as these frequently are, with statistics, makes his book more instructive than the modest title might lead one to expect." Glasgow Herald.

"Mr Symington writes in raptures of the glorious colours-red, purple, lilac, and gold-which fire sky and sea; and equally remarkable is the transparency of the atmosphere, through which mountains that are in reality fifty miles distant, seem to be only ten miles off. Indeed there are few summer tours more profitable than this. His pen sketches are pleasant reading, and those by his pencil, which have been effectively rendered on wood, are equally pleasant to look at."

Parthenon.

"Nicely got up, and profusely illustrated with woodcuts of remarkable scenery. The volume contains something to suit all tastes, and will be peculiarly acceptable to those who delight in northern traditions and literature."

Sun.

"Mr Symington, in his 'Faroe and Iceland,' shows how, in a month, we may go far enough north to eat whale steaks in Iceland, and infuse our tea in the boiling water of the Geyser. Those who have any idea of taking the trip had better lay hold of the book at once. The next best thing is, for those who cannot adventure so far, to spend a few evenings, in their own home or at the sea-side, in reading this pleasant volume, so full of clear and vivid description, and in inspecting its fifty-one graphic illustrations of the scenery and of the people." Weekly Review.

"The book is especially valuable as having been virtually written on the spot, and under the immediate influence of the objects, scenes and events it describes. We have the Geysers very vividly described, and the actual marvel of their existence and action, in that region of eternal ice, deepened by the farreaching suggestions of the author. The Jokuls, too, come in for a fair share of Mr Symington's attention. His descriptions of these two stormy lands in the terrors of the tempest and in the brief beauty of their swift summer, convey what is as near to actually new impressions as words can convey. Whilst at the Great Geyser, he witnessed an eruption of the spring. . . He has produced a most vivid book full of new information and strange natural phenomena. Nor is this a mere traveller's book; it is a valuable contribution to our stock of Icelandic and Norse literature. Our author gives a variety of information which cannot fail to be very useful to intending tourists, and he has completed a most useful and entertaining work by adding a very good vocabulary and an exhaustive index."

Daily News.

"The narrative is written in good plain prose, and its descriptions are practical and to the point. The aim of the writer, as stated by him-namely, to present pictures of, and to condense information on matters relating to Faroe and Iceland, has been on the whole, well carried out. The work is embellished with fifty one illustrations from original drawings by the author, engraved by Mr W. J. Linton." The Illustrated London News.

.

Symington's Pen and Pencil Sketches of Faroe and Iceland will send visitors to the land of the Geysers; and he gives such information, in the course of his very interesting little book, as will make the trip easier and pleasanter for those who follow him." The Builder.

"Combining the gratification of scientific curiosity with the attraction of sight-seeing. Very good and clear sketches of the places and the people. Mr Symington was so fortunate as to be present at an eruption of the Great Geyser, of a height and duration such as are rarely witnessed. The Stroker Spring also played satisfactorily; and Mr Symington has been successful in giving a very interesting description of what he saw, both beside the spring and on his way there and back."

The Scotsman. "Bear the evident impress of truth. very amusing and interesting; and his pen excels in description of popular life, as his pencil does in reproducing scenery." Monday Review.

"By no means the least of the books published anent Iceland is entitled 'Pen and Pencil Sketches,' under which unassuming title Mr Symington has, in reality, given a most trustworthy and admirable account of Iceland, its natural wonders, its people and scenes, written in a style at once easy and interesting; while the illustrations, mostly from his own sketches (engraven forcibly and graphically by W. J. Linton), evince that Mr Symington, while he has the power of the pen to depict, has also the skill of the draughtsman to catch the striking and information-giving sketches, which, to the number of fifty-one, at once beautify and render valuable his Icelandic tour. From the very interesting manner in which Mr Symington has handled his subject, we doubt not this work will become popular, and turn the thought of many a tourist to Iceland-a delightful change from the oft-trodden scenes of the Continent." North British Daily Mail.

"The illustrations are numerous and well executed, and with the graphic descriptions of the letterpress the reader cannot fail to realise vividly the scenes through which the author's pleasant pen and ready pencil have chosen to conduct him. The book is valuable for the large amount of general information which it contains on the physical features and phenomena of Iceland." John o' Groat Journal.