light upon the political events of the time and upon DISRAELI'S own
character. Whereas the first four volumes of the biography might be likened
to a good sound Burgundy, thanks to these letters the last two sparkle and
stimulate like a vintage champagne. As we read them we seem to be present
at the scenes described, to overhear the discussions at the Cabinet, to
catch a glimpse of the actors _en déshabillé_. Mr. BUCKLE says that
"Disraeli, from first to last, regarded his life as a brightly tinted
romance, with himself as hero." In one of his letters to Lady BRADFORD he
says, "I live for Power and the Affections." A poseur, no doubt, he was,
but not a charlatan. His industry was amazing and his insight almost
uncanny. "I know not why Japan should not become the Sardinia of the
Mongolian East," he writes in 1875. To the political student these Volumes
will be almost as fruitful a field as BURKE; for myself, I have found them
more fascinating than any novel.

* * * * *

It seams a great pity that Mr. KIPLING'S _Letters of Travel_ (MACMILLAN)
contains nothing later than 1913. It would have been particularly
interesting to see how far the events of the great tragedy might have
modified or aggravated his scorn against those who do not see eye to eye
with him. In the pre-war KIPLING, as we have him here, "Labour" is always
the enemy, "Democracy" the hypocritical cant of cranks and slackers. What
do they know of England who only KIPLING know? Well, they know one side of
it, and a fine side. The first sheaf of letters--"From Tideway to Tideway
(1892)"--describes a tour through America and Canada, with a rather too
obvious bias against the habits and institutions of the former, but with so
eloquent a presentation of the dream and fact of imperial pioneering
service that it might draw even from a Little Englander, "Almost thou
persuadest me!" "Letters to the Family" deals with the Canada of 1907, a