“It were impossible to praise too highly this most interesting book, whether we should have regard to its excellent plan or its not less excellent execution. It ought to be found on every drawing-room table. Here you have nearly fifty captivating romances with the pith of all their interest preserved in undiminished poignancy, and any one may be read in half an hour. It is not the least of their merits that the romances are founded on fact--or what, at least, has been handed down for truth by long tradition--and the romance of reality far exceeds the romance of fiction.”--_Standard._ XV.--THE LAIRD OF NORLAW. BY MRS. OLIPHANT. “We have had frequent opportunities of commending Messrs. Hurst and Blackett’s Standard Library. For neatness, elegance, and distinctness the volumes in this series surpass anything with which we are familiar. ‘The Laird of Norlaw’ will fully sustain the author’s high reputation. The reader is carried on from first to last with an energy of sympathy that never flags.”--_Sunday Times._ “‘The Laird of Norlaw’ is worthy of the author’s reputation. It is one of the most exquisite of modern novels.”--_Observer._ XVI.--THE ENGLISHWOMAN IN ITALY. BY MRS. G. GRETTON. “Mrs. Gretton had opportunities which rarely fall to the lot of strangers of becoming acquainted with the inner life and habits of a part of the Italian peninsula which is the very centre of the national crisis. We can praise her performance as interesting, unexaggerated, and full of opportune instruction.”--_The Times._ “Mrs. Gretton’s book is timely, life-like, and for every reason to be recommended. It is impossible to close the book without liking the writer as well as the subject. The work is engaging, because real.”--_Athenæum._ XVII.--NOTHING NEW. BY THE AUTHOR OF “JOHN HALIFAX, GENTLEMAN.” “‘Nothing New’ displays all those superior merits which have made ‘John Halifax’ one of the most popular works of the day. There is a force and truthfulness about these tales which mark them as the production of no ordinary mind, and we cordially recommend them to the perusal of all lovers of fiction.”--_Morning Post._ XVIII.--LIFE OF JEANNE D’ALBRET, QUEEN OF NAVARRE. BY MISS FREER. “We have read this book with great pleasure, and have no hesitation in recommending it to general perusal. It reflects the highest credit on the industry and ability of Miss Freer. Nothing can be more interesting than her story of the life of Jeanne D’Albret, and the narrative is as trustworthy as it is attractive.”--_Morning Post._ XIX.--THE VALLEY OF A HUNDRED FIRES. BY THE AUTHOR OF “MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS.” “If asked to classify this work, we should give it a place between ‘John Halifax’ and ‘The Caxtons.’”--_Standard._ “The spirit in which the whole book is written is refined and good.”--_Athenæum._ “This is in every sense a charming novel.”--_Messenger._ XX.--THE ROMANCE OF THE FORUM; OR, NARRATIVES, SCENES, AND ANECDOTES FROM COURTS OF JUSTICE.