Apart from these differences, the two works have the same scope and aim. In both, the scope includes all works of fiction published in volume form, and dealing with Ireland or with the Irish abroad, and such works only. The present book, therefore, is not, any more than was the earlier book, a guide to the works of Irish novelists—else, Goldsmith, for instance, might surely claim a place. Neither is it, properly speaking, a book of advice as to what is best to read. The aim has been to provide descriptive notes of an _objective_ nature, to record facts, not to set forth personal views and predilections. This is a book of reference pure and simple; it neither condemns nor recommends. In this respect it differs from several other guides to fiction which at first sight it seems to resemble. The Abbé Bethléem’s most valuable _Romans à lire et romans à proscrire_ has been mentioned in the former preface. Its title proclaims its character. Of a similar nature are some works by members of my own Order that have since come to my knowledge. It will be useful to record their titles: 1. P. Gerardo Decorme, S.J.—Lecturas recomendables. (Barcelona: Luis Gili). 1908. 2. P. Pablo Ladron de Guevara, S.J.—Novelistas malos y buenos. Pp. 523. (Bilbao). 1910. 3. Was soll ich lesen? Ein Ratgeber [advice giver] für Studierende (Trier), 1912. 4. Guide de Lecture. (Brussels). Second ed., 1912. A magnificent 4to volume of 1032 pp., compiled by a Belgian Jesuit, Fr. Schmidt, and constituting the catalogue of his great Bibliothèque Choisie of 200,000 volumes. No. 1 devotes only a chapter to fiction. No. 2 contains a critical examination from a moral point of view of 413 Spanish writers, 1,220 French, 150 English, 98 German, as well as Russian, Belgian, &c. No. 3 devotes a section to _Schöne Literatur_ giving notes and bibliographical details. Symbols are used to indicate the suitability of the books to readers of various ages. The same plan is followed in No. 4, but to a much fuller extent, and the whole work is on a larger scale.