This was effected with an air of wonderful omniscience, and not unfrequently with an ignorance hardly surpassed by its arrogance.

But the writing was clever.

The facts, if not true, were well invented; the arguments, if not logical, were seductive.

The presiding spirit of the paper had the gift, at any rate, of knowing what the people for whom he catered would like to read, and how to get his subjects handled so that the reading should be pleasant.

Mr Booker's 'Literary Chronicle' did not presume to entertain any special political opinions.