Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 24.djvu/130

 came to know Thomas Wright [q. v.], his senior by ten years, who was still at Cambridge, and Wright aided him in his literary projects, and introduced him to the library of his own college, Trinity. For many years the two friends were closely associated in various literary enterprises. In 1838 appeared Halliwell's first book, ‘An Account of the Life and Inventions of Sir Samuel Morland’ (Cambridge, 8vo). In August of the same year he was staying at Oxford with Professor Rigaud, and corresponding with Joseph Hunter. Next year he wrote for the ‘Companion to the British Almanac’ a paper on early calendars, which was reprinted in pamphlet form; published ‘A Few Hints to Novices in Manuscript Literature’ (London, 1839, 8vo), and edited ‘Sir John Mandeville's Travels’ (London, 1839, 8vo). Halliwell afterwards claimed to be responsible only for the introduction to this edition of Mandeville, which has been often reprinted.

Halliwell's activity at so early an age attracted attention. Miss Agnes Strickland sought his acquaintance. He became intimate with William Jerdan, editor of the ‘Literary Gazette,’ Charles Roach Smith, and Howard Staunton. On 14 Feb. 1839 he was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and afterwards contributed many papers to the ‘Archæologia.’ On 30 May 1839, before reaching his nineteenth birthday, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society—an honour for which he was recommended by Baden Powell, Whewell, Sedgwick, Davies Gilbert, Sir Henry Ellis, and others. On the title-page of the books which he published in 1840 he described himself as member also of the Astronomical and of ten antiquarian societies on the continent of Europe and in America. In the autumn, after his election to the Royal Society, he catalogued the miscellaneous manuscripts in the Society's library, and the catalogue was published in the following year. Early in 1840 he projected the Cambridge Antiquarian Society, of which he was the first secretary. But after Lent term he left Cambridge without a degree and settled with his father in London. He had at that date collected about 130 early manuscripts, chiefly dealing with mathematics and astrology. He printed a catalogue, but was forced by pressure of creditors to sell the collection in 1840.

In London he worked hard in the library of the British Museum, bought books and manuscripts, and found recreation in frequent visits to the theatre. In 1840 he prepared for the press ten works, and in 1841 thirteen. These included three tracts on the manuscript collections at Cambridge; Sherwin's Latin history of Jesus College, Cambridge, dedicated to Joseph Hunter (1840); ‘Rara Mathematica, or a Collection of Treatises on Mathematics, &c., from ancient unedited MSS.;’ and his earliest works on Shakespeare, of whom he wrote to Hunter, 15 Jan. 1842, ‘I grow fonder every day.’ He was at the same time an energetic member of all the newly founded literary societies. For the Camden Society (established in 1838) he edited Warkworth's ‘Chronicle’ (1839), Rishanger's ‘Chronicle’ (1840), Dee's ‘Private Diary’ (1842), a selection of Simon Forman's papers (suppressed, but fifteen copies preserved), 1843, and the ‘Thornton Romances’ (1844). All these works were printed from manuscripts not previously edited. On 10 Aug. 1839 he addressed a letter to the president of the Camden Society, Lord Francis Egerton, urging him to confine the society's labours to the elucidation of early English history, and complaining of the taunts to which he had to submit on account of his youth. For the Percy Society, founded in 1841 with a view to publishing ballad-literature, he edited the early naval ballads of England and two other volumes in 1841; in 1842 ‘The Nursery Rhymes of England, collected principally from oral tradition,’ which met at once with popular success, and seventeen other volumes between 1842 and 1850. Nor were his services to the Shakespeare Society, founded in 1841, less conspicuous. In 1841 he prepared for that society ‘Ludus Coventriæ: a Collection of Mysteries formerly represented at Coventry,’ and eight other volumes in subsequent years, besides many short essays contributed to the society's volumes of miscellaneous papers. He likewise attempted in 1841 to start another literary society on his own account, entitled the Historical Society of Science, for which he prepared a useful ‘collection of letters illustrative of the progress of science in England from the reign of Elizabeth to that of Charles II,’ but the society soon died. Nothing daunted, Halliwell began a periodical, ‘The Archæologist and Journal of Antiquarian Science,’ of which he published, with the aid of Thomas Wright, ten numbers between September 1841 and June 1842. In 1841 and 1842 he spent some time with Mr. James Heywood at Manchester preparing a catalogue of the manuscripts at the Chetham Library, which was published in the latter year.

In 1841 Halliwell's archæological zeal came to the notice of Sir Thomas Phillipps, the antiquary, to whom he dedicated, 20 Dec. 1840, the first volume of a collection of ‘Scraps from Ancient MSS.,’ entitled ‘Reli-