Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 22, 1911.djvu/140

 1 1 4 Reviews.

Renward CVsat (1545-1614). Der BegrUnder der Schweizer- ischen Volkskunde. Von Renward Brandstetter. Luzern: Buchhandlung Haag, 1909. 8vo, pp. no.

SCHWEIZERISCHES Archiv FUR VoLKSKUNDE. 1 3'" Jahrgang, Heft 4; 14'" Jahrgang, Hefte i and 3, herausgegeben von Ed. Hoffmann-Krayer und Maxime Reymond. Basel : Augustinergasse 8, 1909-10.

Volkslieder aus dem Kanton Solothurn. Gesammelt und herausgegeben von Sigmund Grosimund. (Schriften der Schweizerischen Gesellschaft fur Volkskunde, No. 7.) Basel : Augustinergasse 8, 1910. 8vo, pp. vii+iii.

Switzerland probably owes it to the virtual autonomy of her cantons and the admirable education of her citizens that she has always been singularly rich in local chroniclers and observers. A visit to the library or archive-room of even a small cantonal capital may be a revelation for him who has not realised that, despite terrific destruction by storms, fires, and wars, Switzerland has contrived to preserve a priceless mass of historical and scientific literature, all the more precious because of its detailed character and the innate gift for accurate observation and tabula- tion exhibited by its authors. These, for the most part, have been amateurs in the best sense of the word : men exercising professions which left them scanty leisure for the research-work and writings whereby they have added to the lore of their country.

Herr Brandstetter, who is happily still adding to his admirable series of monographs on the philology and folklore of old Lucerne, has lately introduced us to Renward Cysat, a native of Lucerne, the first author in the German language to record observations of importance on folklore and dialect, and the richest stylist amongst old Swiss writers.

Cysat was born in 1545 and died in 16 14. He was, there- fore, the contemporary of his famous countryman, Glareanus, whom he resembles in his amazing versatility and industry. Of an honoured patrician family, he was educated to be an apothecary, but, preferring a political career, took the oflSce