Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 3.djvu/314

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NOTES AND QUERIES,

s. in. APRIL i, 1905.

himself A later determination has been that the best course consists in taking "everything for a siven period, not leaving even a straw in the gleaning field to perplex or delay the future gleaner" As the result of labours frequently interrupted and as often resumed, a first volume now appears, while a second is in active progress. The first volume in question reproduces the entries on the 120 folios in two volumes constituting the register for the year 1620, known as the Register Soame and contains wills numbered (arbi- trarily, since the figures do not appear on the original folios) from 1 to 1,366. This course involves necessarily long and important indexes of names, places, &c. In the present volume are HO pages of index arranged in three columns per page, in- cluding about 240 separate entries per page, and in some cases an immense and virtually indefinite number of entries. On p. 586, under ' London,' there are some 360 entries. Vol. 11. will cover the year 1621, and will contain the register known as "Date." Adequate support being given, Mr. Lea hopes to complete the decade 1620 to 1630 ; but the execution of so important and desirable a task depends necessarily upon this. Interest in matters genealogical increases rapidly, and though the experience of previous labourers in the same held is not wholly encouraging, there is, we should sup- pose, little doubt that the task will ba prosecuted up to or beyond the prescribed limit.

We have searched among the abstracts for illus- trations of literature, and find something to reward us. Further investigations would probably be highly remunerative. Daniell, the poet, is described in the ' D.N.B.' as of Ridge, co. Somerset. His will, dated 4 Sept., 1619, was proven 1 Feb., 1619/20, leaving his house at Ridge to his sister Susan Bowre. Among the names occurring is Avenant. Sir William D' Avenant is said to have derived his surname from Avenant, a name existing in Lom- bardy. It is herein shown to have existed at King's Norton, Worcestershire, not far removed from Oxford, where D'Avenant was born. References are found to Sir Frauncis Bacon (Lord Verulam). A bequest is left by William Preistley, citizen and Merchant Tailor, of All Hallows, Bread Street, to John Milton and his wife, presumably the father and mother of the poet. An early use of umbrella occurs Abstract 20, where Robert Toft or Tofte, the poet and traveller, familiarly known as " Robin Redbreast," bequeaths to Margt Daye, wife of his cousin George Daye, of West Drayton, "an unbrello of perfumed leather with a gould fryndge abowte yt which I broughte out of Italic." Richard Connocke, of Calstocke, in Cornwall, bequeaths (Abstract 138) " virginalls, sometime the virginalls of the late Queen Elizabeth, made in Venice." These Mr. Lea supposes to be the same now exhi- bited in the Kensington Museum.

The work is carefully and successfully accom- plished, and its interest extends beyond the genea- lo<nsts and pedigree hunters, in whose behoof it has been undertaken. By the aid of the method adopted reference is simplicity itself. It will be nothing less than a calamity if encouragement sufficient to secure the completion of the task be denied the author.

Harmsivorth Encyclopedia. Parts I.-III. (Amal- gamated Press and Nelson & Sons.) THE idea is excellent of issuing in a really popular shape, and at a price which brings it within reach

of all who can own any books at all, an encyclo- pedia of universal information. This experiment is now being essayed with what we are assured is- confirmed success. If the opening promise is ful- filled, there should before long be few cottages- which do not possess what is, for practical purposes, a library of reference. In the three parts now issued is comprised nearly the whole of A. This important instalment is not all by which we are able to judge. With the first part is given a specimen of the general conduct of the work, which is in the main excellent. The names of those responsible for it comprise those with whom we are familiar in the case of every compilation nien who have made a speciality of omni- science. For the numerous and important illustra- tions the proprietors have gone further afield, and the designs of scenes and places are very beautiful ; many of them are the works of artists such as Millais and Alma Tadema. No branch of information has been neglected, and most are com- petently treated. In the case of geography, full information is supplied, and coloured maps are furnished of Asia and Africa and Arctic and Antarctic regions, in addition to innumerable un- coloured maps of places such as Anglesey, Angola, and Annam. Reproductions of designs such as the ' Angelus ' of Millet constitute an attractive feature. Under 'Assyrian 'we find much valuable and ad- vanced information, together with illustrations of Phoenician art and myth.

The biographies include portraits of living men as well as of the illustrious dead. If we were dis- posed to be hypercritical, we might be tempted to complain of the size of the portraits of men of the day whose immortality or, indeed, whose fame is no wise assured. As no country can boast of the possession of a sommite, and few of anything beyond a non valenr, politicians might perhaps be presented in less pretentious guise. Their presence at all is, however, a sign of the times.

Under ' Atrium ' is given the view of a restored apartment of a Pompeian house. 'Architecture' has many striking illustrations, from Egyptian remains to the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Westminster and the latest American monstrosity in the shape of a high building. It is impos- sible, of course, to convey an idea of the range of the new work, which answers most purposes of a dictionary, a work of biographical refer- ence, a guide-book to all most recent develop- ments of art and science, and a thousand things beside. We have merely dipped into the parts, and mentioned one or two things that have caught our eye in turning over the pages. So far as we have tested it, an admirable design appears to have been excellently carried out, and the work, when completed, will be as serviceable and as trust- worthy, as works issued with much more pretence and at twenty times its price. It will also be more easy of reference.

The Life and Times of St. Boniface. By J. M.

Williamson, M.D. (Frowde.)

ENGLAND, which owes so much to German theo- logians, has the honour of having first given Chris- tianity to Germany. It sprang from the missionary visit paid it by Winfrith, a native of Crediton, in Devon, in the year 723, when the name of Boni- facius, by which he is best known, was given him, by Pope Gregory II. Dr. Williamson does not pretend to have anything new to say about tide