Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 4.djvu/196

 160 NOTES AND QUERIES, [w s. iv. ACO. 19, IMS. the series will scarcely be disputed. Her inclu- sion in this edition leads us to speculate whether the entire works of Mrs. Browning may not also appear. At her best, when she condescends to be artistic, she stands among female poets all but pre-eminent. Alone among eighteenth-century poets Gray and Collins occupy a foremost place, and the volume which contains them, Goldsmith, and •Johnson cannot be otherwise than welcome. It may be wondered whether Thomson, for his ' Castle of Indolence,' and Beattie might not be included, as well as Burns, numerous as are the reprints, and a complete Dryden. As it is, the edition is the prettiest, most tasteful, and most readable extant, •and is a priceless boon to those lovers of poets who, like the poets themselves, have ordinarily ill- garnished purses. The Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.—'o V. Poems. (Bell & Sons.) THE fifth and concluding volume of the works of Emerson, now included in their entirety in " The York Library," consists of his poems. For a defi- nite reason these have enjoyed less popularity than the philosophical works of the same writer, and are, indeed, little known and seldom quoted. Emer- son had the observation of the poet, but scarcely his voice. He had small lyrical endowment, and his verse is sometimes crabbed. It constitutes, however, a definite portion of his accomplishment, and has a right to appear in his collected works. •Occasionally his language soars, and we dwell with pleasure upon lines such as And the untaught Spring is wise In cowslips and anemones. The Poets and Poetry of the Nineteenth Century.— William Morris to Robert Buchanan. Edited by Alfred H. Miles. (Routledge & Sons.) ANOTHER volume, comprising selections from Wil- liam Morris, A. C. Swinburne, and many minstrels, mostly minor, has been included in Mr. Miles's 'Poets and Poetry of the Nineteenth Century,' and adds to its value. In the case of Morris the task of selection is admirably accomplished. In the case of 'The Defence of Guinevere' it is almost ideal, and with the addition of ' Rapunzel' and ' The •Chapel in Lyonesse' we should have all we most love. In the case of Mr. Swinburne it was not «asy to go wrong, but the choice is in all respects satisfactory. A few poems of Henley might be an advantage, even if they replaced those of more advertised authors. The volume is worthy in all respects to rank with its fellows, and contains much exquisite verse. •Orimm's Popular Stories. (Frowde.) Tales from Shakespeare. By Charles and Mary Lamb. (Same publisher.) WITH these two volumes, worthy in all respects of the publisher, begins what we are disposed to believe a new and an eminently attractive series of Oxford reprints. Grimm's delightful stories are reprinted from the first edition, issued in 1823, and contain the entire series of Cruikshank plates. These we are disposed to regard as the artist s best work. In the case of some of his illustrations we are disposed to dissent from the general estimate. Cruikshank's goblins are, however, unique, and other designs, such as 'The Golden Goose" and'The Goose Girl' are unsurpassable. In the library and the nursery the book will be equally acceptable. Lamb's 'Tales' have for frontispiece 'Shake- speare nursed by Comedy and Tragedy,' from Romney's famous picture, and fifteen other plates by Wheatley, Hamilton, Angelica Kauti'man, Westall, Smirke, Rigaud, Northcote, and Fuseli. The series thus begun bids fair to be delightful. The Household of Sir Thomas More. By Anne Manning. (De La More Press.) To the series of " King's Novels " has been added Miss Manning's tender and popular novel, which is ushered in by a preface, more critical than eulogistic, of Dr. Richard Garnett. A frontispiece, depicting the characters in the story, adds to the attractiveness of a bright and pleasing reprint. BOOKSELLERS' CATALOGUES.—AUGUST. OWING to the summer holidays we have only to record the receipt of one catalogue. Messrs. W. N. Pitcher & Co., of Manchester, have some interesting recent purchases. These include Pickering's " Aldine Poets," 53 vols., 281. This is now scarce. Among other Pickering books are Coleridge, Cowper, Boccaccio, Bridgewater Treatises, &c. Other items are Kinglake's ' Crimea,' 8 vols., calf, 41. 4s. ; Flaxman's ' Lectures,' with four original drawings, 31. }0s.; 'The Arabian Nights,' Villon Society, 121.; Whitaker's ' Yorkshire,' Leeds. 1816, 51. 10*.; and Ralston's 'Manchester,' 1823, 51. A choicely bound copy of ' The Faerie Queene,' 1897, large paper, is 81. ids. This edition was limited to thirty copies. Baines's 'Lancashire.' with the extra plates, 1836, is 41. In.. ; a first edition of 'Lavengro,' very scarce," 1851, II. 16s.; Burke's ' Heraldry,' 1843, 11. 10». ; and ' The Chinese Repo- sitory,' Canton, 1832-46,121. 10 Comsponbrnts. We must call special attention to the following notices:— ON all communications must lie written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith. WE cannot undertake to answer queries privately. To secure insertion of communications corre- spondents must observe the following rules. Let each note, query, or reply be written on a separate slip of paper, with the signature of the writer and such address as he wishes to appear. When answer- ing queries, or making notes with regard to previotu entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the eiact heading, the series, volume, and page or page* to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second com- munication "Duplicate." F. S. SSKLL (Cape Colony).—" Do the work that '• nearest" is from Charles Kingsley. See ante, p. 38. ffOTlCS. Editorial communications should be addressed to "The Editor of 'Notes and Queries'"—Adver- tisements and Business Letters to "The Pub- lisher"—at the Office, Bream's Buildings, Chancery Lane, E.G. We beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do Dot print; and to this rule we can make no exception.