Page:Notes and Queries - Series 10 - Volume 8.djvu/49

 10 s. vm. JULY is, 1907.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

39

use in these islands from prehistoric times until the middle of the last century; and in some re- mote places it is used even now occasionally, as shown by recent contributions in our pages. It is not generally known that a kind of flail is used by the Japanese, of which an interesting engraving is given by Dr. Allison. It is not identical with any of those of Europe, but all had probably a common origin, though a people so intelligent may well have produced an instrument so simple with- out extraneous suggestion.

Dr. Allison's article is by far the most important in the volume, but there are others of no little interest. Mr. R. Oliver Heslop communicates some papers which help to throw light upon the dis- turbed state of the north of England after the victory of Flodden. Mr. J. Pattison Gibson has written a good paper on two burial cists of the bronze time recently found in the park which once encompassed "pleasant Dilston Hall," the seat of the third Lord Derwentwater, the head of the Northern house of Radcliffe, who was put to death in 1716 for his loyalty to the house of Stuart in the

Erevious year. Mr. Gibson, however, should not ave spoken of 'Lord Derwentwater's Good- Night ' as an " old Northumbrian ballad." It was written about 1807 by Robert Surtees, the author of ' Bartram's Dirge ' and ' Sir John le Spring.'

Mr. H. H. E. Craster publishes a portion of a Northern Roll of Arms which does not appear to have before found its way into print.

WE have received from Messrs. Routledge another volume of their valuable "Miniature Reference Library." This is a Dictionary of the Bible, by Albert M. Hyamson. It is carefully compiled, and the various descriptions are so compact that it is a useful work to keep in one's library for rapid refer- ence by the side of larger works. In the preface it is stated that " an endeavour has been made to adopt a strictly impartial attitude." Surely in a dictionary pure and simple no such "endeavour" should, be required ; all one seeks for is an alpha- betical arrangement such as the book gives, with a trustworthy summary from the Bible and other sources.

IN The Fortnightly Review the first four articles concern politics at home and abroad. Mr. David Balsillie follows with a paper on ' Mr. R. J. Campbell and the New Theology,' which mingles blame with praise. Mr. Campbell is assured that his theology, in spite of its leanings towards F. W. H. Myers's point of view, "has a strongly unscientific flavour." ' Suffragist Tactics, Past and Present,' by Mrs. Billington-Greig, a protagonist in the movement, should interest many people. Euripides said in one of his most philosophic plays that things were not equal for woman and man, the latter securing by his sex an unfair advantage. Miss Constance Smedley brings out this and much else concerning the modern woman and wife in a very interesting study of ' The Hedda Gabler of To-day,' which gives, after the stress of dispute concerning Ibsen, a fair idea of the lessons to be learnt from his drama. Mr. W. H. Mallock main- tains that ' Dr. Beattie as an Economist' is not so original as he is supposed to be. What he has done is to amplify and correct orthodox economics as represented by the school of Mill. In ' Alfred Deakin ' Mr. Richard Hain has an excellent sub- ject, but deals rather with the political career than the personality which lies behind it. Mr. T. H. S.

Escott's article on ' The Past, Present, and Future of the Middle Classes' is ostensibly a review of two English books and a French one, but really a general discussion with a few striking details of the changes visible to many people to-day. We cannot endorse some of Mr. Escott's parallels, but his main ideas are strikingly put. Mr. Douglas Ainslie has a set of sapphics on ' Life at Versailles,' a bold attempt in the original metre, which ha's occasionally and unavoidably, we think, a comic aspect in English. 'The Problem of the West Indies' is discussed by "Imperialist," and there is the usual chronicle of foreign affairs, dealing inter alia with the Hague Conference and the visit of English journalists to Germany.

The National Review this month is chiefly con- cerned with politics, and the Government comes in for strong censure, as does Sir John Fisher, who seems to us to be attacked with unusual bitterness. We have, however, no political views in these columns, though we think that politeness lends itself more readily to effective rebuke than some writers of the present day are aware. ' Missing Chapters in " The Garden that I Love " ' is a charming article, but it is the only one that can be called literary in the issue. Mr. Bosworth Smith in 'Sunday^ pleads f9r a better observance of the day. He thinks that till recently the English Sunday was a via media between the more Pharisaical and the more Puri- tanical views of the nature and obligations of the Sabbath, and that during the last few years "symptoms have appeared which, if they are allowed to go on unchecked, threaten to deprive the day of half its repose and of more than half its spiritual value." Mr. Bosworth Smith rather spoils his article by the preaching tone in which he indulges ; and there is something to be said on the other side which he ignores. Mr. J. H. Schooling in ' The Householder's Nightmare ' deals with the new law regarding servants which began to operate this month. He has, it seems to us, somewhat overstated his case, which he does not treat we presume, with special lesral knowledge. 'Re- Incarnation ' is a curious and interesting article by Jean Delaire. It includes some striking summaries of present-day conclusions, but we fail, with some little knowledge of scientific research and thought to understand the statement that "to-day it is generally admitted that ' mental and moral quali- ties are not_ transmitted to offspring.' " The author of this sapient generalization has neglected some obvious sources of information provided by the new pursuit of eugenics.

The last page of the Review is a timely letter of protest by Lady Edward Cecil against the ' Index Expurgatorius ' of the L.C.C. : "Last year, when the Radicals were in power, a long list of English classics was declared to be unsuitable for the young. This year, with a Conservative majority in control ' Mary Barton,' by Mrs. Gaskell, has been added to them." The L.C.C. have also "black-listed" ' Dombey and Son,' ' Hypatia,' ' Peter Simple,' and the Grimms ' Fairy Tales,' of which last they are preparing an expurgated edition. We feel inclined to print for the oenefit of the L.C.C. a passage from Newman concerning secular literature whiclfis both good English and good sense.

IN The CornhiU S. G. Tallentyre has a pleasant character-sketch of ' A Girl of the Reform Bill,' who lived to see many changes in social life, and preserved a serene wisdom through it all. Mr.