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NOTES AND QUERIES. [11 s. xi. FEB. 20, 1915.

mingling of vastness, awfulness, and poignancy, which thrills us in Blake's work, and surely could not arise from anything less direct and powerful than the actual vision of an actual seer.

M. Berger's estimate of Blake's poetry leaves nothing to be desired, and he is even better at expounding the characteristics of the language within a language framed of symbol and sym- bolic action which corresponds to Blake's over- powering vision within vision. He is, perhaps, not so clear on the question of what Blake owed to his predecessors, and we ourselves should be inclined to rate any such debt all the way round less highly than he does. Human beings, having all <jyes of the same pattern, if they look out upon the same sight, are bound to make some identical remarks in reporting what they see, while, on the whole, it would seem that to look at the thing Itself, and to look at it as mirrored in another's yes, are Avays of looking mutually exclusive.

The translation is a quite satisfactory piece of work.

Handel, the Duke of Chandos, ' The Harmonious Blacksmith.' By William Hayman Cummings. (London, 'Musical News ' Office, Is. net.) THE first point of this interesting little pamphlet of some 30 pages is to show that it is extremely improbable that Handel ever resided for any length of time at Canons, the seat of the Duke of handos at Edgware. In setting forth his evi- dence with regard to this, Dr. Cummings usefully draws attention to several errors which have crept into, and to some extent have retained their place in, Handel's biography. The, allied, second point is the origin of the well-known name ' The Harmonious Blacksmith,' applied to the fifth of Handel's ' Suites de Pieces.' Not only around the name has a, myth gathered that, as our readers know, of William Powell of Edgware, supposed to have been both the blacksmith in question and parish clerk during Handel's stay at Edgware as organist ! but the air itself has been derived, by different wrong-headed or mis- informed writers on music, from different sources. Most of these attributions can be proved to be wrong by the simple measure of pointing out that the dates of their respective appearances are later than that of the publication of the ' Suites.' Dr. Cummings gives the text of three of these supposed " originals " which would appear rather to be imitations.

Students of musical biography will find this little brochure worth acquiring, since it gives at length, in several instances, the documents, &c., connected with the argument.

The Cirencester Vestry I?oo7i during the Seventeenth

Century. By S. E. Harrison. (3rL) Tms paper was read by Mr. Harrison, Librarian of the Bingham Public Library, Cironcester, in March of last yeai 1 before the Cirencester Natural- ists' and Archaeologists' Club, and is reprinted in pamphlet form from The Willn and Gloucestershire Standard. To the general reader its chief useful- ness will, perhaps, lie in the ample quotations from orders "to be agreed upon " by church- wardens and overseers of tho poor, as well as the orders for the " Biddle of the Beggers." The ' View of Armour, 1608,' is also a heading under which we get interesting details, particularly as to the proportion in the occupations of tht

citizens. Cirencester was fortunate, one cannot but think, at that date if she had but " 1 loyterer." Perhaps the " biddle's " efforts had something to do with this display of virtue, for we are told that he was directed. " that no children or vounge people beyng above the age of seaven ye'res be suffred to wander or go idelye aboute the streets either begging or otherwyse, but may be sett either to knytting, spynning or some other laboure according to their age and habylitye."

Clergy Directory, 1915. (J. S. Phillips, 4s. 6d.

net.)

THIS is the forty- fifth year of this useful annual, which, in addition to the alphabetical list of the clergy, contains a list of parishes and parochial districts, giving population, incumbent, annual income, and patron. The Diocesan and Cathedral establishments include the arrangements necessi- tated by the recent creation of the three dioceses of Chelmsford, S. Edmundsbury, and Sheffield. There is also a list of societies connected with the Church of England, with address and name of the secretary.

In order that the work may be quite up to date, a table is given of clergy whose deaths have occurred during the passage of the work through the press, and whose names still appear in the general list. We have tested this as to changes made during the year that have come to our knowledge, and find in each case the record to be accurate.

IN The Antiquary for February (Elliot Stock, 6d.) particulars of the ruin of the museum of Ypres are supplied by Mr. J. Tavenor - Perry, illustrations of the museum before and after the bombardment being given. Mr. Francis Joseph Bigger treats on St. Brig id crosses, and illustrates his article with specimens from his own collection. Mr. Edward S. Dodgson asks : " Did Cowper write ' The School of Virtue ' ? " The title-page runs , " The School of Virtue: A Novel on a New Plan: inscribed to Her Majesty by a Gentleman of the Temple. ' Vero nihil verius, Sola virtus in- victa.' Hor. In two volumes. London. Printed for William Lane, Leadenhall street. MDCCLXXXVII." There is a copy in the Bodleian, but not in the British Museum. Mr. Dodgson, after closely examining the novel, its tone, and the Cowperian words used, as recorded in the ' N.E.D.' and in Neve's Concordance, thinks that " experts in Cowperian prose will, on perusing these volumes, very likely find other proofs that my suggestions 'n Cowper's favour are reasonable."

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