Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 4.djvu/485

 n s. iv. DEC. 9, ion.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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The Historical Growth of the English Parish Church. By A. H. Thompson, F.S.A. (Cam- bridge University Press. )

MR. THOMPSON'S concise account of the archi- tecture of English churches, with illustrations, is one of the useful series of manuals which are in course of being issued at Cambridge, and gives a large amount of information in a brief space. The erection of churches, he points out, is to be attributed not so much to the benefactions of the monasteries and religious orders as to the lord of the manor, who founded and provided the fabric for the tenants on his own estate ; and he lays emphasis on the fact that, quite apart from their religious associations, the parish churches of England form one of the most remark- able groups of historical monuments which any nation in Europe possesses. Most people are probably not aware that the west porch used to be called the Galilee for the reason that the last stage of the Sunday procession was reached at that point, even as the final stage of the Lord's life on earth terminated in Galilee after His Resurrection. J. T. Micklethwaite's ' Modern Parish Churches,' 1874, might be added to the bibliography.

IN The Cornhill Magazine for December Mrs. T. H. Huxley has some sprightly ' Pictures of Australian Life,' 1843-4, which show her own vigour as a young woman. She made her own and her mother's dresses, and all the bread for the household, and rode fearlessly through scrub, over steep banks and logs. Mr. Guy Kendall has a dignified 'Ode on the Tercentenary of Charterhouse,' and Col. C. E. Callwell tells a somewhat mild ' Tale of the Staff College.' ' My Experiences of the Railway Strike,' by a Railway Clerk, is vivid and well written, while Mr. Gilfrid Hartley gives a good idea of sport in ' An Irish Deer Forest.' Major MacMunn's ' En Avant les Enfants Perdus ! ' is an amusing story of mimic military warfare. Dr. Squire Sprigge has a good subject in ' Medicine in Fiction,' and complains reasonably of the lack of knowledge shown by novelists. His examples are mostly not of recent date. He would find, we think, a careful and compelling study of sleeping sickness in Mr. Masefield's ' Multitude and Solitude.' The answers are given to questions on ' The Pilgrim's Progress,' and Sir Frederick Pollock sets a paper on the Falstaff Cycle.

IN The Fortnightly the best of the political articles is Mr. A. A. Baumann's on ' The End of the Dual Control ' in the Conservative Party. Mr. Joseph Solomon has a highly interesting survey of some of the main ideas in ' The Philosophy of Bergson.' Mr. Archibald Hurd in ' The Peril of Invasion : Italy's " Bolt from the Blue " ' main- tains that the transports needed to land troops by the Italians show the impossibility of an invasion of England even by 70, 000 men. This is the view of Sir Arthur Wilson in opposition to Lord Roberts. ' The Art of J. M. Synge,' by Mr. Darrell Figgis, and ' Reality in Poetry,' by Mr. Laurence Housman, are both able, but the former writer suffers from an affected style. Mr. E. V. Heward tells us a good deal of interest concerning

' The Sun : Light and Life of the World,' and the various theories as to how its terrific heat is maintained. Mr. Sydney Brooks has an inform- ing article on ' The American Yellow Press,' which the recent death of Mr. Pulitzer leads him to consider. He finds something good to say for it, though he does not stint his words concerning its enormities. This is an article that should not be missed. ' Scenes of Revolutionary Life in Russia,' by Variag, promise well, and show us the complications of a world of police and revolutionaries.

IN The Nineteenth Century ' Some Reminis- cences of Joseph Knight,' by the editor of our own columns, will naturally attract our readers. Several stories of the well-loved figure are given, and everything may be regarded as authentic. The writer was on most intimate relations with his former colleague, and has recorded what he specially wished to be remembered. An interest- ing letter from Millais to Knight is included, and Mr. Charles Boyd adds some characteristic com- ment and anecdote. Those who knew Joseph Knight will be glad to see the radiant side of his. personality emphasized.

Mr. Stephen Gwynn contributes some good criticism of ' Mrs. Humphry Ward's Novels ' ; and j Mr. E. E. Williams has a timely article on ' The Courts and the Executive,' with reference to the recent decisions which have declared the views taken by various public departments and bodies of their powers to be illegal. The matters referred to need the attention of every one who believes in the freedom supposed to be an English right. - ' Liberty of Criticism within the Church of England,' by Mr. Cyril W. Emmet, is an effective rejoinder to the Bishop of Winchester's article- of last month. There seems to us to be a good deal of sense in what he says, and, though we take no side in such questions, we foel that the plain man wishes for more of the spirit and less of the letter of religion as expounded by specialists. On the fundamental facts of religious life " all,'* hesays, "areatone," or at least they ought to be. Mr. G. S. Street's remarks on ' The Social English ' are at once clever and thoughtful. He detects, in the English manners of the last twenty years " a very great improvement " in the direction of ease and naturalness. The ' Latest Light from Egypt on the Holy Scriptures,' by the Rev. E. McClure, and ' Smoke Abatement,' by Mr. J. B. C. Kershaw, are further articles worth perusal.

BOOKSELLERS' CATALOGUES. DECEMBER.

AMONG the chief items in Mr. Alfred Cooper's first Clearance Catalogue are a reprint of the ' Aldine Poets,' complete set, 21. 12s. ; Cassell's Magazine of 'Art, Vols. I.-XII., 11. 16s. ; ' Allge- meine Weltgeschichte, 13 vols., 21. ; Harrison's 4 British Classics,' complete, 8 vols., 1785, 11. 4s. ; Hugo's Novels, 13 vols. (as new), 21. 10s. ; and the ' Library of Famous Literature,' 20 vols., 21. There are also a number of cantatas, and five pages of books at a shilling each.

Mr. Bertram Dobell sends two Catalogues. In No. 200 are first and early editions of Milton, including an uncut copy of ' Eikonpklastes,' 45Z. ; first editions of Keats's ' Lamia,' 65L, and ' Endymion,' 65Z., fine copies in their original boards ; and many other choice items.