Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 7.djvu/231

IIS. VII Mar. 22, 1913.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 223 cuts, though, again, one seems to doubt here and there whether it is his work when a different engraver is employed. 'Stanfield Hall' was reissued in penny numbers, and also republished by B. Lloyd as a book (in 1851), with another artist's illustrations.

In the "Index" (really a table of contents only) of The London Journal much more importance is attached to 'Gideon Giles' than 'Stanfield Hall,' for an epitome of each chapter of 'Gideon Giles' is given, whereas only the pages are enumerated for 'Stanfield Hall.'

According to an article in The Quarterly Review entitled 'Penny Fiction' (1890, vol. clxxi. p. 162), "J. F. Smith's first success was achieved in 1849 with 'Stanfield Hall,' and by this and his other tales he founded a school of romances which is with us to this day." The writer gives a curious peep at Smith's habits. He "was content to lead a queer, disreputable, Bohemian life." He "was unknown among journalists or literary men, yet he had a thousand readers where Dickens had ten." This clever article, the authorship of which I had imputed to Henry Vizetelly, was by the assistant editor of The Standard, Francis Hitchman, of whom—as of most of the other persons I mention—a notice will be found in Boase's 'Modern English Biography.'

The Academy of 29 Jan., 1910 (pp. 108 ff.), I remarked upon the similarity (noted by Coleridge) between Wordsworth's description of the echo of Joanna's laugh and a striking passage in canto xxx. of Drayton's 'Polyolbion'; and having mentioned certain malicious reminiscences of Wordsworth in Frere's 'King Arthur and his Round Table,' I went on to suggest that

Charles Lamb was interested in the poem of Wordsworth, and I may add a reference, doubtless from Lamb, which seems to show his appreciation of the lines on Joanna's laugh. Mr. William Macdonald ('The Works of Charles Lamb,' x. 362 ff.) properly includes with the 'Specimens of English Dramatic Poets' four extracts from 'Fuimus Troes: The True Trojans,' which were printed in The Indicator early in the year 1821. At the close of the extracts the anonymous contributor writes:—

The lines are from 'Fuimus Troes,' Act IV., near the beginning of sc. i. I have compared them with the text as given in Dodsley's 'Old English Plays,' ed. Hazlitt, xii. 507-8.

Mr. Macdonald offers good reasons for identifying the contribution to The Indicator as Lamb's. Taken in connexion with Lamb's letters to Wordsworth of 30 Jan., 1801, and February, 1801 (the day of the month is missing), the allusion to Wordsworth's poem supplies an additional clue.

The lines Lamb has in mind are these ('To Joanna,' 51-65):—

If there be any connexion between the echo of Wordsworth and Drayton and the fire-signal of Æschylus, it may not be out of place to quote the following reference to the view from the "Beacon" behind the

Rushbrooke as a tribute of gratitude for many acts of friendship conferred on the family of the author. They are addressed from Augustus Square, Regent's Park. Advertised as just published is "Songs of the Ooean : the poetry by J. F. Smith, Esq., the music by C. N. Mueller." These songs were pub- lished without date, but 1832 is that given to them in the National Library Music Catalogue. The poetry, I think, justifies my early notion that muoh of the poetry at the head of the chapters to Smith's tales was by him.