Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 8.djvu/66

60 which is not only delightful, but in this particular connexion of real and peculiar assistance. The details of fact, historical and other, are well chosen, as little hackneyed as may be, and well worked into the texture of the fabric. Some errors, still more or less current, are once more corrected, such as that concerning the significance of a "cross-legged" effigy. In a few cases we find ourselves partially out of agreement with Mr. Lamborn. His theory, throughout, is that the development of architecture is fundamentally analogous to the evolutionary development of organisms. This is a tempting, but, we believe, a misleading comparison. Heartily at one with him in tracing back beauty of form to constructional necessity, and the passage from beauty to beauty to the discovery of new, or the new application of familiar, principles, we yet detect in him the common blindness of the evolutionist to the fact that, after all, the human worker is a conscious being, and that, if he stumble upon some discovery almost unawares, or following mere necessity, he can use it, once made, with more intentions than one. Thus, for example, we do not see how the mediæval designer of the church with transepts can have failed to perceive that the design ended in the form of a cross, or can have failed to take great pleasure in perceiving it, whence, doubtless, a joyful repetition of the design, and that with emphasis. Mr. Lamborn, discoursing on this matter, has a note saying: "Moreover, the Cross of Calvary was probably a Tau," which is surely out of place in connexion with mediæval ideas.

Mr. Lamborn has some remarks on Renaissance work in Oxford which seem to us insufficiently considered, as also do some—not by any means all—of the rather petulant reflections on things in general with which his pages are interspersed. The illustrations, most of them quite satisfactory, and forming a well-chosen body, include one or two examples of that rather common modern blemish of the photograph from a dark interior which really illustrates nothing; and they do not include St. Mary's spire. With this we have exhausted our list of complaints, and have only, in conclusion, to congratulate Mr. Lamborn upon the accomplishment of this good and instructive bit of work.

have received this valuable book of reference from Messrs. Harrison & Sons. The work retains all its well-known features, and has been thoroughly revised and brought up to date. We find the title of Whitburgh (Baron) is included in its proper alphabetical place in the book, though only created early in December last. Mr. Money Coutts's Barony of Latymer, called out of abeyance still more recently, is also mentioned in a slip which will be found at the beginning of the book.

The volume, as usual, gives full particulars of every titled family, not only of the actual holder of the title, but of all previous holders and of all possible successors. The publishers claim that it is the only work which does this.

In addition to the hereditary honours, it deals with the personal honours of Privy Councillors, Knights, and Companions of Orders, in fact with every honour and decoration conferred by the King. It appears to us to be edited with care, and it must take a great deal of trouble in the course of the year to bring a book of reference like this completely up to date.

As regards our former criticisms on the volume, we find that the Earl of Donoughmore's eldest son is still called Lord Suirdale, although the editor does not give us any information as to when or how this title was created. On the other hand, we are glad to see that Alexander of Dublin, Baronet, has now got his proper crest allotted to him. As regards the engravings of the coats of arms, we much regret the gradual disappearance of the steel engravings and the increase of the wood-blocks. A bad example of the wood-block appears in the case of Queen Alexandra's arms, which are so complicated as here represented that it is almost beyond the reach of ordinary patience to ascertain what they are.

We note that the Guide to Precedence is still retained, although it is a feature that must give rise to endless trouble in keeping it up to date, and is, so far as we can see, of little use to any one. It occupies, in a rather crowded volume, no fewer than 180 pages. In looking up a friend of ours who is a lady nobly descended, we find she is 62,200 odd in order of precedence; and looking up a gentleman who is a well-known knight companion, we find that he is 39,500 odd. What can be the use of this information to the general public?

We congratulate Mr. Ashworth Burke on his interesting Preface, which points out that upon the death of the Duke of Fife in January last some of his titles may be dormant or in abeyance, while others become extinct. He also tells us that the official Roll of Baronets may be forthcoming this year. W e should advise those who are possessed of this volume of reference to read Mr. Ashworth Burke's Preface which will give them somewhat of a summary of the important events of the year in the Peerage, and also notes on the most interesting deaths and creations therein.

beg leave to state that we decline to return communications which, for any reason, we do not print, and to this rule we can make no exception.

all communications must be written the name and address of the sender, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith.

To secure insertion of communications correspondents 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 answering queries, or making notes with regard to previous entries in the paper, contributors are requested to put in parentheses, immediately after the exact heading, the series, volume, and page or pages to which they refer. Correspondents who repeat queries are requested to head the second communication "Duplicate."

desires to thank C. M. (Warrington) for the answer which appeared ante, p. 17.